I won't have an opportunity to say this again, but as a criminal lawyer, it is my opinion that we are in the process today of destroying a system that has always worked extremely well and has proven itself. I hope that you will remember that and that all of you, especially Conservative Party members, will recall the following sentence: “What if a lack of hope were to destroy a convict's desire for rehabilitation, resulting in more violence and more problems in our prisons?” That is exactly what we are about to do. So, it is obvious that we will be voting against this bill. However, we will be supporting the amendments, because we see it as the only way to lessen the shock that will be felt here.
My final comments are for the Liberals, who are preparing to demolish a system that they themselves implemented in 1976, by abolishing the death penalty. Ladies and gentlemen, you will be responsible for the elimination of a system that has really worked very well. In recent days and weeks, every witness we have heard from has provided evidence that this system really was extremely successful. And yet you are now preparing to sacrifice it on the altar of politics to avoid having to deal with some political problem.
But I'm going to stop there. I will continue to believe that the current system properly protected the victims. I am deeply convinced of that, whatever my Conservative friends may think, and I will be reiterating that view at every possible opportunity.