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Public Safety

During question period on public safety, Conservative members said Canadians are losing faith in the parole system, citing full parole for the ringleader of the Toronto 18 terror plot, day parole for a dangerous offender convicted of sexual assault, and unescorted absences granted to a convicted murderer despite a denied parole. They argued the parole board works under laws Parliament passes and pressed the government to take responsibility and change them. The public safety minister responded that the Parole Board operates independently of government and makes decisions based on the information before it, noting that Conservatives had also maintained this independence when in office, and he invited the opposition to support the government’s justice legislation, including its bail and sentencing bill.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

6 statements

Frank Caputo

Conservative
“Canadians have lost faith in the parole system. The ringleader of the Toronto 18 terror plot was just granted full parole, even though he planned to bomb Parliament and military bases. When will the government take responsibility and fix parole?”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are losing faith in the parole system, and it is time for the Liberal government to take responsibility. Zakaria Amara, the ringleader of the Toronto 18 terrorist plot who wanted to bomb Parliament, who wanted to bomb National Defence bases and who wanted to bomb CSIS, was recently granted full parole. No wonder the people of Canada have lost faith in the parole system. When will the Liberal government take responsibility and reform parole?

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Gary Anandasangaree

Liberal
“The parole board makes its decisions on its own, based on the facts it has. The government does not control it. We keep it independent, just like the previous Conservative government did.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear. The parole system works independently of government. It is people who are tasked with ensuring that parole is administered in a manner that is based on the information before them. Like the previous Conservative government, we continue to ensure the independence of the Parole Board, and the decisions it makes are fully independent of our government.

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Frank Caputo

Conservative
“The parole board follows the laws Parliament passes, so we must change them. A dangerous offender was recently given day parole for violent sexual assault. The government needs to take responsibility and fix the parole system.”
Official Hansard

Yes, Mr. Speaker, those independent decisions are based on the laws that this House passes and this House must act now. Another reason Canadians are losing faith: Christopher Roulston, a designated dangerous offender who is doing time, an indeterminate sentence for sexual assault with a weapon and uttering threats, was recently granted day parole. He is a dangerous offender, a terrorist. When will these Liberals take accountability, stop blaming independence and reform parole?

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Gary Anandasangaree

Liberal

Linked statement

“Conservatives say they want law reform, but then they vote against or delay our justice bills. I want them to work with us and pass our legislation.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, what is clear is that the Conservative Party members come up with allegations. They come up with types of law reform that they are looking for, but when this government brings forward law reform, like we did in Bill C-14 on bail and sentencing, like we did with Bill C-16 on victims’ rights and like we did on protecting vulnerable communities, they vote against it or they stall. This is doublespeak. I will invite the member opposite to ensure that when we have legislation in front of the House, like Bill C-22, they pass it and they co-operate on—

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Kathy Borrelli

Conservative
“A convicted murderer in my community was denied parole, but the government is still letting him leave prison alone for 60 days. I want the government to explain why it is allowing this.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, recently I spoke with Tina from my community, whose nine-year-old son was murdered by Douglas Lambier. In the 21 years since her son’s murder, her life has never been the same. While his parole was recently denied by the government, Mr. Lambier has been allowed to have a 60-day unescorted absence to attend a program. Why is the Liberal government allowing a murderer who the Parole Board deems unfit to rejoin society to have a 60-day unescorted absence?

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Gary Anandasangaree

Liberal
“I send my condolences to Tina, her family, and her community. The Parole Board makes its own decisions based on the facts. The Conservatives set up the rules this way when they were in power, and our government follows those same rules.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, let me express my condolences to Tina, her family and her community. What the individual has done is unspeakable, but let me be very clear. The decision of the Parole Board is independent. It makes decisions based on the facts in front of it. That is the way that the Conservative Party, when it was in government, implemented the Parole Act, and we continue to do the same.

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