Justice  Madam Speaker, we are fully aware of the Government of Saskatchewan's proposed use of the notwithstanding clause. We are dead set against the pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause in any circumstances. The notwithstanding clause is intended to protect minority rights, not suppress them.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I am pleased to join the second reading debate today of Bill S-205, an act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to another act, interim release and domestic violence recognizance orders, which was passed in the Senate this past April. I think all members would agree that the objective of Bill S-205 is laudable.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for sharing those stories. Her speech was very powerful and quite moving. Frankly, I applaud her for bringing this bill forward. I know that the member is aware of a previous bill that passed through this House, Bill S-233, regarding the consideration of electronic monitoring in intimate partner violence cases.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, one thing that always amazes me about this House is how much time we spend debating things we agree on. Today appears to be one of those occasions. We have talked about how long it took to get things done and how this began a year ago. We are here now and have a good piece of legislation before us, so my question for the member is whether he is going to support it.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague, who was my predecessor in this role, for the question. He has big shoes that I have to fill, and I want to thank him for everything he did in setting the stage for me. We have heard today from some of the members opposite about how long it took, 246 days, to get this piece of legislation to now pass.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, as for atoms, I know the member is particularly fond of them. However, it is an impossible question to answer. All I can say is that we need to continue to work with all of the communities I mentioned earlier to keep moving forward. If there are further measures that need to be taken to make our communities safe, we will do it.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, on calling us “crime rate deniers”, as I said in my speech, how is that productive in this discussion or in any other discussion? What kind of message does that send to Canadians? If she or any other member of the House think that anybody on this side of the House is soft on crime and wants bad guys out on the street, they are just wrong, and everybody knows it, so I ask the member stop saying it, please.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Richmond Hill. This being my first time rising in my new role as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, I hope members will indulge me for a moment. I want to thank the Prime Minister for placing his confidence in me.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his comments; I look forward to working with you on the justice file going forward. I was very pleased to hear your enthusiasm about moving forward at such a rapid pace today. My—

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, since the member is interested in moving so quickly, will he go back to his lobby, speak to his colleagues, rally behind his leader and agree to get this bill passed today, as he promised he would do upon the return of Parliament?

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I would like to add my thanks to the member for his words today. I have had the pleasure of working with him on the justice committee for many years. I want to thank him for his hard work on intimate partner violence, and for his words today in support of this bill.

Interparliamentary Delegations  Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canada-United Kingdom Inter-Parliamentary Association respecting its bilateral visit to the United Kingdom held in London, England, and Belfast, Northern Ireland, from October 24 to 27, 2022.

Tibetan Community in Canada  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Tibetan community in Canada, as we mark the end of Asian Heritage Month. In the 1970s and 1980s, Canada opened its doors to Tibetan refugees, offering them a chance to rebuild their lives. They were trailblazers. Many were the first non-European refugees to be permanently resettled in Canada as part of a government-sponsored refugee program.

Taxation  Mr. Speaker, increases in duties such as those on alcohol can sometimes provide predictability to businesses. However, as all members of this House know, we are in an unusually high inflation situation. On April 1, the excise inflation adjustment on alcohol was set to increase by 6.3%.

Irish Heritage Month  Madam Speaker, on March 10, 2021, this House unanimously adopted Motion No. 18. It is the month of March, and that can only mean one thing: It is Irish Heritage Month. As we celebrate the contributions the Irish have made to building our country, I encourage Canadians in every city and town to take a look in their own community to see that Irish fingerprints are everywhere.