Mr. Speaker, Canadians are fed up with the Young Offenders Act and its failure to deal with young criminals, and the Reform Party has been listening.
It is the Reform Party's policy to refer 16 and 17-year-olds to adult court, to lower the age of those who could be charged to 10 years, and to publish the names of those who are convicted. We also believe that parents should be held responsible when it is proven that they contributed to the young offender's actions.
Reform's planned amendments have the support of thousands of Canadians, including the attorney general of Ontario.
If the Minister of Justice had accepted Reform's policy when we urged him to do so, an 11-year old suspected rapist in Toronto could have been held accountable.
The minister talks a lot about getting tough on crime, but it is the Reform Party which will be delivering commons sense policies and legislation to protect Canadians.