Poverty  Mr. Speaker, at this special time of year, as 2011 winds down to give way to 2012 and new beginnings, I ask all Canadians to pause and reflect on those who do not mark the year's end with abundance and to consider those who need the comfort of friends and the kindness of stranger

Justice  Mr. Speaker, we have been very clear in the House about working with our provincial and territorial partners with respect to the implementation of our crime legislation. We have many supporters. Attorneys general from across the country are saying they asked us for this legislati

Justice  Mr. Speaker, we have something called a division of powers in this country. The federal government brings forward legislation on crime and crime initiatives and the provincial governments administer it. They do a very good job of administering it. We work with them on a daily, we

Justice  Mr. Speaker, it is truly a happy and good-news day for justice. I am happy to report that today Bill C-22, the government's legislation to make the reporting of child pornography by Internet service providers mandatory, has come into force. Police forces across Canada make ever

Justice  Mr. Speaker, Canadians are concerned about crime and that is why they gave our government a strong mandate to keep our streets and communities safe. The cost of crime on society far exceeds the cost of fighting crime. This report referred to is ridiculous. As we have already disc

House debate  Madam Speaker, let us review Bill C-10. The hon. member has raised the issue of judicial discretion. Part 2 of the Safe Streets and Communities Act includes former Bill S-10, the Penalties for Organized Drug Crime Act. These reforms were introduced in three previous parliaments,

House debate  Madam Speaker, I am extremely proud of this government's approach to fighting crime and protecting our communities. It is a made in Canada approach that will increase public safety and restore the confidence of Canadians in the justice system. The people of Canada can count on th

National Defence  Mr. Speaker, yesterday in question period the member of Parliament for Burnaby--New Westminister and the NDP interim finance critic outrageously overstated the cost of F-35s. His statement was false and completely dishonest. It is unfortunate that the member and his party delib

Criminal Code  Mr. Speaker, when I last rose on Bill C-217, I stated that my colleagues opposite suggested imprisonment would be automatic, and that is not correct. The proposed mandatory minimum penalties are graduated and, in my view, appropriate. People convicted of this offence should hav

Justice  Madam Speaker, while we recognize that the administration of justice, including the courts, is a provincial and territorial responsibility, we continue to work in collaboration with our provincial and territorial partners. This is very important, to ensure a strong justice system

Justice  Madam Speaker, contrary to the soft on crime approach of the NDP, we continue to stand up for victims in Canada as we always have done. It is not correct that provinces continue to complain or to criticize what we are doing. Many of the initiatives we have taken were requested

Justice  Madam Speaker, we have said over and over again we are not reopening this debate. Senator Boisvenu is staying in place. He will continue to be a strong advocate for victims of crime. A soft-on-crime party like the NDP should not be attacking victims of crime. The member belongs

Justice  Madam Speaker, I can think of nothing more inappropriate than personally attacking a victim of violent crime who lost his daughter to the actions of a repeat offender, who abducted, sexually assaulted and murdered a young, 27-year-old woman. There is no sympathy shown by the oppo

Ending the Long-Gun Registry Act  Mr. Speaker, with respect to the possession and acquisition licensing program, I understand that firearms will still require a licence. I wonder what the member feels about how that system works to protect the public.

House debate  Madam Speaker, I am proud to speak today about minimum sentences. As mentioned last November, in response to a question from my hon. colleague from Mount Royal, this issue has been discussed on several occasions, not only in this House, but also before the Standing Committee on