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Absolutely, Mr. Speaker, and that is why we worked with our American partners to harmonize the hours of operation at certain border crossings. Obviously, that also allows us to reassign resources, as needed, to other areas that might be under pressure. This is a discussion that we have been having with the U.S. government for several years now, and it will enable us to apply the safe third country…
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Mr. Speaker, our government has invested a lot in protecting our border and will continue to do so. We reversed the cuts that the previous Conservative government made to the Canada Border Services Agency. We gave the RCMP the tools it needed to work with its U.S. partners to keep the border secure. I am very proud of the operation that the RCMP carried out a few weeks ago with its U.S. partners. …
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Mr. Speaker, I am happy to withdraw those words. I think it is important that hon. members in this House who allege a series of circumstances be sure that they are accurate. When the hon. member asked in what scenario that particular conduct that she alleges would be appropriate, the answer is in no scenario in Canada. So, she can wonder why she keeps talking about issues that she knows are entire…
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Mr. Speaker, this member does a disservice to and is disrespectful of the victims of these very people he keeps naming in the House of Commons. The persons the member just named are inmates in federal correctional facilities. He pretends that the most important criterion for their incarceration is not the public safety of Canadians. He knows that is false, and he does victims a disservice by conti…
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Mr. Speaker, the safety of children who participate in this long-standing mother-child program is obviously a top priority for the Correctional Service. There are rigorous eligibility criteria in place to participate in this program. It includes child welfare screening completed by provincial family services, as well as ensuring that people residing in the mother-child living unit have not been co…
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member knows that the facts that she just alleged are entirely fabricated. She asked in what universe would that—
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Mr. Speaker, at no time will any government allow that kind of thing to happen. My colleague is well aware that the program she referred to has been in place since 2011. It was in place throughout the Harper government years. The most important criterion is, of course, the children's safety. I have full confidence that the correctional service will rigorously apply these criteria.
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Mr. Speaker, our colleague is falsely using the word “inaction”. He knows perfectly well that our government has been investing in law enforcement agencies like the RCMP, border services and our provincial and municipal partners for several years now to combat auto theft. We recognize that this situation is completely unacceptable for Canadians. The good news is that the number of cars being stole…
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Mr. Speaker, I greatly appreciate my colleague's question. What is more, I enjoyed appearing before the committee today. We discussed this specific issue. I reassured the committee that the RCMP and border services are always prepared for any eventuality. My colleague was there. The plans have been in place for several months. I think we have to trust them and understand that describing the detail…
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Mr. Speaker, our government works very effectively with law enforcement professionals across the country, including the Peel Regional Police that my colleague referred to, the City of Toronto and the York Regional Police. We have invested money that the Conservatives cut in the RCMP and border services to prevent illegal guns from entering the country. We are very surprised that the Conservative P…
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Mr. Speaker, it is important for all members in the House not to use the names of some of the most notorious killers in the country and give them the exact publicity that they crave. This individual is locked up in a federal prison behind two very high fences with a lot of razor wire. I saw, for myself, the secure federal correctional facility that this individual is in. My colleague also knows th…
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Mr. Speaker, the RCMP commissioner and the RCMP's commanding officer in Quebec have both made it clear that the RCMP has not reduced its numbers in Quebec. In fact, we have invested more in the RCMP and in border services. I have great confidence that they are prepared to deal with any eventuality at any time. It is their job to be ready and to anticipate events at the border, and that is precisel…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Windsor is right. At a time when the Conservatives were supporting the illegal acts of the convoy, the City of Windsor and the Province of Ontario were partners with the Government of Canada in trying to bring this horrible crisis to a peaceful conclusion. I was happy some months ago to have an opportunity to talk to the mayor of Windsor. My colleagues on this side o…
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Mr. Speaker, we are going to keep working with police forces. My colleague mentioned the SPVM. We hold regular discussions with chief Fady Dagher, among others. I told him as recently as last week that we support their important work. We also support the work of the RCMP and border services, which play a supportive role for municipal and provincial police forces. This is part of the work we are do…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague knows perfectly well that the Parole Board operates at arm's length from the government. It makes good decisions, and the most important criterion it uses is, of course, public safety. We will not comment on cases before the Parole Board. We have confidence in its work. However, as my colleague, the Minister of National Defence, just said, we are a bit surprised that the …
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Mr. Speaker, we are taking action. We are already deploying several technologies to federal prisons. Obviously, we are not going to publicly discuss the details and capabilities of those technologies. I myself have visited federal institutions in Quebec and seen how these technologies are being used. I had a very good discussion with Quebec's Minister Bonnardel on what we can do to help the Govern…
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Mr. Speaker, of course, we are doing just that, as my colleague is well aware. I will be in Quebec again on Friday. I will be touring a prison with the deputy commissioner of Correctional Service Canada responsible for Quebec. We will be discussing this exact issue. I would be happy to organize a briefing for our Bloc Québécois colleagues to discuss the technologies that are in place and why it is…
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Mr. Speaker, I naturally share my colleague's concerns. These concerns are shared by everyone in the House. I have met with representatives of the Correctional Service Canada union and administration to discuss next steps, as well as additional tools and technologies that we can add to the technologies we are already using to eliminate situations like the one described by my colleague. We are also…
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Mr. Speaker, our colleague knows full well that the government is doing a lot about this. We have invested in technology. I saw the technology in action with my own eyes at a Correctional Service of Canada institution in Quebec. For example, I saw how drones can be intercepted before they get there. Obviously, we are not going to discuss the technology publicly so criminal gangs cannot find a way …
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Mr. Speaker, one important difference between our government and the Conservative Party is that we do not believe that assault-style military firearms have a place on Canadian streets. We have made those firearms illegal. We are taking steps to compensate law-abiding gun owners who purchased these rifles, particularly so we can remove them from the streets. That is something that police officers, …
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Mr. Speaker, one thing that is definitely up is slogans in the House of Commons. We have said clearly that we will support law enforcement both at the RCMP and in terms of their partners in policing, including municipal police in British Columbia. That is why we renewed the guns and gangs program that precisely puts money in the hands of these brave women and men who serve in municipal and provinc…
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Mr. Speaker, our colleague raised the IRGC. Our government has been very clear. The Iranian government is a state sponsor of terrorism. We have said that consistently, and our government took the unprecedented step to list the IRGC as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code of Canada. Our colleague understands very well that nobody in this House is going to discuss specific immigration cases, b…
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Mr. Speaker, our government did precisely that. It listened to law enforcement professionals who asked us to reverse the cuts of the previous Harper government to the women and men who serve in our Border Services Agency and who do that excellent work at border crossings across the country. We also invested in the RCMP, which has responsibility between border crossings and works with American part…
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Mr. Speaker, I was surprised that our colleague raised the issue of border security. Our government, unlike the previous Conservative government, has invested precisely so that the Canada Border Services Agency would be able to interdict the illegal firearms crossing our borders. We work with the RCMP, its policing partners and border services. The Conservatives cut the funding to these agencies, …
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Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we are not waiting. We are taking action. We have added more RCMP members. While the Conservatives made cuts to border services, for example, we invested to crack down on criminal gangs. I had some very positive discussions with Minister Bonnardel at our federal-provincial meetings last week. We agreed to continue to work together. I will continue to support him in hi…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our colleague from Surrey—Newton for that question. He is right. Last week, the RCMP took the unprecedented step of sharing with Canadians information about a significant public safety threat. The alleged actions are a grave violation of Canada's sovereignty and the rule of law. We stand with the Sikh and South Asian communities with respect to ensuring their safety. I…
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Mr. Speaker, we have been clear. We think all party leaders in this House should have the required security clearance so that they can receive information concerning the threats to this House or threats to Canada involving foreign interference. We also take the comments of the leader of the NDP very seriously with respect to protecting Sikh Canadians and protecting those who have been victims of t…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been clear. We fundamentally believe that all party leaders in the House should have the appropriate security clearance so that they can find out the information they need to manage their parliamentary caucus and understand the threats facing Canadians. I wholeheartedly endorse the sentiments of the NDP leader concerning the need to condemn the Government of Ind…
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Mr. Speaker, we understand the need to ensure public safety in Quebec and elsewhere in Canada. That is exactly what we are doing every single day. I am very heartened by the RCMP's work with its partners in Quebec, including the Sûreté du Québec, the Montreal police and the Quebec City police. RCMP Commissioner Duheme often talks to me about joint task forces, particularly to address the challenge…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague knows very well that we are working with the provinces to address the situations he described. We are having ongoing discussions with the police forces and the provincial ministers responsible for public safety. We will continue to give law enforcement the resources they need. The Conservatives cannot say they did the same, because they cut funding to agencies like the CB…
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Mr. Speaker, the government's position has in fact been very clear. Decisions around listing terrorist entities are made based on the advice of security and intelligence officials. My colleague the parliamentary secretary made it clear yesterday that I have instructed the security and intelligence agencies that report to us to do, on an expedited basis, a review of these matters, and I have said w…
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Mr. Speaker, our government is deeply concerned about the national security interests of Canadians. That is why we support the law enforcement agencies and security agencies that do this important work. That is why we rely on their advice to decide when the government, under the Criminal Code of Canada, should list a terrorist entity. There is good news. These security agencies are constantly revi…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague knows very well that the Parole Board, by law, operates independently of the government. Our responsibility is to ensure that the appropriate men and women serve on the Parole Board, something we have done with great seriousness. The Conservatives know that the most important criteria in any independent decision made by this quasi-judicial tribunal is public safety. My co…
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Mr. Speaker, 50 years ago, 32 brave women took the oath to become the first female RCMP officers. Despite facing challenges and discrimination throughout their careers, the women of Troop 17 persevered and have inspired thousands of women to proudly serve in the RCMP. Today, more than one-fifth of the RCMP regular members are women, and the RCMP continues its effort to recruit even more women to j…
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Mr. Speaker, our government has taken a series of measures to hold the murderous Iranian regime to account. We have consistently set and taken measures, including under immigration legislation. We have listed the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force as being a terrorist entity. We take advice from national security agencies in listings, and we think that hon. members should allow that process to take p…
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Madam Speaker, our colleague from Abitibi—Témiscamingue raises a question that should concern all members of Parliament. I had this discussion with the Chief Electoral Officer. I know that senior public servants in the Privy Council Office who work with Elections Canada are also concerned. I, too, am concerned. However, I have been reassured by our cybersecurity services, in particular at the Depa…
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Madam Speaker, our colleague from London—Fanshawe again identifies one of the things we think are very important in the legislation. We worked on this with our colleagues in the NDP caucus. Our leader and her leader agreed, for example, regarding campus voting, whether at Fanshawe College or Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, in my riding, on allowing students, for the reasons o…
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Madam Speaker, no, and it certainly was not put in there to benefit the 32 Conservative MPs who would benefit by that change as well. Therefore, the answer is no to both of those questions.
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Madam Speaker, I answered that question a moment ago. Absolutely not, nor is it about protecting the pensions of the 32 Conservatives who would be eligible with this particular scenario. We have made it clear that if the committee, in its study of the legislation, wants to look at this particular date, obviously it is within the purview of the committee to do that. In my discussions with Elections…
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Madam Speaker, the parliamentary secretary to the House leader has said it very well. We on this side, with the co-operation of some opposition parties, I hope the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Québécois, think it is important to offer thoughtful ways to enhance citizens' ability to participate in the democratic process. Our colleague from Winnipeg North referred to long-term care homes. We ju…
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Madam Speaker, I had the opportunity to discuss this very issue with the member's colleague, the critic for democratic institutions. As I have said in previous answers, if the committee in its wisdom wants to look at this issue and wants to hear from witnesses and from the Chief Electoral Officer, who may have some views, we would obviously abide by the consensus of the committee. We do think it i…
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Madam Speaker, in spite of the manufactured indignation from our colleague, he knows very well that the Conservatives are experts at the very words the member used. I will not repeat the words my colleague used, because of your admonishment, which I obviously take seriously. Former prime minister Harper introduced, with the current Leader of the Opposition as the minister responsible for democrati…
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Madam Speaker, I am not sure that there was a question in the comments from my colleague from York—Simcoe. Liberals think Canadians want the House and the government to focus on the important issues that matter to them. We think one of the fundamental issues for Canadians is having an electoral system that is accessible, open and fair, obviously while ensuring all of the important elements of inte…
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Mr. Speaker, our colleague from La Prairie normally practises an optimistic brand of politics, and I do not wish to discourage him. Our government took the foreign interference threats seriously right from the get-go. He knows full well that we worked with parliamentarians just recently to pass a very important bill to strengthen our security institutions. I thank my colleagues for this non-partis…
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Madam Speaker, our colleague from Nunavut again raises a very important point. We were inspired by the work she did in terms of indigenous languages' being included on the ballots. Having had a number of conversations with the Chief Electoral Officer and other colleagues, I was struck by the number of indigenous persons who, when they would go to vote, would be in a circumstance where, again, thei…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from La Prairie for his question and the work he is doing with me. As I said time and again last summer to other colleagues, we mandated the Hogue commission to specifically examine all the questions surrounding foreign interference and our democratic institutions. We were heartened by the commission's willingness to review the questions that the committee of parl…
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Madam Speaker, I think our colleague, the member for Kitchener Centre, understands the parliamentary process well. He knows that when this legislation gets to committee, it will be an opportunity for members on the committee and others who want to attend the committee to hear from expert witnesses. Obviously, the Chief Electoral Officer and others will be important witnesses for the committee. It …
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday's announcement adds to multiple measures our government has taken to counter auto theft and crack down on organized crime. The deployment of an X-ray scanner is an important step in combatting auto theft and organized crime, not only in the GTA but also right across the country. The scanner will allow law enforcement to intercept stolen vehicles before they go to ports to le…
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Mr. Speaker, our colleague should be careful before he simply makes up stuff in question period and asserts things that he knows are absolutely false. He knows very well that our government created, for the first time ever, a committee of parliamentarians to oversee the work of our security agencies. We think it is important for parliamentarians from every political party and from the other place …
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Madam Speaker, I know that my friend, the member for South Shore—St. Margarets, will be devastated that it is not the government House leader answering the question. He will have to take the answer from me, and I cannot imagine that is not a source of immense happiness for him. It is somewhat ironic that a member of the Conservative Party would find something strange about using time allocation or…
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