Mr. Speaker, targeting members of a single group and attacking them simply because they belong to that particular group is loathsome, deplorable, and must be taken into consideration at sentencing.
With regard to the notion of special rights, perhaps someone can explain to me how protecting Canadians who are victimized by hatred and harassment constitutes special rights. Perhaps someone can explain to me how seriously punishing a neo-Nazi for splitting a person's head open with a baseball bat just because they are gay constitutes special rights.
Maybe someone can tell me how a humane government can simply ignore the plight of the innocent law-abiding Canadians who are sadly victimized by violent attacks just because of their skin colour, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation or mental or physical ability.
I wonder if someone can show me how reneging on our commitment to the overwhelming majority of Canadian voters, who elected me and my colleagues on this side of the House on a solid platform advocating equality for all Canadians and cracking down on crimes motivated by hatred, would advance the principles of Canadian democracy.
When we told Canadians that the sentencing practices in Canada must be responsive to their concerns and social values, we meant it. When we said heinous crimes motivated by pure hatred would not be condoned by a Liberal government, we meant it. When we said that we would protect the rights of all Canadians and strengthen justice in our nation by coming down hard on those who chose to victimize Canadian communities, we meant it.
As a member who was elected on a platform that emphasized the need for criminal justice reform, I am proud to stand on this side of the House with the right hon. Prime Minister, the Minister of Justice and all my colleagues in support of this legislation and the Liberal notion of a humane and anti-violent society.
In closing, I move:
That Motion No. 17 be amended by striking out all of the words after "mitting the offence," and substituting the following therefor:
abused the offender's spouse or child, or
(i.1) evidence that the offender, in committing the offence, abused a position of