Bill C-5 (Historical)

An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act

This enactment amends the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to, among other things, repeal certain mandatory minimum penalties, allow for a greater use of conditional sentences and establish diversion measures for simple drug possession offences.

Opposition Motion—Violent Crime and Repeat Offenders

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Madam Speaker, I will ask my question in a non-partisan spirit. The issue of rising crime is worries the Bloc Québécois. On a more personal level, as the status of women critic, I have seen the numbers showing the rise in crime and particularly crimes against women.

This is what drove me to move a motion, which will be the first motion before the Standing Committee on the Status of Women this fall when we get back to work, specifically to determine whether section 810 of the Criminal Code adequately protects women in the justice system. In the spirit of non-partisanship, I even allowed my motion to be amended. At the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, we will be working together to consider issues relating to Bill C‑5 and Bill C‑75.

My colleague's bill is all well and good, but are the Conservatives going to take note of the serious study that the Standing Committee on the Status of Women will be carrying out on this matter?

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON]

moved:

That, given that the Liberal government has changed the law to allow for house arrest for serious offenders and lets repeat criminals go free within hours of their arrest, which has resulted in a 50% increase in violent crime, the House call on the Liberal government to replace these changes with a "Three-Strikes-And-You're-Out" law that will stop criminals convicted of three serious offences from getting bail, probation, parole or house arrest and keep violent criminals in jail for at least 10 years.

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles.

It is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the great citizens of Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations. I rise today in strong support of our Conservative motion calling on the government to end the failed experiment of leniency and to adopt a common-sense “three strikes and you're out” law so that the worst repeat violent offenders serve real time, not living-room sentences, and communities are finally safe again.

For 10 long years, the Liberal government has put the interests of criminals ahead of the safety and dignity of victims. It has prioritized the rights of repeat offenders over the safety of law-abiding Canadians. I say this as someone who served nearly two decades as a Crown attorney. I have looked victims in the eye. I have sat with families shattered by repeat offenders who should never have been back on the street. Over those years, the offenders I saw grew more dangerous and more emboldened because the system kept signalling that the consequences were optional.

This soft-on-crime philosophy did not begin with the current Liberals. Its roots stretch back more than 50 years, when Pierre Trudeau's Liberal government openly declared its intent to stress the rehabilitation of individuals rather than the protection of society, even if it involved community risk. Canadians have been paying the price for those risks ever since. The Young Offenders Act dramatically reduced sentences, even for those convicted of murder. Statutory release shortened jail time by a third, and parole policies make a mockery of sentences pronounced in court. Today, full parole can come as early as one-third of a sentence, and unescorted temporary absences as early as one-sixth.

The practical effect of this Liberal philosophy was clear: The faint hope of rehabilitating an offender was elevated over denouncing unlawful conduct, deterring crime or protecting society. The result has been a revolving door of hardened criminals being arrested and released and then reoffending, leaving victims to suffer the consequences.

That is why the Conservative government of Stephen Harper worked to restore balance to our justice system, re-establishing the importance of denunciation, deterrence and the protection of society. However, the Liberals have spent the past decade undoing that progress, scrapping mandatory minimum sentences for serious gun crimes, making bail even easier to obtain and carrying on the soft-on-crime legacy.

This became crystal clear in 2019 when the Liberals passed Bill C-75. Among other things, it legislated a principle of restraint that pushes release at the earliest opportunity on the least restrictive terms. That may sound tidy in a briefing note, but in real life it tilted the system away from public safety. The Department of Justice itself describes the bill's goal as timely release with the least onerous conditions.

Then came the notorious Bill C-5 in 2022. This law repealed mandatory minimum penalties for dozens of serious offences that were constitutionally upheld, and brought back conditional sentence orders, what most Canadians now call house arrest. At the time, Liberal justice minister David Lametti said the Liberals were “turning the page on a failed Conservative criminal justice policy”, but what did that really mean? It meant making conditional sentences possible for serious offences like sexual assault, kidnapping, human trafficking, even fentanyl trafficking, and robbery with violence. These are not small crimes; they are violent, scarring, life-altering offences. Imagine telling a victim of kidnapping that their attacker can now serve a sentence from the comfort of their own living room. That is the reality Bill C-5 created.

When the public backlash grew, the Liberals tried to save face with Bill C-48. The then justice minister, Arif Virani, promised it would make Canadians safer, but then he admitted in his own words that he cannot measure what exactly that would look like. That is not a plan; that is simply a press release.

When those reforms failed, Liberal ministers tried to pass the buck. We heard the public safety minister, who was the justice minister at the time, say that the bail system is sound. We saw Liberal ministers and the Prime Minister blaming provinces, telling premiers to “step up” while refusing to fix the failed Criminal Code policies that they themselves broke. Canadians do not want a blame game; they want a justice system that works and is fair.

It is not just Conservatives sounding the alarm. For years, police chiefs, premiers and mayors from across the country have been begging the Liberal government to fix the mess. The Liberals have been obstructionist ever since. The Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police said that changes were “urgently needed” to stop repeat violent offenders from cycling through communities. The Toronto Police Association repeatedly warned of the dangers of letting repeat violent offenders back on the streets. Mayors in Vancouver, Winnipeg and Toronto have all publicly pressed for real reform because their citizens are living with the consequences every single day. All 13 premiers from across party lines signed joint letters for the federal government demanding immediate action, yet the government continued its obstructionist ways. It dug in, defended its failed laws and ignored voices from the very same stakeholders it should have been listening to.

What has been the result? The numbers do not lie. Since 2015, crime has exploded across all categories. Extortion alone has had a 300% increase. These are not just statistics. They represent real Canadians whose lives have been shattered by violence.

Consider the Saskatchewan tragedy in 2022. Myles Sanderson was already out on statutory release after 59 convictions. Let that sink in. He went on a rampage, killing 11 people and injuring 17 more. If he had been kept in jail, as common sense dictates, those families would still have their loved ones today. In Peel Region, police arrested 18 individuals tied to home invasions, armed robberies and carjackings. Shockingly, half of them were out on release at the time. In Vancouver, police reported that just 40 prolific repeat offenders were arrested more than 6,000 times in a single year. That, by definition, is the revolving-door justice system.

That is why, if the Liberal government were truly serious about tackling violent crime, it would adopt the Conservative plan for a “three strikes and you're out” law. Here is what that means in practice. When someone has been convicted of three serious violent offences, they would no longer be able to serve their time at home or walk out with probation. There would be no more conditional sentences and no more house arrests. Instead, they would face a mandatory minimum period of incarceration of 10 years, with the possibility of life in prison depending on the severity of their crimes. They would be designated as dangerous offenders, which means they would not be released until they can prove they are no longer a threat to the public. If they ever wanted to earn back their freedom, they would have to show it. That means spotless behaviour, clean drug tests and real steps toward rehabilitation.

The principle is simple. After three serious violent crimes, someone has shown society they cannot be trusted to walk free. They would serve real time, not living-room sentences. That is how we effectively protect communities, restore faith in the justice system and finally put victims ahead of repeat violent offenders.

Canadians are tired of Liberal governments that coddle criminals and abandon victims. The motion says that enough is enough. It would end the failed approach of Bill C-75 and Bill C-5. It responds to the pleas of police, premiers and mayors. It would give Crown attorneys and judges the tools they need to keep dangerous offenders where they belong: behind bars. Most importantly, it would restore the fundamental duty of any federal government, and that is to keep Canadians safe.

Canadians want their children to walk to school without fear. They want seniors to feel safe in their homes. They want women to know that their abusers will not be back on their doorstep the very next day. They want law-abiding citizens put before repeat violent offenders.

The Conservatives are bringing forward this motion because Canadians deserve more than excuses. They deserve more than obstructionist ways. They deserve safety, first and foremost.

Public Safety

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Riding Mountain, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to rise again to present a petition on behalf of constituents. I rise on behalf of the people of Swan River on the alarming increase in violent crime that has threatened the safety and well-being of families across the region.

The petitioners are experiencing the consequences of the soft-on-crime Liberal policies, such as Bill C-5 and Bill C-75. Bill C-5 repealed mandatory jail time for serious crimes, and Bill C-75 forces judges to release repeat violent offenders right back onto our streets. Petitioners are concerned that, since 2015, extortion in Canada has increased by 330% while violent crime is up 55%.

Petitioners in the Swan River Valley want to see an end to the Liberals' reckless catch-and-release policies so that they can feel safe in their own community. This is why the people of Swan River are demanding jail, not bail, for repeat violent offenders. I support the good people of Swan River.

Strong Borders Act

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I have to say, it is highly disturbing that I am again obliged to call out the government's glaring violations of Canada's Constitution, including international covenants to which Canada is a signatory, in Bill C-2, the so-called strong borders act.

This is the second occasion where the Liberals have presented a piece of legislation that would provide government with sweeping executive powers. In fact just before summer adjournment, the NDP had to hold the Liberals accountable for how Bill C-5 undermines the Constitution.

Now we are here today debating Bill C-2, a bill that would disregard constitutionally enshrined rights, undermine civil liberties, criminalize migrants and asylum seekers, and bypass Parliament and public debate. Who are the Liberals targeting? They are targeting marginalized communities.

Just like Bill C-5, Bill C-2 is an omnibus bill. It is vague and dangerous. The NDP is once again calling out an undemocratic power grab.

It is clear that the measures are meant to appease Trump, which is the opposite of what the current Prime Minister campaigned on. Do not just take it from me; the Minister of Public Safety said the Liberals carefully crafted Bill C-2 to address Trump's “irritants”, lifting up disinformation that Canada is causing America's fentanyl crisis, appointing a fentanyl czar and enacting draconian border policies that terrorize migrants and refugees and result in the detaining of citizens. That is the American administration the current Prime Minister is lifting up.

According to the Migrant Rights Network:

[the Prime Minister] campaigned on being different from Donald Trump, yet his very first bill is a shameful capitulation to racism and xenophobia, which abandons Canada’s legal and moral obligations to refugees and migrants. We’re witnessing the deliberate expansion of a mass deportation machine designed to tear apart families and communities.

It is shameful.

I have to question the Prime Minister and the Liberal government. Are they going to keep undermining rights to appease a president who has demonstrated that he is erratic, or are they committed to upholding human rights? Are they, along with the Conservatives, going to keep entertaining the lie that immigrants are driving the housing crisis, when the real blame lies with landlords and profit corporations? As we have seen from extremist anti-immigrant and anti-migrant riots in Toronto, entertaining this violent rhetoric is no way to build a unified country.

This week, the Prime Minister called Trump a “modern man”, indicating he texts him regularly. Are we going to pretend that this “modern man” is a reasonable partner in protecting democracy, when he is using his ICE police force, the National Guard and the army to terrorize people, his very own citizens, as well as visitors, including Canadian citizens?

The bill goes beyond what the Liberals have tried to convince people across Canada it is, a bill to protect our borders. In fact, it would result in violating civil liberties and violating rights to privacy. In fact, through the legislation, the Liberals would be ushering in sweeping surveillance powers for police, intelligence and even vaguely defined “public officers” to enforce upon anyone in Canada.

In fact, if the bill is passed, these actors can, without a warrant, demand people's personal information from doctors, banks and landlords; track their locations, associations and service usage; open their Canada Post mail; and share their data with foreign governments such as the United States government. This is a violation of the right to privacy, a charter right that has been affirmed and upheld by the Supreme Court as an essential part of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

According to a letter sent to the government by 39 civil liberties and human rights groups, and 122 lawyers, Bill C-2 “is a multi-pronged assault on the basic human rights and freedoms Canada holds dear. It is likely unconstitutional, and deeply out of step with the values Canadians expect our government to embody and respect.”

This violation of privacy will be felt the most by those who are already the most impacted by oppressive systems: women, gender-diverse folks and the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community. Several organizations representing women and gender-diverse people, including Action Canada, have condemned the bill for allowing a range of powers for law enforcement to access private medical records on abortion history without a warrant, violating the charter-protected right to privacy that people throughout Canada possess with regard to health care services.

Even worse, Bill C-2 includes provisions for intelligence sharing with other countries, including the United States, which would allow authorities from jurisdictions where abortion or gender-affirming care is banned to find out whether a person has obtained these services in Canada. What happens when somebody comes from the United States, where some practices have been made illegal? Does Canada want to be involved in jailing people for exercising their human rights?

This legislation lacks a gender-based analysis. That has been made clear, full stop. It even fails to acknowledge the reality of survivors of gender-based violence. According to Action Canada, “Survivors fleeing gender-based violence abroad are learning about legal processes while living with profound trauma, often under the control of abusive partners who restrict their access to information and support. Imposing strict time limits on these most marginalized refugees”, for example, “ignores Canada's commitments to gender equality and safety.” That also applies to people fleeing intimate partner violence in Canada.

Under Bill C-2, a survivor of violence can be endangered if their abuser or abusive partner, for example, is a member of law enforcement who, without a warrant, is capable of accessing information on their whereabouts and the services they use. However, we should not be surprised if the Prime Minister seems oblivious to the issue of gender-based violence; he plans to cut funding for women and gender equality by 81%, even though several municipalities have declared gender-based violence an epidemic.

I would be remiss if I did not add that Bill C-2 further advances the Liberals' attacks on those who oppose the government agenda, such as land defenders and workers. In fact, just last month, the Liberal government abused its power and its use of section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to violate the right to strike. As the Canadian Union of Public Employees has stated in regard to Bill C-2, “Trade unionists and activists know how surveillance can be used in attempts to limit labour and social movement fights for justice.”

The NDP will not stand for these infringements on our privacy and human rights. The NDP is calling for the bill to be withdrawn in its entirety. Let us not fall into the trap of undermining our Constitution, our human rights and the rule of law.

I am urging the Liberal government to withdraw this harmful bill and to put forward something that upholds human rights and truly ensures that people can live in security and safety.

[Ned Kuruc, Conservative, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk about a few things that the bill fails to address, which are fentanyl sentencing, gun crimes and bail reform.

I would like to start by sharing some alarming facts. According to Health Canada's latest figures, there was a total of 49,105 apparent opioid toxicity deaths reported between January 2016 and June 2024. Of all accidental apparent opioid toxicity deaths from January to June 2024, 79% involved fentanyl. The percentage has increased by 39% since 2016 when national surveillance began. Fentanyl and its analogs were involved in 33% of opioid-related poisoning emergency department visits from January to June 2024. The percentage of all opioid-related poisoning emergency department visits that involved fentanyl and its analogs has increased by 106% since 2018 when national surveillance began.

The Washington Post reported in December 2023 that fentanyl super labs in Canada are producing mass amounts of the drug. The super labs that police are finding in Canada differ because they are synthesizing the drug, not simply pressing pills, using precursor chemicals sourced primarily from China.

In August 2023, the Hamilton Police Service, the OPP, York Regional Police and the Toronto Police Service shut down a number of fentanyl labs in various areas between the GTA and Hamilton. This included two different labs and 25.6 kilograms of fentanyl. When the Liberals passed Bill C-5, they eliminated mandatory jail time for trafficking, producing, importing and exporting drugs like fentanyl. The current penalties in the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act are so weak that organized crime groups are not deterred at all. They simply view them as a cost of doing business.

Conservatives want tougher sentencing measures to ensure that those who mass-produce and traffic fentanyl in mass quantities serve a mandatory life sentence, as murderers do right now. The DEA found that just two milligrams of fentanyl can cause an overdose that leads to death. Producing fentanyl in mass quantities should be treated the same. In June, in my city of Hamilton, police executed a warrant and not only found an illegal handgun, surprise, surprise, but also seized 35 grams of fentanyl. If it had been in its pure, uncut form, that amount could have taken the lives of 17,000 people. Hamiltonians deserve to be protected from those who wish to wreak havoc and take the lives of others. We have had enough.

The second issue Bill C-2 does not address is violent firearms offences. In Hamilton alone, there have been 86 shootings in the last 20 months. On April 17, an international student studying at Mohawk College was shot and killed by a stray bullet while simply waiting for the bus. On July 17, in broad daylight and at the intersection of one of the busiest business districts during a popular street festival in Hamilton, an innocent 26-year-old refugee from Ghana was murdered by a 17-year-old drive-by shooter.

On July 29, in my hometown of Stoney Creek, two separate shootings took place just minutes apart, one of which occurred mere steps from one of our local councillors. On August 30, three people were injured after a gunfight broke out in downtown Hamilton. People ran for their lives as 80 shots were fired. Clearly, if the Liberal government opened its eyes, it would see that Canada is in desperate need of reform for violent firearms offences. How many more innocent bystanders need to be murdered in cold blood for the government to wake up and reverse course? Firearms crime is up 130%.

The statistics speak for themselves, and even though this number has increased for nine consecutive years, the Liberals repealed mandatory prison time for the following: using a firearm or imitation firearm in the commission of an offence, possession of a firearm or weapon knowing its possession is unauthorized, possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition, extortion with a firearm and robbery with a firearm. As I said, the Liberals repealed the mandatory minimum sentences for these crimes.

The third issue that Bill C-2 does not address is bail reform. In 2019, the Liberals introduced Bill C-75, which requires judges to prioritize releasing an accused person at the earliest opportunity and on the least onerous conditions. Why are we not prioritizing the victim or the safety of law-abiding citizens?

A Hamilton individual was released on bail after a string of armed robberies this spring. He has now fled his residence, and the police have completely lost his whereabouts. Conservatives are calling for jail, not bail. The Liberals' soft-on-crime policies have put Canadians in danger. For example, total violent crime is up 50%, total homicides are up 28%, auto theft is up 45%, human trafficking is up 83% and total sexual assaults are up almost 75%.

The Hamilton Police Service had to release a statement of warning to the public after a 22-year-old repeat violent sexual offender was released on bail. This individual forcibly entered the home of a 72-year-old Hamilton woman and sexually assaulted her for one hour. Through DNA findings, he was later connected to a 2022 and 2023 sexual assault claim. Why was he let out on bail?

Bailey McCourt, a young mother we heard about earlier today, was murdered by her ex-husband just hours after he was released on bail for assault. My constituents and I lose sleep at night thinking about how insanely off path this country has gone in terms of protecting its citizens. The statistics are right in front of the government's face. Crime is on the rise, but despite the facts and figures, the Liberal government has repealed and softened its sentencing and bail measures. It is appalling and completely unacceptable and it must change.

The most disturbing statistic to me is that total sexual violations against children are up 120%. A 25-year-old man from Welland, not far from my riding and in my colleague's riding, got an early release from jail in March after serving time for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old boy. Five months later, he forcibly entered a home and sexually assaulted a three-year-old girl. As a father of young children, I am haunted by these stories and these statistics. I can only hope that the Liberals understand that we must protect the innocence of children at all costs.

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives are ready to support provisions in the bill that are in our national interest and secure our borders while proposing amendments by which the bill can be improved and opposing measures that go against the best interest of Canadians.

Before I get into the specifics of the bill, it is very important to note that much of the urgency surrounding the legislation is the direct result of 10 years of Liberal inaction on border and immigration enforcement. Let us not forget it was the new Trump administration that actually forced this issue, causing the Liberals to finally take these concerns seriously. It was about time.

Through the introduction of the bill, the Liberals are trying to address problems they not only created but also allowed to reach a crisis level. Conservatives have been calling for a stronger response to public safety, border security and immigration for years. I am pleased to see that some aspects of Bill C-2 take meaningful steps in helping to streamline investigations, fight money laundering and ensure sex offenders are dealt with properly under the Sex Offender Information Registry Act.

Having the appropriate tools is critical in keeping our borders secure, disrupting illegal financing and fighting transnational organized crime and fentanyl.

Part 2 attempts to begin to address the fentanyl crisis by proposing to amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to fill a loophole in the act. It proposes to do this by banning precursor chemicals for fentanyl, which is critically important.

However, Bill C-2 fails to address the serious matter of appropriate sentencing for fentanyl dealers, for example, given the Liberals' failure to repeal their soft-on-crime bill, Bill C-5, and their catch-and-release legislation in Bill C-75.

Part 4 of Bill C-2 would expand the powers of Canada Post, allowing it to open anything during post. While I agree that the Canada Post Act requires some amendments, the searching and opening of mail should be limited to law enforcement agencies with judicial authorization.

I remain concerned that some of the sweeping changes embedded in this omnibus bill could undermine privacy protections across Canada.

Having a secure border means having a strong, robust immigration system that serves the needs of Canadians and aligns with our national interests. Parts 6 to 9 of Bill C-2 attempt to address some of the challenges our immigration system faces after 10 years of Liberal mismanagement.

I strongly believe that the role of government is to protect our national security. We must ensure that our national security apparatus and law enforcement agencies have the legislative tools necessary to do their jobs and do them well.

Part 6 of the bill introduces amendments to the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to allow information sharing between various government departments and agencies, but only if a written agreement exists.

I applaud the opening of communication between federal agencies, but the bill would permit these activities through regulation rather than simply legislating that requirement. The absence of legislating it and having enforcement mechanisms casts doubt on whether meaningful action would follow or whether this would be yet another empty promise.

Parts 7, 8 and 9 of Bill C-2 include proposed substantial changes to the in-Canada asylum claim eligibility. It would expand the minister's authority to suspend or cancel immigration documents for reasons determined to be in the national interest and proposes changes to the safe third country agreement so that anyone who crosses the border between official ports of entry would be ineligible to apply for asylum immediately after arrival and could be returned to the United States during that period if they do not qualify for an exception.

All of these proposed changes are significant and have potential, but they require in-depth study to ensure they address the problems appropriately.

Beyond immigration, Bill C-2, in part 10 and part 11, contains provisions to crack down on money laundering, terrorist financing and organized crime. Part 10 proposes to increase penalties and replace optional FINTRAC compliance agreements with a mandatory regime. It would expand FINTRAC's registration to include more entities and would authorize FINTRAC to share information with Elections Canada.

These are all sound proposals. However, in part 11 of the bill, the Liberals are proposing to ban certain entities from accepting third party cash deposits, any cash payments, donations or deposits of $10,000 or more. While I appreciate that the government says its intent here is to prevent money laundering by criminals, who predominantly use cash, without further legislative clarity, this has raised concerns from charities, community groups, rural communities and many individuals who rely on cash for their daily business activities.

The provision would risk limiting Canadians' freedom to use legal tender, including cash, as they may choose. Conservatives oppose any move to ban cash or require mandatory digital transactions, and believe that these changes must undergo rigorous scrutiny at committee.

Parts 14 and 15 of Bill C-2 have introduced measures which would curtail individual freedoms and have raised concerns that innocent individuals, not just criminals, may be caught by the provisions of the bill. The bill would introduce provisions to provide greater authority for police, CSIS and authorized persons to access online subscriber information from electronic service providers without the need for a warrant. I understand that this is important in some circumstances, but I believe that digital privacy is a fundamental right of Canadians, and we must ensure that the legislation would not lead to law-abiding citizens' being treated like criminals.

While action on our borders and the need for increased national security enforcement is desperately needed, I want to be clear that I do not support granting excessive, unchecked powers to government or law enforcement, in most circumstances, without due process, proper oversight and respect for Canadians' rights. Conservatives are concerned about Bill C-2's potential impact on Canadians' privacy and freedoms, and we will ensure that they are respected. As I have mentioned, Bill C-2 is sweeping in its scope, and I do not believe that Canadians should have to choose between having a secure border and having their civil liberties protected.

Given the scope and complexity, Conservatives are proposing that Bill C-2 be split into two separate pieces of legislation: one confined to border security and immigration, and the other to everything else. My hope is that the Liberals will receive that as intended. Like most Canadians, we all want secure communities and borders, and immigration that works, and the safety and security of Canadians is not negotiable.

Bill C-2 is a step in the right direction, like cracking down on terrorist financing, but we have concerns, and we oppose other provisions in the bill. The bill needs to be scrutinized. My hope is that the Liberals are open to non-partisan co-operation in ensuring that the bill achieves the stated goal of meaningful improvement to Canada's public safety and national security while safeguarding Canadians' rights and freedoms so that law-abiding Canadians are not treated like criminals.

[Doug Shipley, Conservative, Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the great people of Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, I am pleased to rise today to speak to this important piece of legislation.

Since this is my first full speech in the 45th Parliament, I would be a little remiss if I did not take a moment to thank a few people who helped send me back here. First of all, I would like to mention my EDA president and sign guru, Shawn Scott. A few of my key campaign team members were Erin, also referred to as “Peaches”, the other Errin, Lauren, Harry, Sharbell, Hale and, of course, Kelly, who held the fort. Many other volunteers and supporters also helped with this. It takes an army, as everybody on all sides knows, to get a successful campaign done.

I would also like to thank my family: my wife, Lisa, for always supporting me; my son, Wyatt, and his girlfriend, Grayson; my other son, Luke; and, just to get some brownie points from my wife, I would also like to mention my dog, Ollie, for always posing for pictures on all the brochures and winning everyone's hearts. I am sure my wife will be very happy to hear that part; I think the dog is a little higher on the pecking order at home than I am.

Conservatives have been calling on the Liberal government to introduce many of these measures for years. Under the Liberal government, Canada has turned a blind eye to enforcement on illegal migration, gun trafficking, money laundering and the cross-border trafficking of fentanyl. Unfortunately, the Liberals felt inclined to make real progress on these issues only when they were called out and threatened with tariffs by the United States. They scrambled, and we must ask ourselves why it took so long to act.

Conservatives believe in protecting Canadians from transnational crime, illegal trafficking and abuse of our immigration system, but Bill C-2 contains many troubling provisions related to privacy and civil liberties of Canadians that will be difficult to support without significant amendments. Bill C-2 is a sweeping omnibus bill into which the Liberal government decided to throw a laundry list of measures that are completely unrelated to border security and immigration reform.

I will discuss three main issues touched upon in Bill C-2 that the Liberal government has allowed to spiral out of control: fentanyl, our immigration system and border security.

Let us begin with the fentanyl crisis. Canada faces an opioid crisis that has claimed the lives of more than 50,000 Canadians since 2016. This is a national crisis that has wreaked havoc on our communities in our cities, in our towns and in rural Canada from coast to coast.

Many members must wonder how the Liberal government has responded to this crisis. The Liberal government introduced Bill C-5. This disastrous bill eliminated mandatory prison time for drug traffickers, drug producers and drug importers. Many of the people responsible for killing over 50,000 people and causing unbelievable mayhem and destruction in our communities no longer have mandatory prison times. It has been repeated over and over again, even by Liberals themselves, that Bill C-5's specific goal was for fewer people to go to prison.

As a result of legislation like this, we see that people involved in this deadly fentanyl trade are getting back out on the streets more quickly than ever. It is extremely disappointing to see that there are no new sentencing provisions included in this massive omnibus bill. Individuals who threaten our communities will continue to walk free because of Bill C-5, even if the current bill is passed.

I will remind the members of the House that, in December, Conservatives put forward an opposition day motion calling for many measures related to fentanyl trafficking. Our motion called on the Liberal government to reverse Bill C-5, reinstate longer sentences for drug kingpins, ban the importation of fentanyl precursors, buy high-powered scanners, put more boots on the ground at the ports and stop buying unsafe supply of opioids. Shockingly, the Liberal government, the Bloc and the NDP all voted against this motion.

Now I will turn to our immigration system and border security, issues that the Liberal government has quickly allowed to spiral out of control during its past decade in power. The Prime Minister promised to fix our broken immigration system and broken borders, but recently released numbers show that he has blown past his immigration targets, with some on track to be the highest on record. He supports the same out-of-control Liberal immigration policies that delivered a triple-header crisis in housing, health care and youth unemployment. Conservatives believe we must reduce the numbers so that health care, housing and job creation can catch up.

The Canadian public deserves a trustworthy immigration system that operates in the national interest. We used to have the best immigration system in the world, and we were the envy of all other nations.

Our immigration system must put Canada first. That means inviting the right people in the right numbers to absorb them into housing, health care and jobs. It means having a system that allows newcomers to succeed as part of the Canadian family. It also means restoring the value of citizenship so that everyone who calls our country home, regardless of where they came from, is Canadian above all else. We must also end the abuse of the temporary foreign worker program and the international student program and end fraudulent refugee claims.

With respect to border security, Conservatives will support any measure that invests in our border and provides greater resources to CBSA personnel to prevent the flow of illegal guns, drugs and other listed goods over our border and into Canada. Conservatives are committed to strengthening Canada's border security through practical effective measures. We support deploying thousands of additional border agents, expanding the operational reach of the Canada Border Services Agency across the entire border and installing advanced surveillance towers to monitor high-risk areas. We also advocate for the use of high-powered scanners at land crossings and shipping ports to detect illicit drugs, firearms and stolen vehicles. These tools are essential in disrupting organized crime and protecting Canadian communities.

Above all, we stand firmly behind the dedicated men and women serving on the front lines of our border. These professionals are often under-resourced, but they work tirelessly to safeguard our country. Their efforts in intercepting dangerous substances and weapons are critical to national security, and they deserve our full support and sincere gratitude.

Now I would like to touch briefly upon how the Liberal government's soft-on-crime agenda is having an impact on my own community. After 10 years under the Liberal government, I walk around the downtown core of my riding and do not recognize it. Ten years ago, my community did not have tent encampments, and it did not have widespread homelessness; it did not have individuals smoking and shooting up illegal drugs on sidewalks and in children's playgrounds. Lawlessness has become the norm in my community and in cities across Canada. The sad part is that our young people think this is normal. They think this is the way Canada has always been. To young people across Canada, I say that it was not like this before the Liberal government came into power; it will not be like this once it is gone.

In the city of Barrie, Mayor Alex Nuttall was recently forced to declare a state of emergency to address the growing number and size of encampments, which pose significant risks to the community, our first responders and the individuals living in these encampments. Our first responders and community organizations are stretched thin by the scale of disorder caused by the encampments. Children are exposed to open drug use and must navigate dangerous areas on their way to school. Small businesses and local retailers face ongoing challenges related to vandalism, theft, loitering and public intoxication. It is clear that this is a symptom of the Liberal government's reckless experiment of flooding our streets with taxpayer-funded hard drugs. Our once-safe neighbourhoods are now plagued by crime, chaos, death and disorder.

The justice minister recently tweeted, “This isn't the Wild West.” I would like him to say that to residents in downtown Barrie. A resident recently wrote a letter to my office to express his concern, stating, “This situation is unacceptable. My children should be able to walk safely down the street without encountering garbage, needles, makeshift encampments or open drug use. Allowing this to continue is a failure of leadership and a betrayal of the residents who work hard to maintain their homes, pay their taxes and raise their families here. A clear line must be drawn. People cannot simply set up tents wherever they choose, and open drug use cannot be ignored. This is not only a public health and safety crisis but also a direct threat to law and order. By tolerating it, we send the message that community standards and laws no longer matter.”

At the federal level, the Liberal government must face reality and take immediate action to protect Canadians. The Conservatives are calling on the Liberal government to amend the Criminal Code to include a much-needed stand-on-guard principle, fix Canada's broken bail system, reverse the reckless drug policy and repeal soft-on-crime legislation so that dangerous criminals receive jail time, not bail.

To conclude, I would like to reiterate that Conservatives are supportive of some measures in Bill C-2. However, we are deeply concerned about others. I am extremely concerned that there are no new sentencing provisions, there are no new mandatory jail sentencing provisions, there are no mandatory jail terms for fentanyl traffickers who terrorize our communities and there are no new mandatory jail terms for criminals who terrorize our communities with guns. This is the reality of Canada. Criminals, including those charged with trafficking fentanyl, smuggling firearms or committing violent assaults, are being routinely released on bail, often within hours. The bill would not address that reality in any way, shape or form. Conservatives believe that Canadians deserve to feel safe in their homes, in their streets and in their communities.

As of today, Bill C-2 is a bad bill. In its current form, it will be difficult for Conservatives to support the bill. What is the solution? We recommend that Liberals copy our ideas. Our leader has said time and time again, “Please use our ideas.”

Conservatives have brought forward serious proposals in the form of private members' bills and otherwise to fix our broken—

Public Safety

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Riding Mountain, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to rise on behalf of the people of Swan River to present a petition on the alarming increase in violent crime, which has threatened the safety and well-being of families all across our region. The petitioners are experiencing the devastating impacts of soft-on-crime Liberal policies like Bill C-5 and Bill C-75. Bill C-5 repealed mandatory jail time for serious crimes and Bill C-75 forces judges to release repeat violent offenders right back on our streets.

The petitioners are concerned that since 2015, extortion in Canada has increased by 330% and homicides are up 29%. The petitioners in the Swan Valley want to see an end to the Liberals' catch-and-release policies so they can feel safe in their own communities. That is why the people of Swan River are demanding jail, not bail, for violent repeat offenders. I support the good people of Swan River.

Justice

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

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 violent offenders. We will also advance reforms that would make it harder to get bail for people who pose a public safety threat.

I would ask that all members of the House pull the partisan rhetoric out of such a serious issue as public safety and get together to advance reforms that will protect—

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in recent years, we have witnessed the implementation of Bill C-5, which amends the Criminal Code and allows sentences to be served at home, and Bill C-75, which makes it very easy for offenders to be released on bail. These bills were put in place by the former justice minister, David Lametti, who is currently an adviser to the Prime Minister's Office.

Will the Prime Minister listen to David Lametti, or will he listen to reason and listen to the Conservatives?

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

Madam Speaker, before Parliament rose for the summer, I shared the heartbreaking story of the Lehmann family from my riding in Mission. They lost $300,000 to extortion. Their lives were completely destabilized, yet the criminal never spent a single day in jail, only nine months of house arrest and probation, while the Lehmanns lost their retirement income.

Since I raised that question, more devastating stories have come to light. Just today, another suspect was arrested in a Brampton extortion and shooting case. Earlier this summer, gunshots were fired at homes in Brampton neighbourhoods, targeting residents in what authorities say was part of a broader extortion scheme.

In Surrey, extortion has reached alarming levels. As of mid-September, the Surrey Police Service is actively investigating 44 extortion cases, 27 including shootings, targeted at residents and businesses. It has gotten so bad that Mayor Brenda Locke has gone as far as announcing a $250,000 reward fund for information leading to convictions. I believe it is the largest in Canadian history. Violent crime is up 55%. Firearms-related crimes have increased 130%. Extortion, one of the most destabilizing crimes a community can face, has spiked 333%.

Canadians deserve better, and Conservatives have a plan that will restore and strengthen mandatory jail time for extortionists to face real consequences. My colleague from Ontario is introducing the jail not bail act to take stronger action against violent, repeat offenders. The act would end catch-and-release policies that too often put dangerous individuals back on the streets. It would create a major offences category that includes crimes such as firearms offences, sexual assault, kidnapping, human trafficking, home invasion, robbery, extortion, arson and assault.

Families are being devastated, businesses are being terrorized and communities are being destabilized. I will ask again, will the Liberals stand with Canada, the Canadian consensus, and admit that their soft-on-crime policies under Bill C-5 and Bill C-75 have destabilized our communities? Can they admit their faults and work with Conservatives to reverse that legislation and restore hope, justice and equality, especially for women, who are most impacted by their soft-on-crime policies? Will they stand with Canadians and make the changes we need to see?

Strong Borders Act

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Madam Speaker, I welcome the member back for his second term. He should know that the federal Criminal Code is administered out of this place, and that is what we are talking about. We are talking about things like Bill C-5 and Bill C-75, which take the onerous provision out and allow weak bail. We are talking about this in light of Bill C-2, because they have allowed chaos in our streets. We will continue talking about crime every single day of the week when the Liberals are trying to convince Canadians that they are the ones trying to fix it.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we are back today, again, to do something we do a lot of in this place, which is cleaning up yet another mess that the Liberal government, the government for the last 10 years, has created.

This time we are tackling a broken border security regime that lets guns, drugs and criminals flow across the border with absolutely no consequences. When we tie that together with an equally broken criminal justice system that provides no accountability for the offenders and no safety for innocent Canadians, we get a disaster and crisis-level mess. How did we get here? That is pretty simple. We will walk everyone right through it. For everybody watching, for those who might listen this time around, we will start with Justin Trudeau and his ministers. By the way, they are still there on the front bench. They prefer giving rights to criminals over law-abiding Canadians. Pieces of legislation such as Bill C-5 and Bill C-75 codify this ideology and let convicted criminals roam free through a revolving-door justice system of bail with no punishments and no accountability whatsoever.

We see it every single day with every story on the news, story one, two, three, four, five, particularly in my region of the GTA. Piled on that are weak immigration policies that deliver outcomes such as a 632% increase in people trying to cross into the country illegally from the U.S. Sprinkled on that is a healthy dose of free drugs, courtesy of the taxpayer, available to anyone, anywhere, even when we know these drugs end up in the streets or in our schools and, frankly, make the plight of addiction much worse and not better. This is all topped off with a broken federal bureaucracy that has ballooned; it is so weak and so detached from reality that literal terrorist organizations, in some cases, can fundraise, recruit and operate with impunity here in Canada from coast to coast to coast. Some of them have charitable numbers even still.

It does not take a genius to realize that all of these ingredients would set us up for a ginormous, if that is a word, border security and crime crisis in the country.

We get stories like those of Raj Kumar Mehmi, who was convicted of smuggling 80 kilos of cocaine in 2023, sentenced to 15 years and released. He escaped, hopped on a plane and is now gone forever.

Arjun Sahnan, a 19-year-old, was arrested for drive-by shootings and extortion. He got bail, booked a flight and is now gone too. This is the reality of the system that the Liberals designed. They actually designed this. They thought about it and thought these were good changes, which then resulted in chaos.

Apparently, no one on that side saw this coming, not even from a mile away or from their work from home set-ups. We flash forward to right now, a few months later, and what do we see? Once again, we see that the Liberal government is showing up with a bill that does not actually deliver on what Canadians want, what they have asked for and what they are screaming about in the streets. It is a bill that claims to fix a problem but instead proposes things that no Canadian would ever sign off on.

They have cooked up legislation that keeps a broken border and immigration regime in place while also punishing law-abiding citizens with massive expansions in federal power. Bill C-2 keeps in place the catch-and-release for criminals who traffic fentanyl and firearms and takes advantage of the weak laws that hurt Canadians. It does not add mandatory prison time for fentanyl traffickers. It does not add mandatory prison time for gangsters who use guns to commit crimes.

There have been several shootings in my community in Vaughan. In just three weeks, there have been seven. An innocent man literally gave his life to save his family from a random violent home invasion. He was shot to death in his living room, but the legislation would not guarantee that his killers or any other people terrorizing our communities would actually be behind bars. We are told to wait, that it is going to happen.

The same people who created the crisis cannot be trusted to fix it. Even worse, it still allows house arrest for even the most serious offences. A person can commit grand theft auto and still be in their living room playing the video game. At the same time, Bill C-2 puts new limits on the use of cash in our economy, ostensibly to target gangs and criminals.

Do we really believe that gangs and criminals, the ones pushing fentanyl, the ones running guns and laundering money, are suddenly going to start following the law? Of course not. We make those assertions, and we make criminals out of law-abiding citizens.

Instead, seniors and small businesses are the ones who will be unfairly punished by this massive overreach in government power. It even goes farther, with massive new powers of the federal government that threaten Canadian civil liberties.

We know this. We have seen this movie before. It is what the Liberals do every single time. They find a problem, but they do not solve the actual problem; then they massively expand their power to take more rights away from Canadians. We have seen how this happens.

There is no limit to the government's hunger for power. It tried to give itself unlimited spending power during COVID. Just two months ago, it sneakily removed privacy provisions from the online streaming bill and called it an accident. Now, it is burying conditions in the back of the bill that have nothing to do with border security and clearly show Canadians that it wants more power.

This is not just overblown rhetoric. Bill C-2 will let Ottawa open people's mail without oversight, force Internet companies to hand over private information and allow them to search without a warrant in certain scenarios. This is not fixing our borders. It is not protecting Canadians. It is a government power grab, plain and simple, and it should make everybody very uncomfortable.

Canadians did not give the Prime Minister a blank cheque to take more power away from Canadians and infringe on their rights. Instead of that, what we should do in the bill is hire more border agents, the ones who are on the front lines, as was done in the past. They can patrol the entire Canadian border properly, not in an Ottawa office but on the ground. We should have people in uniforms who would enforce the laws that are there.

Let us install scanners at major ports to stop the flow of guns and stolen cars in and out of our country. Maybe we should actually keep track of who is coming in and who is leaving this country so that we do not have another situation where the government actually loses count of everybody it has let in.

We should end the soft-on-crime provisions in Bill C-5 and Bill C-75 and put criminals in jail, restoring the rule of law in our country, rather than letting them out on bail minutes, hours or days after they commit a crime. While we are at it, let us stop handing out lethal drugs for free, paid for by the taxpayers, and put people in actual treatment.

The government is coming here to talk a big game about the bill, but once again, the actions do not match the words. The public safety minister should probably have a conversation with the justice minister. He does not seem to think there is a problem with crime at all. He mocked Canadians who are fed up with what is going on in their communities, in their neighbourhoods, in their homes, in their businesses.

He might not think Canada is the Wild West, but when people are being shot in their own homes, when cars are getting carjacked at random, when people are being mugged in the streets, it is a lot closer to the Wild West than we should ever be comfortable with here.

This is a guy who broke the housing market, who broke the long-held consensus on our immigration system. Now he is putting his talents to use at the justice department. I hope we spare all Canadians from that going on for a very long time.

To get to what is at the core of the Liberal government is that they put the same people who broke everything in charge of fixing it. The way they fix it is by bringing forward a bill; they tell us they have good intentions in the bill, yet it is a power grab. It is a power grab to look at our mail, to ban cash, to do things they never had the power to do before, all under the guise of protecting Canadians and protecting our border.

Everybody should take that very seriously. Everybody should look at their intentions with the bill very seriously. They say they are going to do one thing, but they do the exact opposite, and there are no results ever for this.

[Frank Caputo, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the people of Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola.

The minister just mentioned something when she asked my colleague a question about fentanyl. The Liberals talk about tackling fentanyl, yet under the Liberals, people who traffic fentanyl can serve their sentences at home. Guns and drugs go hand in hand, and with Bill C-5, the Liberals allowed people to serve their sentence on house arrest for drive-by shootings.

I wonder if my hon. colleague would agree with me that it is a bit rich for the Liberals to now want to tackle fentanyl through the mail with these measures when they will not get hard on the issues that are killing people today, the drugs and guns.

[Aaron Gunn, Conservative, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, September 5, the RCMP seized over 120 grams of fentanyl, nearly 50 grams of methamphetamine, over 150 grams of crack cocaine and a loaded prohibited handgun in a family neighbourhood in my home of Campbell River. Police executed the search and seizure after a lengthy drug trafficking investigation. Inspector Jeff Preston, the officer in charge, said, “Campbell River is experiencing one of the highest rates of overdose deaths in the province and we’re doing everything we can to remove these toxic drugs from our streets.”

It is true that the RCMP in my riding is doing everything they can to remove dangerous drugs from our streets, but 10 years of Liberal governance has made it harder for the RCMP to do their job. Instead, the government has made it easier for drugs and illegal guns to be trafficked across the Canada-U.S. border, and it has emboldened criminals by entrenching Liberal catch-and-release revolving-door policies throughout Canada's justice system.

Today, this House is considering Bill C-2, a piece of legislation whose purpose the Liberal minister responsible has said is to, among other things, combat organized crime and fentanyl. That is an admirable goal and one that we as parliamentarians could all get behind. Unfortunately, however, this bill does not address the many reasons we have had such massive increases in violent crime and overdose deaths under the Liberal government over the past 10 years.

First is the issue of crime. Forget major cities like Vancouver or Toronto. Just in my riding, whether it is Campbell River, Powell River or Courtenay, every week there is a new story about someone being shot or stabbed, having to fend off a home invasion or having their business broken into. Crime is getting worse, and here are the facts to back that up. Since 2015, violent crime has increased by 50% and homicides have increased by 27%, 34% of which, by the way, were committed by a criminal on some sort of a release like bail.

We have to be clear. The dramatic increase we have seen in crime and disorder is not the result of a bill like Bill C-2 not yet being passed. Rather, it is due directly to legislation passed by the Liberals and supported by the NDP over the past decade. Legislation like Bill C-75 and Bill C-5 have reduced jail time for serious offenders and granted near-automatic bail for career criminals.

We have all heard the stories as a result of these policies about violent random offenders who are released from custody only to commit more violence on our streets. It is part of a tragic miscarriage of justice happening right across this country, but it hits a little differently when it happens in our own backyard.

Lewis Park is a popular gathering place for residents of the Comox Valley. Kids play in the water park, seniors go to classes at the community centre and, apparently, repeat violent offenders prey on an unsuspecting public. At least, that is the story of Serge Melancon, who came to Lewis Park with his wife, a 64-year-old double amputee, to use a handicap shower in the middle of the day during their road trip vacation.

As Serge was about to leave the driveway, there was a knock on his window. It was an unknown man who proceeded to concoct a story about why he needed to borrow Serge's phone, before suddenly opening the door to Serge's vehicle and punching him repeatedly in the head. The assault was so vicious and so unexpected that Serge was hardly able to fight back, sustaining injuries to his face. As Serge was dragged out of the car and lay on the ground, the assailant fled with his phone, and a crowd began to gather. The police then arrived on the scene, later identifying the attacker as Melvin Teagai, a trained boxer. Unsurprisingly, Serge was then told by police that the attacker was already known to them. In other words, he was a repeat violent offender.

Unfortunately, the story of Serge is one that is all too common in both big cities and small towns right across Canada. In fact, I have noticed that the only people who seem to be punished under the Liberal government are those who actually work for a living and follow the law. There is no better example than the law-abiding firearms owners who have been demonized and targeted by their own government, while at the same time the Liberals have reduced prison sentences for those convicted of illegally smuggling firearms across the border from the United States. It is the very same border, I might add, that they now claim they want to desperately secure.

The Liberals also claim they want to get tough on fentanyl and other illegal drugs with this bill. Well, let us look at their record on that.

Since 2015, more than 50,000 Canadians have died from drug overdoses in Canada. That is more Canadians dead than died in all of World War II. These are mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, and sons and daughters who have all had their lives tragically cut short.

What has the Liberals' policy been when it has come to deadly opioids like fentanyl that have wreaked so much havoc and caused so much death? First, in my province of B.C., the Liberals decriminalized hard drugs, including crystal meth, crack cocaine and, yes, even fentanyl. It is a policy that remains in place to this day, which means that at the same time that they are claiming they want to take the fentanyl situation seriously, which we all do, their own policy, which recklessly decriminalized that very drug, remains in place. The Liberals then used taxpayer money to flood the streets with a highly addictive and deadly opioid called hydromorphone, or Dilaudid, while marketing it to our young people as safe supply, all as part of their plan known as harm reduction. This bill would leave all of those policies in place as well.

They say the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result. It is a phrase that I unfortunately have to use all too often with the current government. If we want to actually solve the addictions crisis and want to combat the scourge of fentanyl and other hard drugs, how about instead of handing them out for free, we use that money to get people into treatment and recovery and return them to being healthy, productive members of our society once again? For those who are trafficking these drugs, who are trafficking fentanyl, it is time we treat them like the mass murderers they are, with mandatory life sentences for those profiting off the death and misery of so many of our fellow Canadians. However, instead of dealing with these substantive issues, the Liberals are scrambling with an omnibus bill that would not only fall short of protecting Canadians, but infringe on their unassailable individual freedoms.

The Conservatives have always advocated for a secure border with greater investments, resources and personnel for the CBSA, the Canada Border Services Agency, so it can prevent the flow of illegal drugs and guns coming across the border into Canada. That is just common sense. We know that securing the border means an increased number of border agents, patrol equipment and enhanced security measures and technology.

The major concerns that I have with this bill, aside from the failure to address the real issues and the root problems driving the violent crime and addictions crises in this country, are surrounding privacy infringements involving the warrantless search of the mail of Canadians and digital government overreach.

First, Bill C-2 would amend the Canada Post Corporation Act to permit the search, seizure, detention or retention of any post items and would empower Canada Post to open all mail. This is directly against Canadians' right to privacy and would allow Canada Post to open mail without proper oversight, while also removing, which is actually hard to believe, any liability from those who abuse this newly granted authority. Here is the truth: Canadians do not want government looking into their private parcels and letters. To permit such action would be a gross violation of the individual freedoms that all Canadians have come to expect.

This same pattern of erosion of civil liberties is repeated in parts 14, 15 and 16 of this legislation. Bill C-2 would allow the government to create back doors for government bodies to access the private data of Canadians, again without warrants. In Part 16, the bill opens the door for the government to supply financial institutions with personal information, and banks would be authorized to collect and use that personal information without an individual's knowledge or consent, all based merely on government suspicion. This is essentially the same power the government granted to itself using the Emergencies Act during the COVID-19 protests back in 2022, which it then proceeded to immediately and dangerously abuse.

All told, as it stands, Bill C-2 would accomplish virtually nothing on the major issues of crime and fentanyl, which it purports to address. The failed Liberal policies of Bill C-5, Bill C-75 and drug decriminalization would all remain in place, while new infringements on the individual freedoms of Canadians would be thoughtlessly introduced. As of today, Bill C-2 is a poorly written bill, and without significant changes and revisions, it would accomplish little toward the safety and security of Canadians, while further eroding the freedoms and privacy that Canadians hold dear.