Evidence of meeting #17 for Justice and Human Rights in the 40th Parliament, 3rd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was youth.
A recording is available from Parliament.
President, Association québécoise Plaidoyer-Victimes
This information is available on the Internet and in our electronic newsletter that we send to members.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
Are you able to tell me how many submissions your organization received from individual victims of crime regarding Bill C-4?
President, Association québécoise Plaidoyer-Victimes
I don't think victims of crime are following the debate about Bill C-4 otherwise than in the media. The same is true in all organizations when there are bills in other contexts. Victims are members of the public who read the newspapers and listen to what is said on television. We send out the information we have.
Conservative
Stephen Woodworth Conservative Kitchener Centre, ON
I'm just trying to discern whether your comments today were informed by any submissions from any individual victims of crime.
President, Association québécoise Plaidoyer-Victimes
Our board of directors works with large networks, whether for victims of spousal violence, children who are victims of sexual assault, the Human Rights Commission, youth centres. So we reach the major networks. We are in daily contact through our members and our board of directors. We are also in contact with victims of crime. We work on a daily basis with agencies like youth centres and other agencies in the correctional system.
Conservative
Liberal
The Vice-Chair Liberal Brian Murphy
No, you can't. Time is up, this time for real. Sorry.
Ms. Mendes, you have five minutes.
Liberal
Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC
You could have given him that one extra minute so I could swallow.
I would like to pursue what Mr. Woodworth was trying to get you to say. If I understand correctly, you represent what we call in English an advocacy group, as you did say. So you do not have a direct clientele of victims. That is not the purpose of your organization. I imagine that when you tell us you are an umbrella organization and you have organizations that represent victims of violence against women, the directors of those organizations will deal with people who are victims. Is that correct?
President, Association québécoise Plaidoyer-Victimes
I work with a clientele of victims every day. We also do rights advocacy on request. We regularly work with victims as they deal with compensation and the correctional systems.
Liberal
President, Association québécoise Plaidoyer-Victimes
Myself, as a volunteer, I do it every day and all the time. I provide support for victims.
Liberal
Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC
They are not necessarily members of the organization, but they are users of the organization.
Liberal
President, Association québécoise Plaidoyer-Victimes
I think that in Canada, there is some difficulty in understanding what victims' rights advocacy organizations are, if we judge by the way women's groups have been...
Liberal
Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC
It is advocacy, plain and simple. It is unfortunate and sad to say, but this government has a very hard time understanding the concept of advocacy.
Liberal
Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC
So I will come back to the question of the users who come to your centre, but also who go to all the other member organizations. You told us that the public and even victims do not spend their days following the debates in the House and the bills that come before us, but still there is some interest generated by the media in these subjects.
Have any of the victims who call on your services, or your member organizations, conveyed any disturbing reports or even comments in support of this bill?
President, Association québécoise Plaidoyer-Victimes
What we are presenting today is based on the work we do with coordination groups.
Liberal
Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC
That is the formal part of your organization, but what is the situation among the victims, for example, the ones you offer support? I'm asking you the question.
President, Association québécoise Plaidoyer-Victimes
No victims have called us to tell us they are happy that the government is introducing a bill that will toughen the Young Offenders Act. When victims call us—as I said in my presentation—it is because they have problems with services and compensation. I would also recall that the federal government stopped funding the provinces for compensation schemes in 1993. That is a huge problem in Canada.
I would also like to recall that the federal government has no legislation that defines what victims' rights are, the concept of victims. There is a lot of work to be done in that regard. When victims come to us, it is because they are having difficulty in their applications, they are not represented by counsel and they are battling against the justice system or the compensation system. It is not to tell us keep them all in prison. Certainly some people are not happy from time to time, but that is not the reason why they call us.
Liberal
Alexandra Mendes Liberal Brossard—La Prairie, QC
Thank you, Ms. Gaudreault. You have answered my question.