James Maloney
Etobicoke—Lakeshore, Ontario · Liberal · Canada
“Motion for concurrence Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, two reports of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would be honoured to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, in relation to Bill C-231 , an act to amend the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with amendments.”
“Mr. Speaker, during the last election, we committed to connecting Canada's electricity grids from east to west rather than from north to south.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, in relation to Bill C-16 , an act to amend certain acts in relation to criminal and correctional matters regarding child protection, gender-based violence, delays and other measures.”
“Mr. Speaker, last night Canadians made a big decision in University—Rosedale, Scarborough Southwest and Terrebonne by putting their trust in this new government's plan and our Prime Minister . To everyone who put their name on the ballot, I want to say thanks. Our democracy is better off for their participation.”
“Mr. Speaker, five years ago yesterday, the House adopted a motion declaring March as Irish Heritage Month. In 1847, Irish immigrants arrived on our shores. They were sick; they were hungry; they were dying. What did Canada do? We welcomed them. The Irish have helped build this country.”
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“I followed that by saying that I defy anybody to say that to my face. It was misinterpreted as a challenge to go outside or something ridiculous like that. The next thing I knew, it was on social media. I will reiterate what I said then. I do not think anybody in this chamber will tell me that I do not believe in the values that I just pronounced, and I know they do not either. That is my starting point. Having said that, I am sort of sad that I missed the debate last Friday on the Standing Orders because, had I been here, I might have suggested something like changing the name of “opposition day” to “obstruction day”. The leader of the official opposition spoke in this chamber earlier today and said to “put aside partisan obstructionism”.”
“Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel . First, I want to say that I am always incredibly proud to speak in this chamber and to stand here as a representative of the people of Etobicoke—Lakeshore, whom I have the great fortune and honour of representing. I thank them at every opportunity I get. I am really happy to be standing here today, talking about a very important topic. I emphasize that, because I am distinguishing it from a very important motion. The last time I spoke in the House on crime-related issues, I said something along the lines that I do not think there is anybody in this chamber or any elected official who does not believe that defending our citizens, standing up for our communities and having safe streets is critically important.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights in relation to Bill C-14 , an act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and the National Defence Act, regarding bail and sentencing. The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with amendments.”
“I make a special mention of the Canadian industry, which has a strong presence in my riding of Etobicoke—Lakeshore. We will celebrate Gaelic sports, but the gloves might come off if we meet in the World Cup. However, we will hug and toast each other after the competition, as family does. Slàinte .”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the close and growing relationship between Ireland and Canada. Today, the Irish Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan, and our Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture launched Canada-Ireland 180. This initiative, planned for 2027, will commemorate the 180th anniversary of the Great Famine migration in 1847, when over 100,000 Irish people landed on our shores. Irish Canadians have become a core part of Canada's history, national identity and culture. This initiative will celebrate that shared heritage through events, art, screen and sport. Nothing grabs the heart more than creative storytelling, so the collaboration between screen industries in both countries will be moving.”
“Mr. Speaker, I became chair of the justice committee just two short days ago. I am honoured to take on that responsibility, and I take it very seriously. It quickly became very apparent to me that the committee was having a great deal of trouble, emotions were running high and the members did not have a path forward to deal with some very important legislation that was before the committee. Acting in the best interest of the committee members, the members of the House and the members of the public who want this bill to pass, I decided to cancel the meeting so the members could regroup to find a path forward. Some hon. members: Oh, oh!”
“Mr. Speaker, across the country, Canadians are seeing a rise in hate, threats and intimidation aimed at our communities. If the Conservatives are finally ready to put the safety of their own communities first, the combatting hate act is right in front of them. Can the Minister of Justice tell us what this legislation would mean for the safety of our neighbourhoods, schools and places of worship?”
“Terry will be forever missed by countless people, most of all by Evelyn, their children, their grandchildren and his extended family. Rest in peace, Terry, and thanks.”
“Mr. Speaker, on September 27, the Ottawa Valley lost a giant in Terry McHale. Devoted to his community, he served as a municipal councillor and spent 40 years with the Douglas Fire Department, rising to become fire chief. An entrepreneur, he and his brother Jim owned and operated Bromley Farm Supply, a cornerstone of the local agricultural community. In addition, together with his love, Evelyn, he owned and operated the famous Douglas Tavern for 49 years. It was not just a community gathering place where everyone was welcomed but also where the McHales hosted celebrations of their Irish heritage and culture, of which Terry was fiercely proud. Generosity ran through his veins. He and Evelyn raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support the community. He was also a driving force of the Lions Club.”
“I welcome everyone from across Canada visiting for Tibet day on the Hill, and I give a special welcome to Richard Gere, who is a true champion for the campaign for Tibet. Tashi delek .”
“Mr. Speaker, this year we celebrate the 90th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Following a request from His Holiness to then prime minister, Lester Pearson, the first two Tibetan refugees landed in Canada on October 15, 1970, just over 55 years ago. Since then, Tibetan Canadians have been contributing to the Canadian economy and to the community and social fabric of our country. Personally, it is a privilege to have the Tibetan Canadian Cultural Centre, established just over 27 years ago, in my constituency of Etobicoke—Lakeshore. The impact of His Holiness is far-reaching, and his message of peace, non-violence and the pursuit of harmony and happiness is making the world a better place. I call on the House to declare 2025 the year of compassion.”
“A witness who actually was the commissioner of the OPP came to committee and talked about getting that data, because he said that Bill C-48 was a good bill but that we do not know how good because we do not have the provinces collecting the data.”
“Mr. Speaker, that was an excellent question. It gets to the nub of the issue, because without data we cannot make further enhancements and the provinces cannot make further enhancements. As I was saying in my previous response, we need to know the circumstances in which offences are subject to criminals' being released: how busy the courts are, what the workloads are for the Crown attorney and what the capacity is in the court system. This is the data we need as a country. The federal government can play a role in aggregating data, but the data comes from the provinces. It is as simple as that because they control the system. Without that data, further steps become more and more challenging, so I want to thank the member for the question. This is an issue we need to keep pushing forward.”
“Mr. Speaker, I also enjoy working with the hon. member on important issues like Tibet. His question was an excellent one. We are prepared to work with all parties at committee to make sure the bill would be adopted in a fashion best suited for Canadians. We are open to amendments; we are always open to amendments. That is what the committee process is for. We respect the process of committees, and we respect the process of the House. The ultimate goal of course is to get the bill passed as quickly as possible, and that includes getting it through committee.”
“Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me say how sorry I am. The heart of every member of the House, as I said earlier, goes out to people like that. I want to live in a world where that is not going to happen, just like the member does, and just like Jonny did. However, using these examples to suggest that the entirety of the system is broken is, with respect, unfair and a mis-characterization. I am not familiar with the details of the case, so I cannot comment on it. The criminal should not have been out on bail. However, I would like to know what the circumstances were in the bail court, how many bail hearings there were that day, what the training of the justice of the peace was and what the Crown attorney's responsibilities were that day, because this is where the system is really under duress and is breaking down.”
“To see the effectiveness of these laws, we need the co-operation of the provincial governments. They need to do their part and step up so we can make the system better as a whole.”
“In fact, this judge, and I would encourage the members opposite to go read the decision, increased the sentence so he could put them in a federal jail because there is capacity. The province is under-funding the system. We talked about Bill C-48 . Bill C-48 was adopted unanimously in the House. It is a positive piece of legislation. It helped the system. It strengthened the system, but we do not have any data on that, because data collection is also the responsibility of the provincial government. We need them to work with the federal government, the municipalities and the police forces so we can get this data, and any changes that need to be made at the provincial level can be done. This is something that has been admitted by all of the witnesses who appear before the committee as well.”
“It is a case of people accepting responsibility for their own actions and what they can do. This is what this piece of legislation does. If the Province of Ontario, in my case, is prepared to work with us, it needs to adopt these laws. In the riding of the justice critic for the Conservatives, there was a decision released just yesterday, or just this week, by a local judge who said, and I am sure he has probably appeared before him, that the system is broken because the jails are over capacity. We cannot even put people in there. The system is under such duress. Building jails is the responsibility of the provincial government because it is the justices of the peace and the provincial governments that are responsible for this.”
“Right now, it does not, and every witness who has come before the committee has agreed with that. The problem is that, if we do not work in conjunction with the provinces, or they do not work in conjunction with us, the problem could potentially become more problematic, because the weight of the new laws on a system that is already overburdened could create a whole new set of problems it is not prepared to deal with. On Monday afternoon, we had a Crown attorney from British Columbia who agreed with that. We have had members of the law enforcement community who agree with that. We have had defence lawyers who agree with that. Everybody who is in the system agrees with that, because they understand it. This is not a case of pointing fingers and assigning blame.”
“They are good, because another Conservative witness came before the committee just this week and said that the existing bail laws in Canada right now are very good. The issue is enforcement, which takes me to my next point. We are constantly being accused by the members opposite of trying to blame the provinces. We are not blaming the provinces; we are trying to teach the members of the opposition some civics. There are jurisdictional boundaries that the federal government has to follow, the province has to follow and municipalities have to follow. We are responsible for amending the Criminal Code. The provinces, which in my case is Ontario, are responsible for funding the court system, hiring Crown attorneys, building jails, and making sure there is the capacity to do what it has to do.”
“Jail not bail. James Maloney: Mr. Speaker, there we go. There is the rhyming. It is very productive. Bill C-14 creates a regime that is going to help our frontline police officers. It is going to help our Crown attorneys, and it is going to make sure they are properly informed on what the principle of restraint actually means so it can be applied properly. When I speak with those frontline officers, unfortunately, the rhetoric of the world permeates their environment as well. What this new legislation would do is explain what the principle of restraint is. It would enhance the provisions of Bill C-75 , and it is going to make an existing set of bail laws, which are already very good, better.”
“It is an absolute falsehood, and they need to stop. (1205) The witness the previous speaker spoke to appeared before committee last night. He is a renowned criminal lawyer in the city of Toronto, who has been practising for decades. His evidence was that the principle of restraint is nothing new. All they did was codify it. I have been making the same arguments on behalf of my clients in courtrooms for decades. Nothing has changed. It is a red herring. Those are my words, not his, but he agreed with me. They need to stop. I would encourage them to actually go read the bill, to go read that section. An hon. member: Oh, oh! James Maloney: Mr. Speaker, I would encourage members to take some time to read it. Having said that, this bill does enhance the provisions in that section of the Criminal Code. An hon. member: Jail not bail, buddy.”
“Bill C-75, the bill that the Conservatives constantly talk about as the piece of legislation that somehow undermined the integrity of the justice system, did the exact opposite. It strengthened the laws for intimate partner violence. When they talk about Bill C-75, they fail to mention that. I have talked to frontline officers in the city of Toronto in 22 Division, and I am very proud of its membership. I work with them on a regular basis. I support them every way I can, and they know that. Bill C-75 codified a decision from the Supreme Court of Canada called the principle of restraint. If members go to section 493 of the Criminal Code, they can read the provisions. Nowhere in that section does it say that courts are to do what the Conservatives suggests they do, which is to release multiple-offending criminals out on the street.”
“It does not get to the heart of what we are talking about. It creates an impression that is entirely false. The other thing I want to address is that, every single time these discussions take place in that manner, it suggests that some members in the chamber are less concerned about keeping our communities safe than others, which is absolute, utter nonsense. To any member who wants to look me in the face, either here or out in the hallway, to tell me that I do not care about the safety of my community and the residents in Etobicoke—Lakeshore, let us go outside and do it right now, because that is absolutely false. They know it is false, yet they continue to do it over and over again. It is completely unacceptable. Let us talk about an example.”
“Just this week, at the justice committee, we had a number of witnesses, who were called by the Conservatives, I might add, and this is a point that must be remembered. One of those witnesses asked that there, please, be no politics and no sound bites. There is the rhetoric, the rhyming, the “bail not jail” and the “catch and release”. All of these catchy phrases serve no purpose other than to undermine the integrity of our justice system and strike fear in the hearts of the public, when it should not be doing that. I am asking the Conservatives to stop, and this is an opportunity for them to make that change. The speaker before me referred to my city of Toronto as “Gotham City”. I do not know. Maybe he still watches Batman , but it is just embarrassing when these guys get up to say ridiculous things like that.”
“We have seen the response from members of the law enforcement community and from the justice system at large who have come out supporting this bill overwhelmingly. I am going to keep asking the opposition whether its members will do the same. I find it very ironic, frankly, that the Conservatives opposite spend so much time asking for something and then complain about it when they get it, which is what we are dealing with on Bill C-14 . I will talk about two or three major issues. One issue is an unfortunate piece in all of this, which is the rhetoric. This matter is non-partisan, as a number of my colleagues said earlier today. Unfortunately, it is wrought with members of Parliament trying to score political points on an issue and in an area for which they should be doing the exact opposite.”
“Madam Speaker, first, I would like to point out that I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Winnipeg North . I am pleased to stand on behalf of my constituents in the great riding of Etobicoke—Lakeshore, as I always am, but in particular I am pleased to speak to a bill of such importance to not only my community but also communities across the country. Bill C-14 is the result of an overwhelming effort from our Minister of Justice , the Secretary of State for Combatting Crime , the Department of Justice and the government. They spent the last six months travelling across the country to meet with stakeholders in the court system, the law enforcement community, lawyers and the Crown attorney. This is the product of that hard work.”
“Madam Speaker, I have the honour of sitting on the justice committee with the member. He has referred to a defence lawyer and a police commissioner, both of whom came to committee and asked us to pass this bill. My question for him is this: Will he comply with their request to move quickly and agree to support this bill?”
“The member is absolutely right that the British pensioners in Canada are not being treated properly by their own government. Will he acknowledge that the Government of Canada and the MPs of the House have actually been working hard on the issue?”
“Madam Speaker, there is a lot of material to cover in the hon. member's words. I just want to remind him that I know he is much younger than I am, but Canada, like other countries, went away from the gold standard in 1971. Canada sold its gold reserves to diversify its portfolio into more interest-bearing types of investments. He knows that. I know that the British pensioners are coming to Ottawa next week, because I am part of a group of people who are hosting. I have met with them on a regular basis for the last several years, as have a number of the member's colleagues. I have raised the issue with British politicians at every opportunity, and so have his colleagues, side by side with me. We have written letters to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. It is not a partisan issue, frankly.”
“Today, we welcome the Irish Taoiseach, Taoiseach Micheál Martin, to Ottawa to join with Canada in our ongoing efforts to make the world a better place. Today's meeting is not just a meeting between two great countries but also a meeting between two great friends. We thank him for coming to Canada. He is always very welcome here.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate one of our country's oldest friends and allies, Ireland. The ties that bind our two countries are many; they are economic, historical, cultural and emotional. In 1866, the first transatlantic cable between Europe and North America connected Canada and Ireland. Irish Canadians helped build our country. During challenging economic times, Canada and Ireland have stood together to ensure our nations thrive. The resolution of the troubles in Northern Ireland was a result of a common desire for peace and hard work, and Canada was there. This led to the historic Good Friday agreement, signed almost 30 years ago. A Canadian general, General John de Chastelain, helped steer that process and was responsible for getting the guns out of Northern Ireland.”