Debates of Dec. 2nd, 2025

Public Safety

[Jacques Ramsay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question. I appreciate the opportunity to talk about extortion in Canada, particularly in British Columbia. I can assure the House that the Government of Canada is actively working on this file and that it is more committed than ever to protecting Canadians, regardless of where they come from or where they live. All Canadians and Canadian interests must be protected from all criminal threats, including extortion and related acts of violence. This is not a soft-on-crime policy at all. It is quite the opposite.

Serious organized crime is complex, so a multi-pronged response to these criminal networks is essential. Incidents of extortion are alarming, and support is in place for those affected. Anyone who feels threatened online or in person should report the situation to local police.

In the Government of Canada's budget 2025, we announced an investment to hire 1,000 new RCMP members to increase federal policing capacity across Canada and combat organized criminal networks that threaten Canada's economic and national security, as well as 1,000 new CBSA officers to help crack down on illegal arms trafficking.

The Government of Canada also introduced bills C-2, C-12 and C-14, which seek to strengthen immigration and border security, combat transnational organized crime, tighten bail laws, and increase penalties to protect Canadians and strengthen the security of our communities.

Bill C-2 proposes modernized tools to facilitate law enforcement's lawful access to basic information and data. These measures are crucial to disrupting sophisticated organized crime networks that use modern extortion schemes. However, the Conservatives oppose them. I hope they will change their vote when we discuss this further next week.

Bill C-12 seeks to secure our borders and strengthen our immigration system by giving new powers to the Canada Border Services Agency and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. This will improve Canada's response to the rise in extortion by strengthening border enforcement and administration and improving information sharing.

Bill C‑14 establishes stricter bail and sentencing requirements by making it harder to get bail for violent and repeat offences as well as for organized crime. It also proposes consecutive sentences for serious and violent crimes. These reforms prioritize the Government of Canada's response to deter serious organized criminal activity, including extortion, and protect the public safety of Canadians. These commitments build on the Government of Canada's ongoing efforts to protect Canadians from extortion and other violent crimes.

In 2023, Public Safety Canada renewed the initiative to take action against gun and gang violence, which provides $400 million over five years to provinces and territories. Our government also launched the building safer communities fund in 2022, which provides $250 million directly to municipalities and indigenous communities to strengthen gang prevention programs and address the social conditions that give rise to crime.

In conclusion, we know that there is more work to do. We are taking the necessary steps to make our communities even safer. If the Conservatives are serious about addressing extortion, they should support Bill C‑2, Bill C‑12 and Bill C‑14.

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford, BC]

Madam Speaker, Conservatives have been very clear in the House that we are generally in support of many of the measures in Bill C-12 and Bill C-14.

In respect of Bill C-2 and the Liberal government now tying it to extortion, the reality is that we are in a minority Parliament and the Liberals never work with us. They never addressed some of the charter challenges that will inevitably come from that legislation. If the Liberals would have acted in good faith, they would have seen more co-operation from the Conservatives, as we have done on many major policy initiatives that we initiated in the first place and that have been passed by this Parliament.

The reality is that extortion can be correlated directly to the changes to the Criminal Code that the Liberals brought forward. Once we removed any form of deterrence in our society, crime went rampant. It is what happened. I just implore the member opposite and I implore the government—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Jacques Ramsay, Liberal, La Prairie—Atateken, QC]

Madam Speaker, our government is proud of the work it has undertaken to protect Canadians from extortion and other violent crimes. We are proud of the work we have accomplished on the ground. Since February 2024, for example, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police has established a national coordination and support team, forming a national alliance to coordinate and advance extortion investigations across Canada. Through this national team, the RCMP works with police services across Canada and internationally to address extortion crimes and violent incidents.

In addition, a B.C. extortion expert group was created last September and so far has already identified 96 individuals—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Langley Township—Fraser Heights.

The Economy

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley Township—Fraser Heights, BC]

Madam Speaker, a little while ago I asked a question in question period on the topic of the ever-increasing price of groceries. Food inflation is running at about twice the rate of the average rate of inflation in this country, so many people are hurting in a real, tangible and, I might say, painful way.

I made the point, in my 30-second question spot, that food inflation is hitting seniors particularly hard. Many seniors are on a fixed income. I would point out that for the people who are fortunate enough to have an indexed pension, the indexing is to the average rate of inflation, not food inflation, so even those people are hurting in very real and tangible ways.

In my question, I quoted Myrna, and it bears repeating what she had to say to me in an email. She said, “I worked and planned for my retirement my entire life and now it's taking everything I have to live.” That is the painful part of inflation. It erodes people's purchasing power. Myrna did nothing wrong; she did everything right. She saved up for her retirement. It was going to be enough, but then she was facing inflation, and that is a reality for many people.

I could have quoted others, but I had only so much time in my 30-second time spot, so I am going to take the opportunity now to read into the record a comment from Darcy, also from my riding: “I know that you are aware [of] the cost of living and your party knows this; unfortunately [the Liberal Prime Minister] does not.... There are thousands of seniors lining up at food banks and looking for affordable housing.... There are way too many seniors who have to make a choice about whether to buy food or [pay for] rent”.

Laine had this to say: “[Seniors] are also caught up in all the price increases, cost of living and taxes but nobody is being our voice and fighting for our secure and dignified retirement.... When was our last cost of living [increase]?” I am trying to be the voice for Laine and other people like her.

These are just a few examples. I know many seniors are wealthy and have nice pensions and comfortable homes with no mortgages, or maybe they have sold a business and are living comfortably, but I am speaking for those who are struggling, and there are many of them.

That is why I was so disappointed with the answer I got from the Secretary of State for Seniors. This is what she said: “I speak to seniors in my home riding...all the time, and they are proud of what this government is doing, that we have taken action that actually helps seniors in this country to age with dignity.” I do not know whom she has been speaking to; it is probably the wealthy pensioners but certainly not the people who are struggling.

She went on to highlight some of the handouts the government has given. I am sure that people are always happy to get some of their tax dollars back, but it misses a point. She said:

We are cutting red tape. We are building homes faster. We are providing dental care....

On this side of the House, we have a great record.

That is her perspective. It is not the perspective of many seniors who are struggling.

The problem with the Liberals, in my opinion, is that they think they have all the answers. They think they are the solution to the problems, whereas the reality is that they are the cause of many of the problems Canadians are suffering from. This is particularly true for seniors, who are at the wrong end of inflation and are seeing their savings being eaten away by inflation that is caused by the government through overspending and deficit budgets. After 10 years of mismanagement by the federal government, inflation is deeply seated.

My question is this: Will the Liberals acknowledge that their never-ending deficit spending and money printing is causing inflation that continues to hurt Canadians?

[Jacques Ramsay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Madam Speaker, the hon. member for Langley Township—Fraser Heights argues that our government is responsible for a never-ending cycle of inflationary spending and deficits. I would argue exactly the opposite. I believe we are taking action specifically to prevent this inflationary cycle. We live in an uncertain and rapidly changing world. Around the world, the trade relationships that help ensure good jobs and affordable products are being disrupted. Here at home, rising tariffs are posing significant challenges for Canadians, as we know, particularly those who work in trade-exposed sectors such as manufacturing.

The Government of Canada also recognizes that the cost of living is putting financial pressure on Canadian families and small businesses. That is why we introduced many measures in the 2025 budget to help Canadians live a more dignified life. We cannot control what other countries do, but we can decide how we respond to what we can control. As the member opposite may recall, on our first day in office, we cancelled the divisive consumer carbon tax, which lowered gas prices by 18¢ per litre in most provinces and territories, except mine.

We are now cutting taxes for 22 million Canadians, saving a two-income family up to $840 a year. We are also eliminating the GST for first-time homebuyers on new homes up to $1 million. That means savings of up to $50,000 for many young families. That should also spur new home construction across the country.

We tabled budget 2025, entitled “Canada Strong”. This budget is a plan to transform our economy, one that currently depends on a single trading partner, into one that is stronger, more resilient, and more diversified. It is a plan that will empower Canadians and reduce the cost of living in this country. For example, the budget makes the national school food program permanent. That means an additional 400,000 children will receive healthy meals every day, and participating families with two children will be able to save about $800 annually on groceries.

The budget also proposes to automatically deliver federal benefits to low-income Canadians. The CRA will ensure that they receive the federal benefits to which they are entitled, including those that they may not even be aware of.

The budget confirms a number of benefits. For example, the GST/HST credit provides up to $700 for a couple this year, plus an additional $184 for each child under the age of 19. The Canada child benefit amounts to $8,000 this year for every child under the age of six, and $6,700 for children between the ages of six and 17. All of these amounts will keep pace with the cost of living.

Another measure involves renewing the Canada strong pass, and the list goes on. We will also protect the vital social programs that Canadians rely on, whether it is child care, dental care or pharmacare. These are concrete measures that make life more affordable for Canadians.

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley Township—Fraser Heights, BC]

Madam Speaker, the member continues to use talking points from the Liberal Party: “We can't control inflation. It's something international. Other countries are doing it. We can't be responsible for what other countries do”. However, the government must be responsible for its own budgetary planning. I have been here for six years now, and I have heard many ministers of finance, one after the other, say that Canada's lagging productivity numbers are the fundamental problem for Canada's economy and the best way to fight inflation is for the economy to improve its productivity. I do not see anything in this budget that is going to do that.

Yes, the government is responsible for inflation in this country.

[Jacques Ramsay, Liberal, La Prairie—Atateken, QC]

Madam Speaker, the hon. member just illustrated very clearly the difference between our party and his. We believe that the current economic cycle is harsh and that it will not correct itself. We need to bring in concrete, meaningful measures and take definitive action on the economy. We will do this through substantial investments that will ultimately enable the economy to recover.

My hon. colleague is suggesting that there are no measures in this budget. I will simply mention the productivity superdeduction, which will allow businesses, starting this year, to deduct all their capital expenditures, industrial processing, research, testing and market development expenses. That is huge. I see that the government is moving in the right direction. I am confident, and I invite us to—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 6:56 p.m.)