Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, this month, as we celebrate women who inspire, innovate and transform the world around them, I would like to highlight the stellar journey of a young woman named Cindy Ouellet, a top paralympian in wheelchair basketball and para nordic skiing, a demanding discipline in which she excels. She has represented Canada at four summer games and once at the winter games. Although she trains f…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the inimitable member for Davenport. Our government is committed to taking all the steps necessary to keep our border secure. Bill C-12, the strengthening Canada's immigration system and borders act, is a crucial step in our ongoing commitment to keeping our communities safe, cracking down on sophisticated criminal networks and modernizing our immigratio…
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, it is important to remember that the Canadian Coast Guard falls under the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, but now it will also fall under a second department in accordance with the bill. We will therefore be able to assess the budgets needed to complete operations. Having said that, we have full confidence in the Coast Guard. It has already proven that it is capable …
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Mr. Speaker, of course, the work done here helps improve bills. Naturally, we are listening. We in the Liberal Party of Canada are quite proud, actually. We pride ourselves on listening to civil society, putting opinions to good use and, as necessary, improving our bills. We have not given up on the measures left out of Bill C‑12 but retained in Bill C‑2. We believe them to be necessary. We believ…
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Mr. Speaker, that is a very good question. We are currently seeing a 20% to 25% decrease in auto thefts. At the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, we had an opportunity to hear all the stakeholders explain things to us. They told us that what was needed most was co-operation and collaboration. Bill C‑12 will ensure that all stakeholders have all the relevant information on …
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are good at playing with numbers. Here is a statistic: In the United States, there are three times as many homicides as in Canada, particularly involving guns. We should ask ourselves a question: Why are all the Conservatives' measures copied from American measures that we know do not work? Canadians want Canadian methods for fighting crime. There is a good reason fo…
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Mr. Speaker, everyone in Canada deserves to be safe and feel safe. That is why we are giving police services and the CBSA the resources and tools they need to fight crime. Whether it is fighting fentanyl trafficking, illegal firearms imports, human trafficking, online pornography or money laundering, we are taking action. Canadians elected the Liberal Party of Canada because they know they can cou…
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Mr. Speaker, this option has been considered before and is entirely valid. It involves costs and coordination with law enforcement and local organizations. A number of provinces already have similar programs that are producing good results. We can confirm that defibrillators are an effective way to save lives.
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Mr. Speaker, our condolences go out to the victim and to the families. These are unbearable situations. We are going to do everything we can to keep them from happening. The Conservatives have a single solution to all the problems: build prisons. We are going to do a lot more than that. We are going to reform the bail system. We are going to impose harsher sentences. We will also ensure that law e…
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Mr. Speaker, my thoughts are with Gabie Renaud's family and loved ones during this painful time. No one should have to experience such a tragedy. Gender-based violence simply has no place in Canada. We will soon be introducing legislation to make it harder for violent offenders to get bail. We are going to make hate-motivated murder, including femicide, a first-degree murder offence. We will alway…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. Bill C‑8, an act respecting cyber security, is being debated today in the House. This legislation aims to secure Canada's critical infrastructure by bringing the Canadian telecommunications sector in line with other critical sectors of the Canadian economy. This bill will allow us to notify operators of threats and vulnerabilities so they can pro…
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Mr. Speaker, we already have a number of constitutional and legislative instruments guaranteeing privacy. Bill C‑8 is very clear on this. It simply allows information collection when faced with a risk that is serious and known. There will be no fishing expeditions. We have established the parameters that will guarantee Canadians' civil rights and liberties.
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Mr. Speaker, the consequences of any breach in our telecommunications and cybersecurity would be catastrophic. It could paralyze the country. That is why we are taking action. We have a legislative model that will be the envy of all G7 and G20 countries. We are confident that we are fulfilling our obligations while respecting the privacy of all Canadians.
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Mr. Speaker, we had the same concerns as my colleague. We made sure to strengthen those safeguards in the bill. There is now a reasonableness standard that the Governor in Council will be required to consider before issuing a direction or order. I think those safeguards are entirely satisfactory at this stage.
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Mr. Speaker, let me remind members that this bill was brought before the House in the last Parliament. Obviously, we would be more than willing to consider amendments on anything that has changed since that time. I think it would be rather tedious to have the parliamentary committee repeat the same work done during the previous Parliament. In my view, the amendments we proposed are significant. Th…
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Mr. Speaker, first, I will be sharing my time with the member for Saint‑Hyacinthe—Bagot—Acton. I am honoured today to have an opportunity to speak in support of the bill on cybersecurity. Now more than ever, it is crucial that we take action to protect our most important pieces of infrastructure against ever-changing security threats and cyber-threats. This is without a doubt a key piece of legisl…
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Mr. Speaker, allow me to offer my condolences to the victim's family. We strongly condemn such actions and, above all, we want to keep them from happening again. We are going to reform the bail system. It is coming. It is just around the corner. The Conservatives are dwelling on this issue, but there is no need. The legislation is coming. We will also ensure that there are harsher sentences for re…
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Mr. Speaker, we are taking plenty of measures to counter these events. I would like to take this opportunity to address a few words to the family of Denis Blanchette and to Pauline Marois, former premier of Quebec. Having served as coroner during the Metropolis attack, I can finally tell them that we will be collecting the CZ 858, the weapon used by Richard Henry Bain at the Metropolis. I hope thi…
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Mr. Speaker, everyone in Canada deserves to feel safe. We heard Canadians and we are acting on that. We are taking action. We are bringing forward bail reforms. We are going to introduce longer, tougher sentences for repeat offenders and violent criminals, and we are taking action in communities to stop drug trafficking, limit illegal firearms and get assault weapons off the streets. We are taking…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Calgary Centre for his question. Our government is working to implement a clear and ambitious plan to build a strong, united and resilient economy that serves Canadian businesses, workers and families. The Minister of Finance and National Revenue has already announced that he will present budget 2025 on November 4. We are faced with a series of historic challeng…
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Mr. Speaker, I respect the opinion of the member for Calgary Centre. We spent the entire summer touring the country from coast to coast to coast, and now we know what Canadians expect from this budget. Budget 2025 is the next step in our plan to stimulate investment and build a strong, united Canadian economy that provides better-paying jobs, higher incomes and a buffer against global shocks. It w…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in reply to the hon. member's question, I am pleased to rise to discuss our government's commitments to strengthen gun control and to address gun violence in Canada. The safety of Canadians is the number one priority for this government and we are taking decisive action to stop the increase in gun violence at our borders and in our communities across Canada. The Ruger Mini-14 used by …
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the outstanding achievement of the Canadian women's rugby 15s team, which, despite their opponents' terrifying haka, won a historic victory last week against former world champions the Black Ferns. This past Saturday, our players lost to the new world champions, the Red Roses, but not without putting up a stellar fight. Anyone who has ever played with a Gilbe…
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Mr. Speaker, all the weapons that have been declared prohibited were selected by a committee of experts, by people who know about firearms. We are not talking about members of Parliament here, but experts who know about firearms. These weapons meet all the criteria for military-style assault firearms. I want to reaffirm our government's commitment to upholding public safety through strict gun cont…
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Mr. Speaker, dozens of tuberculosis advocates and survivors are here in Ottawa today. They have come from across Canada and around the world to raise awareness among parliamentarians about this ancient infectious disease, which remains the deadliest in the world. Their tireless efforts have pushed governments worldwide to act on TB. Despite their successes, TB still claims the lives of over 1.2 mi…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to respond to the hon. member for Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, even though he is comparing apples to oranges. He is all over the map. Let me begin by acknowledging the legitimate frustration many Canadians feel when they hear stories about repeat offenders being released on bail. These cases raise serious questions about the balance between pub…
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Madam Speaker, let me be clear. The federal government is committed to introducing legislation to strengthen the bail system in order to combat violent and organized crime. If someone is released on bail and has nowhere to go, that is not a failure of federal law. It is a failure of those who administer the justice system, and that is a provincial responsibility. It also means that provinces and t…
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Madam Speaker, I rise today to discuss the bail system and criminal justice policy. Recent tragic events, marked by violent crimes committed by repeat offenders, are a painful reminder of the impact these acts have on our communities. These situations are unacceptable. I want to begin by offering my deepest condolences to the families of the victims, including the loved ones of Bailey McCourt in K…
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Madam Speaker, I can hear the urgency in my hon. colleague's voice. We share his expectations. However, I would remind him that, in the meantime, Bill C-2 still needs support and has to be passed. Other bills will follow in order, as quickly as the House sees fit. I invite my colleagues on the other side of the House to participate in the work and to co-operate fully. We have better data on bail r…
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Madam Speaker, let me begin by saying that this new government firmly believes in fairness, openness, and transparency in all aspects of procurement management. We are fully aware of past problems with respect to contracts and payments, particularly those made to GC Strategies and its predecessors in connection with previous investigations. The latest report reveals that many contracts and payment…
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Madam Speaker, our new government is committed to ensuring that federal procurement is open, fair and transparent. We thank the Auditor General of Canada for undertaking these important studies and for her findings and recommendations. I would remind the hon. member that, just last week, the Auditor General of Canada finally told the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates that s…
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Mr. Speaker, we are in the process of hiring 1,000 new customs officers and 1,000 additional RCMP personnel. We are already seeing a dramatic drop in illegal imports of firearms and fentanyl. We are keeping our promises, and we will soon have the personnel we need to do this work.
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Mr. Speaker, not only are we hiring more personnel, but we also have more helicopters, drones and scanners. We are making more arrests and finding more and more drugs. In short, it is working. Two weeks from now, I will be attending a graduation ceremony for new recruits who will be joining CBSA.
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Mr. Speaker, in addition to the initiatives my colleague, the Minister of Justice, just outlined, we are studying a very important bill, Bill C-2, which will give law enforcement agencies the tools they need to fight crime. We are talking about fentanyl, firearms smuggling and transnational gangs. This will have a direct impact on our communities and on safety in our streets. We will always be the…
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Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to participate in this debate on Bill C‑2, the strong borders act. The government's number one responsibility is to keep families, children and our communities safe. We must bear this in mind as we analyze Bill C‑2, an ambitious but necessary piece of legislation to correct a number of shortcomings observed over the years. This bill will help us addre…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his excellent question. In fact, what we need to understand is that crime evolves, criminals' methods change, and organizations have become much more powerful; they are now transnational. There are actions that need to be taken that go beyond what used to be done. The courts are there to keep an eye on the government and tell it when it is going too far. That is…
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Mr. Speaker, we are in the process of hiring people. I do not have the exact figures, but I would be happy to share them. Anyway, we are on track to fill these gaps, and we will be hiring people as they graduate. I will actually be attending a graduation ceremony next month on October 26. New graduates are on the way. We look forward to hiring them and putting them to work to better protect Canadi…
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Mr. Speaker, La Prairie—Atateken is indeed a very beautiful riding. Our riding is no different from the rest of Canada. It has problems, too. Economic growth will go hand in hand with keeping people safe and healthy. In today's world, people face all kinds of challenges around mental health, physical health and safety. I am pleased to be contributing to this noble objective and to be making life e…
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Mr. Speaker, the measures at the border are working. We have reduced smuggling. This month, barely half a kilogram was seized at Canada's borders. The hard work is paying off. We will win our fight against fentanyl. It is also important that we continue our work across the country to keep people safe. As I said, substance abuse is a complex issue. There is no easy solution, but we are continuing t…
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Mr. Speaker, I was thrilled to hear my colleague's summary. He told us how Canada was built through big projects like the railway and the Trans-Canada Highway. I am curious to know my colleague's reaction to the new high-speed rail project between Toronto and Montreal, and the economic boom it will generate. This is exactly the kind of thing he was telling us about.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, CSC currently employs over 18,000 people, who work across the country and in a variety of different positions. The level of detail of the information requested is not systematically tracked in a centralized database. Similarly, it is not possible to complete a search of all CSC employees’ records within the time allotted. An access to information request for these types of inquiries c…
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Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question. data on the specific makes and models of firearms used in crime are collected by individual law enforcement agencies across Canada for record keeping purposes. There is no central database at the national level with this information. With respect to part (b), extensive public engagement on the issue of banning handguns and assault-style firearm…
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Mr. Speaker, the Customs Act only requires importers to identify the country of origin, for example, “China”, of their goods, not the region. The region where goods originate within a country is not a data element that is mandatory; importers do not have the obligation to report it. However, the CBSA can report that from January 1, 2024 to June 25, 2025, of the 34 shipments that have been intercep…
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Mr. Speaker, the Customs Act only requires importers to identify the country of origin, for example, “China”, of their goods, not the region. The region within a country where goods originate is not a data element that is mandatory; importers do not have the obligation to report it. As such, the CBSA cannot provide the information requested specific to Xinjiang. However, the Canada Border Services…
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Mr. Speaker, completion of the Canadian Firearms Safety Course, or CFSC, is a prerequisite to apply for a Possession and Acquisition Licence. The topics covered in the CFSC include the evolution of firearms, major parts, types and actions, basic firearms safety practices, ammunition, operating firearm actions, safe handling and carry procedures, firing techniques and procedures, care of non-restri…
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Mr. Speaker, in response to parts (c) and (d) of the question, for security reasons and to maintain the integrity of the operations of the Canada Border Services Agency, or CBSA, information pertaining to the use of boats has been withheld. As of June 11, 2025, the CBSA owns 11 rigid hull inflatable boats. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or RCMP, deploys helicopters, marine vessels, and drones,…
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), the assault-style firearms compensation program, ASFCP, opened to all eligible businesses between December 6, 2024, and April 30, 2025. Compensation amounts for assault-style firearms affected by the May 2020 prohibition were determined based on in-depth research and analysis, which includereviewing manufacturer prices, Canadian dealer and retailer prices, foreign …
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), as there is no requirement to register non-restricted firearms with the RCMP Canadian firearms program, it is not possible to provide actual counts or estimates for the number of firearms legally owned in Canada or the number of firearms owners. However, as of December 31, 2024, there were 1,267,992 firearms registered in Canada and 814,005 licences with prohibited…
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), to ensure the safety of our members and those we protect, as well as to ensure the integrity of security measures and operations, the RCMP does not disclose information that could expose specific details about any individual or group of individuals who were credibly threatened by foreign or domestic actors and contacted under the RCMP's duty to warn policy. With re…
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Mr. Speaker, regarding parts (a) to (d) and (p) to (v) of the question, due to security and safety issues, the names and locations of the contractors involved in the assault-style firearms compensation program, ASFCP, cannot be disclosed. On December 7, 2023, Public Services and Procurement Canada, PSPC, launched a competitive process to procure services for the collection, storage, verification, …
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