Thank you, Chair.
My question will be directed to Mr. Rudin and Mr. Jock.
I hear a significant amount today in your comments about the overrepresentation of aboriginal offenders and the consequences that has for aboriginal criminals. My question relates to the over-representation of aboriginal victims. If we're talking about an over-representation of aboriginal offenders in remote northern communities and what it means when they--I heard reference--are brought down to other jails in different locations, my larger concern is what this means for an over-representation of victims within the aboriginal community. It's certainly not healthy that we're having an over-representation of tragedies, in a sense, where families are shattered and the communities are shaken.
The concern I have is that if we do nothing, if we accept the status quo of an over-representation of aboriginal victims, then we are really doing a disservice to aboriginal communities. If we're going to stand up for aboriginal communities, there has to be some medicine for that problem. What can we do? What is your advice? What can the government do to stand up for over-representation of aboriginal victims?
I'd ask for a few examples. I've heard this shying away from conditional sentences is something that wouldn't be welcome. Are there are any examples of things listed in the legislation where you believe a conditional sentence isn't warranted? Are there aspects of the proposed legislation with which you agree?
For example, I looked at a few instances within parts of the Criminal Code that would be affected by this. I looked at section 155: incest. Can you think of any example where a conditional sentence would be warranted in a case of incest; or section 234, manslaughter; or section 271, sexual assault, or someone's integrity has been attacked; or section 281, abduction of a person under 14? What message are you sending someone, a mother and a father, their family, if someone has been given a conditional sentence, if the criminal, the person proven in court to have been a criminal, has an available recourse so that they could have a conditional sentence? Or for arson, where someone has lost their own home, in a case where a building or property they've saved up for has been completely disrespected and ruined...?
So what advice do you have for the government as to what we can do to protect an over-representation of aboriginal victims?