Jasbir Sandhu

[Keeping Canada's Economy and Jobs Growing Act, October 6th, 2011]

Madam Speaker, my constituency is made up of families and a lot of small businesses. When I look at the bill, there is not much there, especially for small businesses.

I know my friends across the aisle have given big tax breaks to the big corporations, their friends, but in my constituency we need help for small businesses. We have already been hurt by the introduction of the HST, which has been repealed by the referendum in British Columbia.

What is in the bill to help small businesses? I know there is a lot for the friends of the Conservatives, such as the banks, the oil companies and corporations like that.

[Public Safety, October 6th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians in Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador were surprised this morning to find out that they have something new in common with British Columbia. These provinces are now also being threatened by the Conservative government. If they do not accept the government's deal on the RCMP, the RCMP will be pulled off the streets.

When will the Conservatives get back to the negotiating table and stop ambushing provinces with take it or leave it offers?

[Royal Canadian Mounted Police, October 4th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the Province of British Columbia and its municipalities have pleaded with the government to come back to the table and negotiate a new RCMP contract in good faith. They are ready and willing to break the impasse, but the government would rather play hardball with the provinces and use our front-line officers as bargaining chips.

Why is the government callously playing fast and loose with the safety of British Columbians and why will the Public Safety minister not immediately meet with the B.C. government and move the discussions forward?

[Public Safety, September 29th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the government does not seem to have a handle on its own tired talking points. Threatening to pull police off B.C.'s streets is not tough on crime. Issuing ultimatums to take it or leave it will not make our communities safe. Bullying the provinces is not leadership.

Will the minister stop playing games with public safety in British Columbia?

[Correctional Service Canada, September 29th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to salute the sacrifices and contributions of Canada's 7,500 correctional officers. They are here in Ottawa this week with their concerns.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the founding of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers. They have worked hard to gain the recognition that correctional officers do not often receive in an environment that is usually hidden from the public view. It is a workplace that is also becoming more dangerous.

In particular, I would like to draw members' attention to the petition campaign that correctional officers launched this week to support their call for action on issues of workers being exposed to HIV and hepatitis C. I am very concerned about their workplace safety.

In closing, I hope all members will join me in a salute to the work and courage of correctional officers, and I hope we can work together to ensure a safer working environment for their members

[Royal Canadian Mounted Police, September 28th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday we learned that the Conservative government has threatened to pull the plug on the RCMP in British Columbia if the province does not accept a new policing contract by November.

The Conservatives are callously willing to jeopardize public safety in order to ram through a new contract with the province. Instead of being tough on crime, they are being tough on our front-line officers and tough on provinces.

Is pulling police off the streets in British Columbia part of the government's so-called crime agenda?

[Safe Streets and Communities Act, September 27th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek unanimous consent to move the following motion: that the provisions of Bill C-10, An Act to enact the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act and to amend the State Immunity Act, the Criminal Code, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, the Youth Criminal Justice Act, the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and other Acts respecting support for victims and consisting of clauses 52, 55, 96 through 98, and clause 130, do compose Bill C-10B; that the remaining provisions in Bill C-10 do compose Bill C-10A; that the clerk and the parliamentary counsel be authorized to make any technical changes or corrections as may be necessary; that Bill C-10A and Bill C-10B be reprinted; and that Bill C-10B be deemed to have been read the first time and be printed, deemed read the second time and referred to the committee of the whole, deemed reported without amendment and deemed read the third time and passed.

Mr. Speaker, we are proposing this motion to move forward those sections of the omnibus bill that would provide support for victims, including broadening the definition of a victim, allowing the inclusion of victim impact statements at parole hearings and providing enhanced notification to victims regarding parole board hearings as well as other measures that support victims.

[Justice, September 27th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, I want to tell that side of the House that crime is not a political wedge issue. We believe it is a public safety issue. Once again, Conservatives refuse to answer a direct question. Canadians deserve an answer. Millions of out of work Canadians want their government to invest in job plans, not in doubling the prison budget.

Why does the government hide behind its overused talking points instead of just telling Canadians what the real cost is of this crime bill?

[Justice, September 27th, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, the justice minister has been silent on the cost to taxpayers of the government's massive crime bill. This is the same government that, in the last Parliament, refused to provide information to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, so he could report to Canadians how much those crime bills would cost.

Are the Conservatives shutting down debate because they do not want Canadians to know the facts? When will the Conservatives come clean and release the real cost of this bill?

[Safe Streets and Communities Act, September 21st, 2011]

Mr. Speaker, there have been a number of ways corrective measures have been put into place.

We can have better programs in the prisons to help rehabilitate prisoners so that when they do come out, they are better able to integrate into society more productively.

We need to have better programs for our children and our youth, and more programs in schools. These programs would keep our youth from hanging out at the local 7-Eleven stores or from being recruited by local gang members. We need recreation programs for our kids so that they would not only have a healthy life but would also be able to stay away from criminal activities.

Certainly there are many things that can be done in order to have safer communities

However, this approach by the Conservative government, this tough-on-crime approach, has not worked anywhere in the world. In fact, anywhere it has been tried, they have been repealing those laws. They are getting rid of them and focusing more on youth and more on preventative programs.

In Texas alone there were 21 youth detention centres. Can we guess what happened? They have now reduced that number to about five or six. That is clearly the right approach, and they have saved billions of dollars in prison costs.