Thank you, Madam Speaker. Recently, in Prince Edward Island, an RCMP officer was charged and acquitted in a case involving impaired driving causing death. The reason, Madam Speaker, that this officer got off was that he challenged the validity of the breathalyser test administered to him because the test itself was not administered until 90 minutes after the accident. Normally the prosecution goes backwards based on the time of an accident to determine the level of alcohol at the time of the accident. This RCMP officer's lawyer successfully argued that the beer the officer had in his stomach at that time, was not yet absorbed into his system and that any reading obtained later would be suspect. To make a long story short, Madam Speaker, the judge in this case agreed that there was reasonable doubt as to the accuracy of the breathalyser test and had no choice, but to acquit the officer.
Madam Speaker, as always, I am outraged when people who are in positions of authority and have knowledge of how the system works, manage to get out of being punished to the full extent of the law. I have looked far, Madam Speaker, to see cases of a similar nature in the Northwest Territories. When I think of Diane Doyle being in Fort Smith, as opposed to a federal prison down south, I am reminded again that if a person knows which bell and whistle to pull, a person can and does get out of the full consequence of their actions.
I am bringing this up, Madam Speaker, because I think a very important point has to be made. A person who is in the position of public trust, be it a policeman, a senior civil servant or an elected official, these people have to be able to stand up to the full responsibility of their inappropriate actions and be prepared to suffer the consequences.
Madam Speaker, no one can tell me that the RCMP officer who killed the 15 year old boy in Prince Edward Island did not know that he would be impaired after drinking five beer. No one can tell me that Diane Doyle...