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Exception and Deputization under Today's NDP: Neo-liberalism, the Third Way, and Crime Control in Manitoba

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2013

Andrew Woolford  and
Jasmine Thomas
Andrew Woolford
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2,Canada, E-mail: andrew_woolford@umanitoba.ca
Jasmine Thomas
Affiliation:
Department of Sociology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB,Canada, E-mail: jthomas@ualberta.ca
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Abstract

This article examines the discourses of crime and safety mobilized by Gary Doer's provincial NDP government in Manitoba between 1999 and 2009. Through a Foucaultian discourse analysis of statements made by Manitoba NDP members in the Legislative Assembly—in particular, the language and preconceptions drawn on by government members when speaking about matters of crime and safety—the authors assess the role of Third Way and neo-liberal rationalities of crime governance in a provincial crime-control assemblage that seeks to foster “security” beyond the limits of federally defined criminal law. Based on this analysis, the authors discuss how the Manitoba NDP is engaged in a process of “deputizing” public service and communities for purposes of crime control.

Résumé

Cet article examine les discours du gouvernement néo-démocrate provincial de Gary Doer relatifs au crime et à la sécurité publique au Manitoba durant les années 1999 à 2009. À partir d'une analyse foucaldienne des déclarations des membres du NPD à l'Assemblé législative du Manitoba—particulièrement, du langage et des idées préconçues des membres du gouvernement lorsque ceux-ci abordent des questions relatives au crime et à la sécurité—nous examinons le rôle de la troisième voie ainsi que les arguments néo-libéraux de ce gouvernement, à savoir un parti provincial cherchant à contrôler le crime et à ériger la sécurité au-delà des limites du droit pénal fédéral. Suivant cette analyse, nous démontrons comment le NPD du Manitoba tente de contrôler le crime par l'entremise d'un processus d'inféodation du service public ainsi que des communautés.

Keywords

neo-liberalismcrime controlthe Third WayexceptionManitobanéolibéralismecontrôle du crimela troisième voieexceptionManitoba
Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Law and Society / La Revue Canadienne Droit et Société , Volume 26 , Issue 1 , April 2011 , pp. 113 - 131
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Law and Society Association 2011

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58 This article is part of a three-stage project examining the effects of neo-liberal social regulation in inner-city Winnipeg. The first stage, to which this article belongs, examined federal, provincial, and municipal policy with respect to safety and crime control. The second stage included interviews with community agencies providing services to inner-city residents. The third stage, recently completed, involved interviews with inner-city service users to gauge their experiences of responsibilization.