Mr. Speaker, before I begin my formal remarks, I would like to talk about the type of visual reality of the justice system that would happen in this country if, God forbid, there ever was a Reform government. It would be a justice system based on the law of the jungle, an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, vigilante justice. Call it what you may, Mr. Speaker, but that is exactly what the hon. member just indicated to us when he spoke in this House.
The motion itself is reflective of that. It does not matter what crime is committed in this country, let us get rid of the judges, let us get rid of due process of law, let us get rid of the lawyers, let us get rid of anything that comes between the irresponsible and fearmongering policy makers on the other side of the House and a justice system that has shown that it is one of the best in the world. Let us forget of course about the fact that they want to criminalize, maybe not throw them in jail, but criminalize 10-year olds contrary to what the hon. member said. Let us look at what is the worst in society as the rule rather than the exception.
That is what Reform members have been saying in this House for the year and a half that I have been parliamentary secretary.
They talk about fearmongering and—I will not say lies—misinformation where irresponsible policy makers want to create a society where everyone has a gun and everyone shoots whenever anyone gets in the way. That is exactly the type of society they want to promote.
There is no such thing except the exception to the rule, continuously the exception to the rule to what happened.
I believe Canadians do not share that vision of our justice system. Canadians do not have a wild west vigilante mentality in terms of this country's justice system. I do not believe that the type of justice system being promoted by Her Majesty's Official Opposition is the type of system Canadians in general want to have.
I believe Canadians believe in the due process of law. They believe in an individual having the right to a hearing before a judge and jury of his or her peers. They believe our youth have to be given the help they need whenever they need it. They also believe that their money should not be spent in creating more jails or incarcerating more people but by investing in rehabilitation. I also believe Canadians believe in compassion and in the respect of individual rights and freedoms.
Those are all the things this side of the House also believes in. The fact that Canadians have given us a second mandate is indicative also that most Canadians do not believe the system the Reform Party is promoting is the type of justice system they want in this country.
Today I would like to deal with one aspect of the motion. The motion itself was a smorgasbord of whatever Reform has been discussing in this House over the last six years that I have been a parliamentarian. I would like to deal with the youth criminal justice act which we recently introduced in this House and the government's broader strategy to renew the youth justice system.
We believe the bill responds to the extensive consultations on the strategy for the renewal of youth justice which was released by the government on May 12, 1998 with concerned citizens, governments at all levels and other partners who want improvements to the youth justice system. Canadians want to change the youth justice system and they want programs and resources to support those changes. We propose to give them exactly that, despite what the hon. member said in this House.
The government's strategy for the renewal of youth justice recognizes that the foremost objective is public protection. It distinguishes legislation and programs appropriate to a small group of violent young offenders and those appropriate for the vast majority of non-violent young offenders. It takes a much broader, more integrated approach than the simplistic approach that is emphasized by the members in the opposition. It also emphasizes prevention and rehabilitation. The strategy is based on three key directions that work together to better protect the public.
First is prevention. The best way to protect the public, victims, families and youth, is to prevent crime in the first place. I think we all agree on that. On June 2, 1998 the government launched a $32 million a year community based crime prevention initiative that includes children and youth as priorities. Programs proposed by communities from one end of this country to the other are currently being funded to prevent youth crimes.
Meaningful consequences is the number two priority. Youth crime will be met with meaningful consequences. But what is meaningful? It depends on the seriousness of the offence and the circumstances of the offender, something the opposition would like us not to take into account of course.
Rehabilitation and reintegration. A fundamental principle of Canada's youth justice system is that young offenders with guidance and support are more likely than adults to be rehabilitated and become law-abiding citizens. We on this side of the House truly believe and some members on the other side of the House also believe in programs that help to rehabilitate young offenders, protect the public, prevent further crimes and reflect society's commitment to youth.
I want to begin with what we plan to do to prevent youth from committing crimes. This, in our opinion, is the best way to protect society, and to help youth at the same time, as we wish to.
The way to accomplish this is to address the very causes of crime. We must use every means at our disposal to battle poverty and child abuse, which are known to frequently lead to youth crime.
We cannot wage this battle alone, however. If we are to have a long term strategy addressing the causes of youth crime, we are aware that many others must be included: individuals, organizations, and in particular the provincial governments, which are involved in crime prevention, child welfare, mental health, education, social services, and employment.
Families, communities and victims will also have a role to play in this battle against youth crime, waged within the framework of the national community safety and crime prevention strategy.
The government is spending $32 million a year to help Canadian communities set up the necessary programs and crime-prevention partnerships.
The Youth Criminal Justice Act will be the foundation for a renewed system of youth justice, but it is only one piece of the puzzle. We all know that legislation, however harsh, will not stop young people from committing crimes and innocent people from becoming victims.
This is why we have included rehabilitation and reintegration into society in our bill.
The legislation is an important element of a broader strategy for addressing the complex problem of youth crime. The legislation provides an effective and flexible framework for youth justice and distinguishes approaches for violent offenders and the majority of less serious offenders.
It includes overarching principles and sentencing principles which emphasize that the penalty must be proportionate to the seriousness of the offence. It provides for greater protections of the rights of young accused while attending flexibility and streamlining procedures for the administrators of the system.
It includes a broader range of sentencing options, many of which reinforce important social values like requiring the youth to repair the harm caused by the offence. It addresses flaws in the previous system and provides a balanced approach to the complex problem of youth crime, not the simplistic approach of the Reform.
We know however that legislation alone will not reorient the justice system. It needs to be supported by programs, trained professionals and committed partners.
The February 16, 1999 budget recognized the need for additional resources to support the new legislation and renew the youth justice system. Some $206 million was allocated for the first three years and a total of about $400 million in additional resources would be available for the six year implementation period. This is a significant addition that will lead to the renewal of the youth justice system.
Canada as a whole continues to incarcerate a higher percentage of young offenders than most countries. This is a concern. Although international comparisons continue to be difficult because of the differences between systems, Canada apparently incarcerates a relatively higher percentage of young people than even the United States.
In addition, the rates of incarceration vary considerably across the country, ranging from 9% to 32% per 10,000 adolescents depending on the province.
It is sad that the great majority of young people in custody are there for non-violent offences for which community approaches will do a much better job of promoting social values such as responsibility and accountability.
Contrary to the assertion of the opposition, the government is addressing the youth justice concerns of Canadians with new laws and supporting programs that will prevent crime and ensure meaningful consequences for those who do commit crimes—