Excuse me, Kevin. Defunding the police—
House of Commons Hansard #55 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was c-14.
House of Commons Hansard #55 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was c-14.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Criminal Code First reading of Bill S-228. The bill amends the Criminal Code to explicitly make forced or coerced sterilization without consent an aggravated assault, aiming to protect women, Indigenous women, and marginalized individuals in Canada. 200 words.
Extortion in Canada Pierre Poilievre requests an emergency debate on an "extortion crisis" across Canada, which he blames on Liberal border and justice policies. He proposes mandatory jail time, stronger borders, and clear self-defence laws. 600 words.
Bail and Sentencing Reform Act Second reading of Bill C-14. The bill [xnP89S] amends the Criminal Code, Youth Criminal Justice Act, and National Defence Act to tighten bail and sentencing rules. The government [X4TNeM] aims to strengthen public safety by expanding reverse onus provisions, adding aggravating factors for crimes against first responders, essential infrastructure, and retail theft, and restricting house arrest for serious sexual offenses. The Bloc [D0LKIk] supports sending it to committee but raises concerns about judicial discretion and the presumption of innocence. Conservatives [urGYcO] argue the bill is a "band-aid solution" that fails to repeal "soft-on-crime" policies [0kM28G] and restore mandatory minimums, attributing rising crime rates to past Liberal legislation. 49000 words, 6 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
Parliamentary Budget Officer Members debate a question of privilege regarding the government's delayed response to the Parliamentary Budget Officer's request for information on proposed savings, with the government citing process and employee relations for the delay. 700 words.
Corrections and Conditional Release Act Second reading of Bill C-221. The bill amends the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to require that victims of crime receive not only eligibility and review dates for offenders' temporary absences, releases, or parole, but also an explanation of how these dates were determined. This aims to increase transparency and support victims, who often feel unheard or uninformed by the justice system. The bill builds on previous legislation that received unanimous support. 7200 words, 1 hour.
The Deputy Speaker Tom Kmiec
I am going to interrupt the member. The member cannot use the first name, the last name or the full name of any member of the House, including a certain parliamentary secretary. I will let the member finish within 10 seconds, and then we will go back to questions and comments.
The hon. member for Victoria is rising on a point of order.
Will Greaves Liberal Victoria, BC
Mr. Speaker, as a newer member of this House, I wonder if the Speaker could speak to whether it is appropriate to use personal adjectives and describe other members as “very annoying” in comments made on the floor.
The Deputy Speaker Tom Kmiec
I suspect that if I say it is a matter of debate, I will have further points of order raised by members. As long as it is fair as part of debate, I am not going to delve into whether people have hurt feelings or do not like the way certain members are being described.
The Deputy Speaker Tom Kmiec
Order.
We have dealt with this matter before, earlier in the House. I would refer members to the rules of decorum, which are in Standing Order 16 and Standing Order 18. That is my ruling, and I am going to invoke Standing Order 10 so that we can proceed with debate before Standing Order 31 statements and question period.
I will let the member for King—Vaughan finish within 10 seconds.
Anna Roberts Conservative King—Vaughan, ON
Mr. Speaker, I apologize. I am a little under the weather today, but I want to state something clearly. My community of King—Vaughan is very upset because police officers have no jurisdiction when they arrest someone. Police officers put them in jail, and they are out before we know it.
Michael Guglielmin Conservative Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague gave an excellent speech. The member comes from the Vaughan area, essentially exactly where my riding is, and she knows all too well the serious consequences that we have had in our community with respect to crime. At one point we had seven shootings in just three weeks in our community. Something definitely needs to be done.
I have been listening to this debate, and I keep hearing over and over again how Conservatives are apparently delaying bail reform. However, we have wanted bail reform for the last four years. Now that the bill is on the table, we want the Liberals to go the full way and get rid of the principle of restraint.
I wonder if the member could elaborate on why the Liberal government needs to take seriously the consideration of our amendments on the principle of restraint and why they do not need to just clarify it but to remove it altogether.
Anna Roberts Conservative King—Vaughan, ON
Mr. Speaker, I want to let the hon. member for Vaughan—Woodbridge know that we need to protect our citizens. We currently have a citizen who came back to Canada today to testify in committee, and she has to leave because the law did not protect her. She has death threats every single day. We need to make sure that these individuals stay behind bars so that women and children can live in this country as we used to live, with the protection of the police.
Kristina Tesser Derksen Liberal Milton East—Halton Hills South, ON
Mr. Speaker, I thank my opposition colleague for highlighting the story of Darian Hailey Henderson-Bellman. Her family lives in my riding, and it is a heartbreakingly tragic story.
The member mentioned the burden of reverse onus. Currently, the onus is on the Crown prosecutor to prove that an accused should be denied bail. In Bill C-14, as proposed, reverse onus provisions would shift that onus to the accused to prove why they should be permitted bail.
Is the member aware of the reverse onus provisions contained in Bill C-14? How does she expect those changes to make a positive impact on public safety?
Anna Roberts Conservative King—Vaughan, ON
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for bringing that question to the forefront. I will tell you that I met with the parents. I will tell you that the problem is—
The Deputy Speaker Tom Kmiec
Members are to speak through the Chair and not directly to other members using “you”.
I will let the member for King—Vaughan continue.
Anna Roberts Conservative King—Vaughan, ON
Mr. Speaker, we met with the parents at our town hall. This individual was let out four times, and he went and killed their only child.
We have to toughen those laws to make sure that someone who continually repeats crimes is kept in jail if we are going to keep people alive.
Amanpreet S. Gill Conservative Calgary Skyview, AB
Mr. Speaker, after this last Liberal decade, Canadians across the country are living with a level of fear and disorder that none of us should ever accept as normal. Every single day, families wake up to a new story of violence, and repeat offenders are being released on bail only to reoffend, sometimes within hours. Every day, Canadians watch the consequences of a justice system warped by the Prime Minister's reckless catch-and-release ideology, and every day, the government insists that everything is fine, but everything is not fine.
In my province of Alberta, in the city of Calgary, I have seen first-hand the devastation that Liberal soft-on-crime bail laws have caused, and it is the people in these neighbourhoods who have to actually deal with the crimes of repeat violent offenders. It is the families in these communities who bear the burden when repeat sex offenders breach their conditions and nothing changes. It is everyday Canadians who now, unfortunately, think twice before going out to the park, walking to the grocery store or just stepping outside after dark. This is not a failure of circumstances. It is a direct consequence of the choices made by the Liberal government.
The devastation is clear. Since 2015, violent crime has gone up 55%, firearm offences are up 130%, extortion has shot up an insane 330%, sexual assaults have gone up 76% and homicides across the nation have risen nearly 30%. These are not just numbers. Each data point represents a Canadian who might not come home again, families that will never be whole again and communities that will never be the same.
We are also seeing a worrying rise in extortion across the country. Calgary and Surrey have become the clearest examples. Police have launched dozens of new investigations in just the last few months. Business owners are being threatened, intimidated, and in some cases, even shot at. This situation has become so serious that Surrey has created a special police team and has set up a $250,000 reward fund just to help stop the growing crime wave. This rise in extortion shows exactly what happens when repeat offenders know they can go through the revolving door of bail to return to threaten the people in their communities. In Calgary and Surrey, Canadians should not be living in fear of criminals demanding money or threatening their families, yet this is becoming more common under a Liberal failed system.
Despite all of this, the Liberals continue to defend laws that contribute to this crisis, such as Bill C-75, which is a bill that prioritizes the release of criminals rather than protecting communities, and Bill C-5, which replaced mandatory minimum sentences for violent firearm crimes and other serious offences. These actions have led to the government treating violent criminals as victims and law-abiding Canadians as an afterthought.
For years, Conservatives have warned the government that its approach to bail and sentencing was unleashing chaos. For years, Liberals have denied, deflected and dismissed, and for years, Canadians have been paying the price. Now, after nearly a decade of failure, the Liberals suddenly claim that they want to fix the bail system, but what they have tabled is too little too late and nowhere near enough.
Bill C-14 is the latest example of the government scrambling to copy Conservative ideas after spending years blocking them. In fact, the Carney Liberals have been copying Conservative proposals—
The Deputy Speaker Tom Kmiec
I will interrupt the member and remind him that he cannot use the first, last or full name of the Prime Minister or any member of the House of Commons.
I will invite the member to continue with that in mind.
Amanpreet S. Gill Conservative Calgary Skyview, AB
Mr. Speaker, Liberals have been copying Conservative proposals at a fascinating pace. Conservatives proposed extending reverse onus for major violent crimes. The Liberals voted against it, then copied it.
MP Khanna introduced the jail not bail act—
The Deputy Speaker Tom Kmiec
The member referenced the last name of the member for Oxford. He can refer to other members by their riding names, but not by their family or first names.
I invite the member to continue.
Amanpreet S. Gill Conservative Calgary Skyview, AB
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.
Bill C-14 Bail and Sentencing Reform ActGovernment Orders
The Deputy Speaker Tom Kmiec
Before I go to questions and comments, I would remind members, as we are approaching the hour for Standing Order 31 statements and question period, that Standing Order 16(2) still applies. Members cannot cross between the Speaker and a member who is speaking, because it makes it quite difficult to see if the member speaking is done or not. Therefore, I invite members to pass on to other members that we are not supposed to be doing that in the chamber.
With questions and comments, the hon. member for Alfred–Pellan has the floor.
Angelo Iacono Liberal Alfred-Pellan, QC
Mr. Speaker, there is something I do not understand. The Conservatives are really putting politics ahead of the country. Canadians welcome legislation that would ensure that perpetrators of sexual assault would no longer be eligible for house arrest. It is about protecting survivors and keeping our communities safe. Is there a female colleague in the Conservative caucus who will stand up and ask her colleagues why they are opposing a measure that guarantees that perpetrators of sexual assault will no longer be able to serve their sentence at home?
Is there a female colleague on the other side of the House who could do that?
Amanpreet S. Gill Conservative Calgary Skyview, AB
Mr. Speaker, we are taking crimes very seriously, even sexual crimes. Bill C-242, the jail not bail act, is entirely constitutional and covers everything.
On this side of the aisle, we are here to protect our women, our children and everyone, so all Canadians are safe on the streets, so Canadian homes are safe and so Canadians are not being threatened with calls.
Fraser Tolmie Conservative Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK
Mr. Speaker, one of the things that I hear from police officers and victims, particularly in my community, is that victims are afraid to come forward to testify because the person who has committed the crime against them has been released on bail within hours, if not minutes, of being detained by the police.
Does the member agree with that, and should there be tougher punishments for criminals?
Amanpreet S. Gill Conservative Calgary Skyview, AB
Mr. Speaker, yes, it is very serious.
We introduced our bill, Bill C-242, from our member for Oxford. That is what we need to act on. We cannot release offenders back onto the streets. We have to be serious with respect to them.
We have seen what we have gone through in the last failed Liberal decade. The crime rate is skyrocketing. Just in Surrey alone, the extortion cases are up almost 550%. That is a very high number. We cannot have this in Canada.
Harb Gill Conservative Windsor West, ON
Mr. Speaker, there is a member opposite who has called in the past for the police to be defunded. His assertion was that disarming the police would be the best way to solve crime. As a former police officer, I find that extremely offensive, as do Canadians.
The question for my colleague is this: What is his opinion on this matter of defunding the police?
Amanpreet S. Gill Conservative Calgary Skyview, AB
Mr. Speaker, it is a shameful that a member from across the aisle was involved in a rally to defund our police.
On the one hand, I spoke with police officers last week. They are looking to us. They are looking to the Government of Canada to provide them more tools. They need more men. A while ago there was an announcement that 1,000 new police officers would be hired, and none have been hired.
On the other hand, the Liberals are announcing that they are going to those rallies because they want to defund the RCMP. That is not right.