Amarjeet Gill

Mr. Speaker, Greeting · 19 wordsit is always a pleasure to rise in the chamber on behalf of the great people of Brampton West.Greeting Procedure · 25 wordsI rise today to speak to Bill C-16, the protecting victims act, an act to amend certain acts in relation to criminal and correctional matters.Procedure Positioning · 25 wordsAs my constituents’ member of Parliament, I have a responsibility to listen, to bring their concerns to the House and to fight for safer communities.PositioningPartly on point Claims · 97 wordsWhen I speak with residents in Brampton West, one issue comes up again and again: extortion. Not once in a while but every single week, business owners come to my office, families send emails, and community leaders call. They are afraid and feel threatened. Extortion is up 330% across Canada, ¹and it has become a national crisis. Criminals are targeting hard-working families and small businesses. Homes and businesses are being shot at, and threatening videos are being sent, demanding money. Families are living in fear. Some people have even left Canada because they no longer feel safe. Procedure · 3 wordsThink about that.Procedure Claims · 36 wordsPeople came here to build a better life, but instead they are being terrorized by criminals. Recently, Peel Regional Police arrested 17 individuals connected to a major extortion network targeting South Asian businesses throughout Peel Region.² Thanks · 9 wordsI commend the officers involved. Their work was outstanding.Thanks Claims · 165 wordsThe investigation revealed a coordinated campaign of intimidation, violence, threats, arson attempts and shootings. There were more than two dozen shootings, hundreds of rounds were fired, ³and businesses were attacked simply because owners refused to pay criminals. However, those arrests are only one step. The problem and threat remain. Gangs are now sending letters to police, boasting that they have thousands of extortionists ready to commit crimes.⁴ That should alarm every member of the House. Criminal organizations are becoming bolder, more organized and more violent, and Canadians are paying the price. This is exactly why Conservatives proposed amendments to strengthen the bill. We wanted stronger consequences, greater protection for victims and to send a message that extortion will not be tolerated in Canada. One amendment would have extended mandatory minimum penalties for extortion committed with a firearm.⁵ Another would have ensured that extortion-related mandatory minimums could not be weakened through the Liberal safety valve provisions. The Liberals have voted down all these community safety amendments.⁶ Reasoning · 14 wordsThey were reasonable amendments that reflected the reality that extortion today often involves guns. Claims · 20 wordsCriminals fire bullets into homes and businesses, record it, then send the videos to victims and post the videos online. Positioning · 6 wordsThey use fear as a weapon, PositioningClaims · 28 wordsyet Liberal members rejected our proposals. When Conservatives tried to strengthen penalties against violent extortionists, Liberals said no. When Conservatives tried to stand with victims, Liberals voted no. Reasoning · 28 wordsThat is disappointing because Parliament created mandatory minimum penalties for a reason: to clearly denounce the most serious crimes, establish consequences, protect society and provide certainty in sentencing. Claims · 15 wordsCanadians understand that principle. When someone commits murder or kidnaps another person, there are consequences. Reasoning · 9 wordsWhen someone commits sexual assault, there must be consequences. Procedure · 9 wordsLet us discuss another major concern with Bill C-16.Procedure Claims · 43 wordsConservatives proposed amendments to protect mandatory minimum penalties for some of the most horrific sexual offences in the Criminal Code. One amendment would have preserved mandatory minimum penalties for sexual assault involving a weapon, ⁷and particularly in cases involving firearms and involving children. Positioning · 18 wordsThese are not minor offences, and they are not mistakes. They are among the most serious crimes imaginable.Positioning Reasoning · 28 wordsWhen someone sexually assaults a child while using a weapon, society has a duty to respond firmly. The rights of victims matter, and the safety of children matters, Claims · 64 wordsyet the Liberals rejected that amendment.⁸ Conservatives also proposed protecting mandatory minimum penalties for aggravated sexual assault. These are the worst cases. Cases involving severe violence and devastating harms permanently change the lives of victims. Canadians expect Parliament to speak clearly when it comes to these crimes. They expect us to stand with victims and denounce offenders. Instead, the government voted against those amendments.⁹ Reasoning · 30 wordsThat sends the wrong message, especially in a bill that claims to strengthen protection for victims. If we truly support victims, we must ensure meaningful consequences for the worst offenders. Positioning · 8 wordsWords alone are not enough. Victims deserve action.Positioning Claims · 16 wordsAnother important amendment came from my Conservative colleagues at committee, an amendment dealing with reasonable hypotheticals. Procedure · 4 wordsThe principle was simple: ProcedureReasoning · 38 wordsThe court should focus on facts, not on speculation or hypothetical possibilities. The justice system must rely on facts, evidence and reality. Justice must be based on what actually happened, not on the circumstances that may never occur, Claims · 23 wordsyet Bill C-16 would continue to allow courts to consider reasonably foreseeable circumstances.¹⁰ That language is vague. It is subjective and invites inconsistency. Reasoning · 25 wordsTwo offenders could commit the same crime under the same circumstances but receive different outcomes because of speculation that undermines confidence, fairness and public trust. Claims · 52 wordsCanadians expect equal justice. They expect sentencing decisions based on evidence, not imagination. Conservatives proposed an amendment that would have restored clarity. It would have ensured that courts focus on the actual circumstances of the offender, the actual facts before them, nothing more and nothing less. Again, the Liberals rejected the amendment.¹¹ Positioning · 3 wordsThat is unfortunate.Positioning Reasoning · 20 wordsPeople must believe that similar crimes receive similar consequences. That principle should not be controversial; it should be common sense. Procedure · 5 wordsI want to be fair, ProcedureClaims · 50 wordsso let me say that Bill C-16 is not entirely without merit. There are provisions that Conservatives support. Making the justice system more responsive to victims is positive. Reducing unnecessary delays is positive. Addressing coercive and controlling behaviour is positive. Addressing harmful deepfake images is positive. Those measures have value, Reasoning · 35 wordsbut good measures alone do not make a complete bill. A justice bill must also prioritize accountability, protect victims, deter crime and ensure that serious offenders face consequences. That is where Bill C-16 falls short. Claims · 49 wordsThe government had opportunities to improve it by strengthening protections against extortion and sexual violence, by improving consistency in sentencing, and by restoring public confidence. Those opportunities were presented at committee. Conservatives brought forward constructive, practical and reasonable amendments, yet the Liberal government used its majority to reject them. Positioning · 3 wordsThat is disappointing.Positioning Claims · 46 wordsCanadians are increasingly concerned about crime. They see violence rising and repeat offenders returning to the streets. They want Parliament to act. They want laws that put public safety first and support victims. They want laws that ensure that jail means jail for the worst offenders. Promise · 26 wordsConservatives will continue fighting for those principles.Vague promise We will continue fighting organized crime and extortion, Vague promiseand we will work to restore confidence in Canada’s justice system.Vague promise Positioning · 32 wordsCanadians deserves safe communities. They deserve a justice system that puts victims first. Conservatives stand with victims and law-abiding Canadians. Conservatives stand with the families who simply want to live in peace.Positioning Promise · 26 wordsConservatives will continue fighting to ensure that Canada’s justice system puts victims first, protects our communities and keeps dangerous criminals exactly where they belong: Vague promisebehind bars.