Thank you.
I appreciate hearing from you this morning. I have to say right off the bat that I'm not a lawyer, and I'm sorry that I get lost in a lot of the lingo that goes on between you lawyers. You and Mr. Lee lost me totally.
It's hard to keep up with that. I don't quite understand where you get the idea that in reality it would change nothing. There are communities in this country that are actively seeking this kind of legislation because of the high rate of gun crime in their neighbourhoods. So the reality is they say we have to do something. You're saying in reality it will do nothing.
You're also saying the reality is that Canadians don't like guns. I live in a basically rural Alberta riding, and I would say that kind of statement would bring on a loud boo as a response. People there are quite active in their ranching, farming, hunting, and everything else they do. We have world contests like the fast gun draw. You wear a sidearm and try to be the fastest to draw. Last September I was there when a 14-year-old girl from California was the fastest gun in the west, and the crowds were cheering. So the reality is that what you said is not necessarily true. You make it sound very wide-sweeping and it isn't.
Another reality is that I've talked to a lot of police officers on the front lines. We don't have the stats, but they will say they are well aware of many individuals who were released on bail after being jailed for gun crimes, including my friend on my right here who is an ex-policeman. He will vouch that that's been going on and is still happening. The reality is that Canadians are worried about their safety and feel we must do as much as possible to protect them.
I personally know of one case of bail that ended up in the death of three people. I was acquainted with those people. Others don't want to talk about it today, even though it happened 12 or 14 years ago--I can't recall the date exactly--because of the tragedy that happened to them as victims.
All this lingo concentrates so heavily on legislation--legal this and legal that--that we forget about the victims who are real people. The reality is that people are not satisfied with the way things are--the status quo. On the gun crimes that happen, the communities want something to happen. They're asking for this kind of legislation. They've been here testifying to that. Police are asking for this kind of legislation.
You make blanket statements about reality, but the reality is, “Government, get off your tail and start fixing things to put an end to the tragedies that are happening amongst us.” I'm thinking of Mayerthorpe, where we lost four policemen in Alberta. I'm thinking of the Boxing Day incident in Toronto. We can name one after another. We can't sit back and say this is a useless piece of legislation that will do nothing. I don't agree with that at all.
You can comment any way you like on my response.