The West Block – Episode 22, Season 13

THE WEST BLOCK
Episode 22, Season 13
Sunday, February 11, 2024

Host: Eric Sorensen

Guests:
Dominic LeBlanc, Public Safety Minister
Kirsten Hillman, Canadian Ambassador to the United States

Location:
Ottawa Studio

Eric Sorensen: It’s a crime that costs Canadians every day: cars stolen from their driveways. Ottawa says it has a fix.

I’m Eric Sorensen, sitting in for Mercedes Stephenson. The West Block starts now.

Governments, police and auto experts brainstorming ways out of a Canada wide crisis. Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc on the strategy to crack down on auto theft.

And, laying the groundwork for a possible second Trump presidency. Ottawa has rekindled a Team Canada approach to smooth relations, but could the prime minister be ruffling some feathers? We speak with the Canadian ambassador in Washington.

Every five minutes in Canada, a vehicle is stolen. Some are violent armed car jacking’s like this.

From 2018 to 2022, auto theft cases tripled in Canada, costing Canadians more than $1 billion a year.

Terri O’Brien, President & CEO Équité Association: “Every five minutes a Canadian is victimized, and every five minutes a neighbourhood in our country feels less safe.”

Eric Sorensen: The vehicles often end up in shipping containers which then disappear overseas. It’s become so common that a federally led auto theft summit was held on Thursday that included law enforcement and border officials.

Dominic LeBlanc is the minister of public safety and he joins me now. Mr. LeBlanc, thank you for being here. People who’ve had their cars stolen not only feel violated but they’re infuriated that sometimes they can be tracked and they still can’t stop them from slipping through, going to the port and ending up overseas. What do you