Ottawa, ON – Arpan Khanna, Conservative Shadow Minister for Justice & Attorney General of Canada, issued the following statement on Canada’s most serious crimes hitting all-time highs:
“The Liberals keep saying crime is down. Yet some of Canada’s most disturbing crimes remain far higher than they were a decade ago.
“Since 2015, violent crime is up 57 per cent. Sexual assaults are up 77 per cent, human trafficking is up 119 per cent and extortion is up a staggering 297 per cent.
“The Liberals claim a victory where none exists. Running ads telling communities they are safe only misleads Canadians.
“The reality is that Canadians no longer feel safe in their homes and communities as crime rates skyrocket and repeat offenders terrorize our streets. A violent crime is reported roughly every 50 seconds in Canada. That is the Liberal record.
“Worst of all, the Liberals have failed to protect our most vulnerable. Between 2015 and 2025, the rate of police-reported sexual violations against children have risen 121 per cent, while child sexual abuse and exploitation material offences have soared by 195 per cent.
“Extortion has also surged, leaving families and businesses fearing for their safety. In Toronto alone, home invasions jumped 47.4 per cent in just one year.
“Jewish Canadians have also faced a disturbing rise in hate crimes, including shootings and arson attacks targeting Jewish institutions. Police-reported anti-Jewish hate crimes nearly tripled between 2020 and 2024.
“Behind every statistic is a victim. It is a family whose home has been invaded, a child who has been exploited, and a community that is afraid to worship in peace.
“Yet the Liberals continue to weaken Canada’s justice system. Liberal Bill C-5 removed mandatory prison time for certain serious offences. Liberal Bill C-75 made it easier for repeat offenders to get bail. Mark Carney’s Bill C-16 introduced a ‘Get Out of Jail Free’ card, allowing judges to ignore almost all mandatory minimum sentences, including for extortion with a firearm, human trafficking and aggravated sexual assault with a gun.
“Even the Liberals’ so-called bail reforms in Bill C-14 are only a partial fix while repeat violent offenders continue to cycle through a broken catch-and-release system.
“Conservatives have put forward concrete solutions: the Stand on Guard Act to strengthen Canada’s self-defence laws; the Safe at Home Act to create a stand-alone Criminal Code offence for violent home invasions; and the Jail Not Bail Act to strengthen bail laws, put public safety first and keep repeat violent offenders off our streets.
“Canadians deserve more than political spin. They deserve safe streets where criminals stay behind bars and face real consequences.
“Conservatives will bring strong laws to keep Canadians safe. We will restore the promise of Canada where every family can raise their children in a safe and peaceful community.”