Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise in support of Bill C-18. It should be clear that the Canadian Alliance has been supportive of this process from the very beginning going back to Bill C-82 as well as Bill C-18. These government bills came about because of a supply day motion introduced by the then Reform Party, the official opposition of Canada, back in 1998. Of course we support it and we commend the government for finally getting to the stage where we have the complete package together.
I want to speak for just a moment in opposition to the motion put forward by the Bloc. Through the different stages of this bill, including report stage, we have seen that the Bloc members basically have a different attitude toward those people in our society who would drink and drive. We firmly believe that this must be regarded by the Criminal Code of Canada and by parliament as a criminal offence because that is clearly what it is. It is not simply a social ill as the Bloc would have us believe; it is a serious criminal offence. Approximately 1,500 deaths a year in Canada and in excess of 80,000 injuries are a direct result of irresponsible unthinking people who would choose to drive their vehicles while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. I am happy the drug aspect has been introduced into taking of blood samples and the process that is involved.
Bill C-18 and clause 2, which the Bloc seeks to have removed, is not about the Kevin Hollinskys of this world and the Bloc member knows it. She knows that all through the committee stage we clearly discussed that the extension of the maximum sentence to give the judges more latitude was designed specifically to be used in the case where there are serious and aggravating factors involved in the offence.
We are not talking about the Kevin Hollinskys of the world, but about hard core offenders who have shown by their actions that they care nothing about the safety of society. They care nothing about the laws of the country. They care nothing about responsibility and on occasion after occasion have gotten into their automobiles while they were impaired, caused an accident and been arrested. If it was not the ultimate accident which resulted in the death of someone, they injured someone. While being under suspension and under the influence, they go out driving again, get caught and get some other sentence. Then they get out and are caught again driving while under suspension. We are talking about the incorrigible offenders. That was made very clear during all the discussions we had on Bill C-18.
We are talking about the incorrigible offenders who simply refuse to listen to the law. As a result, they make themselves a menace and a danger to society by their actions. They get behind the wheel of an automobile and pose a serious threat to everyone else on the roads. When they kill somebody, it is because they have not taken the responsibility. They have not recognized the law. They have not recognized the danger they have put the rest of society in.
They are clearly the type of person that for the sake of the safety of society and even for the sake of the safety of their own lives, should be sent to prison at the judge's discretion for a maximum life term. It removes them from the highways. It removes their irresponsible acts from the highways. It removes their menace from our highways. It protects society. That is what we are trying to do.
We strongly oppose the Bloc amendment. First of all, it is presented in the wrong vein. It is presented using an example such as Kevin Hollinsky which is clearly not the intent of Bill C-18 or clause 2.
We enthusiastically support Bill C-18. We commend the government for dealing with this. Mr. Speaker, you cannot imagine how it tears my heart to commend the government on a government bill but it is deserved. I am sure the government will return that praise to our party for introducing it in the first place as a supply day motion. We support the bill and hope for its quick passage.
In closing, I would like to ask the unanimous consent of the House, to delete the coming into force section of the bill in clause 5 which reads:
This act comes into force on a day to be fixed by order of the governor in council.
I would like to ask for the unanimous consent to delete this so as to allow the bill to take effect immediately upon royal assent.