Ottawa, ON – Arpan Khanna, Conservative Shadow Minister for Justice & Attorney General of Canada, released the following statement on toll crime is taking on small businesses across the country:
“Across Canada, small business owners are sounding the alarm on the growing impact that crime, disorder and drug use are having on their businesses, their employees and their communities.
“Since the beginning of the summer, small business owners in Kelowna, Victoria, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, and Halifax have explicitly expressed concern over rising crime impacting their business.
“These stories confirm what entrepreneurs across the country already know. Earlier this year, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business reported that crime remains a daily pressure for small businesses, forcing owners to spend more on security, absorb losses from theft and vandalism, and operate under constant uncertainty.
“Employees don’t feel safe walking to and from work. Customers are thinking twice about where they shop. Business owners are lying awake at night wondering if someone is going to break in, while dealing with theft, vandalism, graffiti, drug use and disorder right outside their doors.
“The culprit is clear. Liberal soft-on-crime Bills C-5 removed mandatory minimums and C-75 made bail easier through the so-called ‘Principle of Restraint.’ Instead of standing with victims, the Liberals made it easier for repeat offenders to get back on the streets.
“And the numbers tell the same story. Police reported more than 208,000 shoplifting incidents in 2025 alone, a 79% increase since 2015. Fraud is up 61% and extortion has skyrocketed by 297%.
“The financial cost is enormous. Theft costs Canadian retailers an estimated $9 billion in 2024, compared to $5 billion in 2018.
“For many business owners, these are not just numbers. It is what they see every day. They are already stretched thin by the rising cost of everything from rent and wages to supplies and insurance, there is simply no room to absorb the cost of crime too. They shouldn’t have to choose between paying their bills and paying for security, repairs and stolen merchandise.
“Mark Carney promised change, but Canadians have yet to see it. Not one failed Liberal crime policy has been repealed.
“Conservatives have a different plan. We introduced the Jail Not Bail Act to keep repeat violent offenders behind bars and end Liberal catch-and-release policies. We passed Bailey’s Law to better protect victims of intimate partner violence and repeat offenders and Emily’s Legacy to punish drug traffickers. We have always proposed stronger measures to crack down on extortion, organized crime and repeat offending.
“We will always fight for small businesses and bring back the safe communities that Canadians deserve.”