QUESTION PERIOD — Public Safety
National Summit on Combatting Auto Theft
February 7, 2024
I was rather taken aback by your answer to Senator Boisvenu’s question. You said that there was no need to hold a summit on violence against women. I think that violence against women is the main reason why we’re not achieving gender equality. It’s an ongoing, difficult problem for which we have been unable to find a clear solution.
Why, at the end of its cabinet meeting, did the Liberal Party decide to hold a summit on sheet metal, which is basically what stolen cars are, rather than on important social issues, such as immigration, housing or violence against women?
Thank you for your question, which gives me the opportunity to elaborate. I didn’t mean to suggest that the Government of Canada is taking less seriously the problem of violence against women, which has become almost an epidemic. That is simply not the case.
I tried to explain why, given that the government has been working on this issue on a daily basis for a long time, a symbolic summit hasn’t been held. I want to emphasize that this wasn’t meant to diminish the magnitude of the problem or to compare the two problems.
Please tell me, senator, what is the point of a summit to combat auto theft? Shouldn’t the police just do their job? In any case, these stolen vehicles are usually new and covered by insurance. Surely this problem isn’t on the same scale as some of the other social problems we’re experiencing.
So, that’s my question. I acknowledge your response, but I’m still a little taken aback by the government’s choices.
I understand your disappointment, but as you mentioned, other players outside the federal government are responsible for combatting this auto theft network, including provincial police forces and insurance companies. Basically, this is another issue that requires collaboration amongst various authorities for the first time.
