Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak on this for a few moments.
I really started to realize more and more what the problem is when it comes to this place and it was expressed by the previous speaker. When someone stands in the House and gives us messages about why we should not have capital punishment, they are telling 70 per cent of the population of Canada that they do not know what they are talking about. Once again the old attitude comes out that we in Parliament know best, not the 70 per cent or 75 per cent of Canadians calling for this through polls.
The previous speaker spoke of statistics. The polls are saying there is a very high percentage of Canadians who want capital punishment.
The Liberals have the gall to sit in the House and send a message out across the land that they are the intelligent ones, they are the smart ones, they know best and the ordinary taxpayers do not know what is good for them, and so they will decide. This will not be a votable motion.
Then I hear the member for Kingston and the Islands shouting thank goodness the bill is not votable. I have to agree with him. They are probably glad it is not votable because once again they would have to vote against the wishes of the people in their ridings and they would not want to do that too many times. They have already done it so many times we cannot count them all. That it is okay, do not listen to the people, do what you want to do. That is the part that bothers me more than anything else.
People are saying what they want from this place. Canadians want a fundamental responsibility that has been here for ages, to provide legislation that shows responsibility to protect the lives and property of its citizens, a fundamental request from Canadians. The least we can do in the House is come up with legislation that reflects the wishes of the people who pay the bills, the taxpayers of Canada. That would be a novelty.
Look at Clifford Olson. He killed once and for that one death he could have got life in 25 years. He killed twice and that was free. The third time was free. The fourth time was free. The fifth time was free. He killed 11 times and all the rest were free. He only had to kill once to get the sentence he got.
Lo and behold, a few years back the miracle workers on the other side of the House provided a clause that said even Clifford Olson could apply to get out in 15 years. I do not believe that sits well with the people of Canada. That is the mentality that goes on over on that side of the House. That kind of mentality is what the Canadian people are sick and tired of.
Canadian people would like us to send a message to the Paul Bernardos, the Karla Homolkas and the Clifford Olsons of this country that if you hunt and you capture and you abuse and you kill another human being, the Government of Canada in the name of justice and those innocent victims will hunt and capture you. If authorized to do so after a fair trial by a court of law, we will take your life, not in the name of revenge, but in the name of justice and as a deterrent to future such acts by others. That is the statement we need to send from the House of Commons to the people of Canada and these types of Bernardos, Homolkas and Olsons.
I would like to be invited by any of those members to go to their riding to debate this topic. Let us see if they can stand in front of their people and do that. Likewise, I invite them to come to my riding and convince my people this is not good for them. They will not do that. It is more fun to sit in here and heckle and not vote on it.
I fail to understand why we have a committee in the House of Commons that determines which bills are votable and which are not. There are criteria clearly laid out as to what makes a bill votable. When that criteria is 100 per cent met, I do not think the personal feelings of any individual from any committee should interfere with making an item votable. I have a hard time understanding that. Yet this government, which has the control of the committees, lets the personal opinion of people override the rules that are in place as to what makes an item votable.
Once again, it does not make sense. The little dictatorship runs on and on and personally, I am really tired of it.