Thank you, Madam. I have just started my timer.
First of all, I thank both witnesses.
Mr. Berkes, I was starting to think you were a committee member and not a witness, as you've been here so frequently. I say that kiddingly, of course, but really as an expression of gratitude because your evidence every time, and today is no exception, has been very helpful. Thank you for that. I know how hard it is to give up time to do this.
Ms. Reid, thank you for coming today and for being the champion of an issue that is, to say the least, incredibly challenging. You are a lone voice on an issue that doesn't get a lot of support, but it's gaining more momentum thanks to you.
Other members of the committee might not know this, but Ms. Reid, as part of her effort to try to raise awareness on this, has prior to the pandemic made an annual pilgrimage to Ottawa from Toronto, which doesn't sound that impressive until you learn that she did it on foot. She did it several years in a row to try to raise awareness and raise money for the issue. Thank you for everything you're doing. It has been challenging.
One of the reasons it's challenging is that we're talking about victims and their rights. People automatically associate victims with people who have been the victim of a crime, but “victim” has a broader definition. If you look at the definition of “victim” in this legislation, in my view—and you don't have to convince me—it should also include the children of people who have committed crimes. That's why you are here today.
The problem with that is it automatically has a negative connotation, because somehow you're on the wrong side of an issue, and I understand that. When we talk about giving special rights to special crimes, for example, and other related things, to me that focuses on the crime and not the people, and it's the people we need to focus on. That's what you are doing with your cause.
What do you have to say to the people who say we shouldn't be even talking about families of people who have committed crimes as part of this discussion?