I would like to agree with everything that has been said, but you know I have some difficulty with minimum prison terms. What concerns me about minimum sentences in this bill, and what intrigues me...The rate of motor vehicle theft has clearly gone down. But what concerns me it that it has increased in the Northwest Territories and the other territories in the north.
You know that I also sit on the Standing Committee for Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. Clearly, statistics can be made to say anything. Manitoba has lost its championship, of course; unfortunately, the province now ranks third. I feel that it is going to go ever lower because of the measures taken by the police forces. But the problem is growing in the north. So we have Inuit stealing skidoos because it is part of their reality. They do not steal cars; they steal snowmobiles, which are motor vehicles to them.
When I was a lawyer, I went around the north. I had clients there, and we could feel this coming. They are going to steal four-by-fours, they are going to steal skidoos, and they are going to end up in prison for a minimum of six months.
I have reservations too. I would likely share Ms. Jennings' opinion. I would vote against minimum sentences. I have always voted against them because I do not feel that they are the solution.
But now we are getting into something dangerous. If you look at the statistics on page 3, in the column called Northwest Territories, you will see that it is not just about skidoos. Ms. MacAulay brought the table to show us. What we are doing now is dangerous. That is why I would really hesitate to impose minimum sentences. At least, I would wait a little, even if it means going back to it later. Motor vehicle theft is dropping everywhere, except in the north.
I can assure you that in Quebec, where there were 351 thefts, a lot of them were in and around Montreal. That is clear, we know that.