Justice committee  The first right is the right to information.

Justice committee  No. If the provinces and territories don't take action to implement the bill and if the federal government does not allocate any resources, we will be in the same boat. This will not change things for victims.

Justice committee  I wanted to talk about compensation and information.

Justice committee  It has to support all the efforts of the provinces and come to an agreement with them on what they intend to do. As things stand, we don't know what they will do with this bill of rights. No provincial justice minister has said that they support the bill or that it will achieve all kinds of things.

Justice committee  It should, nevertheless, be said that a lot of things are being done in Canada.

Justice committee  I would say it's the lack of information and understanding around the complexity of the justice system and the difficulty victims encounter in trying to have their views considered. When a bill like this one proposes that victims be informed after guilty plea agreements are reached, in the absence of any mechanism compelling prosecutors to inform victims before a guilty plea agreement is made and assure them that their views will be taken into account, we have to recognize how upsetting that is for victims.

Justice committee  I am not a lawyer, but I read Mr. Laferrière's comments. Our view on the discretionary power provided for in the bill is that it cannot be avoided. The police and prosecutor have discretion. And it's logical that the judge would have the ability to tailor the sentence to the circumstances of the case and that the Parole Board of Canada would exercise discretion in its decision making.

Justice committee  Thank you, Madam Chair. I want to begin by thanking the committee for having us and giving us an opportunity to participate in this consultation. The Association québécoise Plaidoyer-Victimes is an organization that promotes and defends the rights of victims of crime. It has existed for 30 years and mainly operates in Quebec.

Public Safety committee  I think it is important to say something about the concerns of the victims we meet with and the organizations that work with them. After offenders are sentenced and serve time, their release must be gradual, they must be monitored in the community and they must be supervised. That is the best guarantee for the safety of victims and society in general.

Public Safety committee  We hear that a discretionary measure is needed. From what Mr. Sweet said when he introduced his bill, we understood that this concern was present in the bill. For instance, parole must be available to people who have changed, who followed their correctional plans thoroughly and who have experienced things in their lives that would make it appropriate for them to benefit from supervised parole.

Public Safety committee  Absolutely. That opinion, which is shared by many groups, has been expressed during the review of Bill C-10. Various groups that work with victims of domestic violence or sexual assault have reiterated the importance of parole. This system must clearly have rigorous support. We also expect the correctional system to do its job well, to treat victims well and to protect them.

Public Safety committee  Could you give me two minutes to talk about the last point or will I be able to explain it later?

Public Safety committee  Okay, I will explain it later.

Public Safety committee  In terms of the time that has to pass before a schedule I offender can apply for parole again, we think it could be harmful to society and victims. It is preferable that victims be under supervision in the case of gradual release and that there be monitoring. It is risky to release persons without having them on parole or without supervising them in the community.

Public Safety committee  Mr. Chair, I would first like to thank the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security for allowing us to participate in the consultation on this bill and to contribute to its work. I would particularly like to thank David Sweet, MP, for his commitment to this bill and his interest in the rights of victims of crime.