Parliamentary Speeches
946 speeches by Adam van Koeverden — Page 17 of 19
Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, with regard to (i) and (ii), of the vaccines held in the federally managed central inventory, 759,948 doses of the Moderna vaccine expired on March 21, 2022, and an additional 429,450 doses expired in mid-April of 2022. In addition, 3.8 million AstraZeneca doses held by the manufacturer and made available for donation by Canada to COVAX in 2021 expired in March 2022. The Public Health…
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Mr. Speaker, back in 2020, the Conservatives claimed that we would not have enough vaccines for all Canadians, but let me be clear that Canada has sufficient supply to ensure all eligible Canadians are protected for primary, series, boosters and pediatrics. On this side of the House, our government will continue to make sure we are putting the health and safety of Canadians first because nobody wa…
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday the member for Cumberland—Colchester tried to minimize the COVID‑19 deaths in this country by referencing deaths from other causes. Every lost life is tragic and, on this side of the House, we understand that it is the government's job to do everything we can to protect people and save lives, whether that is from COVID‑19 or any other cause. We owe it to them and all Canadia…
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Mr. Speaker, I am not a medical doctor like the member opposite. I would take note of the fact that he just referred to a few deadly diseases. However, COVID-19 is one—
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Mr. Speaker, of course Dr. Neil Rau is renowned in my community as well. He has helped my mother. When I was travelling a lot, he supported our team when we were travelling. He is a very good infectious disease doctor. However, I would posit that it is that side that is making this political. Vaccines are not political. They are not controversial. These vaccine mandates have done a very good job, …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his collaboration at the health committee as well. I was also there when we heard from Dr. Bogoch, who has been a consistent and sage advocate for vaccines from the first day of this pandemic. He was, this morning, on the news as well. It is incontrovertible that vaccines will continue to save lives in this country. Only in the last month, over 1…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said, I am not a medical doctor like my colleague opposite, and we have been collaborating on the health committee. However, I do not think that just because Canadians unfortunately die from things like coronary artery disease, strokes and heart attacks means that COVID-19 is less of a priority for this government. COVID-19 is beatable. With vaccines and social distancing and by …
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the hard work and the advocacy of the member opposite. As I said yesterday, it is a lot different travelling on a boat versus a plane. When we are in an airplane, we are in a confined space, seated right next to somebody, as we are here in the House of Commons. That is why we on this side wear masks. When somebody is on a ferry, they can be far more socially distant. They…
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Mr. Speaker, from the beginning of this pandemic, we have been there for Canadians. Of course, it is the Prime Minister's job and obligation to travel to other countries to do his important work. When we hear the opposition speak positively about public health measures but badly about vaccination, it confuses the public. We should be encouraging our neighbours to consider a third or fourth dose. W…
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Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand and answer the question from my colleague, who has been great to collaborate with on the health committee. I do not have any data in front of me with respect to ferries, but I am happy to look it up for him. I would also like to say that right now Nova Scotians are 65.7% triple vaccinated, so there is still room for improvement. I hope my colleagues opposite will c…
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Mr. Speaker, as my colleague knows, the travel vaccine mandates have been changing over the last seven or eight months. They change regularly. They are constantly reviewed and are all subject to looking at various considerations. I have to say that in the last month alone, 1,700 Canadians died from COVID‑19. It is important to recognize that as much as we want COVID‑19 to be over, it is not there …
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Madam Speaker, in Canada, diversity is our strength, and that is never more true than throughout the month of June. June is pride month, a time to celebrate love and authenticity, to promote diversity and to continue the fight for the full inclusion that gay, two-spirit, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer and questioning, pansexual and asexual people have been fighting for since befor…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for her concern for her constituents and her consistent advocacy on this. We have to recognize that in the month of May over 1,700 Canadians died. I am not trying to scare anybody, but we have to recognize that COVID is not over. Canadians are still dying from COVID‑19. These public health restrictions have helped Canadians stay alive througho…
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Mr. Speaker, while I know that it is challenging for Green members to appear at committee, I would invite the member to the health committee at some point. Work is under way. We have been addressing human resources in health care, which is related to this challenge. I would also highlight what I said in a previous round, which is that we are investing $3 billion through budget 2021 to ensure that …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my friend and colleague from Kitchener Centre for his work on this file and his dedication to seniors living in his riding and across the country. Many seniors have faced significant health, economic and social challenges due to COVID-19, which has really laid bare the systematic challenges in Canada's long-term care system. As soon as COVID-19 exposed some of th…
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Mr. Speaker, I have to say I really appreciate the comments from my friend and colleague from Wellington—Halton Hills today. He is a beacon of experience and knowledge in this place, and I know that, of all members of the House, he is always fighting for a more equal chance for all. My questions have to do with two inalienable features that govern all of our lives, and they are time and space. Fir…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from North Okanagan—Shuswap for raising this question of the luxury tax this evening in adjournment debate. As we all know, taxes help pay for the government programs and services that all Canadians depend upon, and they provide a social safety net on which all Canadians can rely. The usefulness of this social safety net was very obvious during …
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Mr. Speaker, I will do my best. I would like to conclude by reminding my colleagues and the hon. member that this government has been there to support Canadians as we navigated through the pandemic and taxes are necessary to pay for the social programs that Canadians depend upon. We believe that it is only fair that those who can afford vessels worth more than $250,000 contribute a little bit more…
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Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question, the omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus was first reported in southern Africa in November 2021 and officially designated by the World Health Organization as a variant of concern with the Greek letter omicron on November 26, 2021. Within days of its appearance, preliminary analysis suggested that the variant may have a transmission advantage…
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Mr. Chair, on a point of order, I am very curious if the member has any idea what a watershed is.
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Mr. Chair, it is a pleasure to rise in the House to talk about this important issue. Of course, my riding of Milton is part of the Great Lakes watershed. I spent a lot of time on the water in and around my region, so I have a keen interest in this issue. I appreciate the minister's time and being available to us. I am thankful for the opportunity to talk about marine-protected areas, or MPAs for t…
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Madam Speaker, I listened very closely to my colleague from Regina—Lewvan talk about how he wanted more time for debate, but he did not really debate. He stood for 10 minutes and told us why he does not like the Liberals. We hear from him often that he does not like the Liberals and his neighbours do not like the Liberals and nobody likes the Liberals, but the fact is there was a democratic electi…
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Mr. Chair, my second question is on the topic of MPAs. It is evident that MPAs and MPA networks help to conserve and protect marine species and populations, the diversity of ecosystems that marine organisms depend on and special places such as underwater canyons and hydrothermal vents. Additionally, MPA networks also help to protect important ecological links between one area and another, contribu…
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Madam Speaker, it is very troubling to see members on the opposite side deny the existence of a pandemic that is still stealing the lives of so many of our neighbours. Just in the last three weeks, over 1,000 Canadians have died from COVID-19. Masks help and vaccinations help. Time and time again, we are hearing from the Conservatives that they want to get back to normal. I want this pandemic to b…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his collaboration on the health committee. The government recognizes that some Canadians who have contracted COVID-19 are facing a long recovery. Our government is actively working with national and international experts to build the evidence base on post-COVID-19 conditions to support Canadians experiencing longer-term effects. Increasing our un…
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Mr. Speaker, I believe this is a question for the minister responsible for CRA, but as the parliamentary secretary for health I agree with my hon. colleague opposite. Organ donation, encouraging organ donation and ensuring these things are available to Canadians are of the utmost importance, and I am happy to support the member and have further conversations.
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Mr. Speaker, we have testing and surveillance tools that allow us to identify new variants of concern and track the spread of this virus. We also have new treatments that can help patients from getting seriously ill. The Conservatives have a choice to make today.
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Mr. Speaker, we know more about COVID‑19 now than ever. That said, we have come a long way since March 2020. We have safe, effective vaccines and we have high vaccination rates. Our government will continue to make decisions informed by science and will adjust its guidelines and public health measures as this wave of the virus evolves.
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Mr. Speaker, once again a community has been absolutely devastated after a white supremacist opened fire in a Buffalo supermarket, killing 10 and injuring three more. Most of the victims were members of the Black community. We have to acknowledge the pain, the fear and the trauma that Black communities here are experiencing as a result. This was an abhorrent hate crime motivated by anti-Black raci…
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Mr. Speaker, as I just said, we know more about this virus than we did a couple of years ago, and we continue to have safe and effective vaccines available—
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Mr. Speaker, today we know more about COVID-19 than we did two years ago, and that is a good thing, because we have safe and effective vaccines, which continue to be available for everyone, and we continue to have a highly vaccinated population. That is one of the reasons we have one of the lowest death rates in the world. We also have new treatments that can help patients from getting seriously i…
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Mr. Speaker, today we know more about COVID-19 than ever before, and certainly more than back in March 2020. We have safe, effective vaccines and a highly vaccinated population. We have testing and surveillance tools that allow us to identify new variants of concern and track the spread of this virus. However, the future remains uncertain, and people are still getting COVID-19 every single day. It…
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Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada has supported efforts across the country to guide action on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or FASD. Through the FASD initiative, the Public Health Agency of Canada, or PHAC, undertakes three main activities: leadership, coordination and collaboration; development of the evidence base; and facilitation of knowledge exchange. The FASD national strategic projec…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for his ongoing advocacy and also congratulate him on the high vaccination rate in his riding. That is excellent. I have to presume that he is advocating for a very small number of individuals in his riding, then, because no federal mandates apply to people who are vaccinated, even with just two doses. I have three doses, and I know some members of t…
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Madam Speaker, specifically, I think my friend and colleague was referencing the housing accelerator fund, which we will incentivize municipalities and regions to build more homes. I am not an expert on that, but I am sure somebody from our government can get back to him on it. Young Canadians deserve the same opportunities as the generations before them. The member is a couple of years, or many y…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my friend, the member for Kenora, for his question and for his continued advocacy for young people, particularly those who would like to buy houses. The member is correct that buying a house is indeed out of reach for too many Canadians, but fortunately he is wrong to say that our government's policies are not having an impact. He mentioned that this government…
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Madam Speaker, let me start by thanking the member for her deep concern about the ongoing crisis in Afghanistan and for the people who are affected there. We in Canada, as a country, remain deeply concerned about the ongoing crisis. We take this very seriously and remain committed to do all that we can to support the Afghan people. Canada is also unwavering in our commitment to defend the fundamen…
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Madam Speaker, Canada is committed to Afghanistan and the Afghan people. Tonight I have outlined a series of concrete actions taken in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by the Taliban regime. We recognize that there remains vulnerable people in Afghanistan and neighbouring countries, and we are doing what we can to assist them. The only viable way to improve the situation in Afghanistan i…
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Madam Speaker, before I start, I would like to thank my friend and colleague for his ongoing engagement and collaboration on the health committee. I would also like to thank him for the opportunity to talk about what the government is doing to protect Canadians' transportation systems, their employees and their users. Throughout the pandemic, the Government of Canada has taken clear and decisive a…
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Mr. Speaker, the national emergency strategic Stockpile, or NESS, is a part of the national emergency management critical infrastructure. As such, information on NESS warehouse locations and details on holdings are not released due to security implications. With regard to the NESS and potassium iodide pills, in response to parts (a) and (e) of the question, the NESS does not disclose specific deta…
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Mr. Speaker, provincial and territorial governments have the primary responsibility for managing emergencies within their respective jurisdictions. Any instructions given to Canadians within 100 kilometres of a nuclear power plant would be based on the relevant province’s emergency plans and the particular situation. Provincial responsibilities include public alerting and providing instructions to…
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Madam Speaker, budget 2022 commits $1.5 billion over the coming years, which will build 6,000 new co-op units. That is more co-op units than this country or any province has built in decades, and that is a turning point, as Tim Ross, executive director of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada, has said. This is a turning point for Canada. I appreciate that the member opposite and the NDP h…
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Madam Speaker, it is a sincere privilege to be here in the House for a late show, and since I know that the member for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke has strong connections to the Dutch community in her riding, I would like to wish her a happy Dutch Liberation Day and also say hello to my dad, Joe, whose family arrived here on October 15, 1953. We are very proud of our Dutch heritage, and I know they …
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Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Drummond for his question and for the opportunity to practise my French with him today. I hope to have another opportunity to practise my French with him as we talk about films over a beer or another drink, although we will try to do a little exercise before we grab that drink.
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Madam Speaker, it is a real privilege for me to rise in the House today to speak to Bill C-19, an act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures, which is very important. It is a privilege to speak in the House today to Bill C-19, the Budget Implementation Act. Budget 2022 plots a course forward for our country: our destination is a green…
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Madam Speaker, I decided not to stand up on a point of order when the member opposite accused me of being dishonest, but I think we all have a number of words at our disposal and good vocabularies in the House, and calling somebody dishonest across the floor is unparliamentary and uncalled for. We are all doing our jobs here, and I think we can appreciate that we all have a role to play. The Publi…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague opposite for his engagement on the health committee that we are on together. On the topic, I will pick two expenses that the member highlighted, things that he highlighted as expenses rather than opportunities. When we build housing for Canadians that is truly affordable, we give them access to the economy. We give their children opportunities to play sports, to…
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Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague is well aware, Canada is a really big country and public health advice can vary across the country due to local epidemiological situations in various provinces and territories. I would also like to say that out of all the other countries named in the House lately, we have the lowest death rate. We should acknowledge that our very low death rate is due to the very …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his collaboration on the health committee. I would like to acknowledge that he has served for many years not only in the Canadian Armed Forces, but also as a family doctor. He knows that today we know more about COVID‑19 than ever before and are in a very different place than we were two years ago. We have safe and effective vaccines and a highly vaccinat…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend for his speech and his commitment to workers, small businesses and his constituents. My question is simple. Does he support teachers and farmers and our plan to give them this tax refund? Does he support Bill C-8?
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