Mr. Speaker, I did not hear a question in my hon. colleague's remarks. He raises a valid point, although his remarks about pay equity I do not think apply specifically to Bill C-37 which we are debating today.
The member has raised the issue of equity. I tried to deal in a small way with that issue as well in my presentation. I referred to the fact that why have we singled out the judges and said that they deserve an 8.3% increase compounded over two years but not the RCMP officers or that the RCMP officers get a fraction of that amount. What about the crown prosecutors? What about the people who are in the trenches slogging it out trying to make this justice system work?
I said in my presentation that a lot of judges are trying hard to make the system work. Despite the comments made by myself and others, there are judges who have made a lot of good decisions. We could run through a list of them and name them too. But when we want to raise the issue of what is wrong with the system, we want to raise the decisions that do not garner the support in the real world.
In this Chamber what we are supposed to talk about when we are debating legislation is how it impacts in the real world outside these walls, this hallowed hall of Parliament. That is what we are supposed to be talking about. That is what my colleagues and I when we are talking about Bill C-37 are going to be trying to bring to the attention of the government and of the viewers watching in the real world. It is, what are the failings of this legislation?
As my colleague from the NDP remarked, he sees the failings as the mere fact that the government is bringing forward this legislation instead of addressing issues he feels are vitally important. I respect that, as I respect what Reformers are trying to bring forward, the long list of changes to the criminal justice system that we have been pushing ever since we formed the party back in 1987.
Yes, I recognize that the police, the prison guards, the crown prosecutors, every single person involved in our justice system is frustrated. We are frustrated here too. Reformers are frustrated. We have been beating on the doors of government for 10 long years and we do not have the changes that people are crying out for in Canada. Are they awake over there?