Mr. Speaker, let me make it absolutely plain, as I and other members of this government have done over the past number of weeks. Nobody is suggesting that 10 and 11 year olds should not be responsible for the harm they create or be held accountable in ways that are commensurate with their age.
I know that the hon. member knows this because of his experience in the justice system in Nova Scotia. We have three systems in which young people can be picked up: we have the child welfare system, we have the mental health system and we have the criminal justice system.
What we are saying as a government is that we believe, when we are dealing with children, when we are dealing with 10 and 11 year olds, that the best way to deal with the harm and make those young people accountable and responsible and help them to recover from what has happened in their lives is to make sure that they are dealt with through the child welfare or mental health systems. My pledge is to work with the provinces to ensure that they have, in part, the resources to be able to make sure those kids are picked up and do not fall through the cracks.