Mr. Speaker, this is almost embarrassing because I think the government should be asking these questions. When it speaks we ask questions to expand on its views and to better understand where it is coming from.
When we on this side speak, if members opposite have any comments or questions, they should be up there speaking. I am publicly here chastising them. Why are they sitting on their duffs? This is an important issue. Let us get with it here. Let us do something about it. Let us make sure this bill is handled correctly.
There is an amendment on the floor right now to slow this thing down. One might ask is that intended to kill it. No, it is just the opposite. It is intended to make sure that when this bill is passed into law that it is a good law instead of a mediocre one as it is in its present form.
The reason for the six month delay in the vote and the reading is to allow time for the public to get involved and for the Liberal government to rethink its position, its position of stubbornness and of saying we have this thing down, this is how we are going to do it and you guys better just accept that.
It is true the Liberals have a majority. It is a small one. It slipped by 20 or thereabouts from 1993 to 1997 because they are being unresponsive to what Canadians are saying, particularly in the areas of economics and justice.
Over and over we hear from Canadians that they want the justice to protect law abiding citizens. Over and over we hear they want the justice system to work correctly in identifying people who are guilty and in exonerating those who are not guilty. They want a smaller level of error in those things.
Here is an opportunity to make a quantum leap in the ability of the government, our justice officials and police departments to work correctly to find those people guilty who in fact are and to prevent crime from happening, something the Liberals over and over say they want to do. Let us prevent the crime. Here is a case where it can be prevented but not in this present form.
I would like my hon. colleague from the Conservative Party to again comment on this and to maybe join me in chastising the government for being so flaccid in this particular case.