Debates of June 18th, 2026

Public Safety

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the secretary of state confirmed what many Canadians already feared. A foreign government is funding and directing attacks on synagogues, businesses and the U.S. Consulate, and now the murder of a Toronto police officer.

This government has known for years; they did nothing. The Liberals imported terror, they weakened criminal justice laws, they slashed penalties and they offered zero accountability to foreign actors operating on our soil. Eleven years of this Liberal government and foreign regimes are paying hitmen to shoot up our cities.

Canadians deserve an answer. Who knew, when did they know and why did they not do anything about it?

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

Mr. Speaker, on the day of his funeral, I ask all members to join me in honouring OPP Constable Tarun Bali, who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, and in extending our heartfelt condolences to his loved ones and fellow officers.

We are seeing media reporting in Canada and elsewhere that these shooters were paid for hire, and reports also suggesting that they were paid for by foreign actors. I want to make it clear that my comments were aimed to echo what is being reported on by media and what Toronto Police Chief Demkiw has said and believes is the case.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, one thing is clear, which is that the families of those police officers deserve better answers than that.

The Liberals are in government. They have been there for 11 years. They are not bystanders in any of this. They let terrorists flood our country. They built a catch-and-release bail system. They allowed judges to ignore almost every mandatory minimum, including for drive-by shootings.

One of these shooters was out on bail, the other one was out on probation, and now the minister told everybody that a foreign regime did it. Is that really her answer?

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, our government has always been committed to the safety and security of all Canadians. Any form of violence, intimidation or transnational repression targeting individuals and communities in Canada is unacceptable and punishable under Canadian law.

We are taking action to protect Canadians. We are passing the most comprehensive criminal justice reform in a generation. Just this afternoon, after many days of obstruction, we passed Bill C-22 on lawful access—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

Emotions are running high here. We will take a short break.

The minister can continue with his answer.

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood—Rouge Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, finally, this House passed Bill C-22, which is on lawful access, despite days of obstruction from the opposition. It is a critical tool that law enforcement has been asking for in order to ensure the safety and security of all Canadians.

The Economy

[Richard Bragdon, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Mr. Speaker, where are the results?

New Brunswick families are feeling the effects of this Liberal recession every day. Canada is the only G20 country in a recession. GDP has shrunk for three of the last four quarters, and unemployment is the second highest in the G7.

If things are going to well, why will the Prime Minister not stand up and defend his record?

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, I have breaking news. The Parliamentary Budget Officer just confirmed that low-income Canadians will get over $2,200 through automatic tax filing. That is for 5.5 million Canadians. It will mean $350 million for Canadians in benefits over the next five years.

Hopefully that member over there will support New Brunswick families and support our programs.

[Richard Bragdon, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Mr. Speaker, according to that member on that side of the House, everyone should just be happy. That member is getting an announcement. Another member is getting an announcement. Another member is getting a commission. Members are getting rhetoric.

Guess what? There are still no results. Canadians want results. Show us the results.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I know Theatre New Brunswick is probably auditioning for some key roles. I think the member should sign up. He has missed his calling.

Let me give him some results. We have put forward 21 pieces of legislation, every single one of them to help Canada move ahead, which helps us become the number one growing country in the G7, makes our communities safer and gets rid of violence on our streets. What else? Every single one of them, the member voted against.

There are results over here and over there is dead air.

[Leslyn Lewis, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we ask again: Where are the results? More families are facing financial hardship, business investments are declining and job opportunities are harder and harder to find in this country. Under the Liberal Prime Minister, Canada has become the only G20 nation that is in a recession and now Canada has the second-highest unemployment rate in the G7.

Will the Prime Minister stop hiding from accountability and admit that this Liberal recession has left millions of Canadians facing a fearful future?

[Rechie Valdez, Liberal, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism)]

Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on ensuring that everyday essentials are more affordable for Canadians. That is why our government introduced the first-ever national food security strategy. This is our $3-billion plan to make sure that we are increasing competition and making more food here at home. This is going to help Canadian producers, farmers and independent grocers, while bringing the prices in the grocery stores down.

We are going to be focused on helping support Canadians while creating jobs and a strong economy.

[Leslyn Lewis, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, that is all rhetoric and no results.

The Liberal Prime Minister has doubled Justin Trudeau's deficit. The Prime Minister has outspent every previous government in the history of Canada combined. While he is breaking spending records, Canadians are breaking their bank accounts just to survive. Food bank visits are up 99% since 2019 and we are hearing from people who are literally in distress over the cost of living.

Will the Prime Minister continue to defend these bad policies that are driving Canadian seniors—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Leslie Church, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour]

Mr. Speaker, what did 13 provincial premiers and territorial premiers agree to this week? They agreed to a permanent doubling of the national school food program that will be brought into 10,000 schools across the country. Thirteen provinces and territories agreed, but this opposition cannot get on board to feed kids in our schools.

If they are going to stand up and talk about affordability for Canadians, they should do something about it. They should get on board with the school food program that we need for our kids.

Indigenous Affairs

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley Township—Fraser Heights, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in Cowichan Tribes v. the Attorney General of Canada, the B.C. Supreme Court declared aboriginal title over private lands, and the private landowners, 150 of them, are worried. It has been well documented that the Liberals directed their federal lawyers to drop arguments protecting private property rights, to pull their punches and allow aboriginal title to take precedence.

Where are the results for private landowners?

[Rebecca Alty, Liberal, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

Mr. Speaker, it is an important question and one that is currently before the courts.

In the recent Wolastoqey decision, the Court of Appeal in New Brunswick, which is the highest court in the province, has refused leave to appeal. It found that aboriginal title cannot be declared over private property. On the other side of the country, in the Cowichan case, the B.C. judge found that they could coexist. We disagree with B.C.'s decision and are appealing it to maintain the clarity and certainty of private properties. However, as we are seeing differing views in the courts, we continue to be there to get the certainty.

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley Township—Fraser Heights, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the appeal process in British Columbia is going to take years. In the meantime, homeowners in Richmond, British Columbia, and throughout the province are feeling insecure. Here is the reality in the subject territory in Richmond. Realtors are not taking listings, appraisers are devaluing property values and bankers are not lending money on title that they see as insecure.

My question again is this: Where was the federal government to stand up for private property rights?

[Rebecca Alty, Liberal, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

Mr. Speaker, I find it disingenuous that the members opposite continue to suggest that we are not protecting the private property rights of Canada. Here is what we have been doing: We disagreed with the B.C. Supreme Court's ruling and appealed it; we supported Montrose, a private property owner in the area, to present evidence that was not before the court during the trial. Section 92 of the Constitution sets out that private property is provincial jurisdiction. It is excluded from all discussions of aboriginal title at the federal level. For Cowichan, B.C. is acting within its jurisdiction to put measures in to support any implicated property owner—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. member for Nanaimo—Ladysmith.

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

Mr. Speaker, here is the thing: The Cowichan Tribe decision introduced uncertainty around how aboriginal title interacts with private property in B.C. While the Supreme Court declined an appeal in Wolastoqey, a refusal of leave is not a decision on the merits and does not create binding national precedent. This leaves Canadians with competing legal approaches on a critical legal question, all while Liberal directive 14, which discourages private property defences, remains in force and a Cowichan appeal is many months away.

B.C. deserves to know now how the Liberals will provide the certainty we need. Where—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The hon. Minister of Justice.

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

Mr. Speaker, in Canada, when the government disagrees with the decision of a court, the opportunity we have to do something about it is to appeal that decision. We made an appeal on this particular case because we disagree with the superior court's assessment. Since that time, we have seen the New Brunswick Court of Appeal go through the Wolastoqey case, as the member indicates, and the Supreme Court has refused leave. In addition, throughout this piece of litigation, we have been asking the court to notify private property owners so they may participate in litigation and are in fact presently supporting the Montrose application of private property owners in the region. Private property rights are important in this country, so is reconciliation. We can pursue both at the same time.

Gender-Based Violence

[Linda Lapointe, Liberal, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Quebec has already seen 10 femicides so far this year. Protecting women and victims is a top priority for Canadians across the country.

Can the Minister of Justice tell us what reforms the government is making to help end gender-based violence?

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge all the work done by my colleague, the member for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, as chair of the women's caucus.

Our government is working hard to prevent gender-based violence before it even happens. Bill C‑16 makes important reforms to the Criminal Code, particularly by creating new offences for femicide and coercive or controlling conduct. Together, these reforms will result in a justice system that responds earlier and faster and provides greater protection to victims of gender-based violence.