Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Minister of Justice and concerns the extradition of Michael Lawrence Drake.
In March 1992, Drake was charged with molesting a two and a half-year old girl in Washington. While awaiting trial, Drake jumped bail and fled to Canada. In June 1992, an American court found Drake guilty of sexual assault in absentia. Last week, Drake was released on bail by Canadian officials pending an extradition hearing before the B.C. Supreme Court.
Why did Canadian officials release Drake into the community when he has already been convicted of sexual abuse of a child and when he has already proven his willingness to jump bail in the United States?