QUESTION PERIOD — Public Safety
Crime Prevention
February 10, 2026
Government leader, a new survey conducted by Save Our Streets, a community safety organization in British Columbia, highlights what your government has ignored for years, which is that more than half of British Columbians no longer feel safe in their own communities.
Shame.
More troubling still, Senator Moreau, among crime victims surveyed, 71% say they did not report the crime committed against them because they have lost confidence in our justice system.
More shame.
As Save Our Streets co-founder Jess Ketchum is reported as saying, “. . . despite some authorities saying progress is being made, British Columbians are not feeling or seeing any difference in their communities.”
Senator Moreau, Canadians no longer believe your government’s reassurances. Isn’t it time to admit that your approach to justice and public safety has failed them?
Thank you, Senator Martin, for raising the question of security in our communities again, especially in British Columbia.
I answered your question last week about extortion, especially in Surrey. At that time, I pointed out what actual action the government is taking to reassure people. The government provides significant resources to specifically fight extortion on top of other criminal justice reforms. For instance, there is $4 million in federal funding to bolster the B.C. Extortion Task Force; $1 million to support victims, alongside the Government of British Columbia; we are deploying additional federal RCMP officers, along with helicopter resources, to support on-the-ground enforcement; and we have listed the Bishnoi Gang as a terrorist organization.
The government is taking real actions to make sure that Canadians everywhere in Canada feel safe, including those in British Columbia.
Sadly, the government’s actions are a decade too late; it has been far too long, senator. It is no surprise that British Columbians feel unsafe. Recent provincial news underscores the seriousness of this crisis. Within the past few days, we have seen a surge in distraction thefts and an armed home invasion in North Vancouver.
Enough is enough. Canadians need a strategy right now; words are no longer sufficient. Will your government finally reset its approach to justice and public safety, starting with the resignations of Minister Anandasangaree and Minister Fraser?
Senator, $4 million are not just words; it is money invested in making sure our communities are secure everywhere, including in British Columbia. There is $1 million to support victims. There has been a deployment of additional RCMP officers.
Those are not words; those are actions. You should at least recognize that.
