Madam Speaker, the member opposite talked about victims and queried rhetorically how Bill C-36 would help victims.
Members will undoubtedly know that individuals who apply under the faint hope clause have been convicted of a crime that carries a sentence of life imprisonment. Typically, we are talking about people who have been convicted of murder and, therefore, their victims, sadly, cannot speak for themselves, but their families can.
I sit on the justice committee and we heard from many families of victims who were all in favour of this legislation because they believe they were revictimized.
There is a principle in criminal law that an accused cannot face double jeopardy but the families tell us that they face double and sometimes triple jeopardy when they are faced with serial applications for faint hope when the families must go back and relive the horror of the loved one who was taken from them.
My question for the member has to do with his comment regarding the long gun registry. He seemed to suggest that this government was not serious when we said that we would be tough on crime because we voted in principle at second reading to repeal the long gun registry. He seems to have some concern with that.
Does the member really believe that long guns, shotguns and .22s are used in the commission of crimes?