Like my colleagues, I think that it is not appropriate to put the bill to the vote before November 18, by limiting debate on the amendments to five minutes today, Thursday, November 17, until 11:59 p.m. At school I learned that from the clash of ideas were born new positive solutions. This means that it's from talking and discussing that we are going to move the debate forward and find quality solutions that will meet everyone's needs, including those of victims and the population.
In five minutes, we can't discuss what the experts say. Ms. Borg's riding has three penitentiaries; mine has one. The experts have confirmed that prison is not a panacea and that the construction of mega prisons is not the solution.
In five minutes, we can't express our point of view, demonstrate how prison will become the university of crime and will not be good for the victims, since the long-term crime rate will rise, as will the recidivism rate. In five minutes, we can't say that this won't be good for detainees, when there will be heavier caseloads, over-population and lack of privacy. This is going to create tensions. There's little hope for the detainees in such prisons, because they have very little access to rehabilitation and social reintegration programs.
In five minutes' discussion, we won't be able to talk either about the budgets of the provinces concerned, even those that were in favour of the bill, who have already asked the government how this whole system, which is going to increase the provinces' budgets, is going to be managed.