Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2018-09-20 13:25:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Mrs. Kelly Block (Carlton Trail\u2014Eagle Creek, CPC)",
        "fr": "Mme Kelly Block (Carlton Trail\u2014Eagle Creek, PCC)"
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"5526300\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise today to speak to Bill <a data-HoCid=\"9710291\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-71/\" title=\"An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms\">C-71,</a>, an act to amend certain acts and regulations in relation to firearms.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526301\" data-originallang=\"en\">I have many concerns with this piece of legislation, but as there is limited time, I would like to focus my remarks today on what I consider to be a shocking oversight. I believe that all of us in this place would agree that it must be the highest priority of a government to protect the lives and safety of its constituents, of the people they are serving. Of all our duties, this is the most profound.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526302\" data-originallang=\"en\">In order to protect our citizens, to put effective solutions in place, it is vitally important that we understand the problem. In this case, it is to recognize who is committing the violent crimes within Canada. I believe there is a simple answer to that question, and it is gangs.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526303\" data-originallang=\"en\">In 2016, one of every two firearms-related homicides was committed by organized crime, yet nowhere in this bill are the words \u201cgang\u201d or \u201corganized crime\u201d mentioned. At best, this is an unintentional oversight. At its worst, it is intentional. After all, the <a data-HoCid=\"214300\" href=\"/politicians/ralph-goodale/\" title=\"Ralph Goodale\">Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness</a> himself spoke about this issue earlier this year, saying on March 18:</p>\n<blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"5526304\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Criminal gun and gang violence is a grave threat to the safety of our communities. While overall crime rates in Canada are much lower than decades ago, homicides, gun crime and gang activity have all been steadily increasing. Gun homicides have almost doubled over the past four years\u2014and more than half are linked to gangs. </p>\n</blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"5526305\" data-originallang=\"en\">Before continuing, I want to address one point about this statement. Statistics can provide a good basis for solid policy, but only if they are seen within their proper context. I believe the minister did not provide that proper context. The minister chose to use a particular timeline in the quote above, namely \u201cfour years\u201d. As was made clear by his office, the year he is referencing is actually 2013.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526306\" data-originallang=\"en\">Why is that significant? The minister claimed that gun homicides have almost doubled over the past four years. That statement is very misleading when placed in context. The year 2013 happened to have had the lowest number of firearms homicide ever recorded by Statistics Canada. The next closest year on record, 1998, had 13% more homicides.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526307\" data-originallang=\"en\">The Liberals chose 2013 as the base year to make it appear as if gun homicides were growing at a shocking rate. Now the Liberals are using these statistics to justify punishing highly vetted, law-abiding gun owners by painting a picture of Canada as the wild west. However, an unbiased look at the numbers reveals a different story. If there is to be any comparison to the wild west, it would have to refer to our ongoing struggle with gang violence.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526308\" data-originallang=\"en\"> In 2016, gang members committed 114 firearms homicides compared with 134 total homicides in 2013, the year referenced by the minister. That is a shocking statistic, no matter how it is viewed. The minister noted that gang-related firearm homicides made up half of all firearms homicides in 2016. This is significantly above average and is a cause for concern.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526309\" data-originallang=\"en\"> How is it that after recognizing the central role of organized crime in firearms murders on March 8, the minister introduced a bill just days later that ignores organized crime?</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526310\" data-originallang=\"en\">Further, not only have the Liberals failed to meaningfully address gang violence in this bill, but in this bill's companion piece, Bill <a data-HoCid=\"9745407\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-75/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and other Acts and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">C-75</a>, they are weakening the laws currently in place to combat gang violence. Bill <a data-HoCid=\"9745407\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-75/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and other Acts and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">C-75</a> amends the Criminal Code to lessen the sentences for serious and even violent crimes to as little as a fine. Among those crimes is participation in organized criminal activity, in other words, joining a gang.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526311\" data-originallang=\"en\">What is the justification for lowering the legal penalties for gang members while punishing legal firearms owners? I cannot think of one. However, time and time again the Liberals have gone after legal firearms owners rather than the criminals who use firearms.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526312\" data-originallang=\"en\">Gang members or other criminals are not going to be deterred by a law that further restricts legal firearms owners. They will only respond to laws that hold serious consequences for their illegal activities. The government had two opportunities to address the significant problem of gang violence, a problem the minister is very aware of, yet has failed to do so. The government has failed by weakening the punishment for gang activities, and again by not making changes to our firearms laws that would target gangs.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526313\" data-originallang=\"en\">Not only does Bill <a data-HoCid=\"9710291\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-71/\" title=\"An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms\">C-71</a> do nothing to address gang violence, but it misses the mark on rural crime as well. My riding of Carlton Trail\u2014Eagle Creek is a large and mostly rural riding. I have heard numerous concerns from constituents about the growing issue of rural crime. This place recognized the severity of that issue and passed unanimously the motion brought by my colleague from <a data-HoCid=\"214419\" href=\"/politicians/shannon-stubbs/\" title=\"Shannon Stubbs\">Lakeland</a>, Motion No. 167. That motion will result in a committee study of rural crime. Every Liberal member who was present voted for the motion, including the <a data-HoCid=\"214296\" href=\"/politicians/justin-trudeau/\" title=\"Justin Trudeau\">Prime Minister</a>. Surely that must mean the government understands there are unique problems faced by rural Canadians, yet nothing in this bill addresses rural crime. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526314\" data-originallang=\"en\">Instead, Bill <a data-HoCid=\"9710291\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-71/\" title=\"An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms\">C-71</a> targets law-abiding firearms owners by, among other things, breaking the Liberals' election promise and reintroducing the wasteful and divisive long-gun registry through the backdoor. In this bill, the Liberals have introduced a backdoor registry by requiring firearms retailers to keep a registry of every firearm they sell for 20 years and by requiring private transfers to be verified by the registrar of firearms. This should come as no shock, but registrars keep registries. Firearms retailers would now be required to act as registrars themselves. They would be responsible for the cost of maintaining this information and for the security of that information. The private and personal information of millions of Canadians must by law be kept by a business for 20 years. These registries would be accessible by law enforcement and must be turned over to the government if the retailer goes out of business.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526315\" data-originallang=\"en\">It is a registry by any other name, but the Liberals will now continue to refuse to use the term \u201cregistry\u201d because they know how upset Canadians were about the last Liberal long-gun registry. They think that by not naming it and obscuring its location, Canadians will not notice. They are wrong. I have heard from hundreds of constituents who are frustrated that the Liberals have broken their campaign promise and reintroduced the firearms registry. They feel betrayed by the current government. They are disgusted that the Liberals would try to hide their broken promise behind technicalities and muddied language. They deserve better than to be treated like criminals.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526316\" data-originallang=\"en\">In closing, I believe that we as parliamentarians have the responsibility to create laws that protect our citizens; that reflect real-world, objective data; that treat law-abiding Canadians fairly; and that address the concerns of Canadians regarding crime and gang violence. This bill does not meet any of those requirements. For this reason, I cannot and will not support Bill <a data-HoCid=\"9710291\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-71/\" title=\"An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms\">C-71</a>.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"5526300\" data-originallang=\"en\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, je suis heureuse de prendre la parole \u00e0 propos du projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"9710291\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-71/\" title=\"An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms\">C-71</a>, Loi modifiant certaines lois et un r\u00e8glement relatifs aux armes \u00e0 feu.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526301\" data-originallang=\"en\">Il y a de nombreux points qui me pr\u00e9occupent dans cette mesure l\u00e9gislative, mais comme mon temps de parole est limit\u00e9, je vais me concentrer aujourd'hui sur ce que je consid\u00e8re \u00eatre une omission scandaleuse. Je suis persuad\u00e9e que nous pensons tous ici que la grande priorit\u00e9 du gouvernement doit \u00eatre de prot\u00e9ger la vie et la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 des citoyens, des gens qu'il sert. De tous nos devoirs, c'est le premier en importance. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526302\" data-originallang=\"en\">Pour pouvoir prot\u00e9ger les citoyens, pour mettre en place des solutions efficaces, il est d'abord crucial de bien comprendre le probl\u00e8me. Dans le cas qui nous occupe, il s'agit de d\u00e9terminer qui sont les auteurs des crimes violents commis au Canada. \u00c0 mon avis, la r\u00e9ponse est simple: les gangs. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526303\" data-originallang=\"en\">En 2016, un homicide sur deux commis au moyen d'une arme \u00e0 feu l'a \u00e9t\u00e9 par un membre du crime organis\u00e9. Pourtant, les mots \u00ab gang \u00bb ou \u00ab crime organis\u00e9 \u00bb ne figurent nulle part dans ce projet de loi. Dans le meilleur des cas, il s'agit d'une omission involontaire. Dans le pire des cas, cette omission est voulue. Apr\u00e8s tout, le <a data-HoCid=\"214300\" href=\"/politicians/ralph-goodale/\" title=\"Ralph Goodale\">ministre de la S\u00e9curit\u00e9 publique et de la Protection civile</a> a lui-m\u00eame abord\u00e9 le sujet plus t\u00f4t cette ann\u00e9e, d\u00e9clarant ceci le 18 mars dernier:</p>\n<blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"5526304\" data-originallang=\"en\"> La violence li\u00e9e aux armes \u00e0 feu criminelles et aux gangs pose une s\u00e9rieuse menace pour la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 de nos collectivit\u00e9s. Les taux globaux de criminalit\u00e9 au Canada sont largement inf\u00e9rieurs \u00e0 ce qu\u2019ils \u00e9taient il y a quelques d\u00e9cennies, mais les homicides, les crimes commis \u00e0 l\u2019aide d\u2019armes \u00e0 feu et les activit\u00e9s des gangs n\u2019ont cess\u00e9 d\u2019augmenter. Le nombre d\u2019homicides commis \u00e0 l\u2019aide d\u2019armes \u00e0 feu a presque doubl\u00e9 au cours des quatre derni\u00e8res ann\u00e9es, et plus de la moiti\u00e9 d\u2019entre eux sont associ\u00e9s aux gangs. </p>\n</blockquote><p data-HoCid=\"5526305\" data-originallang=\"en\">Avant de continuer, je veux parler d'un point concernant cette d\u00e9claration. Les statistiques peuvent fournir une bonne base \u00e0 une politique solide, mais seulement si elles sont mises en contexte. Je pense que le ministre a omis de fournir ce contexte. Il a choisi de parler des changements qui se sont produits sur une certaine p\u00e9riode, c'est-\u00e0-dire depuis quatre ans. Comme l'a clairement indiqu\u00e9 son cabinet, l'ann\u00e9e qu'il utilise comme r\u00e9f\u00e9rence est 2013.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526306\" data-originallang=\"en\">Pourquoi est-ce important? Le ministre a affirm\u00e9 que les homicides commis \u00e0 l\u2019aide d\u2019armes \u00e0 feu ont presque doubl\u00e9 au cours des quatre derni\u00e8res ann\u00e9es. Toutefois, quand on met cette affirmation en contexte, on constate qu'elle est tr\u00e8s trompeuse. Il se trouve qu'en 2013, le taux d'homicides commis \u00e0 l\u2019aide d\u2019armes \u00e0 feu a \u00e9t\u00e9 le plus bas jamais enregistr\u00e9 par Statistique Canada. Il s'agissait du taux le plus bas depuis 1998, o\u00f9 il y en a eu 13 % de plus.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526307\" data-originallang=\"en\">Les lib\u00e9raux ont choisi 2013 comme ann\u00e9e de r\u00e9f\u00e9rence pour donner l'impression que le nombre d'homicides commis \u00e0 l'aide d'armes \u00e0 feu augmentait \u00e0 un rythme effarant. Maintenant, les lib\u00e9raux se servent de ces statistiques pour justifier le fait de punir des propri\u00e9taires d'armes \u00e0 feu respectueux de la loi et qui font d\u00e9j\u00e0 l'objet de nombreux contr\u00f4les en brossant un tableau du Canada comme s'il s'agissait du Far West. Toutefois, un examen impartial des chiffres r\u00e9v\u00e8le une autre histoire. Pour qu'il y ait une comparaison avec le Far West, il faudrait qu'elle fasse r\u00e9f\u00e9rence \u00e0 notre lutte continue contre la violence des gangs.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526308\" data-originallang=\"en\"> En 2016, les membres de gangs ont commis 114 homicides par armes \u00e0 feu, comparativement \u00e0 un nombre total d'homicides de 134 en 2013, ann\u00e9e \u00e0 laquelle le ministre a fait r\u00e9f\u00e9rence. C'est une statistique choquante, peu importe la fa\u00e7on dont elle est analys\u00e9e. Le ministre a fait remarquer que les homicides commis \u00e0 l'aide d'une arme \u00e0 feu par des gangs repr\u00e9sentaient la moiti\u00e9 de tous les homicides commis \u00e0 l'aide d'une arme \u00e0 feu en 2016. Ce chiffre est nettement sup\u00e9rieur \u00e0 la moyenne et constitue une source de pr\u00e9occupation. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526309\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Comment se fait-il qu'apr\u00e8s avoir reconnu le r\u00f4le central du crime organis\u00e9 dans les meurtres commis \u00e0 l'aide d'armes \u00e0 feu le 8 mars dernier, le ministre ait pr\u00e9sent\u00e9, quelques jours plus tard, un projet de loi qui ne vise pas le crime organis\u00e9?</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526310\" data-originallang=\"en\"> De plus, non seulement les lib\u00e9raux n'ont pas trait\u00e9 de mani\u00e8re pertinente la question de la violence des gangs dans ce projet de loi, mais ils affaiblissent en plus les lois en vigueur pour lutter contre la violence des gangs dans le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"9745407\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-75/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and other Acts and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">C-75</a> qui l'accompagne. Le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"9745407\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-75/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and other Acts and to make consequential amendments to other Acts\">C-75</a> modifie le Code criminel afin de r\u00e9duire les peines pour les crimes graves et m\u00eame les crimes violents \u00e0 une amende aussi minime que possible. Parmi ces crimes figure la participation \u00e0 des activit\u00e9s criminelles organis\u00e9es, en d'autres termes, l'appartenance \u00e0 un gang. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526311\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Comment justifier la r\u00e9duction des peines pr\u00e9vues par la loi pour les membres de gangs tout en s'en prenant aux propri\u00e9taires l\u00e9gitimes d'armes \u00e0 feu? Je suis incapable de le faire. Toutefois, \u00e0 maintes reprises, les lib\u00e9raux se sont attaqu\u00e9s aux propri\u00e9taires l\u00e9gitimes d'armes \u00e0 feu plut\u00f4t qu'aux criminels qui utilisent des armes \u00e0 feu.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526312\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Les membres de gangs et les autres criminels ne seront pas dissuad\u00e9s par une loi qui restreint davantage les propri\u00e9taires l\u00e9gitimes d'armes \u00e0 feu. Ils ne r\u00e9pondront qu'aux lois qui ont de graves cons\u00e9quences sur leurs activit\u00e9s criminelles. Le gouvernement a eu deux occasions de s'attaquer \u00e0 l'important probl\u00e8me de la violence des gangs, un probl\u00e8me dont le ministre est tr\u00e8s conscient, mais il ne l'a pas fait. Le gouvernement a \u00e9chou\u00e9 en r\u00e9duisant les peines pour les activit\u00e9s des gangs et, encore une fois, en ne modifiant pas nos lois sur les armes \u00e0 feu pour qu'elles visent les gangs.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526313\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Non seulement le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"9710291\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-71/\" title=\"An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms\">C-71</a> ne fait rien pour lutter contre la violence des gangs, mais il ne fait rien non plus pour lutter contre la criminalit\u00e9 rurale. Ma circonscription, Carlton Trail\u2014Eagle Creek, est vaste et en majeure partie rurale. J'ai entendu de nombreuses pr\u00e9occupations de la part de mes \u00e9lecteurs au sujet du probl\u00e8me croissant de la criminalit\u00e9 rurale. La Chambre a reconnu la gravit\u00e9 de la question et a adopt\u00e9 \u00e0 l'unanimit\u00e9 la motion M-167 pr\u00e9sent\u00e9e par ma coll\u00e8gue de <a data-HoCid=\"214419\" href=\"/politicians/shannon-stubbs/\" title=\"Shannon Stubbs\">Lakeland</a>. Cette motion fera l'objet d'une \u00e9tude en comit\u00e9 sur la question de la criminalit\u00e9 rurale. Tous les d\u00e9put\u00e9s lib\u00e9raux pr\u00e9sents ont vot\u00e9 en faveur de la motion, y compris le <a data-HoCid=\"214296\" href=\"/politicians/justin-trudeau/\" title=\"Justin Trudeau\">premier ministre</a>. Cela veut s\u00fbrement dire que le gouvernement comprend que les Canadiens des r\u00e9gions rurales sont aux prises avec des probl\u00e8mes uniques, mais rien dans ce projet de loi ne s'attaque \u00e0 la criminalit\u00e9 rurale.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526314\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"9710291\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-71/\" title=\"An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms\">C-71</a> vise au contraire les propri\u00e9taires d\u2019arme \u00e0 feu respectueux de la loi, entre autres choses en brisant une promesse \u00e9lectorale des lib\u00e9raux et en ramenant par la bande le co\u00fbteux et contest\u00e9 registre des armes d\u2019\u00e9paule. Les lib\u00e9raux instaurent avec ce projet de loi un registre d\u00e9guis\u00e9 en exigeant que les d\u00e9taillants d\u2019armes \u00e0 feu conservent pendant 20 ans un registre de chaque arme qu\u2019ils vendent et en exigeant qu\u2019un registraire des armes \u00e0 feu v\u00e9rifie chaque transfert entre particuliers. Les registraires tiennent des registres, personne ne s\u2019en \u00e9tonnera. Les d\u00e9taillants d\u2019arme \u00e0 feu seront maintenant tenus d\u2019\u00eatre eux-m\u00eames des registraires. Ils devront assumer le co\u00fbt de la tenue \u00e0 jour et de la protection de ces renseignements. La mesure l\u00e9gislative exige qu'une entreprise conserve les renseignements personnels de millions de Canadiens pendant 20 ans. Les forces de l'ordre doivent avoir acc\u00e8s \u00e0 ces registres, et le d\u00e9taillant doit les remettre au gouvernement s\u2019il cesse ses activit\u00e9s.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526315\" data-originallang=\"en\"> C\u2019est la d\u00e9finition m\u00eame d\u2019un registre, mais les lib\u00e9raux persisteront \u00e0 refuser d\u2019employer le terme \u00ab registre \u00bb parce qu\u2019ils savent \u00e0 quel point le dernier registre des armes d\u2019\u00e9paule des lib\u00e9raux a offusqu\u00e9 les Canadiens. Les lib\u00e9raux pensent que s\u2019ils taisent son nom et qu\u2019ils brouillent les pistes \u00e0 propos de son emplacement, les Canadiens ne s\u2019en apercevront pas. Ils ont tort. Des centaines de concitoyens m\u2019ont dit \u00eatre d\u00e9courag\u00e9s que les lib\u00e9raux brisent leur promesse \u00e9lectorale et ram\u00e8nent le registre des armes d\u2019\u00e9paule. Ils se sentent trahis par le gouvernement actuel. Ils sont d\u00e9go\u00fbt\u00e9s que les lib\u00e9raux essaient de dissimuler par des distinctions subtiles et un vocabulaire \u00e9vasif le fait qu\u2019ils renient leur promesse. Ils m\u00e9ritent mieux que d\u2019\u00eatre trait\u00e9s comme des criminels.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"5526316\" data-originallang=\"en\"> En conclusion, je crois que nous avons \u00e0 titre de parlementaires la responsabilit\u00e9 de promulguer des lois qui prot\u00e8gent les citoyens canadiens, qui sont fond\u00e9es sur des donn\u00e9es objectives et concr\u00e8tes, qui traitent les gens honn\u00eates avec \u00e9quit\u00e9 et qui r\u00e9pondent aux pr\u00e9occupations des Canadiens \u00e0 propos de la criminalit\u00e9 et de la violence des gangs. Ce projet de loi ne satisfait \u00e0 aucune de ces exigences. Je ne peux pas, pour cette raison, appuyer le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"9710291\" href=\"/bills/42-1/C-71/\" title=\"An Act to amend certain Acts and Regulations in relation to firearms\">C-71</a> et je ne le ferai pas.</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2018/9/20/kelly-block-1/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/kelly-block/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/4339/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "10250822",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Government Orders",
        "fr": "Ordres \u00c9manant Du Gouvernement"
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Firearms Act",
        "fr": "La Loi sur les armes \u00e0 feu"
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2018/9/20/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2018%2F9%2F20%2F"
    }
}