Mr. Chairman, with your permission, I would like to clarify the situation. The Department of Justice is proposing a bill that attaches minimum sentences to current provisions of the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. As parliamentarians, we have every right to expect that, if we are asked to consider a bill dealing with minimum sentences, that studies carried out in that regard be made available to us. I believe it would be quite irresponsible to vote on this without seeing those studies. I would be extremely surprised—indeed, disappointed and even shattered, if the Department had not itself carried out such studies. If it has not, Mr. Chairman, we have a problem—a problem that could even prompt us to adjourn our work here in Committee, although I dare say the Department has in fact done such studies.
On May 27th, 2009. See this statement in context.