Mr. Speaker, my colleague in the Reform Party would like, and this is legendary in this party, extremely harsh and long sentences, which, as my colleague in the party opposite so nicely put it, cost society a bundle.
I have two suggestions for my colleague. Would it not be a good idea first to consider full employment? Having each Canadian working? Work gets the brain going.
Second, education is a virtue. Unfortunately, our government is hanging on to significant sums that should be going toward education. We should start educating people when they are very young to get them used to working and living honourably.
Would my colleague in the Reform Party not consider these two solutions rather than invest huge sums to put people in prison for crimes often starting with petty larceny? Success at it leads to greater and greater crimes, and after 10 or 12 years in crime, an individual becomes a powerful criminal and heads into violent crime.