Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Mr. Muise, I'd like to go back to the age of protection section, which we were discussing recently. I'd like to submit, notwithstanding the comments of Mr. Comartin, that while the age of consent in many provinces and territories is 16, there do exist provisions that would circumvent that age of 16. If indeed we are to honour the title of this portion, “age of protection”...we are seeking to protect children from sexual predators. One has to assume, given the nature of sexual predators, that they know about the provisions in law now that bypass the age of 16, and given the nature of their character, they are probably already thinking about or seeking ways to use those provisions.
I see this part of the bill, which I guess kind of recognizes the marriage thing, as a possible tool that a predator could in fact use. I submit that if we are to truly seek to provide an age of protection of a minimum of 16 for children, to protect them from sexual predators, then we have a responsibility--I agree with you, I believe we have a responsibility--through the use of this bill, to delete a part of it that could be used as a tool by a sexual predator--