OTTAWA, ON – Frank Caputo, Conservative Associate Shadow Minister for Justice and Attorney General, tabled his Private Member’s Bill C-313 in the House of Commons.

“After eight years of Trudeau, Canada’s bail system is broken, and it is failing to keep Canadians safe. As a Crown Prosecutor in British Columbia, I experienced firsthand how Liberal soft-on-crime laws cause harm in our communities. Sadly, under the Trudeau Liberals, the system continues to get worse, and Canadians don’t feel safe walking down the street or taking transit to work,” said MP Caputo.

Bill C-313 creates a stricter bail regime for serious repeat gun offenders. Under this legislation, bail will be more difficult to obtain for a criminal who is prohibited from possessing firearms and is then charged with a serious firearms offence. The burden will be on repeat violent offenders to justify why they should continue to walk the streets.

“Police officers, chiefs of police, victims, and Canadians have all been calling for bail reform. The premiers of all of Canada’s thirteen provinces and territories have called on the Prime Minister to make changes to his failed bail system. But all this Liberal government has to offer is another meeting and no real action. Canadians can’t depend on Trudeau Liberals to protect them, so Conservatives are taking action to keep our streets safe,” said MP Caputo. “Bill C-313 is in keeping with their call for reverse onus on violent repeat gun offenders.”

After eight years of Prime Minister Trudeau, violent crime has increased by 32%, and gang-related murders have nearly doubled. According to Toronto Police, in 2022, there were 44 shooting-related homicides in the city, in which half of accused persons were on a firearm-related or other type of bail at the time they were alleged to have committed the offence.

“Too many Canadians are experiencing the effects of the Liberal government’s soft-on-crime policies firsthand. Bill C-313 will ensure repeat violent gun offenders can no longer benefit from the Liberal government’s catch and release bail system and ensure they remain behind bars where they cannot pose a threat to society,” said Caputo. “Canadians deserve to feel safe. We must all come together to support common sense laws that protect Canadians, keep our communities safe, and restore safe streets.”