First, I have to apologize. I had to go to Parliament to speak to another justice bill, Bill C-58. I said, and it will be noted: it is a very good bill, one that is very worthwhile and will be debated here by the committee in the near future.
However, I find it more difficult to accept Bill C-52. I don't know what your opinion is, I didn't hear you. So I am going to listen to you and ask you just one question. I practised criminal law for many years and I know of no case where someone committed a fraud, a theft, because I call it theft, of over $1 million and got a sentence of less than two years. So I wonder whether it is really necessary to impose a minimum prison term.
As well, I would like to talk about the obligation to make restitution. I think section 741 of the Criminal Code is not really used, which provides that the court may order restitution to victims, and this automatically becomes a civil judgment that the thief will be required to pay.
There are some things I don't understand. Minimum sentences of imprisonment are not a problem for me. The problem is that we don't go far enough and the risk is that we send the message that this isn't serious, that it is just a $1 million fraud, and the thief gets off with two years or less, or maybe more. That is a bad message. I don't know what you think, I didn't hear you, but I would like to hear your thoughts.