Leader, a recent Canadian Federation of Independent Business, or CFIB, report looking at the impact of rising crime shows 92% of small business owners believe your government should change how it handles repeat offenders. A business owner in New Brunswick told the CFIB:

The catch and release change the federal government has made is reducing business and community safety, driving up insurance costs, driving up business costs to replace what is being stolen, and reducing efficiency and productivity because we are always forced to take steps to protect our people and assets.

Leader, what is the NDP-Liberal government’s response to this small business owner? Do you agree?

Individuals — whether small business owners, individuals, artists or entrepreneurs — deserve to be safe in their homes, safe in their places of work, safe on their streets and safe in their cities.

The issue of how our legal system and our judicial system deal with those who have committed crimes and served their time is a complex one that engages issues of public policy, evidence — sociological and otherwise — and our constitutional norms. We have a system that places responsibility and trust in independent organizations and agencies, including the courts, and these are the pillars of our democracy. The government will continue to —

Thank you, Senator Gold.

Crime is on the rise, and small businesses are feeling the impact directly. Over the last year, the percentage of small businesses in British Columbia that report being impacted by crime jumped by 27% — the biggest increase in Canada.

One local business owner told the Vancouver Sun, “It’s a war zone down there. They steal from me every day . . . We are victims every day . . . .”

Why has this government done nothing to change course and stop the crimes small businesses deal with every day?

We have laws against crime. In most cases we have police forces under the jurisdiction of the provinces, and in some cases we have the independent RCMP who are subcontracted and doing their job. The government will continue to work with provinces and territories and support the police in their work so that Canadians can be and feel safe.