Mr. Speaker, it is not every day that one gets the chance to see lawyers demonstrating. They would rather defend their point of view before a judge than in front of the Montreal courthouse.
But they stepped out of character yesterday and took to the streets to protest Bill C-3, a bill that will mean repression rather than rehabilitation for young offenders. The president of the Montreal Association des avocats en droit de la jeunesse, René Binet, had the following to say:
We are on the front line. We have handled thousands of cases. We know whereof we speak. We do not want this bill.
Bloc Quebecois members heard this message long ago. The time has come for the federal Liberal members from Quebec to go along with the consensus in Quebec and to demand that their government withdraw Bill C-3. There is still time to listen to reason. The future of many young people hangs in the balance.