House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2021, with 43% of the vote.
Justice November 1st, 2022
Mr. Speaker, safety is a priority for our government, and certainly our hearts go out to victims of sexual assault and sexual violence. The registry was passed by a government, and unfortunately the Supreme Court of Canada found two provisions in that registry to be unconstitutional.
We are going to look at that decision. We are going to look at the options responsibly and move forward from there, but victims and the safety of Canadians will always be our priorities in this matter.
Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act October 28th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, an agreement could not be reached under the provisions of Standing Order 78(1) or 78(2) with respect to the second reading stage of Bill S-5, an act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, to make related amendments to the Food and Drugs Act and to repeal the Perfluorooctane Sulfonate Virtual Elimination Act.
Under the provisions of Standing Order 78(3), I give notice that a minister of the Crown will propose at the next sitting a motion to allot a specific number of days or hours for the consideration and disposal of proceedings at the said stage.
Indigenous Affairs October 28th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, it is good to see that the traditional strong representation from Malpeque continues.
Earlier this month, we announced a significant investment of $1.68 million to address several issues related to the overrepresentation of Red River Métis people in the justice system. The Manitoba Métis Federation will use this money for programs that will help prevent and reduce crime through diversion of offenders out of the criminal justice system, with appropriate supports. These investments will also help families through the establishment of Métis mediation services.
I think everyone in this chamber agrees that we need to fight the overrepresentation of indigenous people in the criminal justice system. This is part of it. Bill C-5 is another.
Justice October 28th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, last spring, when it was a question of the extreme-intoxication defence, I moved immediately to make sure that we had legislation in the House to fix that gap.
These are complex issues. The decision came down this morning. There are a number of important and different aspects to the decision. We will support victims. We will look at the possible options that we have moving forward, and we will move forward.
Justice October 28th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, obviously, we as a government stand in support of survivors of sexual assault and sexual violence. It is important that our criminal justice system treat and punish offenders in the system.
We had the Supreme Court decision this morning. It is complex. There are a couple of different aspects to it. We are looking at it carefully, and we are looking at options of how to move forward.
Judges Act October 26th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, I was at a justice ministers FPT last week. Minister Rankin from British Columbia brought this issue forward. All the justice ministers agreed we would immediately put that to a committee to look at the question of repeat offenders and what we could do. That is on the record. We said that publicly.
I appreciate the seriousness of the question and the seriousness of the situation. I will work with people in this House and also my provincial and territorial counterparts in order to hopefully find a better way forward.
Judges Act October 26th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, again, I salute the sincere place that question comes from.
It is important we do our best. I have already mentioned there has been a large degree of agreement on a lot of the things we have brought forward on the justice agenda, from the Conservative Party, from the NDP, from the Bloc Québécois and from the Greens, and I am proud of that. One of the most formative experiences in my life was clerking for a judge at the Supreme Court of Canada, Justice Peter Cory. He remains one of my touchstones every day, in terms of how I conduct myself and what I aspire to.
I think that is the kind of inspiration that should push all of us, I hope, toward passing this kind of legislation. People will tell us that Justice Cory was the most ethical human being who ever walked this earth, and I agree with that. If this legislation, in any way, shape or form, helps us to have more Peter Corys out there, then I think the world would be a better place.
Judges Act October 26th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, I usually leave those sorts of things to our House leaders to discuss among themselves. I am here today because this bill needs to get through. We need to get it to committee so that, if there are other improvements that can be made, they can be made.
As I said, we had the absolutely horrific case of a judge who was caught purchasing cocaine a couple of weeks before he was to be sworn in. Then when the time came that the judges took action against him, he used every single lateral procedural move he could, extended the case out over a period of years and cost the taxpayers a whole lot of money. What we are trying to do is make the system not only more just and fair but also more efficient, so that it does not bring the whole system of justice into disrepute.
Judges Act October 26th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, I agree with that point. I want to list some of the groups that were consulted by the Canadian Judicial Council, like the Canadian Bar Association, the Federation of Law Societies and the Council of Canadian Law Deans.
The member is absolutely right. This will go to committee. All sides will be able to bring witnesses to see if anything was missed. I hope it will be done fairly expeditiously because I think there is a high level of general agreement on this bill.
It is something that judges, in particular, feel needs to pass quickly. They have implored us to do it. They came out in September in a press release and said they wanted us to pass this quickly. When one member of the judiciary gets criticized for behaviour that is not becoming of a judge and it brings the system of justice into disrepute, they all feel it. It is important that they exercise this responsibility and create a better system to better manage themselves and hold themselves to the highest standard. It is important for us to react to that and to change something that was originally enacted 50 years ago. Reform to it is long overdue.
Judges Act October 26th, 2022
Mr. Speaker, I share the member's sentiment. In fact, she has inspired me to try to use speaking notes less over the course of my career here. I am not perfect, but I do my best to speak without the aid of notes when I can and to give my own thoughts when I can. It is something more difficult when the matter is a technical one, and I have to rely on some of the legal expertise that exists either in my department or in my ministry. However, I think she is correct.
I want to reflect on something. When I was a graduate student in the U.K., I often went to see parliamentary debates, particular in the House of Lords, of all places, in the U.K. The quality of debate was simply so much better. It was, in large measure, because of what the hon. member spoke about. There was very little speaking from notes.