Parliamentary Speeches
946 speeches by Adam van Koeverden — Page 13 of 19
Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I listened keenly to the member's speech. At the end, he said that he will always stand for the interests of his constituents. I wonder if that means their financial interests. I know that, like Milton, Brantford—Brant is a family community. The member actively talked down the importance of immigration as a direct contributor to our economy. He talked about building permits, as if t…
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Name one measure.
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Mr. Speaker, while the communications and public affairs branch, or CPAB, does monitor social media for health-related issues and topics, the monitoring of specific social media accounts of opposition members of Parliament by officials is not part of the mandate of CPAB. As a result, CPAB concluded that producing a comprehensive response to this question would not be possible.
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Mr. Speaker, last week our community in Milton came together to support Bradi McCoy after she was the victim of an unspeakable act of horrible violence. The Rad Brothers Sports Bar in Milton was overflowing with support last Friday night, and it would not have been possible without a really incredible volunteer effort, so I thank Mary, Dave, Marg, David, Heather, Veronica, Jo Anne, Jan, Greg, Anna…
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Mr. Speaker, health care is essential, and this could not be more true for those who are most vulnerable, particularly seniors. A couple of weeks ago, before the budget, I was able to sit down with the SEIU, which is a union that supports and represents personal support care workers right across this country. Budget 2023 invests in the wages of those workers. Some of the most vulnerable people are…
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Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Avalon for bringing up an issue that is very near and dear to my heart. At my constituency office in Milton, which is a very busy place, a lot of seniors call to say the threshold for dental care from the province is far too low. Basically, seniors need to be extraordinarily poor before they can access insurance through the province, and that needs to change. …
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Madam Speaker, I am happy to have an opportunity to talk about agriculture and farming, because my community of Milton, being one of the most diverse in the country, has quite a lot of farmers and food producers. One of the issues that came up at my last agriculture and farming town hall was the cost of fertilizer. I am really glad that was identified as a problem and that solutions were provided …
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Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to rise today to discuss budget 2023, which is, of course, a made-in-Canada plan to build a strong middle class, an affordable economy and a healthier future. In this budget, we are proposing many measures to make life more affordable from coast to coast to coast, to improve service delivery for Canadians, to achieve better tax fairness, to strengthen our health ca…
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Madam Speaker, that was a great question from my colleague from Windsor. I am really grateful for the fact that it was National Dental Hygienists Week when we released the budget. I had the opportunity to sit down with a fairly large group of Canadian hygienists, and we discussed the budget, which was not out at the time, although they were looking forward to it. They were really glad for these in…
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Madam Speaker, a little over a decade ago, Patrick and Brian Burke launched “You Can Play”, a social activism campaign dedicated to the eradication of homophobia in sports, particularly hockey. The campaign uses the slogan, “If you can play, you can play”. Most people have also seen pride tape on hockey sticks, a initiative co-founded by Dr. Kris Wells. These are meaningful steps in the right dire…
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Mr. Speaker, I could not agree with my colleague more. While Canadians are really excited that Toronto and Vancouver will play host to games during the FIFA 2026 men's world cup, we have to do more to ensure that everybody has access to sport, physical activity and recreation. That is why I was so glad to get out to Canmore, Alberta a couple of weeks ago to visit Spirit North. This is an organizat…
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Mr. Speaker, I was eager to ask my colleague from Elmwood—Transcona a question about a balance on the taxation of products that lead to certain health outcomes. I was also eager to stand to say it was kind of him to acknowledge the pain that our colleague is going through, but then the member politicized it a little, and I was pretty disappointed. I am a bit shaken because of what these types of d…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my friend and colleague from South Okanagan—West Kootenay for being an advocate for the wineries and small craft breweries in his riding. I have two breweries in my riding. Orange Snail and Third Moon are both awesome. They do a lot in our community. Andrews Farm produces wine as well, and we have strong connections to Pelee Island in Milton. That is a great On…
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Mr. Speaker, I acknowledge that the member and I had an exchange. However, what I said was: “Aren't you a lawyer?” Now, I understand the word he said is sometimes confused with the word “lawyer”. However, I did not use the term that he said. It is unparliamentary language. I apologize if I offended the member, but I did not use that word.
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Madam Speaker, the basic human rights of 2SLGBTQ+ people are under attack. Hatred is on the rise, as gender diversity and expression have become frequent targets for Republican politicians, far-right groups and social media trolls. Reports in the U.S.A. point to a conservative movement driving over 300 pieces of legislation that directly target transgender rights. News reports from Canada indicate…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his hard work on this bill. It has been an extraordinary voyage. I, like most Canadians, feel as if these massive companies, like Google, Apple and Facebook, have way too much power. They have way too much control over what we see. I am concerned, and I think a lot of my constituents are too. I listened to my colleague's speech as he referenced…
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Madam Speaker, first, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from Vancouver Kingsway for his collaboration on the health committee. I agree with him, and I will re-emphasize our number one priority. Health care in Canada should remain, and always be, publicly funded, universally available and equitably delivered to all Canadians. I was in the health committee as we heard from nurses unions, docto…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for taking such a firm stand in this place for publicly funded, universally available and equitably delivered health care in our country. It is so important that we continue to stand up for it because he is right. There are Conservatives in the House and across the country who would strive to privatize our health care further. However, our plan is compliant…
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Madam Speaker, the member opposite asked a lot of questions, and this has become a really disappointing trend from the Conservatives. It is a lot of slogans and no solutions or proposals for a better system. There are no recommendations, just a lot of slogans with no substance at all. Canadians know they cannot trust the Conservatives on health care. Their hidden agenda is not hidden at all. There…
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Madam Speaker, the concept of equity versus equality is one that is lost on some members of the House. It is important to note that some Canadians do live in disparate conditions. They live far away from hospitals and have less access to services, to resources and to a family doctor. We have to ensure that everybody has service and access to the exact same system, and we have to make sure outcomes…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague for his collaboration. The quotes he shared were primarily from provincial organizations representing the workers in those provinces, which is important, but I think they were directing those comments to provincial governments. We heard from Canadian organizations, like the Canadian Medical Association, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of …
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for the extraordinary work that he and his colleagues on the HUMA committee have done to ensure that there is modernization in the care economy, that wages keep up to the rate of inflation and that people are paid well for their essential work. That same day, I met with members of the SEIU to discuss not only some of the more troubling results of t…
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for his question and his attention to this very important issue. However, I must mention that responsibility for Canada's health care system is shared between the two levels of government, meaning provincial and federal. The cost of the health care system is the responsibility of both orders of government. That agreement is also the result of co-ope…
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Madam Speaker, I will leave it at that, as the hon. member continues to heckle me from across the way.
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Madam Speaker, I will not apologize for my speech being full of words. I am sorry if it was difficult to follow. It was full of words the hon. member could not hear, because he was speaking to one of his colleagues for the entire time I was speaking. If he had been listening, he would have heard the anecdotes that I shared from various organizations. I shared that one of our prime priorities is to…
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Madam Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the House today to address the motion from the hon. member for Burnaby South and provide an update on our government's commitment to support and strengthen Canada's health care system. It is also a great opportunity to re-emphasize our number one priority, which is to ensure that our health care system continues to be publicly funded, universally available…
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Madam Speaker, I would first like to commend the hon. member for Port Moody—Coquitlam for her work on labour shortages in the care economy. I appreciated all the quotes she used to re-emphasize what I believe are common characteristics and shared priorities with respect to these investments in the health care system going forward. I would also like to share a quote from Dr. Alika Lafontaine from t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I agree. We believe that all one should need to get health care in Canada is a health card, not a credit card. Canadians are proud of our system, which is based on need, not ability to pay. Canadians should have access to medical services based on their need, not their ability to pay.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. Under our plan, the premiers of the provinces and territories must agree to three key commitments to obtain funding through tailored bilateral agreements, in addition to an immediate top-up to the Canada health transfer, or CHT. These commitments include collecting, sharing and using vital information on health to guarantee the CHT top-up and ent…
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Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we believe that all one should need to get health care is a health card, not a credit card. Canadians are proud of this system, and they should be. Our discussions with the premiers included the importance of upholding the Canada Health Act, which means making sure services are based on need and not someone's ability to pay. We will always protect Canadians'…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question from my colleague and his collaboration on the health committee. We believe, on this side of the House, that all that people should need in order to get health care is their health card, not their credit card. We will always stand up for Canada's universal, public health care. Canadians are proud of our system, which has always been based on need, not their a…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question and his interest in this very important issue. We are delighted with the announcement made today by the Council of the Federation, and we thank the members and the chair of the council for their very important work. After the Prime Minister convened the meeting on health care last week, we met with the provincial and territorial premiers and the h…
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Mr. Speaker, at the working meeting with the premiers, we discussed plans to increase funding to the provinces and territories by $196.1 billion over 10 years for the Canada health transfer, or CHT, including $46.2 billion in new funding. This funding includes an immediate, unconditional $2 billion Canada health transfer top-up to address immediate pressures on the health care system, particularly…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect to be able to receive health care services when they need them. Our government is there for them both now and going forward, making investments and doing whatever is necessary.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday was Ski Day on the Hill. It was perfect timing, as this week is Winter Health and Fitness Week. Cross-country skiers from as far as Salmon Arm, senators, fellow members, and even some Ukrainian newcomers strapped on our cross-country ski gear and raced laps around the west lawn. I send a big thanks to groomer Dave of the Kichi Sibi trail for setting things up and making sure…
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Mr. Speaker, perhaps my colleague did not hear me when I said that we will always stand up for our fundamental public universal health care. I will say it again: We will always stand up for our public universal health care. Our government remains ready to work with the provinces and territories to further discuss priorities, actions and results to improve health services for all Canadians. That in…
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Mr. Speaker, our health system is experiencing significant challenges, and it is important that we work together to find the best solutions going forward. That is why, today, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Health are sitting down with the premiers and the ministers of health from across this country. Our government remains ready to work with provinces and territories to further discuss pri…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I have to say I appreciate my colleague's work, and I have appreciated her work over the last couple of years. She has been a really unique voice of reason from the other side. There have been some times when we have really had to shake our heads and say, “My gosh, what are people reading on the Internet?” Just recently, the former leader of the Conservative Party did an interview. …
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to come here to night to talk about some of the measures the government took earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic to protect the health and safety of Canadians. My friend and colleague opposite is doing her job well, and I appreciate that. I want to thank her for doing her job well. She knows that I do not work in HR, so I cannot comment on any specifics in …
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Madam Speaker, we share the deep concerns that Canadians have regarding the significant challenges that our health care system is experiencing, and we recognize that urgent actions are necessary to address the current health care worker crisis. In fact, in the health committee, we have just finished our study on the human resources challenge in health care. We are continuing to work with the provi…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her question and her support on a very important issue that our government is very involved in. We are creating new structures to protect athletes and provide solutions to help and support them. A few months ago, we established the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner, and 34 sporting federations joined it. We are doing everything we can …
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Madam Speaker, over the last year, the conservation authority in my riding, Conservation Halton, has planted close to 80,000 trees. It has restored stream habitat; managed 11,000 acres of land; hired over 800 young people to work in nature; maintained 116 kilometres of trails; and monitored aquatic and terrestrial habitat, as well as water quality, at 325 monitoring stations. It has carried out 45…
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Mr. Speaker, let me be clear: Canadians are proud of our system, and this government is too. It is based on need and not the ability to pay, and we believe that all one should need in order to get health care is a health card, not a credit card. We will make sure that our investments respect the Canada Health Act while always defending our universal public health care system.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is great to be back and I welcome all my colleagues back to the House of Commons. Over the course of the break, I had lots of time to knock on doors. I talked to lots of my neighbours. Milton is one of the youngest communities in Canada demographically, so I overwhelmingly heard from my constituents that they were thrilled about the amount of money they were saving every month on c…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, Health Canada is working closely with industry and key stakeholders to mitigate the shortage of pediatric analgesics. A primary focus of this work has been to increase the supply of these products. Over 1.9 million units of ibuprofen and record levels of acetaminophen have been released into the market by domestic suppliers in November and December. To date, nearly 1.9 million units o…
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Mr. Speaker, with respect to part (a), through its existing COVID-19 advance purchase agreements, or APAs, Canada has access to up to 93.5 million mRNA doses in 2023. This includes 30 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s Comirnaty vaccine and 18.5 million doses of Moderna’s Spikevax vaccine, with options to access up to an additional 45 million mRNA doses should urgent or emergent needs arise. Canad…
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Mr. Speaker, budget 2022 proposed funding of $5.3 billion over five years, starting in 2022-23, and $1.7 billion ongoing for a national dental care program for Canadians who earn under $90,000. The interim Canada dental benefit is the first stage of the government’s plan to improve dental care for Canadians in families with an adjusted net income of under $90,000. It is estimated that over 500,000…
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Mr. Speaker, the November announcement related to the additional supply of acetaminophen and ibuprofen being available in Canada refers to the private sector-led importation of foreign-labelled product. No federal procurement took place in this regard.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the November announcement related to the additional supply of acetaminophen and ibuprofen being available in Canada refers to the private sector-led importation of foreign-labelled product. No federal procurement took place in this regard, nor were there incremental costs incurred by the Government of Canada. Addressing the complex issue of drug shortages requires collaborative action…
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Mr. Speaker, there are different types of cannabis production authorized under the Cannabis Act and its regulations. A federal licence is required to cultivate, process and sell cannabis for medical or non-medical purposes. Federal licence holders can conduct related activities such as possession, transportation, storage, destruction, research and development, and sale of bulk cannabis to other fe…
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