Ruby Sahota

[Committees of the House, November 21st, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I believe that if you seek it, you will find agreement amongst the parties to apply the results from the previous vote to this one, with Liberal members voting against.

[Committees of the House, November 5th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I request a recorded division.

[Diwali, November 4th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I wish you a happy Diwali. Last week, I celebrated the festival of lights in my riding by going to local mandirs and gurdwaras. What made Diwali even more special was that the Prime Minister dropped by to celebrate with Bramptonians.

Today, we will continue the grand celebration on the Hill, hosted by the Liberal caucus, with many in attendance from across the country. The celebration on the Hill is a testament to our commitment to inclusivity and respect for all communities. In contrast, the Conservative caucus cancelled its Diwali celebration, proving that all the Conservatives care about is themselves.

The celebration of Diwali is shared among Hindus and Sikhs, and over the last few days I have witnessed these communities celebrating together in harmony. However, I am also deeply troubled by what took place yesterday: first the protests and acts of violence that took place outside the Hindu Sabha Mandir, and then the counterprotests and violence that took place at Guru Singh Sabha gurdwara.

Everyone deserves to feel safe and respected in their places of worship. There is no room for such actions in our society. Let us respect the true essence and teachings of Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas, come together and respect community.

[Committees of the House, October 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I believe once again that if you seek it you will find agreement to apply the results from the previous vote to this vote, with Liberal members voting nay again.

[Committees of the House, October 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I believe that if you seek it, you will find agreement to apply the result from the previous vote to this vote, with Liberal members voting nay.

[Foreign Interference, October 23rd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, today I stand before you with a profound sense of urgency and concern regarding the alarming revelations about foreign interference in our country. The RCMP's statement regarding the investigation into violent criminal activities linked to the Government of India has brought to light a harsh reality that Sikh Canadians have long feared.

As a member of Parliament representing a vibrant community of people from Sikh and Hindu backgrounds, I recognize the deep ties that bind Canada and India, yet the chilling evidence presented by the RCMP reveals a betrayal of our shared values. It is unacceptable that foreign agents would operate with impunity on our soil, terrorizing communities and threatening our safety. We have seen extortion, arson, threats and even loss of life instilling fear in the South Asian community, with the particular targeting of Sikh Canadians. This is unacceptable.

Every Canadian deserves to live with safety, free from intimidation and violence, regardless of their beliefs or heritage. Our government has taken significant steps to confront these threats, but we must also stand united as a community, Sikhs and Hindus alike. We cannot allow fear to divide us. We must support one another and advocate for justice, accountability and the protection of our rights.

[RCMP Allegations Concerning Foreign Interference from the Government of India, October 21st, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, there have been allegations of interference when it comes to the leadership race of the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. I think we should take these allegations very seriously and make sure that all party leaders are informed.

I encourage the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada to get his clearance, because it is not as simple as some of his members allude to and the Prime Minister cannot whisper this in his ear. He should get his clearance, find out what is happening in his party and take immediate action.

[RCMP Allegations Concerning Foreign Interference from the Government of India, October 21st, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity, first and foremost, to thank our policing agencies. The RCMP and all local police across this country have been doing exceptional work to make several arrests in the complicated scheme that has been taking place all over North America. We have our allies across the pond looking into similar occurrences happening on their soil as well. This is due to the co-operation taking place among our policing agencies.

We have five- to seven-year minimum sentences and have life imprisonment in this country for extortion. If life imprisonment does not stop extortionists because they are getting paid by foreign governments, what will?

[RCMP Allegations Concerning Foreign Interference from the Government of India, October 21st, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I do agree that security clearances should be undertaken for all those who travel to Canada, especially those who are in places such as security agencies, policing, military and government. Those who are in violation of human rights should not be let into this country. Canada takes that very seriously. I would also encourage our authorities to make sure that those checks are in place and that we do not allow people like that into Canada.

[RCMP Allegations Concerning Foreign Interference from the Government of India, October 21st, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I stand in this House as the member of Parliament for Brampton North, a riding in this country that has one of the largest South Asian populations, the largest part being the Sikh community. These constituents are proud Canadians, and they cherish Canada for its constitutionally provided rights, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, our independent policing bodies and some of the highest standards for human rights in the world.

From a very young age, I have been an outspoken advocate, campaigning and advocating for many local issues, but one issue that shook me to my core at a very young age was an international issue. In 1995, I met a man by the name of Jaswant Singh Khalra on a trip to Canada. He was a human rights activist who had garnered global attention for his research concerning 25,000 illegal killings and cremations involving Indian policing agencies. His advocacy work led to his abduction and murder shortly after his return from Canada, which later led to the Central Bureau of Investigation in India prosecuting and sentencing nine police officers.

It was during the time of his abduction that it really hit me as to what we have in Canada. As a Canadian, I have always felt free to speak my mind without fear of persecution, although that is not the case in many places around the world, as we know.

However, as of late, that sense of security is no longer there, and I have heard those sentiments from the community as well. I have realized that the current Indian government and its diplomats will not let borders get in the way. It was the realization I came to last year when the PM stood in this House and spoke about the credible links connecting the murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar to the Government of India and then again, on October 14, just last week, when the RCMP addressed Canadians directly because of the significant threat to public safety in our country.

The RCMP commissioner called this an extraordinary situation, which compelled the RCMP to speak about what they discovered in their multiple ongoing investigations into the involvement of agents of the Government of India in serious criminal activity in Canada. It is not their normal process to publicly disclose information about ongoing investigations, in an effort to preserve the integrity of investigations. However, they felt in this instance it was necessary to do so at this time in order to dismantle and disrupt the network that had been unleashed on Canadians by hiring criminal gangsters, with a trail leading to Indian diplomats ordered at the high levels of the Indian government.

Over the last year, the RCMP created a multidisciplinary team to investigate and coordinate efforts to combat this threat. The team has learned a significant amount of information about the breadth and depth of criminal activity orchestrated by agents of the Government of India, and consequential threats to the safety of Canadians and individuals living in Canada.

This is outrageous. It is shocking. I have heard first-hand from constituents about these threats. Although there was suspicion at the time, that suspicion has been brought to light by the RCMP.

An example that the RCMP gave that day was that 22 arrests had been made by different policing agencies across the country that were linked to an extortion that linked back to the Indian diplomats, and eight arrests were made that were linked to murder on Canadian soil.

When we scan the newspapers of the last year, we will also find other investigations, such as ones happening in Edmonton, that refer to 27 events, including five extortions, 15 arson offences and seven firearms offences, all linked to a scheme orchestrated in India and executed by people here in Canada. Despite law enforcement action, the harm has continued, posing a serious threat to our public safety. The RCMP reached a point where officers felt it was imperative to confront the Government of India and inform the public about some very serious findings that they have uncovered through all of these investigations.

Although attempts have been made to co-operate and work with the Government of India to ask the diplomats who served here in Canada to co-operate with the Canadian agencies in their investigations, we have not been met with any co-operation from the other side. It is very unfortunate that these attempts have been unsuccessful, which resulted in the Government of Canada's having to consider six diplomats from India as persona non grata.

Through the national task force and other investigative efforts, the RCMP has obtained evidence that demonstrates four serious issues. It is really important that I point out these four issues: one, violent extremists impacting both countries; two, links tying agents of the Government of India to homicides and violent abilities; three, the use of organized crime creating the perception of unsafe environments, targeting the South Asian community in Canada and, in particular, the Sikh community; and, four, interference in democratic processes. I have heard from many of my constituents who have been targeted in these different cases, and they too are shocked and maybe even more worried that the links are not just to local gangs and organizations, but that they go back to foreign governments.

As Canadians, I hope we can all agree that this is the most egregious type of foreign interference Canada has ever seen in its history. This deserves the serious attention of all parties in the House and it starts with the leaders of all parties. It is shameful that the Conservative leader is the only one burying his head in the sand and refusing to get a security clearance so that he can better understand the issue and how his party and leadership race have been compromised by foreign interference. I believe it is on all of us to do the work that is necessary to protect Canadians. This is one of the most serious things I have ever heard of, and I believe that all members in the House could agree on that.