Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Winnipeg North. I am here today to speak about the bail and sentencing reform act, one of the most comprehensive updates to Canada's bail and sentencing laws in decades. Since 2014, crime in Canada has risen by 12%, and our violent crime severity index is now 41% higher than it was a decade ago. While 2024 saw a modest 4% decrease, peopl…
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Mr. Speaker, the member raises a very important concern that Canadians have and that our government shares. We have always stood up against gender-based violence. We currently have a bill in the House, Bill C-9, which addresses femicide and makes it a conditional first-degree crime. In that bill, we are also making bail harder to obtain for those accused of sexual offences, including those involvi…
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Mr. Speaker, it is not about buttons or ribbons. Of course, my button is about supporting the RCMP. I support law enforcement across this country, which often has to address a lot of these situations. What is important is that we take important measures and steps to fight gender-based violence in our country, and we are doing exactly that. We have a bill in the House right now. We are bringing in …
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Mr. Speaker, I have heard the union refer to this number. It is not a number that I was made aware of ahead of time. Of course, there are vacancies. We look forward and have every intention of filling vacancies for positions that are important. The 1,000 new officers would be above and beyond any current existing vacancies.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to start by sharing a recent experience I had when I went to a Canada Post mailing facility. The Liberal government, in 2019, was the first government ever to put scanners in place at our mailing and courier facilities. This has resulted in many weapons and drugs being seized that were coming into our country through the postal centre I went to. What our government did there wa…
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Mr. Speaker, we brought forward several pieces of legislation that address crime. It is exactly because I am speaking to people in my community. I would ask the same of the member who was in Brampton the other day. One of the big issues we are seeing is organized crime committing extortions, home invasions and auto theft. This bill would help support those in law enforcement and give them the tool…
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Mr. Speaker, absolutely. That was a great question. This government is in place to do things differently, to do big things. That is why we have historic investments at our border and in our defence capabilities. This is one part of that piece of the puzzle.
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Mr. Speaker, when I travelled throughout the summer talking to members of law enforcement across the country, they made it very clear that of course when we bring in new officers, those officers will need resources, tools and systems in place. I was really happy to see the finance minister announce today that the upcoming budget will have further investments on cracking down on financing crime. Th…
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Mr. Speaker, we completely agree that violent and repeat offenders should not be released back into our communities on bail. While we appreciate the opposition's attempt with its motion, it is a bit weak. It misses the mark on key changes that need to be implemented in order to keep a wide array of criminals behind bars. We will be introducing comprehensive bail and sentencing reforms that have be…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said, violent and repeat offenders should not be released on bail. We agree with this. That is why we are bringing forward comprehensive bail reform. We want to get it right. We do not want to pass something that is weak and that lets violent offenders back onto our streets.
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Mr. Speaker, we spent this summer consulting with experts across this country to come up with a comprehensive plan to address criminality in our country. Quite frankly, their bill is weak. Our bill will address everything that is in their bill and much more. It will keep a wide array of criminals behind bars. We have Bill C-2 in front of the House right now. Bill C-2 addresses many cases, such as …
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Mr. Speaker, like I said, we spent the summer consulting with police chiefs across the country, and associations. The comprehensive legislation that will be coming out in a few weeks is recommended by police agencies across this country. It contains a lot more than the piece of legislation being offered by the Conservatives. Quite frankly, their piece of legislation is weak. It does not address al…
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Mr. Speaker, do members know what else has been endorsed by police across this country? It is Bill C-2, our stronger borders bill. Every police agency across this country has endorsed that piece of legislation. Canada is the only country among the G7 and the Five Eyes that does not have lawful access legislation. It is so important for protecting children who are being exploited online. Will the C…
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Mr. Speaker, like I have said before, our comprehensive legislation just coming out—
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Mr. Speaker, as I have already said, our bill is comprehensive and is much stronger than the Conservative bill. I believe the Conservatives will be happy to see it in the coming days. It addresses all their issues and much more. We have been a tough-on-crime government since we took office. Our top priority has been to address these issues, with Bill C-2 and with listing the Bishnoi gang as a terr…
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Mr. Speaker, many things the member referenced are going to be in the comprehensive bail reform legislation the government will be putting out. It will be much more comprehensive and in depth than the private member's bill the motion mentions today. Beyond that, in order for someone to reach a bail hearing or sentencing hearing, they have to be caught and charged. Bill C-2 has provisions that woul…
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Mr. Speaker, it sounds like the Leader of the Opposition is against a comprehensive plan coming forward. It takes time to put a plan together, and we have done exactly that in the new reform legislation, which would deal with not only bail but also sentencing. The Leader of the Opposition likes to mock and call people incompetent when they do not exactly agree with him, but does he agree that we n…
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Mr. Speaker, community safety has been our top priority. That is why our first pieces of legislation have all addressed this area. One of the rising types of crime in our country is cyber-attacks against our children. Sextortion is rising in this country more than almost anything else. Bill C-2 would address that issue. It would give tools to the police to be able to catch these child predators wh…
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Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives shout empty slogans, we have done comprehensive consultations all summer so that we could get it right. The bail legislation that is going to be presented shortly in this House would bring bail reform and harsher sentences, and it would address victims of intimate partner violence. The legislation that we are bringing forward is a complete, comprehensive packag…
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Mr. Speaker, cases like this one are exactly the reason we are taking the action that we are. With Bill C-9, we made murder-motivated hate crimes a constructive first-degree offence. I want to thank the Conservatives for allowing that bill to go to committee. Bill C-9 would create more hate-related crime offences in the Criminal Code, with tougher penalties. Bill C-2 brings tough-on-crime legislat…
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Mr. Speaker, even today the tertiary principles, which were mentioned by a colleague on the Conservative side as well, apply when providing bail. Judges and justices of the peace should be considering public safety first and foremost. They should also be considering whether somebody is a flight risk and the confidence the public has in the judicial system. Those are very important basic foundation…
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Mr. Speaker, as Secretary of State for Combatting Crime, I appreciate the opportunity to debate this motion. Public safety and our bail and sentencing laws play a critical role in the criminal justice system. These are some of the most important laws that are supposed to ensure not only that justice is served but also that Canadians are safe in their communities. Over the past years, Canadians hav…
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Mr. Speaker, I believe we are aligned on many issues, and that is upsetting the member quite a bit, it seems. We are bringing forward tough laws, and Bill C-2 is a prime example. There would be a lot of tools for law enforcement to crack down on fentanyl and organized crime. I would hope that the Conservatives support Bill C-2. It has been recommended by police agencies across this country, and I …
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Mr. Speaker, I was talking about conditional sentence orders. There are certain conditions that could be put in place when there is interest to public safety. However, we found, as I mentioned, that in many intimate partner violence cases, the offender recommits the offence. It is important to have data and statistics, which is why I would like more statistics from the provincial level. For exampl…
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Mr. Speaker, it is incredibly important. I agree with my colleague that every effort should be made, whether it is to help victims of violence or those who are vulnerable because of their upbringing and living conditions, and who could be susceptible to getting into a life of crime. We should try to prevent these types of circumstances from happening and learn from the past; otherwise, we will be …
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Mr. Speaker, I do not disagree with a lot of what the member says, minus a lot of exaggeration and some oversimplification at times. We are bringing forward legislation that is going to reform the bail process. We have also brought forward other, smaller bills, wherein a lot of the work was already complete. Our strong borders act, Bill C-2, was the second piece of legislation we brought into the …
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Mr. Speaker, first, the judges that are presiding over the type of criminal cases we are talking about today are provincially appointed judges. Second, I would like to say that the issue of complexity and the length of trials when it comes to the cases the member referred to are things that have to be taken into consideration. I will not be able to talk about what the upcoming bill will have, but …
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Mr. Speaker, the member raises a good question. I talked about the root causes of crime, and I consider that to be extremely important. Of course, interactions with law enforcement, systemic discrimination and what brings somebody to become criminalized are all very important factors. This government has invested heavily in housing and mental health with respect to the transfers to the provinces. …
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Mr. Speaker, we are fighting crime on all fronts. We are fighting guns at our borders with historic investments. We are in the process of hiring more CBSA and RCMP officers. We have a bill in the House, Bill C-2, which would help fight criminal organizations and make our borders stronger. Getting assault-style rifles and shotguns out of our communities is also important. We are going to make sure …
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Mr. Speaker, the member references the compensation program for firearms. These firearms have been prohibited for the last several years. I want to thank the responsible gun owners who have stored these guns safely and now are waiting for a plan. In this plan, they will be compensated for those firearms that are now prohibited. I believe this plan will get assault-style firearms out of our communi…
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Madam Speaker, in consultations for this piece of legislation, we heard from many Jewish organizations. One issue they brought up was that having to have the charge cleared through the Attorney General made it so cumbersome that no charges were ever laid. Although there are currently provisions for hate crimes, although not a stand-alone one like the one the bill would create, they were very rarel…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Surrey Newton. I rise in firm support of Bill C-9, the combatting hate act, not just as legislation, but as a promise this new Liberal government is delivering for Canadians. This is about more than law; it is about dignity, safety and belonging. We campaigned on protecting vulnerable communities and confronting hate in all its forms, and …
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Mr. Speaker, my answer to both of those questions is that the definition of “hatred” was not in the Criminal Code. This piece of legislation now defines it, but that does not do away with precedents of the courts. We have a common-law system in this country, and both the precedents of the court system and our Criminal Code are referred to when judges make decisions. Prosecutorial oversight is stil…
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Mr. Speaker, this new government has made historic investments in our border, and that goes for CBSA as well. We are in the process of starting to hire 1,000 new personnel for the CBSA and 1,000 new personnel for the RCMP. We are going to do the work necessary so that guns do not get into Canada. We will make these necessary investments, while all the Conservatives did was make cuts, cuts to the C…
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Mr. Speaker, in this country, we have many designated places to protest, and when people approach a cultural institution or religious place of worship and choose that to be their place of protest, it not only hurts the sentiments of the worshippers in that place but creates conflict. We have seen that. I have seen it in my own community. It creates divisions within society. I believe these are mea…
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Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, this piece of legislation would carry very stiff penalties. This crime has been accelerating at a pace that no other has, so it is really important to address it. I hope all members across the House take this bill seriously and support it and will show the utmost sincerity when studying it in the committee process so that we can protect Canadians and make sure that inc…
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Mr. Speaker, public safety is a top priority for this new government. National security experts independently evaluate and make recommendations on terrorist entity listings. This work is ongoing, and we hope to have a decision very soon.
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Mr. Speaker, it is the RCMP that first exposed the Bishnoi gang in this country as an organization that is actively working in our neighbourhoods. It is a crime to extort Canadians. We will go after them. We have created a national task force to address this issue. Our national security experts are independently evaluating the listing of Bishnoi as a terrorist organization. I hope they will arrive…
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Mr. Speaker, we take crime, all types of crime, very seriously. That is why this government's second piece of legislation in this House was Bill C-2, to make sure we give our policing organizations the tools they need to crack down on organized crime and on criminals who are running our streets. We do not need AR-15s in our country. That rifle was designed to kill human beings. If I could ask the …
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Mr. Speaker, extortion is illegal in Canada. It carries a very stiff penalty. The Conservatives would like people to believe that it is legal to extort people; it is not. Extortion carries minimum sentences. We have created a national task force that is working on and monitoring all extortions and connecting police agencies across this country. Many arrests have been made. We will not stop there. …
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Mr. Speaker, the government has put historic investment into our borders to be able to keep illegal guns off our streets and keep Canadians safe. We are going to continue to bring further legislation that will tighten our sentencing and bail systems, but mass shootings are a crime, and we have several examples of mass shootings that have taken place in Canada and the United States. We should learn…
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives need to get serious about resolving and coming up with solutions when it comes to crime and when it comes to firearms in our country. When they were in government, the Conservatives cut funding to the RCMP and to our borders, and they would go back and make assault-style firearms legal in our country. If they care so much about the safety of our nation, maybe their l…
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives constantly want U.S.-style politics here, whether it is the “three strikes and you're out” rule or assault rifles on our streets, which the Conservatives would make legal again. We have seen these policies fail in the U.S., and they would not work here either. They should come up with some comprehensive, meaningful change like the change that we are going to bring wi…
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Mr. Speaker, we are moving forward in a responsible way to make sure that gun ownership in Canada is safe. There is no reason to have assault-style firearms on our streets or in our homes. We are going to be responsible. We are going to make sure we do not have the gun crisis that we see in the United States, just south of us. If Conservatives had their way, they would make guns free and legal for…
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Madam Speaker, my comment has been mis-characterized. I am inviting all levels to co-operate, coordinate and maybe evolve. All of us need to evolve to address the current rise in crime, violent crime, that we are seeing in some of our communities. I think that is really important. That is why we are putting in place changes in upcoming legislation and in current legislation that we are debating, s…
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Mr. Speaker, one of the ways that the Conservatives can be effective is they can help us pass Bill C-2. Currently, all mail couriers, like UPS, FedEx and Purolator, can be checked for drugs. What cannot be checked are Canada Post packages under 500 grams. Two grams of fentanyl is lethal. It can kill a human being. Why are the Conservatives on the side of drug traffickers?
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Mr. Speaker, the government is tough on crime. We are introducing new legislation this fall to strengthen our bail system for those charged with violent offences. Through our proposed stronger borders act, Bill C-2, we are cracking down on organized crime, auto theft, fentanyl and human traffickers, and securing our borders. We are listening to Canadian law enforcement agencies, and we are going t…
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Mr. Speaker, the second bill we put forward in this House was a public safety bill, and I would urge the member opposite to support that bill. It has been informed by law enforcement from across this country. Today, if a father catches a predator preying on their child, has an IP address and takes it to the police, the police cannot lawfully investigate and carry the case forward. This is a real e…
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Madam Speaker, I want to recognize the important work the member is doing at the status of women committee. I think those studies will be very informative and very helpful. On the issue the member is speaking of, when it comes to Jordan's principle and gender-based violence cases, sexual assault cases, she is absolutely right. These have resulted in lengthier cases and sometimes in cases being wit…
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Madam Speaker, the member raises a very interesting point. Social support groups, not-for-profits across the country, academics, everyone is trying to identify the root causes of a lot of these problems. We have seen a growth in mental health issues in Canada and across the world as well. We have seen other challenges too. Although the new Liberal government is a tough-on-crime government, we also…
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