Justice Committee on Oct. 31st, 2024

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

—opioid addiction is—

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Now we're talking about things that aren't even vaguely relevant.

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

—[Inaudible—Editor] they don't want to talk about their failed record.

I'm done, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lena Metlege Diab]

Thank you.

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

We want to talk about the issues that are relevant to this committee, not your ramblings.

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Those are all relevant to the committee, Mr. Maloney, every one of them.

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Housing...?

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Yes, housing, because guess what happens when you don't have a house? You go commit crime, because you're in poverty. That's how it works.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lena Metlege Diab]

Thank you.

Yes, Ms. Dabrusin. I think Ms. Ferreri is done. She said she was finished.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

I think it's very important that we clarify that the unhoused are not necessarily people who commit crimes. I do not think we should speak that way about people who are unhoused.

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

I have a point of order, Madam Chair.

For the record, if the member would like to watch the status of women committee, when yesterday.... We're studying intimate partner violence, which directly impacts this. There is a direct correlation between people who are not making enough money.... Under this Justin Trudeau government, they are using food banks in record numbers; they can't access housing; and crime and intimate partner violence—

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Madam Chair, this is so far off topic.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lena Metlege Diab]

This has absolutely nothing to do with what we are studying.

Ms. Lantsman.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Like many other people, I'm sitting in my office wondering when this study on anti-Semitism will come forward. Supposedly, this committee was going to look at the report today. It's a study that I sat in on for multiple meetings. It's a study many Canadians came to this committee to talk about. Since that study on anti-Semitism, we've seen gunshots at schools in this country. We've seen the firebombing of businesses. We've seen Stats Canada reports saying that 70% of the hate crimes in this country are targeted at less than 2% of the population.

Right now, what people watching at home see is that—

[Élisabeth Brière, Liberal, Sherbrooke, QC]

I have a point of order.

Madam Chair, what does this have to do with the motion on the table?

We're not asking for a 30-day extension so that Mr. Viersen can come and testify first, but so that we can start this study, so that we can make a list of witnesses, as Mr. Maloney noted, and so that we can study this important bill.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Madam Chair, I'm going to respond to her.

Are you seriously interrupting a conversation about the anti-Semitism study you're supposed to be having in committee to call relevance on it? That is worse than this government's inaction on anti-Semitism.

Are you actually serious?

[The Chair, Liberal, Lena Metlege Diab]

Come on now. This is not how we run our committee.

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

I have a point of order, Madam Chair.

Not only have I sat in the meetings, but I have also been sitting in on the report, which that member has not been doing. We're waiting to do that report. We're all here to do that report.

It's you guys who are filibustering and stopping us from dealing with the anti-Semitism report. You should be ashamed.

[A voice]

Madam Chair, this is debate.

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

We would have this report done.

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

You voted against his motion.

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

You voted in favour of his motion to delay the report.

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

You're filibustering a discussion about a study that is your own private member's bill.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Madam Chair, this is my speaking time.

[The Chair, Liberal, Lena Metlege Diab]

Let's get back to order.

Let's be clear here. There was one motion put forward, which every member voted for. Then we moved on to a second motion to extend for 30 days, in order to bring witnesses in. All I hear is talk about other things that may or may not be relevant.

Ms. Lantsman, the floor is yours. I know you just came in. It's 12:37 p.m. here in Ottawa. I know you weren't here for the first hour and a half.