Let me consult the many legal minds that are helping C-CAT. I'm sure there are more things. I hope this is the first step. Personally I don't have the expertise in creating legislation. I'm encouraged by this piece, but I do know there are many more things that we need to look at.
We talk about balance. One thing in particular, and I'm going to direct my attention to it, is that this is about security and the safety of Canadians. We don't have a balance between the needs of the victims of terrorism, the victims of this heinous crime, and the needs of the perpetrators. I only have to use the example of a Canadian who was convicted of terrorism. His name is Omar Khadr. His name was brought up a number of times in the discussions here.
Again, I want to change the conversation. You know, victims need the tools to be reintegrated into society as well. It's not all about the perpetrators. We need psychological help, medical help, legal help. It has been a long road for all of us, and in that other area I certainly want to bring forth some more suggestions.
I think Rob mentioned that he was 15 when his father was killed. Why is the discussion always about the fact that Omar Khadr was 15 when he committed these atrocious acts? My son was 16 when his father was murdered.
Anyway, with regard to some of the objections that I heard when we got into the discussion of child soldiers and that type of thing, I'm not here to argue about that. That's a different conversation. As a mother, I have my concerns too.
But as a victim, as somebody who.... And I call myself a victim because it was horrible that my husband was killed, but I've been revictimized by politics on many, many occasions. It's not the country that I know and love. I found that Canada at the highest level didn't treat the Canadian victims of terrorism, in my case 9/11, and didn't show that sense of caring and looking after our needs, the way that the American government did.
There's one more thing. Terrorism right now is at the provincial level. It's treated at the provincial level. This is not a provincial-level matter. It is a federal issue and counterterrorism laws have to be made at the federal level. That's why we're here today. There has to be a policy for victims at the federal level as well.