Mr. Speaker, there are three points in response.
First, as the hon. member knows, because I have said as much in the House, we propose to bring forward specific changes to the Young Offenders Act within the coming weeks as we undertook to do during the election campaign in order to deal more effectively with crimes of serious violence. The steps we will propose will be intended in great part to meet the concerns addressed by the hon. member in her question.
Second, as to the facts of the specific case, I ask the hon. member to bear in mind that while that issue is raised in the appeal, the statute as it exists at present provides expressly that protection of society is one of the governing principles of the Young Offenders Act and is to be taken into account.
Third, we do not think for a moment that violent crime is going to be resolved in this society by tinkering with statutes or changing acts. The fact of the matter is that the criminal justice system itself is not going to end violent crime. It only deals with the consequence of underlying social problems. It is crime prevention that must have at least the equal focus of the House of Commons.