Bill C-75 (Historical)

An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and other Acts and to make consequential amendments to other Acts

This enactment amends the Criminal Code to, among other things,
(a) modernize and clarify interim release provisions to simplify the forms of release that may be imposed on an accused, incorporate a principle of restraint and require that particular attention be given to the circumstances of Aboriginal accused and accused from vulnerable populations when making interim release decisions, and provide more onerous interim release requirements for offences involving violence against an intimate partner;
(b) provide for a judicial referral hearing to deal with administration of justice offences involving a failure to comply with conditions of release or failure to appear as required;
(c) abolish peremptory challenges of jurors, modify the process of challenging a juror for cause so that a judge makes the determination of whether a ground of challenge is true, and allow a judge to direct that a juror stand by for reasons of maintaining public confidence in the administration of justice;
(d) increase the maximum term of imprisonment for repeat offences involving intimate partner violence and provide that abuse of an intimate partner is an aggravating factor on sentencing;
(e) restrict the availability of a preliminary inquiry to offences punishable by imprisonment for a term of 14 years or more and strengthen the justice’s powers to limit the issues explored and witnesses to be heard at the inquiry;
(f) hybridize most indictable offences punishable by a maximum penalty of 10 years or less, increase the default maximum penalty to two years less a day of imprisonment for summary conviction offences and extend the limitation period for summary conviction offences to 12 months;
(g) remove the requirement for judicial endorsement for the execution of certain out-of-province warrants and authorizations, expand judicial case management powers, allow receiving routine police evidence in writing, consolidate provisions relating to the powers of the Attorney General and allow increased use of technology to facilitate remote attendance by any person in a proceeding;
(h) re-enact the victim surcharge regime and provide the court with the discretion to waive a victim surcharge if the court is satisfied that the victim surcharge would cause the offender undue hardship or would be disproportionate to the gravity of the offence or the degree of responsibility of the offender; and
(i) remove passages and repeal provisions that have been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court of Canada, repeal section 159 of the Act and provide that no person shall be convicted of any historical offence of a sexual nature unless the act that constitutes the offence would constitute an offence under the Criminal Code if it were committed on the day on which the charge was laid.
The enactment also amends the Youth Criminal Justice Act in order to reduce delays within the youth criminal justice system and enhance the effectiveness of that system with respect to administration of justice offences. For those purposes, the enactment amends that Act to, among other things,
(a) set out principles intended to encourage the use of extrajudicial measures and judicial reviews as alternatives to the laying of charges for administration of justice offences;
(b) set out requirements for imposing conditions on a young person’s release order or as part of a sentence;
(c) limit the circumstances in which a custodial sentence may be imposed for an administration of justice offence;
(d) remove the requirement for the Attorney General to determine whether to seek an adult sentence in certain circumstances; and
(e) remove the power of a youth justice court to make an order to lift the ban on publication in the case of a young person who receives a youth sentence for a violent offence, as well as the requirement to determine whether to make such an order.
Finally, the enactment amends among other Acts An Act to amend the Criminal Code (exploitation and trafficking in persons) so that certain sections of that Act can come into force on different days and also makes consequential amendments to other Acts.

Opposition Motion—Passage of Bill C-242

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Madam Speaker, he is heckling me right now, and he is laughing. He is laughing at the suffering of those in my riding. It is gross, yet he continues to do this time and time again. I can just say, shame on him.

Madam Speaker, 53,000 Canadians have lost their lives in the overdose crisis since 2016. I will mention Brianna MacDonald, a 13-year-old who, last year, lost her life in a homeless encampment. She turned 13 on July 15, my son's birthday, and she was found deceased on my daughter's birthday, August 23. I will also mention Tyler Dunlap, 17 years of age. He was in the hospital the night before, getting his stomach pumped from an overdose. His parents, like Brianna's, pleaded with the doctors and the system to get their child help, to keep him in the hospital.

I am not sensationalizing this. These are real families who have lost loved ones because of the Liberals' failed drug policies. That is shameful. It is maddening.

What about the first responders? Every day, they have to respond to another overdose and bring somebody back from death only to have that person back on the street and overdosing later the same day.

What about my brother? He has been on the street gripped in addiction forever, a criminal, an addict. He is not a toss-away, nor are any of the Canadians who are living on the streets and who are just trying to exist, trying to get their next fix.

The reality is that Bill C-75 codified the principles of release to the point where there were three grounds to deny bail. Primary grounds are ensuring that the accused appears in court. The reality is that people with extensive previous counts of failing to appear are not being detained. There are good points in Bill C-75, but time and time again we are seeing that the most violent offenders are released, only to reoffend, cause death, assault.

No one stands for the victims. The criminals have more rights than the victims. Where are the voices for the victims? That is what our Conservative team is doing today, standing up for the rights of the victims of crimes, and we will continue to do that.

[Steven Bonk, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Madam Speaker, I am very much looking forward to the next speech, which will be offered by my friend from Cariboo—Prince George, who I will be splitting my time with. I know he will have insights, which are always unique, and I am very much looking forward to it.

Across the country, Canadians are experiencing something they never thought possible in Canada: a loss of trust in their own safety. For decades, one of the things that set Canada apart was the fact that families could feel safe and secure in their own homes. Business owners could work late without fear, and children could walk to school without a second thought. This sense of security is now being replaced by fear.

Just yesterday, I spoke with a small business owner in my riding of Souris—Moose Mountain. She told me that, for the very first time in her life, she is afraid to go out at night. She described knowing of one individual in her community who had been arrested more than 180 times. That person had 180 arrests, and every time that person was back on the streets almost immediately. She said to me, “Our streets are not safe anymore.”

That sentence should stop us in our tracks, because when Canadians begin to feel unsafe in their own communities, when fear starts to dictate the way we live our daily lives, then government has failed at one of its most fundamental duties, which is to protect its citizens. That failure is a direct result of Liberal bail policies. This is why we must scrap Liberal bail.

We need to be honest about how we made it here. The erosion of public safety is not a coincidence. It is the result of deliberate choices made by the Liberal government. When Liberals passed Bill C-75, they weakened bail conditions and lowered thresholds for release. They did this in the name of so-called fairness, but in reality what they created was a revolving door of justice.

Across the country, we see the same scenario playing out over and over again. A repeat violent offender is arrested, police officers do their jobs, charges are laid and then, sometimes within hours, the same offender is back on the streets free to reoffend. It is hard to describe the frustration police officers feel when they risk their lives to apprehend violent criminals only to see them walk free before the ink is even dry on the paper. That is the reality of Liberal bail. It is broken and dangerous, and it must end. It is time to scrap Liberal bail.

Yesterday I spoke withe Estevan's chief of police, Jamie Blunden. Chief Blunden is not only responsible for law enforcement in the city, but he also sits on the national police service of Canada and the national advisory committee, where he works directly with police leaders from across the country.

Chief Blunden told me something very important. He said that police chiefs from coast to coast to coast are united in supporting this bill. They know better than anyone what it looks like on the ground when repeat offenders are automatically released. They see the victims. They see the businesses broken into time and time again. They see the toll it takes on officers who arrest the same individuals over and over, with no real consequence.

When the people we trust to keep us safe are speaking with one voice, we must listen. Police chiefs are saying loud and clear to scrap Liberal bail and restore public safety.

We can talk about statistics. Violent crime up 39% since the Liberals took office. Gang-related homicides have doubled, and car thefts are at record highs. Behind every number is a victim. This is not compassion. This is not fairness. This is failure. It is the failure of Liberal bail. If we are to restore safety and dignity to victims, then we must scrap Liberal bail once and for all.

Conservatives believe in a simple principle: If someone repeatedly breaks the law and endangers the public, they should not be granted the privilege of bail. Public safety must come first.

Bill C-242, the jail not bail act, is rooted in that principle. This legislation would ensure that repeat offenders are kept behind bars until trial, end the automatic release of criminals who have proven time and time again that they have no respect for the law, and put the rights of victims and communities ahead of the rights of repeat offenders. This bill is not about vengeance. It is about safety, deterrence and restoring faith in our justice system. It is about replacing a failed policy with a common-sense one. It is about making a clear choice to scrap Liberal bail and replace it with Conservative common sense.

Sometimes people think that crime is a big-city problem, something happening only in Toronto, Vancouver or Montreal, but that is not true anymore. It is also in communities like Estevan, Weyburn and Moosomin. Residents are telling me the same thing: Crime is growing, repeat offenders are emboldened and people feel unsafe in their own neighbourhood. When rural Canadians who have taken pride in their safety in their close-knit towns start telling their MPs they are afraid to leave their own house after dark, that should be a warning sign for the rest of the country. This is not just about big cities; it is about every community, every neighbourhood and every Canadian.

That is why it is time to scrap Liberal bail. Victims' rights must come first. It is worth reminding ourselves that our justice system is not meant to protect only the rights of the accused; it must also protect the rights of victims. Victims deserve to feel that justice is being done. Communities deserve to feel that the system is working to keep them safe.

Right now, under the Liberal catch-and-release system, victims are left feeling abandoned, and communities are left feeling vulnerable. Conservatives believe that this is the time to put the rights of victims and the safety of communities back at the centre of our justice system. To do that, we need to end the failed experiment of catch-and-release. We need to scrap Liberal bail.

Public safety is the first duty of government. The very first duty of any government is to keep its citizens safe. Everything else, our prosperity, our freedoms and our sense of community, depends on that foundation. The Liberals have neglected that duty. They have chosen ideology over common sense. They have chosen to prioritize repeat offenders over the safety of ordinary Canadians, and Canadians are paying the price.

However, Conservatives are offering a different path: a path where dangerous repeat offenders are held accountable; a path where police officers are supported, not undermined; and a path where business owners, parents and seniors can feel safe again in their communities. That path starts when we scrap Liberal bail.

It is important to remember that bail was never meant to be automatic. The original intent of bail was to balance two things: the presumption of innocence and the protection of society. When someone posed a clear risk to the community, bail was never supposed to be granted.

What the Liberals have done is strip away that balance. They have tilted the system so heavily in favour of offenders that the protection of society has been forgotten. That is why Canadians are seeing violent repeat offenders back on the street time and time again. That is why victims are losing faith. That is why police are calling for change. To restore the balance, we must return to common sense, and that means it is time to scrap Liberal bail.

I return to the words of my constituent, the small business owner who told me she is afraid to walk outside at night. That fear should never be normal in Canada. I also return to the words of Chief Jamie Blunden, who told me that police chiefs across the country support the bill. When citizens and law enforcement are both calling for the same thing, the House has a duty to act.

The Liberals have chosen leniency and ideology, and this has left Canadians vulnerable. Conservatives choose accountability, common sense and public safety. The choice before us is clear: protect Canadians or protect criminals. Conservatives are choosing Canadians. Conservatives are choosing public safety. Conservatives are choosing to scrap Liberal bail.

I urge all members of the House to support Bill C-242, the jail not bail act. Canadians deserve to feel safe again in their home, their street and their community.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the member said that the government is committed to strict measures against violent offenders, yet it continues to fuel violent crime by refusing to repeal Bill C-75.

The Liberals complain about Pierre Elliott Trudeau and the Conservatives bringing in minimum sentences that they claim hampered judges' independence, but they were proven to reduce the number of incarcerations. By comparison, their bail reform law, Bill C-75, forces judges to release offenders at the earliest possible opportunity under the least onerous conditions. It has emboldened violent criminals to offend again and again.

Does the member not see an increase in violent crime today as a result of the impact of these repeat offenders taking advantage of their new freedom to terrorize Canadians?

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, can the member acknowledge that when the Liberals changed Bill C-5 and Bill C-75, there was an increase in crime across our country? Will the member acknowledge that the action taken by the government, specifically in my province of British Columbia, to decriminalize hard drugs was one of the worst policy failures in the history of Canada?

[Kelly DeRidder, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour to rise on behalf of my riding of Kitchener Centre. I rise not just as a member of Parliament today but as a representative of a community. My community, Kitchener, is hurting. It is hurting from rising crime, broken trust and a justice system that no longer puts public safety first.

After a summer of violent crime and eroded trust in our public safety, Canadians are demanding swift action and they have every right to do so. Across this country, violent crime is up 55%. Firearms offences from non-law-abiding citizens have surged by 130%, and extortion has skyrocketed by 330%. These are not just statistics. They represent shattered lives, grieving families and communities living in fear.

This crisis did not happen by accident. In 2019, the Liberal government passed Bill C-75, which forced judges to release offenders at the earliest possible opportunity under the least restrictive conditions. As a result, there is a revolving door by which repeat violent offenders end up back on our streets. I want to be clear: This is a crisis of the Liberals' own making, and Canadians are left to live with the devastating consequences.

I will be splitting my time today.

We have all heard the heartbreaking stories. One that stays with me is that of Daniel Senecal. He was convicted of sexual assault, released under weakened bail laws and then accused of sexually assaulting a three-year-old child, whom we have come to know as little E. This three-year-old child has had to spend three weeks in the hospital recovering from this unimaginable, irrevocable act, and she will be scarred for life. She is a child. That is the cost of this system, which prioritizes offenders over victims.

There is also Scott Weller, a victim of a violent home invasion. Scott said, “As someone who knows firsthand the trauma of a violent home invasion, I believe strongly in the need for Jail not Bail. My family was attacked in what should have been the safety of our own home. The idea that violent offenders could be released back onto our streets is terrifying—not just for us, but for every Canadian family.” Scott's words are powerful. They remind us that public safety must come first, that the rights of victims and families must come before the rights of violent offenders.

The Toronto Police Association put it plainly: “The proposed ideas will put victims and communities first, restoring the balance that is desperately needed at a time when youth violence and gun crimes are out of control and innocent victims are paying the ultimate price.” This is why Conservatives are introducing Bill C-242, the jail not bail act. The bill would restore accountability, protect communities and put victims first.

I will bring this closer to my riding in Kitchener. In the region of Waterloo, in 2024 alone, there were 3,896 undertakings and 2,334 releases. That is a 61% release rate. This means that the majority of the accused individuals were sent back into our neighbourhoods. What is even more troubling is that approximately 50% of the charges brought forward by the Waterloo Regional Police are not being pursued by Crown prosecution. That is half of these cases gone. They are not prosecuted; they are gone.

Of those released on an undertaking or release order in 2023 and 2024, 20% were found to be in disregard of the terms of their release. What is worse is that more than half of those offenders were caught multiple times. These are the repeat offenders we need off our streets.

I received an email today from Anke, a 76-year-old woman in my community. She told me that she is nervous to walk around her community in broad daylight. She wants us to restore Canada to what it was, making it safe for her children and grandchildren.

Families are not the only ones suffering. Businesses in the downtown core of Kitchener Centre are struggling. They are being broken into. Their customers are afraid to come downtown. The rise in crime is hurting our business community of hard-working entrepreneurs, who are trying to keep their doors open and staff safe.

Public safety is economic safety, and right now both are at risk, but perhaps the most disturbing example is what happened recently in my own community: the sexual assault and attempted kidnapping of a six-year-old child. The accused was released on conditions and is still residing in the same community where that child lives. This is not okay. Our children's safety is at risk. No parent should have to live with the fear that a violent offender is living down the street. No child should be put in harm's way because our justice system has failed to act.

Bill C-242, the jail not bail act, would, first, repeal the Liberal principle of restraint and replace it with a directive that public protection and safety be the primary consideration. Second, it would create a new major offences category with reverse-onus bail conditions for charges like firearm offences, sexual assault, kidnapping, human trafficking, home invasion, robbery, extortion, arson and assault.

Third, it would strengthen bail laws by requiring judges to consider an accused's full criminal history and by preventing bail for anyone convicted of a major offence in the last 10 years who is now charged again. Fourth, it would toughen the risk assessment standard from “substantial likelihood” to “reasonably foreseeable”. Fifth, it would prohibit anyone with an indictable conviction from acting as a guarantor. We would enforce bail conditions on guarantors and require non-residents to surrender their passport upon request.

This is not about being punitive; it is about being responsible. It is about restoring order to our streets, trust in our justice system and confidence in our communities. Conservatives are calling on all political parties to set aside political differences and to do what is right. Canadians deserve a justice system that protects them and enables them, not repeat offenders.

To every victim, every family, every child, every business owner and every community that has lived through the trauma of violence, I say that Conservatives hear them. We stand with them. We are taking action. They deserve to learn, live and work in safe streets, to go to bed without worry, to know their children can play safely in their yard and their park, and to live in the Canada we lived in before the Liberals' Bill C-75, the “get out of jail free card” act.

Let us restore justice. Let us restore confidence in public safety. Let us pass Bill C-242, the jail not bail act.

[Michael Guglielmin, Conservative, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, imagine for a moment a father sleeping peacefully at home with his wife and kids, when violent thugs kick in their door and break into their home. He does what any husband would do: He tries to protect his family. Then he is fatally shot and murdered. This is not a scene from a Hollywood production; this was the reality for Aleem Farooqi and his family in Vaughan when Aleem was gunned down defending his family, a true hero.

Imagine someone waking up in the morning in their home to find out that their car in the driveway, right below where their children sleep, was almost stolen the night before. That is what happened to me back in August of this year, and I am not special. This has happened to numerous people in Vaughan—Woodbridge and thousands of Canadians all across this country. In my community, everybody knows someone who has had a car stolen. In fact, in the last eight weeks, York Region has seen 296 vehicle thefts. How about gun violence? In the last eight weeks, we have had 10 shootings and a bank robbery.

Last month, I attended a press conference in Vaughan—Woodbridge, joined by the Leader of the Opposition, fellow Conservative members of Parliament and victims of crime, and we attempted to address this very issue. The message was clear. Something needs to be done. Something needs to change in this country.

For far too long now, I have heard horror stories in my community of citizens being terrorized, their homes being broken into, their cars getting broken into and their loved ones being fatally shot. People are genuinely afraid. They are afraid in their own homes and afraid in their own communities.

I was born and raised in Vaughan—Woodbridge, a place that has always been to me the perfect place to raise a family. In my youth and early adult life, it was a community where I felt safe, where people would walk around at night without fear. They would not worry if they had forgotten to lock their doors, and they would go to bed knowing they were safe in their own beds. However, over the last decade, that sense of security has been shattered.

My friends in my community no longer feel safe walking at night. When our youth go to school, they face threats of gun violence, stabbings and assaults. Our seniors are anxious, wondering if their cars will be on the driveway when they wake up in the morning. Just last Wednesday, two homes fell prey to shootings. The shootings happened only minutes apart, and both of these homes had been shot earlier the same month. That means the residents have now lived twice through violent attacks. Recently in Vaughan, three suspects were arrested for committing a series of home invasions, and two of these suspects were already out on bail.

What happened? The Liberals introduced bail reform with Bill C-5 and Bill C-75, and these Liberal bail laws have completely broken our bail system.

What needs to change? Today, this is exactly what we are here to address. This is far from a partisan issue. Premiers, mayors, police associations, attorneys general and Canadians have been asking for the federal government to end catch-and-release bail laws like Bill C-75, a law that forces judges to apply the principle of restraint, which puts repeat violent offenders back on the streets, and Bill C-5, which repealed mandatory jail time for serious gun crimes, including extortion with a firearm.

We all know the consequences. Since these laws were introduced, all across Canada, violent crime is up by 55%, firearm crime is up by 130%, extortion has skyrocketed by 330%, sexual assaults are up by 76% and homicides are up by 29%. In 2019, David Lametti, now the Prime Minister's right-hand man, passed Bill C-75, forcing judges to release offenders at the earliest opportunity under the least onerous conditions.

Today, the Conservatives have introduced a motion in the House of Commons. For people tuning in from my community, the motion reads as follows:

That, given that,

(a) violent crime is up 55% under the Liberal government and repeat offenders continue to be released because of Liberal catch and release laws; and

(b) the Liberal government promised to pass criminal justice reform six months ago but has failed to do so;

in order to keep repeat offenders in jail and keep Canadians safe, the House is of the opinion that Bill C-242, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Department of Justice Act, also known as the Jail Not Bail Act, must pass and is committed to sitting extended hours, holding an expeditious committee study and undertaking such other procedural measures as may be necessary to pass it at the earliest opportunity.

The Conservatives are here to say that in order to stop this chaos on our streets, keep repeat violent offenders in jail and keep Canadians safe, we must pass my hon. colleague from Oxford's bill, the jail not bail act, Bill C-242.

What would the jail not bail act do? First, it would repeal the Liberal principle of restraint and replace it with a directive that the primary consideration is the protection and safety of the public. Second, it would introduce a new major offence category with reverse onus bail conditions for firearm, sexual assault, kidnapping, human trafficking, home invasion, robbery, extortion, arson and assault charges. Third, it would strengthen bail laws by mandating judges to consider an accused's full criminal history and would prevent anyone from getting bail who was convicted of a major offence in the last 10 years and is charged with a major offence while out on bail. Fourth, it would prohibit anybody with an indictable conviction from acting as a guarantor, would require judges to enforce bail conditions on guarantors and would require non-residents to surrender their passport upon request.

Do not take our word for it. Take it from Cait Alexander, a survivor of domestic violence who runs the organization End Violence Everywhere: “The Jail Not Bail Act is therefore more than legislation—it is an essential corrective—a lifeline capable of disrupting the revolving door of abuse and saving innocent lives.”

How about the Toronto Police Association? It stated:

The proposed ideas will put victims and communities first, restoring the balance that is desperately needed at a time when youth violence and gun crimes are out of control and innocent victims are paying the ultimate price. We would encourage all levels of government to set aside their political differences and do what's right.

After the horrific murder of Aleem Farooqi in my community of Vaughan, Vaughan's mayor, Steven Del Duca, called on the federal government for urgent bail system reform, stating, “I am calling on the Prime Minister to show leadership and to urgently overhaul the system”.

I will repeat that this is not a partisan issue. People's lives are at risk every single day the government delays. the Prime Minister and Minister of Justice have spent the last six months spiralling, dithering and failing to act. In that time, violent crime has surged and innocent Canadians have paid the ultimate price.

I have heard Liberal members say they are going to introduce stronger bail laws, except they have not, even though we know what is needed because we have heard it from every single corner of this country. What we do not need is more Liberal reforms. We need to scrap Liberal bail and restore safety on our streets.

If the Prime Minister and Liberal members of the House are serious about restoring peace to our communities, they will back this bill, reverse their disastrous bail laws and tip the scales of justice back in favour of innocent Canadians. If they do not want to support the bill for political purposes, they can abstain and let it pass so people in this country can have a sense of security again.

Every day, Canadians wake up and see another headline about a violent shooting. Tomorrow, many Canadians will wake up and their car will be stolen from their driveway. We have a job to do on behalf of the people who sent us here.

The government's primary responsibility is to keep Canadians safe. It is time to put victims ahead of criminals and violent criminals behind bars, where they belong. That is why I encourage every member of this House to support my colleague's bill, Bill C-242, the jail not bail act. It is very important that we stand up for our communities and the people of this country and put repeat violent offenders behind bars.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, what the member on the other side of the floor observed was very astute, which is that the Liberals come up with bills that always have something of value in them, but there are always poison pills that make it impossible to support them. That was the case for the Conservatives with Bill C-75. Over and over, today in the House, the Liberals said they are committed to strict measures against violent offenders. That means that every example given on this side of the floor of the horrific things that have been done by individuals who have been out on bail are not violent offences to the Liberals, and that is very disturbing.

I would like to know from the member whether, if the Liberal government supported our motion for jail not bail, his communities would once again be far safer places to live and to raise a family.

[Chak Au, Conservative, Richmond Centre—Marpole, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am new to the House, but I have one observation so far. When my learned colleagues on the other side of the chamber make a statement about their achievements, it could mean a very small step, but they left out 99 steps that they have not addressed. By saying that Bill C-75 made some progress, the member has left out many of the loopholes, many of the gaps and many of the challenges that our ordinary citizens are facing and suffering from.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, when we think of Bill C-75, something that the Conservatives have brought up a lot today, we should think in terms of what it actually did. It abolished peremptory challenges to the jurors and modified the process of challenging a juror for cause, introducing judicial standby. It enhanced measures to better respond to intimate partner violence, provided additional measures to reduce criminal justice system delays and to make the criminal law and the criminal justice system clearer and more efficient, facilitated human trafficking prosecutions and allowed for the possibility of property forfeiture.

I am wonder if the member could indicate whether or not the Conservative Party would actually repeal Bill C-75.

[Chak Au, Conservative, Richmond Centre—Marpole, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Vaughan—Woodbridge.

I rise today not to debate ideology but to defend a principle that every Canadian holds dear: the right to feel safe in their own community.

From Richmond to Vancouver and from Kelowna to Surrey, Canadians are witnessing a justice system that no longer protects them. Violent offenders are arrested, brought before a judge and, despite long criminal histories and active bail conditions, are released again, sometimes within hours and sometimes with fatal consequences.

Let me tell members about Tori Dunn, a 30-year-old woman from Surrey who was murdered in her own home by a man who had been released on bail despite facing robbery charges and having a long history of violence. Her death was not inevitable; it was preventable. There is also Jordan Paul Campbell Mutual, who had 10 outstanding warrants while out on bail. He set two police officers on fire during an arrest attempt. Mohammed Majidpour, who had over 24 prior convictions, assaulted a woman with a metal pole and committed arson on the same day. He had been released on bail multiple times. These are not isolated incidents; they are the result of a justice system that prioritizes procedure over protection and leaves communities to bear the consequences.

The numbers do not lie. Between November 2022 and December 2023, British Columbia held nearly 4,800 bail hearings. In them, crime prosecutors sought detention in only 23% of cases, and judges granted detention just 41% of the time. In violent crime cases, judges ordered detention in only 43% of them, even when the accused was already out on bail for yet another violent offence. In Kelowna, 15 repeat offenders were responsible for over 1,300 police files in one single year. That is one police interaction every four days per person.

This is not a justice system that protects the public; it is one that enables repeat offenders.

At the heart of the crisis is Bill C-75. Passed in 2019, it introduced the principle of restraint, requiring judges to release accused offenders at the earliest opportunity and under the least restrictive conditions. While intended to ensure fairness, it has had the opposite effect on public safety. Judges now feel bound to release individuals who pose a clear risk. Repeat violent offenders exploit the system. Crown prosecutors, constrained by federal policy, seek detention in fewer than one in four cases. Even when they do, judges often decline. This disconnect between the Crown and the judiciary is not just procedural but dangerous. It creates a system where public safety is treated as secondary, and where legal technicalities override lived realities.

Meanwhile, our peace officers are sounding alarms, and it is time to listen. Police officers are arresting the same individuals repeatedly, only to see them walk free. They face burnout, frustration and rising violence. In Vancouver alone last year there were 6,200 violent crimes, including nearly 5,000 assaults. Assaults on public officers rose by 20% in a single year. Vancouver police chief, Adam Palmer, has called for urgent bail reform. Deputy Chief Howard Chow said that reverse-onus bail provisions would, in his words, “dramatically improve” public safety. Even Vancouver mayor, Ken Sim, speaking bluntly, said, “Excuse my language, but that's [BS]”, when he was talking about a man with 60 police interactions who was released yet again, only to commit another violent attack.

This is not just a policing issue; it is also a public safety crisis. While the system fails to contain repeat offenders, victims are being retraumatized. Imagine surviving a violent crime, reporting it and then seeing one's attacker walking free, days after, back in one's neighbourhood, back into one's life.

There is no justice in retraumatization. Victims often face sleepless nights, anxiety and fear, not just from the crime itself but also from the knowledge that the system may not protect them. Families like that of Tori Dunn feel betrayed. Survivors of assault and harassment are forced to relive their trauma every time they see their attacker walk free. This is not just emotional; it is systemic.

When victims see attackers released without consequence, it sends a dangerous message that their pain is secondary, that their safety is negotiable and that justice for them is optional. Across Canada, people are asking why violent offenders are walking free. Why are police arresting the same person over and over again? Why does the system seem more concerned with the rights of repeat offenders than with the safety of law-abiding citizens? The answers are buried in legislation that prioritizes leniency over logic and in a judicial culture that has lost sight of its duty to protect.

A recent survey shows that 68% of Canadians now believe that the bail system is too lenient, a dramatic increase from just 41% three years ago. This is not just a perception problem; it is a reflection of lived experience.

I know what the Liberals and their NDP allies will say. They will argue that tougher bail is too harsh. They will say that criminals deserve a second chance, but how many second chances should a repeat violent offender get before an innocent person loses their life? How many times should a small business owner be robbed before we admit that the system is failing?

The truth is that our opponents are more concerned with ideology than with safety. They lecture Canadians about root causes, while ignoring the root fact, which is that when a violent offender is behind bars, they cannot harm innocent people. That is why we are supporting the jail not bail motion. It is not radical; it is reasonable. It would not target first-time offenders. It would not strip anyone of their rights. It does say that if someone has been convicted of three or more serious offences, they should not be eligible for bail, probation or parole.

It says that if someone is charged with a major offence, like sexual assault, home invasion or a firearms offence, they should face reverse-onus bail. Judges must consider someone's full criminal history, not just the current charge. If someone has recently been convicted of a major offence, they should not be released again while facing new charges.

It is not about punishment; it is about prevention, about protection and about restoring trust.

Let us stand with victims, restore safe streets and act now, because justice delayed is danger delivered, and Canadians cannot wait for more.

[Kelly DeRidder, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I just listened for 20 minutes to the member across creating a bunch of slander against the Conservative Party and a wonderful smokescreen. The Liberals are not taking any accountability for what their bills have done with repeat offenders in our communities. I ask the member how he is going to respond to the family in my community whose six-year-old child was assaulted. The accused was released, out on conditions, living in the same community as the child who was assaulted.

What does the member say to them about how the Liberals are going to fix what they have created with their bill, Bill C-75?

[Vincent Ho, Conservative, Richmond Hill South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the answer is in the question. It is because the Liberals broke our justice system with Bill C-5 and Bill C-75, making house arrest the new norm and bringing in the revolving door justice system that we have now. They broke our justice system. Their bail reform is what caused this catch-and-release system, which has allowed crime to ravage our communities.

We are asking why the Liberals will not scrap Liberal bail.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have committed to strict measures against violent offenders, yet they continue to fuel violent crime by refusing to repeal Bill C-75. The bill is forcing judges to release offenders at the earliest possible opportunity and under the least onerous conditions. Violent criminals have been emboldened and are taking advantage of their new freedom to terrorize Canadians because of it.

If the Liberal government were to support our motion, the jail not bail act, today, would Richmond Hill once again be a far safer place to live and raise families?

Business of the House

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Grande Prairie, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is time for the Thursday question, when we ask for the government's agenda for the upcoming week.

During the election, the Prime Minister made a lot of promises. He said that he was going to fix Liberal bail. Specifically, he was going to fix the mess that Justin Trudeau, as well as the vast majority of the Liberals, created by passing Bill C-5 and Bill C-75.

Would the House leader inform the House if the Liberals will finally bring in legislation, in the upcoming week, to fix the disaster they have created in the bail system in this country?

During the election, the Prime Minister promised that, by July 21 of this year, months ago, he would have a deal with Trump regarding our trade deal with the United States. Over the last number of weeks, we have reports that we have the fastest-shrinking economy in the G7. We have the second-highest unemployment rate in the G7. The jobs crisis is worsening in this country. We have seen the announcements from Imperial Oil of 900 job losses in Calgary. We have had the Kap Paper announcement here in Ontario, as well as GM's announcement that it is going to discontinue production of some of its models in Canada and move those jobs to the United States.

Will the House leader finally update the House as to whether the Prime Minister will fulfill his commitment to get a deal with the United States in the coming week?

Justice

[Patricia Lattanzio, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, before the hon. member asks about repealing Bill C-75, I strongly suggest that she take the time to read the whole thing first.

She does not seem to understand that this bill actually makes it harder for people charged with intimate partner violence to get bail. We are prepared to work in good faith with members of all parties to strengthen the bail system.