Vic Toews

[Justice, May 11th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his support and hard work on behalf of victims.

We acknowledge that we have a fundamental difference of opinion compared to the Liberal Party and the member for Ajax—Pickering when it comes to criminal justice and public safety.

We do not think that criminals should be paroled after serving one-sixth of their sentence. We think it is wrong that arsonists are allowed to serve their sentence in the comfort of their own homes after they have burned other homes down. We think it is wrong that pardons are granted almost automatically.

Canadians can be assured that the Conservative Party and this government will stand up for victims.

[Public Safety, May 11th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his very hard work on this important file.

The current system of pardon applies that the crimes committed by offenders are somehow forgiven or that the harm they have done has somehow disappeared. The vast majority of Canadians disagree and so does our Conservative government.

We are taking the steps needed to eliminate pardons for those convicted of sexual assault against children. The changes we are proposing are tough, yet fair. I urge all members to support our bill.

[Justice, May 11th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, the kind of prison cities that the Liberals build are for ordinary citizens to be barred in their own homes because they are scared to be out on the streets. Our government believes that it is criminals who should be behind bars and ordinary citizens entitled to walk the streets when they feel like it.

[Justice, May 11th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to the answer that the Minister of Justice gave to the prior questioner and I agree with that position.

What I do not understand is why that individual simply refuses to stand up for the victims of white collar crime. I remember when that party voted against Bill C-9 to stop house arrest for people involved in fraud. Those members voted against it and now they have flipped sides. Why is that? Why are they not consistently on the side of victims?

[Afghanistan, May 6th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, CSIS agents are bound by the same human rights standards as all Canadian personnel in Afghanistan, and this government has been clear that we do not condone the use of torture for any purpose.

However, what does concern me today is the revelation of the Liberal member's lobbying on behalf of foreign organizations for information related to CSIS. I think that member should stand and explain exactly what information that individual is sharing with foreign organizations.

[Firearms Registry, May 6th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, while we support the licensing of people and the registration of prohibited and restricted weapons, we do not support the wasteful long gun registry. It is time to end the criminalization of our hunters and our outdoor enthusiasts.

What we have seen is the Liberals playing games at committee with witnesses and others. We hope that all Liberal and NDP MPs will put the call of their constituents above the order from the Liberal leader and vote to finally end the wasteful long gun registry.

[Public Safety, May 4th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, just last week I met and listened to the concerns of firefighters representing my home province of Manitoba.

This being Emergency Preparedness Week, we recognize the valuable role that first responders such as firefighters play to ensuring the safety of our communities.

Our Conservative government remains committed to working with provincial and municipal governments that are responsible for first responders. The joint emergency preparedness program and disaster financial assistance arrangements are two such programs.

[Firearms Registry, May 4th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, let us hear what a chief of police said. Police Chief Hanson, speaking about the long gun registry, said, “I do not think it has worked all that well“. He stated, “The gun registry sure as heck did not help because those were all illegal weapons in the hands of criminals who have no intention of following the rules”.

Why does the member want to criminalize lawful hunting and outdoor enthusiasts? Why not focus on the actual criminals? Why would that party not support our initiatives against pedophiles and stronger sentences for pedophiles?

[Firearms Registry, May 4th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, while we support the licensing and registration of prohibited weapons, we do not support the wasteful long gun registry. It is time to end the criminalization of lawful hunters and outdoor enthusiasts once and for all.

Police Chief Hanson from Calgary has called the long gun registry a placebo and says that it creates a false sense of security.

We hope that those MPs who have voted to retain the long gun registry will change their minds rather than following the latest order of the Liberal leader.

[Maternal and Child Health, May 4th, 2010]

Mr. Speaker, our government has been very clear on our position on law and order and on the safety of Canadians on the streets.

We believe there is no valid reason to have the long gun registry. It is a waste of money. It was a $2 million promise by the Liberals that turned into a $2 billion boondoggle. We have better ways to spend the taxpayers' money and it will not be wasted on a long gun registry.