Neutral
An Act to amend the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights and to establish a framework for implementing the rights of victims of crime
This bill strengthens the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights by making key information to victims provided proactively, not only on request, and by creating a right to tailored support services. It reframes restitution as a broader right to reparations, including access to restorative justice and assistance to enforce restitution orders. It centralizes the federal complaints process with a designated authority, mandates regular training for justice system personnel, and requires a national implementation framework with standards, awareness, and reporting. It also contemplates strengthening the independence of the Federal Ombudsperson for Victims of Crime and sets timelines for tabling and reviewing the framework.
The bill advances victims’ safety and participation but adds significant new mandates, training, and administrative frameworks that likely increase costs and red tape without clear efficiency gains or offsetting savings. It does not materially advance productivity, investment, exports, or tax reform, so on balance it conflicts with the economic tenets.
What is the projected five-year cost and staffing impact of the training mandates, restitution-enforcement assistance, and national awareness campaign, and how will the government avoid duplicating provincial services while safeguarding victims' safety?
When will the implementation framework set binding service standards for proactive information delivery, access to counselling and legal support, and timelines to enforce restitution, and will the minister commit to quarterly public performance reporting?
Who will be designated as the independent complaints authority, what decision-time guarantees will apply, and how will proactive disclosures to victims be verified to protect privacy and avoid compromising active investigations?
Focuses on justice and victim support rather than broad economic growth or incomes.
Introduces new training mandates, a national framework, awareness campaigns, and proactive disclosure requirements that increase administrative burden, despite some centralization of complaints.
No direct impact on productivity or competitiveness.
Unrelated to trade or export growth.
Does not address business investment, innovation, or resource development.
Improves victim services but adds recurring training, new processes, and a framework with likely new spending and overlap risks, without offsetting savings or efficiency measures.
No tax policy changes.
A targeted justice reform; it does not change national prosperity trajectories.
Did we get the builder vote wrong?
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