Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak to Motion No. M-116 today. I thank the hon. member for Surrey-White Rock-South Langley for bringing this debate before the House. I am also grateful to have this opportunity to share with the House some of the concerns of my constituents on justice issues.
We are debating here one of the more serious of crimes, sexual assault. If crime studies are correct, only 10 per cent of sexual assaults are reported to police. Of course sexual assault is more than just a crime. Sexual assault happens to real people. It affects them, their families and their relationships for as long as they live.
The people of Guelph-Wellington welcome all efforts to reduce crime, punish criminals and support programs which prevent crime. They know that crime prevention means more than prisons. Crime prevention means deterring criminals and it means strengthening individuals, families and communities.
Crime may be fostered by an unsupportive family life, violence in the home, illiteracy, drug and alcohol abuse, unemployment and poverty. While the people of Guelph-Wellington want programs which address these issues, they also demand that we as a government get tougher with criminals and strengthen programs that support the victims of crime.
This debate focuses on sexual assault. If this motion is adopted by the House, every convicted sex offender would be sent to a facility for a thorough examination by two psychiatrists. I do have concerns that this may create an inefficient and costly system and may be a poor use of our limited resources.
I do support legislation which I believe would better our justice system. For example, I voted in favour of a private member's bill which would rescind section 745 of the Criminal Code because I believe the vast majority of my constituents support this legislation and I know my police force does.
Earlier this month I voted in favour of Bill C-217, legislation which would protect witnesses in sexual assault cases. I have asked the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice to get tougher with repeat offenders and to allow consecutive sentencing for violent crimes. The message this government must give is that we will not tolerate criminal behaviour.
Crime prevention involves all of us. In Guelph-Wellington there are organizations like Guelph Block Parents, Hospitality Connection, Tough Talk and Guelph Neighbourhood Watch which promote public awareness, offer peer and family support and remind us that we are responsible for one another. We must care for one another. The organizations work with our police force, the finest police force in Canada, to help make our community safer, address the causes of crime and identify problems which may lead to crime.
Two weeks ago I attended the first police awards dinner to honour local police officers and community leaders in their efforts to make Guelph-Wellington better. We honoured corporations like The Co-Operators, Guelph Hydro; individuals like T. Sher Singh and Jeff Heymans; service clubs like the Kiwanis Club of Guelph and Royal City Optimists; educators like the Wellington County Board of Education; volunteer organizations like Child Find and Senior Peer Advisory Service; and police officers like Constable Paul Crowe and Constable Rick Devine.
The most important message of that night was that we must all work together to build a safe community. Guelph Police Chief Lenna Bradburn cannot do it alone. Constables Tom Gill and Dave Johnson cannot do it alone. State Farm Insurance and Block Parents cannot do it alone. It is our responsibility, each of us working with our families, our co-workers and in our communities to help reduce crime.
The government has promised to introduce legislation on high risk offenders. I welcome and look forward to it. The people of Guelph-Wellington want action on this issue. They support their government when it works for them. We can continue to work for them through legislation that responds to their concerns and begins to alleviate their fears. That is why I supported Bill C-41 and Bill C-37.
We see the effects of crime every day. Yaqub Rahmaty, a member of my Liberal executive, was a victim of two robberies. He manages a convenience store in Guelph. He was scared.
It is estimated that the cost of crime is approximately $46 billion annually in Canada. These costs include policing, the hospitalization of victims, the cost of administering our correctional institutions, the cost of running our courts and the costs associated with property loss, security services and also insurance fraud. The list goes on.
But those costs are nothing compared to the pain and the suffering associated with the crime itself. How can we put a cost on sexual assault? How can we ever measure the pain of losing a child through a violent act? No dollar figure can ever be placed on a woman suffering through a violent relationship or a child in a violent home. It costs us in lost productivity, in trauma and it lessens life. The effects of crime are more than a stolen car and
some lost jewellery. We can just imagine the potential of a young person living on the street who has been murdered. The effects of crime are real.
This government has done more to respond to the concerns and the fears of Canadians than any other government in history. It has reviewed serial killer cards, initiated the National Crime Prevention Council, toughened the Young Offenders Act, made peace bonds more effective, allowed victim information to be presented in early parole hearings, introduced tough new DNA legislation and initiated a witness protection program. I welcome tougher new anti-stalking legislation, as well as legislation which will give longer sentences to those who benefit from child prostitution.
By the end of our mandate we will have cracked down on joy riders, sex abusers and those who smuggle guns. We will have improved information sharing among professionals, such as teachers and police officers. We will have made people more accountable for violent acts committed while drunk.
As I said earlier, government cannot and should not work alone. As citizens of this great country we are responsible to each other. This responsibility includes working together to prevent crime when we can, punish criminals to the fullest extent of the law and look out for those who are most in need.
Again I thank my hon. colleague for her motion. I believe that she has raised an interesting idea. However, I cannot support it at this time. I ask the Minister of Justice to proceed quickly with his efforts on high risk offenders, efforts that I know will address the concerns and help alleviate the fears of women, men and children in Guelph-Wellington and in every part of this great country of ours, Canada.