Unfortunately, Mr. Petit, I do not have any statistics which I could reliably present to you now. However, I've been listening to the discussion for over an hour and I will take the liberty to repeat the position of the association. As my colleague, Mr. Pecknold, said earlier, we believe that the Criminal Code is already very complex. I would encourage you to place yourself in the position of the citizens you represent and we are called on to protect. For these people, the situation is already very complex. I would invite you to ask yourselves whether the average citizen would understand what we have just talked about.
I understand that the law is important and that the rights of inmates are also important, but can't we just for a moment stop and think about the victims? Can't we try to see how citizens perceive the fairness of the legal system, and ask ourselves whether they feel a person who has been found guilty has received an appropriate sentence?
I mingle with Montrealers on a regular basis, and I can humbly tell you that in many cases, they wonder why people who have committed crimes I would qualify as being violent receive such light sentences, or why repeat offenders of crimes against citizens—such as break-ins or vehicle theft—are walking the streets.
I understand that we need a debate on the provisions of the bill, but I encourage you to question the way you are going about it. What will the average citizen remember of the discussion we're having today?