Madam Speaker, I, like my previous colleague, am also quite confused as to where we are going when we spend hours in the House of Commons debating this type of bill.
I have been waiting since 1997, since the present Minister of Justice became the minister, for legislation to come forward that would have some meat in it and some valuable answers to the serious problems that we have in the country regarding crime.
When I look across the land, I see the number of victims we have to deal with. I see the number of young people who are suffering at the hands of other young offenders. I see the amount of drugs that are flowing on our streets and in our cities. We have young children on our streets serving as prostitutes. I see the difficulties we are facing with regard to gangs that are building strength across the country. I see the problems in our prisons. I see the absolute turmoil we are facing when it comes to criminals, the law and the protection of society. However, I have yet to see any legislation from the Department of Justice that would solve the problems that many people see as serious problems in the country.
Instead, we are debating a bill that was brought forward by justice minister, which, I can assure members, at least 95% of the people absolutely object to. They absolutely object to this kind of work. It is totally disgraceful that anyone would bring forward legislation of this nature without first going across the country and talking to Canadians. It is high time we, as the Government of Canada, began to recognize that out there in our beautiful land live people. These people make up our society and they should be the ones to determine what kind of society we want to live in. It is time for consultation of that nature.
Instead, we throw out a piece of legislation that is so poorly defined and so poorly written that it will taken dozens and dozens of court cases in the future, based on these kinds of things, to settle. The courts will be very busy, our lawyers will fill their pockets and the taxpayers will cough up more of their hard earned money to try to get some answers from the courts, which will decide what kind of country we live in. The taxpayers will have no opportunity whatsoever to have a say. There has been no consultation with society. It is time the people were allowed to lay out the kind of society they want to live in in this land. The government has failed to do that on every count.
I am pleased to see the Indian affairs minister here today. I am waiting and wondering when the day will come when we can begin legislative work that will help put an end to the massive suicides by poverty stricken people on reserves across our country. It goes on and on year after year. People do not want to live in that kind of society.
Why are we not spending our time bringing forward legislation to deal with the real problems facing real people in the real Canada? These kinds of problems are being created through an initiative of trying to bring popularity to whatever it is that the government stands for. Lord only knows what the Liberals stand for any more. I do not know. They talk a good talk but they never walk the talk.
I am waiting for solid legislation from the justice department to deal with crime and make our streets and communities safer. Instead, I look at a piece of flawed legislation and I have not the vaguest idea what it will mean in the future. Personally, what it could mean frightens me. That has to end.
As one of the speakers said earlier, it is time that the people on that side of the House got the intestinal fortitude to stand up for the people they represent, the people who sent them to this House, instead of standing in their place and voting for a piece of legislation because they have to. Government policy will not stand for them objecting to a piece of legislation coming from that side of the House.
I admire those who have the courage to speak up for families, to speak up for marriage, to speak up for what they feel is right and to bring forth the views of the people they represent, the 110,000 people or more in their ridings.
Instead, here we are spending hours debating a piece of legislation that we know the Liberals will ramrod through, because that is how they operate. There will be no free vote. There will be no consultation with the public. The Liberals will do as they are told, as usual. The mighty powers of Ottawa have spoken. Sheep should rise and vote the way they are supposed to. Never mind what the people say in the ridings. Never mind what the people across the country say about the kind of society they want to live in. Members opposite write it and then they send it to the courts and let the courts make the law.
Personally, I can assure the House that the people of Wild Rose are absolutely sick and tired of these unelected judges across our land making the laws for our land. They want it to end and so do I. It will take courage. It will take some initiative over there. Never mind the elites of our wonderful country. We are tired of the elites. What about the people? What about the guys who pack their lunch and go to work every day to try to make enough money to keep sending here so we can do our work? We are not accomplishing anything except creating more and more problems because we do not have the courage to define what we mean by conjugal or define what we mean by marriage in all the laws of our land. Instead, we put forth an omnibus bill like this and we all wonder where we are at.
This government ought to be ashamed of itself for its lack of initiative to solve the problems facing our country. The sooner we get rid of people like that the better off this nation will be. I will be here to cluck.