Mr. Speaker, I am taking the remainder of the time of my hon. colleague for Wild Rose.
I am honoured to rise once again to speak on behalf of the people of Cariboo—Chilcotin and to speak on the official opposition supply day motion:
That this House condemn 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 their refusal to: ( a ) strengthen the Young Offenders Act; ( b ) abolish conditional sentencing for violent offenders; and ( c ) introduce a victims bill of rights.
A couple of weeks ago, in my hometown of Williams Lake I hosted a town hall meeting dealing with exactly these issues. Ironically, this was the very same day the Minister of Justice finally introduced her response to the standing committee on justice report explaining her strategy for the renewal of the youth justice system.
Over a year after she promised a swift introduction of massive changes to the Young Offenders Act she outlined a strategy which appears on the surface to make only cosmetic changes to this act, one of which is getting rid of the name. There are many serious things that need to be done. I am sure that getting rid of the name is very important too. This is a name across the country which prompts negative comments and stories of horrific crimes committed by young people who merely get a slap on the wrist for the crimes they have committed.
Over the past five years I have heard my constituents' concerns about the current state of the criminal justice system. These concerns cover all aspects of the system, how violent and repeat offenders are treated in the system, how all too often victim rights are completely ignored, how the current federal government time and again ignores the safety of the average Canadian citizen, how it ploughs ahead with legislation not at all consistent with the needs of those law-abiding citizens who are directly affected by this legislation.
The clearest example that comes to mind is the government's handling of the gun control issue, Bill C-68. This is a bureaucratic mess where the budget was blown long ago. The government's experts are saying the registration system will be filled with inaccurate and useless information. All the while law-abiding citizens will be held accountable for this failure.
The Reform Party has proposed an excellent approach to deal with the complex issues surrounding youth crime. Before I comment on this approach I take this opportunity to thank the chief Reform justice critic, the member for Crowfoot, and his colleagues on that committee for their long and dedicated service to this issue.
Reform's approach to dealing with youth crime has three components. The first component concerns early detection and intervention as an effective means of crime prevention. The second component deals with community based resolutions and sentences for non-violent offenders, and the last component deals with substantive changes to the Young Offenders Act.
Included in the amendments are changes to the age range for those who fall under the act from 12 years to 10 years for the youngest and from 17 years to 15 years for the oldest, as well as the publishing of names for all violent offenders charged as adults.
Our party also proposed that a distinction be made between non-violent and violent offenders. We feel that less serious offenders can be diverted from formal court proceedings and incarceration while at the same time we want to ensure that violent offenders are held in custody.
After she was sworn in as the justice minister last June, the minister stated that one of her top priorities was to reform the Young Offenders Act and that we could expect changes shortly. It is almost a year later and we are told that legislation will be introduced this fall after further consultations this summer with the provinces, the territories and various stakeholders. Although I welcome the federal government consulting the grassroots of our country when changing legislation, there comes a time when consultations have to result in some action, and that time has come.
The justice minister is armed with an extensive report from the standing committee which was tabled before the election call last April. It was accompanied by a comprehensive list of recommendations. She also has the minority report submitted by the Reform Party. It is a thorough report which also provides the justice minister with well thought out and comprehensive proposals to significantly reform the youth justice system. The justice minister also has at her disposal the recommendations of several provinces for reforming the system.
With all this comprehensive information what does the justice minister do? She admits that the current system is flawed and needs to be changed. Did we not know that already? After a year of inaction she introduces a framework with no real specifics, no real details on how the system is going to be reformed and restructured. There are no concrete proposals for change.
The government has proposed to spend approximately $32 million on crime prevention programs, but as we have seen before with this Liberal government it does not have any concrete plans as to who will be in charge of these programs and it cannot provide details on what programs will be available. Included in this mess of disorientation, disorganization and lack of leadership, the minister has also failed to assure the provinces that there will be the necessary funding for any new programming initiatives.
Gauging from the various provincial responses in their own reports on reforming the youth criminal justice system, it looks like the provinces do not share the justice minister's vision. For example, the people of Cariboo—Chilcotin have told me that they want change to the youth justice system that is fair, that works at preventing youth crime and that looks at alternative measures for dealing with and rehabilitating youth who break the law.
On the issue of conditional sentencing, the changes made to section 742 of the Criminal Code in June 1995 under Bill C-41 have made it possible for a variety of offenders to serve their time in the community. This provision has been applied quite liberally. It applies to anyone from those who have committed fraud to those who have committed sex offences. Although the previous justice minister acknowledged the problems with the legislation in allowing certain sex and violent offenders to have conditional sentences, he took no action to amend the legislation. The current justice minister has not taken action on this issue either, despite repeated calls from the opposition and from the Alberta court of appeal. Violent offenders are still being put back into the communities.
Finally I would like to take a moment to comment on the issue of victims' rights.
It has now been over two years since this House passed a motion introduced by my colleague, the official opposition House leader. The motion read as follows:
That the House urge the government to direct the Standing Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs to proceed with the drafting of a Victims' Bill of Rights, and that, in such areas where the committee determines a right to be more properly a provincial concern, the Minister of Justice initiate consultations with the provinces aimed at arriving at a national standard for a Victims' Bill of Rights.
This motion received widespread support from all parties in this House: 154 yeas; 24 nays. Since that time it has languished in the justice committee.
Earlier this month the committee finally started formal hearings and will hopefully submit a report to the House sometime this fall.
I am happy that these formal hearings are finally taking place, but I wonder why it took the government so long. I am sure it has heard from many Canadians, as have I, who want the government to move forward on this issue of establishing a victims' bill of rights.
The justice minister of the day was in support of a victims' bill of rights, but what does today's justice minister think?
During her appearance before the justice committee last month she announced a national office for victims of crime to help them navigate through the justice system, but was lukewarm to the idea of a victims' bill of rights.
She said that often these bills are rhetorical and that she was not interested in rhetorical flourishes, but in actually improving the services and programs for victims.
Given the recent proposals by the Minister of Justice, I think she is far more interested in those rhetorical flourishes than she is in delivering on her promises for actual change.
I would like to close by conveying the comments I received from my constituents at the town hall meeting at Williams Lake earlier this month.
Canadians want fair and comprehensive change to the criminal justice system, change not only to provide alternative programs to rehabilitate those young offenders who commit less serious crimes, but also adequate and effective punishment for the more serious offenders.
These constituents call for safe streets and for victims to have as many rights as those criminals who commit crimes against them. Canadians are demanding change and it is past time for the government to listen. It must act with concrete proposals and substantive changes.