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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 79

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 1, 2022 02:00PM
  • Jun/1/22 2:47:26 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-5 
Mr. Speaker, gun violence has gone up significantly over the past seven years of the Liberal government. That is a fact. It is also fact that most guns used in violent crime are smuggled in from the United States. Gun smugglers and gun traffickers are responsible for the murder of innocent Canadians in our cities, such as Toronto, Montreal, Regina and Edmonton. Why is the Liberal Prime Minister removing mandatory jail time for people who smuggle guns into Canada under Bill C-5? Why is he letting them off the hook?
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  • Jun/1/22 2:47:56 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-5 
Mr. Speaker, we are actually increasing the penalty from 10 years to 14 years for the illegal smuggling of guns. The concern that the Conservative Party seems to have around guns gives me hope that perhaps, finally, they will agree to support our ban on military-style assault weapons. Perhaps they will actually support putting a freeze on the importation, transfer, sale or purchase of handguns in this country. It is great to hear the Conservatives concerned about gun violence. Now maybe they will step up and strengthen gun control instead of weakening it.
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  • Jun/1/22 2:48:34 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-5 
Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the Prime Minister's Bill C-5 will severely threaten the safety of families, children, mothers and vulnerable communities, because Bill C-5 would allow criminals who commit serious and deadly gun crimes to serve house arrest rather than go to jail, meaning these dangerous criminals will be kept in the communities they have terrorized, which will disproportionately impact Black and indigenous communities. It is sick. Why is the Prime Minister prioritizing dangerous criminals with guns over the safety of our communities?
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  • Jun/1/22 2:50:24 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-5 
Mr. Speaker, we are improving our justice systems to ensure there is less systemic discrimination and racism against indigenous communities and Black Canadians. We will continue instituting better gun controls to ensure there are fewer victims of violence. I cannot believe that Conservative members from Quebec are still rising in support of relaxing gun control and blocking our attempts to restrict handguns or even military-style assault weapons.
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  • Jun/1/22 2:55:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know that a dangerous situation can quickly turn deadly when a firearm is present. Canadians deserve to feel safe from gun violence. Unfortunately, Conservative politicians are more focused on fulfilling their promises to the gun lobby than actually keeping our communities safe. On our side, I know we are taking real action to tackle this issue. Can the Prime Minister update the House on the concrete steps this government is taking to protect Canadians from gun violence?
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  • Jun/1/22 2:56:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Brampton South for her hard work and for her advocacy in her community. This week, we presented the most ambitious move to strengthen gun control in a generation and introduced many provisions to protect our society's most vulnerable, such as allowing judges to protect the identity of those who raise a flag and giving law enforcement more tools to intercept guns coming over our borders and to get them off our streets. While Conservative politicians want to allow dangerous weapons back into our communities, we are capping handgun ownership and moving Canada forward.
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  • Jun/1/22 6:34:15 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-5 
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to speak to this bill today. One thing I find most interesting is that when Liberal members are talking about guns, we hear they are always trying to crack down and ban guns that have already been banned for 45 years. We hear this every day. They blame every problem that happens on guns. I want to note to the Canadian public what Bill C-5 is doing. It eliminates a number of mandatory minimums relating to gun crimes: robbery with a firearm; extortion with a firearm; weapons trafficking, including firearms and ammunition; importing or exporting knowing it is unauthorized; discharging a firearm with intent; using a firearm in the commission of offences; possession of a firearm knowing its possession is unauthorized; possession of a prohibited or restricted firearm with ammunition; possession for the purpose of weapons trafficking; and discharging a firearm with recklessness. The bill would eliminate the mandatory prison times for these firearm offences. It is very simple. There is a great hypocrisy in what is happening here in this country. We have a government fixated on guns, but now it is letting off criminals who bring illegal guns into this country, the illegal guns that are killing children and innocent people in their homes and on their properties. It is letting them off without mandatory prison time. Now explain to me how Liberals can be bleeding hearts and against guns when they are allowing them to be trafficked into this country and are allowing people to get away with no mandatory prison sentences based on the very guns they are trying to convince the public they are banning and that were already banned 45 years ago. This is a clear example of the government firmly believing that Canadian citizens do not know anything about guns and that Canadian citizens want people who committed crimes with weapons to have lesser sentences. Imagine the hypocrisy in our country in this very bill. A majority of the above mandatory minimums were introduced under previous Liberal governments, most notably the government of the Prime Minister's own father, contrary to the narrative from the Liberals that they are undoing Conservative legislation. This is yet another hypocrisy. To be clear, the Liberals would eliminate mandatory prison time for criminals who commit robbery with a firearm, weapons trafficking and drive-by shootings. That is shameful.
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