Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to address today such an important issue.
A renowned geneticist, Albert Jacquard, once said that a prison in a city means that there is something wrong in that city.
Today, we are dealing with a somewhat special kind of crime, youth crime. I think we all want to reduce crime in our communities. Obviously, this is a worthy and desirable goal. However, I do have some misgivings and some concerns about the measures to reduce crime.
We are dealing today with Bill C-3, which proposes a system I cannot agree with. Previously, when young offenders were arrested, they got some kind of special treatment. Instead of sending offenders under 18 years of age directly to prison, we directed them towards different facilities, in the hope that they would be able to get back on to the right track.
What this bill says is that we want to treat young offenders more harshly, to treat them as adults, depending, of course, on the seriousness of the crime. Yet we have to understand what impact that could have. I know there are hon. members here in this House, or members of their family, who have been victims of crime. And I know how frustrated or vindictive they must feel.
When we see these deplorable crimes reported on the front page of the newspaper, we have every right to think that it does not make sense and that something must be done. I agree, except that the easy way to solve this problem is to say that these young criminals must pay. They must pay like adults do and must be held responsible. There is certainly some logic in thinking this way, but actually it is false, and the statistics are there to prove it. Instead of talking about harsher sentences for young offenders, we should be talking about the root cause of crime.
Next week, we will be celebrating—although it will not really be a celebration—the tenth anniversary of the House's resolve to eliminate child poverty by the year 2000. Child poverty has nearly doubled since the House expressed that resolve. Why I am saying that? Because sometimes, and very often in disadvantaged areas, young people are unable to benefit from the physical and moral support of their father and mother. These young people are more likely than others to become juvenile delinquents.
I think there is a connection between the increase in poverty and the increase in crime. It may be the most important factor, and what we really should be discussing today are issues related to the root cause of crime. Unfortunately, we are not doing that because the minister has introduced a bill which will provide for harsher sentences, which I think will in no way benefit society.
If we lock up a young offender with other criminals, we are sending him to a school for crimes. He will be with individuals, young people and criminals, who are already frustrated with society, and who do not necessarily feel like respecting it. It is a little bit like sending him to a school for crimes.
I would rather we talked about alternatives to the prison system instead of contemplating putting a bandage on a wound. Yes, there is a wound; yes, crime is a problem. But let us see how we can heal the wound rather than putting a bandage on it, hoping it will solve the problem. I cannot support this approach.
What I am saying today is not born out of emotion, it is borne out by facts. My colleagues mentioned it before me: in Quebec we have had, and still have, a more preventative way of dealing with young offenders, in order to rehabilitate them. It works. The numbers are there to prove it. We have them. We can prove, based on statistics, that our way is better. I do not like to quantify human behaviour, but in this case, it clearly shows that the approach of Quebec is the best in Canada.
The bill that is before us today would have us believe that we should set all that aside, that its way of doing things is the right way. Unfortunately, its approach, which owes something to the Reform Party, is going to become law.
I believe it is deplorable, especially since in Quebec there is a consensus against this bill. If the federation were as flexible as some people claim, we, in Quebec, could say: if you want to try this approach, go ahead. But we, in Quebec, have our own approach, we believe in it and we want to carry on and even improve it, and we would like to have the opportunity and the freedom to maintain our approach toward crime.
This is why I seek unanimous consent so that Quebec can opt out of this measure and continue to ensure its criminals are dealt with the same way as today.
I seek the unanimous consent of the House.