Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Midweek or its editorial board.
Canada’s new government is taking decisive action to ensure our communities remain safe places to live, work, and raise a family – including for families and neighbours in Markham-Thornhill. Bill C-14, the Bail and Sentencing Reform Act, is taking action on crime by making bail laws stricter and sentencing laws tougher for repeat and violent offenders, supporting law enforcement, and investing in long-term crime prevention.
This important legislation introduces over 80 changes to the Criminal Code to protect Canadians, including:
- Requiring reverse-onus bail for major crimes.
- Allowing consecutive sentencing so multiple crimes mean longer time behind bars.
- Imposing harsher penalties for organized retail theft.
- Restricting conditional sentences for several sexual offences.
Typically, during the bail process the “onus”, or responsibility, is on prosecutors to prove why an accused person should stay in jail. In a reverse onus situation, the accused must prove why they should be released. This means that individuals who have been accused of dangerous crimes will stay behind bars unless they can convince the court they are not a threat to public safety.
The Act will enforce tougher sentencing laws by imposing consecutive sentences for violent crimes like auto theft, breaking and entering, extortion, and arson. This will require offenders to serve prison terms one after another rather than simultaneously.
The legislation also introduces aggravating factors—circumstances that make crimes more serious and warrant harsher penalties—for offences against first responders and essential infrastructure. It also eliminates house arrest for certain sexual offences, restores driving bans for serious vehicular crimes, and strengthens fine enforcement.
“While we are encouraged that crime rates in York Region have been declining, we cannot ignore that nationally, rates have increased over the
last decade, particularly for serious offences. Our government shares the concerns felt by Canadians that one violent crime is one too many. Our number one priority is keeping Canadians safe, but we recognize there is still work to do. That is why Bill C-14 will strengthen Canada’s Criminal Code to keep violent and repeat offenders off our streets and keep the Canadian public safe.” – Hon. Tim Hodgson, Member of Parliament for Markham-Thornhill.
Public safety depends on everyone working together. The federal government establishes the legal framework by creating Criminal Code provisions that govern when and how bail can be granted, but these laws are only effective when provincial and territorial governments fulfill their critical role of administering justice by conducting bail hearings and enforcing bail conditions. The federal government is collaborating with the provinces to make sure every level of government works together on public safety.
Bill C-14 builds on our government’s previous measures to keep our communities safe. We introduced legislation to strengthen Canada’s immigration system and borders and combat transnational crime, illegal fentanyl, money laundering, and human trafficking. We tabled the Combatting Hate Act and introduced cyber security measures to safeguard families and businesses from online fraud, financial scams, and cyber threats.
Our $1.3 billion Border Plan will protect our sovereignty and secure our border by hiring 1,000 new Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers, and we will also hire 1,000 Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) personnel, with a Budget 2025 investment of $1.7 billion over four years to increase federal policing capacity across Canada.
Fraud and financial crimes are increasingly harder to detect and remain a growing threat. Budget 2025 introduces the following measures to protect Canadians from financial scams and abuse:
- The National Anti-Fraud Strategy will require banks to implement new, stronger fraud prevention policies.
- The new Financial Crimes Agency will be established to lead the fight against sophisticated financial crimes.
These initiatives, alongside Bill C-14, deliver on our new government’s commitment to better protect Canadians. Together, these coordinated efforts demonstrate our commitment to building safer, more secure communities for all Canadians—because when our communities are strong, Canada is strong.
