Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, on the day of his funeral, I ask all members to join me in honouring OPP Constable Tarun Bali, who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty, and in extending our heartfelt condolences to his loved ones and fellow officers. We are seeing media reporting in Canada and elsewhere that these shooters were paid for hire, and reports also suggesting that they were paid for by foreign …
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians have questions, victims have questions and the police chiefs have questions as to why it has taken so long for Bill C-22, which was originally Bill C-2, to get through the legislative process. Every day that we wait, more and more victims are created in Canada. Take, for example, the shootings at the synagogues that have just happened recently. Those shooters were paid and h…
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Mr. Speaker, where are the Conservatives who used to care about protecting Canadians? They are not in this House. It is the government that has committed to protecting Canadians through our various bills that we have progressed through this House. Bill C-16 would protect children from child predators, and the Conservatives voted against it. It is an all-time low.
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Mr. Speaker, this Conservative opposition is not about scrutinizing bills. We are up for scrutiny. We have amended many of our bills, including Bill C-22. Bill C-22 is a bill that we in Parliament have tried to bring many times because, as I know the Conservatives recognize, we need modern tools to fight terrorism and to fight organized crime, but these Conservatives do not really care. They will …
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Madam Speaker, throughout the debate, I have heard the Conservatives make reference to, “Why do we need this bill at all? We already have existing laws.” It is really surprising to me, hearing that come from the Conservatives, considering they claim to be tough on crime and want longer sentences. In this bill, a simple assault committed due to hate would go from five years to 10 years in prison. S…
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Mr. Speaker, the member talks about underlying crimes that are in the code already, such as assault or mischief. This bill would take the penalties for those crimes and double them for people who would dare prevent somebody from going into their synagogue. I know the community is supportive of this bill, because it would give longer and more meaningful, substantial penalties for those who commit h…
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Mr. Speaker, many community groups have been asking for the government to take action, as we have seen a rise in hate crimes against many people of different ethnic backgrounds, religions and races. This is important. The LGBTQ community has also faced a rise in hate in this country. This is part of a larger set of initiatives that we as a government are taking. There is the Canada community secur…
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Mr. Speaker, I have had many conversations in which people state and read out Conservative talking points, exact emails that were sent out by the Conservative Party of Canada. I want to reassure Canadians today that the proposed intimidation and obstruction offences in the bill have been carefully designed to target criminal conduct while respecting charter rights on freedom of expression and peac…
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Mr. Speaker, through the committee process, a lot of good ideas came forward. In this bill, we have a clear definition of what hatred means. It was taken from Supreme Court precedents and those from other levels of court as well. The definition of “hatred” has been well established in this country, so it is very clear. Considering the fact that the Attorney General's consent would also be required…
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Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, much time has been given to debate on this matter in the House and in the other place as well. The Senate came back with one amendment; it was the addition of a hate symbol, the noose, because of the anti-Black racism that we have seen throughout North America, and I would say throughout western countries around the world. That is the issue right now. That was the amen…
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Mr. Speaker, I have a question about the fact that the member just mentioned that the noose has a different definition here in Canada. I would like to know what the member thinks the noose symbolizes here in Canada that is different from the United States. Just a few years ago, in order to intimidate the Black community, nooses were found on several construction sites in Toronto. Do you think that…
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Mr. Speaker, I would agree. In addition to that, we included, for greater certainty, a clause to clarify that nothing prevents a person from communicating statements on matters of public interest, such as religious, political or scientific matters, if they do not wilfully promote hatred against an identifiable group or wilfully promote anti-Semitism.
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Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of reasons. Sometimes world events are a reason. Sometimes it is people's hatred because of the polarization that has happened online over the last little while. Canadians are more isolated than they used to be. They are more staunch in their opinions. In the past, thousands of Black North Americans were lynched. There have been many acts of hate in the past as well. T…
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Mr. Speaker, this bill has had an unprecedented number of hours of debate, whether in the House or at committee. Like I said previously, it was tabled in the House September 19. Let me be clear, because there is a lot of misinformation about the bill. I too have been receiving a lot of calls, but I have been trying to correct the narrative, because many people misunderstand and have misinterpreted…
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Mr. Speaker, this is a platform promise that our newly elected government made last May. This bill was introduced on September 19, and it has gone through all the democratic channels through this legislative process. I believe it is now time for us to end debate on the bill so that Canadians can be safe in their places of worship.
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moved: That, in relation to Bill C-9, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places), not more than five further hours shall be allotted to the stage of consideration of the Senate amendment to the Bill; and That, at the expiry of the five hours provided for the consideration of the said stage of the said Bill, any proceedings before the …
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Mr. Speaker, we are acting. We are changing the Criminal Code of Canada. The offence of mischief that the member is talking about has very low penalties and is added at the sentencing portion of a crime. This is a stand-alone hate crime. This bill would also create a crime of intimidation and of obstruction. We have seen many Canadians not be able to go to their day camps, their religious schools …
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Mr. Speaker, protesting is a fundamental right in this country, and this bill would not limit the right of peaceful protest, but it should be recognized that under section 1 of the charter, rights and freedoms may be subject to reasonable limits if those limits are prescribed by law and demonstrably justified in a free and democratic society. Those who are not wilfully participating in hate would …
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Mr. Speaker, I think the members of the business council should also be informed that the Conservative Party of Canada did nothing to assist in our bail and sentencing reform bill. If anything, it has impeded our ability to progress in making changes to the Criminal Code of Canada to make sentences harder and to make sure we give police the tools they need through Bill C-22. They have been blockin…
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservative argument is so disingenuous. In the hate crime or the shooting that happened at the U.S. consulate, the RCMP and local law enforcement investigated that incident. There were actors who belonged to a terrorist organization. It has been reported and alleged that they were working out of the United States of America and were plotting events here in Canada and in Europe. …
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Mr. Speaker, we have seen many incidents. We have seen 2SLGBTQI+ groups be discriminated against and an extreme rise in violence against them and the transgender community here in Canada. It is important to protect all communities. Whether it is a member of a faith group, a student on campus who wishes to go to a prayer room, or a young kid trying to attend a religious camp or a Jewish school, it …
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Mr. Speaker, this bill was brought forward after listening to the concerns of Canadians. The fear, intimidation and hate that they have been facing are why we have brought forward the bill. It is in order to protect Canadians and to protect the rights of freedom of expression. There are many Canadians who do not feel that it is safe to be able to practise their faith in this country, so the bill i…
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Mr. Speaker, this legislation has been considered in the House. It has been considered in the other place. Amendments have been made in both Houses of Parliament, and the bill has come back for genuine debate. I know the Conservative Party of Canada has been busy for many months spreading a misinformation campaign, so we have been getting a lot of calls from people thinking stuff is in the bill th…
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Mr. Speaker, this bill is very targeted and would address hate crime with the mens rea, the intent, to wilfully promote hate. I believe that is constitutional and is within the means. It would protect all faiths in this country. The intention of the bill is to protect Canadians and to make sure that people are deterred from committing hate crimes in Canada.
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Mr. Speaker, I mentioned that the bill has gone through all the steps of the legislative process. Through those steps, amendments have been made. Witnesses were able to come forward at committee. Members were able to give their opinions. There was an amendment made by the House. Therefore, after that amendment, the bill maintains the requirement of Attorney General consent for all offences in the …
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Mr. Speaker, this is exactly the misinformation that I have been speaking about tonight. That is not what the bill does. I would say that I think Canadians would mistrust the current Conservative Party of Canada right now because Conservatives talk about being tough on crime and they talk about making Canada safe, but their actions have not been showing it. Just last week, they voted against makin…
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Mr. Speaker, an agreement could not be reached under the provisions of Standing Order 78(1) or 78(2) with respect to the consideration of the Senate amendment to Bill C-9, an act to amend the Criminal Code regarding hate propaganda, hate crime and access to religious or cultural places. Under the provisions of Standing Order 78(3), I give notice that a minister of the Crown will propose at the nex…
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Madam Speaker, it is really rich to hear the Conservatives talking about the Supreme Court and upholding a Supreme Court decision because generally what I have heard in debate over the last several months is, “Just don't listen to the Supreme Court. Do everything to oppose their decisions in the past.” I would also like to say that many of the members get up and ask about organized crime in questi…
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Mr. Speaker, these crime groups are linked to many countries around the world, and law enforcement is finding that these criminals are operating not just from within Canada, but from many different countries. Do members know what would help? It would help to be able to investigate these crimes within Canada and be able to pass Bill C-22. We are one of the only western countries that does not have …
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Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Durham police, Peel police and many police forces around this country that are working very hard, day in and day out, to crack down on organized crime. They have laid many arrests and many charges, and the criminal justice system will be dealing with these criminals. These are organized international crime groups. Many countries are suffering from their coor…
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Mr. Speaker, do members know what victims in my community ask me? They ask me how long investigations will take. In order to speed up investigations and provide further tools to law enforcement, they need Bill C-22 to pass. However, the Conservatives in this House have been delaying that bill and have been on the side of social media giants, instead of on the side of Canadians so that public safet…
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Mr. Speaker, one of the aspects of the bill that I also find very interesting, and that victims groups have been advocating for, was the court delays issue and the fact that so many cases are getting dismissed from our provincial courts right now because of the delays. This also provides an exception when cases are complex so that these cases do not get dismissed and so that victims get their day …
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Mr. Speaker, I am tired of hearing the exaggeration throughout the debate on this bill. The bill would be tougher on crime overall, because without a safety valve, mandatory minimum penalties would often get struck down. What we would do through the bill is keep minimum penalties in place. We could actually make sure that people serve a sentence when they commit a heinous crime. Really, the Conser…
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Mr. Speaker, the fact that the member uses the words “poison pill” over and over again makes me wonder whether the Conservatives plan on voting against the bill. They prolonged the amount of time the bill took to get studied. There were some good improvements made. I think the members of the committee eventually worked well together. Victims are looking for relief. They want mandatory minimum pena…
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Mr. Speaker, I have met many victims across this country and families who have lost loved ones to femicide, and they are very eager to see this bill go forward. There has been a lot of co-operation at the committee level, as well as amendments that have been accepted. Some were outside of the scope, however. I really wanted to know whether the Conservatives will be supporting this bill, which woul…
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Mr. Speaker, with every speech I hear, I am starting to feel more and more worried that the Conservatives may vote against one of the most ambitious changes in criminal reform when it comes to protecting victims in this country. This bill would create incredible changes. It would account for new technology. It would implement 12 mandatory minimum penalties. The Conservatives are fixated on making …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to inform the House that next Monday shall be an allotted day.
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Mr. Speaker, I know that the member cares deeply about this issue, especially when it comes to protecting children from predators. The member is right that we should not have to talk about child sextortion, but many children in this country have committed suicide because they were victims of sextortion. The bill would broaden the number of offences under this type of crime. I think this is a reall…
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Mr. Speaker, I think it is really important for me to correct the record. The member's speech was extremely sensational. I know the Conservatives are trying to get a rise out of people and tell them that somehow there are going to be no penalties for anyone in any case. There are minimum penalties that are in our Criminal Code of Canada. Bill C-16 also still maintains a minimum penalty. That is wh…
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Mr. Speaker, we have seen in the past that when the Conservatives have gone against mandatory minimums in cases that the Supreme Court has held are unconstitutional, there have been floods of litigation after. As a result, people did not get convictions, and so it is really important—
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Mr. Speaker, it is important to talk to Crown counsel, advocates and members of the bar. However, this government has a mandate to protect Canadians, and we are trying to pursue that mandate as quickly as possible. There are other areas where we are investing, but it is crucial that we update our laws quickly and not stall anymore. Lives are on the line. We heard it from the testimony that witness…
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Mr. Speaker, this bill would not override any existing principles that are already mandated by the Supreme Court.
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Mr. Speaker, since being elected last year in this new government, we have had a very ambitious agenda on that front. We have put forward approximately nine pieces of legislation that deal with different aspects of crime. That is the most ambitious that any government has been in this Parliament. We are changing and updating the Criminal Code so that it keeps up with the issues that we are seeing …
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to Bill C-16, the protecting victims act, an essential and comprehensive piece of legislation situated on a broader strategy to keep communities safe. The last time the bill was in the House, our hon. colleagues voted to send it to committee so it could be studied, tested and improved. I am pleased to report that this is precisely what has happened. The Standing …
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Mr. Speaker, an agreement could not be reached under the provisions of Standing Order 78(1) or 78(2) with respect to report stage and third reading stage of Bill C-16, an act to amend certain acts in relation to criminal and correctional matters. Under the provisions of Standing Order 78(3), I give notice that a minister of the Crown will propose at the next sitting a motion to allot a specific nu…
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Mr. Speaker, we have made more changes to the Criminal Code of Canada than any other government by strengthening bail provisions and lengthening sentences, and guess what, auto theft is down across this country due to the efforts we have made in resourcing, law enforcement, making sure our borders are stronger and catching criminals. I hope the other place will pass the bail and sentencing bill as…
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Mr. Speaker, we have taken action and are seeing the results. Just recently, Peel Regional Police arrested over 17 individuals linked to extortion cases. That investigation took about eight months. We have brought lawful access legislation forward in the House. If the Conservatives had been on board and had helped us pass the legislation, that investigation would have only taken a month and we cou…
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Mr. Speaker, that is false. Half of those individuals are not on bail. We have changed provisions. We have made it so that people can be easily removed from this country. Many of those individuals are being removed and others are being charged and trials will be held. We have seen trials across this country in extortion cases, and people have received hefty sentences, but if our bail and sentencin…
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Mr. Speaker, we are strengthening penalties and we are giving law enforcement the tools they need to catch criminals. Just last week, Peel Regional Police arrested over 65 individuals connected to organized retail crime. These are criminals who were going out and looting our small businesses. We are working to make sure that bail laws are strengthened. Do members know who has been getting in the w…
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