Iqra Khalid

[Business of Supply, May 14th, 2019]

Mr. Chair, I will be providing 10 minutes of remarks followed by some questions.

I want to begin my remarks today by thanking all members on the Standing Committee of Justice and Human Rights from all sides of the House. Together, over these past few years, we have worked on issues related to access to justice, medical assistance in dying, mental health supports for jurors, strengthening impaired driving laws, addressing the issue of human trafficking in Canada and so much more. Ultimately, we have worked hard to ensure that the communities we represent safer.

There have been many pieces of legislation that have passed through our committee, and today I would like to focus on Bill C-75, an act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and other acts and to make consequential amendments to other acts.

One of the challenges I have heard about from my community and from Canadians across Canada is the issue of delays in accessing the justice system. I have also heard from constituents about the accessibility of the justice system, issues surrounding victims rights and the challenges faced by victims of intimate partner violence. The purpose of Bill C-75 is to address these very issues of our communities from coast to coast to coast.

This legislation is a key milestone in the government's ongoing efforts to transform the criminal justice system, keeping the government's overall goals at the forefront, which are to keep communities safe, protect victims and to hold offenders to account.

Canada's justice system faces numerous major and multi-faceted challenges. While the volume and severity of crimes have decreased over the years, criminal court cases are becoming more complex and trials are taking longer to complete. Delays in the criminal justice system impact the accused and his or her charter right to be tried within a reasonable time. They also impact victims and all those affected by crime in our communities.

The criminal justice system is a shared responsibility between federal, provincial and territorial governments.

The federal government is responsible for the enactment of criminal law and procedure, criminal prosecutions of all federal offences, certain offences in the Criminal Code and prosecution of all offences in the territories, as well as the appointment of judges for superior courts.

Provincial and territorial governments on the other hand are responsible for the administration of justice, including the prosecution of criminal offences in the provinces, the administration of police, Crown and court personnel and the appointment of provincial court judges.

At their meetings held in April and September 2017, federal-provincial and territorial ministers responsible for justice met to discuss actions taken and ways to strategically address delays in the criminal justice system. Discussions included identifying innovative and best practices as well as legislative reforms to resolve criminal cases in a just and timely manner. All agreed on the need for targeted and bold criminal law reform in the following key priority areas: bail, administration of justice offences, preliminary inquiries, reclassification of offences and judicial case management.

Ministers agreed on the importance of a collaborative approach with all players in the criminal justice system, and Bill C-75 is a true reflection of that collaborative approach with key criminal justice system partners.

Some reforms included in Bill C-75 would address issues that were identified by the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs in its June 2017 report, entitled “Delaying Justice is Denying Justice”. It included 50 recommendations, with a number of them relating to criminal law reform. The bill would address a number of these recommendations, namely on preliminary inquiries, case management, bail, administration of justice offences and the use of technology, including to facilitate remote appearances.

In addition, the reforms respond to the Supreme Court of Canada's decision in Jordan in 2016, which established strict timelines beyond which delays would be presumptively unreasonable and result in cases being stayed. In this decision, the Supreme Court also stressed the need for efforts by all those involved in the criminal justice system to reduce delays and increase efficiencies. Bill C-75 would address that.

One of the issues highlighted through our committee work is the overrepresentation of indigenous people in jail. The 2016-17 statistics indicate that 28% to 30% of custody admissions are indigenous. The numbers are even higher for youth at 50%, and women at 42%. Bill C-75 would help reduce the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples and vulnerable populations in the criminal justice system.

Indigenous people and vulnerable populations tend to be disproportionately impacted by onerous and unnecessary bail conditions. They are also more likely to be charged with breaching minor conditions, and more likely to be caught in the revolving door of the criminal justice system.

The bill would help address these problems by enacting a principle of restraint in the bail regime to ensure that when there are no concerns about the accused coming to court or posing a risk to public safety, police officers and justices would release detained accused at the earliest reasonable opportunity; by requiring that conditions imposed by police be reasonable in the circumstances and necessary to ensure the accused's attendance in court or the safety and security of the victims or witnesses; and by providing that circumstances of the accused, in particular indigenous accused and accused persons from vulnerable populations, be considered at bail and in determining how to address a breach of conditions.

Bill C-75 also includes measures that would positively impact victims of crime. These include the bail reforms, which would also better protect victims of intimate partner violence by creating a reverse onus at bail, and would expand the list of conditions that can be imposed by police, including conditions to protect victims.

The preliminary inquiry reforms, which would restrict the availability of preliminary inquiries to offences with penalties of life imprisonment, would prevent some victims from having to testify twice.

The proposed administration of justice offence changes would only apply in cases in which there has been no harm caused to a victim, whether physical, emotional or through property damage.

The bill would also provide reassurance to victims of intimate partner violence by imposing a reverse onus at bail for accused persons charged with an intimate partner violence offence if they have a prior conviction for violence against an intimate partner; by requiring courts to consider whether an accused is charged with an intimate partner violence offence when determining whether to release or detain the accused; by clarifying that strangulation, choking and suffocation are elevated forms of assault; by defining “intimate partner” for all Criminal Code purposes and clarifying that it includes current or former spouse, common-law partner and dating partner; by clarifying that the current sentencing provisions, which treat abuse against a spouse or common-law partner as an aggravating factor, apply to both current and former spouses or common-law partners and dating partners; and by allowing for the possibility of seeking a higher maximum penalty in cases involving a repeat intimate partner violence offender.

Lastly, the proposed reforms with respect to bail, administration of justice offences and the reclassification of offences support an approach that is expected to minimize the differential impact on marginalized populations in the criminal justice system, including indigenous peoples, through modernizing and streamlining processes, providing flexibility and creating appropriate tools for managing factors such as vulnerability, mental health and addiction.

It is important to note that these proposed Criminal Code amendments cannot address all social issues that impact those in contact with the criminal justice system. As such, operational changes in the courts or in the administration of justice at the provincial and territorial level may better address such issues. As well, training for criminal justice system actors, such as police, the Crown and judges, would support the bill's goal of making the criminal justice system more fair and accessible to all Canadians.

As mentioned earlier, opportunities to address delays also fall under provincial jurisdiction, as provinces have responsibility over the administration of justice. It is unfortunate that the Ontario provincial government has recently announced its decision to cut funding for the Ontario Provincial Police by $45 million. These cuts will impact the administration of justice.

The people of Ontario, and indeed all Canadians, have the commitment of the federal government that we will continue to work closely with the provinces and territories to identify further measures to reduce delays and improve the criminal justice system.

That said, I do have some questions for the minister, if allowed.

[Project Ramadan, May 14th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, our Liberal government promised to reduce poverty, and since 2015, 825,000 Canadians have been lifted out of poverty, reducing the rate by over 20%, but until we fully eradicate poverty, we appreciate and support the hard work done by grassroots organizations to support Canadians in need. One such organization is the Muslim Welfare Centre, which brings local communities together to build baskets of food to be delivered to families. Project Ramadan not only feeds over 6000 families for a month but also reinforces the spirit of the holy month of Ramadan with generosity, empathy and community.

I would like to thank the Muslim Welfare Centre and the hundreds of volunteers who dedicate their time to spread good will among Canadians. We look forward to meeting the Project Ramadan team on the Hill on June 18 and to reinforcing our commitment to reducing poverty in Canada.

[Status of Women, May 13th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, in June, Vancouver will host Women Deliver, the world's largest conference on gender equality and the health, rights and well-being of women and girls around the world. Women Deliver brings together people from over 160 countries with a common goal of activating and mobilizing communities across the globe to push the needle toward progress.

Can the Minister of International Development and Minister for Women and Gender Equality tell this House how Canadians can join this movement, promote gender equality and change the narrative worldwide?

[Cancer, May 2nd, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize a courageous young boy in Mississauga—Erin Mills. Rayaan Lodhi not only endured a one-year battle with leukemia, he used his experience to create support systems for others fighting this cancer. His courage and strength inspires me and others around him to do more and give more to our community.

Twelve-year-old Rayaan Lodhi is an ambassador for SickKids hospital and has started an organization called C-Squad, which tries to bring normalcy to children's lives after the trauma of cancer through activities and supports.

As Rayaan raises awareness on the ground, our government supports his plight and others like him by investing $150 million to support cancer research through budget 2019. These investments matter to kids like Rayaan whose lives have been drastically impacted by this illness.

I thank Rayaan for his contagious bravery and strength and for spreading joy to those around him. He is my hero.

[Status of Women, April 4th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, women's organizations provide vital services, supporting women and girls to be financially secure, to be free from violence, and to be fully able to participate in the economy and society.

In my riding and across Canada, there is increasing demand for their services, yet these organizations struggle to keep their doors open after a decade of neglect by the Harper Conservatives.

Can the Minister for Women and Gender Equality please update this House on what the government has been doing to support these organizations and the women they serve?

[Status of Women, October 30th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, as chair of the all-party women's caucus, I have heard from many individuals and groups in my riding and across the country on the importance of women's participation in our workforce and our economy. Pay equity is one way our government can move the dial toward equality and empowerment.

Could the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, who will be in my riding tomorrow, please update the House on our government's commitment to move forward with pay equity measures?

[Mississauga Erin Mills, October 3rd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to welcome the Mississauga Erin Mills Youth Council and Mississauga Erin Mills Women Council to Parliament. They are currently watching democracy in action, and very soon will be meeting with our Prime Minister for a chat about their projects and their ideas for Canada. These two councils are empowerment in action. They have been working tirelessly to engage our constituents with issues that matter most to women and youth. They have held events on women's health, youth financial literacy, anti-bullying initiatives, women in politics, women in business, climate change, youth mental health and so much more.

I thank my dear women council and youth council for their work, compassion and commitment toward making our Mississauga—Erin Mills riding the best place to live.

I also announce, with a heavy heart, the passing of my dear friend and community leader, Shahid Rashdi. His contributions to Mississauga and Canada were great. May he rest in peace and may his family have support in this tough time.

[Main Estimates, 2018-19, June 14th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I really thank the member across the way for all her advocacy on this very important file.

As I mentioned in my speech, I initiated a Women's Council, with 12 very dynamic women in my riding, one of whom is over 70 years of age. She said to me one day, as we were having a meeting about these very same issues, that she could not believe that we were still having to talk about all of this, that we were still, in her words, “burning bras” to really further the cause of feminism.

With this government, this is the most significant step we have taken to acknowledge and to push forward the feminist agenda. We are educating women and girls across the world. We are empowering them through our entrepreneurship initiatives and through lowering small-business taxes, ensuring that we are working toward getting pay equity. I encourage the member across the way to keep up her advocacy. I know that our government and our Prime Minister will continue to advocate for all of these.

[Main Estimates, 2018-19, June 14th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I have to disagree. Canadian women do not need to be told anything. They are empowered.

We, as a feminist government, have the first-ever gender parity in a cabinet. We have a feminist foreign policy. We are investing in women's education in Canada and across the world.

I can tell the member that at the grassroots level, women appreciate the lifting of these systemic barriers that inhibit them. If they choose to pursue a career, they can go ahead and follow the path they are so passionate about to contribute in the way they see fit. It is not about anything other than to provide equality of opportunity for all those who wish to take that opportunity.

[Main Estimates, 2018-19, June 14th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the hon. and very dynamic member for Newmarket—Aurora.

Canadians may not hear about the over 24 hours of voting on the estimates that will start tonight, but they will definitely feel the impact of our government's plan to put people first and ensure that equality and fairness is there for all Canadians. On this side of the House, we know that providing Canadians with the opportunity to realize their full potential is not just the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do for our economy. By investing to create opportunities for women and men, in all their diversity, the government is instilling confidence and reinforcing the foundation for a stronger middle class and for growing the economy that benefits all of us.

I am a big believer in empowering women to change the way we do politics; to change the way we do business, STEM, and community building; and to change the way we do everything.

I would like to spend a few minutes outlining the key elements of budget 2018's support for Canada's women and girls, which are included in the supply bill before us today. I would like to spend some time discussing the data behind budget 2018's focus on women and girls.

Even though Canadian women are among the best educated in the world, they are less likely to participate in the labour market than men and more likely to work part time. On average, women in Canada earn 69¢ for every dollar earned by men, on an annual basis. Canadian women are under-represented in positions of leadership, and businesses in Canada are overwhelmingly owned by men. The number of women in economically transformative STEM remains low. Women who graduate from STEM fields typically earn an average of $9,000 a year less than their male peers. The demands of unpaid work are too often preventing women from pursuing opportunities to reach their full potential. This is holding back half of all Canadians from reaching their full potential and the full potential of what our country is able to accomplish. It is holding our economy back.

RBC Economic Research estimates that adding more women to the workforce could boost the level of Canada's GDP by as much as 4%. McKinsey Global Institute estimates that by taking steps to advance equality for women, such as employing more women in technology and boosting women's participation in the workforce, Canada could add $150 billion to its economy by 2026.

Empowering women and girls will help close the gender gap that holds back growth and increases poverty. Simply put, equality between Canadian women and men will lead to greater prosperity, not just for women and their families but for all Canadians. With equality of opportunity as a guiding principle, budget 2018 takes us further toward this stronger Canada than ever before.

Let me give some examples, some of which, I might add, are included in the supply bill before us today. To support young families and gender equality in both the workplace and the home, our government is introducing a new employment insurance parental sharing benefit that will help support an equal distribution of home and work responsibilities. This will provide an additional five weeks of El parental benefits when both parents agree to share parental leave or an additional eight weeks for those who choose the extended parental benefit option.

With budget 2018, we are looking at federal institutions and providing a leadership role in addressing the systemic undervaluation of women. That is because we know that equal pay for work of equal value is a human right. Through budget 2018, we are addressing the gender wage gap by announcing that we will introduce historic proactive pay equity legislation in the federally regulated sector, which would apply to about 1.2 million employed Canadians.

We are also looking at how we can better support women entrepreneurs in starting and growing their businesses and taking them global. Our government is committed to helping women-owned businesses grow, find new customers, and hire more Canadians. To help make this a reality, the Business Development Bank of Canada and Export Development Canada are making $1.65 billion in new financing over three years available to women entrepreneurs.

Empowering women to build their businesses and create jobs just makes good economic sense. Here at home, it is also important that we continue to break down barriers to gender equality in education and in employment.

In my riding of Mississauga—Erin Mills, I have established the Women's Council, dynamic women tasked with empowering more women at the grassroots level. The breaking of barriers is key to reducing poverty and building an economy that works for everyone.

Budget 2018 proposes to help women enter and succeed in the trades by creating a new apprenticeship incentive grant for women. The grant will encourage women to enter the trades and fill positions that offer high-quality, well-paying, middle-class jobs.

On this side of the House, we know that equality is at the heart of Canada's future economic success. Fairness demands equality, and prosperity and growth for all Canadians depends on it. Canadians work hard every day. They take care of their families, run businesses and public institutions, protect communities, and create the art that shapes our culture and reminds us of what it means to be Canadian. For all they do, all Canadian women and men deserve to be equal partners in society and equal participants in the economy. Through budget 2018 and the measures listed in the supply bill we are debating today, we want to help make this goal a reality.

When women have equal opportunities to succeed, they can be powerful agents of change and economic growth, improving the quality of life for families and communities. I have seen that first-hand in my riding of Mississauga—Erin Mills through my Women's Council and through the many women who take part in the economy in business and in not-for-profit organizations. I have seen their contributions to our country and the way we function as a whole. I know that, through budget 2018, we will continue to empower more women to take ownership, take leadership, and own the country that is Canada.