Kelly DeRidder on Safe communities

hope that things can change for those suffering from addiction: End the failed experiment of taxpayer-funded “safe supply” that keeps people trapped in addiction and focus on abstinence based rehabilitation; take the billions we are spending to manage misery and invest them instead in 50,000 real treatment beds, medical detox, and recovery housing; and sue the drug companies that flooded our country with poison to help pay for it. It’s time to bring our loved ones home, drug free. #recovery #addiction #hope

services for survivors of sexual violence, from counselling to court support and anti-human trafficking programs. Thank you to the organizers, sponsors, and everyone who came together to make this night a success. Together, we’re building a safer, more supportive community. 💜

I talked to that was not affected, either directly or indirectly, by the drug crisis. That is just in my community. I know that every single one of the seats in this House represents communities that are the same. We need to start doing something about this.

ot recovery and not healing, just drugs. After a half a decade of chaos and heartbreak and $1 billion spent, what did the Liberals decide to do? In this budget, they chose to walk away. They chose to let mental health and addiction support funding expire, with no plan to renew it, no plan to replace it and no plan to help Canadians who are living through the consequences of the policies the Liberals championed. They are passing the responsibility to the provinces and municipalities, claiming it is not their jurisdiction. They should have had that same mindset before starting the safe supply experiment. They are pretending their decisions had nothing to do with the crisis Canadians are facing today. The government set fire to the barn, and now it is walking away hoping for someone else to put out the flames. The human toll of this drug crisis is being borne in large part by those we ask to save lives: our first responders. Recent reporting from CityNews shows the scale of what they are facing. The Vancouver Fire Rescue Services recently answered 54 overdose incidents in one day, the highest number of overdose responses ever recorded by that department. These are not rare, isolated events. In 2024, the average was between 20 and 25 daily overdose calls. In the Waterloo region, we just had to put out an overdose safety awareness alert this week. Meanwhile, an article from Canadian Affairs showcases what paramedics, firefighters and other frontline workers, like our nurses, are describing as their mental health and moral injury trauma, not from overdoses but from the endless cycle of drug-related emergencies they are powerless to resolve. One paramedic candidly described attending calls day after day for the same individuals, often without any resources to offer any long-term help. These are not merely medical emergencies; these are social emergencies rooted in addiction, homelessness and untreated mental illness, yet first responders regularly arrive at scenes where there is nowhere safe to send people, no capacity for long-term treatment and no effective wraparound supports. There is no durable strategy from the federal government to address the root causes. Essentially, we are sending paramedics and firefighters to fight a crisis that requires structural solutions while giving them nothing but repetition, burnout and trauma. Addictions and mental health are mentioned exactly once in this budget, only to say the funding is ending. Another vulnerable group being affected by this crisis is our youth. They are now suffering deeply from this drug crisis. The data shows the trend is worsening. Even the CBC has recently reported that doctors in London, Ontario, are seeing alarming numbers of youth, some as young as early teens, using opioids and other substances. Another CityNews report highlights that non-medical prescription opioid use among students jumped 10% in two years. Given all that, does it make sense for the solution to be funding opioids with taxpayer dollars? Given this information, the common-sense solution would be to crack down on illicit drug networks and use taxpayer dollars to help fund abstinence-based recovery treatment. We are witnessing rising drug use, rising overdose risk and growing addiction among youth, many of whom started using as children, yet we still lack the infrastructure, resources and political will to properly treat them. Addictions and mental health are mentioned exactly once in this budget, only to say the funding is ending. The scale of loss in Canada's drug crisis defies comprehension. According to the federal government's own data, 53,821 Canadians have died from an overdose since 2016. To put that into perspective, Canada lost approximately 45,000 soldiers in World War II. This country has now lost more people to the drug crisis than we lost in the entirety of the Second World War. Let that sink in. Let us think about this. A global conflict that spanned continents and years took fewer Canadian lives than drugs, untreated addiction and government failure, and despite the staggering loss and the fact that we are losing more Canadians to addiction than one of the deadliest conflicts in our history, the government has chosen to put zero new funding, zero new programs and zero new hope in this budget for mental health and addictions. Communities are grieving at a wartime scale. Families are burying loved ones at a larger-than-wartime scale, and the federal government is responding with silence. Addictions and mental health are mentioned exactly once in this budget, and that is to say the funding is ending. These are all national examples of how out of hand this drug crisis has gotten, but unfortunately, my community of Kitchener has not dodged it. This crisis is not abstract to the people of Kitchener. It is lived daily. Our downtown core, once vibrant, busy and safe, is struggling. Small businesses are reporting lower foot traffic, rising theft, property damage and incidents that make customers and staff feel unsafe. Restaurants, cafés and shops told me directly that patronage is down because people no longer feel comfortable bringing their families downtown. These small businesses are not just storefronts; they are jobs, community anchors and part of what makes our cities home. They are asking for leadership from the federal government. They are asking for mental health supports, treatment options and real solutions, not half measures and not abandonment, yet addictions and mental health are mentioned exactly once in this budget, and that is to say the funding is ending. I have had numerous constituents write to me echoing the same thing: not feeling safe downtown and feeling disappointed that this is what has become of their once vibrant and safe community. One wrote to me recently describing what their family faces every day living near Weber Street. They said that every single day, they see something that they are amazed is even allowed in their community. They said just up the road is a hotel filled with homeless individuals, including children, living in conditions where drugs are openly used. They once witnessed a woman shooting up right in front of the window of the Pluto Day Care in broad daylight while children played inside. Another constituent wrote that after a recent decision allowing the Victoria Street and Weber Street encampment to remain, they have lost all hope in the downtown core. They wonder why they must follow every bylaw, shovel their walkway and keep their property safe and clean while others' rights extend beyond theirs. What about the rest of Kitchener citizens? They ended with some sentences that no Canadian should ever have to say. They said this has become their new normal. They said this is downtown and they want to feel safe again. They do not know why their family does not matter anymore. Let me be clear. This is not the fault of people struggling with addictions and mental illness. They are Canadians in pain, deserving of compassion, treatment and a real chance at recovery. However, the families in Kitchener, families watching their community deteriorate, are feeling unheard and abandoned. The government set fire to the barn, and now it is walking away hoping for someone else to put out the flames. Well, I am proud to stand here and say that Conservatives will step up and put out the flames. I am here to tell Canadians that they do not have to suffer and that there is hope in abstinence-based rehabilitation. The Conservative plan offers a clear path out of this: end the failed experiment of safe supply and take the billions we are spending to perpetuate misery and invest it into 50,000 real treatment beds, medical detox and recovery housing. We owe our youth more than safe supply and body bags. We owe our first responders more than burnout and despair. We owe the 53,000 already lost more than just a budget announcing that it is going to end. Every Canadian life is worth fighting for, and it is time to bring Canadians home drug-free.

message so more people are aware. Together, we can look out for one another and help prevent further harm.

ilding skills, and learning the life-saving ability of swimming in a fun, safe, and supportive environment. Huge congratulations to the team behind this amazing initiative. Your passion for water safety and your commitment to our community is inspiring. Welcome to Kitchener, we’re lucky to have you! 💙

pal and federal leaders work together, we create opportunities to improve the lives of people in Kitchener Centre. Thank you, Berry Vrbanovic , for taking the time to stop by and engage in such an important discussion. I look forward to continuing this partnership to build a stronger, more connected community.

and technology that benefit Kitchener Centre and across Canada — always putting Canadians first.

de rehabilitation progress in parole decisions Bill C-240 is a non-partisan bill that will help Canadians get the help they need while at the same time, go after fentanyl kingpins who destroy our communities.

nders are released, only to harm again. You deserve better. You deserve safety, dignity, and peace of mind in your own community. Today, as we vote on our motion in the House of Commons, I ask others in this house to listen. This is not about politics. This is about people. About families. About the right to live without fear. Conservatives hear you. We stand with you. And we will fight to get this done, for the sake of every neighbour, every child, and every small business trying to survive and thrive in Kitchener Centre and across Canada. Let’s make our communities safer. Let’s pass this motion—together.

ad to food insecurity as well. We do know that the homeless population is more at risk for infectious disease. That includes those who are struggling with addiction. In my riding in Kitchener, I was driving by one of our encampments over the summer. Someone had passed in the encampment. I was deeply saddened by their passing, but I was even more saddened by the fact that those cleaning up his area were dressed in full haz-mat. In another story from my riding, a lady lost her son because he injected with water from our Grand River. He got an infectious disease straight from our river when he injected with that water. We've lost 53,000 people to this opioid crisis that we're facing right now. That's more people than we lost in World War II. It just seems that these failed social experiment policies are leading to more deaths in our country. I have two questions: How is this drug crisis today contributing to the infectious disease increase in Canada, and do you have any data on the actual AMR deaths contributing to what we're facing in Canada today?

ng people rebuild their lives, we must invest in accessible, immediate mental health and addiction treatment services. We need more beds, more supports, and a system that responds with urgency when someone says, ‘I’m ready to change.’ That’s the kind of rehabilitation-first approach I want to see us build across this country.

the member across the aisle support Bill C-242, the jail not bail act?

that no longer puts public safety first. After a summer of violent crime and eroded trust in our public safety, Canadians are demanding swift action and they have every right to do so. Across this country, violent crime is up 55%. Firearms offences from non-law-abiding citizens have surged by 130%, and extortion has skyrocketed by 330%. These are not just statistics. They represent shattered lives, grieving families and communities living in fear. This crisis did not happen by accident. In 2019, the Liberal government passed Bill C-75, which forced judges to release offenders at the earliest possible opportunity under the least restrictive conditions. As a result, there is a revolving door by which repeat violent offenders end up back on our streets. I want to be clear: This is a crisis of the Liberals' own making, and Canadians are left to live with the devastating consequences. I will be splitting my time today. We have all heard the heartbreaking stories. One that stays with me is that of Daniel Senecal. He was convicted of sexual assault, released under weakened bail laws and then accused of sexually assaulting a three-year-old child, whom we have come to know as little E. This three-year-old child has had to spend three weeks in the hospital recovering from this unimaginable, irrevocable act, and she will be scarred for life. She is a child. That is the cost of this system, which prioritizes offenders over victims. There is also Scott Weller, a victim of a violent home invasion. Scott said, “As someone who knows firsthand the trauma of a violent home invasion, I believe strongly in the need for Jail not Bail. My family was attacked in what should have been the safety of our own home. The idea that violent offenders could be released back onto our streets is terrifying—not just for us, but for every Canadian family.” Scott's words are powerful. They remind us that public safety must come first, that the rights of victims and families must come before the rights of violent offenders. The Toronto Police Association put it plainly: “The proposed ideas will put victims and communities first, restoring the balance that is desperately needed at a time when youth violence and gun crimes are out of control and innocent victims are paying the ultimate price.” This is why Conservatives are introducing Bill C-242, the jail not bail act. The bill would restore accountability, protect communities and put victims first. I will bring this closer to my riding in Kitchener. In the region of Waterloo, in 2024 alone, there were 3,896 undertakings and 2,334 releases. That is a 61% release rate. This means that the majority of the accused individuals were sent back into our neighbourhoods. What is even more troubling is that approximately 50% of the charges brought forward by the Waterloo Regional Police are not being pursued by Crown prosecution. That is half of these cases gone. They are not prosecuted; they are gone. Of those released on an undertaking or release order in 2023 and 2024, 20% were found to be in disregard of the terms of their release. What is worse is that more than half of those offenders were caught multiple times. These are the repeat offenders we need off our streets. I received an email today from Anke, a 76-year-old woman in my community. She told me that she is nervous to walk around her community in broad daylight. She wants us to restore Canada to what it was, making it safe for her children and grandchildren. Families are not the only ones suffering. Businesses in the downtown core of Kitchener Centre are struggling. They are being broken into. Their customers are afraid to come downtown. The rise in crime is hurting our business community of hard-working entrepreneurs, who are trying to keep their doors open and staff safe. Public safety is economic safety, and right now both are at risk, but perhaps the most disturbing example is what happened recently in my own community: the sexual assault and attempted kidnapping of a six-year-old child. The accused was released on conditions and is still residing in the same community where that child lives. This is not okay. Our children's safety is at risk. No parent should have to live with the fear that a violent offender is living down the street. No child should be put in harm's way because our justice system has failed to act. Bill C-242, the jail not bail act, would, first, repeal the Liberal principle of restraint and replace it with a directive that public protection and safety be the primary consideration. Second, it would create a new major offences category with reverse-onus bail conditions for charges like firearm offences, sexual assault, kidnapping, human trafficking, home invasion, robbery, extortion, arson and assault. Third, it would strengthen bail laws by requiring judges to consider an accused's full criminal history and by preventing bail for anyone convicted of a major offence in the last 10 years who is now charged again. Fourth, it would toughen the risk assessment standard from “substantial likelihood” to “reasonably foreseeable”. Fifth, it would prohibit anyone with an indictable conviction from acting as a guarantor. We would enforce bail conditions on guarantors and require non-residents to surrender their passport upon request. This is not about being punitive; it is about being responsible. It is about restoring order to our streets, trust in our justice system and confidence in our communities. Conservatives are calling on all political parties to set aside political differences and to do what is right. Canadians deserve a justice system that protects them and enables them, not repeat offenders. To every victim, every family, every child, every business owner and every community that has lived through the trauma of violence, I say that Conservatives hear them. We stand with them. We are taking action. They deserve to learn, live and work in safe streets, to go to bed without worry, to know their children can play safely in their yard and their park, and to live in the Canada we lived in before the Liberals' Bill C-75, the “get out of jail free card” act. Let us restore justice. Let us restore confidence in public safety. Let us pass Bill C-242, the jail not bail act.

hose strength and sacrifice echo through every siren and salute.

ibe structured rehabilitation programs for individuals whose offences stem from circumstances that can be addressed through skill development, education and recovery as part of a holistic healing process. “Our justice system must do more than punish - it must also heal,” said MP DeRidder. “Bill C-240 empowers courts to prescribe structured rehabilitation measures, including education, skills training, and treatment programs, to be undertaken during custody. These are not soft-on-crime measures; they are smart-on-recovery interventions.” If passed, this legislation will: Allow court-ordered rehabilitation measures for offenders: The bill allows courts to order additional rehabilitative measures during an offender’s custodial sentence, such as participation in educational, training, or treatment programs. Permit stricter penalties for fentanyl traffickers: The bill introduces an aggravating factor in sentencing for individuals convicted of trafficking fentanyl in large quantities, leading to stricter penalties. Include rehabilitation progress in parole decisions: The bill further requires parole boards to consider an offender's progress in completing court-ordered rehabilitation programs when making parole decisions. “Bill C-240 strengthens the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, ensuring that rehabilitation objectives are considered during parole decisions. It amends the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to treat large-scale fentanyl trafficking as an aggravating factor, reflecting the gravity of the harm inflicted on our communities,” DeRidder concluded. “By integrating public health principles into our justice system, we can reduce recidivism, enhance community safety, and break the cycle of harm."

ion. Conservatives will keep fighting to put families and Canadians first.

recovery as part of a holistic healing process. This bill is not about being soft on crime — it’s about being smart on recovery. By integrating public health principles into our justice system, we can reduce recidivism, enhance community safety, and break the cycle of harm. Bill C-240 will also strengthen our response to large-scale fentanyl trafficking, drawing a clear line between those who need support to rebuild their lives and those who profit from destruction.

act. The bill seeks to address one of the most urgent and heartbreaking crises facing Canadian families: the devastating impact of substance addiction. Canadians see the toll: lives are lost; families are shattered; and public safety is eroded. Our justice system must do more than punish. It must also heal. The bill would empower courts to prescribe structured rehabilitation measures, including education, skills training and treatment programs, to be undertaken during custody. These are not soft-on-crime measures. They are smart-on-recovery interventions. The bill would strength the Corrections and Conditional Release Act to ensure that rehabilitation objectives are considered during parole decisions, and it would amend the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to treat large-scale fentanyl trafficking as an aggravating factor, reflecting the gravity of the harm inflicted in our communities. I look forward to working with all members of the House to restore dignity, health and hope to those caught in the cycle of addiction. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

ategic conversations about how we align our efforts to deliver real results for Kitchener Centre. From housing and transit to small business support and community safety, we’re focused on practical solutions that make a difference. The work ahead is serious, and I’m ready to get to it. Let’s build a future that’s secure, affordable, and full of opportunity, together. Thank you to all, that took the time to meet. Aislinn Clancey - MPP Kitchener Centre Margaret Johnston - Councillor ward 8 Stephanie Stretch - Councillor ward 10 Debbie Chapman - Councillor ward 9 Colleen James - Regional councillor Berry Vrbanovic - Mayor of Kitchener Mike Harris - MPP Kitchener Conestoga Catherine Fife - MPP Waterloo Matthew Rodrigues - Regional councillor Karen Redman - Chair, Regional Municipality of Waterloo Jason Deneault - Councillor ward 3 Dorothy McCabe - Mayor of Waterloo Dave Schnider - Councillor ward 2 Sue Foxton - Mayor North Dumfries

ability 🇨🇦 A self-reliant Canada 🚓 Safe streets 🏡 Reviving the Canadian Dream — where hard work means a good home in a safe neighbourhood, right here in the greatest country on Earth. Thank you to everyone who welcomed us and shared your stories. Your voices matter — and they’re shaping the future we’re building together. #BetterTogether #CanadianDream #PierrePoilievre #teamworkmakesthedreamwork