SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 198

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 16, 2023 10:00AM
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • May/16/23 12:03:49 p.m.
  • Watch
  • Re: Bill C-21 
Mr. Speaker, it is very important to reassure our community about how important this bill is in preventing firearms trafficking. A record number of guns last year were seized at the border, but we need to do more. Bill C-21 would do more. It would invest in the CBSA, after the Conservatives cut so much of the funding for our border services agency. They like to say that all these guns are coming in from the United States, yet we are standing up and ensuring that does not happen. I hear the member's comment with respect to the maximum sentence, which also needs to go up so that the worst offenders spend more time in prison. I know that bail reform is forthcoming from the Minister of Justice, and I am looking forward to that as well, because it has been a topic of conversation in the House and elsewhere.
152 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • May/16/23 4:18:22 p.m.
  • Watch
  • Re: Bill C-21 
Madam Speaker, I know my colleague spoke about bail reform and the issues we have seen come up lately. We have introduced a comprehensive bill to address bail reform, especially when dealing with violent offenders. I am wondering if the member opposite can confirm whether the Conservative Party will fast-track this bill and give us unanimous consent to move it forward to the other place?
66 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • May/16/23 4:34:58 p.m.
  • Watch
  • Re: Bill C-21 
Madam Speaker, I think I made my point; it is more of a comment than a question. I think Canadians can take great comfort in knowing that every party in this House supports reform. Despite the differences Liberals might have with the Bloc and the NDP, there is only one party that is so adamantly opposed to having gun reform legislation, and that is the Conservative Party.
67 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • May/16/23 6:57:27 p.m.
  • Watch
  • Re: Bill C-21 
Madam Speaker, I note the member spoke about bail reform. This morning, the Minister of Justice introduced Bill C-48. As Tom Stamatakis, president of the Canadian Police Association, said, “Front-line law enforcement personnel have been asking the government to take concrete steps to address the small number of repeat violent offenders who commit a disproportionate number of offences that put the safety of our communities at risk”. He went on to say that he is pleased the government has introduced “common-sense legislation that responds to the concerns that our members have raised.” As the member has indicated, this issue is very important for him. Will he and his party support Bill C-48, so that it receives unanimous consent to go to committee and then off to the other place?
137 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • May/16/23 8:57:16 p.m.
  • Watch
  • Re: Bill C-21 
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague across the way. We have worked on a few things in the past on a few committees, and I appreciate working with him. When someone has a young child or a baby, one of the most exciting times is when they are months old or a year old and take their first step. We get excited. We take pictures. We phone their grandparents and say, “My baby took their first step.” That first step is so small in the life of a child given what they can do. It is all they have done. It is so small. It is not going to touch what they can do when they can run. That is what we will do as we cover the legislation on bail reform, because we can run to do it.
141 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • May/16/23 10:31:15 p.m.
  • Watch
  • Re: Bill C-21 
Madam Speaker, I have to disagree with the context that the member brought forward, of a filibuster on Bill C-21. We have very legitimate concerns on this side of the aisle, as I mentioned, concerns that have been raised by members of 42 first nations I represent and the people at the sport shooting clubs. I just want to really push back on that assertion of a filibuster. We are here doing our job of raising the concerns of our constituents. Briefly, I do appreciate that the government finally understands that there is a need to address bail reform. Unfortunately, Canadians really do not trust the government that broke the bail system to fix the bail system. That is why Conservatives are going to keep fighting for a common-sense approach to that.
134 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
  • May/16/23 10:49:01 p.m.
  • Watch
  • Re: Bill C-21 
Madam Speaker, my friend, colleague and neighbour from the class of 2006, the member for Edmonton—Wetaskiwin, and I have been here the same amount of time. A lot has been said, and he would feel this too, representing some of the constituents I used to represent, about the divisiveness that is happening in this country. The one thing that the government has managed to unite this country on is that all 10 premiers had to write a letter to the justice minister asking for bail reform. The issue is violent crime. Can my colleague please expand on the only thing the government seems to have united the country on, which is how lousy it is at keeping Canadians safe?
121 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border