Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Crowfoot for his question. Although we do not always share the same position, I believe our debates within the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights are productive for all of its members and for everyone in this House.
I would like to point out that my hon. colleague referred to what I would call the exemplary treatment the Government of Quebec gives to young offenders. This merits attention, and should even been copied outside Quebec.
The hon. member referred to an editorial in The Gazette . With all due respect to my colleague and to the newspaper, I must say that it does not constitute a reference for myself or a number of my colleagues. That is, to put it mildly, an understatement.
I taught in a number of secondary schools in my riding before being elected to this august Chamber. I believe, once again, that it is important to distinguish between reality and perceived reality. Are teachers and the general public afraid of crime? I believe the answer is yes. Do the facts justify that fear? Not as much, I think, as some would have us believe.
I do not want to minimize the hazards to which teachers are exposed, but the emphasis should not be on punishing young people who beat up a teacher, but rather on raising awareness, prevention, information programs and promoting non-violence. This should replace the threat of the strap if the child misbehaves. We used to think that a smack on the fingers with a ruler worked, but that is no longer done, and our schools are none the worse for it.
In closing, I would like to repeat for the benefit of my colleague that the members of the Bloc Quebecois are against lowering the age in the Young Offenders Act, because we unanimously believe that, as my colleague to the left has said, we will arrive at a fairer and less violent society not by stigmatizing young people but by raising their awareness.