moved that Bill C-14, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and the National Defence Act (bail and sentencing), be read the second time and referred to a committee.
Mr. Speaker, today we have the opportunity to commence debate on an important bill that would help reinforce and strengthen Canada's criminal laws and promote public safety in communities in every part of the country.
This bill is about stronger laws and safer communities. It is about keeping people safe in the places they love and the places they live.
Importantly, although this particular piece of legislation focuses on bail and sentencing, it is part of a broader strategy to promote public safety across the country. This strategy rests on three key pillars: first, stronger laws to help protect people; second, investments in the front line to ensure that law enforcement has the ability to do its job and our border officials have the ability to keep the country safe; and third, upstream investments to ensure that we do not just seek to punish crime after it takes place but do what we can to prevent crime, both in the short and long term.
Before we get too deep into this conversation, it is important that we acknowledge where we are as a country. We understand that crime is a very real problem in different parts of the country. We know that we have to do more to protect Canadians against criminal activity that exists in different regions.