Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Calgary Shepard for his contributions in the House. With respect to judicial appointments, the Minister of Justice has appointed 235 judges thus far in each of the past few years. That is more judges than have been appointed by any minister of any political stripe in the last two decades, and it includes 34 judges in the member's province alone.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Abitibi—Témiscamingue for her speech. She spoke about access to justice for many people in Canada who cannot afford to hire a lawyer. I want to underscore and ask for the member's comment on the changes that were made at committee that addressed this very important issue.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I listened carefully to the speech and comments by my colleague opposite. I would like to raise the point of LGBTQ rights, a point that neither he nor his Conservative colleagues addressed, but which was raised a number of times in committee. There are two aspects of this bill I want to solicit the member's comments on.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I first want to compliment the member, not just on his comments here today but on his tremendous work at the justice committee in terms of bringing his expertise to bear in the study that was undertaken. The member commented on the importance of looking at reforms, and he highlighted some of the committee testimony, specifically around bail.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I would ask the hon. member if there may be some common ground in the important aspects of domestic violence she indicated in the first and second parts of her speech, which are a priority for her side of the House. What I would put to her is that this legislation proposes important changes in respect to domestic violence and intimate partner violence, by expanding the definition so that it does not just cover violence by a spouse but also by a dating partner or a former spouse; increasing the maximum sentence for those convicted of intimate partner violence; and, indeed reversing the onus on bail for those repeat offenders.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for South Surrey—White Rock for his important contributions to today's debate. I want to highlight his work with youth and ask him to address, first, indigenous youth in British Columbia, and second, racialized youth, particularly in the Surrey area, many of whom are of south Asian descent.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I will put to the member opposite something similar to what I addressed to the NDP member from Alberta. When we inherit a flawed process, it takes time to perfect it. That flawed process of judicial appointments highlighted by the member opposite produced a situation where 30% of the country's judicial appointments were women.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for her contributions to the House and to her community. I will confess to finding some of her comments about appointments a little surprising. Clearly, when we have to overhaul an entire appointments process, it takes some time to get it right.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague opposite for her comments. After hearing her comments, I wonder if she thinks we have improved the system for victims. She specifically mentioned in her comments the issue of domestic violence, conjugal violence and intimate partner violence, which is a problem throughout Canada but also in Quebec.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point or order. With all due respect to the member opposite, she spent the last three minutes discussing matters related to the incarceration of individuals and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, which is the purview of the Minister of Public Safety.

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, I have one brief comment and one question. I appreciate the comments from the member opposite and his experience in this matter. I would put it to him that to question our commitment to fighting religious discrimination is puzzling in the wake of the strong position we have taken against anti-Muslim hatred, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism based on yesterday's apology in this House, and the monies we have dedicated thereto.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I confess to being surprised that the member opposite raised the plight of indigenous people, in light of the previous government's track record on indigenous reconciliation. I find it peculiar that he is criticizing our commitment to reconciliation, with the billions of dollars we have committed to the calls to action.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague opposite for his speech and comments. In his speech, he indicated that we, on this side of the House, spend too much time consulting and that we do not take real action. I would like to point out some of the ways that we have taken action that he might agree with.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker, I have one comment and one question. I thank the member opposite for his work on the justice committee. He talked about delays. What I would put to him is that when we take administration of justice offences and no longer apply criminal charges to those issues, but instead a judicial referral hearing, we avoid clogging up the criminal justice system.

Criminal Code  Madam Speaker. the member opposite referenced Mr. Shimon Fogel from CIJA, whom we were very pleased to see here yesterday to hear the Prime Minister apologize for historic anti-Semitism in this country and for the continued fight against it now. Apropos of that very apology and that very serious issue in this country, the step that the committee members took is one that we agree with as a government.