Debates of May 16th, 2023

Justice

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, today I had the honour of introducing Bill C‑48 precisely so we can work with the provinces, with the territories, and with police associations across Canada to strengthen the bail system in Canada.

Let me read from Tom Stamatakis' statement today. He wrote, “we appreciate that [the ministers] have worked collaboratively with stakeholders and introduced this common-sense legislation that responds to the concerns that our members have raised.”

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

Mr. Speaker, all the government is trying to do is fix the mistakes it has made in the past few years.

The legislation resulting from Bill C‑75 is a mistake; the government is trying to fix it, but has not yet succeeded. Bill C-5 is a serious mistake; it must be fixed. All the government is doing at this time is making mistakes that cause problems in the system of checks and balances for public safety.

Can the minister confirm today that the bill he introduced will completely solve the legal problem arising from Bill C‑75, yes or no?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, the justice system and the penal system cannot be reduced to a mere slogan. To improve the system and ensure that Canadians have confidence in the system, we must work with the provinces, territories, stakeholders and police associations.

That is exactly what we did for Bill C‑75. That is exactly what we have done for Bill C‑48. That is exactly the government's approach, and it will yield results.

The Environment

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, an environmental disaster is unfolding in Kanesatake.

Toxic water leaking from an illegal dump is spreading across Mohawk territory and draining into Lac des Deux Montagnes. The smell is terrible. The damage is real. Community members are fed up. They are being intimidated and left to fend for themselves. Federal action is urgently needed.

Will the Liberals listen to the community of Kanesatake and call a parliamentary inquiry to determine the specific causes of this disaster?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, Indigenous Services Canada, indeed the federal government, has been working with Kanesatake leaders to determine a solution to move forward in a way that protects the health and safety of the community. We agree that we must do better to protect our lands together, and that is exactly what I am doing with the leadership of Kanesatake.

Automotive Industry

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Windsor families are worried. There are 2,500 good-paying union jobs at risk at the new Stellantis plant, because this Liberal government cannot seem to get its act together. It is pointing fingers at the provinces instead of fighting for working-class Windsor families. This government cannot say that it stands with workers and they play political games with their livelihoods. They need real leadership now.

When will this government get back to the table, live up to its commitments and finally make Windsor workers a priority?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, no government has invested more for our car sector and our auto workers than our government. We proved that with the NAFTA negotiations, we proved that when we got Canada carved into the U.S. EV incentives and we proved that with the VW investment. We are doing the same thing with Stellantis.

We are going to ensure a fair deal for Canadians across our whole country, and that does mean that Ontario needs to do its fair share, and it means that Stellantis needs to do its fair share as well.

Justice

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is easy to make up empty slogans and unrealistic promises, but it is harder to do the work diligently and concretely address the complex issues in order to protect Canadians and ensure our justice system is fair and efficient.

Can the justice minister update this chamber on the bail legislation he promised in March and actually introduced today?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Vaughan—Woodbridge for his hard work on this issue.

Canadians deserve to be safe and they deserve to feel safe. That is why today I introduced Bill C-48, a targeted bail reform bill to address violent repeat offenders, gun and knife violence, as well as gender-based violence. It is the product of collaboration with the provinces and territories.

We have had input from mayors, police, parliamentarians as well as indigenous leadership and the legal community. The police associations are already reacting favourably. It is proof of what we can do when Canadians work together.

Health

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, Liberal inflation has sent food, housing and gas prices soaring, but there is one substance that has gone down in price by 90%: powerful opioids. After the Prime Minister announced $100 million—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I am sorry, but I am going to interrupt the hon. Leader of the Opposition. We are just getting distractions from all over.

I would ask him to start from the top please.

Order.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister has sent inflation for gas, heat and groceries soaring, there is one product that has actually come down in price: powerful opioids.

The Prime Minister has spent $100 million on so-called safe supply. One Global News reporter went into the street to find out where all these drugs were going. It turns out they are being resold to other addicts in order to raise the money to buy deadly fentanyl.

Will the Prime Minister cancel the dollars for drugs and instead put the resources into treatment for addicts?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, we are pretty fed up with this fight against evidence-based programs that actually are saving lives. We cannot allow the Conservatives to take us back to the failed ideology of the past. Even Harper's adviser, Ben Perrin, thinks they are speaking nonsense. So just stop it and save lives.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, no common sense.

The evidence is seen in the tragic faces of addicts who lie overdosed on the pavement in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver where, after this Prime Minister spent $100 million handing out free drugs to addicts, he has led to a 300% increase in overdoses.

Will he stop giving dollars for drugs and instead follow my common-sense plan to put the resources into treatment and recovery to bring our loved ones home drug free?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, people are dying—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Order. One person at a time in this chamber, please.

The hon. minister.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Toronto—St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, 46,000 overdoses have been reversed in safe consumption sites. The member says that he will stop that. I want him to speak to the parents of the people who would have been lost if there were no safe consumption sites and no safe supply. This is ridiculous.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, people are dying because the minister and the Prime Minister are flooding the streets with dangerous drugs and killing these people. Since they brought in this policy, there has been a 300% increase in drug overdose deaths, and 30,000 people have lost their lives. Investigative journalists have shown that the drugs that she is funding with Canadian tax dollars are flooding the streets and being sold for a dollar—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Order. I am hearing yelling on both sides.

The hon. Leader of the Opposition can start from the top, please, so we can hear the whole question. I do not want to hear any screaming or shouting in the background, and then we can hear an answer as well.

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, people are dying because the policies of the Prime Minister are killing them. His policies are flooding the streets with drugs that now go for $1 a hit. Someone can buy 26 hits of hydromorphone, which is an analog to heroin, for $30. These are drugs paid for by Canadian tax dollars under a program by the government that has led to a 300% increase in drug overdose deaths.

Why will the Liberals not get some common sense, end dollars for drugs and put our people in treatment?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, people have to stay alive long enough to get treatment. People are dying because of the toxic drug supply. Safe supply allows people to stay alive long enough. In a CMHA study—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!