Mr. Speaker, for 13 years I have fought tirelessly for the government to crack down on crime, restore safe and secure communities across this country and put the rights of victims and their families before those of criminals.
We are now on the brink of significant change in our justice system and I wonder if the opposition is up to the challenge. Just recently during debate I questioned the member for Ottawa South about his thoughts on child pornography and on putting the rights and safety of our children ahead of sexual predators. He answered in typical lawyerly fashion when he stated that we have to “remember that we have to strike a balance here”. He said, “I believe the charter is now working for us in terms of its interpretation by the courts”.
Let me tell the member loud and clear: there is no balance when children are being violated. Nothing short of a zero tolerance policy for all forms of child pornography will do.
There is no issue that should be more important to any government than the safety of our children. I am proud to stand here today and say that after 13 years of Liberal neglect and callousness toward the outlawing of child pornography our Conservative government is going to do something about it.