On February 19, I joined Finance Minister François‑Philippe Champagne to announce new measures to protect Canadians from organized crime and financial intimidation.
The government is mobilizing Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) to help track and stop extortion and is launching a new Countering Extortion Partnership that will bring together banks, credit unions, and law enforcement to disrupt criminal networks. These efforts build on investments in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, including $1.7 billion in Budget 2025 Canada to strengthen the fight against organized crime and hire 150 new financial crime specialists. The government will also introduce legislation by spring 2026 to establish a new Financial Crimes Agency to investigate complex cases of money laundering, fraud, and financial extortion.
Following the announcement, my colleagues and I joined community leaders for a roundtable discussion on extortion and organized crime, focusing on protecting families and small businesses through stronger financial intelligence, better partnerships with law enforcement, and improved tools to detect suspicious financial activity. Protecting our community remains a priority, and we will continue working with local partners to combat organized crime