Mr. Speaker, it is my duty at this time to rise and speak to the Judges Act, Bill C-37 at second reading.
I say that because I am representing my constituents. As they hear what is going on in this parliament, they are very concerned. They feel that the emphasis of the government is not on law enforcement as it should be. For example, in this act, as has always been the case, the government introduces amendments to an act of parliament which fall far short of the public's expectations.
This bill is objectionable not for what is in it but for what is not in it. That is of major concern to the people in my riding of Yorkton—Melville.
My constituents are more concerned about opening up the appointment process for judges. The more judges use the charter of rights and freedoms to strike down parliament's laws, the more people want to have a say in what their judges actually think.
The government could have used this opportunity to open up the judicial process. Right now it is an old boy's club with lawyers deciding behind closed doors who the best Liberal available is to get these plum patronage appointments to the judiciary.
I will oppose this bill on these grounds alone, even though there are a couple of positive aspects to this legislation.
The bill increases the number of appeal court judges from 10 to 13. Hopefully this will help to move more cases through the appeal process and help move them through more quickly. Likewise, the increase in the number of unified family court judges from 12 to 36 should help to deal with the huge backlog of family law cases.
There are a couple of positive things in here. Reform supports the use of family courts to resolve separation and custody disputes. However, it is unfortunate that the divorce rate in Canada has soared to such proportions that we require so many more family court judges. Liberalized divorce laws should be fixed first.
Unfortunately Bill C-37 also increases judges' salaries retroactively from April 1, 1997 to March 31, 1998 by 4.1% and an additional 4.1% from April 1, 1998 to March 31, 1999. Thereafter salaries will be reviewed by the newly created judicial compensation and benefits commission. In other words, judges will get an 8.3% increase over two years.
As I understand it, judges are already making approximately $140,000 per year. How many other public servants receive pay raises of 8.3% in a two year period?
This government awards judges and senior bureaucrats, including their own ministers, with large pay raises and bonuses while, comparatively, frontline police officers and low level public servants receive virtually no additional compensation.
Last Friday, March 27, 1998, RCMP officers secured a pay raise of 2% retroactive to January 1, 1998. They will receive a second increment of 1% on April 1, 1998 and an additional 0.75% on October 1, 1998.
RCMP officers have had their wages frozen for five years. The starting salary for a third year constable will go from about $50,508 to $52,423. This sends a clear message to the public that this government cares more about judges than it does about the frontline police officers who risk their lives to protect Canadians in service to their communities.
That is the key point. These people are frontline. They put their lives on the line to protect us. They need the support of those judges but we need to properly compensate them. That should be our first priority.
Add this insult to the decisions by the government not to allow the amendments the police recommended to the DNA act. Add this insult to the government's ongoing expenditure of hundreds of millions on a universal gun registration which frontline police officers universally oppose. The Canadian Police Association even says register criminals before guns. That is where our priorities should be.
Police get a slap in the face with a pay raise that does not compare to what judges will receive and the government also fails to give them the tools they need to do their job of improving public safety and saving lives. How many Canadian workers receive retroactive pay raises as the judges will receive? Public servants, especially judges, should only be given salary increases in keeping with the average Canadian wage earner.
This bill also establishes the judicial compensation and benefits commission to inquire into the adequacy of the salaries and benefits for judges. The creation of the judicial compensation and benefits commission provides the federal government with yet another opportunity to make patronage appointments. The Reform Party wants to reform the patronage appointment process to make it more transparent and publicly accountable. Meanwhile the Liberals create more opportunities to make patronage appointments. That is going backwards. That is not the direction things should be heading in this country.
These new patronage appointees will hold office for a term of four years and are eligible to be reappointed for one further term. Fees for commission members will be fixed by the governor in council. Members are deemed to be employed in the public service of Canada. The commission may also engage the services of any person necessary for proper conduct of the commission begging the question just how much will this commission cost taxpayers. We need to know before we go any further with this legislation.
This is the third time the Liberals have amended the Judges Act. During the last Parliament in 1996 Bill C-2 and Bill C-42 were introduced, both nebulous, inconsequential, fuzzy pieces of legislation which were of little significance to Canadians who are concerned about their safety. Canadians want violent crime to be curbed. They do not want more of these judicial review types of legislation.
Both Liberal justice ministers have failed to introduce the victims bill of rights which has taken low priority on the justice committee's agenda. They failed to substantially amend the Young Offenders Act. They have failed to limit the use of conditional sentences for violent offenders. Instead they occupy the justice committee's time with these administrative matters at the expense of more important issues such as amending the laws pertaining to drinking and driving.
It is time that this government got its priorities straight. The people know what is important. This bill proves the government does not. This bill does not contain what it should and therefore I do not support it.