(Quebec) Grievances are piling up in Quebec against the Liberal government of Justin Trudeau. The most recent criticism concerns provisions of Bill C-5, adopted last June by the federal government, which allow sex offenders to serve a prison sentence at home. Quebec MPs accuse Ottawa of undermining the fight against sexual violence.
The Press reported on 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. Arka is still awaiting his sentence. The Crown asked for 22 months of detention, while the defense demanded six, so as not to harm his immigration application and prevent him from being deported to his country of origin, Lebanon.
However, Judge Alexandre St-Onge on Tuesday asked the two parties to comment on the brand new C-5 law. This law allows sex offenders to serve a prison sentence at home, while conditional sentences for sexual assault were abolished in 2007 under the Conservatives.
Quebec parliamentarians unanimously condemned the controversial provisions of Bill C-5 on Wednesday. Quebec Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette tabled a motion during question period, receiving the support of all MPs. The adopted text accuses Ottawa of inflicting “a setback in the fight against sexual violence”.
” [L’Assemblée nationale] calls on the federal government to change the law to make the offense of sexual assault ineligible for community imprisonment,” the motion reads.
In another case of a sexual nature, Crown prosecutor M.e Alexis Dinelle recently made a remarkable exit against Bill C-5. “Right now, Justin Trudeau and [le ministre de la Justice] David Lametti probably have to answer to the victims of sexual assault, ”he said.
Legault apostrophes Trudeau
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Premier Francois Legault
In a completely different matter, Prime Minister François Legault also apostrophized his federal counterpart Justin Trudeau on Wednesday, asking him to correct the situation regarding Quebec’s reception capacity in the file of asylum seekers.
In a brief press scrum in the Parliament of Quebec, Mr. Legault recalled a tweet from the Prime Minister of Canada in which he said in January 2017 on Twitter: “To those who flee persecution, terror and war, know that the Canada will welcome you”.
“We remember that Justin Trudeau tweeted telling all migrants fleeing persecution that they were welcome here. There, it is time for Justin Trudeau to make a new tweet to say not to come anymore because we have exceeded our reception capacity. Mr. Trudeau has a responsibility in this. Listen, we have problems with housing, places in schools, staff in hospitals. At some point, Mr. Trudeau has to send a new message,” said Mr. Legault.
The CAQ premier 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 crossings like Roxham Road.