Thank you.
When we last met, Minister, we talked as well to the same representatives of victims groups about the mandatory minimum penalties that are in the bill. Specifically, we're often criticized by the opposition and others about the high costs of mandatory minimum penalties: there will be more people in prison. Some of these sexual predators will be off the street; they're going to spend more time behind bars. That's going to cost more money. We need more jail cells perhaps, more prison guards to keep them there off the streets, to keep them away from our children.
I asked them whether they thought, if that were true—assuming it were true that the costs of incarcerating people would go up—that it was money well spent. I can tell you that both Mr. Rushfeldt of the Canada Family Action organization and Ms. Ellen Campbell representing victims of child abuse said yes, it would be money very well spent, in their opinion.
Could you talk about that and about what you think the value of it is to the people of Canada, especially with respect to mandatory minimum penalties in this legislation, keeping child sex predators away from our children?