Thank you very much for the question, Mr. Easter. You can please accept my commendations for taking the time to go to a parole board hearing. It's a long, arduous meeting. I know that, because I've been in them, and you leave, even as a bystander, a very different person.
Let me also say that although I know you have this position, and you've characterized it that way...and that's okay. You're allowed your opinion. But all of us are allowed to have our name in a lottery. Most of the people in the public don't know that this is how we end up being able to get a private member's bill: our name is pulled out. The first time I think I was number 206, which is why my bill didn't make it. I was fortunate to be I think number 99 this time.
The private member is then allowed to pursue something that they're really dedicated to in order to make this a better Canada. Most of us ran for office because we were idealists. We wanted to make this a better country. We wanted to protect the innocent and bring to justice those who would purport to do people harm, or would actually do people harm. My pursuit of this bill was a personal endeavour to help victims. I'm just glad I'm with a party that is of that same mind and has championed the rights of victims.
At the same time, you should also note, Mr. Easter, that I come from a community, Hamilton, where significant investments have been made by the National Crime Prevention Centre, Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, and by such organizations as St. Leonard's Society, Living Rock, and Liberty for Youth to help reintegrate those who have offended as well as keep youth from crime.
There have been significant investments in that regard, and all these initiatives to protect victims. We want to make sure we keep youth away from crime, because if we can prevent that, then people aren't victimized later as well. I think there's a good balance between what the government's doing and also my right as a private member to pursue something that I am concerned about.