Hon. Andrew Cardozo: My question is for the Government Representative in the Senate. Car thefts have surged in Canada. From 2021 to 2023, the number of stolen vehicles increased by 48% in Ontario, and by 58% in Quebec. Seventy thousand cars were stolen in Canada in 2023. These are big numbers that affect real people.

On February 8, 2024, the Trudeau government held the National Summit on Combatting Auto Theft. On Monday, they announced new measures. Could you describe the highlights of the measures of the government’s strategy to combat the epidemic of car theft?

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): Thank you for your question. It is a question that has been asked in this chamber before. I will simply go to the answer.

First of all, the national action plan is a product of collaboration between all partners, including all levels of government, following the summit that was held some time ago, as we all know. The key measures include the following: invest in the Canada Border Services Agency and the police to intercept stolen vehicles; strengthen information sharing between police, both within Canada and internationally; and provide new Criminal Code measures to give police and prosecutors more tools to address auto theft, notably auto theft related to organized crime, as well as electronic devices and fobs used to hack and steal cars, and laundering proceeds of auto theft. This plan will be continuously updated and reviewed to respond to the evolving criminal trends in this area.

Senator Cardozo: My supplementary question is with regard to stolen cars that are being exported through the Port of Montreal. Indeed, there is the sense that many of the cars that are stolen go out of that port to other parts of the world. What measures is the government taking to deal with that point? This is certainly a point that we should be choking off in terms of the export of stolen vehicles.

Senator Gold: You are right that the export of stolen vehicles from Canada is an important piece that drives this rise in auto thefts. The government has invested $28 million to support the work of the Canada Border Services Agency and strengthen our borders against the export of stolen vehicles. Of course, it has also invested in Ontario and other places to provide greater detection to address this problem.