Mr. Speaker, there are a couple of comments I would like to make with regard to what the member has said. I would like to get his comments back.
The government seems to be quite pleased with the idea that 16 and 17 year olds are going to be charged in adult court. Then it has thrown in a little extra clause which says unless it can be proven by the defendant that it would be more beneficial for them to be in juvenile court.
To me that means that every 16 and 17 year old who gets charged as an adult will appeal and want to be charged as a youth. I would not blame them for wanting to do that. That means more court time and more nice little jobs for lawyers to take on to help fill their pockets a little more and it does not change anything. Now we are charging the youth and if they feel they ought to be in adult court, then we have court trials to fight for that. I do not see where that has changed anything. Either 16 or 17 years old are in adult court or they are not. I cannot believe the government would come out with that kind of wishy-washy legislation.
I really wonder why so many members from the justice department are constantly concentrating on the social aspect of problems. We have a social department. I want to see good prevention programs. I want to see good rehabilitation. I want to see all the things that these people want to see, but the justice department does not want to address the part called justice. It continually wants to talk about low income families, the poor mistreated child, the victims of society. It does not address the justice part. Victims of this country are so anxiously awaiting to hear what we are going to do in terms of justice. I have not heard that yet.