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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 158

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 10, 2023 10:00AM
  • Feb/10/23 10:59:44 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am rising today to bring to the government's attention the high level of concern being expressed by my constituents about their personal safety. There have been many incidents of violence and several have received widely covered attention, as they occurred in our community of Spadina—Fort York. For example, the tragic swarming and murder of Ken Lee, a 59-year-old man, by eight female youth assailants occurred right across the street from my constituency office. A woman was also stabbed on board the Spadina streetcar, the same transportation used by my constituents to go to school, to pick up groceries and to go to work. My community and our city demand action. Placing a few extra police on subway platforms, while helpful, is not a definitive answer. That is why I have organized a town hall meeting in my riding on February 15 on the issue of community safety. Representatives from the Toronto Police Service will also be present. This meeting gives constituents an opportunity to voice their concerns and explore measures that could be put in place—
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  • Feb/10/23 11:50:33 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, Canadians deserve to feel safe and to be safe. The laws are clear. If an accused poses a risk to public safety, they should be denied bail. At the Minister of Justice's direction, federal officials have been working for months with their provincial and territorial counterparts to develop ways to best keep Canadians safe. We all have a role to play in protecting our communities. In fact, the Minister of Justice met with police chiefs from across the country to listen to their suggestions on how to deal with serious, repeat violent offenders on bail. They agreed that we need lasting solutions that are—
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  • Feb/10/23 11:54:28 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, we will agree on one thing: that all Canadians deserve safety and that their government needs to take their safety as a fundamental priority. Where we do not agree is that there are foundational issues that relate to criminal justice problems and the overrepresentation of certain communities in our criminal justice system, things like systemic racism, things like colonial legacies vis-à-vis the indigenous community. What I would reiterate is that we need the co-operation of all parties to tackle these multiple issues that lead to criminality in our society. When we address the root causes, such as mental illness, addictions and systemic racism, that is when we can truly achieve the goal of keeping our communities safe.
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