Advocacy group named for murdered woman hoping to hear more about domestic violence during federal election

Erika Chorostil · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 10, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 9 minutes ago

A bluish Ontario advocacy radical raising consciousness astir intimate spouse violence wants to spot the contented go much of a absorption successful the national predetermination campaign.

Angie's Angels was founded following the murder of 41-year-old Angie Sweeney and 3 children successful Sault Ste. Marie connected October 2023. The victims had been changeable and killed by Sweeney's spouse Bobbie Hallaert, who besides killed himself.

During the constabulary investigation, it was discovered that Hallaert had a past of home violence and assaulting police. Angie's Angels, made up of Sweeneys' friends and family, has been calling for changes to the justness strategy erstwhile it comes to repetition offenders and weapon power laws.

Renee Buczel, a adjacent person of Sweeney's and co-founder of Angie's Angels, wants to perceive much candidates successful his national predetermination talking astir however to support families safer.

"I deliberation each enactment should beryllium connected board. There's nary crushed that they shouldn't be," said Buczel. 

"It shouldn't beryllium up for debate, right? The information of our women and our children should substance to whoever is successful charge."

During a run halt successful Trois-Rivières, Que. connected April 4, Conservative Party person Pierre Poilievre announced his party's plans to code intimate spouse unit (IPV) if they signifier government.

The enactment is promising to make a caller offence called "assault of an intimate partner," which would travel with tougher sentences for those who battle their partners, their children oregon their partner's children.

Poilievre has besides reiterated his party's earlier calls for a "three strike" approach, that would spot anyone convicted of 3 superior offences denied parole, bail, location apprehension oregon probation.

The Conservative Leader spoke of these promises erstwhile his run came done Sault Ste. Marie this week. Following a rally successful the city, Buczel and different members of Angie's Angels spoke with Poilievre astir Sweeney's execution and pleaded for changes to the law.

"We were funny to spot however helium was going to person that, knowing that you're successful a assemblage that's been truthful straight impacted by IPV and present you're advocating for that and you're putting that connected your platform," said Buczel. 

"We wanted him to person a accidental to look astatine america and archer us: 'Yes, I americium going to combat for change. I americium present for that.'"

Buczel said their connection was good received by the Conservative Leader and helium promised them "change is coming."

Are projected changes to bail betterment constitutional?

While Conservative proposals to betterment bail and marque sentences tougher for repetition offenders whitethorn dependable appealing to some, ineligible experts are questioning if they could really marque it happen. 

"I don't deliberation it's constitutional," said Adam Weisberg, vice-president of the Criminal Lawyers Association of Canada.

Weisberg argues the ineligible reforms the Conservatives are pitching whitethorn not beryllium realistic. He adds determination are larger societal factors astatine play erstwhile it comes to radical committing crimes, and not each transgression offences warrant the tougher penalties that Poilievre is proposing.

"I deliberation these ideas wherever you don't look astatine contextual factors successful the idiosyncratic circumstances and the accused…You get unintended consequences," said Weisberg.