Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I have always been amazed by the ongoing machiavellian ways of the federal Department of Justice. After years of requests from Canadians to legislate minimum sentences for those convicted of sexual offences against children; numerous requests to provide anti-stalking laws to protect women from injury and death from the hands of a bitter, twisted former boyfriend or wives; 10 years of complaints about the Young Offenders Act; demands for 10 years to change the Young Offenders Act to deal with some very violent and dangerous young offenders, we have always been told by the federal Department of Justice, by the Ontario defence lawyers that we must be fair, that everybody has rights. There is a Charter of Rights, we have no right to infringe on other people's rights, people have to be patient.

But now the federal government is finally going to act; the federal government is bringing in some very tough sentences: up to 10 years. The second offence, a minimum sentence of one year; very unusual in Canadian law. The third offence, a minimum sentence of two years minus one day. Are these tough laws against child sexual abusers? No. Are they against wife-beaters? No. Are they against violent young offenders? No. The federal government is finally going to get tough against any poor soul who forgets to register their firearm.

Now, I am sympathetic to people in large cities who are facing major crime problems. I am sympathetic to police forces who are really afraid of the proliferation of firearms. I am in favour of controlling hand guns and assault rifles, but let's get our priorities straight. We must punish real criminals, we have no right, and the government has no right, to create a whole new class of criminals. The federal government, and all governments, are having a terrible problem right now in trying to deal with our existing crime rate. I think that it is important for all of us to remember, especially the federal government, that this is not the time to create a whole new class of criminals out of honest citizens who, because they are not familiar with the law or because they don't understand it, could be actually put into jail. So, Mr. Speaker, I feel very strongly that the new firearms law has to be changed. Thank you.