B.C. politicians are voicing support for a federal Conservative bill that would classify the killing of an intimate partner as first-degree murder.
The private member’s bill was introduced Thursday by Frank Caputo, MP for Kamloops-Thompson-Nicola.
Speaking at a press conference, Caputo pointed to the July death of 32-year-old Bailey McCourt, after an attack in a Kelowna parking lot.
Her former partner, James Edward Plover, is charged with second-degree murder in her death.
The attack happened just hours after Plover was convicted on charges related to a 2024 incident, and released on bail.
Caputo said a first-degree murder charge for killing an intimate partner would be similar to how killings of peace officers are treated.
The bill would also create a new offence for assaulting an intimate partner.
“There’s a fundamental difference between assaulting someone at the bar or on the street, and assaulting an intimate partner behind closed doors – a relationship often of psychological and economic dependence,” said Caputo.
It would also create a mechanism for judges to have a risk-assessment conducted while a person is on release, and streamline and modernize the detention of seized goods.
Caputo said he believes it’s a bipartisan issue, and he hopes the Liberals, Bloc Quebecois and NDP will support the bill and it can get to second reading by next week.
The B.C. Conservatives issued a statement Friday to endorse the bill.
“This is about restoring accountability and making sure victims are protected. In B.C., we’ve seen preventable tragedies like the murder of Bailey McCourt in Kelowna, where the system ignored repeated warnings until it was too late,” said Conservative leader John Rustad.
“This federal bill is a vital step toward fixing those failures and putting victims’ safety ahead of offenders’ convenience.”
Kelowna Centre MLA Kristina Loewen also praised the move.
“This bill is sending a clear message: if you take the life of your spouse or partner, you will face the harshest penalty under the law. No more excuses or second chances for abusers who escalate to murder,” said Loewen.
Speaking to reporters during a two-day trip to Ottawa Thursday, Premier David Eby said he raised the issues of intimate partner violence and bail reform and got assurances from federal ministers it is something they are working on.
“Men who beat up women, men who kill women that they are in relationships with, that will be treated with the seriousness that it deserves. I’m glad the federal government is looking at moving on this,” Eby said.
Classifying intimate partner killings as first-degree murder was among the steps McCourt’s family called for to improve the justice system in the wake of her death.
