C-381Protection against Extortion Act
An Act to amend the Criminal Code (extortion)
Private member's bill, introduced in the House of Commons on February 12, 2024
- Status
- Defeated at second reading in the House of Commons
What it does
Changes Criminal Code penalties for extortion and makes arson an aggravating factor at sentencing.
What it does
- Changes the penalty for extortion to life in prison when a restricted or prohibited firearm is used, or when the offence is linked to a criminal organization.
- Sets the minimum penalty for extortion at 4 years in prison when a different firearm is used, and 3 years in any other case.
- Requires courts to treat arson as an aggravating factor when sentencing someone convicted of extortion.
Who it affects
- People charged with extortion
- People linked to criminal organizations
- People who use firearms in extortion
- Courts
Topics
Background
The bill amends section 346 of the Criminal Code, which sets penalties for extortion.
Where it is
House of Commons
First reading
Completed.
Second reading
Defeated here. Defeated
Committee
Not reached.
Report stage
Not reached.
Third reading
Not reached.
Senate
First reading
Not reached.
Second reading
Not reached.
Committee
Not reached.
Third reading
Not reached.
Royal assent
Royal assent
Not reached.
Introduced by an MP who is not a minister. These bills compete in a lottery for debate time, and most do not become law. How a bill becomes law
How the House voted
2nd reading of Bill C-381, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (extortion)
Vote 767,
Failed
144 yeato173 nay · 8 paired
Party breakdown for vote 767 Party Position Yea Nay Did not vote Liberal Nay 0 147 9 Conservative Yea 114 0 4 Bloc Yea 29 0 3 NDP Nay 0 23 1 Green Nay 0 2 0 Independent Split evenly 1 1 1 Total 144 173
What MPs said
Each party’s first speech on this bill in the House, from Hansard. Excerpts are the speaker’s opening sentences, unedited.
LiberalMark Gerretsen· April 17, 2024
“I appreciate the opportunity to speak today to Bill C-381, the protection against extortion act. As we all know, extortion is increasingly impacting Canadian communities.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caConservativeTim Uppal· April 17, 2024
“My private member's bill, the protection against extortion act, Bill C-381, is a common-sense bill that addresses extortion and those who terrorize our communities with demands for protection. First and foremost, this bill would undo the serious damage caused by the government's reckless crime policies, such as Bill C-5.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caBlocRhéal Fortin· April 17, 2024
“I have sat in the House since 2015, and there is a recurring debate between the Liberal and NDP vision of opposing mandatory minimum sentences and the Conservative vision of applying this policy to as many offences as possible.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.caNDPRandall Garrison· April 17, 2024
“In February, in the midst of these instances in Surrey, the Conservative leader delivered a speech where he laid out the three things proposed in the bill before us: imposing a mandatory minimum of three years for extortion and four years if using a firearm, as well as adding arson as an aggravating circumstance. He called these additional tools for police to use.”
Read the full speech on openparliament.ca
Read the source
LEGISinfo status: Bill defeated. Bill data from LEGISinfo, votes from openparliament.ca and the House of Commons. Last updated October 13, 2026.