Judy Sgro

[Ukrainian Heritage Month Act, June 12th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, to my hon. colleague, whom I respect immensely, the issue we are dealing with is that there is an urgency on this particular bill. The mover of the bill said that the sponsor of the bill is in a critical phase of his life, and we are trying to get this passed while he is still with us. I am not sure that the member fully grasped the intent—

[Public Safety, June 12th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's hearts are broken at the loss of two of our frontline police officers, two brave individuals who gave their lives protecting our communities. Our frontline officers put themselves in harm's way every single day to keep us all safe, and this tragedy is being deeply felt across the entire policing community and by all Canadians.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety speak to the courage and sacrifice of these two officers?

[Strong and Free Elections Act, June 10th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, I listened carefully to my hon. colleague, and I know how much time he has spent on this particular bill as well. On the idea of controlling the money and all of that, I would be interested to hear what other amendment or change my colleague thinks could be done that would improve the bill and answer the concerns that he has.

[Committees of the House, June 8th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Liaison Committee, entitled “Committee Activities and Expenditures April 1, 2025-March 31, 2026”.

[Health, June 4th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, millions of Canadians live with vision and eye health problems. During the last Parliament, I was pleased that my private member's bill, the National Strategy for Eye Care Act, passed both the House and the Senate unanimously. Thanks to this bill, we are putting a real focus on preventing and treating eye disease and ensuring better outcomes for all Canadians.

Can the Minister of Health please tell the House how our government is leading a coordinated response to vision loss care?

[Protecting Victims Act, June 3rd, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, I remember that when I first heard about mandatory minimums, under former prime minister Harper, I thought they were a great idea. However, what is the use of bringing forward laws that are just going to get thrown out because there is the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that the government has to respect? We have to use more than our heart on our sleeve when we are crafting legislation. When someone is on this side of the House, they have to take that responsibility much more seriously.

[Protecting Victims Act, June 3rd, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, a ton of changes have happened, but they have all been too slow. It seems that it takes a long time to start to really understand some of the difficulties different people, women in particular, are facing.

I am very proud of what has happened in the last 10 or 12 years as, really, women's rights have been getting the attention they need as we all move forward collectively to ensure that women's rights are protected. We will make sure that women such as those I met a couple of weeks ago know that their government is concerned about them and will continue to move forward legislation that will better protect them and better protect our children.

[Protecting Victims Act, June 3rd, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, different people have different opinions. We are very confident that Bill C-16 would accomplish exactly what we want it to do: protect victims, encourage more people to come forward, and look after our children and protect them from the many predators who unfortunately continue to be out there.

[Protecting Victims Act, June 3rd, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, I know my colleague is very serious about the concerns he has, as well as the rest of us, but when members are on the government side of the House and crafting legislation, we have to make sure that it is going to withstand charter challenges. We have seen too many times that we have reacted with our hearts, not necessarily with our heads, and brought in things that ended up being challenged, with court cases thrown out completely because the legislation we introduced reflected our emotions, not necessarily our responsibility, which is to make sure that the laws of the land are charter-proof.

[Protecting Victims Act, June 3rd, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, as always, it is great to see you in the chair.

I am pleased today to rise in support of Bill C-16 the protecting victims act. At its core, this legislation reflects something very fundamental: that our justice system must do much more to protect those who are the most vulnerable, especially children and survivors of violence; and that it must adapt to reflect the realities that they face today.

Before I speak to the details of the bill, I do want to begin by acknowledging the strength and the courage of survivors. The member for Niagara South, last week or the week before, hosted a meeting that many of us were invited to and we listened to half a dozen women who were victims. They were there to speak of their position as being victims of sexual violence and so on, but also of their concerns that the perpetrators were not getting strong enough sentences. The victims have a life sentence because they will carry that abuse for their entire life, whereas the abusers seem to get very minimal sentences of 18 months or two years, which seem so very minimal. I very much agree with those individuals who were speaking. They were still very distraught about what had happened to them many years before and frustrated by the lack of penalties for the abusers.

Whether the issue for those who came forward to tell stories is intimate partner violence, sexual exploitation or abuse of children, they want change and that is what Bill C-16 would bring. Their experiences were deeply moving and their points were well received. They are a powerful reminder that our justice system must continue to evolve, not in theory but in practice, so that it truly meets the needs of those it is meant to protect.

Bill C-16 represents one of the most significant updates to our criminal justice system in generations. It would do so through four clear objectives: tackling gender-based violence, protecting children from predators, strengthening victims' rights and addressing court delays. Each of these pillars speaks directly to issues that the survivors I heard from two weeks ago, advocates and experts have been raising for years.

First, with respect to gender-based violence, this bill would recognize something that has too often been overlooked: that violence does not begin with physical harm. It often begins, as my other colleagues have mentioned, with patterns of control, including coercion, intimidation and manipulation, that escalate over time. By introducing a new offence for coercive and controlling conduct, this legislation would allow earlier intervention before violence becomes lethal. This is critical. It reflects again what survivors and frontline organizations have told us, which is that warning signs are often present but we have not always had the legal tools to respond to them. The bill would also ensure that murders committed in contexts such as coercive control, sexual violence or exploitation are recognized with the seriousness that they warrant. These are not isolated acts. They are part of a continuum of violence. This legislation would begin to reflect that reality in law.

Second, with respect to protecting children, the need for action is urgent. We know that the nature of exploitation has changed. Predators are increasingly using digital platforms to groom, manipulate and extort children. Bill C-16 responds directly to those threats. It would strengthen offences related to child luring and sextortion; criminalize emerging forms of abuse, including the use of threats and digital content; and reinforce accountability through stronger penalties. It would also ensure that law enforcement and the justice system would be equipped to respond to the new technologies, including the use of AI-generated sexual deepfakes, which can be used to exploit and harm victims. For children and families navigating these deeply traumatic experiences, these measures are not abstract. They are essential protections.

Third, this legislation would strengthen victims' rights. We know that, for many victims, the justice system can be overwhelming. Victims often struggle to access information, to understand processes and to have their voices heard. Bill C-16 would build on the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights by improving access to information, expanding participation and ensuring that victims are treated with dignity and respect. It would also expand access to supports such as testimonial aids, helping reduce the risk of retraumatization when individuals come forward. These are practical changes, but they are also deeply meaningful. They would help ensure that victims are not simply observers in the justice process, but participants whose experiences matter.

Fourth, and critically, the bill addresses court delays. Delays are not just procedural issues. They have real consequences. We have seen serious cases, including those involving sexual violence, collapse entirely because of delays. For victims, this can be devastating. It can mean that after coming forward, after reliving their trauma, there is no resolution and no accountability. Bill C-16 introduces measures to reduce these outcomes, requiring courts to consider alternatives before stays of proceedings, streamlining procedures and clarifying just how these delays are assessed. These changes in Bill C-16 are about ensuring that cases are heard and that justice is not lost to process.

What is important about this legislation, as well, is not just any single measure, but its collective impact. The bill recognizes that violence today is complex and evolving. It reflects the rise of digital exploitation affecting our children, the realities of coercive control, the vulnerabilities of children online and the ongoing challenges victims face within the system. It also responds to what we have heard from commissions, experts and communities across the country that earlier intervention, stronger protections and a more responsive justice system are needed.

At the same time, it is important to ground this work in principle. We must ensure that victims are treated with care, dignity and compassion. We must ensure that those who come forward are supported, informed and respected throughout the process. We must continue building a system where survivors can have confidence not only that they will be heard, but that the system will respond in an appropriate manner.

No single piece of legislation will resolve all the challenges. We know there are gaps that will remain. We also know that continued investment in prevention, in services and in supports will always be essential, but legislation like Bill C-16 is a critical part of that work. It provides the tools. It sets the standards and it signals clearly that protecting victims, especially children, is not optional. It is a fundamental responsibility of us all.

I am proud to be part of a government that is taking meaningful steps, both in law and in practice. I appreciate the fact that the opposition is supporting this bill and has helped move it along.

In closing, this bill is more than legal reform. It is about ensuring that survivors are heard, victims are protected, and those women who I met from Niagara South two weeks ago can look at Bill C-16 and know that we were thinking of them when we put this forward.

It is about ensuring that those who are the most vulnerable are not overlooked, but supported with care, dignity and action. For all of these reasons, I am proud to support Bill C-16 and appreciate the support of all of the opposition.