Federal Opposition leader Pierre Poilievre announced his plan to tackle extortion on Wednesday (Aug. 20) at a Surrey banquet hall that was the site of a July 21 overnight shooting.
Poilievre stated that Royal King Palace and Convention Centre 鈥渨as the victim of extortion.鈥� However, Surrey Police said Wednesday (Aug. 20) that the motive is still under investigation, but 鈥渁t this time, investigators have not developed any links between the shooting and extortion.鈥�
Poilievre also laid out his priorities for the fall session, which included 鈥渟tronger take-home pay, safer streets, secure borders, a self-reliant Canada.鈥�
He said this plan starts with safety, which is why he was in Surrey at the site of a recent shooting, to announce his top three priorities on how he and the Conservatives plan to "end extortion and restore safe streets."
The first being the listing of the Lawrence Bishnoi Gang as a terrorist entity. Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke and have previously called on the federal government to take similar action.
鈥淭he Bishnoi gang has been terrorizing communities, shooting up neighbourhoods, extorting our people and taking the money out of our country. There's evidence now that their violence is linked to terror and to political motivations,鈥� Poilievre said. Designating the group as a terrorist enity 鈥渨ould allow police to arrest anyone who raises money, organizes plans, does logistics or recruitment and put those people in jail, or if they are not Canadians, kick them out of this country.鈥�
Poilievre also wants to reintroduce a mandatory minimum jail time for extortion-related sentences. A three-year minimum for all extortion-related convictions, four years if a gun is involved and five years when it is connected to organized crime. 鈥淭his action plan will help us to become more secure,鈥� he said.
鈥淲e need to reverse the Liberal laws that have caused this chaos in the first place. Liberals passed bill C-5, which lowered the penalty for extortion with a gun. What do you know, we have more extortion with guns.鈥�
There has been a 117 per cent increase in extortion-related organized crime incidents in Canada from 2020 to 2024,
His announcement aimed at the Liberal government, which in 2022 passed Bill C-5 and eliminated mandatory minimum sentences for 14 offences in the criminal code, including some involving firearms, weapons and substances.
The bill also removed the mandatory minimum sentence of four years for those convicted of extortion where a non-prohibited or restricted firearm was used in the offence. The offences must also not be 鈥渃ommitted for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a criminal organization.鈥�
If the offence is committed with a restricted or permitted firearm or 鈥� for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with a criminal organization,鈥� the mandatory minimum sentence is five years for the first offence and seven for the second.
Lastly, he wants 鈥渏ail, not bail鈥� and will continue to pressure the federal government to repeal the Bill C-5 and Bill C-75 bail laws. 鈥淭o ensure that offenders who engage in extortion go to jail. They're not automatically released again and again through the revolving door.鈥�
鈥淚f someone commits a crime when they're here as a visitor, we want them to do a sentence in prison and then get the hell out of Canada,鈥� he sa
Currently, depending on the severity of the crime and sentence, non-citizens, including permanent residents, can be deported after serving their sentence.
A permanent resident or foreign national is inadmissible to Canada if they have been convicted in Canada of an offence that is 鈥減unishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least 10 years鈥� or if they have been sentenced to 鈥渕ore than six months鈥� in prison.
Poilievre secured a seat back in the House of Commons on Monday in the
Poilievre described the impact of ten years of a Liberal government and said under Prime Minister Mark Carney, 鈥渆verything is worse.鈥�
