Mr. Speaker, we have all heard of child pornographers citing the consent laws to defend their deviant activities.
Between March 1998 and March 2000, I tabled petitions totalling over 12,000 names demanding the raising of the age for sexual consent. That petition was driven by Diane Sowden, a dedicated activist whose young daughter fell prey to pimps and drugs on the streets of Vancouver.
The government has been consulting on the issue for nearly a decade now. Canadians have spoken loud and clear. Will the minister change the law now?