As a Liberal member of Parliament and father of three young women, this week is especially meaningful to me. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my objection to today's court hearing of the CBC's application to televise the trial of Paul Bernardo. As the member of Parliament for Burlington, a riding that has been greatly affected by the crimes Mr. Bernardo is accused of committing, I believe that justice would be better served without the glare of television cameras. I question why the CBC would apply to televise this case. I say it is wrong.
Canadian courts are open and accessible.
Individual Canadians interested in knowing more about our court system can attend all the various levels and can watch televised Supreme Court of Canada trials where witnesses are not heard. It is not worth experimenting in this case. We cannot afford to take risks, intimidate witnesses and exacerbate the Mahaffey and French families' pain. Justice must be served. The trial must run smoothly.