Chair, I want to take a moment to bring this back to who really matters here—the victims, the children who have been exploited, whose innocence was stolen and whose lives will never be the same. We cannot undo their trauma, but we can make sure that those responsible face the full force of the law. That's our duty as members of Parliament, and that's why this issue demands precision, not politics.
I understand the emotion that comes with this. Everyone in this room wants to see justice done, but justice is not achieved by using tools like the notwithstanding clause. That weakens the legal foundation of Canada. It's achieved by writing strong constitutional law that ensures that predators are punished every single time.
When Parliament legislates carefully—when we write laws that balance justice, fairness and constitutionality—those laws endure, and they don't get struck down. We don't get challenges in the way. They protect children for good.
The government is already moving on this. Legislative work is under way to strengthen protections, close loopholes and make sure that sentencing provisions reflect the gravity of those crimes. We need to give those processes the space to happen properly because getting it wrong would mean reopening wounds for survivors and creating more uncertainty for victims.
Let's be firm. The abuse of children is one of the most despicable acts imaginable, so every offender should face the toughest sentence possible under Canadian law. However, we must do this right. We must do this in a way that respects the charter, that respects judicial independence and that ensures that those sentences stand.
This is not about being soft. This is about being smart and being unwavering in our commitment to protecting children through the laws they lost.