QUESTION PERIOD — Ministry of Public Safety
Firearm Violence
April 21, 2026
Welcome, minister.
Even a cursory scan of the news confirms that your government has been ignoring gun and gang violence for a decade. It’s out of control in our communities. Just last night, two homes in Brampton were struck by gunfire in what appears to have been a targeted shooting. From Vancouver to Saint John and communities in between, Canadians are tired of waking up to the sound of gunshots and the sight of bullet holes in their neighbourhoods.
Minister, when will your government finally take the safety of Canadians seriously and act to get gun violence under control?
Hear, hear.
Thank you. The framing of that question is quite interesting, senator.
The safety and security of all Canadians are of paramount importance to every single official, whether in the Senate or in the House. To assert otherwise is disingenuous.
As part of the work we’ve been doing, there are a number of bills in front of the House. You have already passed Bill C-12, which gives us stronger measures at the border. We have Bill C-14 on bail and sentencing reform, which is in front of the House. We have Bill C-16 on victims’ rights; again, that’s here.
In addition to those, we have had about $4 billion in investments toward RCMP and Canada Border Services Agency, CBSA, officers and also $1.3 billion for increased border patrols and security.
We’ve taken a number of measures, and I believe that all of them, in culmination, will have significant impacts.
I will also point out that, in a city like Toronto, for example, the number of homicides is at an all-time low. In fact, year over year, it’s down 50%, and that continues to be the trend with many violent offences.
There is still a lot more work to do, and I would readily acknowledge that.
