Madam Speaker, I listened with interest to my colleague who sits on the justice committee, as I do. He talked about the administration of justice within his province.
It was a judge from Quebec who, using alternative sentences, allowed two men who raped a young girl to walk free on conditional sentencing.
I would like to know if the member believes that is the proper use of the law or whether, if he had the authority and the power, he would limit the use of conditional sentencing to non-violent offenders as the government indicated.
When the conditional sentencing bill came through, Bill C-41, and some of the judges began to use in a manner that the justice minister today felt was inappropriate, he introduced an amendment. It required the unanimous consent of this House to introduce it in the manner that he did.
That was to caution the judges that the safety of society must be taken into consideration when conditional sentencing is used. It was a warning to the judges about using it indiscriminately when violent offenders are involved.
I ask the hon. member to bear in mind that the administration of justice in the province of Quebec overall does have some concerns. There is a biker war there. We have seen murders, including the murder of a young child. We saw the gangland type of execution of two prison guards. We have not seen that for years, certainly not in my lifetime, in the other provinces.
Before we start to cast aspersions on the administration of justice in the other provinces, perhaps the hon. member should take a look at some of these extraordinary criminal occurrences in his own province.
I would like him to answer that question. Is he satisfied when that judge in Quebec, as do many judges across the country in all provinces, uses a law created in this House, called conditional sentencing, in a manner that allows a convicted rapist to walk free?
Does the member support that? Or, if he had the power, would he change that? If he would change it, to what extent would he change it? Or would he simply allow what the government is allowing, which is for the appeal courts to deal with it, plugging the appeal courts with case after case? The attorneys general of the provinces and the crown prosecutors are appealing ridiculous decisions made by the lower provincial courts which have allowed violent offenders to walk free through the use of conditional sentencing.
I would like the hon. member to express his concern one way or the other, if he has a concern over that particular piece of legislation.