House of Commons Hansard #27 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was quebec.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Canadian Multiculturalism Act First reading of Bill C-245. The bill proposes to exempt Quebec from the Canadian Multiculturalism Act, as the Bloc Québécois argues Canadian multiculturalism conflicts with Quebec's interculturalism model and its identity as a nation. 200 words.
Criminal Code First reading of Bill C-246. The bill amends the Criminal Code to mandate consecutive sentences for sexual offences, rather than concurrent ones. The sponsor states this prioritizes victims and ensures each crime carries its own penalty. 400 words.
Opposition Motion—Constitutional Powers of Quebec and the Provinces Members debate a Bloc Québécois motion urging the federal government to withdraw from a Supreme Court challenge to Quebec's Act respecting the laicity of the State and the use of the notwithstanding clause. Bloc members argue the intervention undermines Quebec's parliamentary sovereignty and distinct values. Liberals contend the government has a duty to intervene to clarify the notwithstanding clause's constitutional limits and protect the Charter of Rights and Freedoms from erosion. Conservatives accuse the Liberals of creating a constitutional crisis to distract from other issues. 53100 words, 7 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, over the summer it was revealed that the public safety minister lost track of 600 non-citizens with serious criminal records who were set to be deported. Over 70% of these people have been convicted of serious crimes, such as sexual assault. Right now, these people are still roaming our streets. The minister had one job: to keep Canadians safe. He has failed to do that.
Will the Prime Minister fire his public safety minister?
Gary Anandasangaree LiberalMinister of Public Safety
Mr. Speaker, this year we are on target to remove over 20,000 individuals who do not meet the requirements to be in Canada. That will be a record level of removals for Canadian history. We are working toward ensuring that this is accelerated even further. The addition of another 1,000 CBSA officers will help this process.
We will continue to make sure that Canada and our border are safe. That is exactly what we have been working on. We will continue to invest in Canadians.
Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB
Mr. Speaker, I am not sure what “on track” means when there are 600 serious criminals who are non-citizens, who should be deported, but are on the streets.
We asked these questions in May and in June. The minister had the entire summer to come up with a plan. These are people who have been convicted of crimes like sexual assault. He lost them and he cannot find them.
Why will the Prime Minister not fire his public safety minister?
Gary Anandasangaree LiberalMinister of Public Safety
Mr. Speaker, the Canada Border Services Agency has been working very hard, not just through the summer, but over the last several years, to ensure that our borders are stronger than ever. This year we are on target to have more than 20,000 removals of those who are not eligible to be in this country. That number is accelerating by the month.
This is the type of work that our exceptional front service officers are doing. This is the type of investment that we will be adding to this year, including adding 1,000 new CBSA officers.
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Public Safety got caught on tape telling his tenant that he need not worry about the Liberals' $750-million gun buyback program, because he could simply ignore it. The minister then proceeded to joke that he would bail him out if he got arrested. In other words, the Minister of Public Safety effectively counselled his tenant to break the law.
In the face of this serious ethical lapse, will the Prime Minister fire the minister?
Gary Anandasangaree LiberalMinister of Public Safety
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate another opportunity to talk about the compensation program that I launched at 12:30 today, along with many of my colleagues, including the Secretary of State for Nature. We have heard in this House about the enormous work that she has done for decades in advocating for this moment. Survivors across Canada have asked for this.
It is important that we get weapons such as AR-15s off our streets. That is exactly what we have done. We will be expanding this from Cape Breton to across Canada over the next five to seven weeks.
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Sturgeon River, AB
Mr. Speaker, it does not end there. On tape, the minister admitted that the buyback rips off law-abiding firearms owners when he promised his frustrated tenant to personally pay the difference in value for his confiscated firearm. He went from counselling his tenant to break the law to promising to bail him out and then trying to appease him by cutting a cheque.
How many ethical lapses is it going to take before the Prime Minister fires this incompetent minister?
Gary Anandasangaree LiberalMinister of Public Safety
Mr. Speaker, I invite this House and the members opposite to have a serious conversation about guns. When we want to talk about crime and when we want to work together to ensure that our streets are safer, it needs to be a serious conversation. It cannot be hyperbole.
What we have announced today would take, from our streets, weapons that should not be in possession of Canadians, which include AR-15s. They are lethal; they can destroy people. This is why we brought forward this plan.
We are starting in Cape Breton. We are going to be expanding it across Canada. I invite members opposite to support this.
Andrew Lawton Conservative Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON
Mr. Speaker, the first job of the public safety minister is to keep Canadians safe. The public safety minister admitted to not knowing what a firearms licence is. He said he does not know what the classifications of firearms are, and he could not even defend his own Liberal government's gun confiscation scheme to his tenant on the most basic questions. This is the minister responsible for Canada's gun laws.
The public safety minister oversees national security and terrorism. What else does he not know about his own file? His incompetence puts Canadian lives at risk.
When will the Prime Minister fire him?
Gary Anandasangaree LiberalMinister of Public Safety
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite, I am told, understands weapons and understands firearms. I want to ask him a very simple question. Why do we need AR-15s in our communities? Why do we need them in our neighbourhoods? Why do we need them on our streets? Can the member tell this House why we need that type of weapon on our streets, making it harder and more unsafe for Canadians?
Paul Connors Liberal Avalon, NL
Mr. Speaker, the 2025 wildfire season has been the second-worst wildfire season on record, with communities across the country, including in my home province of Newfoundland and Labrador, facing devastation and thousands of Canadians forced from their homes.
Can the Minister of Emergency Management give us an update and tell the House how our government supported Canadians and the wildfire response?
Eleanor Olszewski LiberalMinister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the first responders, local officials and members of the Canadian Armed Forces whose work on the front lines saved lives and protected communities. We were there for Newfoundland and Labradorians as they faced these historic wildfires. We also supported Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Nova Scotia.
In true Canadian form, the provinces and territories stepped up to help one another when more resources were needed. While many face a long road to recovery, we will continue to support Canadians with focus, determination and unity.
Tim Uppal Conservative Edmonton Gateway, AB
Mr. Speaker, keeping Canadians safe is the public safety minister's number one job, but the rising number of extortion cases in this country is out of control. Surrey police say the number of cases they have investigated since June has tripled. Canadians continue to live in fear of their house being shot at, business being burnt down or much worse.
Meanwhile, the minister continues to make empty promises of additional RCMP officers, but they have not been hired yet. The minister has clearly failed to keep Canadians safe from international gangs and extortion.
When will the Prime Minister fire him?
Ruby Sahota LiberalSecretary of State (Combatting Crime)
Mr. Speaker, extortion is illegal in Canada. It carries a very stiff penalty. The Conservatives would like people to believe that it is legal to extort people; it is not. Extortion carries minimum sentences.
We have created a national task force that is working on and monitoring all extortions and connecting police agencies across this country. Many arrests have been made. We will not stop there. We will continue to go after extortionists. It is illegal, and they will be put behind bars.
Sukhman Gill Conservative Abbotsford—South Langley, BC
Mr. Speaker, the number one job of the public safety minister is to keep Canadians safe, but he has failed. Extortion is up 330%, especially in my riding of Abbotsford—South Langley. The minister has not yet labelled the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist organization, but it is responsible for widespread violence in Canada. Designating the Bishnoi group as a terrorist entity would arm law enforcement with the critical tools needed to prosecute the gang's activities. Politicians nationwide have been calling for this.
Will the minister resign today, or will the Prime Minister finally fire him for his poor behaviour?
Ruby Sahota LiberalSecretary of State (Combatting Crime)
Mr. Speaker, public safety is a top priority for this new government. National security experts independently evaluate and make recommendations on terrorist entity listings. This work is ongoing, and we hope to have a decision very soon.
Amanpreet S. Gill Conservative Calgary Skyview, AB
Mr. Speaker, extortion cases have skyrocketed by 330%. This past Saturday night, my community was targeted by Bishnoi terrorists who carried out a shooting followed by an attempt to extort the victim. This gang is actively threatening innocent Canadians, causing fear in neighbourhoods like mine, yet the minister has failed to label it as a terrorist organization.
My question to the Minister of Public Safety is simple. Will the minister resign or will the Prime Minister fire him today?
Ruby Sahota LiberalSecretary of State (Combatting Crime)
Mr. Speaker, it is the RCMP that first exposed the Bishnoi gang in this country as an organization that is actively working in our neighbourhoods. It is a crime to extort Canadians. We will go after them. We have created a national task force to address this issue.
Our national security experts are independently evaluating the listing of Bishnoi as a terrorist organization. I hope they will arrive at a decision soon so that we can continue to keep our communities safe.
Aslam Rana Liberal Hamilton Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, Canada's new government was elected on the promise to spend less, invest more and make government more efficient.
Can the President of the Treasury Board update the House on the red tape review he has recently launched and how it will help ensure more effective service delivery for Canadians?
Shafqat Ali LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board
Mr. Speaker, Canada's new government is taking bold actions and delivering results. We are eliminating red tape to improve efficiency and to deliver better and faster services to Canadians. We have received almost 500 proposals since launching our red tape review.
These initiatives will make the government more efficient, to build the strongest economy in the G7 and to build Canada strong.
Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Mr. Speaker, what a mess this Liberal government has once again made of the firearms file. Crime is up 130% under the Liberals, and the minister is going after the wrong people. He is going after law-abiding citizens, hunters and sport shooters.
The new Minister of Public Safety privately says that the infamous gun buyback program is a waste of money and that the budget is going to skyrocket. However, under pressure from the Prime Minister, he must be a hypocrite and go ahead with the program. The minister no longer has any credibility.
When will the Prime Minister fire him?
Nathalie Provost LiberalSecretary of State (Nature)
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want to live in a world that is safe. For 35 years, they have known that assault-style weapons can lead to mass shootings in Canada. It happened to me and it happened to other Canadians in Portapique. It has happened in places across Canada.
What we are going to do today, starting in Cape Breton, is take assault-style weapons off our streets to make our country safer. I thank the team in Cape Breton that is launching this pilot program.
Jenny Kwan NDP Vancouver East, BC
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government abused its power one too many times by invoking section 107 of the Canada Labour Code as a back door to order striking workers back to work.
It did it with rail, port and postal workers and tried to do it with Air Canada flight attendants. CUPE national fought back and defied the back-to-work order. Trade unions across the country stood firmly on the side of flight attendants to say that unpaid work does not fly.
Will the minister respect the constitutional right of workers to free collective bargaining and repeal section 107 of the labour code, yes or no?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Jobs and Families and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario
Mr. Speaker, yesterday I had the privilege and honour, along with Secretary of State for Labour, to meet with the Canadian building trades unions that are standing strongly with our government as we plan to build the strongest economy in the G7. We talked about the major projects that are going to provide great jobs for unionized tradespeople across this country and the importance of having unionization in this country to protect a strong middle class.
I will tell members that this government will always act quickly to support labour rights and industrial peace.
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Mr. Speaker, Canada is facing record wildfires that are destroying communities, critical infrastructure and lives while also creating dangerous air pollution that harms human health, yet Canada still does not have a sovereign aerial firefighting fleet. In Port Alberni, Coulson Aviation is a world leader in retrofitting aircraft such as the retired CC-130 Hercules that could continue to protect Canadians and create high-skilled jobs here at home.
Will the government commit in this budget to establishing a permanent national aerial firefighting fleet so Canada can defend our communities from climate disasters while also meeting its NATO obligations?