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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 319

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 28, 2024 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 319 - May/28/24
Mr. Arpan Khanna (Oxford, CPC)
Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the Liberal-NDP government's soft-on-crime policies, extortions have more than tripled in Canada. They allow criminals to terrorize our communities and businesses, because when they get arrested, they are let out on bail the same day. The Liberals talk a very big game about fighting crime, but when it matters, they are missing in action. Our common-sense Conservative bill would have put these criminals behind bars by strengthening our extortion laws. Why did the Liberals vote against Bill C-381 to fight extortion?
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Context: House Hansard - 319 - May/28/24
Hon. Arif Virani (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.)
  • May/28/24 3:09:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we are listening to people who are affected by extortion. We know that this is a pressing problem in parts of B.C. and in parts of my region in Ontario. What we are underscoring is that extortion is against the law. Extortion with— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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Context: House Hansard - 319 - May/28/24
Hon. Arif Virani
  • May/28/24 3:10:36 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-70 
Mr. Speaker, we are listening constantly to communities that are being affected by extortion, particularly South Asians in the B.C. region and in the GTA. What we hear from them is that they need supports. We are providing those supports through aggressive responses under the Criminal Code. Extortion is against the law. Extortion with a weapon attracts a very significant penalty under Canadian criminal law. What we also understand from them is that organized criminality, including foreign interference and organized crime, is behind these extortion attempts. That is why bills like Bill C-70 will make an important difference. So will the budget measures on money laundering and cracking down on organized crime.
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