Just as when we dealt with citizen's arrest and self-defence, when the NDP members only brought forward suggestions on sentencing at the time we sat and deliberated on them, this is what's happening here today.
Sometimes the plain language of something means exactly what it's meant to mean. What we're saying to the judiciary is to take into account the age. I could imagine, if I were in that place, perhaps looking at a kidnapping differently if we were talking about a 15-year-old, or a 3-year-old.
I think we all know what “vulnerability” means. There may be, as Mr. Cotler has pointed out, a diminished capacity. One can think of many things that would make the victim more vulnerable in the eyes of the judiciary. That is why we're prepared to support this amendment. It's just another way of giving the judiciary a little more guidance when it comes to sentencing.