Marc Dalton
Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, British Columbia · Conservative · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, I see that the member for Sarnia—Lambton—Bkejwanong has certainly been drinking the Liberal Kool‑Aid, with her jargon, “build Canada strong” and “investment”. One important industry she did not really refer to is the automobile industry and how it has dropped from over 2.5 million units to, now, under one million.”
“Mr. Speaker, crime has gone out of control under the Liberals with violent crime, extortion and those out on bail. They make it seem as if they are the bearers of truth and justice and getting things done when they are the reason we are in the situation we are now. They are closing down debate. We have a role to play.”
“It was part of the member for Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford 's riding until the last election. It is in the Ruskin Dam. That light bulb is almost 100 years old. It has not gone out in 100 years. That is amazing. If we had light bulbs like that, we could almost put them in our will. Planned obsolescence is not new.”
“My wife, whom I have been pretty impressed with, has come up with some fixes for our dryer and our microwave, and we did a little patch. Guess what? They are still working after all these years. Those are some good stories about appliances, but not all appliances in our household have happy stories. Take our stove.”
“This is another issue to keep in mind. Canada is a small market, compared to Europe and the United States. As it was mentioned previously by my colleague from British Columbia, most of the manufacturing is done in other countries. That is a problem, because they are not going to bend for Canada.”
“What does it mean to have a national framework? It means 50 full-time bureaucrats talking and talking. Maybe it is 500 or 5,000. I do not know. The minister must confer with the provinces on possible future legislation, industry obligations, inspections and penalties every 18 months and must report to Parliament.”
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Every one of 209 lines we hold for Marc Dalton, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 3 of 5.
“Our veterans deserve dignity, not despair. They deserve support, not having to balance government's wastefulness on their backs.”
“Mr. Speaker, Maple Ridge is home to the largest Royal Canadian Legion in Canada, Branch 88, with over 2,000 members. As a 20-year member and a veteran myself, I am honoured to rise for those who have served. I also recognize Mission's Branch 57 and ANAVETS Branch 379, whose volunteers work to support veterans and honour those who have sacrificed for the country. Too many veterans are now struggling under the crushing cost of living crises created by the Liberal government. Others are on the street homeless. Liberals have hundreds of millions of dollars for a deal with the European Space Agency that will benefit the Prime Minister 's company, Brookfield, but they are slashing over $4 billion in Veterans Affairs. There are reports of veterans being contacted about assisted suicide, presumably to cut costs and services.”
“As for where extortion is going to go, I do not see it going very far with the Liberal government, because it is not serious about public safety, as much as it might pretend to be. All the—”
“Madam Speaker, this would be a joke if it were not so sad. We would think the Conservatives have been the ones in power for the past 10 years, when this has been on the Liberals' shoulders. It is their laws that have brought this chaos we are in. Now the parliamentary secretary says to look at what they are saying and what they are doing. They talk and talk. That is what we are hearing, a bit of talk. I guess it is a step up from not talking about it. They are at least talking about it. Every measure we have brought forward over the past 10 years has been shut down by the Liberals. They have not been concerned about this issue. Now, when they are concerned about a few seats, they are starting to get into the act by saying a few words.”
“We will demand a repeal of Trudeau's laws so that public safety is first. Canadians deserve better. Conservatives care, and Conservatives will deliver on public safety.”
“Bill C-75 imposed the principle of restraint in bail decisions, resulting in repeat violent offenders' returning to the streets far too easily. This is a pattern we cannot ignore. Conservatives have brought forward clear, practical solutions that the Liberals have voted down repeatedly. We proposed restoring mandatory minimums of three years for extortion, four years when firearms are involved and five years when connected to organized crime. We proposed bail reform, stronger border protections and measures to support police and protect victims. (1850) Conservatives will not stand by while Canadians lose the right to feel safe in their homes. We will fight to restore mandatory minimums for gun crimes and violent offenders. We will fight to pass our anti-extortion bill.”
“They have tinkered around the edges, defended policies that are clearly not working and refused to confront the legislative choices that have helped to create this crisis. Extortion is not just a crime; it is a cloud of tar over public safety. Victims live in constant fear unless their perpetrators, all of them, are behind bars, which is a process that can take years. The Liberals are more interested in bail, not jail, as opposed to Conservatives, who want to put them behind bars to keep our public safe, which is our first priority. The Liberals continue to defend the very legislation that helped create this situation. Bill C-5 eliminated mandatory jail time for serious gun crimes, including extortion with a firearm.”
“In the neighbourhood, they are still wondering; there is still that disruption, insecurity and fear for the surrounding families. In the same 24 hours, Surrey saw two separate incidents. A residence tied to a Punjabi music producer was once again targeted, and a Surrey industrial business was targeted twice in two days: The suspects poured gasoline on vehicles and, hours later, shot up the property while workers were present. These types of events used to shock us and used to be rare. Now, they are becoming disturbingly familiar across B.C. This should not be normal; it must not be acceptable, and it is not the Canada that Canadians deserve. Police departments have raised the alarm. Community leaders have cried out for help, and victims have been asking for immediate help. What have the Liberals been doing?”
“It is not just threats; it is following up on the threats to business with violence, arson, shootings, beatings or killings. We see it in the gangster movies in New York City, in The Godfather or Mafia! , but I am not talking about New York City in the 1930s or 1940s; I am talking about Canada now. Extortion is up 330% across Canada, and in B.C., where I am from, it is up nearly 500%. My community of Maple Ridge is a beautiful community and a beautiful part of the world, but we even have it right there. The paper reported just last week that a home that had already been targeted was shot at again in the middle of the night. The residence is associated with an individual connected with the Punjabi music industry. There had been extortion threats in the past, and the person had fled the country.”
“Madam Speaker, does “Peace, Order, and good Government” have a familiar ring? It is in the Constitution Act, 1867, and that was just part of what Canada was: A place where there was order, good government and peace. Compared to the big, bad U.S.A. and its wild frontier, we had stability in Canada. What have we become after 10 years of the Liberal government? The motto should now be “crime, chaos and failing government”. Why do I say that? In the past 10 years, violent crime has gone up 54% and sexual assaults are up 75%. The focus of my comments, referring to the question I had during question period, is on extortion, and it is up a lot. What is extortion? It is the threat of violence to get cash; it is the classic shakedown of businesses and individuals to get them to pay up.”
“Mr. Speaker, over the weekend, the Prime Minister was asked if he had any contact with President Trump, and he said that he did not care and that he had no burning issues to discuss with him. I think that is crazy. Hundreds of thousands of workers have jobs that rely on exports to the United States. I am referring to the forestry, steel and auto industries in particular. How does my colleague not see that the Prime Minister's comments are irresponsible, just like the Liberals' inflationary budget and its repercussions on the cost of living?”
“Mr. Speaker, Canadians, including Quebeckers, want paycheques that will allow them to make ends meet. Right now, that is a struggle and a big challenge. Rent and groceries are a burden every month and every week, respectively. Does my colleague agree that the Liberal deficit is fuelling the inflation that is affecting the cost of living of ordinary people?”
“Mr. Speaker, it is very troubling what we hear from the Liberals when we bring up plants closing in British Columbia, mills closing and thousands of people losing jobs; they say there are supports. When there are automobile lines closing down and moving down to the States, they say there are supports. Does the member agree with me that workers do not want supports; they want their jobs?”
“Mr. Speaker, Canadians are looking for paycheques that last to the end of the month. They are struggling. Home ownership is increasingly out of reach. Making their rent is a challenge for millions of Canadians. Purchasing groceries is a weekly burden. Why are the Liberals so oblivious to the fact that their irresponsible deficit and debt accumulation is fuelling inflation?”
“Madam Speaker, I wonder if the member is as perplexed as I am right now about the comment the Prime Minister made when asked if he had been in communication with Donald Trump. He said, “Who cares?” He said that there is no “burning issue”, but 75% to 80% of our trade is with the States, mills are closing down and the automobile sector in British Columbia is losing jobs. I wonder if the member could comment on the Prime Minister 's nonchalance.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague. He and I have both been members of the Standing Committee on Official Languages for quite some time. In British Columbia, where I live, the cost of living is very high. I want to ask him if he can talk about the impact of inflation in his riding and how the deficit is affecting inflation.”
“Mr. Speaker, CTV just reported an extortion-related shooting in Abbotsford. In B.C., entire communities are living in fear as extortion has exploded nearly 500%. This is unacceptable and an indictment of the soft-on-crime, hug-a-thug Liberal government. Conservatives are providing solutions, and the Liberals are silent. Just this morning our Conservative leader requested an emergency debate on extortion. The Liberals shot it down. When will the Liberals take extortion seriously and not give empty platitudes?”
“Mr. Speaker, the red lights go off when I hear about all the investments the Liberals are going to make into tech companies and other businesses, especially when there were so many conflicts of interest with all the tech companies like those in the green slush fund that Liberal insiders and friends were getting their money into. This included COVID contracts' being given to former Liberal ministers. How many contracts, are we going to find out, are really getting friends and families of Liberals rich?”
“Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of Liberal rule, Canadians can no longer afford life in their own country. Under the Prime Minister , we are seeing empty bank accounts, fridges and stomachs. Food bank use in Toronto has doubled since 2023, and the situation is just as dire in B.C. Instead of the fastest-growing economy in the G7, we have the slowest. The Liberals have given us skyrocketing deficits and debt, factory shutdowns and vanishing jobs. Canadians are working harder but getting poorer. Every dollar this government spends raises taxes, inflation and the cost of living. Conservatives demand a budget that makes life affordable again, one that eliminates hidden taxes on food, work, homebuilding and investments, and that gets our deficit under control. We have had enough empty words and broken promises. It is time to strengthen Canada.”
“It's a really serious fiscal outlook. We don't lightly use the word ‘unsustainable’.” He said we do not have a couple of years. He is sounding the alarm, and the Liberals are not hearing it. They have earplugs—”
“Mr. Speaker, all I am seeing from the Liberals is pointing here and pointing there. They are not pointing to themselves. That is where they need to be pointing. They blame it on COVID. That was worldwide. They blame it on the Ukraine war. Those impacts are felt worldwide. Why is it that Canada's standard of living is declining compared to the rest of the developed nations'? It is because of the Liberals and their policies. I keep hearing about the generational budget from that side. Is it because the Liberals' deficit and the accumulated debt are going to be passed on to the next generation? Is it because the debt they have accumulated will be going on generation after generation? That is what I hear when I hear “generational budget”. The Parliamentary Budget Officer told the committee, “It's not a funny fiscal outlook.”
“Conservatives do believe in supports, but we believe in the responsible handling of government finances and programs. I talked with my daughter last night, who is a smart lady with a master's degree and a well-paying job. She said, “Dad, I'm just struggling.” After paying the rent and all her bills, she is struggling just to get by. She is going paycheque to paycheque and she is making a good salary. The Prime Minister talked about sacrifices for young people. Will the Liberals not recognize their programs are causing—”
“Food banks have reported a doubling of visits since 2019, and one-third of those coming are children, with 700,000 visiting food banks monthly. An overwhelming 96% of those coming to food banks are saying it is the rising cost of living that is crushing them. We can point to the Liberals for that, with their out-of-control spending. We will see what this budget is like tomorrow when it is presented. That out-of-control spending has led to deficits and increased debt. The $55 billion being spent on debt servicing is more than we are paying for the military. It is more than we are paying for the health transfers to Canadians, and Canadians are so frustrated with the health care system. If the Liberals had more control of their inflationary spending, we would be in a better position for supports.”
“It is not clicking with the Liberal government members, with their “government knows best” solution. I hear about the Liberals' solutions all the time. We hear about auto factories closing down, and forestry mills and businesses moving down to the States. When Liberals do not want to talk about these things, they just say that they will provide, supply and support supports. The workers do not want supports, they want their jobs. It is the Liberals, through their economic policies, who have just been destroying our economy and livelihoods. The Liberals' out-of-control deficit has led to spiralling inflation. Food costs are up 25% in the past four years. I can assure members that most Canadians are not making 25% more on their paycheques. Food insecurity now grips 39% of all Canadian households.”
“Mr. Speaker, last week I asked whether the Liberal government would rein in reckless spending so that many Canadians could live, eat and own their own homes again. Instead of addressing this, the member deflected to a permanent national food program. I did not mention it; they did. Days later, the Liberal MP for Vancouver Centre tweeted, “OMG [the Conservatives] just defended their voting against the National School Food Program by saying that parents would prefer to feed their kids themselves rather than have government feed them. [What's] The logic here?” The logic is this. Canadian parents want to escape poverty and choose what to feed their kids and they want to provide for their family, not for the government to do so. They do not want to depend on handouts to make ends meet to feed their families. They want good, paying jobs.”
“Mr. Speaker, I must admit that I am having tremendous difficulty listening to the Liberals pat themselves on the back like they have done something amazing for Canada. Under their watch, we have seen chaos and crime. The member talked about extortion in B.C., which has seen a 400% to 500% increase. Will the member not recognize that the Liberal Party, which he has been a member of for many years, has been absolutely sleepwalking this entire time?”
“Mr. Speaker, they would like to see changes in our communities. Despite all of these measures, I am not convinced of how much change there is going to be. Yes, there is going to be some. We need a lot more teeth because we have had 10 years of chaos and crime on our streets under the Liberal government. The government has had somewhat of a deathbed conversion, but I have to question its sincerity.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am no judge, but I certainly know that there is an unbelievable number of car thefts. We see it at the ports. Cars leave from the port of Montreal and other ports and go straight to Africa. What is happening? Not much is happening. The situation remains unchanged As Conservatives, we believe that legal principles and control measures are needed to put an end to all this. That is not happening right now under the justice system that the Liberals have set up. Crime is rising at an alarming rate.”
“Mr. Speaker, we support measures within the bill and will want to bring in other motions and amendments when it goes to committee. That is essential because, as it is, it is very watered down. Conservatives believe that public safety is paramount. We believe the principle of restraint must be repealed and replaced by a public safety primacy clause and that mandatory minimums must be restored for firearms and sexual offences, as well as repeat violent offences, because we do not see that. House arrest must be barred for robbery, trafficking and violent crimes.”
“Canadians deserve better, victims deserve better and Conservatives will never stop fighting for them. It is time to scrap Liberal bail, restore common sense and make Canada safe again.”
“We will push for real reforms, not window dressing. We will demand that Liberal bail be scrapped once and for all. However, let me be crystal clear: Until the Liberals make public safety their top priority, until they put victims ahead of violent repeat offenders and until they make justice mean something again, Canadians will not be safe. Liberal leniency has become Liberal lawlessness, and the only way to stop it, the only way to make our streets safe again, is with a Conservative government that believes in law, order and accountability. This is not about politics; it is about every parent who does not feel safe walking their child to school, every woman afraid to take the bus at night and every senior locking their door in broad daylight because they no longer recognize their neighbourhood.”
“Conservatives are not asking for a right turn; we are demanding a U-turn. We are all on the Liberal bus, careening down a dangerous road. The provinces are shouting, the police are shouting and Canadians are shouting, “Turn around.” The Liberals just smile, tap the brakes and pretend they have changed direction, while the cliffs keep coming closer. Conservatives will not sit silently in the back seat while the government drives safety over the edge. The government loves to say it is investing in safety, but the Minister of Public Safety says he is not responsible for hiring RCMP or CBSA officers. If he is not responsible, then who is? Is it the tooth fairy? Canadians deserve a government that takes responsibility, not one that points fingers and shrugs. Yes, Conservatives will work to strengthen Bill C-14 as much as we can.”
“It would not create true presumption of detention for dangerous offenders, and it would still tell judges to impose the least onerous conditions possible when granting bail. Tell that to the family of Bailey McCourt and to the children of Savannah Kulla. Here is the core of the problem. Conservatives believe in due process and the presumption of innocence, but due process does not mean a revolving door. If an accused person can be released, that is fine. However, we must give judges the power to impose strict bail conditions when necessary. Strict bail is fair, it is safe and it saves money compared to unnecessary incarceration, but the government's ideology ties judges' hands. It says to either grant bail on the easiest terms imaginable or deny it entirely. That is absurd. Half-baked legislation creates half-safe communities.”
“In 2022, nearly one-third of homicides were committed by people already out on some form of release, whether bail, probation or house arrest. If that does not bring the Liberals and the administration of justice into disrepute, I do not know what does. (1605) What do the Liberals do now? They bring in Bill C-14 , a timid half measure that tinkers around the edges. Yes, it would narrow the principle of restraint and expand reverse onus provisions, which are steps Conservatives have been demanding for years. However, it would not repeal Bill C-75 or Bill C-5 , the twin pillars of the government's soft-on-crime experiment. The bill would not restore mandatory minimums for gun offences, sex offences and repeat violent crimes.”
“They are trying to clean up their own mess with a mop made of Liberal spin. Let us remember how we got here. Bill C-75 , the Liberal law that enshrined the so-called principle of restraint, told judges to release first and ask questions later. Then there is Bill C-5 , the law that scrapped mandatory minimums for gun crimes and sexual offences and brought back house arrest for criminals who should be behind bars. This has meant that convicted sexual offenders have served sentences in their own living room, that a child pornographer in British Columbia got an 18-month house arrest, and that a man who tried to pay for sex with a 15-year-old girl received a three-month term house arrest because a longer sentence might have delayed his citizenship.”
“Behind each of those statistics is a name, a face and a story: for example, Bailey McCourt, brutally murdered by her ex-husband, who had been released on bail after an assault conviction; or Savannah Kulla-Davies, a 29-year-old mother of four who was shot and killed in Brampton. Her killer was out on bail. When will the government understand that its compassion for criminals has become cruelty toward victims? Bill C-14 is not a solution; it is a confession. It is the government's finally admitting that its so-called reforms are a disaster. The Liberals talk about adjusting and clarifying, but no; the bill is a watered down imitation of the Conservative plan the Liberals voted against time after time. They ridiculed it, then they quietly copied it when Canadians demanded action.”
“Every police chief and every frontline officer who has spoken out has warned the Liberal government that its bail policies are handcuffing police and setting criminals free. Every ordinary Canadian knows, because they can see and feel it, that violent crime has exploded under the Liberal government. Since the Liberals have come into power, violent crime is up 55%; extortion has skyrocketed 330% across our nation and is closer to 600%, at 582%, in British Columbia; and sexual assaults are up 75%. In British Columbia, the number of sexual violations against children has quadrupled. These are not abstract numbers; these are shattered lives, broken families and terrified communities.”
“Mr. Speaker, if I were to encapsulate the bill, I would say that it is far too little and far too late. It is not an act of leadership; it is an act of desperation. It is a half-hearted political band-aid from a government caught red-handed presiding over a public safety crisis of its own making. For nearly a decade, the Liberals have gambled with the safety of Canadians. They have told us that their modern bail system would be fairer, more compassionate and more enlightened. Well, it has been none of those things. Their ideology has unleashed chaos on our streets, fear in our neighbourhoods and heartbreak in our families. All 10 premiers, every single one of them, have begged the Prime Minister to fix his broken bail system.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister lectured a room full of students that they will have to make sacrifices, but they already have. They have sacrificed their dream of owning a home, watched food prices soar and are struggling to find work. Statistics Canada says one in four barely make ends meet. After 10 years of Liberal failures, Canadians are working harder but falling further behind. Will the Liberals finally rein in their reckless spending so people can afford to live, eat and own a home again?”
“The Conservatives will fight for a Canada where families can afford to live with hope and dignity, where they can feel safe in their communities and where they can put their trust in their government to be on their side, not working against them.”
“It is practical and its solutions will make changes, but the Liberal government, with its habitual obstruction, has stalled and blocked common-sense reforms like the jail, not bail initiative, showing that it prefers photo-ops and hollow promises to real changes. Canadians deserve more than symbolic gestures; they deserve a government that will fight aggressively for their interests by securing jobs in the auto sector, in forestry or anywhere else. They deserve a government that will make our communities safe again, not one that allows repeat violent offenders to walk free because of political ideology.”
“It seems like it is a free-for-all now to burn down churches or other places of worship under the Liberals. When I asked an OPQ, the government released that there were over 400 instances where places of worship experienced arson attacks. Deaths have occurred because of this. The Liberals do a lot of talking about criminal justice, but things have only gotten worse, and they are only going to get worse the way they are going. This week, on Monday, the Conservative member for Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola introduced Bill C-255 . This legislation represents a meaningful step toward protecting victims of intimate partner violence.”
“In my constituency, in Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows and Mission, it is the RCMP. They work hard and do the very best they can to protect our communities under the legal framework they have. All Canadians owe them a debt of gratitude. In stark contrast to the Liberal record, the Conservative Party puts forward concrete and practical solutions that reflect the real needs of Canadians. We recently brought forward the jail, not bail legislation the Liberals voted against, even though police forces across the nation supported it. Last year, I brought forward Bill C-411 , the anti-arson act, which would have brought in strong consequences for torching our forests and would have brought in mandatory minimums for those burning down places of worship.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am speaking to Bill C-223 , which is on criminal justice, but I think we need to talk about what is happening on our streets. That is important. I expect there will be more points of order. Why? It is because this is very uncomfortable. It is not a personal thing. I know different members over there, and I have respect for them as individuals, but I am talking about policies. I am talking about the direction the Liberal government has brought our nation in, and it is not good. When I was going door to door talking to thousands of people, I asked how crime has been over the past 10 years and where things were at. Nobody said it has gotten better. It has gotten worse, and Liberal policy is making it worse. I want to declare, unequivocally, my respect and admiration for our police forces.”
“They are doing their job, but the legislation has made it so that they have to release criminals under the least onerous conditions. The reckless Liberal approach has left families feeling vulnerable in their own neighbourhood and unsure if their home or their children are safe. (1730) The Liberals' approach to justice is not just misguided; it is dangerous. lt puts the rights of criminals ahead of those of victims and communities, eroding trust in our institutions. Their bail, not jail policies have been like a bullhorn, blasting out to offenders that consequences are optional, that they can go ahead and roam our streets. If they want to steal or do this or that, it is a free-for-all. This is not the Canada I knew growing up, and it is not the Canada it should be right now.”
“They committed a break-in. This is the experience we are facing across our nation, and it is not good. Why has this been happening? It is because the Liberal government has systematically weakened our justice system. It has prioritized ideological policies over the safety of law-abiding citizens. It has eliminated mandatory jail time for serious offences and has effectively made it easier for repeat offenders to roam free, terrorizing communities. In Vancouver, the same 40 individuals were apprehended 5,000 times in one year, and that is just for the crimes they were caught for. I have talked to police officers who tell me how frustrating it is to arrest someone and to see them out later that day or the next day, roaming the streets again. They have asked, “What is the use?” It is not their fault at all.”
“The streets Canadians walk on are less and less safe. The statistics I just mentioned, and anybody can look up those numbers, represent hundreds of thousands, even millions, of Canadians. These are not just numbers but are families, victims and children. Auto thefts, break-ins and assaults are becoming increasingly regular occurrences. A few years ago I was talking with the agent of an insurance company who said that my neighbourhood was quite safe. I thought that was great, because it impacts insurance rates. In the past year or two, I have been surprised by how many of my neighbours have come to me wanting to see what my security cameras have shown, because of activities that have happened. Recently, and I was not able to get the car's licence plate number, there was a car parked outside with guys in it wearing masks over their faces.”
“One thing Canadians from coast to coast agree on is that they have felt less safe and less protected over the past 10 years. Why do they feel less safe? It is because they actually are less safe. Do not take my word for it; look at Statistics Canada. Since the Liberals have come into power, violent crime is up 54%. Extortion has skyrocketed 330% across our nation and actually 582% in British Columbia. Sexual assaults have gone up 75%, and on the topic of children, sexual violations against children are up 249% in 10 years. People can go to the Statistics Canada website to see this. In British Columbia, for which I am a member of Parliament, it has gone up 400%. This is crazy, out of control and terrible. There is no doubt that public safety under the Liberal government is a glaring failure.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak to Bill C-223 , which was brought forward by the member for Hamilton Mountain . I think everyone recognizes that the safety of our children and our grandchildren is paramount. My wife and I have four beautiful granddaughters, and I can attest that their parents would do anything within their means to protect them from danger, and my wife and I would stand there with them. It is instinctive and natural to protect our young. We see it in the animal kingdom. There are bears that come into my backyard and neighbourhood regularly, and no one wants to face a mother bear with her cubs. This is true even with birds, which will protect their nest. It is natural for a society to want to protect its young people, and it is really important.”
“Mr. Speaker, I just finished reading, over the past couple of hours, emails from people in my constituency, and elsewhere, who are concerned about their rights and freedoms being eroded. They are concerned that the bills the Liberals are bringing forward are being used to suppress their rights and also increase the power of the state. This was brought forward during the debate on Bill C‑2 ; Conservatives are also concerned about this bill. Can the Liberal parliamentary secretary speak to the fact that law-abiding Canadians feel like they are being criminalized and that the Liberals are not standing up against real criminals?”