Tim Uppal
Edmonton Gateway, Alberta · Conservative · Canada
“According to the bishops, some may fear that traditional religious teachings on moral or doctrinal matters could be misinterpreted as hate speech, potentially exposing individuals to criminal proceedings.”
“Bill C‑9 would remove that protection, and the Senate amendment would do nothing to restore it. The Liberal government has proposed changes to the Criminal Code through Bill C‑9 that could have serious consequences for freedom of expression and for religious liberty in our country.”
“When Parliament first enacted hate propaganda laws in the 1970s, it deliberately included safeguards for truth, public interest, lack of intent and good-faith religious expression based on sincerely held religious beliefs and religious texts.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Calgary Skyview for splitting his time with me. I know how difficult it is to take any speaking time away from a former gurdwara president. Along with a rise in violent crime in this country, we also see a rise in hate crimes right across Canada.”
“The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops has also raised significant concerns regarding the proposed removal of religious exemption in Bill C‑9 .”
“While the amendment would add the noose to the list of prohibited hate symbols, it would do nothing to restore the protections for freedom of religion and freedom of expression that Bill C-9 would remove. The Senate amendment would not restore the religious defence. It would not address concerns about freedom of expression.”
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“moved: Motion That the House: (a) take note of the Memorandum of Understanding between Canada and Alberta of November 27, 2025; and (b) support the construction of one or more pipelines enabling the export of at least one million barrels a day of low-emission Alberta bitumen from a strategic deepwater port on the British Columbia coast to reach Asian markets, including through an appropriate adjustment to the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, while respecting the duty to consult Indigenous peoples.”
“Will the government vote for our motion to approve a pipeline to the Pacific, just like the Prime Minister promised in that MOU?”
“Mr. Speaker, a pipeline to the Pacific is absolutely necessary to unlock Canada's energy potential, moving a million barrels a day to Asia at world prices, creating good-paying Canadian jobs, boosting take-home pay and strengthening a truly self-reliant economy. That is why Conservatives introduced a motion that uses the same language as the Liberals' own MOU with Alberta. However, the Liberal caucus is divided, with the Prime Minister himself claiming the pipeline must have B.C.'s consent. The Prime Minister is saying one thing to Alberta and another thing to British Columbia. Let us be clear: Under the Constitution, only the federal government has authority over interprovincial pipelines. The only thing standing in the way is Liberal delay.”
“Mr. Speaker, the fact is that Canadians are putting nearly 50% more of their expenses on credit cards than they did in 2015. Monthly food bank visits have smashed all-time records, with 2 million Canadians a month visiting the food bank. Families that once used to donate to the food bank are now standing in line waiting for help. The Liberal government has made everything more expensive. When will the Prime Minister stop his out-of-control spending that makes everything more unaffordable for Canadians?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister 's costly credit card budget piles today's reckless spending onto tomorrow's taxpayers. Credit card agency Fitch Ratings says that the Liberals repeatedly blow past their own fiscal anchors, putting our credit rating at risk. Even the Parliamentary Budget Officer is sounding the alarm on this financial mess. How many more warnings will it take for the Prime Minister to rein in his out-of-control spending?”
“Mr. Speaker, extortion is at crisis levels in Canada, up over 550% in Surrey alone, but the Liberals have done nothing to protect Canadians. Over six months ago, they promised 1,000 new RCMP officers to help the situation, but none have been hired. We brought forward legislation to crack down on extortion and keep Canadians safe; the Liberals blocked it. When will the Liberals take extortion seriously and support our Conservative plan to keep these criminals behind bars and keep Canadians safe?”
“Mr. Speaker, keeping Canadians safe is the public safety minister's number one job, but the rising number of extortion cases in this country is out of control. Surrey police say the number of cases they have investigated since June has tripled. Canadians continue to live in fear of their house being shot at, business being burnt down or much worse. Meanwhile, the minister continues to make empty promises of additional RCMP officers, but they have not been hired yet. The minister has clearly failed to keep Canadians safe from international gangs and extortion. When will the Prime Minister fire him?”
“Mr. Speaker, I am very sorry to hear about those incidents, and the fact is that we are hearing about more and more cases like that right across the country. Serious crime is at a point that we have never seen before in this country. If we look at why this is happening, it is because people do not have respect for the law anymore. We hear from police officers, who tell us they have gone through the hard work of arresting somebody, even a serious violent offender, who then gets bail the same day or the next day. Getting bail and then going back to doing crime is just part of the business now. It is just the cost of their business. The fact of the matter is that the laws need to change. The Liberal laws, Bill C-5 and Bill C-75 , need to be scrapped.”
“Mr. Speaker, that sounded as though the member wants me to answer how keeping criminals behind bars longer would stop them from committing crimes. They would be behind bars. That is what we want, to keep them behind bars so that they are not released into the community to reoffend in those same communities. That is what has been happening under the Liberals. Our plan would keep them behind bars and keep Canadians safe.”
“Mr. Speaker, an important part of that question is “when”. This is not something that has happened just recently. The problem is that the crime rate has been going up for quite some time, for years now. When the Liberals took over, they brought in legislation that made it easier to get bail, that reduced sentences and that got rid of mandatory minimums. Since then, we have been asking the government to take crime more seriously and bring in tougher laws to make it harder to get bail. There has been no action from the government at all. Just before the summer break, we again asked the government to bring in legislation because the crime rate continues to rise. There has been no action. Canadians need action now.”
“Our “three strikes and you're out” law would lock up dangerous criminals, stop the Liberal revolving door and bring home safe streets for Canadians. It would give victims and families peace of mind, knowing that offenders who harmed them will not harm anyone else, because the offenders will be behind bars. Conservatives will always fight to protect law-abiding Canadians and prioritize the safety of our communities over the comfort of repeat violent offenders. Enough is enough. Canadians are counting on us to act. They need us to act to keep them and their families safe.”
“(1525) Myles Sanderson, with 59 prior convictions, was released and went on to murder 11 people and injure 17 in Saskatchewan. In the Peel Region, 18 criminals were arrested for home invasions and carjackings. Half of them were out on bail. In Vancouver, police arrested the same 40 offenders 6,000 times. Then there are the tragedies that will haunt Canadian families forever. Bailey McCourt, a young mother, was murdered by her ex-husband just hours after he was released on bail for assault and threats. Bailey deserved better. Her family deserved better. Canadians deserve better. These are not just statistics. These are people whose lives were stolen because the government puts criminals first and victims last. Conservatives will change that.”
“The only path back to freedom will be spotless behaviour, clean drug tests and rehabilitation efforts, such as learning a trade or upgrading education. In other words, there would be no more revolving door. The Liberal revolving door has to end. Serious offenders would stay behind bars until they are no longer a threat. We have to keep Canadians safe. Right now, we have the opposite under the Liberal government. Bill C-5 allows violent offenders to serve sentences from their living rooms. Bill C-75 ensures many of those same offenders are back out on the streets within hours. After the police have done the hard work of trying to arrest somebody, they are given bail right away. The consequences of the Liberal soft-on-crime policies are devastating.”
“This is the least we could do. Arson must be treated as an aggravating factor in extortion. Also, we need to repeal the Liberals' catch-and-release laws, Bill C-5 and Bill C-75 . We need laws to keep serious offenders behind bars. These laws make it much easier for criminals to get bail and be released into the communities. I brought forward a private member's bill that did this. Unfortunately and quite shockingly, the Liberals voted it down. It is hard to explain why. The Liberals and the NDP at the time did this, actually. Enough is enough. That is why we are calling for a “three strikes and you're out” law today. If a criminal is convicted of three serious offences, they would no longer qualify for bail, probation, parole or house arrest. They would face at least 10 years in prison and up to a lifetime as a dangerous offender.”
“That is what they have done with this issue as well. They try to blame it on the provinces, but this is not a provincial problem. The Criminal Code is federal. The RCMP is federal. The laws the Liberals brought in, Bill C-5 and Bill C-75 , made it easier for criminals to get out on the streets as soon as they are arrested. Even violent offenders are given bail the same day, sometimes the next day. Those are all federal and within the Liberals' power to scrap. It is no wonder that Canadians have lost faith in the justice system to deliver justice for victims. Conservatives are calling on the government to act, because Canadians need that action. We need the Liberals to strengthen mandatory jail time to a minimum of three years for all extortion, four years if it involves a firearm and five years if tied to organized crime.”
“If this situation is not handled properly and quickly, it will encourage copycat cases and give more criminals the confidence to act. The crime rate in Surrey is very high and at an alarming point. I respectfully ask you to raise this concern in the House of Commons at the earliest opportunity. Our community needs stronger laws and real actions.” Mr. Speaker, this is a text message I got from a resident in Surrey just the other day. This is how bad it is. Canadians are lost; they do not know what to do. Many have said that this is not the same Canada they remember. The fact is, when talking to Liberals and others, even in the House, we find that they are trying to blame provincial governments; they blame it on someone else. It is the same thing they have done with the economy; they blame it on somebody else.”
“Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Oxford . One aspect of the Liberal crime disaster is out-of-control extortion in this country. Many towns and suburbs, once safe, are now being terrorized by gangs who threaten neighbours with violence and arson, as well as criminals who shoot into homes and even burn down homes and businesses. We have even heard of reported murders as well. In the Vancouver area alone, extortion has jumped over 400%. I received a text message from a resident in that area, and this is one of many that I have received over this time. It says, “I am reaching out with a very humble request regarding the alarming situation in Surrey. Right now, families are living in fear. There were approximately 39 reported extortion cases and about 28 shootings just recently. Every day, things are getting worse.”
“I give a big thanks to all the volunteers and donors. Their hard work and generosity will make a real difference in the lives of people who need it in Edmonton.”
“Mr. Speaker, Edmonton's Food Bank is at a breaking point. Each month, more than 47,000 people, a 42% increase, rely on food hampers. Behind those numbers are families and children who cannot afford groceries because Liberal deficits have led to Liberal inflation, which makes everything cost more. Across the country, parents are forced to choose between rent, clothing or food for their children. More and more children arrive at school hungry every day. Thankfully, our community is stepping up where the government has failed. One example of this is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints organizing Edmonton's largest door-to-door food drive. On Saturday, September 27, volunteers will be going door to door in many neighbourhoods to collect donations. People can also donate at their local grocery store or fire station.”
“With 874 homicides in total that year, these criminals have counted for nearly one-third of all murders. These are people who were out on release. That number has only grown since that time. Behind these statistics are victims with names and families, their lives cut short. In Edmonton, we lost a 52-year-old father, a refugee from Congo who was stabbed at the LRT station. It was the attacker's fourth violent offence in Edmonton's transit system. In Welland, Ontario, a convicted sex offender serving probation after sexually assaulting a 12-year-old boy was released early. He then broke into a home and brutally assaulted a three-year-old girl. In Toronto, the man accused of attempting to murder a police officer in 2024 was already out on bail despite multiple breaches and orders not to possess firearms.”
“Mr. Speaker, time and again, I hear from constituents in Edmonton Gateway and from people right across the country about how deeply frustrated they are with the Liberal government's reckless bail laws. They do not know what to do anymore. After this lost Liberal decade, the results are clear. Our justice system now puts the comfort of violent criminals above the safety of everyday Canadians. The numbers speak for themselves in Canada. Violent crime has surged by over 50%. Gun crimes have more than doubled. Gang-related homicides are up 80%. Extortion cases have exploded almost 400%. Auto theft is up over 50%. In 2022, shockingly, 256 people were charged with homicide while already out on some type of release, such as house arrest, parole or bail.”
“Mr. Chair, I introduced a bill in the last Parliament that would bring in stronger sentences for extortion, with a mandatory minimum penalty of three years, four years with a firearm, and five years if somebody is committing the offence with organized crime. Will the Liberals adopt those measures into the laws that they are bringing in, since they have taken so many other ideas from the Conservative side?”
“Mr. Chair, the Liberals are not committing to restoring that aspect, which they repealed. Will they make arson an aggravating factor in extortion? Arson is used as a weapon in many of these cases. Will the Liberals make arson an aggravating factor?”
“Mr. Chair, what about the city police forces? Many of the instances of extortion are happening in Canada's largest cities. What about those police forces? Why do they not have the resources necessary?”
“Mr. Chair, the Liberals say that it is an issue, but they have not brought any solutions forward to help these families. In fact, when the police come to these families and say that their life is in danger and that they should leave and hide out, the police have also been telling the families that they do not have the resources to protect them. Why do police in our country not have the resources necessary to protect Canadians?”
“Mr. Chair, as members are aware, for the last couple of years, we have had some very high-profile cases of extortion in Canada. Families would spend their whole life building up a business, and along would come sometimes international gangsters, or local ones, who would shoot at their house, commit arson at their home and at their business and extort these families for millions of dollars, yet the government has done nothing to protect them in the last couple of years.”
“Mr. Chair, we just had another election, and again foreign interference was a factor in that election. In fact, a Liberal candidate had to be dropped just before the election because of it. It has been exposed that Beijing was helping the Prime Minister , and the RCMP has linked foreign interference to organized crime in Canada. Actually, the House passed a foreign agent registry last year. Where is that registry?”
“Mr. Speaker, tonight, the Stanley Cup finals begin and our Edmonton Oilers have once again brought the heart and the pride of oil country back to the finals. From Connor McDavid's incredible skills to Stuart Skinner's resilience in net, this team has shown Canadians what determination, teamwork and dedication look like. Behind every goal and every save is a city united, cheering from living rooms to patios and, yes, even right here on Parliament Hill. This season, the energy is electric and Canadians from coast to coast to coast are rallying behind a team that embodies grit, passion and true Canadian spirit. In fact, the Toronto CN Tower and Montreal's Samuel de Champlain Bridge will be lit up in orange and blue tonight. Let us bring the Stanley Cup home, back from the U.S. to Canada, where it belongs. Go, Oilers, go.”
“Mr. Speaker, families across Canada feel helpless because the Liberals have done nothing to stop violent crime rising across the country. They are sticking to their ideological soft-on-crime policies. That is why extortion gangs are targeting Canadian businesses and their families. In fact, just this month, we have seen more shootings, arson and even a murder potentially linked to extortion, yet Canada still has no mandatory minimum penalty for extortion. Will the Prime Minister work with Conservatives to bring in the same legislation that I brought forward in the last Parliament to bring in tougher penalties for extortion?”