Public Safety Committee on Oct. 9th, 2025

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

Mr. Au, the issues around illegal drugs and fentanyl—

[The Chair, Liberal, Jean-Yves Duclos]

I'm sorry to interrupt, but time is up.

I will now turn to MP Ehsassi.

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Minister, I want to revisit the question I previously asked you.

I am aware that car theft is down 19%, but I would hope those numbers improve. I say this as someone who represents a riding where it has been very widespread. Of course, I'm talking about car theft.

As things proceed, do you see those numbers, hopefully, improving? I'd like to share some good news with my constituents. Anything you could share with us would be very much appreciated.

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

Thank you, Mr. Ehsassi.

Let me point out a couple of things.

With respect to the city of Toronto and many of the GTA municipalities—I've had a chance to work with many of them—the police of jurisdiction are doing a commendable job in addressing a lot of the local issues, including car theft.

Over the years, funding for policing has not kept up with the demands of policing and the evolving nature of what police have to do today, which includes dealing with issues around mental health, drugs and addiction. Frankly, for the last two decades or so, we have not been investing in policing. For example, as the City of Toronto invests more, we're seeing results coming through.

There is a national strategy on combatting car theft, for example. We know the work we're doing at the border is helping. Bill C-12 will assist as we look at increasing inspections of vehicles that may be outbound. We have our $1.3-billion investment at the border and the bill Minister Fraser will be bringing forward on bail reform, which will address the issue of repeat violent offenders. It is not just one of these things. It's the culmination of all of this that will seriously hamper the ability of those who are benefiting and profiting off these types of crimes to be enticed by it.

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Thank you.

You say that we've seen an underinvestment over the course of the past 20 years. Is this underinvestment by municipalities or by the provinces?

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

It's very much at the local level. Granted, I think the commissioner would say we should have been investing more even on the federal side. The commitment we've made is to add 1,000 new RCMP personnel to federal policing, as well as 1,000 new CBSA officers.

I think there's a growing realization, especially among municipalities, that in order to ensure the safety and security of citizens, we need to invest. The city of Toronto is a perfect example. I was reading that over 500 new officers have been hired. I think this bodes well for the security concerns of many of its citizens.

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Thank you.

I'll be sharing the remainder of my time with MP Acan.

[Sima Acan, Liberal, Oakville West, ON]

Thank you, Mr. Ehsassi.

Minister, in my community of Oakville West, organized crime, including auto theft and home invasion, is a concern for many constituents. I have had numerous conversations at doors about these incidents. Although there's a decline in the numbers, I always say that crime is not a partisan issue and that even a little bit of crime is still crime.

Minister, could you please speak to the success of the national crime prevention strategy in addressing these types of organized and violent crimes?

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

Overall, and I said this at the outset, the general trend of crime is lower across Canada. Certain types of crime are still trending up. What's important is people not just being safe but also feeling safe. The responsibility of government, including me, is to make sure that sense of safety and security is there, which means we have to bring in measures that strengthen that confidence.

This starts, in part, with the investments I talked about: making sure that at both the CBSA level and the RCMP level there are additional resources, and that there are additional tools for law enforcement across Canada. Changes to the Criminal Code are the sole responsibility of the federal government, and Minister Fraser will be bringing those forward. He already brought forward Bill C-9 to address issues around hate. He will bring forward legislation on bail reform and so on.

What I think we need to do to leverage this is make sure the provinces do their part. Many provinces are, but some are still falling short. We need to make sure there are adequate judicial resources and adequate training for JPs and judges when it comes to the interpretation of the Criminal Code. We need to make sure there are remand facilities available at the local level so they are able to remand, so that requires a provincial response.

In terms of men and women in uniform, it's much more of a provincial plus a municipal response, so—

[The Chair, Liberal, Jean-Yves Duclos]

I'm sorry to interrupt, Minister.

I will now give the floor to Mrs. DeBellefeuille for two and a half minutes.

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon, QC]

Thank you very much, Mr. Chair.

Minister, I am the member for a riding in southern Quebec, which includes the Akwesasne reserve and the municipality of Dundee Township. As a member of Parliament, I have also recently represented the municipalities of Havelock and Hemmingford, the epicentre of where criminal smugglers have been exploiting migrants and bringing them across the border.

This has been and continues to be a very challenging time for us. CBSA has decided to reduce its evening hours at two border crossings in my riding: Trout River and Athelstan.

I wrote to you, Minister, and to the minister at the time about this. The reason CBSA cited for this was that there was not enough traffic. No security parameters were analyzed.

So you agree, Minister, that two remote, rural border crossings, in an area targeted by organized crime, should be left without border officers to monitor the area at night.

Do you really agree with CBSA’s decision?

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

On the decision of the agency, as you know, agencies are at arm's length from government. They're independent and they make their own determinations. In this particular case, I understand that the reduction in the hours aligns with the reduction in hours in the United States. It is always collaborative with the border across the—

[Claude DeBellefeuille, Bloc, Beauharnois—Salaberry—Soulanges—Huntingdon, QC]

Mr. Chair, I must interrupt the minister, as I only have two and a half minutes left.

I already know everything you’ve just told me, Minister. This decision was made by two agencies. Personally, I find it very difficult to accept that you can’t do anything because CBSA is an independent agency. That is why we, the members of the Bloc Québécois, are calling for a borders minister; because an agency has assumed your responsibilities and you don’t feel responsible for its decisions.

This is a serious issue. Two border crossings are closed at night, with no surveillance. The mayors of Elgin, Dundee and Hinchinbrooke do not understand this decision. Frankly, the American elected officials I consulted in New York state do not understand it either. Cutting surveillance at night is not what securing our borders is all about.

Do you not agree, Minister?

[The Chair, Liberal, Jean-Yves Duclos]

Mrs. DeBellefeuille, I’m sorry to interrupt, but your time is up.

I give the floor now to Mr. Au.

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

Minister, I want to continue with my question.

Do you know the magnitude of the problem that the safer supply drugs are being resold to the criminals?

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

Mr. Au, I recognize the deep impact that drugs, illegal drugs—including what you're suggesting, which is the selling of safe supply—have on communities. It is abhorrent. I've had the chance to meet with many law enforcement officers, including in British Columbia—

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

Minister, I'm sorry to interrupt, but do you know the magnitude? How many pills get into the hands of criminals? How much money flows into the hands of criminals? Do you know that?

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

Mr. Au, with respect to British Columbia, I do not know that.

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

Okay.

Again, do you know that the police chief of London, Mr. Thai Truong, said that the safer supply programs are “fueling the [illegal] drug trade”. Are you aware of that?

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

I've had the opportunity to meet with the police services in London. When I visited there, the chief was not in London, so I wasn't able to meet with him, but I met with his deputies, as well as a number of his superintendents. We talked about some of the challenges they face near downtown, including on the issue of safer supply—

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

Minister, with the time, I have to interrupt.

Clearly, you do not have the information. Is it not your obligation to be informed?

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

Mr. Au, I am well aware of the challenges that are faced by our main streets in many of our municipalities. I have been working with the fentanyl czar. Yesterday, I met with the fentanyl czar and several organizations relating to mental health.

I have visited many of the downtowns that have had the incidents you're talking about, and I deeply understand the challenges we face. It is a culmination of issues that congregated—

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

Again, I'm sorry for the interruption, but an article in the medical journal JAMA reported that the safer supply program was “associated with an increase in opioid overdose hospitalizations”, expanded illegal supply and increased demand for illicit drugs.

Are you aware of this report?

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

I did not personally read that report, no.

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

You are not on top of the issue, so how could—