Thank you, Chair, and thank you to all the witnesses for your attendance, particularly the witnesses who are here advocating on behalf of family members and personal experiences. My heart goes out to each and every one of you. In fact, my entire Conservative team will always stand in solidarity with victims over the accused—always.
There is one thing I want to highlight, and I feel like a broken record when I say this. The number one responsibility for a federal government is to keep us safe. This federal government, under the so-called leadership of Justin Trudeau and now Mark Carney, to you, Ms. Beisel-Cobb, has failed your daughter. It has failed to implement the necessary changes to keep her safe. It has failed to bring in mandatory detention in high-risk IPV cases. It has failed you in terms of strict enforcement of no-contact orders. It has failed you in terms of increasing sentences for violent repeat offenders. For the last 10 years, all that we have heard is promise after promise and no deliverables.
It started with Bill C-75, when they made it easier for repeat violent offenders to be recycled through the justice system: catch-and-release. They followed up with Bill C-5, which eliminated mandatory minimum penalties for all drug offences and for serious gun offences. They made it easier for sick mass murderers like Paul Bernardo to be transferred from maximum security to medium security, to enjoy the comforts because why not? Liberals have always favoured the accused.
To you, Ms. Wamback, to your considerations and concerns, what about that victim ombudsperson? For almost a year and a half, this failure of a Liberal government did not appoint that person, and that person right now does not have the necessary tools to keep victims safe. I apologize to you that your government has failed you so miserably.
To you, Ms. Alexander, one thing that stuck out to me as very important was your phrase, “almost as if the government wants this”. Can you elaborate on that?