A very long bill to increase government power over Canadians' digital lives and data, including making it easier for the state to obtain info on people from telecom companies and online service providers. During discussion, the Conservatives nitpicked specific provisions while the Liberals talked up the bill's benefits, and both sides traded barbs about being soft on crime and supporting victims.
“I'm filling time with kind words about my riding. Then I say Bill C-16 doesn't go far enough. Mandatory minimums should stay mandatory. Judges went too easy on child sex offenders. We should lock them up longer, not make sentences weaker. Judges could give one-day sentences under Bill C-16. We warned the Justice Minister his changes would cause problems. Now drug dealers get softer sentences too. We should restore the old mandatory minimums we had before.”
“You want to use the notwithstanding clause to take away rights. You say you'll take away religious freedom. That's why you voted yes on Bill C-21. It takes away people's rights.”
“I'm filling time with kind words for my friend. The other party wants mandatory minimums but also ways to go below them. A court said how minimums can work and this bill doesn't do that. When a bad guy goes free early, who will the other party blame - the court or the bill that lets this happen?”
“I want judges to get blamed. I want the government to get blamed even more. This bill is a very bad tool. Every bad guy will say the minimum penalty is too mean. Every single one will try to use that.”
“We're debating this late because the Liberals want to hide their bad bills. They won't let the Privacy Commissioner testify on a privacy bill. They're protecting criminals, not victims. Mandatory minimums are a promise. Breaking that promise will make crime worse. Activists in my riding say this is a real problem.”
“You say rights and freedoms, but I think you mean criminals' rights and freedoms. Your bill adds a loophole to let violent criminals go free. That's a terrible message. Why won't you punish criminals and protect victims like I want?”
“I'm fluffing up my colleague by asking his opinion on the government's handling of public safety and the justice system. I want to hear how being elected changed his perspective.”
“I'm frustrated that the Liberals spent more time finding a way to get a majority than working with the opposition. They were supposed to respect our vision, but instead they're just pushing their own agenda. Now we have to work late because the Liberals are trying to rush through bills they didn't work on when they should have.”
“I want to look like I care about protecting women, but I'm really just setting up a complaint that this bill doesn't solve everything. I'll talk a lot without saying much.”
“I'm talking a lot about a bill I support. I want more money for housing, shelters, and services for women who experience abuse. I want to make a normal crime really bad by calling it 'coercive control.' I say Quebec knows how to spend the money better than Canada. I hint the bill is not enough but I still support it.”