Mr. Speaker, I had an open meeting in my riding last Tuesday evening. I invited constituents to come in and tell me what their priorities were for this Parliament. We talked about a lot of things.
At that meeting, two parents whose sons had been severely beaten spoke about their situation. They did so in a very even-handed and personal way. They want changes made to the Youth Criminal Justice Act and they have a right to expect those changes. My community has had more than its share of violent incidents involving youth and I support that changes should be made.
Justice Merlin Nunn last year released a comprehensive report on youth justice. In that report he called for changes to the Youth Criminal Justice Act as it refers to repeat offenders. The government should listen and act accordingly. It should also take into account that Justice Nunn believes that the Youth Criminal Justice Act is, on the whole, a very sound piece of legislation.
We need to invest in community support for child care, mental health services and other pieces of our social infrastructure, and we should not abandon rehabilitation, but I do believe that citizens have a right to feel secure in their homes, on their streets and in their schools.
Youth justice can work. We need to recognize its flaws and get them fixed.