Mr. Speaker, as I was saying before the question period break, what is needed in all cases involving justice where there is a balance to be reached between the individual and the right of society to be protected, a very delicate balance must be reached.
When it comes to the protection of children, who are least able to protect themselves, I would suggest that in most, if not all cases, we must tip that balance in favour of doing all that is possible to protect children.
I mentioned earlier the case that arose in Toronto at Maple Leaf Gardens. We are also aware from news reports of the case of Graham James who was the former head coach of the Swift Current Broncos. It was a much publicized case involving the position of trust that a coach would hold and his ability to act in a predatory way toward vulnerable young men, in this instance hockey players. We know as well that there are numerous instances when this occurs and a position of trust is abused.
This reinforces the importance of Bill C-69 and the ability of agencies, coaches, teachers, volunteers, counsellors and individuals involved in the delivery of services to children to access information that would disclose this type of background. One would be quick to acknowledge that it is a very sick and twisted background.
Does Bill C-69 go far enough? The names of convicted sex offenders in this case belong to the solicitor general and his records. The solicitor general would have the discretion as to whether that name and the record itself would be disclosed. The RCMP, due to recent amendments to this bill, do not have that discretion and I believe that is a good thing because there is an opportunity in some instances for individual police officers to be placed in a very uncomfortable position about whether they should in fact release this information. They need the support of their department, and in this case we are talking about the solicitor general's department.
Victims of crime, individuals who have been directly affected, including their families, are those who would be most in favour of this bill.
The police of course were very supportive of the efforts that were made by the hon. member for Calgary Centre. They spoke very favourably of his efforts and were very receptive to the government's position that it took in incorporating those suggestions into the bill which is before the House.
With respect to citizens in communities, I have seen instances where citizens have taken steps of their own. They have posted notices around the neighbourhood when they were aware of an individual who had been engaged in this despicable exploitation of children and yet the agencies were not able to make public that person's past.
We hope that this bill will, in some way, remedy that situation in terms of disclosure, public knowledge and, ultimately, protection. Knowledge will protect people affected by sex offenders living in their community.
One concern that a person might have is about the bureaucracy that often surrounds the implementation of an exercise such as this. The solicitor general could gain possession of records only through a written request to the prison commissioner if the subject of the records had already given written consent.
For police investigating a sex crime, the same type of rule would apply. They would have to rely on the commissioner to make a notation; in other words, to flag a certain record that would allow the police to then access the information. Yet a police force or other authorized body may also request the commissioner to provide the minister with any record of the conviction of that applicant and the commissioner may then transmit the record to the minister.
With more work now being placed in the hands of the already overworked and underfunded police forces around the country there is some concern as to how they will handle this additional workload.
We have seen similar government bills, such as the youth criminal justice act, where greater responsibility and emphasis will be placed on the police in the exercise of their front line authority, but there will be no additional resources. This is something about which we have to be sensitive. Hopefully the government will also be sensitive to it when it is looking at next year's budgets and the money that will be allotted to the police.
It is not enough to give them the tools, legislative initiatives, changes to the Criminal Code and changes to the Criminal Records Act without giving them the accompanying funding that will allow them to use effectively these law enforcement tools.
Others who might request the information that is covered by Bill C-69 would be members of organizations, possibly for the well-being of children. Examples might include a parent who would like to find out about a child's hockey coach, a teacher or a kindergarten supervisor. Associations like the Pictou County Minor Hockey Association, the Antigonish Minor Hockey Association, Big Brothers or Big Sisters would be able to access information about employees or volunteers who were in or were attempting to enter those organizations. This is relevant, prevalent information that should be in their hands.
There has been discussion about the rights of the sex offenders themselves. I will be the first to acknowledge that there has to be some degree of respect for any person who has very damaging information such as this on their record, particularly when it is extremely dated.
Once again we are into the argument of balance. I would suggest that any indication this information would be withheld or kept completely private would certainly be outweighed by the need to protect the public and the need to protect children in this instance.
I support the bill fully. I know the bill hinges upon passage quickly through this place. This is a process with which you are intimately familiar, Mr. Speaker. It often takes a long time. Bills coming through the justice department and the solicitor general's departments are coming in some instances in a very slow and grinding fashion. We saw that particularly with the youth criminal justice act. However, with the unanimous support we have seen for the bill and the importance that has been place upon it, there is hope of its speedy passage through the House.
The protection of the community has to be given the highest order when it comes to bills of this nature. There is ample support not only in this place but around the country for having the bill firmly ensconced in our Criminal Code and in our criminal justice act.
It is with pride that I lend support to the government's initiative. Again much of the impetus and credit for the bill is to be bestowed upon the member for Calgary Centre. He worked very diligently in bringing the matter forward to this point. He was very active in the justice committee in having it brought to fruition and is to be commended for it.
Bill C-69 will certainly lead to a more stringent offender registry. I have serious concerns, and the Progressive Conservative Party repeatedly expresses its concerns, about the already overburdened Canadian Police Information Centre and the computer system that houses the information such as the DNA databank, the criminal registry, the DNA registry and the ill-founded gun registry that is set up to fail. All these current computer information systems are embodied in one system that is extremely strapped at this time.
The minister has announced a $150 million addition in funding for the computer system, but conservative estimates from the police indicate that it is simply insufficient. It is not half of what is actually needed to make the system operate efficiently.
Bill C-69 will receive the support of the Progressive Conservative Party. It is the hope of our party that those who prey upon children and have been caught and those whose names have been recorded in our criminal justice system will not now be able to point to a pardon as a means to protect themselves from having that information disclosed to those who need it most. Sadly, we will never be in a position to ensure that children are not vulnerable in certain instances, but the bill goes some distance to achieving that very laudable goal.
I commend all those involved in the production of the bill, those involved in the drafting, and particularly those who testified and had great input into the bill reaching this point. The PC Party will be supporting the bill. We look forward to its passage and seeing it become a legislative initiative.
