Madam Speaker, I believe the parliamentary secretary's question is very relevant today. I think he characterizes the way in which one is dealing in a very positive way with simple possession and the possession of up to three plants.
I would like to concentrate a little more on the other side. Today we are dealing with organized crime. We are dealing with ways to combat it. In particular, when we say within our justice system that we have to deter crime, what does it take to deter this sort of activity, particularly grow ops?
Clearly, as everyone has said, the application of sentences to date does not seem to deter the type of activity that we have seen in the past. This is becoming a great problem for all of us. These “grow ops” are found throughout our country. Even in my small community in southern Ontario we also have this problem. It is not unique to big city areas or only Quebec or British Columbia.
From our perspective, what we find helpful is the fact that in this revised law being brought forward we are going to, first of all, double the penalties that will be applicable to most grow ops. As a matter of fact, most grow ops would fall into the category of more than 50 plants. Under the current legislation the penalty is seven years in that case. It is going to be doubled to 14 years.
Second, we have changed the perspective as to how judges are going to have to look at many of these operations, especially when they are in residential areas, where there are aggravating circumstances. These aggravating circumstances have been enumerated. This now would put the judge in a position where if there is not a period of incarceration the judge is going to have to justify why there is not.
I think that this once again is going to bring to the attention of the judiciary how seriously we see this grow op situation within our country and how important it is that all factors be seriously taken into consideration and appropriate and proportional sentences be given to this type of activity, not only to punish the offender but in fact to deter others from considering entering into this area of organized crime.