QUESTION PERIOD — Public Safety
Extortion Offences
May 29, 2024
Senator Gold, according to Statistics Canada, extortion offences have risen by 218% across the country. In the Greater Toronto Area, extortion has increased by 155% in the past decade. In Vancouver, it has grown by a horrific 228%. It’s a sad and scary reality that many Canadians are living in fear and facing threats at the hands of organized crime or gangs. Families and small businesses pay huge sums of money in the hopes of avoiding property damage or physical violence.
Leader, why has the Trudeau government done nothing to address the surge of extortion on its watch?
Thank you for your question. Actions such as those you’ve described, whether they occur in Toronto or other cities, are a very unacceptable part of our landscape. They affect too many Canadians of all ages and their families.
Canada has robust laws in the Criminal Code that rely on the detection, reporting and prosecution of these crimes to enforce. They are largely outside federal jurisdiction; however, if you believe that there are changes to the federal Criminal Code that would assist provincial prosecutors and police forces, the government would be pleased to take action.
Leader, if the NDP-Trudeau government is serious about fighting surging extortion, then why did MPs vote to kill a private bill from Conservative MP Tim Uppal last week?
Though I’m responsible for many things, I perhaps don’t follow all the private members’ bills that are still in the House as carefully as you do. I’m not familiar with the bill and really cannot speak to its merits or why it did not pass.
