Thanks, Mr. Chair.
Thank you to both the witnesses for appearing.
Professor Lee, I found it interesting. It's sometimes rare that witnesses come to committee to talk about the cost of crime from the perspective of the cost to society. So often we hear what it is going to cost if someone who should be in jail actually winds up in jail. Of course there is a cost to taxpayers, to governments, in that respect. I note that you've also set out the cost of crime to society in the form of victims.
We've heard from the minister. We've heard from individuals around this table today that we are dealing with what a layperson would describe as the worst of the worst. These are people who certainly, to come under the effect of this bill, have shown themselves to be recidivists; to have a propensity to commit serious violent and sexual crimes. So we're not talking about break and enter, shoplifting, or some of the things on a more minor scale. We're talking about individuals who repeatedly have committed the worst offences.
Sometimes the terminology can be confusing, but for someone to be designated a dangerous offender they're not required to commit two or even three offences. A prosecutor can make an application, even on the first offence, for someone to be a dangerous offender.
Mr. Goldstein, when you were questioned about your fact scenario you said you didn't necessarily trust the judgment of a crown prosecutor or their discretion not to proceed. But you also said that the system as it is now is working okay. In fact there is discretion even now among prosecutors to proceed with a dangerous offender designation. That in fact doesn't change under this bill; there is a discretion there. So perhaps you can comment on that.
With the time remaining, Professor Lee, perhaps you could comment on how you came up with some of the measurements on the cost of victims to Canadians. I agree that what we've seen as evidence bears out some of your analysis that the most vulnerable in many cases are being targeted, and we need to have a balance in our system. This bill in my opinion strikes that balance in a very responsible way.
Perhaps you can comment on those two questions.