Mr. Speaker, the member for Oxford introduced the jail not bail act, which recognizes attacks on first responders as a major offence. The Liberals opposed it then recycled the idea.
While the Liberals would have Canadians believe this bill fixes the bail crisis, it does not. The person who commits a violent crime should not be sitting at home watching Netflix. They should be off of the streets. This is not a plan to protect Canadians; it is a press release pretending to be a bill. That is why Conservatives will work tirelessly to ensure that Bill C-14 scraps Liberal bail.
Thankfully, we have already put forward the real solution, Bill C-242, the Conservative jail not bail act, which was introduced by the member for Oxford. Unlike Bill C-14, which tinkers at the margins, Bill C-242 would reshape the system to protect the public. It would repeal the Liberal principle of restraint and replace it with the public safety primacy clause, thereby ending the culture of automatic release. The bill would create a major offence category that would trigger a true presumption of detention, not just a burden shift for offences such as firearm crimes, sexual offences, kidnapping, human trafficking, home invasions, robbery, extortion, arson and violent assault. The bill would tighten the risk standard and would require judges to consider the full criminal history of an accused person.
Bill C-242 also includes a 10-year look-back provision, so if someone convicted of a major violent offence were to commit another major violent offence while already on bail, they would face, with near certainty, a presumption of detention. It would strengthen surety rules by banning individuals with indictable convictions from acting as a guarantor and would require a passport surrender for non-residents where required. That is what a real plan to protect Canadians looks like, and it is what Conservatives are offering.
The need for this reform is urgent. A recent National Post poll found that more than half of Canadians no longer feel safe in their own neighbourhoods. In a country like ours, which is thriving, peaceful and proud, that should shock every member of the House. Tragically, that fear is entirely rational. People see what is happening around them. They see the revolving-door justice system, police arresting the same offenders repeatedly, crime scenes where their children play and a government that refuses to take responsibility.
We have a Minister of Public Safety who says, without embarrassment, “I'm not responsible for hiring of the [RCMP or CBA] officers”. If the minister responsible for public safety is not responsible for ensuring we have enough frontline officers, who is? This is the level of accountability Canadians are being offered.
In Calgary, especially in the downtown area, but throughout the entire city, residents have witnessed some of the worst increases in violent crime since the Liberal government took office. Transit stations have become unsafe. Small business owners are robbed repeatedly. Families are living in fear of being caught in gang-related shootings, and seniors feel trapped in their own homes. These are serious concerns from real people, and they deserve more than symbolic legislation.
Conservatives will not stop until we scrap Liberal catch-and-release laws. We will not stop until violent offenders face serious consequences and safe streets are the norm in Canada, not an exception.
The government has a choice. It can adopt a fully Conservative plan, stop the revolving-door bail system and protect Canadians, or it continue down this reckless path it embarked on a decade ago. Canadians already know which side Conservatives are on. We are on the side of victims, of families and of safe and strong communities. We are on the side of common sense.
It is time to scrap Liberal bail and restore public safety in this country. Conservatives and Canadians are ready. The only question that remains is whether the Liberals are ready.