TORONTO — A tense exchange unfolded in the House of Commons Tuesday as Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre accused Prime Minister Mark Carney of allowing crime and foreign threats to spread in Canada, while Carney defended the government’s record on security and gun control.During Question Period, Poilievre linked recent acts of violence and intimidation in Canada to what he described as a decade of Liberal immigration and criminal justice policies.“There have been wars in the Middle East, but never before did those wars spill onto our streets here in Canada,” Poilievre said, alleging Liberal policies had allowed criminals, terrorists and illegal guns to enter the country.The Conservative leader also claimed hundreds of agents connected to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are operating in Canada and referenced incidents targeting synagogues and Iranian dissidents.“What will the Prime Minister do to restore the safety that Canadians had before his Liberal government took office?” Poilievre asked.Carney responded by pointing to legislation and enforcement measures already taken by the government.“We’ve got to go quick here. C-14 changes the bail laws — you might want to read it,” Carney told the House, adding that the government has banned the IRGC, sanctioned more than 200 Iranian individuals and entities, and is investigating thousands of cases related to Iranian activities.The prime minister also accused Poilievre of opposing past gun control measures..“That member opposite has voted against every single gun control measure ever put before this House,” Carney said.Poilievre rejected the criticism, arguing Liberal gun policies target legal firearm owners rather than criminals.“What I voted against was a Liberal approach that has doubled gun crime by wasting billions going after duck hunters, farmers and legal sport shooters,” he said.He further criticized the government for what he described as failing to remove suspected IRGC members from Canada, saying that banning the organization is insufficient if individuals connected to it remain in the country.Carney later shifted the discussion to legislation intended to protect places of worship, urging Conservative MPs to support government bills aimed at strengthening security.“We want to protect synagogues, we want to protect community centres, we want to protect places of worship,” Carney said. “That is why legislation is before this House today.”The exchange broadened into a dispute over affordability when Poilievre pivoted to rising grocery prices. He said food inflation has worsened under the government and linked higher costs to federal taxes affecting farmers and fuel.“This Prime Minister said he would be judged by the prices at the grocery store,” Poilievre said, noting that millions of Canadians rely on food banks.Carney responded by defending Canada’s constitutional protections after Poilievre accused the government of proposing measures that would affect religious texts.“I would suggest that the member opposite read the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms,” Carney said, adding that the charter protects religious expression, including the Torah and the Bible.The exchange ended without the prime minister directly addressing Poilievre’s final question on whether the government would reverse new taxes affecting fuel and agriculture.
