Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to take part in the third reading debate on Bill C-10, the safe streets and communities act. I would also note that being Friday, I am wearing red today in honour of our troops, never forgotten.
This short title, though a mere six words, says so much and is so apt. At its core, it reflects the June 2011 acknowledgement in the Speech from the Throne that the Government of Canada has no more fundamental duty than to protect the personal safety of our citizens and defend against threats to our national security. Our government takes this constitutional duty to protect seriously.
It is apt because it reflects one of the most important issues that I hear about from my constituents and from Canadians across this country. Since becoming a member of Parliament and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, I have had the incredible opportunity to meet with Canadians from all walks of life, from coast to coast to coast.
Whether I am meeting with victims, police, representatives from non-governmental organizations or individual concerned citizens, one issue that is always top of mind is personal safety and the desire to have greater confidence in our justice system, better balance between the rights of the accused and convicted, and a recognition of the effect and cost of crime on victims.
Everyone wants their loved ones to be safe in their homes and to feel safe in their communities. Canadians look to us, to the Government of Canada, and indeed to all parliamentarians to demonstrate real leadership in safeguarding them and in taking concrete measures to realize it.
That is a message that I have heard and continue to hear, and indeed that is the message and mandate delivered by Canadians to this government last May. This is what the safe streets and communities act delivers. Its proposed amendments reflect what we hear directly from Canadians, but let us consider what Canadians have said about Bill C-10 to all parliamentarians.
Bill C-10 will provide important new measures to meet unmet needs of victims. Importantly, it will provide victims of terrorism with a cause of action; that is, with the right to sue terrorists and those who support acts of terrorism, including listed foreign states, and to seek redress from them and hold them accountable.
These are historic measures important to victims and to Canadians generally. What have people said about these reforms to support victims of terrorists?
Maureen Basnicki, founder and director of the Canadian Coalition Against Terror, who lost her husband in the World Trade Centre tragedy on September 11, 2001, appeared before the justice committee to express her support for these reforms in Bill C-10. On October 25 of this year she said:
It has now been seven years since CCAT initiated the campaign for the passage of this type of legislation. During this time, no fewer than 10 such bills were introduced in the House of Commons and the Senate, with Bill C-10 being the most recent iteration. CCAT looks forward to the passage of the eleventh and final version of this bill within 100 sitting days, as promised by the government.
I am testifying today on behalf of Canadians who are victims of terror and on behalf of Canadians who are not yet victims of terror. I am here because it is a fundamental right of every Canadian, of every person, not to be a victim of a terrorist attack.
JVTA speaks precisely to this right. If this bill is effective even once in deterring a terrorist attack, it will have served its role in safeguarding that right. It will have been worth the thousands of hours of effort invested by Canadian terror victims in getting this measure passed.
The safe streets and communities act also proposes Criminal Code reforms that seek to consistently and adequately condemn all forms of child sexual abuse through the imposition of new and higher mandatory sentences of imprisonment, as well as some higher maximum penalties, and that seek to prevent the commission of child sexual offences.
I can think of no higher calling than to be able to participate in substantive legislative changes that better protect our most precious resource, our Canadian children.
What have others said about these reforms? Sheldon Kennedy, the co-founder of Respect Group Inc. and himself a survivor of child sexual abuse, said to the justice committee on October 20 of this year:
Is there a parent in this country who would have an issue with protecting their children from this predator--
He was referring to the offender who sexually assaulted him. He continued:
--and others like him? Pardons should be eliminated for all child sexual offenders, period...we need to toughen sentencing for child sex offences. They just don't seem in line with the damage they leave in their wake, not even close.
I would underscore that this is damage that lasts throughout a victim's lifetime. He continued saying that:
--the fundamental reason for change to these laws is simple: we can't let these perpetrators walk freely among our youth organizations, our schools, our neighbourhoods, and our workplaces. Children need to feel safe, and parents have to trust that the government is playing a role in protecting them. Criminals need to be held accountable and be dealt with consistently with clearly defined consequences.
He completed his remarks by saying:
I want to thank this government for standing up for victims and finally taking action. It's about time someone gets tough on criminals.
Again, from my point of view, how can such a victim's statements not touch all our hearts? Bill C-10 also proposes reforms to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act that include imposing mandatory minimum penalties for the most serious drug offences.
Mr. Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, which represents over 41,000 front-line police, had this to say on November 1 of this year:
To be absolutely clear, the CPA entirely supports the goals and methods contained within Bill C-10...Every day our members see the devastating effects drug traffickers and producers have in all of our communities. Those police officers are the ones who constantly have to arrest the same drug dealers and producers over and over again and stop them from poisoning our children and grandchildren and robbing them of their futures.
Whether it is by keeping dealers and producers off the streets and out of business or by serving as a deterrent to potential dealers, Bill C-10 will help our members do their jobs and keep our communities safe. In simple terms, if you keep these criminals in jail longer, you take away their opportunity to traffic in drugs.
Bill C-10 also proposes much needed reforms to the Youth Criminal Justice Act, so that it can deal more effectively with violent and repeat young offenders and ensure the protection of the public.
The hon. Marie-Claude Blais, the minister of justice and attorney general of New Brunswick, had this to say about these reforms to the justice committee on November 3:
Without hesitation, we support the efforts to strengthen these laws aimed at protecting the victims of crime, protecting our children and giving a voice to victims.
As for changes to the Youth Criminal Justice Act, our prosecution branch supports the changes and feels that this bill will give the tools required to effectively protect the public. As per the Nunn Commission of Inquiry in Nova Scotia, we feel that this goal of protection of the public is a must. To that point, I think from past experience and speaking with justice partners, there has been an inability to deal adequately with extremely dangerous behaviour. Police and prosecutors require tools to protect the public and this act provides them with those tools.
I wish to also point out that, as confirmed by many provincial premiers and attorneys general, these are reforms the provinces have asked for from the federal government in our continuing dialogues with our justice partners.
I have taken some time to highlight what others are saying about specific components of Bill C-10, but I want to close with one last quotation about the overall importance of Bill C-10.
The president of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, Chief Dale McFee, on October 20 said the following, in part:
Canadians want to know that if they are victims of crime, the perpetrators will be dealt with fairly by the criminal justice system and will face the appropriate consequences for serious criminal acts. When we talk about terrorism, organized crime, serious violent and/or sexual crimes, producing or trafficking controlled substances, and many other criminal acts related to this bill, let me emphasize we are talking serious crime, and this type of activity simply is not acceptable.
In dealing with such crimes, we need to extend protection to the most vulnerable members of society, we need to enhance the ability of our justice system to hold criminals accountable for their actions, and we need to improve the safety and security of all Canadians.
This is what Canadians want, this is what Canadians deserve, and this is exactly what the safe streets and communities act would deliver. We are proud to stand up for the law-abiding public in Canada. We are proud to keep our commitments to victims.
These measures would help to ensure that our justice system remains one of integrity and that the right balance between the rights of the accused and the convicted are measured against the need for offender accountability and giving voice to their victims.