Mr. Speaker, first of all, I would like to thank all my colleagues who have spoken about Bill C-231.
Honestly, it warms my heart to see that MPs here in the House are able to take such a common-sense approach to a difficult bill. The discussions have been taking young people into account and taking resources into account as well. So many people have had personal experience with this. That is what I have observed since I first spoke about this bill. So many people have had experiences with young people who have struggled with addiction that it has opened my eyes and allowed me to say that we are on the right track.
I am not alone in this. My wife, Caro, my daughters, Marie-Soleil and Justine, our grandchildren and all our loved ones are in it with me. Caro recently had the opportunity to appear on a one-hour podcast where she talked about her experience. It was a Fondation VIVERE podcast. Since, unlike her, I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to speak here, I want to tell people to go and listen to that podcast if they have some free time. They will see the other side of the story, that of a mother who is also going through these hard times. I want to thank Caro for her support and, as she said in the podcast, we are looking forward now, even though it is hard.
If we manage to save even one young person through all of these efforts that we are making, then we will be happy. We will have accomplished something all together. The goal is to save as many young people as possible, but as long as we save the life of even one young person and give them a future, then we will know that we made the right decision and that we did our jobs as parliamentarians by improving laws to help people.
I want to thank the Bloc Québécois members from Laurentides—Labelle, Abitibi—Témiscamingue and Rivière‑du‑Nord. I also want to thank the member for South Shore—St. Margarets, the member for Argenteuil—La Petite‑Nation and the member for Compton—Stanstead who spoke today. I want to thank my Conservative colleagues, including the member for Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford and the member for Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, who, by the way, shared an account about her own family today for the first time since she has been a member of Parliament. Although she is our party's critic for addictions, she never shared that story. That is the goal. We need to talk about it, break the secrecy and ensure we understand the issues, that we talk about them and that we find solutions together. I also want to thank my colleague, the member for Montmorency—Charlevoix, who is a strong believer in prevention.
As a society, we have to do more to stop young people from ending up where so many end up today. Once they are in the system, we need to help them get out. That is what Bill C-231, the friends of David act, is all about. The bill is called that for a reason. There are thousands of young people in Canada, like David, who will one day face the justice system because their lives have been literally consumed by drugs. Whether by choice or because of the influence of their peers, not everyone will react the same way, unfortunately. Some will remain in control of their drug use, while others, unfortunately, will become controlled by it. When addiction takes over, sadly, the downward spiral happens fast.
How can a minor pay for what they consume when they are underage and have no income, no wages? Obviously, they will do so by committing crimes. This becomes a vicious cycle that needs to be broken. Bill C-231, in its current form, is a step in the right direction. I have heard the recommendations for amendments to the bill. It makes perfect sense to me if we can help more young people, while still ensuring that judges focus on treatment.
That is precisely the problem highlighted by the current bill. Judges do not see the word “treatment” explicitly stated in the law. We need to keep the word “treatment” because it needs to become automatic. If police officers decide to take a youth into custody and bring them to a treatment centre, that decision must be made with the youth’s consent, but above all within the framework of a judicial process. Unfortunately, good intentions, as I have experienced myself, are sometimes not enough. It takes a wall. For some adolescents, the justice system is a wall that will help them realize in that moment that they can make a different choice for their lives.
I look forward to hearing the proposals and seeing how we can adapt Bill C-231 in committee.
I would like to thank all my colleagues in the House for the support they have shown so far for Bill C-231. I believe that, together with my wife, Caro, my family, and all my colleagues, we can truly make a difference.