Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to stand today to talk about Bill C-10. Bill C-10 would have a very profound impact. I think, in good part, it would set the stage in terms of different ways in which we ought to be able to deal with crime in our country, not only for today but well into the future. It is nice to use this particular bill as a bill that clearly illustrates the difference between the Conservative government and the Liberal Party of Canada or even, to a certain degree, the New Democratic Party.
On the one hand, we have a government that is very determined to give the impression to Canadians that it will be tough on crime and that by supporting the Conservatives somehow the crime rate in Canada will go down. Over the years, the Conservatives have been going out of their way to give that impression.
For me, personally, and I believe for the Liberal Party, the real push should be on how we can prevent crimes from taking place in the first place.
I want to go back to what real people are saying on our streets and in our communities across Canada. I represent Winnipeg North, which is a beautiful area of Winnipeg. It has great attributes and characteristics. It has a great deal of history. It has a modern suburban area. I was touched by the comments made by one constituent living in and around the Selkirk-Pritchard-Arlington area. She told me that she did not feel that she was safe enough during the nighttime to be able to go to sleep, that she preferred to sleep during the daytime because she felt it was safer. One of her comments was that she was also scared to go outside her home at night, even into her own yard. In essence, she was saying that when the sun goes down she becomes confined to staying in her own home. I was very concerned about that particular constituent.
Throughout the campaign, whether it was the byelection of last year or the general election of this year, in the door knocking that I conducted, I found that the whole issue of crime and safety was one of those issues of concern. It did not matter which door I knocked on, if I were to raise the issue, the residents were more than happy to give an opinion on their concern about the issue of crime and safety.
We could talk about defence spending, health care or many other different issues that were out there but the only issue I found that was consistent, no matter what door I knocked on, was the issue of crime and safety. What that one elderly lady had raised with me was not the only instance where something really struck me. I remember talking with another senior gentleman who was living in an apartment unit. He told me about the two wallets he carried when he walks around. The reason he carried two wallets was that in case he was mugged he would give the empty wallet and then he could continue on his way.
That starts to cause a great deal of concern as the local member of Parliament as to why it is that people get these opinions and feel that insecure when they go out into our communities.
I could give many other examples that were raised. My overriding concern is that I want to be able to make a tangible difference in the community in which I live and the community I represent. I believe, for the most part, that other members of Parliament would like to do the same. They want to deliver for their constituents. They want to ensure that their constituents feel secure in their communities.
As I indicated, Winnipeg North is a wonderful area. I am proud of the fact that I come from Winnipeg North. I want seniors in my community to feel comfortable, and for the most part, they do. We recognize the richness of our community. However, a lot needs to be done to make our seniors and others feel safer in their environment.
I get a bit frustrated when I look at this legislation. The Conservatives' agenda on crime is not necessarily going to deal with the issues that concern my constituents. My constituents want the government of Canada to prevent crimes from happening. That is what they really want.
Naturally, they want to see a consequence for a crime. All of us recognize that there needs to be a consequence when someone commits a crime. We do not question that. My constituents want a government that is caring and compassionate and delivers. They want safer communities.
Let us take a look at Bill C-10 and what it purports to do.
Bill C-10 is a huge bill. It easily could have been broken into eight or nine other bills but the government has compiled everything. There are some good things in the legislation, but its overall tone is not good.
I would suggest, and I made reference to this when I was asking questions earlier, that the focus of the bill seems to be on building more jails, a superjail complex. A number of American states experimented with this concept years ago.
Some individuals in the late 1970s and mid-1980s discussed building more prisons and keeping prisoners in jail. They felt that crime on the streets would go down. Those very same states have now recognized that they were going in the wrong direction. They are now starting to recognize the greater value in programs that make a difference in preventing crimes. They are starting to recognize that individuals do not necessarily have to be kept in jail for 5, 15, 20 years.
I would challenge the government to talk about other jurisdictions that are moving in the same direction. Most modern western countries are moving toward rehabilitation and crime prevention. People are more proactive within their communities. The government quite often responds by saying people have to be kept in jail because of the victims.
Property crime is far more frequent than violent crime. There is a lot more interest in violent crime in terms of making sure there is some form of adequate jail time. Judges have done a good job in using that discretion.
The government needs to recognize that it is a balancing act. Our priorities need to be that we either create the additional jails or invest in ways to keep people out of jails. I think we would be much better off if we put the focus on the latter, because there is a finite amount of resources. When there is a finite amount of resources, it becomes an issue of prioritizing. I believe the priorities of the government on fighting crime are going in the wrong direction.
