Mr. Speaker, I too am pleased to speak on Bill C-45 and to register my opposition to the bill as presented by the Minister of Justice. I certainly would like to concur with the closing comments of my colleague for British Columbia who said the entire misguided policy of the government is built on a false premise. That it absolutely true.
Let us take a look. He talked about the original section in the Criminal Code, section 745, not to be confused with the Bill C-45. Section 745 was called the faint last hope. It was brought in on the premise that perhaps these criminals who had been convicted of one murder, two murders or many murders would in prison change their ways, be sorry for their deeds, rehabilitate themselves and be eligible to be turned loose into society and society would have to fend for itself and protect itself from these killers who are now back in society once more.
The faint last hope became the open door that after 15 years anybody who applied for parole was virtually assured of getting parole. These Liberals and left leaning socialists believed: "The poor guy has been locked up for 15 years. How can we do this? That is terrible. We should let him back out into society". Back into society so that he can do it again. There have been umpteen situations where he has done it again.
Many times we have seen headlines in the papers that another family has been destroyed, another murder has been committed, another innocent Canadian who just unfortunately happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time is now dead because of this government's desire to let these people back on to the streets because they are sorry for those folks because they have been locked up for 15 years.
The information I have is that after 15 years when the parole hearing comes up and the families that have suffered the tragedy of having one of their members murdered are devastated by having the whole thing dredged up once more. Surely the families of innocent Canadians are the people who should be protected. People should be able to walk the streets without fear rather than worrying about one, two, three or fifty killers who are locked up and should stay that way, just because the bleeding heart socialists think it is time to let them out after 15 years.
My colleague from Fraser Valley West introduced a victim's bill of rights. He said, and many Canadians agree with him, that it is time to put the rights of individuals who have not committed a crime ahead of those people who have forfeited their rights because they have committed the most heinous of crimes, murder.
It does not take a great deal of mental effort to say that the people who have not committed a crime should have preferential treatment over those who have. I do not think it is a mental leap of logic, but obviously it is beyond the government's capability to understand that it is the Canadian people who have to be protected. Innocent people deserve to be able to walk this land without fear rather than worrying about murderers let loose by the government because of the bleeding heart policies of saying 15 years has been a long time.
When someone is found guilty of first degree murder the sentence is usually 25 years without parole and after that the person is on parole for the rest of his or her life. Therefore a convicted killer is never completely free but after 25 years he or she may return to society.
It seems rather strange to me that a judge who has been in command of all the facts, has listened to all the testimony, has heard the dreadful unfolding of events, has seen the families and the tragedy that has been created and has decided in his wisdom that this person who is convicted of the crime should spend a minimum of 25 years in jail before being eligible for parole, and the government wants to interfere with the courts and say the decision made at that time in full knowledge of all the facts is now found to be too harsh and lets these people out after 15 years.
Why is the government siding with the criminal and not siding with society? That is the issue. If a judge, in full command of the facts decided that this crime warranted 25 years, then surely we should listen to this learned man who was put in the position of making this types of judgment.
The government turns around and second guesses. Government interference in the judicial system makes it a mess. For example, Karla Homolka, in retrospect got a sweetheart deal because an agreement was made between the government and the criminal. When the facts came out Canadians were outraged and rightly so. Government should stay out of the administration of justice and leave it to the courts where the courts have the authority to make the decisions. If the courts say 25 years I go along with them.
We are dealing with Bill C-45 in the fall of 1996 which is three years after the election. The government has had three years to deal with this issue. It seems rather ironic that it waited until the fall of 1996, when people like Clifford Olson of British Columbia is now eligible to apply for parole. It could have brought in this bill in the spring of 1996. It could have brought in this bill in the fall of 1995. It could have brought in the bill in the spring of 1995. It wanted to wait until Clifford Olson had the opportunity to apply for parole before it shut it down. The government could have stopped it but it did not. That is indicative of the bleeding heart type of attitude of the government.
It is an insult to Canadians that this could actually happen. Like my hon. colleague from British Columbia who spoke before I could speak further. This bill is too little, too late. The government should have repealed section 745 many years ago.
Reformers are not dealing with statistics. We are dealing with real people. We are dealing with the tragedy and misery and the hurt of families who have suffered needlessly. I feel a great deal of compassion for them. I have no compassion whatsoever for the criminals who committed these heinous crimes. I have no compassion for the government which will not do something to stop these murderers from being back out on the street.