Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to speak to this issue today.
We are making every attempt to reflect exactly what happens in the Liberal government's agenda concerning victims. We want to reflect that the government's failure is in effect a failure to address the rights of victims.
I am going to demonstrate that with a small story. When I raise these stories in the House of Commons, I am accused at times, in fact a number of times by the minister of immigration as picking out and isolating certain cases which are not really reflective of what happens in Canadian society. That is a lot of hogwash. The fact is that the kind of case I am going to talk about this afternoon happens virtually every day in Canada.
I was in a hospital about 11 weeks ago and I met a lady who was quite despondent. She was crying because her 19-year old son Allen had been hit by a car at an intersection. He is in Royal Columbian Hospital. He had broken legs, a broken arm and his pelvis was broken in seven places, I believe. His head was basically crushed. He has a 20 to 25 per cent chance of living. Allen's mother Debbie does not believe that the system looks after her as a victim. Her husband Allen senior, feels the same way. I asked her to explain what happened.
A young offender stole a four by four truck. He drove it through the streets of Surrey, British Columbia, and toppled the four by four truck over Allen's Fiesta.
Right away, the young offender was read his rights and I will read those in a moment. He was whisked away. The other young fellow who was with the young offender was let off. He was only an accomplice sitting in the same vehicle they stole.
Mr. and Mrs. Wayne asked the crown prosecutor to make sure the guy who was charged with eight counts was sent to adult court, just like the Liberals said would happen. They also asked to be informed of any plea bargaining that took place. Guess what? Plea bargaining took place and they did not know it. I found out about it.
Of the eight charges, five were dropped in the plea. Three of the minors were presented and brought forward. Why the minors? That is obvious. Why was it so fast? It took about five or six weeks to run this young offender through from the time of the accident to sentencing. Five weeks is almost unheard of. The reason in all likelihood is that the young offender would have been charged with manslaughter had young Allen Wayne died. That is why they rushed him through, which is another protection for the victim. Now what happens?
Let us go to the sentencing. What does the judge give him? This is where victims and parents do not understand what is wrong with this Liberal government. This guy gets 15 months open custody, go home. He gets three years prohibition from driving. However he is already on prohibition from driving and gets charged with that count. Prohibition from driving means nothing to this fellow. What does he get for prohibition from driving? He gets one day concurrent open custody. One day. What is being told to young
offenders here? He just about killed somebody-he may die yet-and for driving while prohibited he gets one day.
This happened. It was not dreamed up. The Waynes have a right to feel the way they do because the laws, the rhetoric and all this hogwash which is brought into the House by the Liberal government is nothing more than that. It is rhetoric and hogwash. Most victims, if not all of them, know that. The government will not go very far pushing hogwash.
Let us hear what is read. I asked the police for this recently after watching the television show "To Serve and Protect" one Sunday night. During the show a lady was sitting on the street crying and bleeding. The police had the guy who obviously did it and were reading him his rights. She was sitting there unattended.
The police said he was being arrested for whatever he was charged for. "It is my duty to inform you that you have the right to retain and instruct counsel without delay. You may call any lawyer you want. A legal aid duty lawyer is available to provide legal advice to you without charge and can explain the legal aid plan to you. If you wish to contact a legal aid duty lawyer, I can provide you with a telephone number". The victim was sitting on the street bleeding and crying, wondering what rights she had. Very little.
We will present some victims rights shortly. We will see if the government has the courage, particularly the backbenchers, to adopt some of those rights. My guess is they will not. They will find some small thing in the victims bill of rights to oppose it thereby throwing it out.
How much time do I have, Madam Speaker?