Ruby Sahota

[Business of Supply, April 27th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to inform the House that Thursday, April 30, shall be an allotted day.

[Public Safety, April 23rd, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, we have implemented the strongest tightening of the Criminal Code of Canada ever in the history of this Parliament. We are putting forward legislation that would provide law enforcement with the tools they need to catch drug traffickers, but the Conservatives have delayed many of these tools. Lawful access should have been passed months ago. Finally, now it is at the committee stage, and I hope the Conservatives listen to law enforcement and provide them with the help they need.

[Public Safety, April 22nd, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, it is about time that the Conservatives wake up. The second bill that we introduced in Parliament was Bill C-2, which included lawful access. However, after many, many months of Conservative delay, we have had to bring that bill back to Parliament as Bill C-22. Just yesterday, members of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police were on the Hill, and they were commending the work that has been done to bring lawful access forward because they know that this is exactly what is needed to help solve extortion cases.

[Public Safety, April 22nd, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, Correctional Service Canada is able to apply conditions on any offender being released. It can apply any conditions that it feels are fit. I hope that in this case, conditions will be applied that are appropriate to make sure that Canadians are kept safe.

[Public Safety, April 22nd, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, we are doing the work needed to make sure that criminals are kept behind bars, but we are also doing preventative measures. We just today announced supports for victims. We have also announced programming to make sure that we prevent children from getting into a life of violence. We are working on all fronts to make sure that Canadians are safer in Canada.

[Public Safety, April 22nd, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, I think the member is confused.

We are the party that has delivered the jail not bail bill. The bill is currently in the Senate. It is our bail reform and sentencing bill. It makes it more difficult for repeat violent offenders to get bail, and it makes sentences longer for criminals—

[Public Safety, April 22nd, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, the question is shocking. We have delivered more public safety and justice legislation than any government prior. Seven different pieces of legislation in the House, and what have the Conservatives done all along? They have delayed. They have not supported them.

On Bill C-22, lawful access, I am glad to see that they were able to pass it on division to committee the other day. I hope that, at the committee process, the Conservatives will support the bill and give law enforcement the tools they need to catch criminals.

[Lawful Access Act, 2026, April 15th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his years of service, as well as his contributions. I know that the member cares greatly about getting this legislation right and making sure that, hopefully, it passes through the House.

I think law enforcement would be in agreement for maybe even a broader scope, but that is something we can work on, with this as a first step. We need to get this passed in order to take those other steps in the future. I would be open to going further in the future as well.

[Lawful Access Act, 2026, April 15th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, I have been really pleased with the response. Law enforcement, from the beginning of Bill C-2 to now, has been actively involved in providing recommendations and assistance on making sure that this bill is tabled so that they can see it passing.

As I have said before, it has been decades in the works. Many governments and different Parliaments have brought a version of this bill forward. It is time that we get it passed, because we are falling far behind.

[Lawful Access Act, 2026, April 15th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, reasonable grounds to suspect have been used in other places in the Criminal Code. I think that is completely appropriate in this case, since these are the initial steps in an investigation.

Confirmation and subscriber information provide the police the ability to eliminate or narrow down suspects, so these are the first, initial steps of an investigation. At that point, having reasonable grounds to believe would be too high of a burden and would hinder investigations and us getting to the bottom of catching criminals.