Yes, absolutely, I do feel it's necessary. You are right that currently the Criminal Code covers the criminal organization part, but it does not cover the recruitment part. Everything I've done leading up to compiling this bill and the consultations I had with different organizations and stakeholders shows it's lacking with respect to recruitment.
I used one of the examples in my remarks. I met with the Boys and Girls Club in Winnipeg. The example they shared with me showed the frustration the law enforcement agencies and other organizations have when they know somebody is recruiting young people or other individuals into those organizations. There is nothing in the justice system or in our laws that targets those individuals. I believe this is the root of the problem.
We need to target this problem at the root, which is the recruitment. A big part of these criminal organizations and so-called gangs now have dedicated individuals to doing that; they are solely responsible for recruiting individuals into these criminal organizations. I heard lots of examples during my consultations, whether it was the law enforcement agencies or the other organizations that expressed their frustration in terms of why this is not a criminal offence.