The bill was put forward in this way so that the commissioner would have the maximum discretion on which tools to use to address specific instances of non-compliance. There's a recognition that not all non-compliance deserves criminal punishment, but also that a lot of non-compliance doesn't deserve just a notice.
Having administrative monetary penalties gives that intermediate step. Also, administrative monetary penalties, by their definition, are meant to encourage compliance and deter non-compliance, so they're an important tool in doing that.
In any given situation, if the commissioner believes, in their discretion, that a particular breach of the law requires more severe consequences, the commissioner can refer the matter to the police of jurisdiction for investigation, which could then move forward with criminal charges if they deemed that appropriate.