Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Brampton Centre for her advocacy on this issue. She is right to point out the magnitude of this issue. It is 16,000 people from her part of the country, so 16,000 lives changed forever. We have an opportunity to have the legal system intervene more forcefully and with a greater effect. In addition to some of the new infractions and more serious pena…
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Mr. Speaker, the issue that the member raises has been an issue in Canada for a number of years. She should know well that the Supreme Court of Canada, in 2013, actually ruled on this specific issue. What is interesting about the timeline of that decision is that she was sitting in the federal cabinet at the time and chose to do absolutely nothing about it. For our part, we are in the midst of lau…
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Mr. Speaker, from the first conversation I had with the Prime Minister, he has asked us to strengthen Canada's criminal laws so we can protect communities and build a safer Canada. We have advanced Bill C-14, the bail and sentencing reform act, which represents some of the strongest measures in the Criminal Code in generations. People who commit serious crimes and threaten public safety should be …
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Mr. Speaker, let me condemn, in the harshest possible terms, acts of violence committed against innocent Canadians. I have good news for the member opposite. There is something he can do to help. He can add his voice in support of the various pieces of criminal legislation that have come before the House for which we will be seeking royal assent very soon. The legislation that we have put forward …
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Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, the federal government has appealed the decision of the superior court because we believe it was incorrect. In addition to making that appeal, we have been advocating for the court to notify private property owners since 2017. In addition, we are supporting the application of Montrose, a private property owner in the area, to ensure that the arguments they ar…
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Mr. Speaker, it never ceases to amaze me how opposed the Conservatives are to jobs in Nova Scotia. We have an opportunity to establish a new industry. The facility to which he points has had two test launches that have sent a rocket beyond the 100-kilometre threshold. We are bringing a new industry in rural Nova Scotia. I ran for office to help create good opportunities in modern industries to del…
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Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague well knows, this government believes in private property rights and does not view them to be mutually exclusive to the notion that we can reconcile our challenging history with indigenous peoples who call these lands home. We have been advocating for the court to notify private property owners in this case since 2017. We have more recently supported the applicatio…
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Mr. Speaker, it is important that we correct the factual record. Since 2017, the federal government has been asking the court to notify private landowners of the case so that they may participate. More recently, we have decided to support the Montrose application, which is all about the rights of private property owners and would allow them to potentially advance arguments that they were not able …
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Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague knows well that we have a smaller-than-projected deficit because we are managing the nation's fiscal capacity with responsibility. We have the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7. The member will know that we have the second-fastest growing economy in the G7. The path ahead for Canada, despite the challenges we face, is bright. We are launching major projects and in…
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Madam Speaker, Oscar Wilde once described a “cynic” as someone who knows the cost of everything but the value of nothing. Do the Conservatives not see the value in investing in making sure families have money to support the cost of living through the Canada child benefit and the groceries and essentials benefit? Do they not see value in investing in the national school food program? Do they not se…
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Mr. Speaker, I have good news to share with my hon. colleague. He will be well aware of the fact that we are in the midst of moving forward with generational changes to Canada's criminal laws, including the bail and sentencing reform act, which would lead to stiffer penalties and harder conditions on bail for the very criminals he raises in his question. The only question that I have is whether th…
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Mr. Speaker, it is completely disingenuous for any member of this House to suggest that members of another party care more about criminals than they do about public safety. The Conservatives have tried that before, and Canadians saw them out of office as a result. We take crime very seriously. The kinds of very serious crimes that have been committed will be subjected to harsher sentences as a res…
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Mr. Speaker, if anyone would question the government's commitment to gender-based violence, I would invite them to read the text of Bill C-16, the largest suite of reforms to advance more serious penalties to combat gender-based violence, which is matched with an announcement today to put $50 million more in the hands of organizations that are working to combat gender-based violence in our communi…
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Mr. Speaker, being accused of breaking the justice system for advancing more serious penalties for serious crimes is something that clearly defies logic. The member is correct about one thing. She has been here for a minute. I have great respect for my colleagues, but during her time here, she sat in cabinet for a full two years after the Supreme Court of Canada demonstrated that courts may consid…
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Mr. Speaker, I think it is disingenuous to call into question the commitment of any member of any party when it comes to dealing with heinous crimes such as sexual assault. For my part, we have advanced legislation that advances stiffer penalties—
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Mr. Speaker, it is very clear that serious crimes need to be met with serious penalties. I am pleased to inform the hon. member that the case law in Canada makes sure that judges may not completely distort a sentence so that it would not be fit for the crime committed. It is essential that as we ensure we have more serious penalties, particularly for the most violent offenders, we also allow our c…
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Mr. Speaker, it is important that when people commit serious crimes, they face serious penalties. That is why we are moving forward with some of the most serious reforms, when it comes to Canada's criminal laws, in generations. As the member knows, there is no rule that requires judges to reduce penalties for people based on their immigration status. We want to ensure that courts have the ability …
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Mr. Speaker, when violent criminals are convicted of serious crimes, they must face serious penalties. That includes, in the immigration system, the risk of deportation after a conviction for a serious crime has taken place. There is not a rule, as some have suggested in this chamber, that requires judges to give lighter sentences for people based on their immigration status. We need to ensure tha…
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Mr. Speaker, I have a great deal of respect for my friend, but I have to clarify something. Obviously the federal government does not have the authority to alter provincial powers under the Constitution. It is strange, honestly. We will uphold the Constitution and respect provincial jurisdictions at the same time. My comments were made in the context of the bill that is currently before the Senate…
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Mr. Speaker, there are two competing visions for the Canadian economy being put forward in this House. On the Conservative side, members want the tired approach of cutting taxes for the wealthy and hoping everybody else works things out. On this side of the House, we want to build a strong economy that works for everybody. We have the second-fastest growing economy in the G7, we are leading the wo…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Honoré-Mercier for his question. Crime is moving online and is becoming increasingly organized and sophisticated. Criminals are using the digital environment to exploit children and to engage in extortion and human trafficking. Bill C-22, an act respecting lawful access, gives police officers the tools to investigate, disrupt organized crime and pr…
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague has asked us to state the position of the Government of Canada clearly. We disagree with the decision of the Supreme Court of British Columbia. We have decided to appeal that decision in order to pursue a different outcome. At trial we defended fee simple, and we believe that more clarity is needed, particularly on the issue of private property rights. These debates …
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Mr. Speaker, I expect I am going to run out of time in my response. I will offer a conversation to my colleague to ensure we can work together to advance the best version of this bill and the associated supports that would allow it to function in practice. To address some of his concerns about a back door, this was a concern I heard about during the consultations. I believe that, with the ring-fen…
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Mr. Speaker, the degree to which the Conservatives have misconstrued the position of the Government of Canada indicates that they have not, in fact, read the pleadings that have been filed in the court today. To be clear, Canada disagrees with the decision that was tabled by the superior court in British Columbia, and more than seven months ago, we appealed that decision because of that disagreeme…
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moved that Bill C-22, An Act respecting lawful access, be read the second time and referred to a committee. Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I would like to thank everyone for being here to take part in this important debate. First of all, I believe it is essential to understand the context of this debate and the importance of this bill. It is no secret that public safety and crime in Canada are major…
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Mr. Speaker, I take the question in the spirit in which it was intended. The question is an important one. The first element is whether the bill is constitutionally compliant. I believe it is. I am happy to discuss, in public or off-line, the details of my constitutional assessment of the bill. I also think it is functionally necessary, and let me explain why. The core of the bill is to provide an…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question. I would like to speak to that concern. I have a different perspective on the issue. We proposed the bill and at the same time we invested in increasing the number of federal police officers in Canada. Last year's budget, for example, included investments to increase the RCMP workforce by 1,000 and border security staff by 1,000 as well. We can make…
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Certainly, Mr. Speaker, my colleague pointed to members of a number of policing organizations whom he has met with in his community who have supported this bill. However, to be clear, it includes not only his local police forces but the National Police Federation, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, the British Columbia Association of Chiefs of Police, the Vancouver Police Department, th…
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague has a deep history with and love for my home province of Nova Scotia. I remember like it was yesterday, locking my family inside my basement for fear that there was an active shooter in my community. There are families I know personally that lost their loved ones that day, and we must heed the advice of the Mass Casualty Commission, which was led by one of the most e…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his advocacy for economic growth in Atlantic Canada. I would like to point out that he once served as the critic for Atlantic Canadian economic development, before he joined the governing benches. Despite almost five months passing, the Conservatives have yet to appoint a successor, despite having good Atlantic Canadians they could put in the position.…
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Mr. Speaker, it seems the Conservative strategy when they lose an argument is to blame the media and throw spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks. Let us actually talk about the facts. Bill C-9, the combatting hate act, from inception, was designed to protect religious freedoms, to combat hate crimes that were taking place in this country, to protect the ability of the Jewish community to go to …
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Mr. Speaker, one of the member's colleagues from Windsor included in her flyer those same tired talking points. The Windsor Star spoke to some of her constituents, who said that her flyer was divisive, inflammatory and insulting to their intelligence, and that they were more concerned with the misinformation from the Conservatives than with the content of the bill. Bill C-9, the combatting hate ac…
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Mr. Speaker, the federal government clearly has a responsibility and an obligation to defend the Constitution. It is possible to defend the French language and the right of francophones to live in French, while also defending the Constitution. This is not the right place to have this debate since the matter is before the Supreme Court of Canada. This is not the appropriate forum, since this issue …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. It is very important to clarify the federal government’s position. We have both an opportunity and an obligation to defend the Constitution. It is possible to defend the French language and the Constitution at the same time. The case has reached the Supreme Court of Canada. That is the appropriate forum for this discussion.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. It is very important to understand that we have a process that is working today. We receive recommendations from an independent committee, and we have opportunities to discuss proposals with my provincial and territorial counterparts. This process is working and there is no need to change it. However, if my counterparts want to participate in the…
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Mr. Speaker, we currently have an independent process that works and that benefits from recommendations from the legal affairs committee. It is important to ensure that every candidate is able to participate in the judicial system. We are going to continue to work with provinces and territories to take their feedback into the process and make talented appointments. Regardless of the political hist…
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Mr. Speaker, if he wants to talk about incompetence in politics, he need look no further than the mirror. Let us listen to the approach he takes on Canada-U.S. relations, saying it is not the Americans' fault, but it is ours and that we are stupid, while his caucus colleagues go down to the south to say that we are throwing a hissy fit up here. If they want to see incompetence, let us look at the …
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Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I thank my colleague for her question. As the member is well aware, the federal government must defend the Constitution. This case is now before the Supreme Court of Canada. That is the appropriate forum to discuss this issue. It would not be appropriate for me, as Attorney General, to debate this matter in the House of Commons.
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Mr. Speaker, I find it interesting, when we dig into the plans that each of the parties put forward, to identify what their priorities really are. The Conservatives are criticizing us for failing to deliver on 1,000 new RCMP officers, which the minister said are going to be graduating over the next number of weeks. What is fascinating is that the number of RCMP officers the Conservatives committed…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague has accused us of trying to distract. Let me be clear: I have no interest in distracting from the fact that the Conservatives campaigned on a commitment to hire zero new RCMP officers. I have no intention to distract from the fact that their leader has called the RCMP leadership “despicable” and called upon the justice system to jail his political opponents. Our legislati…
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague raised a number of issues in his question. One is the reality that many communities are facing when it comes to violence committed against their community of faith. We are all aghast at the horrors of the shootings that have taken place against synagogues in Canada over the last number of weeks, but it is important that we take action to actually provide solace to th…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague, like one of the previous questioners, raised the very real challenge of communities that are facing hate crimes, including synagogues that are being shot up in this country. There are efforts to intimidate and obstruct people from practising their faith, not just at synagogues but at temples, at mosques and at our churches. We need to do more to ensure that people can li…
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Mr. Speaker, as has been litigated during the debate in this chamber already today. The IRGC has been listed, and that carries with it certain consequences about the inadmissibility of certain individuals. Their files are reviewed and the people who are not allowed to remain in Canada will in fact be removed. The concern underlying the questions in the House of Commons today have to do with the sa…
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Mr. Speaker, in addition to the very clear and well-established charter protections that exist, we heard concerns that people wanted more certainty. That is why we were prepared to make further amendments to this bill to make absolutely clear that reading holy texts, participating in one's community of faith, engaging in services that are part of life as a community of faith, as a religious leader…
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Mr. Speaker, of course, I have enormous respect for my colleague representing Saanich—Gulf Islands, who shares a history from my part of the world as well. I understand her concerns, first, about the limitation of debate, which is not normally the approach that I would like to take. However, when we see that important legislation is not being allowed to move forward with debate, when it is being o…
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Mr. Speaker, there is an interesting trick in debate that the member just used to hide the fact that there are supporters of this bill. There are religious communities that have supported this bill from inception, including the Jewish community. I find it curious that the member would only survey communities of faith that serve his argument in this moment. I would say, with respect to the other co…
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Mr. Speaker, we know our opponents have lost confidence in their own argument when they resort to attacks based on the trustworthiness of their opponent in a debate. If the member was actually listening to my responses to previous questions, he would know I said he should not trust any present or future or past government and that he should do an independent assessment of what the laws actually sa…
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Mr. Speaker, I would disagree with my colleague's characterization that there was a broad base of support among different parties when the bill was first put forward. I would refer to the testimony at the justice committee when I personally appeared. At least two of the three Conservative members made very clear that they were looking for a reason to oppose the bill because they saw a political op…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his extraordinary advocacy in the House on behalf of the Jewish community, including on Bill C-9. A direct answer to his question is that it would obviously be an affront to the role that I hold in the House and in this country if I were to start calling up law enforcement and directing them to intervene on individual prosecutions. However, one thing that…
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Mr. Speaker, first let me address the revisionist history and the telling of the story we just sat through. When it comes to the first time the committee heard any testimony or any discussion about the proposed removal of the religious exemption, I know that member was in the room because the question was put to me. If he does not believe me, we thankfully now have video capabilities in the room, …
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