House of Commons Hansard #83 of the 45th Parliament, 1st session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was extortion.
This summary is computer-generated. Usually it’s accurate, but every now and then it’ll contain inaccuracies or total fabrications.
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claims Members debate rising extortion rates and Canada's justice and immigration systems. Conservatives propose barring non-citizens convicted of serious crimes or with active judicial proceedings from making refugee claims, ending leniency to avoid deportation, and repealing Bills C-5 and C-75, citing a "revolving door justice system." Liberals defend their "tough-on-crime" agenda, highlighting pending legislation like lawful access and bail reform, and accuse Conservatives of obstruction. The Bloc opposes the motion, raising concerns for political prisoners and potential legal challenges. 48900 words, 6 hours in 2 segments: 1 2.
Arab Heritage Month Act Second reading of Bill S-227. The bill, S-227, An Act respecting Arab Heritage Month, proposes designating April as Arab Heritage Month in Canada. Members from the Conservative, Bloc Québécois, and Liberal parties express support, highlighting the significant contributions of Arab Canadians to Canadian society, culture, and economy, and the importance of recognition, education, and belonging. The bill passed second reading and was referred to committee. 3200 words, 25 minutes.
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
Mr. Speaker, it says a lot that all the Conservatives are doing is heckling. Again, they have nothing.
At its core, the non-binding motion before us is about making people afraid. Canadians have an expectation of safe communities, whether that is passing the budget or ensuring that we move forward on our commitment to hire 1,000 new RCMP officers and 1,000 new CBSA officers.
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
An hon. member
Where, where, where?
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
Mr. Speaker, the member asks where, but he will not ensure that the budget gets passed. It is a neat trick so the Conservatives can again show their non-binding motion but then hold up all legislation to make it happen. The member has been here since before I was here. What is shocking through his heckles is that I do not know that he knows how this place works. We need to pass the budget. It is genuinely shocking how there is a lack of understanding of how this place actually works. The only gear the Conservatives have is heckling, shouting and obstruction. Again, a non-binding motion is not going to get this done.
This is about immigration. Premier Eby of British Columbia said there was a wave of extortion in this country. He called it “a terror attack in slow motion”. He wants loopholes closed in Bill C-12. He wants the passage of Bill C-12, but again we have obstruction. We do not see action. Can the member go back to the premiers and say the Conservatives tried to put forward a non-binding motion? That is all they have.
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are still yelling at me. They are mad because I am pointing a mirror to them. They have an opportunity right now to advance these pieces of legislation, but they are using their opposition day to stall. They could have used it to schedule hearings in committees, to direct these committees to study, or to call on the Senate to expedite studies of these pieces of legislation, but what did they do? They did none of that.
The Conservatives actually had some power to move this agenda along, but again, all they are going to go to their constituents with is a piece of paper that says that they have a non-binding motion. They tried nothing and are all out of ideas. It is the Conservative way on this: to pound their fists and demand action but do nothing when the chips are down. I hope they put their actions into effect and ensure that these pieces of legislation get passed, because they are doing nothing.
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Conservative
Larry Brock Conservative Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations, ON
Mr. Speaker, in the member's 10-minute diatribe, I heard very few relevant talking points to support the government's position. In fact all I heard repeatedly, was reference to a non-binding motion, that it is our solution, that we do not have any talking points and that we are not creating any opportunities for the government to pass legislation.
Perhaps the member needs a little bit of a history lesson. In the 44th Parliament, the Conservative Party of Canada tabled 22 criminal justice PMBs that the member voted against every time in the House, and nine in the Senate. In the 45th Parliament, there were 14 criminal justice PMBs in the House and five in the Senate. When they were brought to a vote, the member voted against them.
We are talking about obstructionists. Why do the member and his party continue to obstruct their own legislation?
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
Mr. Speaker, I would like to correct the hon. member on one thing. He said that I said he did not have any talking points. He is full of them because that is, again, all they have. It is just ludicrous to suggest that the government is stalling its own legislation. Do the Conservatives hear themselves? It blows my mind that they have finally given up. They have nothing. The emperor has no clothes. I do not know that anyone could believe that the government is stalling its own legislation.
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
An hon. member
Oh, oh!
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
Mr. Speaker, the member is yelling because he cannot believe he would say something so ridiculous in this place.
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Bloc
Rhéal Fortin Bloc Rivière-du-Nord, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' proposal seems like a step back in time. I feel like I am looking at proposals that could have come from the Harper government at the time. However, it is 10 years later and, personally, I want us to keep moving forward. I think we can benefit from some of the good things that were done by the previous government, but there are other things that are good now.
I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on that. In his opinion, does the current motion not set us back 10 or 15 years?
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
Mr. Speaker, a lot of the Conservative talking points ignore Supreme Court jurisprudence, which is interesting, because their justice critic often tells us that he is a lawyer and a former prosecutor. They ignore Supreme Court precedents and ignore the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The hon. member is right; we do need to move forward. There is a pile of pieces of legislation that we can move forward on. Are they perfect? They are probably not. They need to be studied. They need to be amended. We need to move on them because Canadians deserve to feel safe. Again, all the Conservatives have are talking points and the slowing down of things in this place.
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Brampton North—Caledon Ontario
Liberal
Ruby Sahota LiberalSecretary of State (Combatting Crime)
Mr. Speaker, what the Conservatives are banking on with the opposition day motion is that Canadians will not understand the mere filing of an asylum claim and an approval of an asylum claim. Even today, if one files an asylum claim and has criminality, they would not be approved. Bill C-12 is a bill currently in the Senate that would substantially make this motion moot.
I would like to hear my colleague's comments on that.
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
Mr. Speaker, again, it is a non-binding motion that the Conservatives have brought forward. Tomorrow is their caucus day. They can go to the Conservative senators who are sitting in their caucus and say that they need to move quickly on this, but despite the letter from the Leader of the Opposition, their only plan is to obstruct, stall, delay and deny. All of them are yelling, but again they have nothing except a non-binding motion for clips on Facebook. That is all they have, when police chiefs and police associations are begging—
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
An hon. member
Oh, oh!
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman just keeps yelling, because he knows he has nothing. He has absolutely nothing except a non-binding motion.
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford, BC
Mr. Speaker, there is a lot of hot air in the chamber this afternoon. We have not heard the member for St. Catharines lose his mind for quite some time. I am actually quite disturbed by what I heard and how much anger and confusion he seems to have as an individual member. I can see why the Liberals have not let him speak for quite a while. That was just an egregious example of what a member of Parliament should not be doing—
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.
I kept my comments to the thrust of the Conservatives' non-binding motion, but they are engaging in attacks.
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Liberal
Chris Bittle Liberal St. Catharines, ON
Mr. Speaker, again, they have nothing except talking points and a non-binding motion. I hope the hon. member—
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
The Deputy Speaker Tom Kmiec
The hon. member knows that is a matter of debate.
I invite the member for Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford to continue.
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Conservative
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford, BC
Mr. Speaker, obviously the member for St. Catharines is very disturbed. Maybe he needs a cup of coffee. I am surprised the Liberals let him speak today. Normally, it is only the member for Winnipeg North. I feel bad for him. In respect—
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
Some hon. members
Oh, oh!
Opposition Motion—Serious crimes and refugee claimsBusiness of SupplyGovernment Orders
The Deputy Speaker Tom Kmiec
Order.
One member has been recognized to speak. Other members trying to continue their conversation. They could perhaps wait until the member is done, and then they can rise for questions and comments.
I invite the member for Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford to continue.