Mr. Speaker, it was in 1995 when the former Liberal government brought in conditional sentencing. The general consensus at that time was that it was an appropriate measure in measured circumstances.
When we are talking about violent offences, we are not at the trial of the accused. We are not listening to the arguments of the prosecution or the defence counsel or the reasons for the decision of the judicial advocate at the time. Media reports hype up a lot these situations. On the face of a bold headline, it may seem horrendous to all of us but when we get right down to the nitty-gritty, perhaps it was an appropriate disposition in the circumstances. Each case has to be looked at on its facts. Each case is different and separate. We cannot just look at the headlines of a case.