Translate Politics Parliament in plain language.

Justice

This oral questions period covered two justice topics. A Liberal member asked about protecting people from coercive and controlling behaviour by intimate partners, and a minister replied that a new colleague’s advocacy had helped bring forward reforms making coercive control an offence so the law can intervene before abuse becomes fatal. A Conservative member raised the opioid crisis, citing the number of lives lost last year, and asked the Liberals to support the Conservatives’ bill for harsher penalties for those who produce and traffic fentanyl. The minister replied that the government intends to keep dangerous people behind bars while also working to combat the opioid crisis and expressed a willingness to work with all parties on community safety.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

4 statements

Danielle Martin

Liberal

Linked statement

“Many women suffer from partners who control, isolate, and abuse them. I want the justice minister to explain how this bill protects people from that kind of abuse.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, coercive control is a pattern of abusive behaviour used to isolate and intimidate, often before or alongside physical violence. In every one of our communities today, women are being subjected to humiliation, isolation and financial and verbal abuse, which often escalate to physical and sexual violence. Our government is taking action. Can the Minister of Justice tell the House how Bill C-16 would better protect our constituents from coercive control?

View on ourcommons.ca Grade A+ View analysis

Sean Fraser

Liberal
“I want to congratulate my new colleague. Her work helped us bring in changes to stop intimate partner violence. Making coercive control illegal lets the law step in before abuse turns fatal.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity, for the first time, to formally congratulate my recently elected colleague on her presence in the House of Commons. This institution is better for her efforts. Through her advocacy, we have moved forward with reforms that are designed to tackle the scourge of intimate partner violence that is impacting women across this country. We know, when it comes to coercive control, that we have the opportunity to put rules in place that allow the legal system to intervene before a relationship becomes violent and before violence becomes fatal. We have worked with people who have dedicated their life and their career to understanding the predictive factors of what can lead to violence against women. With this codification of coercive control, we can make—

View on ourcommons.ca Grade B+ View analysis

Costas Menegakis

Conservative
“Thousands of Canadians die from opioids each year. We want harsher punishments for people who make and sell fentanyl. I want the Liberals to support our bill to do that.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, last year we lost 5,630 Canadians to the opioid crisis. That is 15 lives lost every day. Emmy Liu, 14 years old, was one of the increasingly alarming number of young Canadians whose lives were stolen by the fentanyl traffickers. These criminals who profit from producing and trafficking opioids should face serious consequences. That is why Conservatives introduced Bill C-289 to strengthen penalties for these criminals. Emmy’s legacy could be more than a tragedy. After the decade of Liberal rule that ushered in the opioid crisis, will the Liberals stop grandstanding and deliver results by supporting this bill?

View on ourcommons.ca Grade A+ View analysis

Sean Fraser

Liberal
“We need to put dangerous people in prison, but we also must stop the deadly opioid crisis. I want to work with all parties to make our communities safer and healthier.”

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Relevance 44 of 100

    None of this answer addressed the specific question that was asked.

    See full analysis

  • Government answer in Question Period

    Clarity 40 of 100

    Much of this statement used imprecise wording, lacked details on timing or responsibility, or made broad claims without support.

    See full analysis
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, as we move forward with a public safety agenda that is designed to ensure that dangerous people are put behind bars, it is not lost on us that we also need to do everything we can to combat the deadly opioid crisis. I look forward to working with all members of the House as we promote policies that would lead to better public health outcomes, and at the same time pursue policies that would contribute to better public safety outcomes. I look forward to working with the member and with all members of the House in order to build safer communities right across this country.

View on ourcommons.ca Grade C– View analysis

Discussion

No comments yet

See the full discussion

Comment rules

More from sitting 139

All 43 items ·
  1. Government Orders Spring Economic Update 2026 Implementation Act 53 statements
  2. Government Orders Spring Economic Update 2026 Implementation Act 14 statements
  3. Government Orders Arab Heritage Month Act 3 statements
  4. Oral Questions The Economy 13 statements
  5. Oral Questions Government Priorities 2 statements
  6. Oral Questions Government Priorities 2 statements
  7. Oral Questions Housing 11 statements
  8. Oral Questions The Environment 2 statements
  9. Oral Questions Housing 4 statements
  10. Oral Questions The Economy 6 statements
  11. Government Orders Government Orders 3 statements
  12. Oral Questions Public Safety 5 statements
  13. Oral Questions The Economy 8 statements
  14. Oral Questions Indigenous Affairs 6 statements
  15. Oral Questions Gender-Based Violence 2 statements
  16. Oral Questions Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship 6 statements
  17. Oral Questions Justice 2 statements
  18. Oral Questions Justice 4 statements
  19. Oral Questions Foreign Affairs 2 statements
  20. Adjournment Proceedings Adjournment Proceedings 4 statements
  21. Oral Questions Indigenous Affairs 2 statements
  22. Adjournment Proceedings Adjournment Proceedings 4 statements
  23. Oral Questions Prime Minister of Canada 2 statements
  24. Oral Questions Official Languages 2 statements
  25. Oral Questions The Economy 4 statements