Madam Chair, the government works very closely with the Canadian Professional Police Association and Mr. Cannavino. In fact, I was at an event last week where I was asked to present a number of awards to police officers from across Canada for various acts of bravery. The government has a high regard for that organization and listens intently to its advice on various policy matters.
I think my colleague from Malpeque made the statement, with which I have some sympathy, that at the present time we have laws on our books that the judiciary does not seem to apply the full force of those laws. Grow ops seem to be a good example.
When I was out in British Columbia, I met with the RCMP. I talked with friends and other contacts in British Columbia. They were quite frustrated with the fact that a lot of these grow op people were recurring offenders. They were not getting the sanctions doled out to them which were already available on the books. This is why the government is looking at the marijuana bill. Part of that bill is to toughen up the sentences on the operation of grow ops, and that is what we need to do.
I too concur with the member from Malpeque. I hope and am confident that the judiciary will use the tools that Parliament has given them and act on laws that are already on the books. Failing that, in individual cases and for example with grow ops, the government might have to look at imposing tougher sentences.
I am not so convinced of the need for minimum sentencing. I think we have to have some discretion in the judiciary to hand out sentences. Every case is a question of the law and a question of the facts and every case is unique. However, I too look for the judiciary to apply the law as it was intended by this Parliament.
I am not quite sure what Mr. Cannavino had in mind when he said that he wanted the House of Commons to prevail over the courts. I am not exactly sure he put it that way. Perhaps what he is getting at is the need for Parliament to revisit some of the laws that have been passed by Parliament. Each situation would have to be looked at individually.
In the case of grow ops, I am quite frustrated, as I am sure we all are. That is why our government has committed additional resources to the RCMP to establish a grow op investigative and enforcement team. We need to do more and we need to ensure that the judiciary applies the laws that are already on the books. If the judiciary is not going to do that, then perhaps we have to revisit some of those laws.