Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the nation is heartbroken by this tragic shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. Our hearts are with the families, friends and loved ones of all the victims, and with the little girl who is currently fighting for her life. May we all keep her in our prayers. We are forever grateful for the speed and courage of the RCMP and all first responders on that day. Their actions and brave…
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Mr. Speaker, the same measures that I refer to on asylum in Bill C-12, which is currently in the Senate, were originally presented in the House in Bill C-2 back in June. Had the Conservatives not obstructed at that time and co-operated with us, those asylum cases that the member is referring to would not be allowed. However, there is good news. Once Bill C-12 passes in the Senate, the claims that …
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Mr. Speaker, extortion is real and we are taking it very seriously. That is why, back in June, we tabled lawful access measures in Bill C-2. Those measures would make it possible for police to quickly investigate these types of crimes, as well as child predator crimes. It is important for us to give law enforcement the tools it needs to keep up with criminals. The motion that has been brought forw…
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Mr. Speaker, we have brought forward a tough-on-crime agenda, including six different bills. The Conservatives have been stalling all of those bills. They would like Canadians to believe that because someone has applied for asylum, they are going to get it, which is completely false. None of those criminals will be allowed to stay in Canada.
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Mr. Speaker, we care deeply about this issue. That is why we put forward six bills to help address it. If the Leader of the Opposition cared so much, he would put forward a genuine suggestion, not one in a motion that is made moot by Bill C-12, the stronger immigration and borders act, which is already in the Senate. It makes all of their suggestions moot. What he should do is address the issue of…
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Mr. Speaker, the member mentions a very important point. We need to pass Bill C-2 to catch the criminals so that they can face penalties. The Conservatives seem to misrepresent, because in this country we have a maximum penalty of 25 years and minimum sentences for firearms and organized crime.
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Mr. Speaker, would the member not agree that the motion is just an illusion of acting, that it is actually just window dressing? We have already addressed the issue in Bill C-12. These criminals would not be allowed to apply for asylum, and even for those who have, their cases would be cancelled.
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Madam Speaker, the good news is that this new government has a tough-on-crime agenda. The Conservatives are good at giving salacious speeches, but they have been obstructing any of our measures that we have put forward to be able to handle these types of issues. Once again, we brought Bill C-2 back in June of last year, June 2025. Had we passed that bill, the people who had claimed asylum in that …
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Madam Speaker, what is disgusting has been the obstruction by the opposition. Back in June, we brought forward Bill C-2, which contains provisions that would not have allowed those asylum claims to be made in Surrey that the member references. That portion, which is now in Bill C-12 before the Senate, would not allow any person who entered Canada over 12 months ago to make an asylum claim. They wo…
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Madam Speaker, we need to work collaboratively in the House. The government tabled this bill back in June. It is a part of the government's responsibility to draft legislation and to table it in the House, but moving that bill forward through the House requires opposition parties to work with us and to put forward amendments to that bill. Once again, I would say Bill C-2 has been blocked due to op…
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Mr. Speaker, I have gone to many of the different areas of this country that are affected by extortion. What we are lacking right now are results. We are lacking the number of arrests in these cases. What the member keeps mentioning and talking about is sentencing. We currently have a maximum of 25 years in prison for extortion, and we have minimum sentences when extortion is committed with a fire…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague's speech was well-though-out and meaningful, as always. The member has a depth of knowledge, being the chair of the justice committee, as to the shenanigans that have been going on there for some time. In every speech Conservative members have made in the House, they have somehow stated that their motion, presented today, would not allow people to claim asylum. They speci…
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Mr. Speaker, I know I am not supposed to call anyone a liar in the House, but I am really shocked to hear things like that there is Liberal legislation that somehow tells judges to give lenient sentences based on immigration status. There is no such legislation. There is no such law on the books that requires judges to give lenient sentences based on immigration status. That is absolutely, patentl…
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Madam Speaker, there is no need for the member to trust me. The proof is in the legislation. The words are in black and white. They are printed in the legislation. They are being debated in the House, and if good law is there, the opposition's job is not to just obstruct everything that comes before them. If these measures are going to help combat this issue and combat crime, then we would expect …
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Mr. Speaker, we are very concerned about this issue and therefore doing everything possible by bringing legislation that will tighten bail and impose stricter sentences. The one bill that is missing is Bill C-2, which we tabled in the House back in June. If the Conservatives were serious about solving the problem, rather than doing this window covering they have brought with this motion, which ess…
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Mr. Speaker, first, I would like to correct a falsehood, that we stopped criminal background checks. That is completely false. We did not stop any type of background criminal checks from being done. Second, would the member agree that this motion is completely moot because of Bill C-12? Anyone who has been convicted of a serious crime and who has been in this country for over a year would be ineli…
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Mr. Speaker, here we have yet another Conservative who probably needs to remove his fingers from his ears, because we have already solved this problem. Under Bill C-12, essentially all of these criminals would not be allowed to apply for asylum. Even in the cases we heard in B.C., where they have applied for asylum, they would not have been able to had the Conservatives not obstructed and had they…
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Madam Speaker, the answer is absolutely not. Anyone who commits a serious crime in Canada and does not have citizenship is removed if they serve a sentence of six months. Also, during the citizenship process, criminality is a factor, and criminal background checks are asked for, which is another check and balance we have in our system. The system is in place. However, I would ask that Crown prosec…
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Madam Speaker, yes, it is important that all of these cases are taken case by case. The Conservatives are trying to tarnish the image of immigrants as a whole, which I am against. Today, even if somebody—
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Mr. Speaker, what the Conservatives are banking on with the opposition day motion is that Canadians will not understand the mere filing of an asylum claim and an approval of an asylum claim. Even today, if one files an asylum claim and has criminality, they would not be approved. Bill C-12 is a bill currently in the Senate that would substantially make this motion moot. I would like to hear my col…
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Madam Speaker, I am just trying to point out the fact that when we have broad motions like this, which are salacious in nature and trying to rage bait Canadians, it is irresponsible and creates a conversation in our country that is not factual in nature and overlooks a lot of very important concerns. Even today, if a protected person in this country commits a crime, Public Safety Canada and the mi…
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Madam Speaker, one thing we could do is maybe, on unanimous consent, pass Bill C-2, which contains measures of lawful access that police across this country have been asking for in order to crack down on extortion cases. It is really essential, as technology evolves, that police also have the tools to deal with modern crimes and extortion, which is done through computers and telephones. They need …
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Madam Speaker, that is one consideration, as the member just mentioned. That is why I am saying that the motion brought forward by the Conservatives is irresponsible, because it would lead to lengthy cases in courtrooms, which we want to prevent. We cannot take away everyone's charter rights in this country. We have to deal with things factually and in a sensible way, backed by evidence and by the…
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to lend my voice to the debate. I wish to assure Canadians today that our government is committed to protecting their safety and security and ensuring that all communities remain safe and free from violence. Bill C-12, the strengthening Canada's immigration system and borders act, includes measures that would expand Canada's law enforcement tool kit to …
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Mr. Speaker, the second bill we brought forward in this Parliament was Bill C-2, which addresses this very issue and provides other measures, such as lawful access. I am glad to see that the Conservatives have somewhat co-operated and split that bill to create Bill C-12, which is now in the Senate. This will create an ineligibility for precisely these types of people, who try to exploit our system…
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Mr. Speaker, I have been following these cases very closely. In the case of B.C., where some people have filed for asylum, Bill C-12, which is in the Senate right now and progressing nicely, would make those particular claimants ineligible to file for asylum. We are closing those loopholes. We are working tirelessly to make sure that extortionists are caught. Will the Conservatives help us give la…
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Mr. Speaker, we have good news for the House. Just today we tabled the build Canada homes act, and we are hopeful that the Conservatives will not obstruct the bill as they have been doing with our budget that provides more affordability measures to Canadians, so Canadians can have that dream of buying their first home and so they can live in affordable housing. That is the dream of all Bramptonian…
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Mr. Speaker, like I said before, when it comes to food inflation as well, responsible governments do more. That is why we are also seeing an uptake in people wanting to surrender their prohibited weapons. Over 22,000 people have signed up to get their guns out of our communities. That is progress. In addition to that, we have put major investments into our borders to catch illegal guns and get the…
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Mr. Speaker, if the challenge is complex, real leadership meets it with more, not less. This is why, when it comes to food inflation, Canada's new government is doing more. We are building long-term solutions to pricing pressures and are making sure Canadians get the real relief they need right now. We are building stronger, more resilient supply chains and are increasing domestic supply and produ…
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Mr. Speaker, since taking government, we have had a tough-on-crime agenda. We have six different bills going through the House right now that are all tackling the situations the member mentioned. It has been eight months since we put in place Bill C-2. We have been waiting on the Conservatives for their co-operation to pass lawful access measures that would help police in their investigations. We …
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Madam Speaker, a lot of comments have been made about the essentials benefit as though it is the government's only measure. I want to hear some more insight into what the long-term measures in the bill consist of.
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Madam Speaker, I believe that if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to see the clock at 6:08 p.m. so we can start Private Members' Business.
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Madam Speaker, we have always supported the member's cause when it comes to the bill. It is noble what the member is proposing. However, in 2021 the Liberal government, in Bill C-3, passed aggravating factors when it comes to health care workers. Therefore, when an offence is committed against someone because they are providing health services, including personal care services, that is already see…
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moved that Bill C-19, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act, be read the third time and passed.
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Mr. Speaker, violence driven by control and fear leaves deep and lasting harm, and too many women and children are living with the consequences. That is why we have introduced one of the largest Criminal Code updates in generations to confront modern threats and to protect victims from domestic violence, keep our children safe, address Jordan court delays and strengthen victims' rights. We are als…
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives need to decide whether they are going to help us stop extortions or whether they are going to obstruct us giving law enforcement the tools they need to prevent these crimes from happening. Right now it takes about six months for police agencies to connect a phone number to an IP address or to a person, to a criminal, but these Conservatives are against supporting our…
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Mr. Speaker, we are talking about catching these criminals. In order to catch these criminals, the police need the tools to do so. They need to be able to connect IP addresses and phone numbers to the criminals, which the Conservatives are obstructing and stopping from passing in the House. We brought lawful access measures to Parliament in June, yet the Conservatives have been obstructing those m…
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Mr. Speaker, in this country, we have life in prison for extortion and mandatory minimum sentences when extortion is committed by organized criminals or with a firearm. We are taking this issue very seriously. That is why I have criss-crossed the country, finding out what is needed and where the gaps are. Everywhere I have gone, police and law enforcement agencies have asked for lawful access. Tha…
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Mr. Speaker, I welcome my colleague to the government benches, where he is already making a real impact. In 2024, we had an auto theft summit and created a plan, and thanks to the dedication of law enforcement across this country, and focused federal action, we are seeing a downward trend in auto thefts across the country. On top of that, we presented bail and sentencing reform, which is going to …
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Mr. Speaker, in Canada, someone who commits extortion can serve up to 25 years in prison. We have the laws in place, but we are going to improve on those laws. That is why we have put forward a bill on bail and sentencing reform. I am glad to see that it is progressing through committee. One law that could really help these cases is lawful access. It was the second bill we presented in the House. …
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Mr. Speaker, the member for Elgin—St. Thomas—London South has been the main culprit who has been filibustering all the crime bills at the justice committee this season. The Conservatives have been talking about cats and dogs when hate crimes have gone up over 70% in this country. The reason we brought this bill was to help protect those worshippers. We are doing everything on this side of the Hous…
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Mr. Speaker, it is just a fact that the member for Elgin—St. Thomas—London South has been blocking all crime bills at the justice committee since the beginning of the current Parliament. He has been talking about his pets instead of talking about the safety of Canadians. This is a clear pattern that we are seeing from the Conservatives; they have been weak on crime since they got here. They have b…
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Mr. Speaker, I will look into it, but I just heard as I was here in the House, and I do not have the ability to confer with anybody right now, that a meeting has been scheduled. I hope, for the sake of these important measures, that a meeting is scheduled. It is something that I would advocate for as well. All the committees should be doing the work that is necessary, but I will also say that when…
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Mr. Speaker, I think I would give precedence and priority to legislation, and committees do too. Committees give priority to legislative work. The example I have been giving is that there are two very important and urgent pieces of legislation at the justice committee that need to be passed in order to change the Criminal Code. There are up to 80 different changes in one piece, the bail and senten…
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Mr. Speaker, it would be very important for the justice committee to resume its work so the member can get an answer to that question. That question might eventually be before the committee. Members can debate that issue as they are supposed to be able to debate it in the committee process. We will then know what their views are when there is a vote on that issue. We will know where the issue lies…
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Mr. Speaker, I completely agree with the member. Right now, we have a comprehensive piece of legislation before the justice committee. I have been promising constituents that we will get this bill to the finish line with the help of the Conservative Party and with the help of all parliamentarians in the House. Who wants to see criminals go free? Who does not want to improve our judicial system? We…
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Mr. Speaker, I cited an example of a time when the Conservative leader went to an event. At that event, he said that Bill C-9, currently, in the form that it is right now, would criminalize religions in this country. That is misleading. That is misinformation that is spreading online. It is, obviously, causing concern. I would be concerned too, if that was the truth. It is our job as parliamentari…
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Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of respect for that member, and I know that in the past there have been many opportunities provided to debate pieces of legislation in the House. If a member would like to appear before a committee, they have to work with that committee and it depends on the members and the consensus that is built at that committee. I hope that this member is given an opportunity because …
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Mr. Speaker, this is an interesting conversation we are having. I think the Conservatives are attempting to try to turn the tables, since I think that the message is getting out to Canadians that there have been delay tactics by the Conservatives to obstruct and stall legislation for some time in many committees. We have been talking about that for some time, so it is good that they are upset abou…
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The Conservatives are angry, Mr. Speaker, because of the tactics I am pointing at and the clear pattern we have been seeing. The powers in lawful access would help provide police the powers and the tools they need to catch extortionists, things the Conservatives bring up in the House every single day. They complain about a problem, but they do not want a solution. Also, it would help catch pedophi…
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