Mr. Speaker, I would just like to make a couple of comments on the hon. member's speech.
I know about the concerns she has with respect to the children in school. I believe we have all encountered them and we have all heard about them, sometimes from our own children.
The problem is that what she is saying is not going to, even if we agreed with her, make any difference as far as the Young Offenders Act is concerned because we cannot incarcerate those children for threatening and intimidating other children. What we have to do is work in the community.
There is a lot of hypocrisy by the provinces on this. They want changes to the Young Offenders Act but what they do not mention is that they are responsible for children under the age of 12. They would like to have people believe that there is nothing they can do to help those children through the Children's Aid and other means such as education through the school system. They would like to blame the fact that these children are at risk and not being helped because the federal government will not lower the age. It is the provinces who refuse to do what they should be doing for these children under 12.
I want to ask the hon. member one question. I ask her in good faith because I really want to know and it would be helpful. When we talk about 16 and 17-year olds the examples used are always with regard to murder and violent offences. Does the hon. member feel that is where the changes should be made while keeping 16 and 17-year olds who commit offences that are non-violent within the Young Offenders Act? Is that a possibility? Is she saying that is something that could be done?