Mr. Speaker, it is sad but true that the government seems to side more with pedophiles and child pornographers than with the children who are their victims.
Canadians asked the government to raise the age of consent for adult-child sex from 14 to at least 16, but the Liberal legislation only prohibits adult-child sex with minors over 14 if there is a so-called trust relationship. The courts must analyze each case to see if the adult is exploiting the child.
Canadians asked the government to remove the defence of artistic merit for child pornography. The Liberal legislation simply repackaged the old law and renamed it as the public good defence. The court is still entitled to consider artistic merit in determining whether a child pornographer should be acquitted. Furthermore, even if they are sentenced, child pornographers are still entitled to house arrest as an alternative to prison.
It defies all logic and decency, but the government refuses to side with our children in the war against abuse by pedophiles and child pornographers.