Mr. Speaker, during the last Parliament, the Bloc Quebecois presented a petition signed by more than 40,000 persons condemning child sexual abuse.
The petitioners were calling for the minimum sentence for a first sexual offence conviction to be raised to two years, five years for a repeat offence, for a review and assessment of treatments offered to abusers serving their sentences, for a post-release follow-up on the effectiveness of treatment, and for assurance that compensation measures and support would be made available to sexually abused children and their families.
Shortly thereafter, a general election was called. The petition therefore received no response from Parliament, and nothing has changed. The new Minister of Justice has still made no announcement.
Given the importance of this subject, I call on the minister to follow up on this petition, which I personally endorse. The minister must act.