Thank you. If I may, Mr. Chairman, I have a few questions for Professor Brodeur.
This summer, I read the Archambault Commission report. I would not go so far as to say that it was an enriching experience, but I did enjoy reading it. Nevertheless, I'm sure you will agree that it is a scientific document.
I am dismayed. First, the clerk gives us a document—which I can forward to you—from your colleague, Mr. Doob, from the University of Toronto's Centre of Criminology; this document lists everything that has ever been written about deterrence and minimum sentences. He suggests that there is no real relationship between the two. He said that some variables may account for a small difference, but on the whole, it would be scientifically wrong to relate a deterrent effect caused by minimum sentences to the drop in the crime rate.
I would like you to expand on the subject of murder. You said that you have a data bank of homicide cases and that, 75% of the time, these murders are the result of a crime of expression. That leads me to wonder if we, as legislators, are not mistaken when we try to reduce the crime rate by advocating a public firearms registry or by trying to reduce the number of firearms in circulation or by turning our attention to contraband, street gangs and criminality. Are we not approaching the problem from the wrong angle?
I would like you to help us to understand the conclusions that you have drawn from your second point relating to your data bank.