Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to rise today to speak to Bill C-14 on behalf of the people of London—Fanshawe.
Every week when I speak with residents across my riding, I hear concerns about how crime is affecting their daily life. People tell me that they no longer feel the same comfort and predictability they once felt in their own neighbourhood. They talk about rising incidents of crime in their community and about a justice system that feels too quick to release the same offenders again and again. People ask why the consequences for serious and repeat violent crimes seem weaker than ever.
These concerns are felt especially in the east end of London, in the community I represent. However, it is no longer just an east London problem. In recent weeks, I have attended town hall meetings alongside colleagues in nearby communities, and I am hearing the same stories and frustrations all around London and beyond. People everywhere are dealing with the same patterns, the same risks and the same reality: Repeat offenders are being pushed through a system that releases them by default.
When we look at Canada-wide data, we see that these concerns reflect a national trend that has been growing for years. Across Canada, we have seen the consequences of a system that defaults to release. We have seen heartbreaking cases where individuals with a long history of violence were released, only to commit another serious offence days or even hours later. Families across the country have endured tragedies that should never have happened.
Community groups, victims' advocates and frontline workers have pleaded for change because they see first-hand what happens when warnings are ignored. These voices deserve to be heard. They deserve a justice system that supports them instead of leaving them to pick up the pieces.
For nearly a decade, Canada's bail and sentencing laws have been shaped by Liberal Bill C-75 and Bill C-5. These bills weakened deterrence, reduced meaningful consequences for serious crimes and told judges to prioritize release. They created a system that made it easier for repeat violent offenders to walk free. Police services across the country have been dealing with the consequences ever since.
When I speak with frontline officers, they describe the same pattern: a number of prolific offenders cycling through the system without meaningful consequences. Officers tell me about the frustration of seeing the same individuals arrested on a Monday, released on the Tuesday and back in custody by the end of the week for another violent offence. This is not a theoretical problem; it is a day-to-day reality for the people tasked with keeping our communities safe, and they are asking Parliament to finally give them a system that works.
In London, the effects are clear. Communities that once felt predictable and safe now report rising incidents of property damage, violent behaviour and threatening encounters. Residents describe feeling uneasy on evening walks that used to feel routine. Families talk about being more cautious about where their children go after school. People who finish work late tell me they feel anxious waiting for transit or walking through parking lots. Neighbours who once left their doors unlocked now obsessively check them throughout the day.
These experiences are real, and they weigh heavily on people who simply want to feel safe in their own community. London's chief of police has spoken clearly about this. He has said that the current system is broken and that violent repeat crime is a symptom of a much larger problem in our justice system. He has stressed that communities are being put at risk when individuals with serious histories are released without meaningful safeguards and that Londoners are paying the price for decisions that fail to account for real patterns of violent behaviour.
The chief of police has called for urgent bail reform and tougher penalties for people who commit serious violent offences, making it clear that the status quo is failing the very people it is supposed to protect. He has insisted that it is time to move toward a jail not bail approach that reflects the reality officers and communities are facing every single day.
The warnings did not begin this year; they have been raised constantly by police chiefs, frontline officers, survivors of crime, mayors and community leaders. For 10 years, my Conservative colleagues have been raising these same concerns in the House, calling for stronger bail reform, while the Liberals ignored everyone sounding the alarm.
Now, with Bill C-14, the government is finally acknowledging that the system it created through legislation like Bill C-75 has failed. The bill would introduce a few measures that move in the right direction: It would expand some reverse onus rules, add new aggravating factors and make limited adjustments to sentencing.
Police services appreciate any help they can get, but these steps alone do not solve the underlying problems. The core issues remain untouched. Bill C-14 does not repeal the principle of restraint introduced in Bill C-75. That principle directs judges that if they choose to release someone, they must impose the least strict conditions possible. The instruction sits at the heart of the entire catch-and-release system. It remains embedded in the culture of bail decisions across Canada, and it continues to shape outcomes in a way that leaves communities exposed to unnecessary risk.
Bill C-14 says restraint does not guarantee release, but it leaves the same framework in place. It keeps public safety as an afterthought, rather than the starting point. It does not create a true presumption of detention for violent or repeat offenders. It does not restore mandatory minimum sentences for serious violent crimes. It does not require judges to treat a long record of violence as the serious risk it is. It does not address the concerns raised by police services, including those raised in London, that the system continues to function as an open door for offenders who pose real danger.
This is exactly why Conservatives have put forward a practical solution through our jail, not bail plan, a plan built to close that open door and put public safety back at the centre of bail decisions. Under this plan, violent offenders face a presumption of detention instead of release. People who reportedly break conditions do not get an endless sequence of chances. Serious crimes like sexual offences, robbery, human trafficking, kidnapping, arson and major firearms offences cannot be handled through conditional sentences or house arrest; judges must consider full criminal history every time. People with serious criminal records cannot act as guarantors, non-residents who may flee must surrender passports, and consequences for breaking bail conditions must be automatic.
These reforms reflect what people expect from a justice system that protects them. They line up with what Londoners tell me they want, they match what police officers across the country say they need, and they reflect a simple principle: Safety must come first.
Conservatives will support Bill C-14 at second reading because it moves in the right direction, but we will work to make it stronger. We will push to repeal the principle of restraint. We will push to restore public safety as the main consideration. We will push to bring back mandatory minimums for serious violent crimes. We will push to expand ineligibility for house arrest. We will push to create a real presumption of detention for repeat violent offenders. We will push to ensure that judges must consider full criminal histories and outstanding charges.
People in London—Fanshawe want to feel safe. They want to know that violent repeat offenders will not be released without meaningful safeguards. They want a justice system that protects them, supports victims and holds dangerous individuals accountable. Bill C-14 does not go far enough, but we will work to strengthen that. We will work to rebuild safety and trust in our communities. We will stand up for victims, families and every person who deserves to feel safe in the place they call home.