David Lametti

[Extension of Sitting Hours and Conduct of Extended Proceedings, May 2nd, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I, too, am disappointed. However, I am disappointed in the behaviour that is being shown by the Conservative Party in this House, obstructing, at every single turn, every single piece of legislation. We are doing this in order to facilitate debate, in order to allow the hon. members the time in which to speak.

We spent 12 days debating Bill C-8. Among the things the bill would do is to help farmers get their tax credit on the carbon tax, the price on pollution. There would be billions of dollars for rapid tests. There would be ventilation for our schools. We all know a lot of parents who are concerned because their kids are going to school in the pandemic context and they want better ventilation for their schools. We had 12 days of debating a fall economic statement that includes measures to aid the lives of human beings. Can they imagine what will happen when we get to the budget? We are doing this to facilitate debate because of the obstructionist tacts by the Conservative Party.

[Extension of Sitting Hours and Conduct of Extended Proceedings, May 2nd, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, in relation to the consideration of Government Business No. 11, I move:

That the debate be not further adjourned.

[Justice, April 7th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I was concluding by saying that we support victims. They are at the centre of all the reform we are doing, and we will make that announcement very soon.

[Justice, April 7th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I extend my support and condolences to all of those families affected. I can assure the hon. member, this House and all Canadians that the filling of that position is moving in due course according to the rules of fair hiring we have put in place, and I would expect that announcement will be made very soon.

We have invested in victims across Canada in a variety of programs. We will continue to do that. Victims remain at the centre of what we do—

[Justice, April 7th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, the open court principle is a fundamental principle in our justice system. I am very concerned about media reports on the judicial process in Quebec. I gather that the director of the Public Prosecution Service of Canada issued a press release. As we all know, the Public Prosecution Service of Canada is an independent arm's-length entity. Because of the court orders in this case, I cannot comment further.

[Criminal Code, March 30th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I am tabling the government's responses to Order Paper Questions Nos. 323 to 332.

[Criminal Code, March 30th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I would ask people to pay attention to what is being done in the bill and what is not. This is not the minimum mandatory penalties part of the bill, as a previous speaker from the other side seemed to intimate. This is the conditional sentence orders part of the bill and here we are allowing a judge to give a serious sentence where there is a serious crime. A conditional sentence order, and I tell the hon. member this, can only be done for a crime in which the sentence would be under two years and would not endanger public safety. They do not involve the kinds of acts, in any way, that were raised by the hon. member.

[Criminal Code, March 30th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I personally feel that the conditional sentence order part of the bill is the most important part of the bill, in the sense that this is what brings back the flexibility in sentencing that allows for a judge to attack a problem or rectify a problem in the sentence that ought to be attacked. For example, a conditional sentence order will allow a judge to say a person needs to serve home arrest and get the appropriate mental health supports or the appropriate rehabilitation supports if there is a problematic addiction.

It allows for communities to take on the responsibility for the rehabilitation of people through a community justice sentence, which we are funding. This is one of the major ideas that has come from the communities themselves, whether they be racialized, indigenous or Black. They want to help rehabilitate people. Experts in the field tell us that this is the best way to move a community forward, to move society forward and to help everybody heal while protecting public safety. That is what conditional sentence orders do.

[Criminal Code, March 30th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question. He will have a chance to work with us and propose amendments during the committee's study.

This is not a new bill. We introduced it in the previous Parliament, and it was discussed here and in public many times.

I noted that the hon. member for Rivière-du-Nord participated in those discussions. We did have time to study this bill, and we will have time to study it in committee. We will respect the parliamentary process.

[Criminal Code, March 30th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I obviously do not share the member's skepticism in the criminal justice system and I do not share his skepticism over improving the criminal justice system based on evidence. What we have done in this bill is selected roughly 20 minimum mandatory penalties that have a demonstrated impact on the overrepresentation of Black and indigenous people and other racialized Canadians in the criminal justice system. That is the goal here.

It is a goal that is necessary. It helps us identify systemic racism within the system. It helps us achieve better outcomes for communities and victims, but also for offenders in terms of their rehabilitation. It also helps bring the justice back to the justice system. That is what we are doing here. I hope we succeed. I hope we get the support of all members of the House.