Mr. Speaker, the government is putting Paul Bernardo ahead of victims. First, there was the transfer to medium security, in the dead of night, to a jail with cushy conditions, including a hockey rink that doubles as a tennis court. No advance notice was given to victims. The latest issue is that the victims, including the French family and the Mahaffy family, are now being told that they cannot attend Bernardo's hearing next week in person.
To present their victim impact statement in person is a right that every victim should have. The Parole Board's reason is security, but it will not say what security is at issue. Correctional Service Canada has an army of officers available to assist, but it chose to hide and to obfuscate. Why is that? I believe it is because they want to hide the truly lax conditions of Bernardo's incarceration. They bend over backward for Paul Bernardo while ignoring the basic rights of the victims' families.
The French and Mahaffy families and all victims have been through enough. Why is the government revictimizing them?