Thatcher law introduced in Sask. legislature

A bill that would prevent convicted killers like Colin Thatcher from keeping their book profits is speeding its way throughSaskatchewan's legislature.

Introduced on Wednesday afternoon, the proposed profits of criminal notoriety act quickly received two of the three readings necessary to make it a law.

The bill is being fast-tracked to deal with the case of Thatcher, a former Saskatchewan cabinet minister who murdered his ex-wife Jo-Ann Wilson in Regina in 1983.

After spending 22 years in prison, Thatcher is now out on parole and has written a book asserting his innocence. Justice Minister Don Morgan was initially skeptical that he could pass such a law during the spring session, but says he changed his mind after hearing from people across the province.

"What we need to think of as legislators in our province is not just our convenience and our desire to look at things in the broad perspective," Morgan said. "I mean, as important as it is to have well-drafted comprehensive things that I wished to do, we have an immediate issue to deal with and what we should think of is Jo-Ann Wilson, who [was] a daughter, a wife and a mother."

The billis beingfast-tracked with the cooperation of the NDP Opposition. NDP justice critic Frank Quennell said he fully supported it.

"I don't think it's appropriate for this legislative assembly to sit silently by and allow the perpetrators of outrageous crimes to profit from those outrages," he said.

The bill is expected to receive third reading and become law before the end of next week.

Under the proposed act, any money earned through the recounting of a crime must be paid to the government. The act also prevents people from profiting from the sale of memorabilia, such as autographs, personal objects and items related to a crime where the profit would be increased by their criminal notoriety.

The law would not apply where a crime is recounted for law enforcement purposes, in support of crime prevention or in support of programs that help victims.