Debates of June 16th, 2025

Public Safety

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, as I shared a moment ago, extortion is illegal in this country. Perpetrators should be apprehended and punished. If the member does not believe that extortion is punishable by serious offences, I would point him to the fact that repeated violent extortion with a firearm is punishable by a minimum of seven years' imprisonment and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. This reflects the seriousness with which this government takes this very serious crime. However, it is important that we not only punish wrongdoers on the back end but invest in law enforcement to give it the tools it needs to keep communities safe in the first place.

I hope the members opposite will join us as we advance important reforms to protect Canadians.

[Amandeep Sodhi, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, every day, law enforcement officers from across Canada work tirelessly to ensure that our communities are kept safe from crime. At the same time, organized criminals are taking advantage of new technologies to evade the police.

Can the Minister of Public Safety inform this House how the strong borders act would modernize the tools law enforcement uses in the fight against organized crime?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, allow me to thank the hon. member for Brampton Centre for her hard work.

Just this morning, Peel Regional Police dealt a major blow to organized crime, arresting 18 individuals on nearly 100 charges related to auto theft, extortion and shootings. I want to thank the hard-working men and women of Peel Regional Police for the important work they have done.

Through the strong borders act, we are looking to replicate the success of Peel Regional Police. We will provide law enforcement with the tools it needs to take down organized crime and keep our communities safe.

Northern Affairs

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

[Member spoke in Inuktitut and provided the following text:]

ᒨᓯ ᐊᓈᓇᐅᕗᖅ ᑕᓗᖅᔪᐊᕐᒥᒃ. ᑕᖅᑭᑕᒫᖅ ᑮᓇᐅᔾᔭᖃᑦᑕᖅᑐᖅ $1100 ᐊᑖᓂ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓄᑕᖅᑲᓄᑦ ᓯᕗᓪᓕᐅᑎᓂᕐᒧᑦ ᐃᑲᔫᓯᐊᖅ ᐊᑐᕐᓂᖃᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ ᓄᑕᖅᑲᑦ ᐅᓪᓗᑕᒫᖅ ᓂᕆᔭᒃᓴᖃᕈᓐᓇᖅᓯᓪᓗᑎᒃ Liberalᒃᑯ ᓄᖅᑲᖅᑎᑦᑎᓚᐅᖅᐳᖅ Hᐊᒻᓚᒃᑯᓐᓄ ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᓂᖃᐃᓲᑎᓂᒃ ᓂᖀᑦ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᕐᒥᒃ ᐊᑭᑐᓗᐊᖅᐳᑦ.

Minister ᑲᔪᓯᑎᑦᑎᒃᑲᓐᓂᕐᓂᐊᖅᐹ Hᐊᒻᓚᒃᑯᓐᓄ ᐊᐅᓚᑕᐅᔪᒥᒃ ᓂᖃᐃᓲᑎᓂᒃ ᐃᓄᐃᑦ ᓂᕿᑖᕈᓐᓇᖅᓯᒃᑲᓐᓂᖁᓪᓗᒋ?

[Inuktitut text interpreted as follows:]

Mr. Speaker, Mosie is a single mom in Taloyoak. Her monthly income is less than $1,100. The Inuit child first initiative helped to feed her children every day. The Liberals cancelled the hamlet food voucher program. Groceries in the north are not affordable.

Will the minister reinstate the hamlet food voucher program so Inuit can afford to eat?

[English]

[Rebecca Chartrand, Liberal, Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency]

Mr. Speaker, it is public knowledge that nutrition north is undergoing an external review, and we also have an internal review under way. We are committed to building on the positive steps already taken, like the food harvesters program and the community kitchen program, to ensure that northern communities benefit fully from these types of initiatives.

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, during question period, you asked my colleague from Repentigny to withdraw comments that you deemed to be unparliamentary when he was talking about the fact that the Liberals lied during the election. His comments were therefore about events that occurred outside the House.

I would like to know if it is possible to clarify whether the rules about parliamentary language extend to things that may have been said outside the House.

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I would note to the member from Saint‑Jean that regardless of the reference, the word was said in the House. The word was unparliamentary.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, during question period, members of the Liberal caucus kept providing disinformation about the notion that they are upholding section 35 rights. That is not true and I would like them to apologize.

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

That is obviously a matter of debate.

The House resumed from June 12 consideration of the motion.

Opposition Motion—GC Strategies Inc.

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

It being 3:06 p.m., the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion of the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands—Rideau Lakes relating to the business of supply.

Call in the members.

And the bells having rung:

The question is as follows. Shall I dispense?

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

[Chair read text of motion to House]

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #10

Business of Supply

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I declare the motion carried.

And the Clerk having announced the results of the vote:

[Chris Warkentin, Conservative, Grande Prairie, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

I am wondering if you could clarify the process when voting. The member for Fleetwood—Port Kells left his chair during the vote for an extended period of time; wandered around, it appeared to be to the lobby; came back; and then voted.

Is that allowable?

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I will consult.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, can it be confirmed that indeed the member did vote physically in the House as opposed to on the application? If he voted from the application, I think then it would be permitted, based on the procedure that we have become accustomed to.

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The member voted in person, I am told. Is the member still here? Could the member confirm whether he remained in his seat for the whole period of the vote or left his seat and came back?

[Gurbux Saini, Liberal, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Mr. Speaker, my app was not working, so I came back and voted in person.

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I understand that the member is new and that these things happen. Essentially, the process is that, if the app does not work when a member is in the lobby or in any other situation, the member can come in and, after the vote has been called, get up and say that the app did not work and that they would like their vote to be counted one way or the other.

That is the proper procedure. The member's vote would not count unless he gets up and asks for unanimous consent for his vote to count.

[Gurbux Saini, Liberal, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent for my vote to count.

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Is there consent to allow the vote to count?

[Some hon. members]

Yea.