Parents are very concerned that children are not safe anywhere in Canada. They are being kidnapped, attacked and murdered at an alarming rate. Two cases that have, to me, become metaphors for public concern about our legal system are the following: One is the saga of Charles Ng, an individual who had been charged with particularly horrendous tortures and murders in California and who escaped to Canada. Our government and our legal system, I understand, spent close to $4 million over a four-year period before this individual was finally extradited to the United States.
Another very troubling case that Canadians have been following lately is the Paul Teale/Carla Homolka case in Ontario. It seems our system will spend lavish amounts of money to ensure that these types of accused are afforded the very, very best in a legal defence. I think that sometimes, in our almost slavish devotion to making sure justice is done to the accused, we sometimes forget the unspeakable horrors involved in the crimes, the shattered hopes and dreams of families and friends who will never be able to erase the insane cruelty that snuffed out the lives of their children.
It came close to home here in Yellowknife over the last three years. Four young girls have disappeared. The police suspect foul play. I understand also that federally-funded victims' programs are in danger of having their finances cut.
I guess to me the bottom line in a justice system is that of balance. It seems that the government, the system as a whole, lawyers, judges and everyone involved in the system, have to look at many ways to deal with this. This is not a partisan political issue. I made that point to Minister Rock, though the Reform Party and others have made it a prime issue for them. I think it is something that affects all of us. I think, as Minister Rock stated at lunch, it is going to take a diverse number of solutions.
It is a very complex problem and the solutions are obviously going to have to involve enhanced victims' programs, very aggressive intervention for troubled youth, new laws that allow the police and prosecutors to obtain legitimate convictions so that criminals are not getting off on technicalities. There are some cases where stronger deterrents for violent crimes are needed -- longer jail sentences. And, stronger community involvement is needed. This is not something that just the justice system alone can do. It is something that all of us have to be involved in.
It seems to me that in Canada today, Canadians must re-examine and redefine our justice system to ensure it is appropriate to modern realities and that the rights of victims, the rights of society as a whole, as well as the rights of the accused, are looked after in better balance than we do now. I think it is very important that we do that if we are going to continue to say that we, in Canada, have the best justice system in the world. Thank you, Madam Speaker.
---Applause