I will also be voting against the amendment. I acknowledge that the previous Liberal government did impose mandatory minimums for these sexual offences. I agreed with that amendment at that time and I agree with the government's position that those mandatory minimums need to be increased.
The government believes that every person who for a sexual purpose touches directly or indirectly, with a part of the body or with an object, any part of the body of a person under the age of 16 should serve some time in jail. On that basis I will not support Mr. Ménard's amendment. It seems to me that he is essentially trying to remove a minimum that really flies directly in the face of not only what the government is trying to do here but also what the previous government did with respect to these provisions.