Colin Reynolds
Elmwood—Transcona, Manitoba · Conservative · Canada
“When I reviewed the spring economic update, I was thankful to see some efforts that would benefit Red Seal tradespeople through a plan to recruit and train 80,000 to 100,000 new Red Seal skilled trade workers by 2030, with a 50% reduction in time.”
“Red River College Polytechnic is hardly the only one. Many trades colleges across Canada have faced similar issues. The reality is that there seems to be a disconnect between what the Liberal government plans on doing and the situation we are currently facing on the ground.”
“Another major issue that the spring economic update fails to mention is that there has not been any additional funding for seats in post-secondary institutions that provide training.”
“In the spring economic update, the Liberal Party claims that, with the team Canada strong plan, they would be creating clear pathways for young Canadians to get into good jobs.”
“Extensive consultation would be required with all the provinces to get their buy-in on a national apprenticeship system. It is a bit of a “cart before the horse” thing. Furthermore, several active federal apprenticeship grants were shut down by the current Liberal government without justification.”
“Darryl Harrison, director of stakeholder engagement with the Winnipeg Construction Association, was interviewed in the same article and said, “the removal of this grant seems like a backward step to us.” Many apprentices counted on receiving the grant from the government and not needing to get a loan.”
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“This has led to the marginalization of law-abiding Canadians in favour of repeat violent offenders. The current system is broken and backwards. It is unacceptable that law-abiding Canadians are living in fear. It breaks my heart that my grandkids are not being raised in the Canada I grew up in, the Canada where we could leave our front door unlocked, walk around our neighbourhood at night without fear and spend time downtown without having to look over our shoulder. This was avoidable, and we need to give future generations the same safety guarantees we grew up with. I want to reiterate that the bill itself replicates a lot of the asks that our party has made to the government regarding bail reform. It is on the right track. It rights the wrongs from the previous Liberal government and seeks to hold criminals accountable.”
“The scary truth is, more often than not, it is a small group of people committing the same crimes over and over again. In Vancouver, the same 40 people were responsible for over 6,000 crimes. That is nearly 150 crimes per person in a single year. Our society cannot function like this. Hearing from our brave police officers how demoralizing it is to arrest the same people over and over for the same crimes is heartbreaking. The reality is that we can do something about it by passing concrete bail reform legislation that reverses the disastrous policies that have burdened our communities for nearly a decade. Bill C-14 is the government's own admission that its bail experiment has failed. We have seen a 41% rise in the violent crime severity index since 2014. This means increases in homicide, sexual assault and extortion across Canada.”
“Members of my community, who are scared to even leave their homes, are looking to all of us for leadership. We must work together to pass meaningful legislation that protects victims and punishes repeat violent offenders. To that end, Bill C-14 is on the right track to fix the Trudeau-era bail policies, but it still needs work. It may be surprising to some, but outside of the victims, the people who struggle the most from the current disastrous bail policies are actually the police. I recently spoke with a family friend who works for the Winnipeg Police Service, and he recounted how dangerous the job is for him now compared to in years past, how he spends days arresting the same people for committing similar crimes and victimizing the same people.”
“Let us take a local example from my community. In Winnipeg, dozens of 7-Elevens have closed due to the crime wave. Not only is it no longer profitable to operate some businesses due to theft, but the safety of employees is constantly at risk when repeat violent offenders are not held accountable for their actions. We are incentivizing bad behaviour by not punishing the perpetrators. (1715) Recently, some of my Manitoba colleagues and I hosted a jail not bail town hall to meet with Winnipeggers to discuss the damaging effects of crime in our city and what can be done to stop it. During this town hall, I heard many harrowing stories. For example, Julia, who lives in Valley Gardens, the neighbourhood I grew up in, no longer feels safe going on walks alone at night. It did not used to be this way, and it does not have to stay this way.”
“According to a Postmedia-Leger poll, over half of Canadians say that they no longer feel safe in their neighbourhoods and that the justice system is working against their interests. This is a heartbreaking statistic. What has become of our great country when the majority of our citizens say that they do not feel safe living here? We have let fear control our justice system, and we have put the feelings and comforts of criminals ahead of the safety of law-abiding Canadians. The reality is that we need to empower law enforcement to do their jobs rather than demonize and belittle them. Officers do their jobs to protect our communities, yet the same people they arrest in the morning end up back on the street, usually victimizing the same person, by the afternoon due to our current broken bail policies.”
“It does not remove the option of house arrest for repeat offenders. It does not do enough to protect public safety by ensuring that judges are required to hold criminals to account for their actions. We know we cannot fix this problem on our own and we want to work with all members of the House to make a positive difference in the lives of law-abiding Canadians. However, we want to ensure that any new measures that get passed by the House actually work toward fixing the problems we see in our communities. I have heard from my neighbours and members of my community that they are concerned with the overwhelming rise in crime over the last few years. Parents are afraid to let their children walk to school. Stores are closing down due to theft, and people no longer feel comfortable leaving their doors unlocked at night.”
“Illegal firearms crime is up 130%. Sexual assaults are up 76%. Homicides are up 29%. Extortion is up a whopping 330%. It never used to be like this. These are unnerving statistics and they are a direct result of Liberal hug-a-thug bail laws. We cannot get numb to this reality. This should not be our new normal. The Liberals have now tabled Bill C-14 to try to fix the problem they caused. It is a bit like having the same plumber come back to fix a system they did not install properly the first time. Bill C-14 is a start, but it falls short of what this country needs for crime legislation. It does not remove the principle of restraint that releases criminals on the least onerous conditions. It does not restore the mandatory minimum sentences that were removed through Bill C-5 .”
“We hear story after story about victims who are injured or even killed by a repeat violent offender who is out on bail. Marina Simard was stabbed to death by her brother in northern Manitoba. Tyrone Simard was out on bail on the condition that he stay away from his sister. Bailey McCourt was murdered by her ex-husband James Plover just hours after he was released on bail following an assault conviction. Savannah Kulla, a 29-year-old mother of four, was shot and killed in a Brampton strip mall while her killer was out on bail. These are not just horror stories from a Stephen King novel. These are real people who are victims of the Liberals' soft-on-crime bail. These laws put the rights of criminals ahead of the rights of victims. We now see the consequences of these policies every day in our streets. Violent crime is up 55%.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour to rise today on behalf of my constituents in Elmwood—Transcona to talk about Bill C-14 , the bail and sentencing reform act. We have seen crime increase year after year since the Liberals passed Bill C-5 and Bill C-75 . These bills broke an otherwise normal, functioning bail system and directed the courts to release accused persons at the earliest reasonable opportunity and under the least onerous conditions, otherwise known as the principle of restraint. This has led to a revolving-door criminal justice system that saw the same repeat violent offenders receiving bail nearly immediately after they were initially arrested. Now, many years later, we have businesses closing, extortion, auto thefts and home invasions on the rise, and chaos in our streets.”
“Mr. Speaker, this government is the most expensive in Canadian history. Every dollar the Prime Minister spends comes out of the pockets of Canadians. The more the Liberals spend, the more things cost. The nearly $80 billion in deficit spending means that $450 a month is coming right out of Canadians' pockets. This will make it even harder for Canadians to buy groceries and pay their bills. Instead, we get a bloated bureaucracy and high-priced consultants. Why does the Prime Minister believe he can spend hard-working Canadians' money better than they can?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' bail has unleashed crime and chaos on our streets. One recent example was a home invasion where the perpetrator was out on bail. Their law, Bill C-75 , requires courts to release violent career criminals at the earliest opportunity and under the least onerous conditions. The Prime Minister promised the Liberals would flip-flop on bail, but it was a bait and switch, with the bail law still in place six months after he took power. Will the Prime Minister scrap Liberal bail or get out of the way and let Conservatives do it?”
“Mr. Speaker, I wish to present a petition, pursuant to Standing Order 36. In this petition, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada call upon the Government of Canada to reject recommendation 430 of the finance committee's pre-budget report, reaffirm Canada's commitment to an open culture and support citizens' freedom to promote the common good through the advancement of religion without punitive measures. The petitioners feel that recommendation 430 is working against religious freedoms. These charitable organizations have a large impact on the community, with many community outreach programs, and they are against this recommendation.”
“Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of the Liberal government, we are in a housing crisis. Builders cannot build, and young Canadians are priced out of the market. Now housing starts are down 16%, and a new report shows that Canada is at risk of losing 100,000 housing-related trades jobs. That means that construction workers and tradespeople, like me, will all lose their livelihoods while the government refuses to get shovels in the ground. Why is the Prime Minister building another costly housing bureaucracy in Ottawa while workers are out of a job?”
“The offender in question was convicted of shooting and carjacking while already out on bail. Last month alone, 178 offenders were wanted on warrants for violating bail and were arrested on new charges. Seven of them assaulted the very same people they victimized despite a court prohibiting them to do so. This is not just a threat to the victims, who often have multiple run-ins with repeat offenders; it is also a threat to first responders, social workers, health care workers and public transit operators. (1810) The unfortunate truth is that this is not just a Winnipeg problem; this is a Canada-wide problem. Police associations across Canada have been speaking out on the lack of support that the federal government has given them in putting repeat violent offenders behind bars.”
“Imagine how demoralizing it is to arrest the same person they arrested last week for robbing the same 7-Eleven they robbed the week before. We are not giving those in law enforcement the tools they need to get the job done. Just last week, we met with Mayor Scott Gillingham, who shared his thoughts on the out-of-control crime that is plaguing Winnipeg streets. He mentioned that the same individual had been arrested twice by the Winnipeg Police Service's violent crimes unit. A person has to be pretty violent to be arrested by that unit. He was subsequently convicted of failing to comply with bail restrictions 12 times and was released enough times to be convicted of 24 more violent offences. These offences were not stealing a pack of gum from a convenience store.”
“Today, my neighbours live in fear, and it breaks my heart that for the last 10 years, the Liberals could have done something to fix the out-of-control crime but decided to sit on their hands and pretend that nothing was wrong while their failed experiment continued to put Canadians at risk. The law we are proposing would stop criminals convicted of three serious offences from getting bail, probation, parole or house arrest. It would keep violent criminals behind bars, away from their victims and off our streets. The law would also keep dangerous offenders away from society until they have proven that they no longer are a threat to those around them. Police also feel the effects of poor criminal justice policies first-hand.”
“Parents no longer feel safe having their kids walk to school or take the bus. Our three-strikes plan would put repeat violent offenders behind bars and keep communities safe. We need to put our foot down and take crime seriously. We all believe in second chances, but we do not believe in 20 chances. This would be hard enough on families that are struggling to make ends meet without also facing the rising rates of car theft. It has gotten so bad that some police are even suggesting that people leave their keys on the porch to avoid break-ins. This is crazy. This harmful mentality will only lead to more theft, more crime and more innocent victims. Things were not always this way. Folks in our communities used to leave their doors unlocked and did not worry about their cars getting broken into.”
“Our current system takes power away from law enforcement, puts perpetrators of crime back on the street and victimizes hard-working, law-abiding Canadians in our society. Jody, one of my constituents, has had her home broken into 14 times by the same group of thugs. While Jody lives in fear, her tormentors are getting released on no-cash bail within 24 hours of their crime, ready to reoffend and put Jody and her neighbours back into a state of shock, panic and fear. It is not just Jody either. In my first month of office, I sent out a community survey asking folks in Elmwood—Transcona what they thought were the most pressing issues facing our community. While I got many good, thoughtful responses, one issue that is top of mind for a majority of people in my community is that crime is totally out of control.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is with great honour that I rise today in this House to speak in support of the “three strikes and you're out” bill, our plan to hold repeat violent offenders accountable and to combat rising crime in our streets. I am a proud Winnipegger and even prouder to represent my neighbours in the riding of Elmwood—Transcona. Although I am proud of my home, the crime wave crippling our city has truly gone out of control. My office has been inundated with calls from folks from all different walks of life, all concerned that they no longer feel safe on the streets and even in their homes. At this point, it is hard to see anything any other way. Over the last 10 years, we have become accustomed to a criminal justice system that puts criminals first and does not deliver justice.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister 's first four weeks in Parliament were filled with broken promises: a broken promise on spending, a broken promise on the tax cut, a broken promise on consultants, a broken promise on defence and a broken promise on being elbows up with the U.S. The Parliamentary Budget Officer found the Liberals' tax cut will only save Canadians $90 this year and $190 next year. That is $15 per month or about four cans of tuna. Did the Prime Minister mislead Canadians during this election, is he misleading them now or is it both?”
“Mr. Speaker, Canadians struggled over the past 10 years under a Justin Trudeau government that ignored the concerns of hard-working everyday Canadians. The Liberal government owes those Canadians a break in the controlled rise in the cost of living.”
“As a Conservative, I believe in removing barriers to work, reducing the tax burden on working Canadians and getting government out of the way so businesses can grow, hire and thrive. Canadians deserve a government that works for those who do the work and a government that works for students and young people desperate to pursue their dreams. I am thankful for this opportunity to stand before the House and speak to the nation. It is an honour and a privilege to serve the Canadian people.”
“These are the people who serve and protect, deliver our goods, bring our mail, teach our future generations, pick up their tool boxes, manufacture our products and grow our food. I love this country. I have lived here my whole life. I raised my kids here, and now they are raising their kids here. It is a great honour to serve in this House. I am here to stand up and protect the future of Canada, the future of our children and the future of our grandchildren. I am here to fight for workers and their families. I am here to fight for workers' rights and good-paying union jobs. I am here to protect hunters, sport shooters and law-abiding gun owners. I am here to represent the hard-working people of Elmwood—Transcona and all the hard-working people in Canada, the greatest country in the world.”
“Canadians need a real plan that will unleash Canada's economic potential and deliver powerful paycheques for our people. Under the current Prime Minister , bloated bureaucracy will grow by 6%, more than double the combined rate of inflation and population growth. Consultant spending will increase by 37% to $26 billion a year, requiring the average family to pay $1,400 on consultants alone. None of the extra spending the Liberals have asked for will actually help Canadians. Almost all of it is for bureaucratic administration and high-priced consultants, who will be out the door and gone forever. It seems the Liberal government thinks that this country is built by consultants sitting in an office shuffling paper. I assure members that it is not. Canada is built by people who get up every morning, put on their boots and do hard work.”
“He was concerned with the future of employment in the construction industry in Manitoba. With no large projects on the horizon and only a few months left to complete the projects already under way, the work picture does not look good. Without any policy changes from the Liberal government regarding mining and energy, and with a looming recession brought on by dangerous and destructive tariffs from the United States and the Liberal government's lack of action, the outlook will not change. This is the same government with the same policies and the same economic outcome. (2035) The ministerial musical chairs will not solve Canada's problems. It is clear that the same Liberal ministers with the same Liberal policies are delivering even worse results.”
“Now that is gone, and the only thing the Liberals are doing about it is the same thing they have been doing for 10 years: spend more money. However, now it is even worse. They are spending more money with no budget and no accountability. I spoke with a young family on their doorstep, and they were worried about what they were going to do later this year when their mortgage comes up for renewal. Interest rates have soared over the past five years, and we know that the raising of interest rates is a measure to slow inflation, the same inflation that was caused by government overspending, the same inflation that is driving up food prices and the same inflation that is forcing hard-working, everyday Canadians to line up at food banks just to make ends meet. During the campaign, I spoke with a colleague of mine, a construction electrician.”
“With the runaway NDP-Liberal spending that caused excessive inflation and the out-of-control immigration that caused ballooning house prices and rapidly rising food costs, I decided it was time to stand up and do something. The message from Pierre Poilievre was clear, that the Conservative Party is the party for the working class, so I joined the fight. As I knocked on thousands of doors and spoke to people just like me, I realized I was not the only one who feels this way. Working-class people felt abandoned by the NDP-Liberal government, and everyday Canadians are struggling to make ends meet. It was not always like that. In 2015, before the lost Liberal decade, the middle class was doing well. We were outperforming the United States, and our dollar was stronger.”
“Now, for so many, home ownership is just a dream. After many years establishing our family together, I changed careers and became a construction electrician. After working as an apprentice for a number of years and experiencing first-hand how employees in the trades are often poorly treated, I joined the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. My involvement with the IBEW increased over the years as my passion for workers' rights grew. Now I am the sitting vice-president. As a long-time union member, I have always paid attention to politics and watched every day as the NDP-Liberal government turned its back on workers like me. The community I grew up in is made up of hard-working people, tradespeople, blue-collar workers and union workers. These are the people who build this country and keep it running.”
“I would like to thank my mother-in-law and father-in-law, as well as my sister-in-law and three brothers-in-law. Lastly, to Sandra, my beautiful wife of 30 years, I thank her for always unconditionally supporting me and believing in me. People with my story do not end up here. I was raised by a teacher and a homemaker in the Valley Gardens area of Winnipeg. I graduated from Kildonan-East Collegiate, where I met my wife. Fresh out of high school, we became very young parents, and our life together did not start out easy. Working full-time as a printing press operator, we struggled, working opposite shifts for many years to save on child care. We saved every penny, and eventually we were able to buy a house. Home ownership did not make life easier, but it did mean that we had a place to call our own.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is with great honour and humility that I rise today to speak in this House. I would like to start by thanking the people of Elmwood—Transcona for putting their trust in me to represent them in this House of Commons. I would also like to thank my amazing campaign team and caucus colleagues for working tirelessly, day in and day out, to support me and the Conservative Party. Without all of them, I would not be in this House today. To my three amazing sons, Cameron, Jordan and Brendon, my two wonderful daughters-in-law and three incredible grandchildren, I thank them for being there for me. I thank my father Herb, my mother Linda, my brother Mark and my sister Shannon for working so hard to help me get here and having my back.”
“Mr. Speaker, knocking on thousands of doors in my community this past spring, I heard the same concern: People are worried about the rise in crime. In Winnipeg, violent crimes like assaults, threats and extortion are increasing. Homicide Canada reported that in 2024, Winnipeg had over 40 homicides for the sixth year in a row. Because of Liberal bills, Bill C-5 and Bill C-75 , repeat violent offenders are treated with kid gloves and get released. When will the Liberals finally put the rights of victims and law-abiding Canadians ahead of their soft-on-crime, hug-a-thug agenda?”
“We will keep working to earn the trust of Canadian workers and keep delivering the strong and prosperous future they deserve.”
“Mr. Speaker, as I rise today, I want to thank my family, friends, volunteers and the hard-working people of Elmwood—Transcona, who placed their trust in me and the Conservative Party. These are the Canadians who get up early, put on their boots and build the country we love. I have been in their boots for 18 years as a construction electrician, proud union member and vice-president of IBEW Local 2085. The NDP and Liberals have abandoned unions. They have driven up inflation, housing costs and taxes while supporting union-busting tactics. That is why more rank-and-file union members are turning to the Conservatives, many for the first time. Just weeks ago, we received support from local unions, including the ILA, the UBC, IBEW, the UA, Boilermakers, LIUNA and many more. Conservatives are the party of blue-collar workers.”