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EDMONTON - Justice has not been served for former MP Rahim Jaffer, a QMI Agency poll suggests.

And Jaffer's old Edmonton-Strathcona constituents are among those lashing out against the disgraced politician.

Getting what some called "a slap on the wrist," Jaffer pleaded guilty in Ontario court Tuesday to careless driving.

Cocaine possession and drunk-driving charges were withdrawn.

"It's a joke," said Bob Shank, while waiting for a bus Wednesday in Jaffer's old riding.

"He should've been prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I would never vote for him in a lifetime."

More than 1,000 people responded to a QMI Agency poll that asked whether justice had been done in the case.

Eighty percent of people responding said no, while another 15% said they would never know.

Former Conservative MP Rahim Jaffer's guilty verdict in an Ontario courtroom has ignited an outrage across Canada. Many are now questioning why the charges of cocaine possession and drunk driving were dropped in the case.

Jaffer pleaded guilty to careless driving and received a $500 fine, and no criminal record.

The 38-year-old was charged last September with cocaine possession and drunk driving after being stopped by police for speeding in Palgrave, Ont., located about 60 kilometres north of Toronto.

Jaffer spoke to media outside of court apologizing for the incident.

"I should have been more careful. I'm sorry. I know this is a serious matter," he said. "Once again I apologize for that and I take full responsibility for my careless driving."

But now, some are saying the former Edmonton-area MP received special consideration and got off easy after the more serious charges were withdrawn.

"You've got to wonder if it was a different situation, a different person -- maybe there wouldn't be the same outcome," said Gillian Phillips with MADD Canada's Edmonton and area chapter. 

By. Jane Taber, Globe and Mail

Stephen Harper’s tough-on-crime Conservatives were accused of being not-so-tough when it comes to one of their own today during a particularly nasty Question Period today.

Winnipeg Liberal MP Anita Neville raised the issue of the $500 fine given to former Tory MP Rahim Jaffer after he pleaded guilty to a charge of careless driving earlier today. Her questions – and accusations – touched off a firestorm in the Commons.

“Members of this government are always quick to comment on any court judgment that doesn’t align with their get-tough-on-crime rhetoric,” Ms. Neville said. “They always say, ‘You do the crime. You do the time.’ What then is this government’s comment on the dangerous driver in possession of illicit drugs who gets off with no record and a $500 slap on the wrist?”

By Janice Tibbetts, Canwest News Service

OTTAWA — The head of Canada's prison system says there will be "major construction initiatives" in the coming years to cope with federal legislation to imprison more offenders longer — an assertion backed by new spending estimates showing a 43 per cent increase in penitentiary capital costs next year.

Don Head, commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada, set the stage for prison expansion in a recent e-mail, obtained by Canwest News Service.

In a brief note to staff sent on Dec. 23, Head announced changes to the senior ranks of the prison system "to best prepare itself to implement many of the changes associated with several of the pieces of legislation that will result in a growth of our inmate population."

By John Hutton, Winnipeg Sun

Despite having spent most of last year arguing that his “tough on crime” agenda was urgently needed, Stephen Harper killed off most of it when he prorogued Parliament.

This means the legislation will have to be re-introduced and debated all over again over the next few months.

It is also a second chance for Canadians to see that his initiatives aren’t going to accomplish much, but they are going to cost taxpayers a lot of money.

Harper’s agenda involves increasing the amount of time people have to serve in jail or prison (at taxpayer expense) by imposing more minimum sentences, and making it harder for inmates to get parole.

More time, he argues, should equal less crime. It’s a simple solution and like most simple solutions to complex problems, it doesn’t work.

In real life, there is little correlation between crime rates and sentence lengths. Most people who break the law don’t stop to consider the consequences; they act on impulse, they may be under the influence or they don’t think they’ll get caught. Whatever the case, stiffer sentences do not stop people from breaking the law.

By Janice Tibbetts And Glen McGregor, Canwest News Service

A strong majority of judges who made political donations before being elevated to the federal bench in recent years contributed to the Conservative party.

It's a finding that suggests the Harper government is favouring those who are politically like-minded.

An Ottawa Citizen- Canwest News Service analysis found that 41 judges appointed by the Conservatives to the prestigious postings had donated to the party or its candidates since 2004.