Mr. Speaker, is that what they call flexible federalism? If I were a federalist, I would consider flexibility as an asset, because each province could have its own system and become a testing ground of sorts.
But this bill is all for standardization, and it will eliminate good programs. What a disgrace, in my opinion.
Do you think a 14 year old who never reads a paper and does not know what is going on in politics will say to himself before committing any crime that, with Bill C-3, if he commit a crimes, he will spend more time in prison? Let us get real. It will not change anything.
Very often, young criminals are economically disadvantaged, they are less educated and are not too well informed. Do you think stiffer legislation will have an impact?
Studies in the U.S. confirm this. Stiffer legislation does not reduce the crime rate. I am all the more troubled by this because I am the youngest member in the House. If we do not deal with our young criminals the way we should and if we send them to the school for crime, we will be turning them into real criminals. Since they are young, we will have to put up with them for many more years to come, and fighting against crime will cost us even more.
I think this bill goes against common sense. I cannot overstate how much it goes against common sense. I would like to ask the members in the House to take note of the numbers, of the consensus and of a way of doing things that has been proven to work. This bill does not make any sense.
If the rest of Canada wishes to do as it pleases, if it believes that there is a better way, let it do so, I have nothing against that. But I cannot accept the rejection of a way of doing things that has been proven successful. It is not perfect, of course, and we are trying to improve it, but I think the rest of Canada should have followed this example.
Unfortunately, I have the impression that, for political reasons, the justice minister only wishes to show us that she is backing down, or that this is the Liberals' balanced approach. Maybe she wants to show us, like Reform, that the Liberals can give a little to the left, a little to the right, I do not know. I do not know what is going on in the minister's head, but I find it unfortunate, and I am disappointed.