Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I am filling in for Mr. Cotler this morning and following this discussion.
I have to tell you that in my opinion this is nothing more than overkill. I have no sympathy for a bunch of hoodlums who go out there and tear apart our cities and cause massive damage, without question.
There's always that balance that we as legislators are supposed to be looking for. Most of the time it is a bunch of young people who are out voicing their objection to whatever. A few of them end up out there creating the kind of crimes, and so on and so forth.
Again, you know what? They are at a particular point in their life; they get carried away. We saw what happened in Vancouver.
To suggest that you give them up to 10 years for wearing a mask when the actual penalty for participating in the activity would probably be much less, I really think is overkill.
I'm not surprised because I think it fits with the government's agenda. I would much rather focus on how to make sure that people who are going to participate in these kinds of activities know that there are strict penalties, that they are going to be held to account and that they will be pursued. Also, given the fact that we are closing Kingston Penitentiary and a few other prisons that are very old in this country, and that if we continue on with this extensive crime agenda here, they will probably have to take a number or wait in line because there won't be a space for them in jail if we're going to turn around and look at these kinds of severe penalties.
It's nothing short of overkill and I will not be supporting it.