Debates of May 23rd, 2024

Department of Justice—Main Estimates, 2024-25

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Madam Chair, the Liberals promised to review the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights, which was created by former prime minister Stephen Harper. They have never done this. Victims deserve a date, and they deserve it right now. When will it be reviewed, and when will victims come first in Canada?

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Madam Chair, our commitment to victims, including victims of intimate partner violence, is steadfast, and that is witnessed through our reforms in Bill C-48 and Bill C-75, which dealt with the reverse onus on bail for people who are victims of intimate partner violence. That is demonstrating our commitment to victims, and we will continue to do so.

[Jamil Jivani, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Madam Chair, I would like to have a straight-up conversation about some facts. Is the minister aware of the tragic car crash that occurred on Highway 401 in Durham region on April 29?

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Madam Chair, I am aware of the traffic fatalities as a general proposition.

[Jamil Jivani, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Madam Chair, I will inform him that the Highway 401 car crash made national news because four people were killed, including an infant.

Does the minister know that the robbery suspect who caused that car crash was out on bail after being arrested for similar crimes in the past?

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Madam Chair, what I would emphasize is that bail is governed by certain fundamental precepts that are in the Criminal Code of Canada. It is about ensuring that people are not a flight risk or likely to repeat an offence. It is also demonstrating the community's denunciation.

In Ontario, individual bail determinations are mainly made by justices of the peace.

[Jamil Jivani, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Madam Chair, is the justice minister aware of the community safety alert issued by the Durham Regional Police on May 10 concerning a high-risk sex offender?

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Madam Chair, high-risk sex offenders are obviously a priority of ours. I indicated that we re-established the sex offender registry through the swift passage of Bill S-12.

[Jamil Jivani, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Madam Chair, the community safety alert was issued by the Durham police because this high-risk sex offender poses a serious danger to children.

Is the minister aware that the offender was arrested for previous crimes in the past and then released on bail?

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Madam Chair, as a point of clarification, the Victims Bill of Rights was reviewed by the justice committee last year. With respect to decisions about individual cases of bail, those are made by independent and impartial justices of the peace in Ontario.

[Jamil Jivani, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Madam Chair, does the justice minister recognize the name of a 27-year-old Toronto man, Edwin John Redmond?

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Madam Chair, what I can further indicate with respect to bail decisions is that the Criminal Code provides that one can bring a review application for a bail decision—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member.

[Jamil Jivani, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Madam Chair, Mr. Redmond was very sadly and tragically beaten to death in Toronto, not far from the minister's home constituency, three months ago.

Does the minister know that Mr. Redmond's attackers were previously arrested for similar crimes and then released on bail?

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Madam Chair, I appreciate that the member opposite is new to the House and I welcome him.

What I would indicate to him is that we have been spending some time talking about the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. I would encourage him to look at the fact that constitutional protections apply to bail and are entrenched in section 11(e) of the charter.

[Jamil Jivani, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Madam Chair, the condescending tone from the minister, just because I have not been here for very long, does not mean that I do not know what I am talking about.

In fact, with these cases in mind, I would like to know if the justice minister is willing to humbly acknowledge that Liberal bail policies are enabling repeat offenders to commit more crimes.

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Madam Chair, again, for his edification, I would point the member toward Bill C-48, which may have been passed before he arrived. It talked about serious, violent, repeat offenders being subjected to a reverse onus, so instead of being presumed to receive bail, they are presumed not to receive bail and have to convince a justice of the peace otherwise.

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Order. I have a point of order from the hon. deputy government House leader.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Madam Chair, on this side of the House we are being very quiet and letting the questions be answered, yet the minister is continually being heckled when he is trying to provide answers. Perhaps you could encourage the members on the other side, including the former Speaker of the House of Commons, to use better judgment and instead of lashing out, listen to what the minister has to say.

[An hon. member]

If anyone knows—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Order.

I have already raised this point on a number of occasions. The hon. members lose time every time I have to call a point of order. I would ask members to please be respectful. If they wish to add something, they can get up and speak at their appropriate time.

The hon. member for Durham.

[Jamil Jivani, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Madam Chair, on numerous occasions the justice minister has made reference to me as the newest MP here.

His government has been in power for nine years, and in those nine years, people's lives have gotten harder, criminals have been allowed to get in and out of courthouses like a turnstile and the minister is continuously putting communities at risk. You have had nine years, and look at what has happened.

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member knows full well that he is to address all questions and comments through the Chair.

The hon. minister.

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Madam Chair, I would indicate to the member opposite that persons who are released on bail through an independent decision made by a justice of the peace in Ontario are often subject to conditions of release that are tailored to their specific situation. Always, the key concerns are deterring a repeat offence, ensuring that we are sending a message, and ensuring that there is not a flight risk.

[Jamil Jivani, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Madam Chair, the justice minister clearly needs to humble himself, admit the Liberal government's mistakes, stop allowing repeat offenders back on the street, and actually keep our neighbourhoods and our communities safe.