In fact, I did, sir. I met with the parents of Rehtaeh Parsons just last week, just days after the legislation was tabled. Amanda Todd's mother was here with us in Ottawa when the legislation was presented, and others, relatives, friends of family members.
As you know, and as I think all members here would certainly understand, it is a highly emotional and traumatic experience to lose a child, to lose a loved one as a result of any form of bullying. This form of bullying is insidious in that it comes right into your home, right into the child's bedroom, right into the classroom. As I said, the cyberworld is something that really doesn't have the traditional boundaries that you would find in other parts of society. This legislation, I believe, will assist all efforts to curb the type of very mean-spirited behaviour that goes into the area of criminality and causes young people to feel hopeless and depressed to the point where some have taken their own lives.
This investigative power, I believe, will give police the necessary tools to find those responsible, to hold them accountable, while at the same time striking the balance. I'm quoting now from the Privacy Commissioner, Jennifer Stoddard, who said:
I think it stands to reason that in order to literally police the Internet, you do need those powers. And if you want to be effective against cyberbullying, I would understand you do need extraordinary powers, so it doesn't seem to me inappropriate.
This was in The Globe and Mail today.
Again, we'll have an opportunity to hear from many witnesses, to look at this legislation in detail, and ensure that we get that balance right.