Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I thank my Conservative colleagues for the applause. I hope they will meet that with their votes when it comes time to support the legislation we will be advancing this fall. I have good news for my friend opposite. This legislation would include serious reforms to make stricter bail conditions for people who are repeat violent offenders. It would have harsher sentences for those peop…
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Mr. Speaker, dangerous people who commit serious crimes should not be walking freely in our streets if they pose a public safety threat to Canadians. I have good news—
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Mr. Speaker, I sincerely thank my hon. colleague for raising this question on the floor of the House of Commons. Such horrific acts can be met only with condemnation from members of Parliament on both sides of the aisle. As we seek to move forward with legislation, we will be restricting conditional sentence orders when it comes to sexual crimes and sexual crimes against children. We will do what …
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Mr. Speaker, this is the second time this week I have received a question about a piece of legislation that the questioner has seemingly not read. Bill C-5, among other things, actually restricts the use of conditional sentencing orders for serious crimes, such as attempted murder and advocating genocide. We want to continue to put measures in place that will have harsher sentences for repeat viol…
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Mr. Speaker, the member will appreciate that we have a different perspective. We expect the justice to make decisions independently based on the law. The rule of law in this country is a fundamental pillar of our democracy, with which we may not show compromise. We must insist that we have an independent process based on recommendations by people who can assess the validity of the nominations that…
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Mr. Speaker, we are aware of the legal challenge to the appointment of this judge to the Quebec Superior Court. Canada has a very robust and independent judicial appointment process, and we want to keep it that way. Judicial independence is an important foundation of our democracy. It protects the rule of law. To say otherwise undermines those principles. We will always defend the independence of …
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Mr. Speaker, I think it is very important that we come to understand the process by which we nominate judges benefits from the independent advice of those who are experts in assessing the quality of those who are elevated to the bench. It is extremely important that we maintain the independence of the judiciary if we are going to count on our democracy to serve future generations of Canadians. To …
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Mr. Speaker, we acknowledge that there is a legal challenge surrounding the appointment of this judge to the Quebec Superior Court. The Canadian judicial appointment process is among the most thorough and independent in the world, and we remain committed to preserving it. Judicial independence is one of the cornerstones of our democracy and it is essential to protecting the rule of law. Any sugges…
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Mr. Speaker, obviously these circumstances my hon. colleague raises constitute an entire tragedy that should shock the conscience of every Canadian. However, when the hon. member poses a question about repealing Bill C-75, I would suggest it is a good idea to read it first. He does not seem to understand that that bill actually makes it harder for people who are charged with intimate partner viole…
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Mr. Speaker, it is encouraging to see there is alignment between the Conservative opposition and the Liberal government when it comes to improving public safety, including through the adoption of stronger laws to help build safer communities. I have good news for my colleague. We will be introducing legislation during this parliamentary session to strengthen bail reform in this country, to have ha…
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and its funding allocations from January 1, 2020, to June 18, 2025, the agency does not track this information by riding. Producing a comprehensive response would require manual collection and validation of information, which is not possible in the time allotted and could lead to the disclosure of incomplete and misleading inform…
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives talk a big game when it comes to a tough-on-crime agenda, but they fail to point out that one of their members, earlier this week, put a motion before the justice committee that would make it easier for those charged with intimate partner violence to be released on bail. We were elected on a campaign commitment to put forward rules that would strengthen the bail syst…
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Mr. Speaker, I have good news to report. Canadians elected a new Liberal government, in part on the promise to advance reforms that will stiffen bail proceedings and adopt more serious sentences for violent repeat offenders. In addition to the changes to the Criminal Code that the member should expect to see later this calendar year, we are making investments to give law enforcement the tools they…
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Mr. Speaker, when dangerous people who pose a threat to the public commit serious offences, they should be treated with the concomitant sentencing and bail decisions from the courts. We are going to be advancing reforms that we campaigned on in the fall. We intend, specifically, to change the bail rules as they pertain to home invasions, auto theft and organized crime. We will also advance new sen…
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Mr. Speaker, I would remind my hon. colleague that extortion is illegal in Canada, and those who perpetrate it should be apprehended and punished to the full extent of the law. Specifically, if the hon. member examines this section of the Criminal Code, he will see that there are mandatory minimums when it comes to certain offences committed with a firearm relating to extortion. Moreover, the maxi…
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Mr. Speaker, it is essential that we approach this issue with the seriousness with which it deserves, including respect for decisions that have come from courts in the country. As we move forward, we are going to work in a manner that will ensure that serious crimes will be treated seriously and that serious offenders will be punished seriously. I hope we can avoid turning something as serious as …
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Mr. Speaker, it is clear the fentanyl crisis is responsible for the taking of innocent lives in this country. It is incumbent upon all members of the House to approach this with empathy, but also with a level of seriousness to prevent fentanyl from sweeping through the nation and causing such damage. Going forward, we are going to be implementing a series of reforms that will target violent offend…
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Mr. Speaker, it is beyond reprehensible that a member of the House would accuse another member of caring more about criminals than about Canadians. We should be able to work together to, certainly, punish wrongdoers but also to give law enforcement the tools it needs to keep their community safe. We have been giving tools to law enforcement so that we not only punish wrongdoers after a crime has b…
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Mr. Speaker, I do not know whether the member's eyes betray him, but we are here and ready to work to advance reforms to protect our communities. Yesterday at the justice committee, although the accusation is that there was an attempt to get home early for summer, what actually happened was that a Conservative member was seeking to advance reforms that would have made it easier for people who have…
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Mr. Speaker, first, let me acknowledge and thank my hon. colleague for his years of service to promote public safety in this country. We are working alongside police forces and federations representing frontline members to understand the needs of frontline officers to ensure they have the resources to help keep communities safe. In addition, we are moving forward with a series of reforms that are …
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Mr. Speaker, when dangerous people commit violent crimes, it is important they face serious criminal penalties. I would point out to the hon. member that extortion is illegal in this country, and its perpetrators must be apprehended and punished in accordance with the Criminal Code. When he looks at the mandatory minimum penalties, he will see that repeat violent offences involving firearms have a…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for her work advancing important criminal reforms to keep communities safe. In the recent federal election, we were elected on a mandate to help give law enforcement the tools it needs to keep communities safe and to strengthen the Criminal Code. Specifically, we will be advancing legislative reforms to strengthen the bail system when it comes t…
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague raises extortion with a firearm. When repeat violent criminals commit offences of this nature, they face a mandatory minimum of seven years and a maximum of life imprisonment. When we see this kind of behaviour, we need not only to reform criminal laws to punish wrongdoers on the back end of such conduct, but to invest in our frontline officers who are keeping commun…
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Mr. Speaker, it is beyond reprehensible for a member of the House of Commons to suggest that one party or another puts criminals ahead of victims. We are going to advance important reforms to strengthen sentencing. We are going to take extortion seriously to ensure that people who suffer the consequences of these crimes see recourse through the criminal justice system. Importantly, it cannot only …
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Mr. Speaker, in case anyone is mistaken in this House, extortion is illegal in Canada. It is punishable by serious offences. Repeated extortion with a firearm is punishable by a mandatory minimum of seven years' imprisonment and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. The Criminal Code reflects the seriousness with which we take this crime. We will do what it takes not only to punish criminals on …
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Mr. Speaker, as I shared a moment ago, extortion is illegal in this country. Perpetrators should be apprehended and punished. If the member does not believe that extortion is punishable by serious offences, I would point him to the fact that repeated violent extortion with a firearm is punishable by a minimum of seven years' imprisonment and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. This reflects th…
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Mr. Speaker, let me condemn, in the harshest possible terms, sexual crimes committed against children. As a former prosecutor, I am sure my hon. colleague would know that the law on the books today actually holds a mandatory minimum penalty of one year's imprisonment for these types of heinous crimes. I hope that this does not become a bipartisan issue. We want to work together to implement reform…
Read full speech →Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the supplementary estimates (A), 2025-26.
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Mr. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.
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Madam Speaker, this case raises important questions. I think it is important for the federal government to participate. The member is talking about costs, but it is important to realize that there are a lot of expenses. For departmental employees, it is always very important to keep protecting charter rights while respecting provincial jurisdictions.
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Madam Speaker, the hon. member is right to raise concern around crimes involving sexual violence, but his solution is to repeal a law that makes it tougher for people who have committed acts of intimate partner violence to escape bail and return to our communities. That is a nonsensical approach. In the months ahead, we are going to be moving forward with legislative reforms that are going to make…
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Mr. Speaker, obviously, when we hear the details of such a horrific crime as the member has shared, we know that this is not a partisan issue. All members of the House care equally about the well-being and safety of Canadians and believe that Canadians should feel safe in their communities. What is clear, though, is that the member has not even read the legislation that he criticizes in the House,…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate the member on rising in the House for the first time and on his recent election. There is something that we agree on: Repeat violent offenders should have a harder time getting out on bail. However, what is interesting is that when he cites a very specific instance, where he is dealing with somebody who could potentially be released…
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Mr. Speaker, dangerous people who commit violent crimes should be treated with serious consequences. That is why we are putting new measures in place to strengthen the bail regime, including for auto theft, including for home invasions, including for human trafficking. We are also introducing stiffer penalties for serious repeat violent offenders. We are going to work with facts and reason. I hope…
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Mr. Speaker, I will take a moment to thank my constituents for returning me to the House of Commons for the fourth time. I am rising for the first time as the Minister of Justice and Attorney General. When I was talking to people during the campaign back home, they said when dangerous people commit serious crimes and pose a threat to public safety, they should face serious consequences. We have li…
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Mr. Speaker, this may be the last opportunity I have to answer a question in the House of Commons as a minister. I want to take an opportunity to give my thanks to everybody back home in my community and to all members of the House, on both sides of the aisle, for an opportunity to engage in debate over the years and to put competing ideas on the table. When it comes to the way that caucuses shoul…
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Mr. Speaker, I was wrong before when I said all they had was name-calling. Apparently, they have alliteration as well, but that is not going to put food on the table for people who need it in my community or in his. It is not going to put a roof over the head of people who are vulnerable in this country. If the member wants to make this argument about whether women will be supported, I wonder if h…
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Mr. Speaker, in a moment where Canadians are looking for leadership, the Conservative asking the question can only come up with names to lob toward his political opponents—
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives seem to know the cost of everything but the value of nothing. They do not see value in investing in child care, which has not only reduced costs for families but also led to the largest increase in women's participation in the labour force in the history of this country. They do not seem to believe there is value in investing in social housing, in public housing and …
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Mr. Speaker, the very best that the Conservatives can offer to this conversation is name-calling and mudslinging, not solutions to the problems that Canadians are facing. When I talk to people at home, they want their governments to be focusing on creating good jobs to make sure people can afford to put food on the table. They want to make sure that governments are advancing policies to invest in …
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Mr. Speaker, I am not sure who she is talking about, but I am still here for now. There are two kinds of people who run for office in politics: there are people who want to do something, and there are people who want to be somebody. On our side of the House, we want to do things. We want to build the houses to make sure families can afford to keep roofs over their heads. We want to make sure that …
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague is right about one thing. I did announce this morning that I am not going to be seeking re-election. However, if he thinks it is a matter of confidence, I can tell him I have confidence that I am going to be the best father to my kids that I could possibly be for the rest of my life. That is what is most important to me. While I have the floor, I should say thanks fo…
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Mr. Speaker, no one in the country is choosing to be homeless and no one is choosing to live in an encampment. We know that the cost of housing has gotten too high. That is why we are putting billions of dollars of investments on the table to help build out more affordable housing and help community entities provide services to people who do not have a roof over their head. What is fascinating is …
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his question. As he is well aware, our government is investing to increase the number of jobs across the country. Today, there is good news. There are 51,000 new jobs for Canadians. We are going to continue to make the investments that are going to help grow the economy, help us transition into a modern economy, help build the homes Canadians need an…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague points to food and shelter as pressure points for Canadian households. I actually agree, but let us look at what the different parties are proposing to do about it. First, on food, he is complaining about the high price when he is literally voting against a tax break on food. He is literally opposing a national school food program, which is helping hungry kids eat. When…
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Madam Speaker, it is hard to understand how a member who said he is receiving $228 million for housing considers that to be a band-aid solution. Does he think it is a band-aid solution that we are helping his city lead the country when it comes to converting office spaces to homes for Canadians? Does he think it is a band-aid solution that we are advancing a permanent program that is going to feed…
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Madam Speaker, honestly, it is hard to listen to this question, because this week the member had the opportunity to vote to reduce taxes on food, but he voted against it. The member will have another opportunity in the very near future to vote in favour of school food programs across our country. However, I think the members is still planning on voting against that measure. Members of the House ne…
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That is right, Mr. Speaker. Despite positioning themselves in a contrary way, those guys are all tax and no axe. The Conservatives are literally opposing a tax cut on the essentials over the holidays. We are talking about food, clothes, diapers, car seats and snowsuits for kids. The only thing the Conservatives want to cut is the programs that are delivering real support to Canadians. They want to…
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Mr. Speaker, I have great respect for my hon. colleague, as I do Dr. Whitzman, whom I have had the opportunity to benefit from on a number of occasions when it comes to receiving her advice. The majority of our grant programs that deliver cash subsidies to affordable housing projects are designed to support social housing, non-profit housing and housing for low-income families. We do have a range …
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Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely clear that my hon. colleague was not listening to the answer to his first question before he delivered his second. I said specifically that we are exempting the tax on food that is not already exempted from the GST, including food that people may purchase at a restaurant. What is interesting is that Conservatives are opposed not just to the tax cut on holiday gifts, t…
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