Quebec accuses Ottawa of undermining the fight against sexual violence
(Quebec) Grievances are piling up in Quebec City against Justin Trudeau's Liberal government. The most recent criticism concerns provisions in Bill C-5, passed last June by the federal government, that allow sex offenders to serve a prison sentence at home. Quebec MPs accuse Ottawa of undermining the fight against sexual violence.
HUGO PILON-LAROSETHE PRESS
La Presse reported Wednesday the case of Sobhi Akra, 39, who pleaded guilty in January 2022 to sexually assaulting eight women between October 2017 and November 2018 by grabbing their breasts or genitals. Mr. Akra is still awaiting sentencing. The Crown asked for 22 months of detention, while the defence asked for six, so as not to prejudice his immigration application
and avoid deportation to his country of origin, Lebanon.
However, Justice Alexandre St-Onge asked both parties Tuesday to rule on the new Bill C-5. This legislation allows sex offenders to serve a sentence in house jail, whereas conditional sentences for sexual assault were abolished in 2007 under the Conservatives.
Quebec parliamentarians unanimously condemned Wednesday the controversial provisions of Bill C-5. Quebec Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette tabled a motion in Question Period, receiving the support of all MPs.
The adopted text accuses Ottawa of inflicting "a setback in the fight against sexual violence".
"[The National Assembly] calls on the federal government to amend the law to make the offence
of sexual assault ineligible for community jail time," the motion states.
In another case of a sexual nature, Crownprosecutor Alexis Dinelle recently made a notable appearance against Bill C-5. "Right now, Justin Trudeau and [Justice Minister] David Lametti are probably accountable to victims of sexual assault," he said.
"I'm proud of C-5"The apostrophized minister called for patience with the law that came into force recently.
"I think we shouldn't have too strong reactions at the beginning. I'm proud of C-5," he said on the sidelines of an announcement on Canada's Black Justice Strategy.
"When it comes to sexual assault, serious crimes deserve serious consequences. And we obviously leave some discretion to the judges to determine the facts and sentences according to the circumstances," he added.
Legault apostrophe TrudeauIn a completely different matter, Prime Minister François Legault also apologized Wednesday to his federal counterpart Justin Trudeau by asking him to rectify the course concerning the reception capacity of Quebec in the file of asylum seekers.
Quebec Premier François Legault
In a brief media scrum at the Quebec City parliament, Legault recalled a tweet from the Prime Minister of Canada in which he said in January 2017 on Twitter: "To those fleeing persecution, terror and war, know that Canada will welcome you."
"We remember that Justin Trudeau made a tweet telling all migrants fleeing persecution that they were welcome here. There, it would be time for Justin Trudeau to make a new tweet to say not to come anymore because we have exceeded our capacity. Mr. Trudeau has a responsibility in this," Legault said.
Listen, we have problems with housing, places in schools, staff in hospitals. At some point, Mr. Trudeau needs to send a new message.
François Legault, Premier of Quebec
The CAQ Prime Minister has been demanding for months that Ottawa "close" Roxham Road, which crosses the border between the United States and Canada, in Montérégie. Mr. Legault is also asking the federal government to renegotiate the Safe Third Country Agreement to include irregular ports of entry such as Roxham Road.
HUGO PILON-LAROSETHE PRESS
La Presse reported Wednesday the case of Sobhi Akra, 39, who pleaded guilty in January 2022 to sexually assaulting eight women between October 2017 and November 2018 by grabbing their breasts or genitals. Mr. Akra is still awaiting sentencing. The Crown asked for 22 months of detention, while the defence asked for six, so as not to prejudice his immigration application
and avoid deportation to his country of origin, Lebanon.
However, Justice Alexandre St-Onge asked both parties Tuesday to rule on the new Bill C-5. This legislation allows sex offenders to serve a sentence in house jail, whereas conditional sentences for sexual assault were abolished in 2007 under the Conservatives.
Quebec parliamentarians unanimously condemned Wednesday the controversial provisions of Bill C-5. Quebec Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette tabled a motion in Question Period, receiving the support of all MPs.
The adopted text accuses Ottawa of inflicting "a setback in the fight against sexual violence".
"[The National Assembly] calls on the federal government to amend the law to make the offence
of sexual assault ineligible for community jail time," the motion states.
In another case of a sexual nature, Crownprosecutor Alexis Dinelle recently made a notable appearance against Bill C-5. "Right now, Justin Trudeau and [Justice Minister] David Lametti are probably accountable to victims of sexual assault," he said.
"I'm proud of C-5"The apostrophized minister called for patience with the law that came into force recently.
"I think we shouldn't have too strong reactions at the beginning. I'm proud of C-5," he said on the sidelines of an announcement on Canada's Black Justice Strategy.
"When it comes to sexual assault, serious crimes deserve serious consequences. And we obviously leave some discretion to the judges to determine the facts and sentences according to the circumstances," he added.
Legault apostrophe TrudeauIn a completely different matter, Prime Minister François Legault also apologized Wednesday to his federal counterpart Justin Trudeau by asking him to rectify the course concerning the reception capacity of Quebec in the file of asylum seekers.
Quebec Premier François Legault
In a brief media scrum at the Quebec City parliament, Legault recalled a tweet from the Prime Minister of Canada in which he said in January 2017 on Twitter: "To those fleeing persecution, terror and war, know that Canada will welcome you."
"We remember that Justin Trudeau made a tweet telling all migrants fleeing persecution that they were welcome here. There, it would be time for Justin Trudeau to make a new tweet to say not to come anymore because we have exceeded our capacity. Mr. Trudeau has a responsibility in this," Legault said.
Listen, we have problems with housing, places in schools, staff in hospitals. At some point, Mr. Trudeau needs to send a new message.
François Legault, Premier of Quebec
The CAQ Prime Minister has been demanding for months that Ottawa "close" Roxham Road, which crosses the border between the United States and Canada, in Montérégie. Mr. Legault is also asking the federal government to renegotiate the Safe Third Country Agreement to include irregular ports of entry such as Roxham Road.
