With the Prime Minister heading off to sunny Mexico to meet with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, the Conservatives took to the House floor to table legislation and speak on crime and the economy. The House of Commons spent much of Thursday’s sitting debating Bill C-2, though MPs also introduced two new private members’ bills focused on crime victims and intimate partner violence. Conservative MP Mel Arnold (Kamloops–Shuswap–Central Rockies) tabled Bill C-221, which would amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to improve communication with victims of crime and their families. The measure seeks to ensure victims receive timely updates on sentencing decisions, parole eligibility, and offender movements within the prison system. Arnold said the bill is about treating victims with respect, while Oshawa MP Rhonda Kirkland, who seconded the motion, noted that families of victims often live with a “life sentence” of their own..Conservative MP Frank Caputo (Kamloops–Thompson–Cariboo) introduced Bill C-225, aimed at strengthening Canada’s response to intimate partner violence. The legislation would classify the murder of a current or former partner as first-degree murder, create new offences for assaulting or harassing intimate partners, and require judicial oversight for repeat offenders’ releases. It also proposes expanded use of risk assessments and updated procedures for handling evidence.Caputo described intimate partner violence as “a unique evil,” citing Statistics Canada data showing it accounts for one-third of violent crimes reported to police, and urged cross-party cooperation to see the reforms passed.Both bills drew on the work of victims’ rights advocates, including Lisa Freeman, whose father was killed in Oshawa in 1991 and who has long campaigned for clearer parole communication..Versions of Arnold’s proposal have advanced in past Parliaments but lapsed before becoming law, while Caputo stressed that legislative action on intimate partner violence is overdue. With debate on Bill C-2 dominating the agenda, MPs agreed that the new measures will move to second reading, where the House will decide whether to send them to committee for further study.
