Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to represent our constituents in the House of Commons, but it is a bit sad to have to talk on this issue.
If the government and the justice minister had listened to Reformers when Bill C-41 was before the justice committee and before the House, we would not be having this debate today and could move on to other legislation.
Certainly the rumours are rampant about an impending election. The government says that it is concerned about legislation. There is a lot on the legislative agenda it wants to see get through. Then why did the government not listen when we dealt with these bills in the 35th Parliament?
If this place operated the way it was intended to operate by the Fathers of Confederation we would not be having this debate today. The government would have listened to the opposition members and brought forward amendments at that time rather than wait until the 11th hour to do some last minute damage control. That is what this amendment is.
While my colleagues have indicated that Reform is prepared to support the amendments, it is sad we are discussing them today because they should have been done quite some time ago.
One amendment we are debating at the moment in part reads:
"107.1 Paragraph 742.1(b) of the act is replaced by the following:
(b) is satisfied that serving the sentence in the community would not endanger the safety of the community and would be consistent with the fundamental purpose and principles of sentencing set out in section 718 to 718.2,"
We certainly support it but we do not believe that it goes nearly far enough. Our concern has been consistent since we started debate on Bill C-41. I am appalled that it is being brought forward at this time as an amendment to Bill C-17 when it is just to cover their backsides. That is all it is for the hon. justice minister.
My hon. colleagues have done an excellent job this morning of relaying the concerns they have heard expressed by their constituents. As I travel across the country and throughout my riding of Prince George-Peace River there is no single larger emotional issue for the people of Canada than the justice issue, or what I have taken to call the lack of justice in our legal system. There is no justice system. The people at the grassroots know and realize this. It is about time the Liberal government woke up to that fact.
As a Reform member of Parliament I am getting sick and tired of having to stand day after day, week after week, month after month, to try to make an impression. We have been beating our heads against the wall.
As I travel around my riding I hear frustrated citizens crying out for justice. I tell them that my colleagues and I are doing everything possible procedurally, everything possible we can to raise awareness of the issue with the government and it falls on deaf ears. Consistently for 3.5 years it has fallen on deaf ears.
I tell the people of my riding who are frustrated to take the time, if they have the inclination, to look at what is happening in Parliament. It is their Parliament. It belongs to the people of Canada despite what the Liberal government would have people believe.
Have we come a long way by allowing rapists, people who sexually violate the most defenceless members of our society, to go free? In 1867 when the country was founded the death penalty, capital punishment, applied to cases of murder, treason and rape. It was not until 1954 that the death penalty was abolished in cases of rape. Back in those days someone who brutally attacked a woman and raped her had to consciously consider that being caught meant being put to death, meant being hung.
What is the situation today? Thanks to this justice minister and the government rapists are now walking free.