Thank you very much, Chair.
Before I begin asking questions of our witnesses, whom I'm very grateful have joined us today, I just wanted to put onto the record these three paragraphs.
In 2005, a Department of Justice report found evidence that “minimum sentences are not an effective sentencing tool” and don't offer “any increased crime prevention benefits”. In 2007, the parliamentary information and research service found that, “existing research generally does not support the use of a mandatory minimum sentences for the purpose of deterrence”.
Most recently, in 2017, a Statistics Canada report concluded that, “Research in Canada and the United States has found no evidence that [mandatory minimum penalties] have deterred crime; rather, some studies suggest that [mandatory minimum penalties] can result in overly harsh penalties and disparities” that “actually increase recidivism”.
I'm going to be forwarding those three reports to our analysts in the hopes that we can reference those during the report that we will be compiling.
Having said that, I will now ask my questions. I would like to thank our two witnesses for being here in person, as well as Mr. Lamy, who is participating in the meeting by video conference.
Mr. Patenaude, congratulations on the symposium you will be organizing on May 30. I may be there if I receive an invitation.
I am proud to be part of a government that is trying to tackle the problem of vehicle theft by investing in the Canada Border Services Agency, the people who work on the front lines at our borders, and in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to reverse the cuts that were unfortunately made under Prime Minister Harper.
In fact, we know very well that you are the ones doing the work on the ground and serving Canadians. In your case, Mr. Patenaude, you serve Quebeckers, while Mr. Desmarais serves Montrealers.
I'm trying to find an underlying challenge here that brings it all together. There's been this frame that this is a Canadian problem, but we know, looking around the world, that thefts have doubled in the United States. They have gone up significantly in Italy and in Europe as a whole. New Zealand actually has the record for the most thefts per capita. It's skyrocketed around the world.
I'm trying to find out what the problem is that we need to be attacking, aside from finding solutions like investing in the CBSA and in our police forces to catch the criminals and get those cars back.
Something I brought up in previous committees when we had testimony from auto manufacturers was this: Are cars just easier to steal right now? We had testimony from some police officers who said they're catching 18-year-olds and 17-year-olds. My honourable colleague from the Conservatives mentioned that a 15-year-old was caught stealing a vehicle by purchasing something on Amazon for $100.
This is a question I have for both of you, as well as for Mr. Lamy. Is part of the problem that it is just easier right now to steal vehicles?
I'll start with you, Mr. Patenaude.