Justice Committee on Nov. 8th, 2006

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

So if we weaken the Criminal Code, obviously more criminals are out on the street and the less it costs us. I think that's what my friends across the way are getting at, that we should move in a direction that would actually weaken the Criminal Code—

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Mr. Chairman, this is the dumbest rhetoric I have ever encountered in this justice committee in my entire 18 years.

[A voice]

Wow!

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

And if the members opposite are going to persist—

[A voice]

Mr. Chair—

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

—with this dumbest rhetoric--I repeat, dumbest rhetoric--I am not going to put up with it. I am signaling now that I have reached my limit—

[The Chair, Conservative, Art Hanger]

Order, please. Mr. Lee, order, please.

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

If members opposite, Mr. Chairman, are incapable of addressing a policy issue without making reference to some other aspect of an opposition party's policies or election platform—

[The Chair, Conservative, Art Hanger]

Order. Order please.

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

—then I am not going to put up with it on this committee. I am as able as any of them are, just as capable—

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

Mr. Chair, he's using my time.

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

—of distorting and disrupting the work of this committee. I am giving notice now that I will do it.

[The Chair, Conservative, Art Hanger]

Your time is up, Mr. Dykstra. Mr. Lee—

[Rick Dykstra, Conservative, St. Catharines, ON]

I think Mr. Lee's time is up.

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

I will do it if this continues, and you may forget about cooperation in further justice bills—

[Patrick Brown, Conservative, Barrie, ON]

Have we had any? You gutted Bill C-9.

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

—if this persists. I have given my notice.

[The Chair, Conservative, Art Hanger]

Order.

[Derek Lee, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge River, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Conservative, Art Hanger]

Colleagues, I think you can direct all the questions—

[Patrick Brown, Conservative, Barrie, ON]

Talk about theatrics.

[The Chair, Conservative, Art Hanger]

—pertinently and specifically to the witnesses and not to one another. I don't think we're here for that reason.

Mr. McKay.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I want to ask Mr. Toller a question, going back on his testimony. I thought you said that of all of the people who are on community service, something like 0.6% offend in a violent way. Is that somewhere close to what you said?

[Ross Toller]

What I had indicated was that 0.6% of those on day parole commit a violent offence during their period of supervision. It's the statutory release group that has the rate of 2.4% for a violent offence while under supervision. The rate for those on full parole is 0.7%.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

Do I add 0.6% to 2.4% to get a figure for the total percentage of people who offend?