Mr. Speaker, I would first like to thank the hon. member for Battle River—Crowfoot for moving this motion. Public safety is definitely an issue that all people in Canada care deeply about, and it is something that I personally have cared deeply about for many, many years. I have been advocating for better gun control in Canada for over 15 years now. The main objective of my personal commitment is keeping all Canadians safe. Having the opportunity to rise in the House today for the first time to debate a motion on this subject is truly an extraordinary opportunity for me.
I know that everyone deserves to feel safe in their home and in their community. There is nothing more difficult than going through every day with a constant feeling of anxiety. I personally felt that way for many years after what I experienced at École Polytechnique. I am aware that people are feeling increasingly unsafe in some places in Canada and that we need to take action.
It is this shared concern about public safety that makes Canadians particularly alert to the threats posed by gangs, gun violence and organized crime. Recent headlines and certain high-profile incidents remind us of the challenges posed by organized crime. Criminal groups continue to adapt, exploit new technologies and increase their influence. We are very concerned, particularly for young people who get carried away by advertisements on Facebook or Instagram and get pulled into the criminal world almost without realizing it. Illegal firearms are also being smuggled across our borders and networks of extortionists are targeting families and small businesses. These are very serious threats that demand serious answers.
Although the federal government enacts the laws governing bail, it is important to remember that the provinces and territories are responsible for administering the system on the ground. This includes conducting bail hearings, enforcing bail conditions, and managing remand centres. These responsibilities put provinces and territories on the front lines of our collective effort to protect communities from violent repeat offenders, gang-related activity, and gun crime. The provinces and territories are not playing a supporting role. Rather, their role is essential to ensuring that the bail system effectively responds to the threats posed by organized crime and serious violence.
Any suggestion that only the federal government or only one level of government is responsible for this issue shows contempt for the entire justice system—ours, at the federal level, but also that of the provinces and municipalities. It is therefore important that we resume our dialogue with a view to achieving our common goal of public safety. The government must work closely with the provinces and territories, as we are currently doing, to strengthen our collective response to violent crime and organized crime networks. The federal government is also working to provide law enforcement with new and more effective tools to disrupt gang activity, stop illegal firearms trafficking, and hold violent offenders accountable for their actions.
Over the last few years, the federal government has taken significant steps to reform bail laws. In 2023, the former Bill C‑48 expanded provisions related to the reverse onus for violent repeat offenders and required courts to explicitly consider public safety when making bail decisions. This former bill also added new firearms offences to the list of offences covered by the reverse onus provisions, including unlawful possession of a loaded prohibited or restricted firearm, breaking and entering for the purpose of stealing a firearm, robbery with the intent to steal a firearm and the manufacturing of an automatic firearm.
The federal government also plans to make it more difficult for individuals to get bail if they have been charged with violent car theft, break-ins and certain offences related to human trafficking and smuggling. I would like to emphasize that while reforming the law is important, it is not enough on its own to address public safety concerns.
The federal government has invested over $920 million to combat gun smuggling at the border, build law enforcement capacity and work with the provinces, territories, municipalities and indigenous communities to develop gun and gang violence prevention and intervention initiatives.
I will pause here for a moment to remind all my colleagues that I represent the riding of Châteauguay—Les Jardins-de-Napierville. Everyone in the region is very aware of the major problem we have with firearms trafficking, unfortunately. It is therefore very important to me, as the member for this riding, that we think about strengthening border measures related to this issue.
With that in mind, we have not only strengthened measures at the border, but also provided over $214 million to the gun and gang violence action fund. We have also invested $250 million in the building safer communities fund to support local and indigenous initiatives, and we have provided $312 million to enhance Canada's firearm control framework. I am very pleased about that, and we will continue to move in that direction to support gun control.
These investments are paying off. Thanks to new tools and technologies, as well as the hard work of the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency, the CBSA, we are seeing an increase in firearms seizures and arrests at our borders. The federal government is also planning to recruit 1,000 more RCMP officers to combat drug trafficking, human trafficking, foreign interference, cybercrime, and organized crime gangs that steal cars. The federal government also plans to train 1,000 new CBSA officers to combat drug trafficking, particularly fentanyl and its precursors, as well as illegal firearms, and to prevent gangs from stealing cars and smuggling them out of the country. Lastly, the federal government is working to add scanners, drones and detector dog teams to better target suspicious shipments.
As we know, crime is not just a matter of statistics. It also has a profound impact on people. Communities affected by gun violence and organized crime deal with trauma that can take generations to heal. Individuals also suffer in the same way. I could go on at length about that. That is why prevention must be the core of any long-term strategy. Prevention means investing in youth and supporting programs that keep young people out of gangs while offering them meaningful alternatives through education, employment or mental health supports. It means empowering local leaders, faith groups, community organizations and families to be part of the solution.
That is why we are going to continue to work with the provinces and municipalities to put in place wraparound services that are focused on providing solutions to reduce crime and reoffending. We also recognize that a modern, effective system needs to be data-driven and transparent.
People in Canada deserve to see every level of government working together, not only on bail reform laws, but also with respect to monitoring, law enforcement and effective prevention. I hope that my colleagues will support us and reflect on the legislative measures we have proposed for adjusting our system. Unfortunately, the system being proposed by my colleague from Battle River—Crowfoot does not work. Let us work together. We will get there.