Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to what the Reform Party member had to say on this and my question is a very simple one.
Does he agree that, whether with respect to youth or the entire penal system, there are also two solitudes in Canada when it comes to the issue of crime? There is our attitude in Quebec with regard to the entire penal system, young offenders, parole, rehabilitation, and reintegration into society, and the attitude of the other solitude further west in Canada on these same issues.
Since the member was so interested in the Young Offenders Act, I wish to point out that the 66th convention of ACFAS was held during the week of May 14. This important meeting of specialists, political scientists, criminologists, and those working in the sector is held annually in Quebec to examine all aspects of crime. I will read the conclusion and I would like the Reform member to tell me whether or not he agrees that there are two irreconcilable solitudes in Canada, not just with respect to crime but with respect to other matters as well, and that we will never be able to see eye to eye.
This conclusion says “The federal proposals to amend the Young Offenders Act that were released Tuesday by the Minister of Justice reveal a growing gap between the approach to crime in Quebec and that in English Canada, particularly in the West”. This was the view expressed by Quebec researchers during the symposium on politics and social management. They conclude as follows “There are two irreconcilable solitudes; that of western Canada, among others, and that of Quebec”.
Will the hon. member at least admit that there is an increasingly wide chasm between Quebec and the rest of Canada? If so, what does he propose to prevent this chasm between the two Canadian solitudes from growing even wider?