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Mrs. Élisabeth Brière (Sherbrooke, Lib.)

May/17/22 2:13:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, although alcohol consumption is legal and socially acceptable in Canada, it can have significant health and safety implications for Canadians and can exacerbate a number of social problems, such as homelessness. That is why our government is committed to supporting researchers in Sherbrooke and all across the country who are leading the way when it comes to addictions prevention and treatment research. On Friday, I had the pleasure of announcing federal funding of nearly $200,000 for Dr. Ouimet and Dr. Wagner, who are both affiliated with Université de Sherbrooke. I am very proud to have seen how much their two projects will help prevent impaired driving and make it easier for the people of Sherbrooke and all Canadians to access the support they need. I wish them much success in their research endeavours.

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Mr. Blake Desjarlais (Edmonton Griesbach, NDP)

May/17/22 2:14:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today, on International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, I want to recognize the courageous work of the 2SLGBTQ community in my city of Edmonton. The corner of Whyte Avenue is notorious for its hateful street preachers, who spew homophobic and transphobic messages, making our community unsafe. However, our Edmonton 2LSGBTQ community pushed back, organizing counter-protests weekly, whenever the preachers showed up. Just this weekend, hundreds of members of our community gathered at the very same corner of Whyte Avenue for the official proclamation of “Pride Corner” in recognition of our community's continued fight for dignity and safety and to simply remain ourselves. Although we celebrate this achievement, many in Canada and around the globe continue to face overt hatred, injustice and discriminations for who they are and who they love. This must change. Let us commit to ending homophobia, transphobia and biphobia here in Canada and across the globe.

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Ms. Andréanne Larouche (Shefford, BQ)

May/17/22 2:15:45 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the couple was on their way home from a breakfast out: croissants, yogourt and lattes. Smiling, the first woman said to the other, “I love you, my darling.” Her girlfriend smiled while taking a sip of coffee and responded, “I love you too.” They left the small café. The sun was shining as they walked along happily, hand in hand. Behind them someone yelled, “Hey lesbians, aren't you ashamed to be seen in public?” They turned around in surprise, and one of them felt a gob of spit land on her face. The evening before, coming out of a bar, a gay couple had been kicked, punched and beaten while insults rained down on them. This casual violence happens every day, involving words, baseball bats and boots. It happens everywhere, all the time. It needs to be brought to light. On this International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, I want to tell all members of the LGBTQ community, on behalf of the Bloc Québécois, that they are not alone. We are with them, and we will never let them down. Say no to homophobia and transphobia.

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Ms. Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill, CPC)

May/17/22 2:17:15 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-5

Mr. Speaker, last night, Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner became the latest victim of violent crime in the GTA. According to reports, Marner was the victim of a carjacking near Queensway and Islington in Etobicoke. At almost the exact location, just two days ago, a woman was a victim of an attempted carjacking, so we know this is not an isolated incident. Instead of preventing these violent attacks and cracking down on thugs and gangs, the Liberals' soft-on-crime Bill C-5 rewards violent perpetrators and reduces the penalties for these very types of crimes. It is time for the Liberal members in the GTA to speak out against the dangers of their kid glove approach. We should remember that the bill they support eliminates mandatory jail time for major violent and firearms offences. They should be behind bars. Maybe Mitch Marner will get their attention and convince them to stand up for victims instead of criminals.

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Ms. Arielle Kayabaga (London West, Lib.)

May/17/22 2:18:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Pearl, Ruth, Margus, Andre, Geraldine, Katherine, Roberta, Aaron, Celestine and Heyward, these are the names of the sons and daughters of a strong community who were senselessly gunned down while getting groceries this Saturday. Next week, a community in Central Park will not receive the food that Pearl Young fed them every Saturday for the last 25 years. No one is born hating; people learn how to. Ideas are powerful. Words matter. When we feed into conspiracy theories and legitimize hate to score a few political points, it creates irrational fears that breed racial hate and discrimination. Racism and white supremacy have once again robbed us of brilliant people. This happened in Buffalo, but it happens here too. I know this because it happened in my riding of London West when last year three generations of people in one family were taken from us. We still remember. We are still mourning and we are still very traumatized. I mourn today with the community in Buffalo, but I also mourn with the Black communities across the world. I have to ask this question: When is enough enough? Where do we draw the line? When do we get tired of counting dead bodies? When do we stop saying that it does not happen here in Canada? Thoughts and prayers are no longer enough.

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Mr. Blaine Calkins (Red Deer—Lacombe, CPC)

May/17/22 2:19:54 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-5

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government's approach to justice reform has been an abject failure. It prioritized the wants of offenders over the needs of victims. There has been a consistent increase in the amount and severity of crime since the government took office, especially in Liberal ridings. Bill C-5 continues to gut our justice system by removing minimum penalties for criminals who commit serious gun crimes. When will the Prime Minister finally admit his plan is not working, change course and stand up for victims instead of criminals?

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Mr. Gary Anandasangaree (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.)

May/17/22 2:20:40 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-5

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to a criminal justice reform. It is a promise we made to Canadians, and we intend to keep it. This is about criminal justice policy that actually keeps our communities safe. A justice system that targets, unfairly, indigenous peoples and Black and marginalized communities is not effective, does not keep us safe and must be changed.

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Mr. Blaine Calkins (Red Deer—Lacombe, CPC)

May/17/22 2:20:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is mind-boggling that the Prime Minister thinks that gangsters who use guns on our streets do not deserve jail time. Conservatives know for a fact that law-abiding firearms owners are among the least likely people to commit an offence with a firearm. The original long-gun registry was a $1-billion boondoggle that did nothing to enhance public safety. This new Liberal backdoor registry will not either. Why will the government not focus on criminals and smugglers and leave law-abiding Canadians alone?

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Hon. Marco Mendicino (Minister of Public Safety, Lib.)

May/17/22 2:21:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, coming out of the events last weekend in Buffalo and seeing this country suffer from numerous tragedies involving gun violence, we took the extraordinary step of banning AR-15s, because they are designed to do one thing and that is to kill people. We have banned those assault rifles, and now we are committed to buying them back. Our plan was backed by the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. What is the Conservatives' plan? It is to make those AR-15s legal again. It is shocking. On this side, we will continue to make sure that we take the steps necessary to keep Canadians safe.

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Mr. Blaine Calkins (Red Deer—Lacombe, CPC)

May/17/22 2:22:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a database with Canadians' personal information attached to a unique identifying number attached to the serial number of a firearm and administered by the firearms registrar is a gun registry. We know the Prime Minister does not think much about Canadians who support legal firearms ownership, but we are not fools. What is foolish is gutting penalties for criminals who steal firearms, possess stolen firearms, traffic in firearms or smuggle firearms. Could the Prime Minister explain why he has such a vendetta against target shooters in Estevan while he lets gun-wielding criminals run free in ridings his backbenchers represent?

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Hon. Marco Mendicino (Minister of Public Safety, Lib.)

May/17/22 2:22:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, just last week, we introduced a stronger ID verification for gun purchases and require businesses to keep records of gun sales, which they are already doing. We have heard from some of those businesses, and they say this is common sense. Now police will be able to better investigate fraud and locate criminals who steal or try to engage in straw purchasing, which is a legitimate concern. The Conservatives can spin all they want, but Canadians see through it because they have no credibility when it comes to fighting against gun crime.

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Mr. Luc Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable, CPC)

May/17/22 2:23:40 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-5

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is currently in power. There were three shootings in Laval last week. A man was killed in broad daylight in Montreal. Laval police say that today's criminals are impulsive and disorderly. What is the Liberal government doing? It is proposing to eliminate minimum mandatory sentences for firearms possession offences with Bill C-5. Essentially, the Liberal approach consists of letting armed criminals continue to walk the streets. Can someone explain to the Prime Minister that his approach is irresponsible and that it will only make things more dangerous than they were before?

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Mr. Gary Anandasangaree (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.)

May/17/22 2:24:22 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-5

Mr. Speaker, those who commit serious offences will continue to receive stiff sentences. Our bill is about getting rid of the failed policies that filled our prisons with low-risk first-time offenders who needed help, not to be put in jail. These failed policies do not deter crime and did not keep us safe. They target the vulnerable and racialized Canadians.

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Mr. Luc Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable, CPC)

May/17/22 2:24:54 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-5

Mr. Speaker, I would like my colleague to tell that to Laval's chief of police, who stated, “The people who are willing to commit such offences are hardened criminals. It is fine to be an idealist, but they will not stop when they get out of jail.” Here is what one person had to say. “We can no longer go out. My wife is very nervous and she is afraid.” Another stated, “My daughter was lucky, but in broad daylight with children.... There could be a stray bullet the next time”. Here is another fact. With Bill C-5, the Liberals want to leave these criminals on the streets with the support of the Liberal MPs from the Montreal area. Why is the Prime Minister defending criminals and not victims?

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Hon. Marco Mendicino (Minister of Public Safety, Lib.)

May/17/22 2:25:33 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-5

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect for my colleague, that is not true. We have a solid plan to prevent criminals from getting their hands on guns. We implemented more rigorous criminal background checks, which the Conservatives opposed. We invested over $350 million in policing to crack down on gangs and put an end to trafficking at the border. The Conservatives opposed that too. That is unacceptable.

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Mr. Alain Therrien (La Prairie, BQ)

May/17/22 2:26:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, you must be wondering why gas is so expensive. That is such a good question that Radio-Canada analyzed where every penny people spend on a litre of gas goes, and the answer is: into oil companies' pockets. They are the gluttons here. Their refining margin has climbed steadily since 2008 from 9¢ to 48¢. That is over five times more. Meanwhile, the federal government has been subsidizing them like there is no tomorrow. In the budget, it gives them $2.4 billion of public money. When will it cut these gluttons off instead of fattening them up?

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Hon. Randy Boissonnault (Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Lib.)

May/17/22 2:26:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is the Government of Canada, the Liberal Party, that is taking care of the issue of affordability for Canadians and Quebeckers. On this side of the House, we have a plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and we have a plan to bring down the cost of living. We are going to put $6,000 back into the pockets of students, $500 back into the pockets of seniors and $1,000 back into the pockets of families who pay a price on pollution. This side is all about affordability. That side just wants to bicker.

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Mr. Alain Therrien (La Prairie, BQ)

May/17/22 2:27:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the greedy executives are laughing it up. They are sucking us dry at the pump while making record profits. They are taking even more taxpayers' money through federal subsidies. Glug-glug go the gluttons. Every new coin they see is more golden than the last. Suncor made $3 billion in profits last quarter. These fat cats do not need public money. Rather than fattening them up any further, why will the federal government not give that money to the less fortunate or put it towards the energy transition?

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Hon. Steven Guilbeault (Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Lib.)

May/17/22 2:27:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for the question. As he well knows, we have committed to eliminating fossil fuel subsidies by 2023, two years sooner than our G20 partners. We are the only country to have made that commitment, and the subsidies have already been reduced by more than $3 billion a year since 2018.

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Mr. Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South, NDP)

May/17/22 2:28:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the cost of gasoline is over two dollars a litre across this country. That is hurting families. At the same time, these very same oil and gas companies are experiencing massive profits and continue to receive fossil fuel subsidies to the tune of billions of dollars from the government. Will the Prime Minister support our plan to end the fossil fuel subsidies immediately and reinvest them back into people by doubling the GST tax credit?

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