We Should Care That a Prison Has an Ice Rink. But Not for the Reasons You Might Think.

A Conservative member of Parliament is complaining about “taxpayer-funded serial killer pickup hockey." His rant is cynical, misguided, and cruel.

Perhaps Conservatives would prefer inmates were held as Edmond Dantès was? Source: Unsplash. Author: Denny Müeller.

The Conservatives are once again turning the outrage dial, hoping the knob will go up to eleven and perhaps even higher. This time it’s over recreational facilities at a prison — Quebec’s La Macaza Institution — which is home to, among others, serial killer Paul Bernardo.

After Conservative MP Frank Caputo toured the facility, he took to social media and Question Period in the House of Commons to complain about “taxpayer-funded serial killer pickup hockey” at the medium-security facility. He must be proud of that line, cynical and stupid and mean-spirited as it is.

Obviously no one told Caputo that the facility had the (functioning) rink during Stephen Harper’s time as prime minister, during which no Conservative seemed to mind. He ought to take to the House of Commons and Twitter to chew out the former prime minister, you know, for the sake of consistency. I won’t hold my breath. Instead, I’ll get to the heart of the matter here, which is about much more than a hockey rink.