Quebec minister wants omnibus crime bill changes

Quebec's Justice Minister has drafted a list of three proposed amendments to the provisions regarding young offenders in the federal government's omnibus crime bill, and has sent it to a slew of senators and federal MPs.

Jean-Marc Fournier said he would like the bill to focus on the public being protected on a long-term basis from young offenders, and criticized the bill for favouring short-term solutions such as prison terms, over rehabilitation.

The amendments stem from Fournier's dramatic appearance before the House of Commons justice and human rights committee on Nov. 1.

He called the omnibus crime bill a "Band-Aid solution", and saidQuebec would refuse to absorbthe added costs associated with the bill. Fournier presented the province's position that Bill C-10 will end up causing more crime because it does not focus on the rehabilitation of criminals, and young offenders in particular.

Among his amendments, Fournier has also asked that each province be given the discretion to opt-out of the clause in Bill C-10 that could allow for the names of violent young offenders to be made public. Fournier said if Quebec followed the proposed clause, the identity of 6,000 young offenders could be at risk of being revealed from the last year alone.

The minister said Quebec believes revealing the name of a young offender creates a stigma that sticks for life, and giving provinces more leeway would allow them to choose a solution that fits with the reality in each region.

Fournier'sfinaldemandis to changeone word in the French version of the drafted bill, saying "to promote" the rehabilitation of young offenders is more in line with Quebec's philosophy, rather than the verb used now: "to encourage" reintegration.

Fournier told reporters Tuesday that he had not yet spoken to his federal counterpart, Rob Nicholson, but that he hopes to at some point.

He also promised to release the amendments he would like to see made to the omnibus crime bill's clauses concerning adult offenders in the next few days.