Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Kingston and the Islands for the question which gives me an opportunity to clarify a lot.
It is important for the House and those watching to recognize there is a concern about punishment in this country. People are concerned that offenders who have committed all kinds of offences, some violent, are not being punished. I have been to many town hall meetings across the country. The member for Kingston and the Islands has spent much of his time in his own community and has not wandered much beyond its borders. There is a concern that criminals are not being punished for the acts they commit. The matter of corporal punishment has come forward several times.
At no time have I ever advocated corporal punishment. At no time have I ever advocated caning, but I have suggested we study the issue of corporal punishment. That matter has only lately been removed from the Criminal Code.
The member has given me a book on Singapore and the corporal punishment issue there. He is obviously supportive of it because the book is supportive of it. I suggest the member pursue the matter a little further.