Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2016-05-19 18:00:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mr. Michael Cooper (St. Albert\u2014Edmonton, CPC)",
        "fr": "M. Michael Cooper (St. Albert\u2014Edmonton, PCC)"
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"4367935\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in this House to support Bill <a data-HoCid=\"8112948\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-229/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (life sentences)\">C-229</a>, introduced by my colleague the hon. member for <a data-HoCid=\"214111\" href=\"/politicians/ron-liepert/\" title=\"Ron Liepert\">Calgary Signal Hill</a>.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367936\" data-originallang=\"en\">Bill <a data-HoCid=\"8112948\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-229/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (life sentences)\">C-229</a> recognizes that there are some crimes that are so serious and heinous that the only appropriate sentence is life imprisonment without eligibility for parole.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367937\" data-originallang=\"en\">It is a truism that anyone who is convicted of murder has committed a deplorable act worthy of severe sanction. At the same time, it is also a truism that not all murderers are equal, yet under the Criminal Code all persons convicted of first degree murder are treated equally.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367938\" data-originallang=\"en\">Proportionality is an important principle in sentencing, yet under the Criminal Code no allowance is made for proportionality when it comes to those convicted of first degree murder. If we take someone who plans, deliberates to commit, and commits a murder, that would be the classic case of first degree murder. That person, under the Criminal Code, would face a life sentence with the possibility of parole after 25 years behind bars. Then if we take someone who not only plans and deliberates to commit a murder but in the course of committing that murder commits other serious crimes, such as crimes of domination, under the Criminal Code that individual would be subject to the same sentence notwithstanding the presence of aggravating factors.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367939\" data-originallang=\"en\">In order to maintain public confidence in our justice system, it is important that the punishment fit the crime. Bill <a data-HoCid=\"8112948\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-229/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (life sentences)\">C-229</a> seeks to enhance public confidence in our justice system by rationally providing a more severe sentence for the most serious of crimes, including the most serious of first degree murders.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367940\" data-originallang=\"en\">There are some who say that, quite frankly, Bill <a data-HoCid=\"8112948\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-229/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (life sentences)\">C-229</a> is not charter-compliant. While I acknowledge that there are arguments in favour of that position, I would submit that, in looking at the case law, Bill C-229 is very likely charter-compliant. While there is not sufficient time in the relatively short time that I have to speak to this bill with respect to the case law, I would note the Luxton case of the Supreme Court of Canada.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367941\" data-originallang=\"en\"> In that case, Luxton, who was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without eligibility for parole for 25 years, appealed and challenged his sentence. He challenged his sentence on the basis of section 7 of the charter, which deals with life, liberty, and the security of the person, and section 9 of the charter, which deals with arbitrary detention, and section 12 of the charter, which deals with cruel and unusual punishment. In a unanimous decision of the Supreme Court, Luxton's sentence was upheld. Not only was it upheld, but the Supreme Court pronounced that it is within the prerogative of Parliament to treat the most serious of offences with the appropriate degree of severity in order to maintain a rational sentencing regime. That is precisely what Bill <a data-HoCid=\"8112948\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-229/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (life sentences)\">C-229</a> provides by rationally providing a harsher sentence for the most serious of murderers and other criminals.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367942\" data-originallang=\"en\">I should also note that, in the Luxton decision, the Supreme Court of Canada recognized that the Criminal Code provides sensitivity to each individual offender. Bill <a data-HoCid=\"8112948\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-229/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (life sentences)\">C-229</a> also provides sensitivity to each individual offender inasmuch as it provides that anyone who is convicted and sentenced to life in prison without eligibility for parole does have an opportunity to apply for executive parole after 35 years.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367943\" data-originallang=\"en\">There may be certain cases where, even in the most serious of crimes, parole is appropriate, but only after an extended period of incarceration, and rationally a longer period of time, having regard for the particularly serious nature of the offence that the individual would have been convicted of.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367944\" data-originallang=\"en\">What Bill <a data-HoCid=\"8112948\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-229/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (life sentences)\">C-229</a> does is that it ends this circus of mandatory parole reviews every two years for the most serious of first degree murderers.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367945\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Right now, if an individual is convicted of a first degree murder and thrown in jail for life without eligibility for parole for 25 years, after 25 years, they may apply for parole. If their parole application is turned down, every two years there is a mandatory parole eligibility review. Bill <a data-HoCid=\"8112948\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-229/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (life sentences)\">C-229</a> puts an end to that. It puts an end to families having to go every two years to these hearings where the horrors of the crimes inflicted upon their loved ones are relived, no matter how unrepentant the killer may be, and no matter how unsuitable for release the killer may be.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367946\" data-originallang=\"en\">There are those who say that Bill <a data-HoCid=\"8112948\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-229/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (life sentences)\">C-229</a> is just too tough. I say, tell that to the victims' families. Tell that to Sharon Rosenfeldt, whose son was brutally murdered by Clifford Olson. Ms. Rosenfeldt supported Bill <a data-HoCid=\"7865843\" href=\"/bills/41-2/C-53/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts\">C-53</a>. She supports life means life, and in so doing she has said, after almost 40 years, the impact that the crimes by Olson has had on her and the Rosenfeldt family never go away. They live with that family every single day.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367947\" data-originallang=\"en\">Indeed, the sentence that Olson imposed on the Rosenfeldt family, as Rosenfeldt said, is tantamount to a life sentence. I say, then, so too should the sentence for the killer be a life sentence. Very clearly, in some cases, life must really mean life.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"4367935\" data-originallang=\"en\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, c'est avec plaisir que j'interviens \u00e0 la Chambre en faveur du projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"8112948\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-229/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (life sentences)\">C-229</a>, pr\u00e9sent\u00e9 par mon coll\u00e8gue, le d\u00e9put\u00e9 de <a data-HoCid=\"214111\" href=\"/politicians/ron-liepert/\" title=\"Ron Liepert\">Calgary Signal Hill</a>.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367936\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"8112948\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-229/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (life sentences)\">C-229</a> reconna\u00eet que certains crimes sont si graves et odieux que la seule peine qui convienne est l'emprisonnement \u00e0 perp\u00e9tuit\u00e9 sans possibilit\u00e9 de lib\u00e9ration conditionnelle.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367937\" data-originallang=\"en\">C'est une lapalissade que d'affirmer que tout auteur de meurtre a pos\u00e9 un geste d\u00e9plorable m\u00e9ritant une sanction s\u00e9v\u00e8re. Il devrait l'\u00eatre tout autant que de pr\u00e9ciser que pas tous les meurtriers sont \u00e9gaux, et pourtant, en vertu du Code criminel, toute personne reconnue coupable de meurtre au premier degr\u00e9 est trait\u00e9e de la m\u00eame fa\u00e7on.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367938\" data-originallang=\"en\">La proportionnalit\u00e9 est un principe important dans la d\u00e9termination de la peine, mais le Code criminel n'en tient pas du tout compte dans les cas de meurtre au premier degr\u00e9. L'exemple classique de meurtre au premier degr\u00e9 est celui d'une personne qui planifie un meurtre et y r\u00e9fl\u00e9chit avant de passer \u00e0 l'acte. En vertu du Code criminel, cette personne est passible d'une peine d'emprisonnement \u00e0 perp\u00e9tuit\u00e9 avec possibilit\u00e9 de lib\u00e9ration conditionnelle apr\u00e8s 25 ans sous les verrous. Par contraste, une personne qui, en plus d'avoir planifi\u00e9 un meurtre et y avoir r\u00e9fl\u00e9chi, en vient \u00e0 commettre d'autres crimes graves, comme un crime de domination, pendant la perp\u00e9tration du meurtre, est passible de la m\u00eame peine, et ce, malgr\u00e9 la pr\u00e9sence de facteurs aggravants.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367939\" data-originallang=\"en\">Afin de maintenir la confiance du public dans notre syst\u00e8me de justice, il est important que la peine soit proportionnelle au crime. Le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"8112948\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-229/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (life sentences)\">C-229</a> cherche \u00e0 renforcer la confiance du public dans notre syst\u00e8me de justice en proposant, logiquement, une peine plus grave pour les crimes les plus graves, dont les meurtres au premier degr\u00e9 les plus graves.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367940\" data-originallang=\"en\">Il y en a qui affirment, bien franchement, que le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"8112948\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-229/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (life sentences)\">C-229</a> n'est pas conforme \u00e0 la Charte. Je reconnais les arguments \u00e9tayant cette position, mais j'estime n\u00e9anmoins, d'apr\u00e8s la jurisprudence, que le projet de loi est bel est bien conforme \u00e0 la Charte. Bien que je dispose d'un temps de parole insuffisant en l'occurrence pour approfondir la question de la jurisprudence, j'aimerais n\u00e9anmoins parler de l'affaire Luxton, qu'a tranch\u00e9e la Cour supr\u00eame du Canada.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367941\" data-originallang=\"en\">Dans ce cas, Luxton, qui a \u00e9t\u00e9 reconnu coupable de meurtre au premier degr\u00e9 et condamn\u00e9 \u00e0 l'emprisonnement \u00e0 vie sans possibilit\u00e9 de lib\u00e9ration conditionnelle avant 25 ans, a interjet\u00e9 appel et a contest\u00e9 la peine qui lui a \u00e9t\u00e9 impos\u00e9e. Sa contestation \u00e9tait fond\u00e9e sur l'article 7 de la Charte, qui porte sur la vie, la libert\u00e9 et la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 de la personne, sur l'article 9, qui porte sur la d\u00e9tention arbitraire, et sur l'article 12, qui porte sur les peines cruelles et inusit\u00e9es. La Cour supr\u00eame a d\u00e9cid\u00e9 \u00e0 l'unanimit\u00e9 de maintenir la peine impos\u00e9e \u00e0 Luxton. Elle ne s'est pas content\u00e9e de maintenir la peine; elle a \u00e9galement d\u00e9clar\u00e9 qu'il est de la comp\u00e9tence du Parlement, en vue d'atteindre les objectifs d'un r\u00e9gime rationnel de d\u00e9termination de la peine, de traiter du crime le plus grave avec un degr\u00e9 appropri\u00e9 de s\u00e9v\u00e9rit\u00e9. C'est pr\u00e9cis\u00e9ment ce que pr\u00e9voit le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"8112948\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-229/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (life sentences)\">C-229</a>, de fa\u00e7on rationnelle: une peine plus lourde pour les pires meurtriers et criminels.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367942\" data-originallang=\"en\">Je tiens \u00e9galement \u00e0 souligner que, dans l'arr\u00eat Luxton, la Cour supr\u00eame a reconnu que le Code criminel pr\u00e9voit qu'il faut \u00eatre conscient de la situation particuli\u00e8re de chaque d\u00e9linquant. Le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"8112948\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-229/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (life sentences)\">C-229</a> pr\u00e9voit aussi qu'il faut \u00eatre conscient de la situation particuli\u00e8re de chaque d\u00e9linquant dans la mesure o\u00f9 toute personne reconnue coupable et condamn\u00e9e \u00e0 l'emprisonnement \u00e0 vie sans possibilit\u00e9 de lib\u00e9ration conditionnelle pourra pr\u00e9senter une demande de lib\u00e9ration sur d\u00e9cret apr\u00e8s 35 ans.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367943\" data-originallang=\"en\">Dans certains cas, m\u00eame dans les crimes les plus graves, il se peut que la lib\u00e9ration conditionnelle soit indiqu\u00e9e, mais seulement apr\u00e8s une p\u00e9riode prolong\u00e9e d'incarc\u00e9ration et, logiquement, apr\u00e8s une p\u00e9riode plus longue, selon la gravit\u00e9 particuli\u00e8re de l'infraction dont la personne serait reconnue coupable. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367944\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"8112948\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-229/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (life sentences)\">C-229</a> vient mettre fin \u00e0 tout ce cirque que repr\u00e9sente l'examen obligatoire du dossier de lib\u00e9ration conditionnelle, aux deux ans, pour les auteurs de meurtres au premier degr\u00e9 les plus graves.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367945\" data-originallang=\"en\">\u00c0 l'heure actuelle, si une personne est reconnue coupable d'un meurtre au premier degr\u00e9 et qu'elle est jet\u00e9e en prison pour la vie, sans possibilit\u00e9 de lib\u00e9ration conditionnelle avant 25 ans, apr\u00e8s cette p\u00e9riode, elle peut pr\u00e9senter une demande de lib\u00e9ration conditionnelle. Si sa demande est refus\u00e9e, il y aura, tous les deux, un examen obligatoire de son admissibilit\u00e9 \u00e0 la lib\u00e9ration conditionnelle. Le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"8112948\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-229/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (life sentences)\">C-229</a> vient mettre un terme \u00e0 tout cela. Ainsi, les familles n'auront plus \u00e0 se rendre, tous les deux ans, \u00e0 ces audiences o\u00f9 elles doivent revivre les horreurs des s\u00e9vices inflig\u00e9s \u00e0 leur \u00eatre cher, peu importe l'imp\u00e9nitence du tueur et m\u00eame si sa lib\u00e9ration n'est pas \u00e0 conseiller.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367946\" data-originallang=\"en\">Certains affirment que le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"8112948\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-229/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts (life sentences)\">C-229</a> est tout simplement trop s\u00e9v\u00e8re. Je r\u00e9ponds \u00e0 ces personnes d'aller en parler aux familles des victimes. Qu'ils aillent dire cela \u00e0 Sharon Rosenfeldt, dont le fils a \u00e9t\u00e9 brutalement tu\u00e9 par Clifford Olson. Mme Rosenfeldt a appuy\u00e9 le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"7865843\" href=\"/bills/41-2/C-53/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other Acts\">C-53</a>, c'est-\u00e0-dire qu'elle appuie l'emprisonnement \u00e0 perp\u00e9tuit\u00e9. Elle a d\u00e9clar\u00e9 que, pr\u00e8s de 40 ans plus tard, sa famille et elle ressentent toujours les effets des crimes commis par Clifford Olson. Ces effets ne dispara\u00eetront jamais. La famille les ressentira pour toujours.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"4367947\" data-originallang=\"en\">En effet, la peine que Clifford Olson a impos\u00e9e \u00e0 la famille Rosenfeldt, comme l'a d\u00e9clar\u00e9 Mme Rosenfeldt, est \u00e9quivalente \u00e0 une peine d'emprisonnement \u00e0 perp\u00e9tuit\u00e9. C'est pourquoi j'affirme que la peine impos\u00e9e au meurtrier devrait \u00eatre l'emprisonnement \u00e0 perp\u00e9tuit\u00e9. Il est clair que, dans certains cas, l'emprisonnement \u00e0 perp\u00e9tuit\u00e9 doit effectivement \u00eatre un emprisonnement \u00e0 vie.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2016/5/19/michael-cooper-2/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/michael-cooper/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/4382/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "8940632",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Private Members' Business",
        "fr": "Initiatives Parlementaires"
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Life Means Life Act",
        "fr": "Loi sur les peines de prison \u00e0 vie purg\u00e9es en entier"
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2016/5/19/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2016%2F5%2F19%2F"
    }
}