Mr. Speaker, the legislation really reflects and represents the generic problems associated with the government's approach to crime and punishment. I use the words “crime and punishment” because there is a generic absence with respect to issues of prevention, but only with after the fact punishment.
Even when it comes to that issue, here, too, we find, as in this legislation and in others, a lack of consultation with the provinces, a lack of appreciation to differential impacts that such legislation would have given different provinces, a lack of appreciation of the prejudicial impact that this would have on minority groups in this country, particularly aboriginal people, a lack of appreciation for the importance of judicial discretion and, indeed, in that regard, a lack of appreciation with respect to the separation of powers and the importance of the independence of the judiciary, let alone the experience and expertise of the judiciary in matters of this kind, and a lack of appreciation for the overall role, as I said, with respect to prevention to begin with.
When one looks at this legislation, it yet again reflects the exacerbation of the problems we have with crime and punishment rather than approaching it in a manner that would be preventive, rehabilitative, egalitarian and, on the whole, respectful of our separation of powers and the role of the judiciary.