Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Spratt. That is interesting. It is never an easy issue, although the position of the NDP is clear. We have some reservations about mandatory minimum sentences, for the same reasons that you have expressed. But let's be realistic, if we look at section 279 of the Criminal Code, we can see that minimum sentences are included.
I am not sure if you are familiar with section 279 and subsequent sections on kidnapping, human trafficking, hostage taking and abduction. How can we justify that, in a case of child kidnapping, for example, such as the one in Mr. Wilks's bill, a minimum sentence is denied when there is one, for example, for a first offence, when a restricted firearm is used. In that case, it is five years.
Is the kidnapping of a child not sufficient for a minimum sentence? How do you explain the distinction made between those various offences in the Criminal Code?