Sean Fraser

[Public Safety, September 23rd, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to public safety in this country, we agree that there is work to do when it comes to bail reform and to tightened sentencing, which is why we will be introducing legislation that makes the criminal justice system treat serious crime with more serious consequences going forward.

A point of disagreement between the government and the opposition is the role of assault-style weapons in this country. My constituents at home in Nova Scotia and Canadians that I meet in every province believe that it is common sense to take guns that are designed to kill people off our streets. It is remarkable that the Conservatives have a contrary view.

[Justice, September 23rd, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we do not want to change the Constitution.

We want to give the Supreme Court the opportunity to clarify the Constitution. It is very important for the federal government to defend our Constitution. Now, the case is before the Supreme Court of Canada. That is the appropriate forum for presenting arguments, not the House of Commons.

[Justice, September 23rd, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, it should not have been a surprise.

We have held the same position for years. When the case reached the Supreme Court of Canada, we filed an intervention. It is very important for the federal government to defend the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and defend the rights of people across the country.

As the member knows full well, the case ended up at the Supreme Court of Canada. We filed our intervention. That is all.

[Border Security, September 23rd, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, with respect to the commitment to hire 1,000 officers at the border, I would point my hon. colleague opposite to the election campaign platform that Canadians across the country, including in the riding of Carleton, supported to make sure that we would defend our border against the flow of illegal guns and drugs coming into Canada.

For years, I have watched Conservatives brush away gun crime as something completely unserious, pretending that it is only law-abiding people who shoot guns in this country. The fact is, there are criminals who shot innocent people. We are going to do something about it.

[Firearms, September 23rd, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, we cannot be serious about public safety if we are not serious about gun crime.

My hon. colleague on the other side of the House raises concerns about the illegal flow of guns across the border. When he was in government, he made cuts that made it easier for illegal guns to come across the border. We are going to be adding 1,000 officers at the border.

He has also campaigned on a commitment to legalize assault-style weapons and claims they are used for hunting. There are hunters in my community I would love to introduce him to. They do not shoot deer with AR-15s.

[Justice, September 22nd, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, this case deals with issues of national interest. It is very important for the federal government to intervene to protect the Constitution. As the member is well aware, this case is before the Supreme Court of Canada, which is the appropriate forum for making such arguments.

[Firearms, September 22nd, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, I have news for my friend on the other side of the House of Commons. If he believes that I have not moved forward with legislative efforts this sitting when it comes to criminal justice reform, I would have invited him to show up for work on Friday last week, when we did that very thing.

The member should look forward in this fall sitting to seeing two additional pieces of criminal legislative reform. One is on bail and sentencing and would make sure violent repeat offenders are not walking our streets, and the second would protect those who are at risk of intimate partner violence or at risk of being victimized by sexual offences.

When it comes to the summer, I was meeting with law enforcement and provincial counterparts. He was fighting for his job.

[Firearms, September 22nd, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, if the member is concerned about advancing legislation that is actually going to keep Canadians safe, he would work across the aisle with us as we seek to table legislation during this legislative sitting to ensure that violent repeat offenders are kept behind bars and make sure the most serious offenders are facing stiffer penalties.

It is hard to accept criticism, when it comes to keeping our communities safe from gun violence, from a member who for more than two decades has voted against the very specific measures that are designed to take guns off our streets and has voted repeatedly for measures that weaken our border and do not prevent the inflow of guns in the first place.

[Public Safety, September 19th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, I have immense respect for my colleague's service and that of his colleagues. However, I disagree with a number of the points he made. He referred to policies of the Liberal government, but he may not appreciate that the very policies he criticizes made it harder for people charged with intimate partner violence to get bail and made it harder for people to avoid sentencing when it came to serious crimes such as attempted murder or torture.

We are going to move forward with made-in-Canada solutions, informed by experts who understand the context in this country, to determine what will keep our country safe.

[Justice, September 19th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that this case raises issues that are of national interest. It is appropriate and essential for the federal government to defend our charter.

As the member is aware, this matter is now before the Supreme Court of Canada. That is the appropriate forum for making arguments.