Again, these have been very helpful to me, Mr. Chairman.
Thank you, Mr. Calkins, for your interest in this area. It's much appreciated. I know how supportive you are of the measures that we have taken.
You hear different perspectives from different parts of the country. Sometimes you hear about different crimes, and you hear less about it in some other parts of the country. What is consistent, though, are the meetings I have and the input I get from victims in this country. I'll give you a good example of that.
I heard from many victims across this country about what it was like when the individual who murdered a member of their family came up for the possibility of early parole at 15 years.
I remember introducing the legislation in Parliament. At the scrums that sometimes take place here, I was asked a legitimate question, I guess: do you think that by getting rid of the possibility of early parole people will stop committing first degree murder? I said, “That's not what I'm saying with respect to the introduction of the legislation; it's the hope of everybody that nobody would commit first degree murder, but I do know this for sure: we will be reducing victimization in this country.” I have been told at these round tables by victims that when that 15-year period rolls around, they're victimized again. They're victimized again in wondering and worrying whether the individual is going to be back on the street.
You're familiar with that section that is now gone, thankfully, from the Criminal Code. It didn't stop there: it was at 17 years, 19 years, 21 years, 23 years. For these people, they tell me, it never ended. It just was on and on. That came out of those discussions with them. I was completely confident, as I am to this day, that by getting rid of that, we reduced the victimization in this country. Those are the people that I worry about. Those are the people that you worry about, I know, the people who have been victimized and have found themselves in this position. You are supportive of those measures that reduce the possibility of further victimization.