Mr. Speaker, I am glad to have the opportunity to speak to Bill C-3 respecting Canada's youth criminal justice act. I am pleased the bill has finally arrived before the House of Commons. I just hope the Liberal government and in particular the justice minister are open to listening to what members of the House and the justice committee have to say about the bill.
I acknowledge that there are some positive aspects to the bill. I agree with the comment that we should approach youth justice with a balanced approach. Each situation will have similar but different aspects that must be dealt with case by case. Not every crime should have the same punishment, but every crime should be punished and society should feel that the offender has been dealt with in a way that brings justice and the chance to change.
Today's youth must be held accountable for their actions. Surely they should understand why they must feel remorse and have a desire to right their wrong wherever possible. I support the premise of diversion or what the minister has called extrajudicial measures. My colleagues from Crowfoot and Surrey North have done a great deal of work in this area. They have seen diversion work firsthand and believe in it. I have also had constituents write to me with their support of this means of justice. I believe there is merit in this type of justice program and would support its implementation.
The act of being confronted by those who have been wronged should bring young offenders face to face with the consequences of their actions. Criminals of all ages, especially youth, need to know that when they steal, vandalize or commit some other vicious act, they are affecting someone else's life. Someone had to save to buy the television, the car or the house.
To wantonly commit a criminal act without realizing the impact on victims and their families is not right. Youth who commit criminal acts must understand what they have done to someone else's life, how they have violated the person's rights, and the measure of stress and distress they have wrought for their victim and their victim's family.
Unfortunately I have many more concerns for the bill than I do accolades. While we all acknowledge that the old Young Offenders Act had its flaws, I do not really see how the replacement bill truly corrects the many flaws many Canadians have pointed out across the country.
We hear and read about extreme violence in many cases involving youth crime today. We certainly do not have to look at our friends south of the border, either. We have our share of high school violence and riots, youth shootings and beatings, drive-by shootings, car jackings, hate crimes, as well as intimidation, shoplifting, and break and enters. The list continues ad nauseam.
It is only a short drive from my home to Victoria where Renna Virk was savagely beaten and left to drown. This past week we were all shocked to hear of the swarming of a Toronto youth, a 15 year old lad, allegedly over a cigarette, and now he is dead. What a sad commentary on the state of our nation and some of its youth that there is even a climate anywhere in the country for that to occur.
For the past number of years Canadians have become more and more appalled at our justice system and particularly at young offenders, or what the bill calls youth justice. Even young people themselves look at the Young Offenders Act with disdain.
Let us take the problem with age discrimination, for instance. Young people know they can basically get away with anything, including murder, until they turn 18. This is absolutely wrong. This makes our youth justice system a sham.
Those aged 16 and 17 need to be treated as adults. These young people ask for the opportunity to drive, to get a good paying job and participate in the adult world. With these rights and privileges must come the acceptance of not some but all adult responsibilities that go with them.
I am also concerned that 10 and 11 year olds will still not be held responsible for their criminal actions in the bill. We do not want to have 10 year old children in jail, but we do want to ensure that children of this age receive the help they need. For the Minister of Justice to infer otherwise is ridiculous and certainly not worthy of further comment by this member.
Leaving children of this age strictly to the child welfare system is not a reasonable approach for either the child or the welfare system. Violent youths require more than a child welfare system can offer them. Putting these youth into the current welfare system takes badly stretched resources and thins them ever further.
There is a need to ensure that these children are rehabilitated prior to developing any further or more serious criminal habits. By offering younger children a rehabilitative process that teaches respect and discipline and reinforces positive learning skills, the end result will be a person who contributes to society rather than takes from it. The cost to rehabilitate today is much lower than the cost of incarceration tomorrow.
The next concern I have is for the other end of the juvenile age group. Those youth 14 and 15 who commit a serious offence should be moved into an adult court. They need to realize the enormity of their actions. They need to take responsibility. They need to understand that there are consequences. This is a part of the learning and maturing process. As they grow and take on greater tasks, they must also accept the greater responsibilities that go with them.
Unfortunately our society has degenerated in many aspects. One cornerstone is the family. One aspect of the bill I am somewhat pleased to see is the movement toward the recognition of the rights of victims. I believe that the bill and our justice system as a whole could move a lot further in this recognition.
To this end I encourage members of the House to review the victims rights bill drafted by the member for Langley—Abbotsford. He has worked on the issue passionately for years, and this is one rights bill that deserves our attention.
Obviously we cannot talk about youth without recognizing the impact on the family. Our society has been sliding away from strong family values for some time. I believe some of our youth crime problems are directly related to the breakdown of the family unit.
I am therefore encouraged that the bill sets out the compulsory attendance of parents at court if the judge considers their presence to be in the best interest of the youth. People are busy and oftentimes a wake up call is needed in order to reorganize and reset their personal priorities.
I am further encouraged that there are possible consequences for the parents who fail in their obligation to court directives with regard to the supervision of their children. Wilful disregard by parents of court orders puts others at further risk from their children's actions and sets a poor example for their children to follow.
The Liberal government must accept its share of the responsibility for the breakdown of the family unit. High taxation has driven many families to the brink of financial destruction. When mom and dad are struggling to survive it does not take much for the cracks to appear: financial cracks, emotional cracks, cracks in all levels of our temperament and patience. Before long these cracks widen and people, our children, begin to fall through them.
The bill will obviously not resolve all the problems. Nor is it intended to. The bill should be one more piece of the building block to strengthen and support families in society, but I do not believe it will do much to accomplish this goal.
There has been some minor tinkering with the Young Offenders Act in order to arrive at the youth criminal justice act. The Young Offenders Act needs a major overhaul. The justice minister has long promised a comprehensive bill to address the needs expressed by all Canadians from coast to coast. I believe Canadians are disappointed with the timid actions to date, and in this bill those actions continue. The interest of Canadians has not been fully addressed.
Unfortunately at this point I will not be able to give my support to the bill, but I hope in committee the government listens to the suggestions and recommendations of people and in the end we might be able to support it as a whole.