Public Safety Committee on May 28th, 2026

[The Chair, Liberal, Jean-Yves Duclos]

Thank you, MP Sodhi.

MP Au.

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

Do you know the percentage of repeat offenders among those arrested for shoplifting?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Mr. Au, I can give you a comprehensive answer in terms of what we, as a government, are doing to address the issues around crime.

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

The answer is 18%.

My final question is this: Do you have a national strategy to deal with this shoplifting crisis?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

I can say that Secretary of State Sahota has been involved in and engaged on this issue. There was a discussion in Peel region very recently. We're certainly open to looking at a national strategy on a range of issues.

I can say that on overall issues around crime, we have Bill C-14, which strengthens bail as well as sentencing. Bill C-16 is on victims' rights. We have Bill C-22, which speaks to lawful access, a tool that law enforcement has been asking for, for many years.

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

I hope you can come up with an effective strategy to deal with this growing problem. It hurts everybody in the country. When there are losses in monetary terms, it affects affordability, because the loss for the business will just be passed on to the customers. Also, when we have such a large number of retailers telling us that they don't feel safe in their workplace, we should be concerned.

I raised this question four weeks ago in the House. I made a statement. You are telling me that you are not aware of it. Perhaps it was not being paid attention to. I'm just a new MP, so maybe nobody cares about what I say. However, I would be surprised if you're telling me that you are not aware of the problem. I hope this is something you can bring back to your government and work on.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

With respect, the way you framed it.... I don't agree with you that it's a national crisis. I think there are a number of issues that take precedence over that in terms of national crises, including the national crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women, girls and two-spirit individuals or the toxic drug crisis.

Certainly, retail theft is an issue. It's something that I'm concerned about, as are all Canadians, but—

[The Chair, Liberal, Jean-Yves Duclos]

Minister—

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

—it doesn't elevate to the level of a national crisis. That's where I started off.

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

It's organized retail crime.

[The Chair, Liberal, Jean-Yves Duclos]

MP Au, I'm sorry to interrupt. We now need to move to MP Housefather for five minutes.

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Minister, thank you for joining us today.

This weekend on the streets of Montreal, there was a very disturbing rally where politicians were burned in effigy, including one who was visibly Jewish, wearing a kippah. This was roundly denounced by the mayor of Montreal and your Quebec counterpart, as well as you, Mr. Minister.

Can you talk to us about why that type of action is unacceptable in Canadian society and about some of the things the government is doing to deal with the rampant anti-Semitism that has swept this country and the western world?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Housefather, for that question.

Look, I've come to and met with your community a number of times. I've had the opportunity to meet with Jewish communities in many parts of this country, including in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Hamilton, Winnipeg and Vancouver. The level of anti-Semitism is at its height. I wish we were under different circumstances. It is quite worrisome.

We've been working with the law enforcement agencies, including ITAC, to ensure that appropriate updates are done, if required, on the security threat levels. That is essential. At the same time, we are investing in communities. In addition to the $10 million we announced a couple of months ago towards Jewish community security coordination, which is of paramount importance to us, we announced $75 million towards funding over five years for places of gathering. That includes additional dollars towards security guards and so on, which is something the previous program did not allow.

Having said that, Bill C-9 is an important tool that is going through the Senate right now. Again, it responds to some of the current issues being faced, whether it be impeding places of worship or community centres.

This issue is serious. The issue of anti-Semitism is serious. It's hate-motivated. Oftentimes, it's in the backdrop of other world incidents that are taking place. As a government, we absolutely will stand with the Jewish community to ensure their safety and security. This is the resolve of the Prime Minister. This is the resolve of our government, but more work needs to be done. I think all Canadians need to play a part in this as well. When you attack the Jewish community—I've heard this many times—you are not just attacking the Jewish community; you are attacking Canada. You are attacking all communities in Canada. I come from a minority community. I would say that an attack on the Jewish community is an attack on all of us who have come to Canada. My family came as refugees in search of a better place.

This is not acceptable. Our government will do everything it can to ensure the protection of Jewish Canadians, particularly the young people who need to grow up in a society where they can fully actualize their fullest potential.

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Thank you.

Thank you so much, Mr. Minister. You've been a tremendous ally in this.

Bill C-9 is the combatting hate act, for those people who don't speak in shorthand. The combatting hate act is a really important tool, but one of the things that need to be done when the combatting hate act gets through the Senate and gets royal assent is that we bring together the provincial public safety ministers, attorneys general and police and get proper training and proper guidance to all police forces across the country as to what is expected of police. I think one of the frustrations has been the feeling that police are not acting on the law.

Mr. Minister, after the law is adopted and royal assent is granted, would you undertake to work with your provincial counterparts to move that forward?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Absolutely. It will be part of the FPT next time around. I do know that Deputy Commissioner Larkin has done a lot of work on this. The RCMP meets with police leaders biweekly, and there is money going toward training as well.

But there is more work to do, and I absolutely undertake to do that work.

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

Thanks so much.

[The Chair, Liberal, Jean-Yves Duclos]

Thank you, MP Housefather.

Next is MP Caputo for five minutes, please.

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

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister, you earlier said that it is the “prerogative” of this government not to release the MOU with China, but you have not once said whether China would have to consent to the MOU being released, regardless of the prerogative.

I'm going to be very clear here. I know you don't like yes-or-no answers, but I think this is one of them: Notwithstanding any of that, does China have to approve the releasing of the MOU—yes or no?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Mr. Caputo, Canada is a sovereign country. We make decisions in the best interests of Canada—

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

I didn't ask that, Minister.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

—including disclosure of this said MOU.

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

Minister, I'm not talking about Canada making decisions in its best interests. This is so clear, and you're obfuscating now. Frankly, you and I are both lawyers. I think a judge might find us in contempt if we were obfuscating this way.

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

On a point of order, Mr. Chair, I know you're not a lawyer, but that is a really serious allegation to say that the minister would be found in contempt by a judge—

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

Fair enough—

[Anthony Housefather, Liberal, Mount Royal, QC]

I would ask my friend, who's a really good lawyer, to not use that term.