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Public Safety

Question period focused on public safety, particularly bail and sentencing rules. Conservatives cited incidents in their ridings, including a home invasion in Richmond Hill, drug and gun seizures on Manitoulin Island, and rising shoplifting in Richmond, arguing that repeat violent offenders, burglars, and car thieves are being released too easily and calling for tougher bail and sentencing rules. Government members, including the Minister of Public Safety, responded that the government has passed several public safety bills this year supported by police organizations and provinces, cited statistics showing declines in extortion, firearms offences, homicide, and child exploitation, and noted investments in new RCMP and border officers, while stating that the Conservatives have opposed and delayed this legislation.Written by AI from the debate. Updated .

Official text

10 statements

Vincent Ho

Conservative
“Armed criminals recently broke into a home in my community and shot a gun. Weak Liberal bail rules let dangerous criminals out of jail too easily. I want the government to make bail harder to get so violent criminals stay in prison.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, earlier this month in Richmond Hill, multiple armed suspects forced their way into a family home, assaulted the residents and opened fire in the house with a gun. Families in my community should not have to wake up wondering whether violent armed criminals will be kicking down their door next. After years of Liberal soft-on-crime policies, it is arrest by day and bail by night. All Canadians are hearing is plenty of Liberal talk, but no results. When will the Liberals keep Canadians safe and repeal weak Liberal bail, house arrest and catch-and-release to lock up extortionists, human traffickers, car thieves, burglars and violent criminals?

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Gary Anandasangaree

Liberal
“Our government has already passed laws this year to make bail and sentencing stricter and to protect victims. We are also supporting public safety by hiring 1,000 new RCMP workers and 1,000 new border officers.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, as members are aware, earlier this year we passed an amount of transformational legislation that speaks to criminal justice reform. First and foremost, we have Bill C-14, which strengthens bail as well as sentencing, and Bill C-16, which ensures the rights of victims are protected. We will continue to support public safety and invest in our frontline officers, including hiring 1,000 new RCMP personnel, as well as 1,000 CBSA officers.

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Vincent Ho

Conservative
“People in my riding do not feel safe in their homes. Conservatives want tougher bail rules and harder sentences for violent criminals, car thieves, and burglars. The Liberals voted against those ideas and made prison sentences lighter. I want to know when the government will make the justice system protect victims instead of criminals.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, as Canadians are aware, the Liberals are talk, talk, talk, but no results, but people in Richmond Hill want to know when they will actually feel safe in their own homes. Conservatives have called for tougher bail and sentencing rules, and real consequences for violent repeat offenders, burglars, car thieves, extortionists and violent criminals, to keep Canadians safe. Instead, the Liberals are doing the opposite. This spring, they made mandatory minimum prison time optional with Bill C-16, and earlier this year, each and every Liberal voted down our Conservative jail not bail act. When will Canadians finally see a justice system where victims are not the ones feeling like they are being held in house arrest?

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Gary Anandasangaree

Liberal
“Our justice reforms are working. Extortion is down 10%, gun crimes are down 14%, murders are down 16%, and child sexual abuse is down 21%. We will keep spending money on police to keep Canadians safe.”

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Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, let me share some of the early results from the justice reforms that we brought forward. Extortion is down 10% across Canada. Firearms offence is down 14%. Homicide is down 16%, which is the lowest in a generation, and child sexual abuse and exploitation is down 21%. We will continue to ensure the safety and security of Canadians and continue to invest in law enforcement, to ensure that all Canadians are safe, and not just safe, but also feel safe.

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Jim Bélanger

Conservative

Linked statement

“Police on Manitoulin Island just seized drugs and guns and charged six people. Drug trafficking leads to worse crimes, addiction, and high health care costs. Conservatives have a plan to keep people safe. I want the Liberals to take this problem seriously.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, six people have been charged following a major police operation that led to the seizure of drugs and firearms on Manitoulin Island. Drug trafficking fuels other, more serious crimes in northern communities. It contributes to addiction and overdoses that cost our health care system millions of dollars. The Conservatives have a plan to keep Canadians safe. When will the Liberals follow our example and start taking this issue seriously?

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Anthony Housefather

Liberal
“We have passed three major safety laws with the support of provinces and police. The Conservatives are the only ones who oppose them.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, since our government took office, keeping Canadians safe has been one of our top priorities. Since we were elected, we have passed three major pieces of legislation in collaboration with provincial governments and law enforcement agencies across Canada, all of which support these laws. They are the Combatting Hate Act, the Bail and Sentencing Reform Act, and the Protecting Victims Act. It seems to me that the federal Conservatives are the only ones opposed to these laws.

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Chak Au

Conservative
“Shoplifting has gone up in Richmond, and some people are arrested twice in one day. The government lets repeat offenders go, and businesses pay the price. Conservatives would put them in jail. The government needs to cancel its soft crime policies.”
Official Hansard

Mr Speaker, in Richmond, the RCMP says shoplifting has increased dramatically over the last five years. Some offenders were arrested twice in one day. This is Liberal catch-and-release in action, and Richmond small businesses and store clerks are paying the price. Liberals talk but deliver no results. Conservatives will lock up repeat offenders. When will the Liberals stand with law-abiding Canadians and repeal their reckless soft-on-crime policies?

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Vince Gasparro

Liberal
“We passed important safety laws that major police groups support. The Conservatives delayed those laws at every step. I want them to tell us how much money they raised off those delays.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, the fact of the matter is that we have passed significant legislation that has the support of every single major police organization in this country. That is the same legislation the Conservatives have obstructed and delayed every step of the way. The question I have for the Conservatives is, how much money did you fundraise off the very delays that you created?

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Scott Anderson

Conservative
“The government lets repeat violent criminals, burglars, and car thieves out on bail instead of punishing them. I want the government to stop releasing these offenders and protect people who follow the law.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, these out-of-touch Liberals have spent years allowing repeat offenders to cycle through our justice system while law-abiding Canadians pay the price. Violent offenders, burglars and car thieves deserve real consequences, not endless bail, house arrest, and catch-and-release. Canadians are tired of watching the same criminals return to the streets again and again. When will the Liberals stop siding with repeat offenders and start standing with the Canadians who obey the law?

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Vince Gasparro

Liberal
“These public safety bills make our country safer. National security leaders and every major police group support them. Only the Conservatives are standing against them.”
Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, with regard to Bill C-12, the strengthening Canada’s immigration system and borders act, the bail and sentencing reform act, the combatting hate act, the protecting victims act and the act respecting lawful access, every single one of these pieces of legislation strengthens our public safety and enhances our national security. They have been supported by our national security apparatus and by every major police organization in the country. The only group of people who have not supported these pieces of legislation are members of the Conservative Party of Canada.

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