I am pleased to speak to the Reform Party's supply day motion, the Reform Party that has been the only party that has been crusading against crime since we came to this place, the only party that has been listening to the voices of average Canadians who have some genuine fears about our society and the safety in our streets and communities.
The motion today says that this House condemns, and condemn it should, the government for the deplorable state of Canada's criminal justice system and the government's lack of concern for public safety as demonstrated by its refusal to strengthen the Young Offenders Act, abolish conditional sentencing for violent offenders and introduce a victims bill of rights.
The government has failed miserably on all three counts. Since 1993 when it had an opportunity to bring in some real changes that would reflect some positive steps in our criminal justice system, it failed to do it. It has at best settled for some sort of tinkering around the edges of a badly flawed criminal justice system.
I cannot go on with this speech without bringing up something that happened earlier today. Under a barrage of questions from the Conservative Party and the Reform Party, we stood here in utter amazement and watched the Minister of Justice of the Government of Canada and her parliamentary secretary flee from this House in an attempt to evade questions. They were questions that came from real Canadians. They were questions about their safety and about the safety of their children. They were questions about the terrible crime rates.
No matter what the Liberals say about crime rates going down in some areas, the level of crime in this country is at an unacceptable level. Whether it has gone down or up, whichever way, the level of crime is simply unacceptable. The Canadian people have been saying do something to address crime. The government has failed miserably.
They fled from the House. Cowardice was shown by the minister and her parliamentary secretary as they fled from the House and from the questions that we brought forward from Canadians from all across this country.