Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thank you, Mr. Minister, for bringing forth this important piece of legislation. I think all the parties agree it's definitely a step in protecting Canada's most vulnerable.
You've noted and have spoken on a couple of occasions about another piece of legislation, which I believe goes in that same direction. That's, of course, Bill C-21, the Standing Up for Victims of White Collar Crime Act. That's a significant piece of legislation, of course. It includes a mandatory minimum penalty of at least two years for fraud of over $1 million. It toughens sentences by adding aggravating factors that the courts can consider. These are significant factors, which include whether the fraud has had a significant impact on the victim, given the victim's particular circumstances, including his age, health, and financial situation, and also the offender's failure to comply with applicable licensing and professional standards. It also considers the magnitude, complexity, duration of the fraud, and the degree of planning that went into creating it.
How can we reconcile the proposed aggravating factors in Bill C-36 to be differentiated from the aggravating factors we have in this other important piece of legislation, Standing Up for Victims of White Collar Crime Act?