Parliamentary Speeches
693 speeches by Gary Anandasangaree — Page 11 of 14
Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I agree with my friend from Kitchener Centre that there is obviously a need to invest more heavily in mental health supports. Looking at how medical assistance in dying has evolved in the last seven years, as well at the way that Bill C-7 brought forward the issue of mental health as a sole underlying condition and where we are at today, can my colleague reflect on whether we are movi…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend from Saanich—Gulf Islands regarding her relationship with Sue Rodriguez and the first battle toward medical assistance in dying that took place decades ago, which has brought us here. The expert panel that was convened reported in the summer and outlined a number of different areas in which the systems are ready. As a government, we have heard from a nu…
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Madam Speaker, for many years, the Children’s Breakfast Club has marked Black History Month in Canada by visiting Parliament Hill. Hundreds of children from across the greater Toronto area pack onto trains provided by Via Rail and make their way to the Hill. During their journey, they are accompanied by special guests, such as the Hon. Jean Augustine, whom we all must thank for ensuring that Black…
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Madam Speaker, Canadians deserve to feel safe and to be safe. The laws are clear. If an accused poses a risk to public safety, they should be denied bail. At the Minister of Justice's direction, federal officials have been working for months with their provincial and territorial counterparts to develop ways to best keep Canadians safe. We all have a role to play in protecting our communities. In f…
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Madam Speaker, all Canadians deserve to be safe and to feel safe. The laws on bail are clear. If an accused person poses a serious risk to public safety, they should be denied bail. At the Minister of Justice's direction, federal officials have been working for months with their provincial and territorial counterparts. We all have a role to play in protecting our communities. In fact, the Minister…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his well-presented speech on the notwithstanding clause and in particular the impact it has had on LGBTQI rights. I know that last year, in the U.S., we saw Roe v. Wade get overturned. It has been highly problematic, and not just in the U.S. Many Canadians are quite worried about the impact this will have on rights in Canada. I wonder if the member could speak…
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Madam Speaker, the Minister of Justice clearly indicated that the government had concerns about the pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause. The provinces should be convinced that their laws comply with the charter. We have serious concerns about the clause being used in this way. I would like to ask my colleague if he agrees with Doug Ford's use of the notwithstanding clause last fall.
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Madam Speaker, I am glad to speak this afternoon. I will be sharing my time with the member for Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill. Let me acknowledge at the outset that we are gathered here on the traditional unceded lands of the Algonquin people. Before I go into the speech, I have some important reflections on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It is a document that has entrenched into C…
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Madam Speaker, throughout this historical overview, I hope to bring out two main points. The first point is who used the notwithstanding clause in a particular political and historical context. The use of the clause was exceptional until very recently, in the case of Ontario, where it was used pre-emptively. The political cost was simply too high to do otherwise. The second point is that the frequ…
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Madam Speaker, we have an international human rights instrument that defines fundamental rights and freedoms. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms is a reflection of that in many ways, and in some ways it has gone much further than international norms. I think it is important that we all abide by a basic set of values; sections 7 to 15 of the charter are critical components of the protectio…
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Madam Speaker, I value the opportunity to respond to this. The Prime Minister has been absolutely clear that Canada is a country of the charter. We are the party of the charter. Our government is very much committed to ensuring that charter values are protected for all Canadians. I can assure the member opposite that the Minister of Justice, the Prime Minister and our whole government will defend …
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Madam Speaker, I think it is fair to say that my colleague opposite is strongly defending what he believes is the right thing to do in Quebec. When my family came to Canada, Quebec was the first place we stayed, so I understand Quebec society fairly well. It is in many ways a model society when it comes to the protection of minorities within the context of a country such as Canada, and of course, …
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to mark the 75th anniversary of the independence of Sri Lanka, a country that is both morally and economically bankrupt today. Since independence, Sri Lanka has gone to the IMF for bailouts 17 times, which is more than once every five years. Its leaders stand accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. On January 10, Canada imposed sanctions on two former presi…
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Madam Speaker, I rise to honour the late Hon. David C. Onley, the 28th lieutenant governor of Ontario, an iconic Canadian broadcaster, educator and disability rights advocate, and a long-time resident of Scarborough and Rouge Park. Onley contracted polio when he was just three, leaving him to use a motorized scooter throughout his life. One of Onley's greatest wishes was for all people with disabi…
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Madam Speaker, Canadians deserve to be safe and to feel safe. We all have a role to play in protecting communities. The laws on bail are very clear. If the accused poses a serious risk to public safety, they should be denied bail. At our direction, federal officials have been working for months with their provincial and territorial counterparts to develop ways to keep Canadians safe. We need lasti…
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Madam Speaker, our hearts go out to those impacted by violence, and especially gun violence. As far as bail is concerned, there is no right to bail if someone poses a serious risk to public safety. There is, in fact, a reverse onus for bail imposed on the accused charged with certain firearms offences, including offences involving a firearm that are committed while subject to a weapons prohibition…
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Madam Speaker, let me be very clear on bail. The laws on bail are limited to those who do not pose a risk to public safety to be released on bail. If we look at the criminal justice system as a whole, we have a shared responsibility with the provincial and territorial governments. With respect to the federal government, we are responsible for the Criminal Code. The federal government is working wi…
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Mr. Speaker, with respect to Bill C-75, I just want to make something absolutely clear. Bill C-75 imposed a reverse onus on those who are charged to prove they should be released. It is a very important tool in the criminal justice system. It is one that imposes an onus on the individual to prove that they should be released, whereas in most cases it is a presumptive release. Can my friend opposit…
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Mr. Speaker, the member mentioned in her speech the need to invest in communities and community organizations. I note that every time our government has tried to make significant investments in community programming, the Conservative Party has voted against them. I am wondering if the member could explain why her caucus has consistently voted against measures meant to keep our communities safe and…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, my condolences to members of his community who have been impacted by gun violence. It would appear that gun-related crimes are a problem in the member's community and across Canada. Of course that is one of the reasons why we brought forward legislation to address that. The federal government has taken a comprehensive approach to addressing a wide variety of factors related to gun a…
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Madam Speaker, our Minister of Justice has been committed to this for many years, and for the record, the work started many months ago. This past Monday, we passed a motion at our justice and human rights committed to study this issue. We are committed to working with our provincial and territorial counterparts. I can assure the House and Canadians that our minister is seized with the matter and w…
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Madam Speaker, at the outset let me acknowledge that I am speaking to you from the traditional lands of the Algonquin and Anishinabe people. As this is my first opportunity to speak since the passing of the Hon. Jim Carr, I want to express my deepest condolences to the Carr family and my appreciation to them for sharing Jim with us, both in Parliament as well as in Canada, and for the remarkable l…
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Madam Speaker, I am pleased to speak to Bill C-29, an act to provide for the establishment of a national council for truth and reconciliation. I want to begin by acknowledging that we are gathered on the traditional unceded lands of the Algonquin peoples. At the outset, I want to acknowledge the incredible work of many of my colleagues from different parties, including the member for Sydney—Victor…
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Madam Speaker, I am very content that the government is moving forward in establishing the council with representation from a range of indigenous organizations. I believe that it is going in the right direction.
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Madam Speaker, I cannot really speak to the second aspect of my friend's question, but I can assure the House that, as a government, we are committed to ensuring that the national council would be supported. When councils of this nature are established, there is a ramp-up period, so often times the budget in the first year may not be the same as in the fourth or fifth year. I can assure the House …
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Madam Speaker, I too share an immense respect for my colleague from Winnipeg Centre. She is well aware of many of the efforts undertaken by the government. I do not believe it is just 13, and that is the reason we need a council that can objectively give us a sense of where we are at with the calls to action. It does not just end there. Yesterday, for example, I had the honour of introducing Justi…
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Madam Speaker, with great respect, Bill C-5 is very relevant to this conversation. Calls to action 32—
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Mr. Speaker, for the first time in Canada's history, we have repealed mandatory minimum penalties, giving judges the flexibility to impose sentences that fit the crimes. We have repealed the MMP that contribute most to the overincarceration of indigenous, Black and racialized people. The adoption of Bill C-5 means prosecutors and police can dedicate more resources and time to fighting serious crim…
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Mr. Speaker, serious crimes will always have serious consequences. Bill C-5 is about moving past the failed policies of the Conservatives that clogged our system and filled our prisons with low-risk first-time offenders, time and resources that should have been devoted to fighting serious crimes. In fact, former Supreme Court Justice Moldaver, whom no one could accuse of being soft on crime, recen…
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Mr. Speaker, the opposition is defending those failed policies because it is defending itself. The member and his party opposite have been in the forefront of the Harper era implementing policies targeting indigenous, Black and marginalized people. Those policies did not protect our communities. In fact, even Conservatives in the U.S. are abandoning mandatory minimum penalties and recognizing that…
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Mr. Speaker, I welcome the opportunity to talk about our very smart criminal justice policy. Serious crimes will always have serious consequences. Bill C-5 is moving past failed policies of the Conservative era, which clogged our justice system and filled our prisons with low-risk first-time offenders, time and resources that should be devoted to fighting serious crimes. In fact, former Supreme Co…
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Mr. Speaker, I echo my friend's final sentiments with respect to those who work in the system, especially the chaplains. I was able to meet with many prison chaplains this week. I want to get to the bill. The substance of the bill is to modernize our court system. Can the member highlight the top three things in the bill that could help make the system more efficient?
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Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to speak today to Bill S-4, an act to amend the Criminal Code and the Identification of Criminals Act and to make related amendments to other Acts, COVID-19 response and other measures. I will begin by acknowledging that we are gathered here on the traditional, unceded lands of the Algonquin people. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the criminal justice syst…
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Mr. Speaker, I can assure my friend opposite that the government has been working very hard on a number of very important criminal justice matters, including with my friend from Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke. We look forward to working with him on the passage of Bill S-4. This is something that has already passed the Senate, so in many ways we are working on the bill backwards. The Senate has passed it.…
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Mr. Speaker, the bill allows for the accused to appear virtually in respect of preliminary inquiries, provided all the parties agree to it. As to his question about possibly changing the routines for inquiries, I look forward to having a conversation with him, as we all often do, and to having a broader discussion on how that could be incorporated in our criminal justice system. That is something …
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Mr. Speaker, the bill has gone through the Senate. It was introduced by Senator Dalphond, who is an eminent jurist in his own right and has a great deal of experience in the court system. As Bill S-4 moves to committee, we definitely look forward to working with my friend opposite on amendments potentially proposed by the Quebec bar association and others. This is the second reading of this bill, …
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Mr. Speaker, I addressed most of my friend's concerns in my speech. First and foremost, we are investing in technology. We have invested $40 million in the criminal justice system to modernize this technology. We have also committed to ensuring that there is rural connectivity across Canada. What is important for colleagues to understand is that Bill S-4 would allow for virtual hearings where appr…
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Mr. Speaker, it is a very relevant observation, because what we are trying to do is modernize our court system and our justice system. With Bill C-5, it is the first time in Canadian history. The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada is the first attorney general to repeal many mandatory minimum penalties that were seen to be harmful to indigenous, Black and other racialized communiti…
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Mr. Speaker, Bill S-4 looks to modernize the court system. My friend is talking about very specific changes to the release conditions. Again, as I indicated earlier, I would be glad to sit down and talk to him about his ideas on this. We may disagree fundamentally on what they look like, but certainly we are able to have that conversation. With respect to Bill S-4, it is critical in many ways that…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my friend from Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke for his learned presentation. I think there are some very important elements there. I wanted to just pick up on the issue of access to justice and how this bill would expand that. I know it has been one of those challenging issues that, across provincial jurisdictions, we have had to deal with. Can he maybe talk about his …
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Madam Speaker, yesterday, Bill C-5 passed in the Senate and received royal assent. For the first time in modern history, we repealed mandatory minimum penalties and empowered judges to impose sentences that fit the crime committed. These sentencing reforms will reverse failed Harper-era policies and address the overrepresentation of indigenous, Black and racialized Canadians in the justice system.…
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Mr. Speaker, I find it hard to believe that the member opposite is suggesting we have not made structural changes. I can assure members that the Canada child benefit is the single biggest contributor to the reduction of poverty among young people. I can assure him that the introduction of the $10-a-day child care, although it has existed in Quebec for many years, will be a game changer in Ontario.…
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to speak in support of the fall economic statement. Let me begin by acknowledging we are all gathered here on the traditional unceded lands of the Algonquin people. I want to acknowledge that yesterday the mayor of the city of Toronto appointed my municipal colleague, Dr. Jennifer McKelvie, as the deputy mayor for the city of Toronto. I want to congratulate her on this…
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Mr. Speaker, I have spoken to a number of people who are well versed in economics, more so than myself, and I can assure members that the measures we have put in place are very measured. They would allow Canadians to have support without contributing to inflation. I am very confident, as is the Minister of Finance, that this fall economic statement is prudent and is one that reflects the current n…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my friend for his hard work on a number of files. I had the opportunity to meet with members of Unifor a couple of days ago, and many of the issues the member identified were brought up, including the anti-scab legislation, which is coming forward from the Minister of Labour, and the need for EI reform. One thing we have to look at is that during the pandemic, during t…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my friend from North Okanagan—Shuswap for introducing Bill C-291. I want to ask him about what kinds of consultations he has had with victims and survivors, as well as those in the policing and justice communities. Could he maybe comment on who he has consulted and how that has informed the bill presented today?
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Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to join the second reading debate on Bill C-291, an act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to other acts, child sexual abuse material, introduced by the member for North Okanagan—Shuswap on June 17, 2022. At the outset, I would like to acknowledge that I am speaking from the traditional lands of the Algonquin people. I want to thank my …
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Sri Guggan Sri-Skanda-Rajah. Sri Anna, as he was affectionately known, worked for a better, inclusive and just Canada since coming here in 1975. He served as the president and founding member of the Tamil Eelam Society of Canada and as commissioner on systemic racism in the Ontario criminal justice system, was a member of the Immigration and Refugee Board and …
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Mr. Speaker, very recently, the Canadian Judicial Council implored this House to pass the Bill C-9 amendments to the Judges Act. I wonder if the minister could outline the need for this act, the urgency, and why there is a delay in its passage, given that we have had a number of days of debate on this bill.
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Mr. Speaker, since we are talking about amendments to the Judges Act, I want to comment on and put on the record the number of people who have given me feedback on the appointment of exceptional judges over the past couple of years. I want to congratulate the minister on his hard work to make sure our bench represents the breadth of Canada. It is something that has been noticed across Canada. On t…
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