Madam Speaker, I certainly do agree with that. There is no doubt about it, there has been no effort made on the part of the committee or anyone else dealing with Bill C-3 to get an independent legal opinion on this particular issue.
There is a group of people who did get an independent legal position and that was the police association. Now they are prepared to say to the people in parliament that they have this statement clearly made by an independent body that the change that we are suggesting, that the police commission is suggesting, can be done and can be constitutionally allowed. It would be extremely effective in saving the lives of numerous Canadians from violent criminals. It would be extremely effective.
That is our plight. That is what we are supposed to do, create legislation that will do some of these things.
I was at a rally where people asked questions at a microphone. Before they asked their questions they were to say what kind of Canada they would like to see in the year 2000. A statement was wanted before they asked their question.
There were people who talked about good job situations, money, prosperity, economics. They talked about the health care system. But one person nearly stopped the whole rally when he asked “Do you know what I want? I want to live in a country where my wife can leave this hotel, walk two blocks to the parking lot where we have parked our car and come back without the fear of being mugged, attacked, assaulted, murdered or raped”.
“I want to live in a country” this man went on to say “where the authorities, the politicians and the elected officials do their darndest to meet the most elemental duty that we have. That duty is to protect the lives and the property of Canadians”. That is an elemental duty and we have that duty.
When we are willing to pass legislation that the experts say is flawed, then we are not responding to that duty. If members cannot respond to that duty, they should not be here, they should be at home. Someone who is willing to do it should be sent here instead.