Parliamentary Speeches

Mr. Speaker, as members are aware, earlier this year we passed an amount of transformational legislation that speaks to criminal justice reform. First and foremost, we have Bill C-14, which strengthens bail as well as sentencing, and Bill C-16, which ensures the rights of victims are protected. We will continue to support public safety and invest in our frontline officers, including hiring 1,000 new RCMP personnel, as well as 1,000 CBSA officers.

Mr. Speaker, let me share some of the early results from the justice reforms that we brought forward. Extortion is down 10% across Canada. Firearms offence is down 14%. Homicide is down 16%, which is the lowest in a generation, and child sexual abuse and exploitation is down 21%. We will continue to ensure the safety and security of Canadians and continue to invest in law enforcement, to ensure that all Canadians are safe, and not just safe, but also feel safe.

Mr. Speaker, let me just assure my colleague. I have had the opportunity to visit many prisons in the last year and a half. I have also had a chance to look at the core programming undertaken by CORCAN and the training that is undertaken and given to individuals, and I have had the chance to look at the remarkable success, including from ensuring there is training in construction. Just last month, I had the opportunity to visit an institution in Saskatchewan with Her Excellency the Governor General. We saw the actual impact CORCAN has on individual inmates, and it will prepare them for a life of employment once they get out of prison.

Mr. Speaker, since Canada's new government came into place last year, it has put in an unprecedented level of criminal justice reform across the system. It starts with ensuring we have stronger sentencing as well as bail reform with Bill C-14. We are protecting the rights of victims with Bill C-16. We are also ensuring that those who are combatting hate are supported with the tools they need. We will continue to invest in law enforcement and ensure the safety and security of all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I recognize that it is hard to oppose the comprehensive set of criminal justice reforms our government has brought forward and then pretend we need to make more laws. What the member opposite is suggesting is that we have done nothing on this. We have moved forward with the most comprehensive set of legislation, including the reform of bail and sentencing, ensuring the rights of victims are protected and protecting our vulnerable communities. We will continue to ensure the safety and security of all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, let me take a moment to remember Todd Baylis, who was killed in the line of duty in 1994. His bravery and sacrifice will never be forgotten. Our government is committed to strengthening our criminal justice system and protecting victims' rights. That is why we passed Bill C-14, to strengthen bail and sentencing, as well as Bill C-16, to strengthen victims' rights. I continue to engage with the Toronto Police Association to ensure that we strengthen our laws.

Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that this matter is being politicized. What I will say is that victims absolutely deserve their right to be heard, as well as to be in attendance at these important hearings. We have been working with the Toronto Police Association. My commitment is to continue to work with them, to ensure that we have laws that reflect their needs but also to ensure the safety and security of all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I will note that this Sunday, many families of those officers who have been killed in the line of duty will be here in Ottawa. I look forward to meeting with those family members and to express our continued solidarity with those who died in the line of duty. I will also take this opportunity, as Constable Jeff Smith is fighting for his life, to ensure and to reiterate our support for law enforcement on the front lines. We will always be there to support them and their families.

Mr. Speaker, with great respect, what a disingenuous comment. All of us in this House, every single member of Parliament who was elected, stand with law enforcement, stand with victims and stand with those who have died in the line of duty. This is not a competition. We will ensure the safety and security of Canadians, and we will always stand with those on the front lines. It is shameful to suggest that one party stands with victims over another.

Mr. Speaker, let me take a moment to honour the lives of Leslie Mahaffy, Kristen French and Tammy Homolka. As the House may know, this individual who has been in jail for a long period of time went to the University of Toronto Scarborough campus and petrified my community of Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park. The impact that this individual has had on our society is unprecedented, and I know that many people continue to struggle with the impact this individual has had. I can assure the House that we will continue to work with the Toronto police—

Mr. Speaker, let us just go back over the last six months and see the record of the Conservative Party of Canada. On Bill C-8, the party opposite dragged its feet and opposed the bill initially. Regarding Bill C-9, on protecting and combatting hate, the Conservatives fought tooth and nail right until the end and blocked this legislation that is going to help vulnerable communities. On Bill C-14, which is strengthening bail and sentencing, as well as Bill C-16, on the victims' rights, again, the Conservatives dragged their feet. That is the—

Mr. Speaker, let me just underscore that the issues around public safety, issues around parole and issues around bail should never be politicized. These are very important issues that we need to collaborate on and work together on. That is why I find it rather difficult when these issues are politicized. We will always stand with victims. We will always stand with people who are impacted. We also need to recognize that we have the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which balances the interests of both.

Mr. Speaker, since taking office last year, we have undertaken unprecedented amounts of legislative change to ensure the safety and security of Canadians. Let me just enumerate some of them: Bill C-14 strengthens bail as well as sentencing. Bill C-16 ensures that victims' rights are protected. Bill C-9 ensures the safety and security of communities. In addition, we are investing in law enforcement as well as the Canada Border Services Agency. We will do everything we can to ensure the safety and security of all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I have outlined some of the changes that we made to the criminal justice system, but let me also take this opportunity to share some statistics for the member opposite's information: Extortion is down 10%. Firearm offences are down 14%. Homicides are down 15%. Child sexual abuse and exploitation is down 21%. Auto theft is down 19%. We have more work to do, but I can assure members that the changes we have put in place will ensure the continued safety and security of all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, our government has always been committed to the safety and security of all Canadians. Any form of violence, intimidation or transnational repression targeting individuals and communities in Canada is unacceptable and punishable under Canadian law. We are taking action to protect Canadians. We are passing the most comprehensive criminal justice reform in a generation. Just this afternoon, after many days of obstruction, we passed Bill C-22 on lawful access—

Mr. Speaker, this is not how legislation works. We have put forward a comprehensive piece of legislation. We have consulted with a range of stakeholders, including law enforcement. Parts 1 and 2 go hand in hand. We cannot cherry-pick which parts of the act go into effect. I will give an example of the obstructionism of the Conservative Party: over 10 hours of discussion on clause-by-clause at the committee, and they have passed seven amendments. Just last week alone, over three hours, they passed one amendment, and in fact, the key leaders on the committee were not even—

Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated before, we are deeply heartbroken that Constable Marc Pinizzotto of the Toronto Police Service and Constable Tarun Bali of the Ontario police service were killed in the line of duty last week. We as a government have been taking decisive action, including strengthening bail and sentencing, with bills that we expect to go through Parliament this week. We need to work in collaboration to ensure the safety and security of all those who serve on the front lines. We are taking those actions. We invite the party opposite to join us in order to strengthen these systems.

Mr. Speaker, I am heartbroken in hearing of the passing of Officer Marc Pinizzotto. I was able to connect with the Toronto Police chief, the Toronto Police Association and the mayor of the city of Toronto, and I express our profound grief and condolences to the people of Toronto and all those who serve on the front lines. Today is a day for all of us to come together and cherish those who serve us each and every day, risking their lives. To the families who sacrifice every day and hope that their family member will come home, I pray for them. I pray for all those in law enforcement and pray that Constable Pinizzotto's family have the peace they need to get through this very difficult time.

Mr. Speaker, from the outset, our INSET team, as well as RCMP personnel and senior leadership, has been fully engaged in this investigation. They have been supporting the Toronto Police Service, including deploying two special task forces in order to support the investigation as it unfolds. The work of the Toronto Police Service is part of the collaborative efforts of all of our law enforcement agencies in order to ensure that the safety and national security interests of Canadians are paramount. We will work in collaboration to ensure that we get results and support those in frontline policing.

Mr. Speaker, we have been working with first nations and Inuit police in communities across Canada to ensure the safety and security of all those in the communities. We are increasing the number of resources available for infrastructure, and we continue to ensure that funding is applied throughout the year. What I do want to say is that if the party opposite is serious about public safety, the number one issue that has been sought is lawful access, which is Bill C-22, which the party opposite is blocking and obstructing as we speak.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Oakville West for her advocacy. Canadians must have confidence in the integrity and security of the products and services they use each and every day. This is why we are taking the necessary steps to protect Canadians, our critical infrastructure and our economy through Bill C-8. This piece of legislation will help critical infrastructure operators better prepare for, prevent and respond to cyber-incidents that threaten Canadian interests. We will continue to modernize Canada's security tools while safeguarding privacy and keeping Canadians safe.

Mr. Speaker, the safety and security of all Canadians is critically important to this government. That is why we are taking decisive action to ensure security at the border, including ensuring that those who are inadmissible to Canada are not allowed in. If the Conservative Party wants to talk seriously about crime and law enforcement, they need to get serious on Bill C-22, which is a lawful access act before the House. Instead of stonewalling and dragging their feet on critically important legislation, they should support it today so that we can get this through the House before we rise.

Mr. Speaker, let me just confirm that last year the Canada Border Services Agency removed an incredible number of individuals who were ineligible to be here in Canada. Over 23,000 individuals were removed. This year, the CBSA is on target to continue that trend and to ensure those who are ineligible to be in Canada are removed expeditiously. Our men and women of the CBSA are working hard each and every day to ensure the safety and security of Canadians, and we will continue on that path.

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear: Canada has had an MOU with China on combatting crime in various forms since 2010. These have never been made public. As with the potential release of any sensitive national security document, we are carefully following the advice of our intelligence and law enforcement agencies. We will continue to work collaboratively with international and law enforcement partners to combat transnational criminal networks to keep Canadians safe. Canada will always be guided by three principles, including the rule of law, protection of Canadians and the defence of—

Mr. Speaker, let me reiterate that we have had some form of an agreement on safety and security since 2010 with China. They have never been made public, including under the opposition who were in government at that time. We will continue to work in collaboration with law enforcement and with our international partners to ensure the safety and security of Canadians. We are a country of the rule of law and we will be guided to protect Canadians and to defend Canada's democracy and sovereignty.

Mr. Speaker, the safety and security of Canadians is our top priority. Canadian law enforcement works closely with airport authorities, airlines, border agencies and international counterparts to detect criminal activity, protect travellers and disrupt organized crime networks involved in drug trafficking. At least six arrests related to luggage tag swapping have been made by the RCMP. We continue to invest in law enforcement, with $1.3 billion for the border, 1,000 new CBSA officers and 1,000 new RCMP personnel. Through Bill C-12 and Bill C-22, we are—

Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge the excellent work of Peel Regional Police in collaboration with the OPP, CBSA, FINTRAC and the FBI, which announced the arrest of 17 individuals connected to an international criminal network. This network is responsible for violent extortion targeting the South Asian community across Canada. The operation dismantled a campaign involving 24 incidents, resulting in 106 charges. Extortion and intimidation will never be tolerated in Canada. That is why the Peel Police and others have asked for Bill C-22, on lawful access, to be passed by the House.

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we support the RCMP. We are hiring 1,000 new RCMP personnel to ensure the safety and security of Canadians. They are training and they will be deployed shortly. The safety and security of Canadians is our first and top priority, and we will continue to ensure that our law enforcement sector is assisted. We will ensure that the officers have the right tools to do their job effectively.

Mr. Speaker, ensuring the safety and security of Canadians is our top priority. I want to assure all Canadians that Canada has rigorous admissibility requirements. We have been very clear that IRGC members and all senior Iranian officials are inadmissible to Canada. If they are already in Canada, they will go through a removals process expeditiously. We will continue to work with our border, immigration and law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety and security of all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure all Canadians that no IRGC member was admitted into Canada. Our government has been clear that IRGC members and all senior officials of the Iranian government are inadmissible to Canada. We have rigorous processes in place to ensure that anyone in the country who has ties to the IRGC goes through a removals process. We will continue to work with our border, immigration and law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety and security of all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, ensuring the safety and security of Canadians is our top priority. We cannot comment on an individual case due to privacy laws, but I want to assure all Canadians that Canada has rigorous admissibility requirements, and we have been very clear that IRGC members and senior Iranian officials are inadmissible to Canada. We will continue to work with our border and law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety and security of all Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, I welcome my friend from Scarborough Southwest to this House. Through the building safer communities fund, we are tackling gun violence and youth crime and supporting victims through organizations across Canada, including in her riding of Scarborough Southwest. We have also introduced several measures to keep Canadians safe. This includes tougher bail laws, lawful access measures to help police protect Canadians, hiring 1,000 new CBSA and RCMP personnel, and measures to address hate and protect places of worship.

Mr. Speaker, every individual who applies to come to Canada is thoroughly reviewed for security. Our law enforcement agencies, including CSIS and CBSA, undertake a thorough check before documents are issued. When they are in Canada and are deemed to be inadmissible, CBSA enforces those removals. Last year, we removed over 22,000 individuals for inadmissibility, the highest number in recent history.

Mr. Speaker, let me just acknowledge the heinous act that the member opposite talked about. I would say that, since taking office, we have brought forward the most comprehensive criminal justice reform in a generation. Bill C-14 speaks to that. It would ensure that repeat violent offenders are off our streets and will get stiffer sentences during the sentencing period. We have Bill C-16 now going through the committee process. Again, it would protect victims. What we need is co-operation to ensure that—

Mr. Speaker, let me thank the member for Mississauga—Malton for that very important question, and let me thank law enforcement agencies across Canada for the work they have been doing to ensure that lawful access measures become law in Canada. I want to assure all members in the House that we are working together for the swift passage of Bill C-22, the lawful access act. Today, chiefs of police and police leaders are gathering in Ottawa, under the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, to educate lawmakers on the need for lawful access. I invite all members to join us this evening.