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Decentralized Democracy

Hon. Rob Moore

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 3, 2023
Context: Committee Evidence - JUST-75 (JUST) - Oct/3/23
Hon. Rob Moore (Fundy Royal, CPC)
  • 05:09:52 p.m.
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Thank you, Madam Chair. Minister Virani, congratulations on your appointment. This is, no doubt, the first of many visits you'll have to the justice committee. We welcome you. Minister, there's something I would like you to address at this committee. Since 2015, violent crime in Canada is up 39%, homicide is up 43%, gang-related homicide is up 108%, aggravated assault is up 24%, assault with a weapon is up 64%, sexual assaults—which go to the root of the issue that we have today—are up 71% and sex crimes against children are up 126%. You're new as minister, but you are not new to the file, having served for some time as the parliamentary secretary to the minister of justice. There's a quote you gave that I'd like you to address. These are Statistics Canada numbers that I just listed. You said, “I think that empirically it's unlikely” that Canada is becoming less safe. In the face of that non-partisan Statistics Canada information and hearing what, I'm sure, you're hearing from your constituents—the same as all members of Parliament are—which is that they feel Canada has become less safe, do you still stand by your statement that Canada is not becoming less safe in the face of those statistics?
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Context: Committee Evidence - JUST-75 (JUST) - Oct/3/23
Hon. Rob Moore
  • 05:12:30 p.m.
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Thank you, Minister. One thing I would take issue with...and I say this only because, for every witness we've ever had at this committee with regard to safety and restoring justice to our justice system in all the studies we've had, I haven't heard any of them blame the pandemic, as you seem to have just done, for this stratospheric rise in crime in Canada. What I've heard them blame are policies that were deliberately instituted by your government, such as Bill C-75, which created the catch-and-release or revolving door to our bail system that's putting offenders back on the street, and Bill C-5, which says that if someone commits a sexual assault, they can serve their sentence from their home rather than from a prison as they should. Minister, would you acknowledge that the measures that have been taken by your government—like Bill C-5 and Bill C-75—also could have an impact on rising rates of crime in Canada?
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Context: Committee Evidence - JUST-75 (JUST) - Oct/3/23
Hon. Rob Moore
  • 05:14:47 p.m.
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Minister, thank you. The decision that we're addressing here.... The Supreme Court stated that someone who is on the registry, an offender, is eight times more likely than the general population to commit a sexual offence. That is why a mandatory listing in the sex offender registry of those who are convicted of sexual offences and a mandatory lifetime listing of those who have multiple offences are so essential. It was a 5-4 decision. In the dissent, it says: It is also clear that it cannot be reliably predicted at the time of sentencing which offenders will reoffend. In the face of that uncertain risk, Parliament was entitled to cast a wide net. Have you given consideration to casting a wider net? What has been carved out in Bill S-12 are some fairly narrow provisions that would result in mandatory listing in the sex offender registry when previously any conviction for a sexual offence was listed. Have you considered casting a wider net?
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