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House Hansard - 18

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 15, 2021 02:00PM
Context: House Hansard - 18 - Dec/15/21
Mr. Stéphane Bergeron (Montarville, BQ)
  • Dec/15/21 5:55:09 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-5 
Mr. Speaker, I was Quebec's public safety minister when the Conservative government passed Bill C-10, which introduced mandatory minimum sentences. No matter what you call it, the lowering or elimination of mandatory minimums may perhaps send a confusing message in the current context, where there are concerns about firearms circulating and about the crimes being committed with them, especially in the greater Montreal area, but also in Toronto and other metropolitan centres in Canada. Another question comes to mind. Our Conservative friends can keep repeating over and over that they are in favour of law and order, but that is easy to do when it is simply a matter of changing a few minor provisions of the Criminal Code and making Quebec and the provinces foot the bill. The provinces are obviously the ones that have to deal with the increase in the prison population resulting from mandatory minimums. What does my Conservative colleague think of the idea that the provinces and Quebec are the ones footing the bill for Ottawa's decisions?
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