Mr. Speaker, I do not pretend to be an expert on sentencing guidelines, but I do know that the current Criminal Code does not have a minimum sentence provision for simple robbery as an example. I am proposing that home invasion be treated along the same lines as committing a crime with a firearm, which I gather carries a minimum sentence of four years.
The member is absolutely right when he says that this is a serious problem.
I read a story of a different home invasion which occurred in Edmonton this year. Two young people invaded a home, attacked the occupants and ran off when the police appeared. A reporter who covered the story interviewed some neighbours who said that these types of invasions had been going on for some time. These young people will check mailboxes, look in windows and when chased away say what are the cops going to do.
It is comments like that which reflect the growing lack of confidence Canadians have in our criminal justice system. I think it is atrocious that ordinary law-abiding lay people feel that the police do not have the criminal sanctions they need to ensure these kinds of violent invasions of people's homes do not occur.
I do not propose a particular guideline, but I do think there should be some kind of minimum sentence for cases which involve this aggravating factor of home invasion.