This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.
Mr. Speaker, Greeting · 19 wordsit is always a pleasure and an honour to rise on behalf of the good people of Windsor West.Greeting Procedure · 11 wordsToday, I rise to speak on their behalf to Bill C-9.Procedure Thanks · 25 wordsBefore I do, I would like to take a moment to recognize two brave police officers who made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their communities.Thanks Claims · 57 wordsLast week, Toronto police officer Marc Pinizzotto was killed in the line of duty while taking part in the execution of search warrants connected to a series of shootings, including attacks at the U.S. consulate and a synagogue in Toronto.1 Just days earlier, OPP officer Tarun Bali also lost his life while serving the people of Ontario.2Off point Thanks · 14 wordsTo their families, friends, loved ones and fellow officers, I offer my sincere condolences.Thanks Anecdote · 110 wordsThese losses hit close to home for me. More than 30 years ago, I began my career in public service as a police officer with the Toronto Police Service.3 I spent nearly seven years there before continuing my police career in the Windsor-Essex region, serving a total of 29 years in law enforcement.4 I still remember what it felt like to put on the uniform and head out on patrol. I remember the pride that came with it, but I also remember the risks that came with the job. Police officers leave home every day not knowing what the next radio call will bring. Their families understand that reality too.Anecdote Claims · 33 wordsThat is why the deaths of Officer Pinizzotto and Officer Bali are felt so deeply, not just by their families and colleagues, but by police officers and former police officers across this country.Off point Thanks · 15 wordsTheir sacrifice deserves our respect and our gratitude, and their memory deserves to be honoured.Thanks Claims · 49 wordsOne officer came from an Italian Canadian family, the other from an Indo-Canadian family. Different backgrounds, different communities, yet both wore the same uniform, took the same oath and made the same sacrifice in service to Canada. They protected everyone. That is what police officers across this country do.Off point Procedure · 19 wordsAs I thought about these officers, I could not help but think about the debate we are having today.Procedure Claims · 21 wordsA police officer has lost his life while investigating violent criminals connected to attacks on places of worship and innocent people. Reasoning · 33 wordsThat reality should remind all of us that hatred is not an abstract concept. It has real consequences. It destroys lives. It tears at communities. When left unchecked, it can lead to violence. Claims · 125 wordsA few weeks ago, many Canadians joined Rwandan communities across this country by marking Kwibuka, the remembrance of genocide against the Tutsi people in Rwanda. Kwibuka means “to remember”. It is a solemn reminder of one of the darkest chapters in modern history. Last Saturday, I had the privilege of attending such a commemoration in Windsor, where I listened to Kizito Kalima, known to many as “Big Z”, and to other members of Windsor’s Rwandan community as they shared stories of loss, resilience, reconciliation and hope. Their message was powerful. It was not a message rooted in bitterness or revenge. It was a message rooted in remembrance, healing, reconciliation and hope. That message stayed with me, and I believe it carries lessons for all Canadians. Procedure · 5 wordsLet me be absolutely clear: ProcedureClaims · 23 wordsCanada is not Rwanda. Our institutions are strong. Our democracy is strong. Our people are united by far more than what divides us, Reasoning · 41 wordsbut history still has lessons to teach us. One of those lessons is that hatred rarely begins with violence. It begins when people stop seeing their neighbours as fellow citizens. It begins when stereotypes replace understanding and when fear replaces trust. Claims · 32 wordsThe lesson of Rwanda is not that hatred suddenly appeared. The lesson is that too many leaders ignored the warning signs for far too long. Fortunately, Canada is not facing those circumstances, Reasoning · 18 wordsbut that does not mean we should ignore our responsibility to build trust, strengthen communities and unite Canadians. Claims · 50 wordsGeneral Dallaire has spent decades reminding Canadians that the lessons of Rwanda are not simply about one country at one moment in history. They are lessons about humanity. They are lessons about leadership. They are lessons about the responsibility we all share to confront hatred before it turns to violence. Reasoning · 6 wordsThat is why this debate matters. Claims · 12 wordsRacism is real. Anti-Semitism is real. Islamophobia is real. Hinduphobia is real. Reasoning · 73 wordsEvery one of us has a responsibility to challenge those things wherever they appear. However, laws alone cannot solve them. No Criminal Code amendment can teach respect, build trust or replace leadership. The words spoken by elected officials matter. The examples set by government matter. The way we speak about one another matters. Good intentions matter too, but good intentions alone are not enough. What ultimately matters is the results of government policies. Claims · 54 wordsWe are living in unprecedented times. Many Canadians are carrying real burdens.Partly on point Some are worried about paying their bills. Some are worried about finding a home for their family.Off point Some are worried about crime in their communities.Partly on point Some are worried about discrimination and hatred. Some are worried about the future their children will inherit.Partly on point Reasoning · 101 wordsWhen people are worried, frustrated or uncertain, the tone of public discussion can change. That does not excuse hatred, racism, anti-Semitism or Islamophobia, and it certainly does not excuse violence. However, it should remind us that leadership matters. The responsibility of leaders is to lower the temperature, build trust and bring people together around our common values. That is how strong societies remain strong. That is how diverse societies remain united. The question before us is not whether hate is wrong. The question is whether Bill C-9 is necessary and whether it will achieve what the government says it will achieve. Claims · 9 wordsThere are provisions in this legislation that deserve support. Reasoning · 23 wordsEvery Canadian should be able to attend a church, synagogue, mosque, temple, gurdwara, community centre or school without fear of intimidation or violence. Claims · 37 wordsI also support the Senate amendment adding the noose as a prohibited symbol of anti-Black hate.5 As a former police officer, I understand the historical weight that symbol carries and the fear it is intended to create. Reasoning · 76 wordsThere is value in providing clarity to police officers and prosecutors dealing with such cases. After spending nearly three decades in policing, I tend to look at legislation through a very specific lens. I look at it and ask two questions. First, is it enforceable? Second, will it make Canadians safer without stepping on their rights and freedoms? Those are the questions all police officers ask. Those are the questions Parliament should be asking as well. Claims · 77 wordsThe government speaks as though Canada has no laws to deal with hate crimes. That is simply not true. We already have laws against the public incitement of hatred.6 We already have laws against the wilful promotion of hatred.7 We already have laws against threats, intimidation, harassment, vandalism and violence directed at people because of their religion, race, ethnicity or background. Judges can already impose tougher sentences when crimes are motivated by hate.8 These tools already exist. Reasoning · 18 wordsThe problem is not that we lack laws. The problem is having the courage to enforce the laws. Positioning · 12 wordsThis is where I believe the government is missing the point, unfortunately.Positioning Claims · 79 wordsCanadians are increasingly concerned about public safety. They are concerned about violent repeat offenders.Partly on point They are concerned about organized crime, gang violence, extortion and human trafficking.Off point They are concerned about the lack of consequences for repeat offenders. These concerns are real. They are being discussed around kitchen tables and at coffee shops across this country. After 10 years of policies that have weakened confidence in our justice system, Canadians are asking whether Parliament is focused on the right priorities.Partly on point Reasoning · 38 wordsRemoving a long-standing protection for good-faith expression will not stop a gang shooting, a human trafficker or an extortion ring. It will not stop repeat violent offenders or the transnational gangs that continue to terrorize communities across Canada. Claims · 13 wordsOfficer Pinizzotto was not investigating a sermon; he was investigating violent criminal activity. Reasoning · 43 wordsThat is where the danger is, and that is where Canadians expect their government to be focused.Partly on point As lawmakers, we should always ask whether a proposed law addresses the problem it claims to solve. In this case, I am not convinced it does. Claims · 74 wordsOne of the most significant concerns with this legislation involves the government’s decision to remove long-standing protections in the Criminal Code for good-faith expression of religious beliefs.9 For decades, Canadian law has struck a careful balance. It protected vulnerable communities from genuine hatred while protecting good-faith expression of religious beliefs. That balance was not preventing police from investigating crimes or prosecutors from laying charges. It certainly did not stop courts from handing out convictions. Reasoning · 81 wordsThese distinctions matter. Acts of hatred, intimidation and vandalism should be investigated, prosecuted and punished. No one disputes that. However, the way we do it matters. At the end of the day, we have to understand that Canada’s strength comes from our ability to live together despite our differences. It comes from our ability to disagree without being disagreeable. It comes from our willingness to remember that before we are Conservatives, Liberals, New Democrats, Bloc members or Greens, we are Canadians. Claims · 56 wordsAs we remember Officer Pinizzotto and Officer Bali, let us remember what they were doing. They were protecting innocent people. They were protecting communities of every faith and every background.Partly on point They were confronting violent criminals and standing up against those who would use fear, intimidation and violence to divide us. That is the Canada they served.Partly on point
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