Youth Criminal Justice Act  Mr. Speaker, I would like to stay on the topic that we are discussing today, which is deterring youth criminal activity. We have heard from many members of this House that deterrents do not work. We know that deterrents work. They are part of everyday life. They deter us from potential negative consequences.

Youth Criminal Justice Act  Mr. Speaker, I have not been in this House very long, but in the time I have been here I have heard the opposition member refer to this 60% reduction through early start programs. I can only assume that he is referring to the Ypsilanti study, which showed that dramatic drop in crime, but if we look at all the facts surrounding the study, it becomes very clear that it would be totally impossible for us to replicate the conditions within that study.

Youth Criminal Justice Act  Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for allowing me the privilege to conclude my remarks on this very important and timely bill. As I indicated yesterday in my opening remarks, the overwhelming majority of our youth contribute very positively to their communities and to our country. Unfortunately, a very tiny minority continues to leave a black mark that is a terrible blight on our society.

Youth Criminal Justice Act  Mr. Speaker, it is of particular significance to me that I have the privilege of joining this debate on the government's proposed amendment to the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Over the past two years I have had the opportunity to meet hundreds of youth within the riding of Kitchener—Conestoga and many other parts of Canada, including right here in Ottawa.

Youth Criminal Justice Act  Mr. Speaker, I recognize that the previous speaker is an expert in legal matters, and I do not profess to be one, but many times throughout his speech he attempted, in my opinion, to polarize this very important issue. I believe that is very unfortunate. He gives the impression that the only thing our government is doing to address youth crime is to put in these two measures.

Youth Criminal Justice Act  Mr. Speaker, I listened as well with interest to the member's speech. He seems to have some disagreement with the principle of pretrial detention. I am wondering if he would agree that it would be reasonable for a person who has been charged with and is guilty of committing a violent crime which may have resulted in the death of another person to be held in custody prior to trial.

Afghanistan  Mr. Speaker, in May of this year, our government signed an agreement with Afghanistan regarding the transfer of detained Taliban prisoners and insurgents. This arrangement improved on that of our Liberal predecessors and since its signing, there has been real progress in Canada's monitoring and tracking of detainees.

Labour  Mr. Speaker, earlier this year the Prime Minister visited Latin America in order to establish new partnerships and enhance our relationships in Latin America and the Caribbean. He demonstrated our government's commitment to playing a bigger role in our hemisphere and highlighted the need to re-engage in these countries.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, I listened intently to the member's comments and there were a few items that concerned me greatly. First of all, she commented that more of the funding needs to go to the grassroots level. I am sure she must be aware of the efforts of CIDA and the NGOs that are working there.

Resumption of debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, I listened with interest to the member's speech. She indicated that she was not happy with the throne speech. That did not create any surprise for me. What did create surprise was the fact that she said that we did not have enough information on Afghanistan. It seems as if she is relying on the newspapers for her information and is disappointed that they have not supplied her with adequate information.

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, I noted with interest the comments made by the former speaker regarding the Youth Criminal Justice Act. I also noted his comment in the S.O. 31 that he gave today. I can assure my colleague that in my riding well over 11,000 people have signed a petition asking for changes to this act.

Health  Mr. Speaker, it is widely known that Canadians are experiencing a problem with obesity and that the programs that were formerly in place to combat this problem were allowed to lapse by the previous government. Could the Secretary of State (Sport) inform the House on what our government is doing to help Canadians get and maintain their activity?

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply  Mr. Speaker, it does not surprise me that you have peripheral vision to your left, but I hope you will also have it to your right. I listened with interest as my colleague articulated some of the advancements that we have been able to see in Afghanistan. This summer I had the privilege of hosting a town hall meeting in my riding, where Lieutenant-Commander Albert Wong presented some of the advancements that have been made in Afghanistan.

Waterloo Regional Police Chief  Mr. Speaker, today I want to pay respect to one of the most honourable men I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. For the past 15 years, the residents of Waterloo region have enjoyed safe streets and a safe community, thanks in large part to the leadership of Waterloo Regional Police Chief, Larry Gravill.

Committees of the House  Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that during the course of today's debate so much emphasis has been given to the negatives that are involved in the aboriginal post-secondary education field. During our committee hearings, we heard about all kinds of positive examples across the country where groups are doing great work in advancing this cause.