Randeep Sarai

[Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 1, November 20th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Honoré-Mercier.

I appreciate the opportunity to rise to speak about this essential piece of legislation that would advance our government's plan to build Canada strong.

We are living through a moment of profound global change. The systems that have long underpinned our prosperity are being challenged, and Canadians are feeling the effects of those pressures on their everyday lives. Responding to those challenges requires meeting the moment with clarity and purpose, and budget 2025 is our plan to transform our economy to one that is stronger, more self-sufficient and more resilient to global shocks. Our plan would build on Canada's strengths, world-class industries, skilled and talented workers, diverse trade partnerships and a strong domestic market where we can be our own best customers.

Canada's new government is delivering an investment budget. We would spend less on government operations to invest more in workers, businesses and nation-building infrastructure that will grow our economy for the long term. At this time of intense global pressures, responsible leadership means focusing on what we can control, and budget 2025 reflects that reality.

Every department has had to make disciplined and sometimes difficult decisions so that we can keep our investments targeted, effective and sustainable. In my portfolio, this means focusing resources where Canada's impact is greatest: modernizing our tool kit, deploying Canadian expertise and working through new partnerships and innovative approaches to maximize the impact of public dollars and deliver meaningful assistance to vulnerable communities around the world. Across government, the resources identified through budget 2025 are critical to the generational investments in housing, infrastructure, defence, productivity and competitiveness that Canada needs to safeguard its future in a rapidly changing world. These would enable $1 trillion in total investments over the next five years through our focused public spending and stronger capital investment.

We are creating an economy by Canadians for Canadians and the budget implementation act is a key part of this work. From building more homes and expanding clean electricity to upgrading the infrastructure that growing communities rely on every day, this budget would deliver investments that will shape Canada's future for decades to come. For instance, the new building communities fund would support provinces, territories and municipalities as they strengthen the roads, water systems, transit and health facilities that underpin a strong economy. A dedicated $5-billion health infrastructure fund would help ensure hospitals, emergency rooms, urgent care centres and medical schools in communities like mine and across the country have the health infrastructure required to meet the needs of Canadians. I encourage provinces and territories to seize these opportunities to invest in the infrastructure essential to building the strong foundation our economy needs.

However, building a strong foundation for our economy also requires a tax system that rewards investment, accelerates innovation and strengthens Canada's competitiveness. That is why the budget implementation act advances a focused tax strategy to supercharge productivity and attract new capital. It would introduce a productivity superdeduction, enhancing incentives that would allow businesses to immediately write off a larger share of new capital investments, helping them invest and grow. This would include the reinstated accelerated investment incentive and a 100% first-year writeoff for investments in manufacturing and processing equipment, clean energy technologies, zero-emission vehicles, productivity-enhancing assets, and scientific research and experimental development.

Our government knows that innovation and scientific discovery are the foundation of long-term economic growth. Science fuels innovation and innovation fuels productivity, helping Canada stay competitive in a fast-changing global economy. That is why we would also strengthen the scientific research and experimental development tax incentive program by increasing expenditure limits, restoring the eligibility of SR and ED capital expenditures and expanding eligibility to more Canadian firms. All told, these additional government investments of $440 million on an ongoing basis are expected to generate near $1.2 billion in economic output each year, about a three-time return for Canada's economy.

To provide certainty for business investment decisions, we are also proposing enhancements to existing investment tax credits to expand eligibility and extend the availability of select tax credits. This includes improving our suite of clean economy investment tax credits and expanding eligibility of the critical mineral exploration tax credit to include an additional 12 essential minerals.

In addition to ensuring that Canada has the right incentives to attract investment and grow our economy, we need to ensure that we are not putting ourselves at a disadvantage. The budget implementation act also proposes to eliminate or modify tax measures that have proven to be inefficient, costly to administer and challenging for Canadian industries at a time of ongoing global economic uncertainty.

To provide relief to the aviation and boating industries and to streamline the luxury tax framework, we are moving forward with ending the luxury tax on aircraft and vessels as of the day after budget day. To simplify Canada's tax system and reduce compliance costs for taxpayers and governments, and in light of existing measures like the federal foreign buyer ban and municipal and provincial vacant home taxes, we are moving forward with eliminating the underused housing tax as of the 2025 calendar year.

The legislation being debated today is full of measures to drive growth, support workers and build a more resilient Canadian economy. It also includes measures that could help build more affordable homes, fight financial fraud and put more money in the pockets of Canadians. We are able to do all this by spending less on operations so that we can invest more in Canada, enabling the government to direct federal spending forward, enhancing productivity and strengthening capital formation, as reflected in many of the measures I have highlighted today.

The budget positions our country for the long term. It invests in the homes, infrastructure and opportunities Canadians need, and it ensures that Canada remains a steady, reliable partner in an uncertain world. As we build a stronger and more resilient Canada, we will continue to stand for humanitarian leadership, for meaningful international partnerships and for a Canada that is secure at home and respected abroad.

This legislation turns the ambitions of budget 2025 into concrete action, and I urge all members to support it so that Canadians can begin to reap the benefits of building Canada strong.

[Ways and Means, November 17th, 2025]

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 83(1), on behalf of the Minister of Finance and National Revenue, I would like to table, in both official languages, a notice of a ways and means motion to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on November 4, 2025, and other measures.

Pursuant to Standing Order 83(2), I ask that an order of the day be designated for consideration of this ways and means motion.

[Foreign Affairs, November 4th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2) and consistent with the policy on the tabling of treaties in Parliament, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaty entitled “Amendments to the Agreement Establishing the African Development Fund”, adopted by the Board of Governors of the African Development Fund on May 23, 2023.

[Disaster Assistance, November 3rd, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, hurricane Melissa has left heartbreaking devastation in its wake. We stand with the people of the Caribbean in this moment of crisis.

Last week, we announced $7 million in emergency relief, allowing partners to scale up the delivery of food, water, health services and other essential aid. This builds on long-standing work to strengthen disaster preparedness in the Caribbean and support for the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund, which released an additional $8 million in assistance. This weekend a Canadian team was on the ground in the Caribbean and assessing what more Canada can do.

[Bail and Sentencing Reform Act, November 3rd, 2025]

Madam Speaker, it is imperative that all three levels do. We have to remember that, in Canada, it is the local, municipally governed police or the RCMP in that jurisdiction that have to do the investigation and catch the culprits. It is the provinces that have to press the charges and control the prosecution. They must make their efforts and we must make the laws.

We are doing our part. We ask that the provinces and municipalities do theirs.

[Bail and Sentencing Reform Act, November 3rd, 2025]

Madam Speaker, this concept of restraint came from a Supreme Court ruling in 2017 showing why it should be done. What I have seen is that the concept of restraint has not been equally implemented across Canada.

Take, for example, the extortion cases I have seen. I have met victims of extortion in Ontario and Alberta as well as British Columbia. The same bail provisions via the Criminal Code are implemented in all three jurisdictions. However, I would commend the training and ability of the Alberta prosecution in terms of any of those. Nine were charged with extortion there, and nine never received bail. Out of the nine, six have been convicted and three are awaiting trial and sentencing. However, in other jurisdictions, the same restraint was not implemented in the same, effective way.

I think clarity on restraint is very important. We need to have it. It is asked for by the Supreme Court of Canada. However, how that restraint is implemented requires proper training for our prosecution offices, as well as training for those judges.

[Bail and Sentencing Reform Act, November 3rd, 2025]

Madam Speaker, I share a lot of the same concerns as my hon. colleague, whose riding is adjacent to mine. Yes, there is a lot of concern among business owners and families, but the bill that the member opposite is speaking about was more about slogans. It was not charter-compliant and did not have the consultation of the provinces and territories, the attorneys general, the solicitors general, the municipal police forces, victims or the average Canadians and business owners who are reporting these crimes.

Bill C-14 was done with the consultation of municipal police forces, the provinces and territories, solicitors general, attorneys general and members of the public. This is a charter-compliant, victim-focused bill, and that is why we are supporting it.

[Bail and Sentencing Reform Act, November 3rd, 2025]

Madam Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House today to speak in support of Bill C-14, the bail and sentencing reform act. This legislation represents a significant effort to strengthen public safety and ensure that Canada's justice system works as it should: firm, fair and focused on protecting people.

In my riding of Surrey Centre, we have seen first-hand how crime can shake a community's sense of safety. I have spoken with families, business owners and community leaders who have been directly targeted by extortion and intimidation. Some have received threatening calls demanding money. Others have seen shots fired at their homes and businesses, or had their livelihoods put at risk because they refused to pay. Some may have even been murdered for failing to pay.

These are not abstract crimes; they are real acts of fear and coercion that are leaving long-lasting damage. They rob people of their peace of mind and the freedom to live and work without intimidation, and they erode trust in the system when those responsible are seen walking the streets soon after being arrested.

Canadians want communities to be safe. When those expectations are not met, they expect their government to respond. That is why this bill matters. The bail and sentencing reform act is about restoring confidence that our justice system will protect the innocent, support victims and hold offenders fully accountable. It is also about restoring confidence that the federal government is listening to the concerns of Canadians and responding with concrete action.

Bill C-14 would introduce more than 80 clauses of targeted reforms to make bail laws stricter and sentencing tougher for repeat and violent offenders, while safeguarding the rights guaranteed under the charter. These proposed reforms reflect months of government consultation with provinces and territories, mayors, law enforcement, victims' advocates and community organizations, all united in the shared goal of keeping Canadians safe.

While this bill covers a range of reforms, I want to focus my remarks in a few areas that matter deeply to me and to the people I represent, particularly those dealing with bail, violent crime and the growing problem of extortion and organized crime. I will talk first about Bill C-14's aim to strengthen the bail system.

Across the country, too many tragic and violent crimes have been committed by individuals who were already out on bail. There is growing concern that the bail system is not working as it should when it comes to repeat and violent offenders. This bill aims to address that problem and make bail decisions more responsive to public safety.

It would offer clarity to police and courts about how to apply the principle of restraint and would make clear that it does not require release in every case. Detention is justified when it is necessary to protect public safety. The legislation would also strengthen the guidance given to courts when assessing bail, ensuring that decisions take full account of risks to public safety and the circumstances of the alleged offence. Most importantly, Bill C-14 would introduce several new reverse onus provisions for crimes such as organized auto theft, home invasion, human trafficking, sexual assault involving choking or strangulation, and, critically, extortion involving violence.

Typically, when prosecutors want to detain an accused person while they await trial, they bear the onus or burden of demonstrating to the court that the accused should not be released on bail. The reverse onus would shift this burden from the prosecution to the accused, creating a presumption in favour of keeping the accused in custody unless they can show to the court that they should not be denied bail. In other words, it would be up to the accused to demonstrate why they should be released and not the other way around. By shifting the burden in these cases, the law would help ensure that individuals who repeatedly endanger others remain in custody unless it is truly safe to release them.

I will turn next to how this legislation would help address the growing threat of extortion and organized crime.

In my riding of Surrey Centre, this issue is deeply personal. The Surrey Police Service has reported 65 extortion cases so far this year, with 35 of them involving gunfire. These numbers are alarming, and behind each one are people and families living in fear and uncertainty as a result. When fear like this takes hold, it can damage livelihoods and the sense of safety that communities deserve and depend on. For example, I have heard from business owners who feel targeted simply for working hard and succeeding. No one should ever have to look over their shoulder just for building a successful business.

Bill C-14 would give our justice system stronger tools to respond, making it more difficult for an accused charged with extortion involving threatened or attempted violence to secure their release on bail. It would require the courts to consider the number of and seriousness of outstanding charges accumulated while out on bail, and it would expand weapons prohibitions at the bail stage to include those accused of extortion and organized crime. Importantly, it would also require courts to consider imposing tougher conditions like curfews, no-contact orders and clear geographic restrictions when bail is granted to help prevent further intimidation while cases are before the courts.

These proposals would complement other actions to tackle organized crime and extortion, most notably the recent listing of the Bishnoi gang as a terrorist entity. This equips law enforcement and prosecutors with stronger tools to investigate, disrupt and dismantle transnational criminal networks that traffic in fear and violence. Together, these measures would help ensure that my constituents in Surrey Centre, and Canadians across the country, can live and work without fear or coercion.

Canadians also expect that sentences will reflect the seriousness of the crime committed and the harm done to victims. I would like to highlight a few elements of this bill that would strengthen accountability once offenders are convicted. Bill C-14 would amend the Criminal Code to include significant sentencing reforms to make penalties tougher for repeat violent offenders, including extortion and crimes that endanger public safety. It would require consecutive sentences for certain combinations of offences, as when extortion is committed alongside arson or when a violent auto theft is linked with the breaking and entering of a home. Each act would be treated as a separate harm deserving of its own consequence. These measures would make sure sentences send a clear message: Those who commit acts of violence or intimidation will face consequences that reflect the seriousness of their crimes.

Bill C-14 represents a balanced and responsive path forward. It is the product of co-operation across multiple levels of government, engagement with frontline responders and listening to the concerns of Canadians, and it reflects the federal government's commitment to doing its part. For those measures to have their full effect, they must be matched with strong implementation at every level, from the provincial administration of justice to local law enforcement in communities across the country.

Keeping Canadians safe requires all partners to work together to uphold their shared responsibilities. In my riding of Surrey Centre and across the country, families, small business owners and community leaders have been clear that they want safer streets, stronger accountability and real consequences for those who commit violent crimes. This bill would help deliver exactly that.

I urge members to give it their full support.

[Foreign Affairs, October 10th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has built a strong and enduring reputation as a trusted partner in international development. For over 50 years, we have fought poverty, hunger and disease, and we have been a consistent champion for human rights, dignity and equality.

At the UN General Assembly, one thing that stood out loud and clear was the deep trust our allies and partners place in our country as one that always stands ready to support shared action on global challenges. At a time when the rules-based order is coming under strain, many are looking to Canada as a clear voice for shared progress and co-operation.

[International Development, June 17th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, our new government commits to keeping our commitments to humanitarian aid and global development on a sustainable level despite other countries cutting back. Our country and our great Government of Canada will continue to help those who are much in need, those who have been displaced and those who need help in times of dire straits.