Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Minister, and your colleagues of the Department of Justice, for being here.
As you know, Minister, we're supporting Bill C-14 and we'll work with colleagues on this committee to make sure it's passed expeditiously.
I have two specific questions with respect to the bill. In regard to the provisions that create the automatic first degree murder charge, some opponents have said that what this will lead to is a desire on the part of some accused persons to perhaps plead guilty to a lesser offence. Are you worried, or do you have any reason to think, that in fact there will be a pressure on the system for an accused person to try to plea bargain to a less serious offence and in fact the convictions you're seeking for these organized criminals will be pushed down to a lesser offence--for example, manslaughter?