Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague has raised two objections: one substantive and one procedural. On the substantive objection, it is important that we recognize that, when concerns are sincerely held, they can be dealt with by either correcting misinformation or changing the bill when the concern is something that needs to be addressed. We heard examples that demanded changes, and we are willing to m…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is important, when it comes to our charter rights, that we look at not only statements of any government, present, future or past, but also at what that government is or was proposing to do to assess the validity against the rules that constrain the powers of government outlined in our Constitution and, indeed, in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I will give some comfort to my c…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, trying to attribute partisan blame to hate crimes in this country reflects the level of seriousness that the Conservatives are refusing to bring into this debate. When it comes to hate crimes, there are a number of challenges that we need to overcome. Some of it is having tougher laws on the books, including crimes that make it easier to prosecute. We also need to have more support fo…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his extraordinary advocacy in the House on behalf of the Jewish community, including on Bill C-9. A direct answer to his question is that it would obviously be an affront to the role that I hold in the House and in this country if I were to start calling up law enforcement and directing them to intervene on individual prosecutions. However, one thing that…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, first let me address the revisionist history and the telling of the story we just sat through. When it comes to the first time the committee heard any testimony or any discussion about the proposed removal of the religious exemption, I know that member was in the room because the question was put to me. If he does not believe me, we thankfully now have video capabilities in the room, …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, there is an interesting trick in debate that the member just used to hide the fact that there are supporters of this bill. There are religious communities that have supported this bill from inception, including the Jewish community. I find it curious that the member would only survey communities of faith that serve his argument in this moment. I would say, with respect to the other co…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, we know our opponents have lost confidence in their own argument when they resort to attacks based on the trustworthiness of their opponent in a debate. If the member was actually listening to my responses to previous questions, he would know I said he should not trust any present or future or past government and that he should do an independent assessment of what the laws actually sa…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, of course, I have enormous respect for my colleague representing Saanich—Gulf Islands, who shares a history from my part of the world as well. I understand her concerns, first, about the limitation of debate, which is not normally the approach that I would like to take. However, when we see that important legislation is not being allowed to move forward with debate, when it is being o…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would disagree with my colleague's characterization that there was a broad base of support among different parties when the bill was first put forward. I would refer to the testimony at the justice committee when I personally appeared. At least two of the three Conservative members made very clear that they were looking for a reason to oppose the bill because they saw a political op…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I will park some of the factual inaccuracies that were included in the member's question. However, let me just take a moment to say that I have been proud to work alongside my colleague from Nova Scotia, not just in her current capacity as the Minister of Immigration for Canada but previously when she served as the immigration minister in my home province of Nova Scotia. She was uniqu…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is clear, without there being much substance to the question put on the floor, that the Conservatives have decided, for political reasons, to try to use immigration as a wedge issue in Canadian politics. They could be using their questions to focus on the Canada-U.S. relationship. They could be using them to focus on how we can improve health care or how we can grow the economy, bu…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I will conclude very quickly. This is a time for thoughtful debate on policy solutions that will advance the country's interest, not a time for immature name-calling.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, when we have a series of questions like this that have come on the floor of the House of Commons this week, we have to invite ourselves into the conversations that the Conservative Party must have had as it was getting ready. We can imagine its members all sitting around asking what they are going to prioritize this week to help them raise some money. Could they tackle, perhaps, the C…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the translation has been difficult to hear over the anti-refugee dog whistle that has been coming from the other side of the chamber all afternoon. We are talking about people who are fleeing violence, war and persecution. Do you not remember the images of the people who died, washed up on the shore like Alan Kurdi from Syria? Have you not sat down with members of the Ukrainian commun…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, let me flip this around. I know you have had the opportunity to meet with families from Syria, because we worked together during the effort. I know you have had the opportunity to meet with Afghans who have served alongside the Canadian Armed Forces, and I know you have supported Ukrainians finding safe haven in Canada, fleeing Putin's war of aggression.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to answer the hon. member's question directly. During the fall sitting last year, we put forward legislation that is going to increase sentences for a range of sexual crimes. We are also going to be restoring mandatory minimum penalties, including for child pornography charges, following the Senneville decision of the Supreme Court. However, on this side of the House, we kn…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would put more credence in my hon. colleague's argument if he or his party actually had a record of defending better health care for Canadians. Think about the record they have demonstrated over the time I have been a member of Parliament. They have opposed the largest transfer to provincial health care systems. They have opposed dental coverage for Canadians. They have opposed birt…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, when we want to talk about the position of the Premier of British Columbia when it comes to our criminal justice reform agenda, I would advise the hon. member that the premier did not just support the legislation; he asked if he could join us for a press conference to celebrate the achievements of that legislation. If the member is interested in doing more to combat extortion, he coul…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to extortion, the Conservatives have been uniquely unhelpful in advancing the laws that police are telling us they need to combat it. I received a message this morning from Patrick Brown, the mayor of Brampton, saying that the Peel Regional Police have asked him to pass along the message that the strong borders act is necessary to provide lawful access to help law enforc…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, dangerous people who commit serious crimes should not be allowed to roam freely in our streets where they can reoffend. Now—
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, they are going to regret their applause in a moment, I can assure members, and that is because when the member posed the question, he blamed the principle of restraint. Let me tell members something about the principle of restraint. It is the subject of a change in Bill C-14, the bail and sentencing reform act that the Conservatives have been obstructing for months. Despite calls from…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after months and months of Conservatives obstructing bail reform in this country, we have finally seen a spirit of collaboration. My only hope is that the spirit their leader seemed to embody during his opening remarks of this session will be what carries the day, instead of the nonsense we are seeing today in the House.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her advocacy for stronger criminal laws to help protect her community. The reason members of her community are commending this bill is that they see the feedback that they provided in the process reflected in the text of the bill. It was through feedback from law enforcement that we figured out how to best deal with violent repeat criminals when …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, extortion is a real and pressing problem in this country, and that member has an opportunity to do something about it. There are laws being debated in Parliament right now that would make it harder for people charged with extortion-related offences to be released on bail, that would result in deeper and longer sentences for people who are convicted of extortion and would give new tool…
Read full speech →Government Orders
moved that Bill C-16, An Act to amend certain Acts in relation to criminal and correctional matters (child protection, gender-based violence, delays and other measures), be read the second time and referred to a committee. Madam Speaker, it is an honour to commence debate on Bill C-16. Before I begin, I want to wish everyone a happy new year. I hope everyone had a restful holiday. It is wonderful …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would first like to say that I disagree with the claim that there have been delays in making appointments. There was a problem for a few years, but over the past two or three years, judicial positions have been filled very quickly and there are not many vacancies in the country right now. To answer my colleague's question, I would say that he is presenting an interesting idea, but…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his work on issues that are common to this bill, as well as his own private member's bill, which I know are a priority for him. In addition to the measures he referenced, this bill contains certain measures around firearms, including the denial of licences to those who have a history of gender-based violence and the need to return a firearm if a person'…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would say the short answer is yes. The measures set out in the bill did not happen by accident. We are holding discussions with national organizations and with opposition parties, including the Bloc Québécois critics, who are suggesting ideas, like the one my colleague just put forward to the House. In addition, if members from any party have ideas they would like to suggest, and …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, let me thank my colleague for her tremendous courage in sharing that experience and for her support for the measures included in this bill. The only point of correction I have for her statement is that she cited the tireless work of the minister in this case, but it is the tireless work of survivors and advocates that we have to express our gratitude for. This bill is a result of co…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is essential that we understand, through the extensive research done by people who have dedicated their lives to discovering the solutions to gender-based violence, particularly in an intimate partner violence context that ends with violence or, potentially, the murder of an innocent person, that there is a pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour that repeats itself time an…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is easy for members to make mistakes when reading a question that was handed to them from their party's whip rather than actually doing research to understand the facts on the ground. If the hon. member actually surveyed the statistics on violent crime in Canada, he would see that in the last two years, there has been a reduction of crime in this country. The bills he points to act…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would remind the hon. member that what he calls Liberal bail is supported by the Canadian Police Association, the Ontario police association, the police chief in my community and the police chief in his community. In fact, when his police chief showed up at committee, he urged all members, including the Conservative Party, to actually accelerate the process. The member is citing rev…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after several months of obstruction and delay, and getting in the way of measures to improve public safety, my hon. colleague has finally realized that people are seeing that it is he and his colleagues who have been delaying and denying justice, preventing it from advancing in this country. Right now, not only do we have an opportunity to move forward on bail and sentencing reform, b…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the excuse the Conservatives are using now to prevent us from addressing bail and sentencing is that they will not support measures that are designed to combat hate crimes in this country. We can fight hate. We can keep communities safe. The Conservatives should get out of the way.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, me thinks the member doth protest too much. We have watched him and his colleagues filibuster the work of the justice committee for many weeks on end. He says that he is not responsible for it, but it is actually all on video. For hours they go on discussing their preference for puppies or kittens when they in fact could be debating laws that are designed to keep Canadians safe. It is…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the speed with which the member will cite these kinds of tragic crimes as a political prop is simply beneath this—
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are now even finding a way to filibuster question period. In all honesty, this is the readiness with which the Conservatives come to this conversation. They will cite heinous crimes to make a political point, but then stall the proceedings to actually advance the laws that police chiefs are asking for, that victims are asking for and that law enforcement from their o…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague her support in advancing the protecting victims act, which would treat more seriously femicide in this country, which would criminalize coercive control and which would include new higher maximum penalties for a range of sexual offences. In addition, this bill would restore mandatory minimum penalties for a range of sexual crimes and trafficking-relat…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2) I have the honour of tabling, in both official languages, the 2023-2024 annual report from the office of the federal ombudsperson for victims of crime.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-16, An Act to amend certain Acts in relation to criminal and correctional matters (child protection, gender-based violence, delays and other measures). (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the former Conservative shadow minister for economic development in Atlantic Canada for finally being permitted to ask a question about Nova Scotia in the House of Commons. It speaks volumes about the Conservative Party that since the member joined the government, it has yet to replace him and goes without a voice from Atlantic Canada representing the economic interest…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is essential that we propose measures to combat hatred across the country. It is very important that the House pass Bill C-9 to ensure that the Criminal Code protects communities. When it comes to the religious exemption, we need to work with the various parties to understand their perspectives, but the decision will be made by the members of the Standing Committee on Justice and H…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, clearly we have a responsibility to combat crime in general, including hate crimes, all across the country. The government needs to introduce legislation to implement measures that will combat hate and improve the bail system. It is essential that we continue to do what we can to fight crime in this country. We have seen delay and obstruction come from the Conservative Party. I look f…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, this particular bill, since inception, was designed to combat hate in this country and to offer protections for minorities, including religious minorities, who are facing hate. My priority is to see the bill adopted so we can offer protections for communities who, frankly, do not deserve to be faced with the hate crimes that they have been subjected to. That is going to require that w…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, when members resort to personal attacks and deal in conspiracy theories, it speaks to a larger issue. The member from the province of Alberta is unable to celebrate the agreement we have achieved. His own premier is celebrating in public about the opportunity to protect the environment and create good jobs. If he will not stand up for Alberta, I, as somebody from the east coast who …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I think my colleague left his tinfoil hat in the men's room before he attended question period today. He is here talking about things that do not matter to the people at home as much as things like doctors, jobs and lower taxes do. Frankly, it is a shame that members of this House of Commons are simply not focused on the priorities of Canadians. The GDP increased 2.6% in the past qu…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, the Liberal caucus is only cracking open wide enough to welcome Conservatives to come join us. My hon. colleague would like a date for a pipeline to the west coast. How about May of last year, when the Trans Mountain expansion got new Canadian products to markets, which is driving up the price of Canadian resources? The Conservatives failed to get anything built when they were last …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, the member is talking about the constitutional authority of the Prime Minister. If she actually read the entirety of the section that she is referring to, she would notice that it also gives the constitutional authority to provincial governments to build or not build the infrastructure, the roads, the electricity and the water services that would make it possible to have a pipeline …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it has been interesting to see the Conservatives have a new-found interest in Canada's Constitution. They point out that on occasion the federal government has certain authorities in this respect, but they have not taken care to actually read the entirety of the provision they so routinely cite, which similarly empowers provincial governments to build the infrastructure necessary to o…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want this Parliament to take action to combat a rising trend of hate crimes in this country. For our part, we have introduced Bill C-9, the combatting hate act, which seeks to protect Canadians by putting in place criminal penalties for those who would commit hate crimes against people, whether on the doorsteps of our religious institutions or in our communities more broadly…
Read full speech →