Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph Goodale addresses the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police in Ottawa on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Feds eyeing mandatory counselling for terror suspects under peace ponds: Goodale

OTTAWA – The federal public safety minister says the government is looking at making counter-radicalization counselling mandatory for people under anti-terrorism peace bonds.

Ralph Goodale floated the idea one week after jihadi sympathizer Aaron Driver was killed by police in Strathroy, Ont.

Driver was under a court-ordered peace bond intended to limit his activities but he was able to obtain explosives, plan an apparent attack and film a martyrdom video.

Goodale says there were some ad hoc interventions aimed at helping deradicalize Driver but nothing deliberate and well-organized.

The minister says the government is looking for ways to make peace bonds more effective or to find alternatives.

The Liberals also plan to open a federal office of counter-radicalization to serve as a national focal point for counselling and intervention services.

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Marshall Jones

Marshall Jones

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