House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2021, with 42% of the vote.
Aboriginal Affairs December 6th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted with the question from the opposition because it allows me to go on and on about everything we are doing in this area, such as we have supported the development of public awareness materials.
The truth is that I am proud to be a Canadian woman and part of this government because our record on looking after victims and standing up for law-abiding Canadians, particularly women, has no equal in this House.
Aboriginal Affairs December 6th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, this government is showing leadership in taking concrete action on this tragic issue. Unlike the opposition, who are against bills like Bill S-2 to protect aboriginal women from violence, as part of our $25 million investment over five years into our missing and murdered aboriginal women's strategy, we have taken a number of measures: implemented recommendations from the January 2012 report; established a national centre for missing persons; enhanced law enforcement; supported pilot projects to reduce vulnerability; supported victim services that are culturally appropriate; and developed a comprehensive list of best practices.
We are working—
Committees of the House November 30th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 15th report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights in relation to requesting an extension of 30 sitting days to consider Bill C-273, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (cyberbullying).
Intergovernmental Affairs November 6th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, among the initiatives that we have been taking with our provincial and territorial counterparts is showing leadership and taking action on the important issue of missing and murdered aboriginal women.
The ministers of justice and public safety met just last week with their provincial counterparts to further develop strategies, coordinate efforts and share expertise on this issue.
In January 2012, a comprehensive missing women report provided 52 recommendations. The provinces recently acknowledged that our government has implemented almost all of them.
We have invested $25 million over five years—
Aboriginal Affairs November 1st, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice and the Minister of Public Safety were in Regina to meet with their provincial and territorial counterparts where this matter was a major topic of discussion. Our government attaches great importance to the issue of missing and murdered aboriginal women. We are working with those counterparts to further develop strategies, coordinate efforts and share expertise on the issue.
In January 2012, a comprehensive missing woman report was released providing 52 recommendations. The province has recently acknowledged that our government has already implemented most of those recommendations at the federal level. We are taking this seriously and we are taking action.
Public Safety October 31st, 2012
Mr. Speaker, what the member opposite is suggesting is completely false.
Department of Justice officials received a request from the United States to arrest Mr. Jacobson on October 24. A warrant was obtained just one day later, on October 25, and police carried out the arrest later that same day. In other words, the government has been completely responsive to this situation.
This is a matter related to a private citizen. It is not related to the government. As the member knows, we do not interfere with police operations. As this case is now before the courts, we should let that process continue. It would be completely inappropriate to discuss it here.
Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence October 18th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's Awards for Teaching Excellence honour outstanding and innovative Canadian school teachers.
In my riding of Delta—Richmond East, I am very proud of those named for the singular recognition with certificates of achievement.
Wendy Graham, a grade 6 teacher at Delta's Sacred Heart Elementary, shows obvious care and concern for her students, combined with endless energy and commitment to lessons that are current and interesting. Her career success emanates from an abiding respect shown for each child she guides through her classroom.
Dianne Simonson teaches grades 10 to 12 at Richmond's R.A. McMath Secondary School and helps students with career preparation. She launched the link crew initiative where 100 seniors mentored 245 new grade 9 students. This success led to helping other schools do the same and authoring a peer tutoring resource guide. She challenges, guides and builds leadership skills that have allowed her students the confidence to pursue their dreams.
Justice October 16th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, it is incredible to me that the hon. member has nothing to substantiate her point that there has been a serious increase in the number of prisoners as a result of the legislation we brought in. In fact, this just has not materialized.
However, I am extremely proud of this government's approach to fighting crime and protecting our communities. It is a made in Canada approach that will increase public safety and restore the confidence of Canadians in our justice system.
The Canadian approach is a balanced one that combines crime prevention, punishment and rehabilitation. Bill C-10 is one piece of this complex puzzle, and our government remains committed to ensuring that crime is prevented, that appropriate rehabilitation takes place and that proper punishments that fit the severity of the crimes are served. That is whom we are targeting, serious and violent repeat offenders.
The people of Canada elected this government because they can count on us to deliver on our communities and to stand up for victims of crime. It is unfortunate that the hon. members on the other side of this House cannot say the same.
Justice October 16th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, for too many years our criminal justice system was going in the wrong direction. It focused more on the rights of criminals instead of the rights of victims.
Since coming into office, our government has accomplished a great deal when it comes to cracking down on crime, better protecting Canadians and giving victims the rights and protections they deserve, but we know that more needs to be done, which is why we introduced Bill C-10.
As the hon. member may know, after lengthy debate and study, Bill C-10 was passed by Parliament and received royal assent on March 13, 2012. I would like to take a few minutes to remind the hon. member what exactly Bill C-10 accomplished.
A major component of the Safe Streets and Communities Act targeted criminals who sexually exploit children. Bill C-10 proposed denouncing all forms of child sexual abuse through the imposition of new and higher mandatory minimum penalties for people who prey on our most vulnerable, that is, our children.
Furthermore, Bill C-10 brought in two amendments to correct the gaps in the Criminal Code. The first amendment made it a crime when two adults conspire to set up a child for exploitation. The second amendment made it a crime to give a child sexually explicit material for the purpose of grooming that child for exploitation.
Another major component of our legislation targeted the source of the illicit drug trade, the drug traffickers. Bill C-10 has stiffened penalties for the production and trafficking of illegal drugs.
I remind the House that the criminals we are targeting with these amendments are those who are involved in selling drugs to kids on playgrounds and near schools.
In addition, the Safe Streets and Communities Act ended house arrest for serious crimes like sexual assault, kidnapping and human trafficking, as well as eliminated pardons for crimes like sexual offences against children.
It also better protects the public from violent young offenders; supports victims of terrorism; and prevents the trafficking, abuse and exploitation of vulnerable immigrants.
As hon. members know, this government was elected to implement its promises, and one such promise is to better protect our most vulnerable, including children. Bill C-10 did exactly that, and I am proud to be part of a party that stood in support of this important legislation.
Canadians deserve to feel safe in their homes and communities, and that means keeping dangerous criminals off our streets. We will continue to fight crime and protect Canadians so that our communities are safe places for people to live, raise their families and do business.
Nuclear Terrorism Act October 15th, 2012
Mr. Speaker, as I said in my speech, one of the proposed methods is to have concurrent prosecutorial authorities for the attorney general of Canada, as well as the provinces and territories which are the ones, under our constitution, that generally administer the law. They are the ones applying what terrorism offences exist now. That is one of the ways we will be dealing with this.
This is where we are sort of partnering Bill S-7 and Bill S-9 together. We are taking steps to bring this together now in order to deal with it effectively and in a timely way. That is the understanding on the concurrent jurisdiction.