Debates of June 1st, 2022

Justice

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Mr. Speaker, time is not on the victims' side right now, so hopefully we hurry up.

Because of the Supreme Court ruling allowing the defence of extreme intoxication, women have shared their fears about coming forward to local agencies and advocates. We are hearing from young women who are concerned about this decision and asking if this is really possible. It is. There needs to be action. There need to be resolutions. Victims' voices have been lost.

When will the Prime Minister do something about it and fix this?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have been acting on strengthening our criminal system's response to sexual assault for years now. We passed legislation that requires judges to obtain the necessary training to understand the complex nature of sexual assault and the myths that all too often surround it—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I am going to have to interrupt the Right Hon. Prime Minister.

I am trying to hear the answer, and I am sure the hon. member for Elgin—Middlesex—London wants to hear the answer as well, so I am going to ask everyone to tone it down a bit. There are a couple of members out there who have very strong voices, and I admire them, but please try to restrain them while somebody else is speaking.

The Right Hon. Prime Minister, right from the top, please.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we have been acting and will consistently act to support survivors of sexual assault and make sure the justice system responds to them better. We passed legislation that requires judges to obtain the necessary training to understand the complex nature of sexual assault and the myths that too often surround it. Budget 2021 included $85.3 million over five years to ensure access to free legal advice and legal representation for survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence. We have also made over $12 million in funding available through the victims fund for projects designed to improve the criminal justice system's response to sexual assault against adults, and there is more to do.

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, not only does the Prime Minister want to challenge Quebec's Bill 21, but the Liberals are even planning to use the case to put Quebec under federal control.

On Friday, his colleague from Mount Royal said that the notwithstanding clause should be completely abolished and that this article has no place in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and should never be used. He wants to take away the only constitutional recourse Quebec has to protect our societal choices from the dictates of the federal government or federally appointed judges.

Will the Prime Minister correct him and reiterate that the notwithstanding clause is important?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I think that it is important that everyone remember that. when a legislative assembly or parliament chooses to suspend the basic rights of some of its citizens, we need to give that consideration and special attention.

We know that every Quebecker and Canadian wants their fundamental protections under the Charter to be upheld. When a government chooses to set aside those fundamental protections, we have to give that some serious consideration, and that is exactly what we are pointing out.

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, cases like Bill 21 are the very reason why the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms includes a notwithstanding clause.

It is there specifically to prevent Canadian institutions from unilaterally overturning the democratic rights of Quebec and the provinces. It is there specifically to prevent the Prime Minister from blocking Bill 21 and imposing his own vision of state secularism, the vision of a guy who believes that members should pray in Parliament every day.

Will the Prime Minister leave the notwithstanding clause alone or will he place Quebec under federal control?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois may be ready to attack one of our country's fundamental freedoms, freedom of conscience, but I know that the federal government will be there to defend fundamental freedoms such as gender equality and the protection of minorities, including official language minorities across the country.

We will always ensure that the fundamental rights of all Canadians, whether they live in Quebec or elsewhere in Canada, are protected. That is what Canadians expect from this government.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, gun violence has gone up significantly over the past seven years of the Liberal government. That is a fact. It is also fact that most guns used in violent crime are smuggled in from the United States. Gun smugglers and gun traffickers are responsible for the murder of innocent Canadians in our cities, such as Toronto, Montreal, Regina and Edmonton.

Why is the Liberal Prime Minister removing mandatory jail time for people who smuggle guns into Canada under Bill C-5? Why is he letting them off the hook?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we are actually increasing the penalty from 10 years to 14 years for the illegal smuggling of guns. The concern that the Conservative Party seems to have around guns gives me hope that perhaps, finally, they will agree to support our ban on military-style assault weapons. Perhaps they will actually support putting a freeze on the importation, transfer, sale or purchase of handguns in this country.

It is great to hear the Conservatives concerned about gun violence. Now maybe they will step up and strengthen gun control instead of weakening it.

Public Safety

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the Prime Minister's Bill C-5 will severely threaten the safety of families, children, mothers and vulnerable communities, because Bill C-5 would allow criminals who commit serious and deadly gun crimes to serve house arrest rather than go to jail, meaning these dangerous criminals will be kept in the communities they have terrorized, which will disproportionately impact Black and indigenous communities. It is sick.

Why is the Prime Minister prioritizing dangerous criminals with guns over the safety of our communities?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, of course we are doing no such thing. We are looking at the systemic discrimination and racism that exist in our justice system, which unfairly, particularly under the previous Conservative government's tough-on-crime approach, penalizes Black and indigenous Canadians.

This is why we will continue to move forward in a responsible way to make sure that criminals are punished, that penalties are brought in and that our communities are kept safe, including by preventing more Canadians from becoming victims of gun violence by strengthening gun control. Why will the Conservatives not stand with us on that?

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Anie Samson, the former vice-chair of the City of Montreal's executive committee and now the head of public safety, said, “There is concern about the fate of our criminals in prison, when at the same time there are hundreds of families mourning the loss of a loved one.”

If the Liberals continue with their reckless strategy, even massive injections of money from the provinces to crack down on guns will be ineffective. If Bill C‑5 is passed, Canadian communities will no doubt see an increase in violence.

Will the Prime Minister take responsibility for that?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we are improving our justice systems to ensure there is less systemic discrimination and racism against indigenous communities and Black Canadians.

We will continue instituting better gun controls to ensure there are fewer victims of violence. I cannot believe that Conservative members from Quebec are still rising in support of relaxing gun control and blocking our attempts to restrict handguns or even military-style assault weapons.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is trying to play both sides.

We are talking about Bill C-5 and he is talking about Bill C-21, but what is clear is that Quebecker Anie Samson told the committee that “a criminal who uses an illegal firearm, regardless of their [ethnic] origin, is still a criminal. It would be incomprehensible to let criminals use firearms to kill, rob or threaten people without worrying about having to face the same consequences as other criminals”.

The Prime Minister, with the complicity of the NDP and the Bloc Québécois, would rather play petty politics than keep Canadian communities safe.

Does the Prime Minister realize the negative impact that Bill C-5 will have?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the legislative measures set out in Bill C-5 do nothing to stop police from charging people or prosecutors from pursuing convictions. What these measures do is ensure that criminals face serious penalties while addressing the overrepresentation of Black Canadians and indigenous peoples in the criminal justice system.

I know Anie Samson, the former mayor of my borough, very well, and I can safely say that she is also concerned about the plight of Black and indigenous youth who find themselves unfairly caught up in our criminal justice system.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Before we continue, I want to remind members in the front row that, when they talk, the Prime Minister's microphone picks up what they are saying. I know they are not doing it on purpose, but I just want to tell them that they are disrupting the proceedings.

The hon. member for London—Fanshawe.

National Defence

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, two days ago the Justice Arbour report came out and the Liberals are already failing to take it seriously. Today's news that the government will bring back Canada's top military police officer, despite his being asked to apologize for his mishandling of a sexual assault case, is appalling. We have heard over and over again that there needs to be a culture change in Canada's armed forces. This is not it.

For seven years, the Prime Minister has protected toxic men in positions of power. When will the “feminist” Prime Minister finally do what is right for women?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking Madam Justice Louise Arbour for her extraordinary work and for her excellent report, which we accept. We know that transformational change is necessary for our defence institutions and we are taking steps to build a military and defence team where everyone feels safe, protected and respected.

We have accepted the report, and work is already under way on a number of her recommendations. We are committed to completing this important work for the sake of all the women and men who choose to serve in the Canadian Armed Forces. They deserve forces that are up to the level they demand.

The Economy

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I have to say that a culture change is going to take much better answers coming from the top than that.

Canadians certainly did not cause inflation, but they are paying for it. They are paying for it at the grocery store and now they are paying for it with another interest rate hike by the Bank of Canada. While there are things outside the government's control, there are things that it can do. Even Boris Johnson has seen fit to bring in a windfall tax on oil and gas companies making a ton of money on the backs of people during this period of inflation. That is money the government could use to double the GST credit and raise the Canada child benefit by $500.

Will the Prime Minister get up and commit to these things, instead of talking about what he did in 2016?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we continue to move forward on supports for families and supports for Canadians, including during this difficult time. The war in Ukraine and the supply chain disruptions caused by this pandemic are contributing to global inflation, which Canadians are feeling. People are struggling with the cost of groceries and people are struggling with the cost of gas. I spoke with a number of families in Saskatoon just last week that thanked me for the fact that the amounts they are paying for child care have significantly dropped already, more than enough to compensate for some of the extra charges.

We are delivering supports for families across the country. We will continue to be there for Canadians every step of the way.

Public Safety

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we know that a dangerous situation can quickly turn deadly when a firearm is present. Canadians deserve to feel safe from gun violence. Unfortunately, Conservative politicians are more focused on fulfilling their promises to the gun lobby than actually keeping our communities safe.

On our side, I know we are taking real action to tackle this issue. Can the Prime Minister update the House on the concrete steps this government is taking to protect Canadians from gun violence?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Brampton South for her hard work and for her advocacy in her community.

This week, we presented the most ambitious move to strengthen gun control in a generation and introduced many provisions to protect our society's most vulnerable, such as allowing judges to protect the identity of those who raise a flag and giving law enforcement more tools to intercept guns coming over our borders and to get them off our streets. While Conservative politicians want to allow dangerous weapons back into our communities, we are capping handgun ownership and moving Canada forward.

Taxation

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Speaker, with today's interest rate hike, more and more households will have less to pay for rising fuel and grocery costs. Other G7 countries are trying to help with skyrocketing gas prices, but the Prime Minister is making things worse. His big spending has been called inflationary by the Parliamentary Budget Officer and his carbon tax has been called inflationary by the Governor of the Bank of Canada.

The Conservatives have proposed a temporary cut to GST at the pumps to help Canadians. Will the Prime Minister finally quit his worn out talking points and finally give the middle class and those striving to join it a break?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite well knows but will not share with his constituents or any Canadians, the price on pollution actually returns more money to the average Canadian family than it costs in many places where it has been brought in. We are talking about over $1,000 a year for families in Saskatchewan and Alberta and $800 or so in Manitoba.

We will continue to make sure we are supporting Canadians, even as we move beyond our reliance on fossil fuels. This is something we know the world is asking for and Canadians are asking for, and we are leading on it despite Conservative—