My question is for Mr. Bloos or Mr. Rady. There is something that I am puzzled about. You said it is easier if you use conditional sentencing. Currently, there are street gangs in Montreal. I just heard someone say that criminals have no knowledge of the law. They use youngsters under the age of 14 because they know that the sentences will not be as harsh. In this way, young people are employed as street pushers, and this is spreading all over Montreal. A member from the Bloc has even written a book about this very topic. The problem has reached endemic proportions.
Now the sale of drugs does not involved violence as such. Deals are made, and that is all. But on the other hand, this leads to prostitution, theft, assaults of the elderly, etc. I know for a fact that defendants are overly protected, but I am speaking on the behalf of the victims, because there are far more victims than you might think, for instance, there are people who become addicted and take up prostitution. In Quebec, this frightful situation lasted for two years. I do not wish it on anyone. The entire system was contaminated.
You said that aboriginal people are overly represented. We know very well that most Aboriginal people—as Ms. Saulis just said—live in poverty. We have been working with Legal Aid Certificates. How do you react when you have a legal aid certificate? Right away, you would enter a guilty plea so as to avoid a trial. This is how many Aboriginal persons end up in jail because the legal aid grants are insufficient to pay for their defence.
I would like to hear what you have to say about this