Safe Streets and Communities Act  Mr. Speaker, that is what happens when a government sits in power a little too long. Having a majority now, it believes, in an arrogant way, that it can do whatever it is it wants. There is a moral, if not ethical, and some would suggest legal obligation, to respect the legislature and parliamentary law.

Safe Streets and Communities Act  Mr. Speaker, I would like to focus on a couple of aspects of Bill C-10. Why has the government decided to bring in this bill at this time? It has a lot to do with propaganda. It has a lot to do with the government wanting to give the appearance to Canadians that it wants to be tough on crime.

Safe Streets and Communities Act  Madam Speaker, I appreciate the comments from the member, but he made reference to one aspect of the bill. I think we need to recognize that the government is bringing forward a bill that is a series of bills that should have been bills on their own. As a result of doing that, the Conservatives have further complicated the matter by saying that we now have a limited amount of time to debate a bill that encompasses many other bills.

Safe Streets and Communities Act  Madam Speaker, the Conservative member of Parliament posed a question, asking “Have you read?” I have a similar “have you read” question. This came from the Winnipeg Free Press. It was actually a columnist from Vancouver who had written it. The headline reads: “The Prime Minister gets tougher on pot growers than child rapists”.

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure that I bring forward a petition from prairie farmers. It asks for support for farmers in western Canada by allowing them to determine themselves the future need and role of the Canadian Wheat Board and allow for a plebiscite on the future of the CWB.

Safe Streets and Communities Act  Madam Speaker, the member spoke on one aspect of Bill C-10. Other members will take another aspect of Bill C-10. The point is that the government has taken a bunch of bills that should have been, in essence, separate bills and tied them into an omnibus bill. The member made reference to the fact that this was an election issue.

Safe Streets and Communities Act  Madam Speaker, the member talked a great deal about individuals who exploit our children. I agree in terms of just how serious a crime that is. However, if we look at the legislation and follow it through, it is saying that if a pedophile forces a child to watch pornographic movies, as an example, there is a minimum sentence that is established.

Safe Streets and Communities Act  Madam Speaker, someone who visited my constituency office to emphasize how important crime and safety is provided me with a copy of an article from the Winnipeg Free Press dated September 14, 2011. The very first line reads, “Family and friends of a slain 15-year-old gathered Tuesday evening at the spot where the boy was stabbed, while investigators continued to work to find his killer.”

Safe Streets and Communities Act  Mr. Speaker, I have a quick question for the minister. My understanding is that if we compare a child predator, who is trying to get a child to do something such as watch pornographic movies, to someone who gets caught growing six marijuana plants, there is a stricter penalty or consequence for the individual who is growing the marijuana.

Safe Streets and Communities Act  Mr. Speaker, I will begin by citing a couple of quotes. The first quote comes from the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism on May 27, 1998, when he stated: I begin by condemning this government for allowing itself to trample on democracy and democratic deliberation....

Safe Streets and Communities Act  Mr. Speaker, I am very sensitive to many of the comments made by New Democratic members on this bill. However, in the September 21 issue of the Winnipeg Sun, I was quite surprised to read the NDP government's position on this bill. Gord Mackintosh, whom I have known personally for a number of years, stated that they strongly urge all parties in Ottawa to support this crime bill and to support it expeditiously.

Safe Streets and Communities Act  Mr. Speaker, the problem with this particular bill is that the government has made a decision in its wisdom to say that it wants this, this and this. Those are all pieces that should have been separate pieces of legislation so that when the government brings forward individual pieces of legislation there is more legitimacy to the debate on the issue and the law that it is attempting to change.

Safe Streets and Communities Act  Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments that the member has put on the record. I especially liked the comments put on the record by the member for Mount Royal in terms of why it is that Bill C-10 is so fundamentally flawed, why it is that we need the government to take more of an aggressive approach in dealing with some of the causes of these crimes and why we are not doing enough to prevent crimes from occurring in the first place.

Libya  Mr. Speaker, I want to do a bit of a follow-up on that question. I think countries around the world and Canadians themselves recognize that Canada has played a critical role in the freedom that many Libyans have today as a result of our direct involvement. Ultimately, we want to do more than just offer our Canadian Forces.

Libya  Mr. Speaker, it is a shame that the Liberal Party was not able to move the subamendment because I have often heard members on the government side talk about the compassionate side and the importance of humanitarian support. The amendment that was talked about by the member for Mount Royal highlighted the aspect that Canada does have a stronger role in that area to play.