New legislation introduced by the Liberals would eliminate many minimum sentences for drug offences and some gun-related crimes, a move that has drawn a mixed response from victims’ rights advocates. Introduced Feb. 18, Bill C-22 seeks to repeal mandatory minimum penalties (MMPs) for 14 Criminal Code offences, including 11 involving firearms. All six minimum penalties in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act would be repealed. The reforms aim to eliminate minimum sentences that are associated with the overrepresentation of indigenous, black, and marginalized Canadians in the criminal justice system, the government says. Aline Vlasceanu, executive director of the Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime, says victims she works with want minimum penalties for serious crimes, but the MMPs that would be eliminated by Bill C-22 aren’t in that category. “These are minor, simple possession offences and not really what we deal with. We deal with victims of serious violent …