Thank you, Chair.
Good afternoon, Minister. Good afternoon, Mr. Taylor. Good afternoon, Ms. Moore.
Mr. Taylor, it feels like it has only been a few hours since we last saw each other. Nevertheless, I am happy to get Bill C-14 over that finish line.
Minister, you highlighted an important aspect: Public safety is a priority for this government, which is led by the Prime Minister. I have often said, at many town halls across this country, that the number one responsibility of the federal government is to keep Canadians safe.
You also referenced how you've been listening to Canadians. Even in your year-end interview with a national press representative, you talked about how the government has been listening very carefully to what victims and Canadians have been asking for, and, clearly, what stakeholders have been asking for.
You would agree with me, Minister, that this is not a recent phenomenon. We have known that crime across the whole spectrum has been rising steadily since 2015. I will throw out some stats: Violent crime is up nearly 55%; homicides are up 30%; sexual assaults are up 76%; firearms crime is up 131%; and extortion is up 330%. Canadians are fearful. Female victims are fearful. Intimate partner violence is on the rise. They are asking themselves why they even trust law enforcement or the criminal justice system.
That's near and dear to my heart, Minister, because, as a former Crown attorney, I took great pride in trying to establish that bond and rapport with a victim in order to give them hope that they were part of team justice, and to give them confidence that the justice system is fair and responsive to their needs and would provide a just result. They did not always get that, but at least they felt they were heard.
This is something that's not a recent phenomenon. The government, since 2015, has been hearing this repeatedly every year. Since my election in 2021, it has been a common theme the government has been hearing, so I was very grateful to hear, in the throne speech, that there was going to be a priority to introduce appropriate crime legislation.
The only frustration I have, Minister, is with the stats. You'd agree with me, because these stats would not lie. We had the election on April 28. The House opened on May 26. The throne speech was on May 27. The first reading of your first crime bill, Bill C-9, was on September 19, 2025. Bill C-14 had its first reading on October 23, 2025. Bill C-16's was on December 9, 2025. We are now, to this date, literally 225 days removed from the election, and we have passed only one bill at second reading. It has gone through the justice committee. That is Bill C-14.
My question for you is very simple: Why did you prioritize Bill C-9 over Bill C-14 and Bill C-16 when issues with sentencing, bail and IPV have been prevalent for the last 10 years?