Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to participate in the debate. A very important motion has been brought forward on this supply day. I commend the mover of the motion. It is also a subject area that is very close to my heart. As a former crown attorney the criminal justice system was at the centre of my work every day. As justice critic for the Conservative Party I hope to further my devotion to the issue.
I intend to focus my remarks today specifically on the issues that have been brought forward in the motion and hopefully on some of the points those in our party would suggest to improve the criminal justice system.
There is no more important issue in my mind than that which touches the criminal system. It deals with issues of health, education and employment and is the centrepiece for the quality of life of Canadians.
The application of criminal law is playing a predominant role in society. Sadly few have not been involved directly or indirectly with our justice system, whether as a victim, a family, a friend of a victim or a witness to a criminal act.
Many Canadians feel our present criminal justice system is not working and therefore we need to change the system in a significant way.
The Young Offenders Act is perceived rightly or wrongly as being extremely flawed, inadequate and not sufficiently addressing those of a certain designated age who find themselves involved or in breach of the criminal justice system.
There are also those who consider after the fact, after people have been brought to justice, gone through the court system, convicted and find themselves serving their debt to society either through incarceration or conditions placed on them through probation, that the National Parole Board again is falling down in its duty to protect Canadians. We can never forget that protection of the public always has to be the priority when it comes to criminal justice.
Canadians are shocked almost daily at the way our judges are applying conditional sentences. The clause itself was never intended by the drafters of the act to apply to those committing violent offences. That is completely outside the purview of what was intended when it came to conditional sentences.
It further reiterates the point I wanted to make earlier that lost faith in the justice system is prevalent. Canadians are so taken aback when they hear about sensational cases that they are losing all faith. This is an extremely crucial issue. It is one I am glad we are having an opportunity to debate today.
I share the concerns and the frustrations of many Canadians with the application of the justice system. At times at least criminal law is set up in a way to benefit criminals, not victims.
There has been mention previously by members of the House of an open house that is to occur. It will be a national forum to address some of the issues, a round table that will perhaps give us greater insight into the inequities that exist within the system. I will personally be hosting one in my riding of Pictou—Antigonish—Guysborough on June 1. I look forward to the worthwhile and productive discussion that will take place.
Youth crime, crime prevention and ways to ensure the safety of Canadians from criminals have always been priorities of the Conservative Party. The emphasis on prevention or front end proactive initiatives has been promoted by this party throughout its history with the emphasis being on the protection of the public. I assure the House that my colleagues in the Conservative Party and I will continue to vigorously press the government to reach the goals we need to attain.
One of those goals is to ensure victims of crime become a centrepiece in the justice system. Among the measures my party has brought forward were a victims bill of rights and the abolition of section 745 of the Criminal Code, otherwise known as the faint hope clause, or perhaps it should be known as the dope clause.
The lowering of the age of the application of the Young Offenders Act from 12 to 10 years is another initiative we have put forward. The passage of legislation which would target specifically criminal gang activity and the revision of the Criminal Code as it relates to impaired driving sections are others.
Time is limited in the debate. I will try to address specifically some of the points raised in the motion. First let me speak to the very hot and topical issue of the Young Offenders Act which has been central in our news media of late. Since the Minister of Justice has tabled her policy on youth justice I believe it is appropriate to speak to this issue first.
The Young Offenders Act came into force in 1984 and has been amended several times in 1986, 1992 and 1995. These amendments addressed specifically the issues of penalties for violent offences and facilitating the transfers of violent offenders to adult courts. Those are certainly worthwhile changes, but the most recent attempts to tinker with the edges of the Young Offenders Act or throw it out altogether are inadequate responses.
In 1996 the federal-provincial territorial task force on youth justice made a number of important recommendations to the justice department. It included dropping the age of accountability, addressing serious offenders in a more efficient way and looking at alternatives to courts, transfers and sentencing.
Over past months the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights examined the recommendations of the task force. We have seen the minister's response which was released to the media. This seems to be the justice minister's preferred method of making public policy statements. On May 12 the Minister of Justice released the strategy for youth justice renewal.
What can we say about this initiative? Can we say that it has addressed the concerns not only of the committee but of Canadians at large? Sadly I have to say no. Unfortunately the minister has missed a golden opportunity. I interpret it to be a wish list or perhaps a philosophy of what Canada's worst law firm would like to see done with the young offenders system.
We are missing in this initiative concrete legislative initiatives. We do not see a commitment to funding for such initiatives. The federal government has a responsibility to enact legislation, not just to talk about it.
I reiterate this response is not what Canadians are looking for. The goal of the youth justice system must be to reduce youth crime through prevention, meaningful alternatives and meaningful consequences at times. It must beef up or attach more emphasis on rehabilitation and reintegration for youth who find themselves involved in non-violent offences. There must be alternative measures or means of diverting young persons out of the justice system which can sometimes grind to a halt because of sheer volume. We need to know where the money is and money has to be put into the system in a very effective way.
Alternatives to formal court proceedings for non-violent offenders are very complicated and will need a great deal of attention, but greater emphasis must be put on that area.
The Progressive Conservative Party has always supported concepts of alternative sentencing for first time non-violent offenders. The Conservative Party has always believed that rehabilitation programs for young persons with an emphasis on education, social skills, personal responsibility and community service can be and should be developed as a priority in the young offenders system.
I applaud the announcement of the minister. It is important to see a recognition on the part of the government of the issue, but sadly we have not seen any concrete initiatives. The $32 million crime prevention fund announced through the media will be useful. There is no question about that. However it represents only 1% of the total law and order budget that exists to address problems in the youth justice system. It certainly represents a fraction of the amount of money that will be put into the ineffective gun registry.
The Conservative Party advocates providing judges with more power to impose mandatory treatment for individuals, in particular young offenders. We also advocate parents being more accountable and more responsible in the system.
The Young Offenders Act is an area fraught with difficulties. I wish I had more time to address it in a significant way and to make further suggestions. The motion includes references to conditional sentences which I have addressed somewhat in my remarks. The motion before the House talks specifically of the need to address crime in a more significant way.
The Conservative Party will continue to push the government in that direction. We recognize that efforts have been made but that they do not go far enough and we are pleased to take part in the debate.
