Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for her speech and ask a few questions.
The Minister of Justice has gone part of the way in acknowledging that 16 or 17-year-olds who commit murder and attempted murder perhaps should be tried in adult court. However the onus has been switched. Why not just put them into adult court and not go through this exercise of switching the onus?
Second, it was not clear from the hon. member's speech why the Young Offenders Act should not be amended to incorporate the youths of 10 and 11 years of age.
This morning as I was leaving my house I had to stop my car, get out and go back because a youth whom I had seen walking down the street opposite my car was heading into our back yard. I ran back and yelled: "Hey, what are you doing there?". It was a person of this younger age scouting out a house. This was in Vanier.
I want to know why we would not incorporate a system that captures these people so that they are held responsible as well.