Thank you very much.
I appreciate the fact that you were here before on estimates and said you would be back with supplemental September priorities because you couldn't answer some of the questions we had then. I'm sure you'll have the answers when you appear before us soon.
I look at Bill C-9, and our party is interested in having some form of restriction on conditional sentencing, so it is a question of what, to what degree, and how we choose the offences that should be there.
We're going to hear a lot of evidence, and we'll have to make our final decisions based on the evidence that's educed before this committee, and our best judgment around the table. But there are a number of issues on which my colleagues and other members will question you.
I note your examples. I also note for the record that the crown could easily appeal those sentences, and I'm sure that they should have or would have in some of those cases. But the fact remains that I thought your presentation today should have included something to do with the costing, because this is going to affect the situation in the provinces and territories throughout the country.
I would like to see tabled before this committee some idea of the projected costing and some acknowledgment or discussion of where you are with your consultations with those who could be most affected in those jurisdictions, because we all know that these sentences will be served at that level and not in federal penitentiaries.
You've also talked about the aboriginal community, and I think it is very true that aboriginal communities are over-represented not only in our penal system, but among the victim community. I agree with that.
It is the amendments that are going to be the work in progress here, Minister. You have now come before this committee twice to say you are amenable to amendments. Are your bureaucrats in the Department of Justice willing to work with the parties, or will we just go through our normal amendment process? In other words, I've noted throughout the summer that in your speeches you have dropped mention of those sections that deal mainly with property. You've been talking about the serious injury parts and the serious crimes, and I think we can come to an agreement on those areas.
There are other things I want to discuss with you, but I will let you give your views and tell us whether the government is going to be amending its own bill.