Arpan Khanna
Oxford, Ontario · Conservative · Canada
“This new bureaucracy the Liberals announced would do absolutely nothing to fix the affordability crisis, but it would continue to line the pockets of Liberal insiders.”
“We need to know where the funds would be going. It is not fair that Canadians work their butts off, make the sacrifices, stay away from their families— An hon. member: Play by the rules. Arpan Khanna: That's exactly right. They play by all the rules, Mr. Speaker, yet they are being pushed right to the back.”
“That is a big chunk of change that would help stimulate the economy but also give that first-time homebuyer a chance to get into the market. We have talked about removing the capital gains tax, so investors could invest and those folks who want to buy their first rental property could get into the market.”
“On this side of the House, we will always stand for tax cuts and we would make sure that money goes back in the pockets of Canadians, but not how the government does it. (2005) Here is a story from Dezmond.”
“Some stuff made sense, but homes cannot be built with empty words, stomachs cannot be filled with empty words, and jobs cannot be created in this country with empty words, and that is all we are getting with the Liberal government. There is another concern we have when the Liberals talk about homebuilding.”
“Food security is a priority. Domestic production, making more, growing more and harvesting more here in Canada, should be a priority. When the Liberals have reckless projects taking away our farmland, that is a problem. One of those projects that we hear about is happening in eastern Ontario. My colleague is here today.”
The complete record
Every one of 237 lines we hold for Arpan Khanna, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 5.
“Home is the place where we are supposed to be the safest; it is supposed to be our castle where we can be in peace to raise our family and live life. Now those areas are being targeted by repeat violent offenders. Crime is up thanks to the Liberals' failed policies. Thanks to bills like Bill C-75 and Bill C-5 , they have allowed repeat violent offenders to terrorize our communities over and over again. It is thanks to their decisions and their policies. The Liberals love to deny and to deflect, and to distract Canadians from their failed record, but they are responsible. In 2019 when they brought in Bill C-75 , they codified the principle of restraint, which clearly says that judges, justices of the peace and police officers will release on the least restrictive conditions and at the earliest opportunity.”
“It is always an honour to rise in the chamber to fight for law-abiding Canadians. The results are in on the Liberals' bail reform experiment, and they failed. They failed our victims. Their policies have failed survivors and their families. They have failed Canadians If we look at the news headlines that Canadians are waking up to every single day, we see that they are tragic; they are heartbreaking. Extortions are running wild in our community. In Surrey, B.C.; in Peel; and in Calgary, business owners are scared. They are not even picking up calls from unknown phone numbers. We hear stories of broad-daylight shootings, of murders, including of a 70-year-old grandmother who went out to buy groceries and was randomly stabbed and killed on the street. There are violent carjackings. There are home invasions.”
“moved: Motion That, given that, (a) violent crime is up 55% under the Liberal government and repeat offenders continue to be released because of Liberal catch and release laws; and (b) the Liberal government promised to pass criminal justice reform six months ago but has failed to do so; in order to keep repeat offenders in jail and keep Canadians safe, the House is of the opinion that Bill C-242, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Department of Justice Act, also known as the Jail Not Bail Act, must pass and is committed to sitting extended hours, holding an expeditious committee study and undertaking such other procedural measures as may be necessary to pass it at the earliest opportunity. He said: Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations .”
“This hurts our farmers, and they pay the price. Despite it all, our farmers press on: long days in the field, early mornings and generations farming together. As Conservatives, we thank God for our farmers, because when our farmers grow, Canada grows.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is a busy time for farmers in Oxford and across our country as they bring home the harvest. Oxford is home to more than 3,000 grain farmers out of the 28,000 in our province who generate more than $27 billion for our economy and support more than 90,000 jobs. Our farmers rise before dawn, work late and battle the elements. However, today they face more than the weather; they face the Liberal government, which attacks their way of life. Farmers are burdened by rising input costs, red tape, supply chain disruptions, punishing fertilizer tariffs and a trade crisis that includes a 75% tariff on canola by Beijing. Despite the Prime Minister 's claim of being a master negotiator, trade disputes with the U.S. and China have worsened. He even met with the Premier of China yesterday, and surprise, surprise, there is no deal.”
“Bill C-242. Introduction and first reading moved for leave to introduce Bill C-242, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Department of Justice Act . He said: Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise to introduce my private member's bill, the jail not bail act. This bill would fix the broken bail system, lock up repeat violent offenders who are terrorizing our communities, and restore safe streets. We have been lucky and blessed to have the support from all levels of government, law enforcement, Crowns, defence lawyers, victim advocacy groups, victims and survivors, and their families. I look forward to having the support from all members, irrespective of party and affiliation. It is time we restore our safe streets and get Canada back on track. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberal gun grab scam unfairly targets law-abiding Canadians while giving criminals a free pass. This failed scam has been rejected by the police, the provinces, Canada Post and now even their own public safety minister . In a leaked audio, he says the Prime Minister pressured him. He admits that this plan will not work, and he even promised to pay his tenant's bail if he is arrested. I cannot make this up. What the Liberals say in public versus what they say behind closed doors are totally opposite. If the minister will not stand behind his own plan, why should Canadians foot the $700-million bill for the scam?”
“Mr. Speaker, the government prides itself on being a feminist government, yet its policies are hurting women the most. Cait Alexander from End Violence Everywhere, who has supported our Conservative approach to stopping crime, was left to die in her home by her ex-partner. Guess what. He was let out on bail with only a condition of $500. She has had to leave the country. Bailey McCourt was killed by her ex-partner because he got bail. I could sit here and talk about these stories all day long. The government talks a big game, but when it comes to action, it is missing from it.”
“Mr. Speaker, I understand this is a huge concern for those in Quebec as well. In Kelowna, the same 15 offenders have committed 1,300 crimes. In Vancouver, the same 40 offenders have committed 6,000 crimes in a single year. There is a direct correlation. I know the member was asking about correlation. If we lock up the repeat violent offenders who are clogging up our justice system and going out in our communities to terrorize Canadians, we will see crime go down. That is what we are going to do. It is common sense. We need common-sense laws to put repeat violent offenders behind bars. I hope the Bloc will support our bill.”
“Mr. Speaker, we stand with victims and their families every step of the way. Unfortunately, the mess the Liberals have created with Bill C-75 and Bill C-5 has caused the chaos we see in our communities today. The catch-and-release policies and revolving door are things the Liberals created. If we look at the numbers, the previous Conservative government's numbers were at an all-time low. As soon as the Liberals were elected in 2015, what happened? Crime went up, and it continues to go up because they are not going after the root causes of these problems. They cannot be firefighters when they are the arsonists themselves.”
“The Conservative Party and Conservative caucus have been putting legislation forward to stop the crime. We want to make sure that repeat violent offenders with long rap sheets are put behind bars. Guess how many justice bills the government has put forward in the last 600 days. It is zero. Now the Liberals are showing up and saying they are going to fight crime. That is absolute nonsense. There is only one party in this House that will fight for the rights of victims and law-abiding Canadians, and that is the Conservative Party.”
“He defended his family but sadly lost his life. The Liberals are telling us that bail reform is coming at some point in the future. Every single day that goes by, 1,600 violent crimes happen in our country. That is an insane amount. Because of the Liberals' soft-on-crime policies, police chiefs are now telling Canadians to comply, to leave the keys to their vehicles at the front door. That is not an environment for deterring criminals. The Liberals are literally making it easy for criminals to do what they do best, and the criminals know it. They understand the law that the Liberals do not understand. Criminals know that if they get caught in the morning, they will be released at lunch, maybe to commit another offence in the evening and be released by breakfast the next morning, over and over again.”
“It is like an arsonist who burns down a house, and when the house is gone, all of a sudden he puts on his firefighter equipment and says he is there to save the day. The Liberals cannot fix the problems that they created. What is surprising is that they are not even willing to listen to the heartbreaking stories from law enforcement, victim advocacy groups, survivors and families. I know in my colleague's riding of King—Vaughan , there have been seven shootings in a matter of three weeks. One family member stood beside our leader, the member Battle River—Crowfoot , and I when we made the announcement for our jail not bail act. Abdul Aleem Farooqi, a father, was killed when violent home invaders showed up at his house and put a gun to his child's head. He did absolutely everything right. He did what any father would do.”
“The Liberal member of Parliament from that riding wrote them a letter, and I encourage all members to read it. That letter said that it was not the government, that it brought in laws and changes. Halton Region unanimously passed a motion for action, and they want it now, not a year from now, because they are seeing a massive spike in violent carjackings and home invasions. Canadians are scared. The Liberals can delay this as much as they want, but they will be judged for their record and their failures. Bill C-75 , their so-called bail reform law, is one of the root causes of why we have this problem. Quite frankly, Canadians do not believe that the Liberals can fix what they themselves have broken.”
“The person who was uttering threats and was a risk to her life was arrested, charged and convicted. A court found him guilty of those charges. He was then released on bail pending sentencing. Just three hours later, he found Bailey and a friend in a parking lot, took a hammer and brutally smashed her. Bailey is now dead. (1535) I have met and spoken to the family. They are sick and tired of hearing the message from the government that its thoughts and prayers are with them and that it is going to keep fighting for them. Quite frankly, that is nonsense. They want action, not more platitudes, not more photo ops and not more promises that there will one day be some sort of bill or law that will fix this crisis. They want action now. Just yesterday, Halton Region passed a unanimous motion asking the government to act on this crisis.”
“A TD Bank was robbed by a repeat offender, who had firearms. The police arrested him; they did the great work they always do. Woodstock police arrested him, and he was a repeat offender. I received a message from one of the officer's daughters, who asked me, “Why is my father putting his life at risk over and over and over again to catch the same people?” Law enforcement members across our country are now demoralized. They catch a person in the morning, with all the evidence they need for a strong case, only to find out hours later that the person is being released on bail. I could be here all day sharing stories like this. We heard the story of Bailey McCourt, which is a story the deputy leader talked about as well. What did Bailey do wrong? What did she do wrong?”
“I find it very ironic and rich when I hear members opposite saying that bail reform is coming. Liberals did bail reform and they made it worse. In 2019, they brought in Bill C-75 . They codified, under section 493.1, the principle of restraint. I hope the justice minister reads his own documents. The principle of restraint very clearly states that a judge, a justice or a peace officer must release on the least restrictive conditions at the earliest opportunity. This is codified in law. Liberals have now handcuffed judges from using discretion when it comes to repeat violent offenders. The problem is that their failure on bail reform is now costing lives. It is now hurting Canadians. We hear insane stories. In Oxford County, there was a violent bank robbery right downtown, on Dundas Street.”
“Extortion is up over 300%. Homicides are up and shootings are up. What the Liberals do not understand is that their policies are driving these numbers up. There is the out-of-touch justice minister , who literally thinks that it is not the Wild West. He was commenting on social media; it must have been one of his late-night texts. However, it is worse than the Wild West. It is a lot worse. We are now living in a war zone in Canada. Canadians are waking up scared. More than half of Canadians are not even safe in their own neighbourhoods. There is anxiety. There is real fear. There is an anxiousness that is palpable. We hear out-of-touch comments from the Liberals, such as the public safety minister saying that it is not them and that the Conservatives are deflecting, denying, delaying and obstructing.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour to rise and to follow the deputy leader, whom I thank for a great intervention. I would also like to start by thanking the farmers in Oxford and across our country who are now busy harvesting. I want to wish them a very successful and bountiful harvest and to remind all those who share the road to watch out for farm equipment. When someone sees a farmer, they should thank them, because our food comes from their fields to our fork, and they feed our families. It is an honour to represent such a strong rural community in Oxford. We see a wave of crime being unleashed right across our country. Whether it is a rural town like mine out in Oxford County or a big city out in B.C., we are seeing a record number of crimes happening. Violent crime is up over 55% under the Liberals' watch.”
“Mr. Speaker, soft-on-crime Liberal laws are hard on Canadians and our communities. Just yesterday, Halton region passed a unanimous motion demanding action from the Liberals on repeat violent offenders now, not in October, and not next year. After a decade of Liberal catch-and-release laws, which have allowed criminals to terrorize our communities, they are now obstructing Conservative jail not bail laws that will lock up criminals. How many lives have to be lost before the Liberals finally wake up and get out of the way?”
“Mr. Speaker, violent crime is up over 55% and more than half of Canadians do not feel safe in their own neighbourhoods. The Prime Minister promised to crack down on crime, yet repeat offenders keep getting out on bail. That is another broken promise and Canadians are paying the price. Families are shattered. Lives have been lost. That is why my jail-not-bail act will put these criminals behind bars. The question is simple: Will the Prime Minister support our bill and restore safe streets or was that another broken Liberal promise?”
“Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour to rise on behalf of petitioners from Oxford County, who are raising concerns about the finance committee's recommendation 430, which would potentially strip charitable status from our places of worship and from religious organizations. The petitioners are raising concerns, especially because these organizations and houses of worship do so much good work in our communities. They help with food banks. They help resettle newcomers to our country. They help those who need support the most, the most vulnerable. The petitioners are calling on the government and all legislators to reject any attack on religious organizations and their ability to practise their faith openly and freely to support Canadians.”
“Mr. Speaker, Oxford is home to thousands of hard-working auto workers and spinoff jobs that fuel our economy. A new report warns that the unjustified U.S. tariffs on the auto sector could kill 50,000 jobs. Our families are worried, our workers are terrified and the layoffs have already started. The Prime Minister claimed to be the man with a plan, but as we have not gotten a deal done, we are suffering right across the board. The Prime Minister talks a big game, but when it comes to fighting for auto workers, he is missing from action. Can the Liberals tell us how many auto sector jobs will be lost because they failed to get a deal?”
“Mr. Chair, under the Liberal government, fraudulent refugee claims have skyrocketed, making it a backdoor entry to stay in Canada. The minister's predecessor himself has called this “gaming”. Does the minister agree that under the Liberals' watch, there has been gaming happening in our asylum system?”
“Mr. Chair, that number is way off. This number is right from her ministry. It is about four years to process the claim. In the four years to process a refugee claim, the Government of Canada provides a work permit, health care, legal fees, housing, dental care, eye care and prescriptions. Is that true, yes or no?”
“Mr. Chair, hospitals are bursting at the seams. Frontline staff are exhausted. Doctors are overworked. Why is the minister admitting more immigrants without even removing those who have overstayed their visa?”
“Mr. Chair, clearly, the minister has no idea of who she is bringing into the country. There is a STEM program that is bringing in insurance brokers and agents. They have lost control of the system and have totally collapsed the system. Can the minister tell us today how many highly skilled immigrants she is bringing into the country?”
“Mr. Chair, the Liberals' words are not matching their actions. Canadians are dying in ER rooms, and the wait times keep going up. Newcomers and Canadians cannot find a doctor. We have massive shortages of support in the health care system. Does the minister not think it is irresponsible to be piling hundreds of thousands more immigrants into our country when we are facing this crisis in our country?”
“Mr. Chair, one in five Canadians and one in two newcomers cannot find access to a family doctor right now. Why is the minister bringing hundreds of thousands of foreign students and low-skilled labour to Canada in the middle of a health care crisis?”
“Mr. Chair, I will be splitting my time three ways. Canada's population keeps increasing at record numbers, and the Canadian Medical Association is quoted as saying, “our health care system is on its knees. We're not meeting the needs of our population.” Does the minister think it is responsible to maintain the current immigration levels during this health care crisis?”
“Mr. Speaker, despite the Liberals' promising Canadians that they are capping immigration, here are the facts. They added over 500,000 more international students. They approved nearly 180,000 more temporary foreign workers. Now we have millions of people in our country with expired or expiring visas and no plan on how they will leave. The Liberals' mismanagement has put pressure on housing, health care and jobs. After the Liberals missed their own targets to lower immigration and lost control of the system, why should Canadians believe them anymore?”
“Despite knowing this, the Liberals have already issued 180,000 new temporary foreign worker permits this year. That is a 10% increase already over the last quarter. This is not sustainable. If Canadians, the OECD and the Bank of Canada know this, why do the Liberals not?”
“Mr. Speaker, after 10 years, the Liberals have destroyed our immigration system. It used to work for newcomers, for Canadians and for our country, but the Liberals' radical policies have unleashed chaos. They ignored warnings from their own officials, skipped vetting on applications and allowed fraud and abuse in our TFW, international student and refugee programs. Now we have millions of people in Canada with expired or expiring visas, and we have yet to hear a plan from the Liberals on how these people will leave. Under the Liberals' watch, we have had the highest population growth in the G7, and now the OECD confirms that high immigration numbers are causing Canada's economic problems by putting pressure on housing and on jobs.”
“Mr. Speaker, surprise, surprise, the Liberals cannot give us a number. Now Trump's 50% tariffs on steel will shut down our plants across our country. Thousands of jobs are on the line. Layoffs have already started in Oxford. There is anxiety on our shop floors and at our kitchen tables. It is not just Trump's tariffs that are killing jobs; it is also the Liberal industrial carbon tax. If the Prime Minister cannot get a deal with Trump on tariffs, will he at least give our workers a fighting chance and remove the Liberal industrial carbon tax today?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised elbows up, promised dollar-for-dollar tariffs on the U.S. and promised he would collect $20 billion in revenue, but in reality, he quietly dropped the tariffs on the U.S., practically to zero. Now Donald Trump is threatening to double tariffs on Canadian steel to 50%. This will destroy our industry and punish our workers. Since the Canadian tax revenue was supposed to support Canadian steelworkers, can the Prime Minister tell us how much he has collected so far for jobs in Oxford? Give us just the number.”
“In Oxford county, I heard loud and clear that seniors do not feel safe. Families do not feel safe. Kids do not want to go out at night to play basketball on the streets. That is unacceptable. Will the government finally crack down on criminals, put repeat violent offenders behind bars and bring back safe streets for all Canadians?”
“Mr. Speaker, first of all, I congratulate the Deputy Speaker on his new role. My colleague across mentioned public safety. I think he is right. It is an issue that we have been hearing about right across our country. Under their government, under their Liberal watch, we have seen violent crime, extortion and auto theft go up. That is unacceptable. Our Conservative team has brought forward bills to crack down on auto theft and extortion. Can members guess what happened? The Lliberals voted against those measures. We have had the support of frontline police officers, mayors and premiers who are asking for bail reform. Instead, the government has been targeting lawful, law-abiding gun owners, who are carrying out the great Canadian traditions, instead of going after the repeat violent offenders who target our communities.”