Madam Speaker, I too would like to make some comments about these last minute and hurried additions or so-called amendments to Bill C-17. These are really the justice minister's belated attempt to close some of the gaping holes left when he introduced Bill C-41.
Some very clear and strong objections and concerns were voiced by other members of the House, including those of my party, about the eventual effect of Bill C-41 on the area of conditional release and alternative sentencing.
The justice minister has finally figured out that he has not served the Canadian public well with some of the measures he has brought in. Now on the eve of an election, realizing that public concern is growing about these issues, he is trying to stop some of the problems with this legislation.
In this amendment the justice minister is directing judges to satisfy themselves that alternative sentencing and serving sentences in the community would "not endanger the safety of the community". I am sure many Canadians are asking themselves why on earth the justice minister would even have to tell judges this. Surely the whole point of having a justice system is to protect the safety of families and communities. If that is not the purpose, why on earth do we have a justice system?
The priorities and the direction of the justice system are so out of line, so out of tune with its fundamental purpose, that the justice minister has to introduce an amendment telling judges to consider whether sentences that are being imposed under discretion might be endangering the safety of the community. This was brought in against the better judgment of a lot of people by this justice minister. These are the new alternatives which the justice minister touted so loudly just a few months ago. My colleagues who spoke before pointed out very clearly and specifically where these measures have endangered the safety of the community.
More than that, in our society when people are wronged, when their rights are violated, when their safety is imperilled and they go to the authorities, to our justice system, to the defenders of public safety, they should expect that the problem will be looked after, at least to a reasonable degree.
But here we have violent criminals who not only have violated the safety of other people but are causing people to live in fear. People are living with a lack of a feeling of security, looking over their shoulders wondering if it is the guy who beat them up or if the person who violated their rights is on the street beside them because there have been no substantial consequences. Why? Because the justice minister has decided that even though people violate the rights of others, even though people have taken away the freedoms and liberties of ordinary, innocent law-abiding citizens, these criminals can still be put back out in the community to do good works, which is a bit of a stretch when we consider these people have shown themselves to be quite willing to break laws in the first place.
We are glad that to a small degree the gaping holes in the fundamental structure of our society which is supposed to protect us, supposed to give us a feeling of safety and security and ease in our daily lives has been recognized and some attempts have been made to address it. That is a better alternative to saying, "well judges, you should really look at whether the community safety is being protected by what you are doing". It would be better to say, as we have repeatedly urged the justice minister: "If you violently violate the rights of other people, if you are a violent criminal, if you have committed a violent act against another innocent law-abiding citizen, you will not be sent back out on to the the streets under alternative sentencing or community based sentencing. That is not appropriate for these violent offences".
I have no idea why the justice minister did not get it right for a change. Instead he is telling judges to look at this matter. When we continue to have violent criminals on the streets causing citizens to live in fear and imperilling their security and safety, the justice minister can say that he told the courts to think about public safety and they did not listen so it is their fault.
That is just not good enough for a minister who is supposed to be helping our citizens to feel safe and secure in their homes and communities. He is there to make sure that when there is a violent offence or assault against one of our citizens it is dealt with in a serious manner and with some serious consequences.
Although we are not in the mood to oppose even the faintest moves on the part of the justice minister to try to correct some of the soft spots in the legislation, I must say there are many better ways to do it. I urge the justice minister not to take baby steps but to take a serious look at our justice system and at the fact that we need safety and protection for our society. He should get it right and move in a substantive way on these measures instead of taking these timid steps.