Mr. Chair, yes, I feel passionately about the RCMP. I feel passionately about dealing with the problems that those RCMP officers at the detachment in Surrey and elsewhere across the country raised with me.
This bill, in terms of the marijuana bill, and we are not debating that issue, we are really talking about the RCMP tonight, will in fact start to deal with the problem much more aggressively: first, through an education program; second, through the fact that there are penalties and fines, and that it is not acceptable that the law is not being policed uniformly across the country right now; and, third, that there are greater penalties for marijuana grow operations and stronger directions to the courts, in terms of dealing with marijuana grow operations.
As I said in my earlier remarks, the RCMP officers on the ground have told me clearly that they do not believe the courts are penalizing marijuana grow operators to the extent they should be, and they are disgusted and discouraged with that.
The marijuana legislation outlines that intent more aggressively and puts more responsibility on the judges, in terms of abiding by the intent of this Parliament, which is to increase the penalties for those marijuana grow operations.