Liberal critic Mark Holland said the government was trying to find a reason to implement bad policy using fictional statistics. And he noted that reporting of sexual crimes has increased gradually, as stigma has eased.

On the other hand, if more criminal acts are indeed going unreported, Holland said it still wouldn't require more jail cells.

"You need prisons to lock up people who are not being charged?" he asked. "Unless you are suggesting throwing away habeas corpus and rounding up everybody who looks suspicious, it makes no sense."

G20 anyone?