Before Stephen Harper prorogued Parliament, before he made sure to be televised hobnobbing with athletes at every possible turn at the Olympics, he had filled the Lower House with a slate of crime bills, which all died upon prorogation. Now they’re back, and Harper is ready to be “tougher on crime” than ever before.

But the Liberals aren’t so ready to let the Conservatives push through their “tough on crime” agenda. Dominic LeBlanc, a former (and, hopefully, future) contender for the Liberal helm, now justice critic, was quoted in today’s National Post:

“This is the first government to politicize the Criminal Code,” said Mr. LeBlanc.

He accused the Conservatives of bringing forward “gimmicky” bills with “silly names” such as the “Protecting Canadians by Ending Sentence Discounts for Multiple Murderers Act.”

The politicization of justice reform has been a topic for concern since Harper’s ascent. In any event,  we’re bound to hear the terms “soft on crime” and “tough on crime” thrown around a lot as our legislators return to work after their vacation.