moved for leave to introduce C-411, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (arson — wildfires and places of worship).
Mr. Speaker, today I am tabling legislation to protect Canada's forests and places of worship from arson. My bill, the anti-arson act, will create two new offences in the Criminal Code.
The first offence increases the maximum sentence for causing a wildfire to 18 years, and for subsequent offences to 18 years. After nine years, the Liberal-NDP government has failed to protect Canadians from the rising threat of wildfires. Over half of wildfires are human-caused. Many of these fires are ignited by arsonists from Nova Scotia, to British Columbia and everywhere in between. These fires have led to evacuations, destruction of private and public property, expensive firefighting costs to the taxpayer, increased carbon emissions and significant health repercussions from smoke.
The second offence introduces a minimum sentence of five years in prison for a first offence and seven years for repeat offences of damage to a place of worship by fire or explosion. Over 100 churches have been burned, desecrated or vandalized since 2021. Last month, the Jewish synagogue Schara Tzedeck, in Vancouver, suffered an arson attack, leaving community members shocked and horrified. In Peterborough, a mosque was torched by an arsonist and suffered tens of thousands of dollars in damages. Ex-president Kenzu Abdella stated that the issue needs to be taken seriously by all levels of government and that the crime should carry a serious enough consequence to potentially deter arsonists.
Churches, mosques, synagogues and temples are more than buildings. These places of worship are where Canadians go to find strength, fellowship with God and others. Pyro-terrorist attacks are an assault on their entire faith community and undermine Canadians' sense of security and freedom. Canadians of any faith should never wake up to find out that their sanctuary has been criminally destroyed. Conservatives will defend their freedom of worship and assembly from pyro-terrorism.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)