Justice committee  No, I think the question and response had to do with the five-year maximums set out in proposed Bill C-394. We would agree with expanding the circumstances under Bill C-394 to take into account where the recruitment is taking place.

Justice committee  If I were satisfied that this would happen, I wouldn't have made the request.

Justice committee  Well, if there is an actual act of violence committed against somebody who's attempting to leave a gang, of course that would be a Criminal Code offence and it would allow the police to become involved. But where the gang uses their force to intimidate somebody, to threaten somebody—not just the gang member, but potentially their family, their friends, their associates—we think that is serious enough that it should be included in Bill C-394.

Justice committee  How many hours do we have?

Justice committee  Look, I thank the member for the question, because it does highlight that although today we're talking about changes to the Criminal Code, we know there's more that all levels of government need to do. Certainly we think there are more partnerships we can strike to try to get at the heart of the problems plaguing perhaps your community, as they are mine.

Justice committee  I can tell you that public safety does come at a cost. In Manitoba, just like in other provinces that have higher-than-average crime rates, we know that our costs are higher. But you know, when it comes to providing guaranteed consequences for somebody who chooses to endanger my community, and to put young people at risk, we believe that having appropriate measures in place—as I said, guaranteed consequences—is worth the cost.

Justice committee  Becoming involved in a gang is a long-term commitment, unfortunately. I don't want to overplay the hand, but it can be a life sentence for young people who live out the rest of their days in a gang. We believe that guaranteed consequences for gang members who pursue this kind of activity are appropriate.

Justice committee  Well, yes. I just want to make sure whatever language becomes part of Bill C-394 and then part of the Criminal Code is clear—that it's not just coercion to get someone to join a gang, but coercion to keep somebody in a gang or a criminal organization. That's really the nuance. We know all the tricks gangs employ to try to get young people involved.

Justice committee  Our suggestion is that it could be written right into the main language in Bill C-394, but if an alternative is to make the activity at a place such as a community centre or school an aggravating factor, that would be a reasonable step for Parliament to take as well.

Justice committee  Yes, for.... Well, let me put it another way. I can tell you that from the meetings I've had with various groups working with youth, and in speaking with youth directly, the problem that Bill C-394 is attempting to deal with is a real one, and it's a serious one. For a young person getting involved in a gang, it's a life sentence.

Justice committee  I will answer in English because we don't have enough time. Certainly the Province of Manitoba does believe that building safer communities requires a balanced approach. Today we're talking about a bill that is based on suppression and a change to the Criminal Code. We don't take our eye off the ball in terms of what we need to do in terms of supporting police and other organizations—the safer communities act in Manitoba, for example—as well as dealing with the root causes of crime and trying to find positive places for young people to go.

Justice committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chairperson. On behalf of the people of Manitoba, thank you for the opportunity to present on Bill C-394. I'm not going to read through my submission word for word. Let me say at the start that we support Bill C-394. I commend MP Parm Gill for bringing this forward.