Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak to Motion No. 508:
That—the government should increase the federal share of financial support for the provisions of the Young Offenders Act, with the eventual goal of dividing the costs on a 50/50 basis—
On the face of it, this motion has a great deal to commend itself. After all, what is wrong with more money for the Young Offenders Act? What is wrong with more money for the youth justice system, or indeed the justice system itself? What is wrong with more money for the police, for the courts, or for the prisons? Indeed, what is wrong with more money for everything?
Let us just keep going back to the old ways of tax and spend. Surely justice is as high a priority as any other priority. In fact it has to be very high on anybody's priority list.
When this government took over, we inherited a $42 billion deficit and we have since turned it around to a surplus. At the time we took over, all governments were spending in excess of 100% of the gross domestic product. Thankfully under the leadership of this Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance, that situation has been reined in and we are now all living within our budgets.
Provincial governments have been brought to heel by fiscal realities and to varying degrees of success have recognized that. The most notable exception, I would say, is the fact that the Government of Ontario—which I would note in passing is a Progressive Conservative government, and how progressive is somewhat dubious at times—continues to finance its ways by increasing the debt. These tax cuts that are priorities in excess of all other priorities are financed by debt. At this point it has ratcheted up by a full $30 billion.
The cost of this motion is estimated to be something in the order of $100 million to $125 million. It is open ended. We can draw on it any time and once we start funding it, we cannot withdraw from the funding. It is like the Eveready bunny; it keeps on going and going.
As soon as this funding starts, the government makes a statement that this is a priority in excess of all other priorities. For instance, it speaks of a desire on the part of the provincial and federal governments to create community based institutions rather than custodial based institutions. That priority frankly would be defeated if this motion were to go forward.
Mr. Speaker, I know that you, I and all the rest of us have had pretty well as much as we can take on CHST debates. We get into cash, we get into tax points, we get into equalization and we are all numb. The numbers seem to go on and on.
It is a uniquely Canadian experience whereby those who receive money say absolutely nothing and those who do not receive money continue to bitch and whine into the next budget.
If there is a certainty in any of these debates, it is that all governments want certainty in their financing. With certainty they can plan and budget accordingly. Both levels of government do not want open-ended commitments to financing.
The Young Offenders Act speaks to charge, conviction and sentencing. In my view, that is the wrong priority. In my view, this is not the priority this government needs to signal at this time.
The changes to the young offenders legislation are in accordance with the recommendations of the justice committee on which the hon. member sits. I would recommend that the hon. member speak to those recommendations rather than to this motion.