Roman Baber

No, I believe I have another 20 seconds, Chair.

Do we not have another private member's bill in the queue before our committee?

C-16 I'm sorry, Minister, but if I may, I'm talking about Senneville. I'm talking about the reason that prompted.... You specifically said that you've considered Senneville in Bill.

I have about 20 seconds.

Under the Criminal Code, mandatory minimum sentences apply to a range of serious offences. They're designed to set a sentencing floor to create deterrence and denunciation of certain crimes, but in recent years, courts have been striking down mandatory minimum sentences as cruel and unusual. That includes the Supreme Court. C-16 In Bill, which we're looking at, the Attorney General points to [more]

Can we just suspend for a moment, Chair?

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Attorney General, welcome back. I want to leave politics aside for a second and have a legal chat. I think you went to Dalhousie law school. Is that correct?

We're having a legal chat.

Attorney General, I think you're doing the opposite. You're undermining the mandatory minimum sentence by allowing for judicial discretion—

If I may finish, you have the ultimate safety valve against absurdity, which is the notwithstanding clause, and I submit to you respectfully that protecting children from rape is your most important job. This is not just about children being raped in the videos that Naud was watching. It's about children who will be raped in the future because your government is failing to crack down on this [more]

If you would not impose the clause here, you will never impose the clause. That's my point.