Mr. Speaker, I asked a financial question because I have a bill, Bill C-201, that deals with veterans. The first thing out of the mouths of the Conservatives was “What is it going to cost?”, not what is best for the veterans, but what it is going to cos. They did not care about veterans and their families and the issue of what my bill would do to help them. All they asked about was the cost.
So, I will ask once again. Has he got the evidence to prove that this would actually prevent crime, and what is the financial cost of the bill?
He said some of the provinces would pay for it, and that is true. However, would the money then be transferred from the federal government to the provinces to pay for that?
With a burgeoning deficit, where is the money going to come from, increased taxes or cuts to services?
I have no problems with him debating the issue of crime and punishment, but someone has to pay the financial costs for this. Yes, there is a cost when people commit crime, but there is also a cost when we put them behind bars for extended periods of time.
So, how much would it cost and where is the evidence to support his conclusions that this would actually prevent crime?
These are two very basic questions.