Debates of June 18th, 2025

Justice

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

Mr. Speaker, it is beyond reprehensible that a member of the House would accuse another member of caring more about criminals than about Canadians. We should be able to work together to, certainly, punish wrongdoers but also to give law enforcement the tools it needs to keep their community safe.

We have been giving tools to law enforcement so that we not only punish wrongdoers after a crime has been committed but also prevent it in the first instance. I want to thank the law enforcement officials who have been in the news recently for the various busts that they have been responsible for and for bringing people to justice.

I hope that we can work together across partisan lines to advance important reforms to the criminal justice system later this year that would help further protect our communities.

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, if the minister does not want to be criticized for caring more about criminals than victims, he should look at his own government's record. The Liberals adjourned the justice committee meeting yesterday after 16 minutes to start their summer vacation, without tabling or discussing a single motion or bill related to justice.

Violent crime is up 50%. Opioid overdoses are up 200%. Health officials in my riding are warning about carfentanil on the streets of Elgin County. People are dying, and those who are responsible are walking free.

When will the Liberals table a crime bill and focus on that instead of their summer break?

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

Mr. Speaker, I do not know whether the member's eyes betray him, but we are here and ready to work to advance reforms to protect our communities. Yesterday at the justice committee, although the accusation is that there was an attempt to get home early for summer, what actually happened was that a Conservative member was seeking to advance reforms that would have made it easier for people who have been charged with intimate partner violence to get out on bail. I think that is a bad idea, and I am willing to stay here and work to protect the victims of intimate partner violence and to advance reforms that would punish wrongdoers.

Once again, it is not about caring more about criminals than about Canadians, but it seems that the member cares more about his social media clicks than he does about advancing—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Markham—Unionville has the floor.

[Michael Ma, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, extortion is up 357%. The Trudeau Liberals voted down a common-sense Conservative bill that would enforce a three-year mandatory minimum penalty for extortion and restore a four-year minimum penalty for extortion involving a non-restricted firearm, because it was repealed by the Liberals in Bill C-5.

Will the Prime Minister finally adopt the Conservative plan to crack down on violent extortion?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Toronto Police Service, Durham police, my friend who represents York Regional Police, and the OPP, for their work to dismantle an organized crime group operating in the tow truck industry.

Project Yankee has resulted in the seizure of firearms and vehicles, the arrest of 20 individuals and more than 100 criminal charges, including multiple counts of conspiracy to commit murder. It is another day and another criminal organization dismantled by law enforcement.

Canada's new government will always be there to protect Canadians.

Gender-Based Violence

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there have been 10 femicides in Quebec since the beginning of the year. At one point, there were five in five weeks.

Yesterday, a woman was killed in Vaudreuil-Dorion. She was in a toxic and violent relationship. Did the system let her down, as it has many other women before her?

When will the Prime Minister correct the mistakes made by his predecessor, Mr. Trudeau, which contributed to leaving these women unprotected?

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)]

Mr. Speaker, every Canadian should feel safe in their community, especially in their home. We will automatically revoke gun licences for individuals convicted of intimate partner violence offences and those subject to protection orders. We are delivering on the recommendations made by the Mass Casualty Commission related to community safety, policing and countering gender-based violence.

The implementation of the national action plan to combat gender-based violence continues to support the work of building a Canada free of gender-based violence that supports victims, survivors and their families no matter where they live.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, facts are stubborn things. Under the Liberals, violence against women has continued to rise.

By maintaining Bill C‑5 and Bill C‑75, which were passed by Justin Trudeau, this government is protecting criminals rather than victims. That is a well-known fact. Meanwhile, women are living in fear. The government needs to take a good hard look in the mirror and admit that it is responsible for the problem.

When will the Prime Minister take action and change these laws to keep all women in Canada safe?

[Nathalie Provost, Liberal, Secretary of State (Nature)]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. I am deeply moved to rise in the House on this issue.

I am here with the Liberal government because, up until March of this year, the Liberal government worked tirelessly to reduce the risk of gun violence in Canada by banning assault-style weapons.

We still need to make regulations. We are going to do that because we need to see this through. That is what a government that fights crime is all about.

National Defence

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, new reports from the Department of National Defence confirmed today that less than 50% of the equipment used by our armed forces is operational. Only 46% of our navy ships are seaworthy, and fewer than half of the land vehicles and aircraft needed by our army and air force are even serviceable.

While the Prime Minister makes grandiose claims of fixing the armed forces, the actual numbers tell a very different story. Money without results will not defend Canada's sovereignty. Why should anyone believe the Prime Minister when his own defence department contradicts his promises?

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, here are the facts. In the last decade, we have tripled our defence spending. We are investing $72 billion through our defence policy update, $40 billion through NORAD modernization and $11 billion to train our next generation of aviators. We are procuring 200 new aircraft, 12 submarines, six Arctic and offshore patrol ships, two joint support ships and so much more.

Now more than ever, it is time to support and equip our forces with what they need to meet the challenges we face.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, throwing money at the problem does not fix the problem. The facts show that the lost Liberal decade has reduced the capabilities needed by the armed forces to protect Canada today. Last year, the department said it would meet its targets this year, but now the Liberals have kicked the can down the road for another seven years before the operations of the armed forces will be up to standard.

Under Liberal watch, our armed forces simply do not have the tools they need to do the job to deal with today's growing threats. The Prime Minister's talk is cheap. Where is the plan?

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister announced $4.5 billion yesterday for our efforts in Ukraine. We have committed to reducing overall government spending by more than $15 billion while ensuring the services and supports that Canadians rely on are there. We have exceptional expert staff dedicated to meeting our priorities, but we also sometimes rely on outside expertise, and the member knows this, but we are committed to doing so in a transparent and fiscally responsible way. Any potential reductions in spending are being considered carefully, and minimizing the impact on military readiness is the driving force behind each decision.

Dental Care

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

Mr. Speaker, one in four Canadians avoids visiting a dentist because of cost and accessibility. Delaying preventive care can have a wide-reaching impact, including more expensive treatments, worsening health outcomes and lost productivity.

Can the Minister of Jobs and Families please update Canadians on our plan to deliver dental care to uninsured Canadians?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, in the last elections, Canadians chose to place their vote with a party that knows Canada is strong when we take care of each other.

As of May 29, 2025, all eligible Canadians can now apply for the Canadian dental care plan, and to date, four million Canadians have been approved for coverage and over two million have received care, including people in my community of Thunder Bay—Superior North. For more information, visit Canada.ca/dental.

Marine Transportation

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna, BC]

Mr. Speaker, David Eby, the Premier of British Columbia, has doubled down and made the plan for BC Ferries to purchase four new vessels from a Chinese state-owned enterprise his own.

The Minister of Transport has said she will give BC Ferries $36 million this year. Will the minister commit today that she will personally guarantee that not one cent of this transfer will go to the Chinese shipyard? Will she stand up against David Eby's moral failure, support Canadian jobs in steel and shipbuilding and make this transfer conditional on BC Ferries supporting jobs here in this great country?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of Transport and Internal Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I share the concern and anger of other members of this House about the purchase of Chinese ferries. I have written to the Province of B.C. to make clear that the federal government's support for BC Ferries, which is explicitly for operating support, must not be used for anything other than the operation of ferries. We owe it to the people of B.C. to support the operation of their ferries. We also owe it to the people of Canada to support Canadian shipbuilding, Canadian steel and Canadian—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna.

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna, BC]

Mr. Speaker, she is just going to write a cheque to them with no conditions.

During the election, the Liberals were all elbows up and talking about team Canada in the face of unjustified American tariffs on steel and aluminum, and I thought it was bad enough that the government has been elbows down since the election on protecting Canadian jobs. Now, does the government not see that by going along to get along with David Eby, it is not on team Canada, but on team China?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of Transport and Internal Trade]

Mr. Speaker, my answer was very clear, as have been my previous answers on this question: Federal government support goes only to operating costs; the federal government has no authority over BC Ferries. However, I want to object, in the strongest possible terms, to the insult to a premier of a Canadian province and a suggestion that a Canadian premier would act in the interests of China and not of Canada. All of our premiers are patriots, as are all members of this House.

[Tamara Kronis, Conservative, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the BC Ferries deal did not sink Canadian shipbuilders; Ottawa did.

Our shipbuilding unions say Canadian companies could not bid because federal policies stack the deck against them. It is the federal government's job to set fair conditions so provinces can build at home, but all the government does is rearrange Liberal deck chairs.

What I want to know is this: Will the Liberals fix their broken policies or are we going to just keep waving goodbye to good Canadian jobs from the dock?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of Transport and Internal Trade]

Mr. Speaker, there seems to be some confusion among the Conservative MPs about what is provincial jurisdiction and what is federal jurisdiction. There is no such confusion on this side of the House.

Having said that, I want to inform all members of this House that I have instructed all the entities under control of Transport Canada to buy Canadian and, where that is not possible, to buy reciprocally from free trade partners that give Canada access to their government procurement. That is what we should all be doing at all levels of government.

Public Safety

[Charles Sousa, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, Peel police announced the outcome of project outsource, an 11-month project that has led to multiple arrests connected with extortions, shootings and fraud. This affects my community and others.

Can the Secretary of State for Combatting Crime speak to the actions the government is taking to crack down on organized crime, protect our streets and keep Canadians safe?

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Secretary of State (Combatting Crime)]

Mr. Speaker, allow me to thank Chief Nishan Duraiappah, who is here in Ottawa today to collaborate with our new government on public safety. I thank the dedicated officers of Peel police, who, through project outsource, have dealt a significant blow against criminal networks responsible for intimidating and harming members of our community.

The strong borders act would give police across the country the tools needed to replicate the success of project outsource. Organized crime should be on high alert. Canada's new government will do what it takes to dismantle their networks, seize their guns—