I'll take them, for sure. Thank you, Chair.
One thing that has come up repeatedly, which is not protecting victims on the street, who are being hurt and murdered by repeat violent offenders out on bail, is Bill C-75.
Police Chief Stuart Betts, who testified at the status of women committee, said:
We know that release from custody is a ladder principle and that the least onerous form of custody is to hold that person accountable for their behaviour while they're awaiting a trial, and that is what we are letting people out on. Often, that is perhaps underserving victims in our community because the least onerous, depending on the nature of that offence, is insufficient to protect our community once they've been released.
A Liberal member then tried to question him by saying, “it's the application of the law; it's not the law itself.” Chief Stuart Betts replied, “I'm sorry. It is the law itself as well, because it is how it's currently being applied but it is also the law.”
My question to the officials is this: What are you doing to change and implement Bill C-75 so that violent repeat offenders are not getting out on bail?