Dane Lloyd
Parkland, Alberta · Conservative · Canada
“He is a very intelligent man who I think put forward some very reasonable amendments. We as Conservatives and the Bloc Québécois wanted to have him sit in on the meeting so he could provide his insight on the more technical nature of some of the amendments and the issues we were talking about.”
“However, ever since the government received its manufactured majority, it has not been interested in working with other parties. Now we see that it is using this programming motion to try to ram through the legislation so that we cannot scrutinize it further. I respect the members of our non-partisan public service.”
“It has been ruled unconstitutional in the European Union to mass-keep the data of people in the European Union, yet this is what the government is putting forward. Some people would say that it is not going to misuse the data and that it would have to get a warrant in this case.”
“It was over a short matter of weeks in two-hour meetings, where we had panels of very intelligent experts who had a lot to say about the legislation. Every day I was getting emails from the public safety committee clerk with new submissions and briefs.”
“Madam Speaker, the hon. member was indeed there. It was very concerning because we had the Privacy Commissioner come to committee, and I had received nothing from the Privacy Commissioner prior to the start of that meeting.”
“As such, part 1 of the legislation seeks to create a subscriber confirmation, and I think that this could be an effective way to have something that does not require a warrant and to ask electronic service providers and telecommunications companies a simple yes-or-no question: Do they provide services to an IP address, or do they provide…”
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“Mr. Speaker, currently there is nothing that expressly requires judges or parole boards to consider these factors. There is nothing in our legislation that allows for judges to give an increased period of parole ineligibility when somebody is found to be withholding relevant information that could lead to the recovery of victims. I think these are novel powers that we would be giving to our justice system, novel powers that judges and parole boards would have the discretion to use as they see appropriate.”
“It is an injustice, and this legislation seeks to solve it. Just because a killer is prosecuted and incarcerated, that does not mean victims' families have full closure. In fact, victims' families could never have full closure, but not having the remains of their loved ones is an ongoing trauma that families face each and every day. As long as remains go unfound, it continues to impact victims' dignity and the well-being of their families. I introduced this legislation because I believe families have a right to know where their loved ones are. They have the right to give them a proper funeral, and those who would deny them the fundamental decency of having their remains for a funeral must be held to account. I have not made this a partisan issue.”
“Just last year, Travis Vader was up for parole, and the Parole Board was required to make only two key considerations: whether his release would pose an undue risk to society and whether his release promoted the protection of society. Travis Vader was never required to provide any material information that led to the recovery of his victims' remains. He was never required to admit the guilt of his crime, and he has not been held accountable for withholding this information from the families. Bret McCann has said that throughout court proceedings, Vader continuously mocked the McCann family by smirking and making obscene gestures. The idea that somebody could be granted parole and be allowed to walk the streets in this country while they have information about the location of their victims' remains is abhorrent.”
“He was convicted on an overwhelming body of evidence that proved beyond a reasonable doubt that he had committed the murders. I have heard some argue that perhaps this legislation should not be enacted because those who are convicted of a crime may be innocent and this legislation could be used on them. My simple answer to them is that by that logic, why would we ever put anyone in prison if they claim they are innocent? We have a judicial system that protects the principle of the presumption of innocence, but once somebody has been convicted of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt, it is not up to the Parole Board to question the legitimacy of that decision.”
“Despite no body being found, overwhelming evidence led to a conviction of first-degree murder. Just yesterday, despite having stabbed another prisoner as recently as 2023, Millard was downgraded to a medium-security prison, and his co-conspirator Mark Smich has been enjoying medium-security prison since 2021. This was done despite a refusal on the part of the killers to admit to the crime they were convicted of, and they have never provided information about the location of Laura Babcock's remains. Even though these killers have been convicted and are incarcerated, the trauma for victims and their families continues to this day. During the trial of Travis Vader, the McCann family killer, he claimed that he was not guilty because of a lack of physical evidence.”
“In reaction to this recent case, the Assembly of Treaty Chiefs for Treaties 6, 7 and 8 made this resolution at its convention: We support strengthening accountability by requiring offenders convicted of serious crimes to disclose information about the location of victims' remains before parole or sentencing consideration, recognizing its potential to bring closure and healing to families of [missing and murdered indigenous persons]. Just today, we received the shocking news that one of the killers of Laura Babcock, Dellen Millard, was downgraded from maximum security to medium security. Laura Babcock went missing in early July 2012. The pair of killers are believed to have disposed of her body in an animal crematory, and her remains have never been found.”
“After an extensive search, his body was found just south of my town of Stony Plain on October 16, four and a half months after he was last seen alive. I want to recognize the exceptional effort of all those involved. Despite investigators calling it “one of the most challenging cases [they] have been involved in”, the unwavering dedication of police, his family and volunteers allowed for Samuel to receive a proper burial. His accused killer has been charged with 14 offences. While the family of Samuel Bird will be granted some closure by his remains being found, the accused made obvious concerted efforts to hide his body in the hopes that it would never be found.”
“The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls reported in 2019 that indigenous women are 12 times more likely to be murdered or go missing than non-indigenous women. In 2022, at least four indigenous women were murdered by a serial killer. The remains of Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran and Rebecca Contois were found in landfill searches. However, the remains of the fourth victim, Ashlee Christine Shingoose, have never been found. (1340) The killer has been convicted on four counts of first-degree murder. However, he has shown no remorse for his actions and has never co-operated in locating his victims' remains. This killer will be eligible for parole in 2047. In my riding, there was the case of Samuel Bird this past summer. In June, a young boy, 14-year-old Samuel Bird of Paul First Nation, went missing.”
“She was visiting the city to go on a date with a man she met online. It was not until early 2010 that police finally arrested her killer. According to information uncovered as part of an undercover police investigation, her killer admitted to strangling her and killing her. After violating her body, he dumped it on the banks of the St. Lawrence River. Although it has been over 20 years, the sisters and friends of Lyne Massicotte have been unable to find peace, because her remains have never been found. Her killer is eligible for parole in 2035. There is the saga of missing and murdered indigenous women. Despite composing 4% of Canada's female population, indigenous women make up 10% of missing women in Canada and 16% of all female homicides.”
“The circumstances of this murder are graphic, disturbing and horrifying, and I will not speak of them in the House today. However, purely by coincidence, a photo shot by a camera on a plane owned by a digital mapping company showed their bodies lying face down on the property of the convicted person. When the same plane flew over the next day, the bodies were gone. Their killer was convicted on two counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder. He has refused to offer any details on the location of his victims' remains. He never expressed regret or remorse. The sentencing judge said it is hard to imagine “a more cunning, cruel and horrific set of circumstances”. There is also the murder of Lyne Massicotte. In July 2003, 43-year-old Lyne Massicotte was murdered in Quebec City.”
“In cases in which a judge decides not to use these powers, they can explain their decision so that families can have that accountability and explanation. These provisions are meant to prioritize the rights of victims and their families in keeping with the objectives of the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights. Even though the McCanns' killer has been convicted and incarcerated, he continues to traumatize the family by withholding the location of his victims. Although it was the McCann story that inspired me to bring this case here today, in sad reality, it is not the only case. In 2014, Kathy Liknes, 5-year-old Nathan O'Brien and 66-year-old Alvin Liknes were murdered in Calgary, Alberta. At some point in the early morning of June 30, their murderer disabled a lock on their home and broke in.”
“These legislative powers would only come into effect after an accused has been convicted of a crime involving the death of a person and when a judge has determined, based on the facts of the case, that the offender has material information they are withholding. It strengthens the tools available to the justice system to hold offenders accountable. To be clear, if an offender does co-operate and the remains are found, this does not guarantee they will get parole. The parole board will still have to consider a number of factors, including whether they are a threat to the community and other factors. It is worth emphasizing that the bill has been designed to ensure that judges, parole boards and correctional officials maintain full discretion to use these powers as they deem appropriate.”
“These are circumstances in which an inmate may be authorized to leave prison because of humanitarian or other reasons. There is discretion to decline these requests if an inmate continues to withhold the whereabouts of the remains. The Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees the right for an accused person not to be compelled to provide testimony. This would be incriminating against themselves. This is a very important constitutional protection. Bill C-236 does not create any consequences for an accused for the purpose of compelling information about the remains of their alleged victims.”
“The amendments to the Corrections and Conditional Release Act are as follows: The bill adds a proposed subsection under section 102 that the parole board has the discretion to refuse to grant parole if it deems that the offender is withholding information on the location of the remains based on the facts of the case as determined by the sentencing judge. It also proposes to add in section 116 that the parole board has the discretion to refuse to authorize unescorted temporary absences if it deems that the offender is withholding information on the location of remains. The amendments to the Prisons and Reformatories Act are as follows: Co-operation in locating the remains of victims will be considered in granting temporary absences.”
“At sentencing, the judge would have to determine, based on the facts of the case, whether they believe the offender has material information that would lead to the recovery of victims' remains. In cases in which a judge does not believe an offender has this material information, the judge would have the discretion not to use these powers. (1335) If these powers are used, and an offender later provides material information that leads to the recovery of the victim's remains, or if the circumstances leading to the order being put in place cease to exist, such as the remains being found, then the court would have the power to revoke this order.”
“The amendments to the Criminal Code seek to achieve this: At sentencing, after an offender has already been convicted, the court will consider their refusal to provide information on the location of their victims to be an aggravating factor. If the court decides not to consider the offender's refusal to provide this information at sentencing, it must provide the reasons for this decision. This seeks to ensure accountability and transparency for victims' families, who all too often do not understand what is going on in the courts. If an offender is sentenced for more than two years to life and refuses to provide information on the location of their victim's remains, the court has the discretion to order that parole will not be considered until half the sentence has been served, or 10 years, whichever is less.”
“It is a crime that currently has no consequences. The idea that a killer could be released on parole while they continue to refuse to provide this information is abhorrent to Canadians. What Bill C-236 proposes to do is to address this injustice by giving judges, parole boards and correctional authorities new powers to consider an offender's refusal to co-operate in disclosing the location of the victim's remains at sentencing, in parole hearings and in other release decisions. Currently, there is no requirement for an offender's refusal to disclose to be considered by judges or parole boards. The current bill seeks to amend three statutes: the Criminal Code, the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, and the Prisons and Reformatories Act.”
“On the evening of July 5, their motorhome was found ablaze at a campground near Edson, Alberta. The investigation led to the arrest and conviction of their killer, Travis Vader. While it is rare for someone to be convicted of murder without a body having been found, a judge decided that the overwhelming amount of evidence meant he could conclude beyond a reasonable doubt that Vader had committed the murders. Vader is behind bars to this day, but he was eligible for parole as recently as last year. He has continuously refused to disclose the location of the remains of his victims, meaning that the family has never been able to hold a proper funeral and get that closure. I believe that withholding information that would lead to the recovery of victims' remains is an ongoing crime against the victims' families.”
“It is very important to myself, and my family, that my parents' remains be located, and buried properly. I think it is a critical component of our grieving, and the one individual who knows where my parents' remains are has said nothing. Vader must reveal what he did with my parents' remains. “‘No body, no parole’ laws have been enacted in Australia as a way of trying to bring closure to the families of murder victims. Similarly, the United Kingdom has implemented ‘Helen's law’. “Like our Commonwealth partner countries [have done], Bill C-236 should be implemented in Canada as well.” On July 3, 2010, 78-year-old Lyle and 77-year-old Marie McCann from St. Albert embarked on a road trip to British Columbia. They were on their way to pick up their daughter in Abbotsford, B.C. Tragically, they never arrived.”
“Their killer is currently behind bars, but, to this day, we do not know the location of their remains. I want to start by reading a statement from their son, Bret McCann, on behalf of the McCann family. It states, “On July 3, 2010, Travis Vader killed my parents, Lyle and Marie McCann. In early 2017, Vader received a life sentence for this despicable crime. “Vader has never acknowledged that he committed this heinous crime. “Our pain is everlasting. We will never forget, or forgive, what Vader has done. “We know that it is critical for Vader's rehabilitation that he admit to having committed the murder of my parents. This is a prerequisite to any possibility of him ever having a role in normal society. “As part of this admission, Vader would also need to provide authorities with the location of my parents' remains.”
“moved that Bill C-236, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and the Prisons and Reformatories Act , be read the second time and referred to a committee. Bill C-236. Second reading He said: Mr. Speaker, this may be the most important speech that I have given as a member of Parliament in my political career so far. That is because, as I think we can all agree in the House, the promises we make to our constituents, particularly constituents who are families of victims of crime, are the most important promises we make. I have been a member of Parliament for eight years, and this is the first opportunity I have had to bring forward this private member's bill. The legislation was named in honour of Lyle and Marie McCann from St. Albert, Alberta. They were brutally murdered in 2010.”
“Mr. Speaker, talk is cheap every day that the Liberals keep their shipping ban in place. The best way to protect and grow Canada's economy is to lift the Liberal shipping ban and start exporting our oil to markets other than the United States. The Liberal shipping ban prevents Canada from building a major new oil pipeline to the west coast to reach energy-starved Asian markets. The shipping ban costs us tens of thousands of jobs and billions in additional revenue every year. Under the Liberals, every day is Black Friday for Americans buying our cheap energy. Why are the Liberals handing the Americans yet another win by blocking our biggest export?”
“Mr. Speaker, a new one-million-barrel-a-day pipeline will mean $5 billion in additional royalties every year. Canada exports over $100 billion a year in oil every year. It is our largest export. It provides jobs, taxes and prosperity for all Canadians. However, under the Liberals, we will never be able to build a new pipeline to the west coast because of their shipping ban. While huge American tankers sit off our western shores, western Canadian oil is landlocked, and worse, we have to sell it to the Americans at a discount. Why are the Liberals giving the Americans a Black Friday deal every day on Canadian energy?”
“Mr. Speaker, people who live in rural Alberta and close to rural Alberta know that Bill C-75 and Bill C-5 have helped unleash a crime wave in our communities and in communities across Canada. I actually witnessed a brazen attempted vehicle theft of a Ford F-350 at a neighbour's house at seven o'clock in the morning, when people are going—”
“Mr. Speaker, the member knows full well the legislative process of the House, and that legislation needs to go through debate and to committee. He knows that the public safety committee and the justice committee have a lot of serious pieces of legislation before them. He also knows we have a chamber of sober second thought, the other place; we do not call it the Senate. He knows that the legislation is not going to pass before Christmas. However, Conservatives will support any legislation that seeks to make our bail system stronger, but we have pointed out that the legislation is extremely weak and could benefit from serious amendments.”
“Conservatives want to put people behind bars, but we want people who come out of prison to at least have skills, training and better mental health so they do not commit more crimes. The correctional investigator is resigning two years early because the government—”
“Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is my neighbour in Yellowhead. People think that if we put in strong sentences, more and more people will go to jail, but the facts show otherwise. Strong sentences deter people from going to jail, and the police have to deal less with people committing offence after offence. In fact when I was in my riding, in Drayton Valley, I talked to an RCMP officer who said he had arrested a drug trafficker who was released mere hours after they were arrested. The fact is that our police are overwhelmed by the failed Liberal bail system; we have a revolving door justice system. I spoke earlier in a question about the Office of the Correctional Investigator. The correctional investigator talked about the government's chronic underfunding of mental health and programs in prisons.”
“Mr. Speaker, I will not be lectured by the member or by any members of the Liberal Party who, for 10 years, due to their actions, have failed to protect our communities, because of legislation that has released onto our streets violent criminals who are using firearms to extort our community and who are assaulting women and then murdering them when they are released on bail. I will not take any lessons from the Liberal government, which wasted months and months to bring forward the weak piece of legislation that is before us.”
“The people elect us to the House to stand up and put in good laws that protect our communities from people who would traffic in the images of children, people who would shoot up houses in extortion schemes, people who would murder, and people who would traffic firearms illegally. The bill would create uncertain outcomes in the charging of offences. We advocate, as Conservatives, restoring strong sentences for people who commit these serious crimes. We also call for the expansion of the reverse onus for a wider suite of serious crimes. In summary, after 10 years of the Liberal government and repeated failed legislation, while there may be a glimmer of hope that the government is starting to recognize the errors of its way, we need stronger action today to protect our communities. (1035)”
“When people talk about minimum sentences, they may think that 10 years, 15 years or 20 years is a bit harsh, yet the Supreme Court of Canada recently made a decision that a one-year mandatory minimum sentence was too much for people who knowingly possessed the most disgusting, most evil images of acts of torture against children, some as young as three years old: child sexual abuse material, formerly known as child pornography. I think Canadians would look at that and think one year is far too little, yet the party in government is beholden to the opinions of the judicial elite, which is so out of touch with what everyday Canadians see as right and just. We live in a democracy, and it is the people who need to decide.”
“However, Conservatives want to emphasize that unless we take strong action on the so-called principle of restraint by putting forward an equally strong if not stronger principle of public and community safety, unless we presume detention when dealing with major and violent offences, we would not be seriously taking action that is going to result in people's being safer in our communities. While the government is aiming to expand reverse onus for offences such as violent or organized crime, auto theft and human smuggling, among others, we are calling on the Liberals to repeal the principle of restraint and restore strong mandatory minimum sentences.”
“In my riding, a criminal who was on house arrest went to the beach and took a young, five-year-old, girl. Now this person is responsible for the death of that young girl when they should have been on house arrest for breaking and entering with a weapon. Should these people be allowed to roam freely in our communities? They should not, but that is the state of the law today in Canada, and it is unacceptable. Liberals have really failed when it comes to criminal justice, instead of being tough on the people who are terrorizing our communities. After the government has finally been gotten through to, after years of failure, Bill C-14 starts to do the important work of scrapping failed Liberal bail policy.”
“(1030) In July of this year, a young woman, Bailey McCourt of Kelowna, B.C., was brutally murdered in broad daylight by her estranged partner. She leaves behind two young children and grieving friends and family. For the people who do not know about this case, I will say that it is absolutely shocking. Her estranged partner was abusive. He was charged with assault but was let out on bail. He was then convicted of his violent act, but instead of being sentenced and put behind bars for his violent actions, he was released the very same day to await a hearing. People who know the story will know that it ends tragically. Mere hours later and only a short distance from the very courthouse where the decision was made, the man proceeded to murder Bailey McCourt and seriously injure a bystander who tried to help. That is unacceptable.”
“Police and correctional officers have pointed out that there are very important amendments that should be made and very important provisions that should be brought forward in the bill, and they are concerned that they have not been brought forward in the Liberal legislation. However, after 10 years of the government's soft-on-crime legislation, they are desperate to see any action from the government. While Conservatives can support many elements of Bill C-14 , we believe there is room for significant improvements with amendments. I want to talk a bit about the human costs behind some of the numbers we are talking about. We are talking about legislative policies and legalisms that can feel abstract, but there are real victims who are dealing with the consequences of these actions.”
“They were feeling a lot of heat from Conservatives and from Canadians, but they tried to get away with making only the most minor changes to bail rules, the bare minimum changes, with Bill C-48 . I must say that this bill was clearly far from sufficient to deal with the problems we are facing in this country. Although the legislation created reverse onus provisions, the scope of those reverse onus provisions were so narrow that they did not apply to the growing number of violent actions that criminals are committing in Canada. Earlier in this parliamentary session, my Conservative colleague, the member for Oxford , presented Bill C-242 , the jail not bail act, which was voted against by the same Liberal government. For years, police have been calling for bail reform.”
“Folks in my area have been reaching out; they are concerned. As I said, a home was shot up twice. I had to read the news article twice because I thought it was the same article, but, in fact, the same property was shot up twice. However, house arrest is now a consideration for offences including sexual assault, kidnapping, abduction of a person under 14, theft over $5,000 and arson, among other things. In 2023, Conservatives stood in the House hearing the cries of victims and tried to reverse these nonsensical parts of Bill C-5 through the introduction of legislation from my colleague, the member for Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles , through his private member's bill, Bill C-325 . The Liberal government voted it down. In 2023, the Liberals started to recognize their failure.”
“It is clear that, after 10 years of the Liberal government, the Liberals have failed to tackle the issue of extortion; they have failed to put in the tough penalties needed to protect Canadians. In 2019, the Liberal government passed Bill C-75 , which amended the Criminal Code to codify the so-called principle of restraint. The new legislation directed courts to release accused persons at the earliest opportunity, with the least onerous conditions. The Liberals even doubled down on this failed legislative approach in 2022 by passing Bill C-5 , which repealed mandatory minimum sentences and even allowed house arrest for the most serious of sentences. Minimum sentences were repealed for using a firearm in the commission of an offence, discharging a firearm with intent to harm and extortion involving a firearm, among other things.”
“The message continues, “Our neighbour is a victim of this targeted extortion. His house has been shot up twice now in the last three weeks. We live in fear, don't go out after dark, and if we are out and it's turned dark, we are nervous to come home. I can't believe we're living this way.” I shouldn't have to talk about such things happening in a country like Canada, but this is what my constituents, in what was once a peaceful rural community just outside Edmonton, are telling me is happening to them. I know that the Leader of the Opposition has been going across the country speaking to business owners about the extortion attacks they are facing in their communities.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have this opportunity to rise before the House and speak to Bill C-14 , an act that seeks to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and the National Defence Act. Before I get started with my speech, it is really important to talk about the request for emergency debate that the member for Battle River—Crowfoot , the leader of His Majesty's loyal opposition, brought forward. Extortion is an extremely real issue for people across this country. It is rising, and it is unacceptable. In fact, I just received a message from a constituent that I would like to read into the record. It reads, “Hi.... Not sure if you know what we're living through right now in Spring Meadows Estates.” That is a community just west of Edmonton in my riding.”
“Mr. Speaker, I think we can both agree that there are at least two key reasons for our Criminal Code and our corrections system. One is the protection of the public, and the other is the hope that these offenders will somehow be rehabilitated in prison. We know, after 10 years of the Liberal government, that the Liberals have failed to protect the public in policies such as Bill C-75 and Bill C-5 , but what is less talked about is their failure to rehabilitate offenders. I want the member to talk about whether she is aware of the early resignation of the Office of the Correctional Investigator and his concerns that the government has failed to fund programs on mental health in prisons, which are essential to rehabilitating prisoners.”
“Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister has an economic résumé, all right, an economic résumé of offshoring tax money to foreign tax havens. Families are cutting back on meals. Young people are waiting to start a family. They are waiting to buy their first family home. Meanwhile, the media is reporting that the Prime Minister 's company stashed billions in offshore tax havens to avoid paying taxes. We have heard testimony that the Prime Minister 's company dodged $5.3 billion in taxes from 2021 to 2024. That is a lot of programs. Again, can the Prime Minister confirm to Canadians that he has no investments in offshore tax havens, yes or no?”
“Madam Speaker, the media has reported that Brookfield Asset Management, under the guidance of the Prime Minister , stashed money in Bermuda to avoid paying $5.3 billion in taxes between 2021 and 2024. What is with Liberal prime ministers and their billionaire islands? They just cannot resist them. While the Prime Minister tells young Canadians that they need to sacrifice, the Prime Minister dodges the bill himself. We are supposed to be in this together, but it appears that the Prime Minister, in his role as chair of Brookfield, is avoiding paying his fair share of taxes. Can the Prime Minister confirm whether he has any investments in offshore tax havens, yes or no?”
“Our parents and our grandparents worked hard to make a better life for us, but for the first time in our history, they are saying that this generation is not better off than the last. If that is not a testament to 10 years of Liberal failure, I do not know what is.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister told a room full of students that they are going to have to make sacrifices, but young Canadians have already sacrificed enough. They have already sacrificed the dream of home ownership. In 2015, the median age to buy a first home was only 31, and today, after 10 years of Liberal failure it is 38, with some provinces as high as 40. Young Canadians have sacrificed their careers, with youth unemployment at all-time highs, and nearly half of young Canadians have sacrificed by delaying starting a family or by not even having one at all. The ancient Greeks told the story of the Titan Cronus eating his own children. I hope that is not why the Prime Minister said that we are Athens. Sacrificing our children's future is not good economic policy; it is wrong.”
“Mr. Speaker, we know that with the longest undefended border in the world, there is no way we could hire enough police officers or CBSA officers to man every inch of our border, and that is why we need to make investments in technology and equipment. However, when the government had the opportunity to hire Canadian workers and Canadian businesses, what did it do? It chose to hire Black Hawk helicopters from the U.S. government, and it had to give a Transport Canada waiver because the helicopters were not safe to fly over Canadian skies. Why are the Liberals choosing American companies over Canadian companies that do the job? We need to grow our made-in-Canada border security and not hire companies that have to get waivers because they are not safe to use in Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for his hard work for his constituents. We know that he is doing an excellent job in northern Ontario. It is clear that the ideological bent of the government is not to empower our frontline officers to do their job. The government is one that is beholden to a woke ideology, wherein it passes bills like Bill C-75 , which tells judges to let criminals out at the earliest convenience with the least number of restraints. It is clear that it is policies like this that are being called out by frontline police officers and by police associations, and that are causing the havoc and violence we are seeing on our streets. Our party stands behind our—”
“Mr. Speaker, the government tries to distract Canadians from the real failures that the government has created. It is despicable that the government has not given the resources to our frontline officers to do the job they are doing, and the Liberals are hiding so they can avoid accountability for the failures. The CBSA union has said that morale is at the lowest level that it has ever been, and that is under 10 years of failed Liberal leadership. Conservatives will take no lessons from the Liberals on how to stand up for—”
“Criminals choose the path of least resistance. The strict border controls put in place during the pandemic saw the Canadian market shift from being an importer of fentanyl to becoming a domestic producer. CSIS has found that synthetic drugs are increasingly being produced in Canada using precursor chemicals from China. This is what experts are saying. It is estimated that about 80% of the precursor chemicals that are being used in fentanyl—”
“It is not getting the frontline officers it needs to do the job. This is endemic in everything the Liberal government has done for the last 10 years. Let us look at the great paradox, where we have a government where the bureaucracy has grown by 45% across the civil service yet there are fewer frontline workers in critical areas like the CBSA, the RCMP and the Canadian Armed Forces than ever before. How does that make any sense? The government is padding middle management and upper management, to the detriment of frontline workers who are doing the dangerous jobs we need them to do to keep us safe. Action is desperately needed, and the largest beneficiary of the government's failed immigration and criminal policies has been organized crime. Canada has become a low-risk, high-reward environment.”
“When I asked the customs union employee, they said that there are only a couple hundred CBSA officers who are tasked with trying to track down the thousands of violent criminals who are at large in this country. This is unacceptable. On the non-violent side, we know there are currently around 50,000 people who have come to Canada on student visas and whose visas have now run out. They are here illegally, and CBSA does not have the resources to reach out to these people or to remove these people who are now in this country illegally. Despite the shockingly high figures, as I said, there are something like only 300 CBSA officers who have been dedicated to this gargantuan task. One of the reasons CBSA is suffering so much, as its union said, is that it is drowning in middle management.”