Mr. Speaker, a very fine young man, Matthew Power, was killed in November 2006 in a street racing incident. He was much loved by his family and his many friends.
Matthew's mother, Adrienne Seggie, arrived today in Ottawa with her daughter and surviving son, the three of them having walked, with two of Matthew's friends, from Hamilton to Ottawa in 16 days. Matthew's life inspired them each step of the way.
Adrienne wanted to pay tribute to her son and wanted also to draw attention to the completely reckless fashion in which automobiles are operated by certain individuals. Matthew was the innocent victim of a person who drove much too quickly on a busy street.
Adrienne has walked the 500 kilometres in the hope that judges will see fit to appropriately penalize wrongdoers who put their own immature desire for a thrill over their responsibility to operate a vehicle in a safe, careful fashion.
Adrienne has ensured that her son has not died in vain but that his death will be the focus of permanent and effective changes to the justice system. We console her in her profound loss, but we congratulate her for her dedication to her son's memory.