Parliamentary Speeches
946 speeches by Adam van Koeverden — Page 18 of 19
Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his speech on this important topic. For weeks now, teachers and farmers in my riding have been impatiently waiting for their tax returns, which this bill supports. It is a bill for workers. The Bloc Québécois used to be a party for the working class. Will my colleague support workers or will he hide behind the issue of jurisdiction?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, like my hon. colleague, I want this pandemic to be over too, but unfortunately, nationally, last week 383 new deaths were recorded. That is unfortunate. Over the last 30 days, kids under five had the third highest hospitalization rate of any age group. The highest rates were among those 60 and older. However, the rate in the under-five age group was more than fivefold higher than th…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question. We value the contribution that temporary foreign workers make to Canada's economy. That is why budget 2022 will invest $29.3 million over three years to create a trusted employer model and $64.6 million to increase capacity for employer inspections and guarantee that workers are treated fairly and decently. We will always be there for temp…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for giving me the opportunity to highlight a recent study indicating that unfortunately the unvaccinated continue to disproportionately risk the safety of those vaccinated against COVID-19, and highlight the fact that in the last week, almost 12,000 Canadians have received their first dose, 30,000 Canadians have received their second, 89,000 received their …
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Madam Speaker, Canadians have a lot to be grateful for in our country, but sadly food insecurity continues to be a reality for too many of our neighbours. Today, I would like to highlight some of the incredible work being done in my riding of Milton and across Halton Region to find solutions. Recently, I visited Country Heritage Park to announce $100,000 in funding from our government's local food…
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Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to improving access to quality medicines for all Canadians. Canada has among some of the highest patent medicine prices in the world, and these prices have negatively affected the ability of patients to access new medicines. On April 14, we announced new amendments to the patented medicines regulations that will give the PMPRB new tools to improve access to…
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Mr. Speaker, in response to (a), from March 8 to May 7, 2021, Health Canada consulted Canadians on a draft guidance document on factors the department may consider when using the authorities provided by the cannabis regulations to refuse, renew, amend or revoke a registration for personal and designated production of cannabis for medical purposes. The consultation has since concluded. Health Canad…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, now that we have presented budget 2022, our plan to grow the economy and make life more affordable, it is time to get back to our communities, and I cannot wait to get back to Milton later today. It is April, and there is so much going on. It is the start of the holy month of Ramadan. It is Sikh Heritage Month and Vaisakhi. It is Passover, Puthandu, and later this month, Easter weeken…
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Mr. Speaker, in response to parts (a) and (b) of the question, Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada or persons registered as an Indian under the Indian Act have right of entry into Canada. There is no provision to deny entry to Canadian citizens, permanent residents of Canada or persons registered as an Indian under the Indian Act for non-compliance with the Quarantine Act or associate…
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Mr. Speaker, the cost to obtain a predeparture test is the responsibility of the traveller, while the cost of arrival testing has been covered by the Government of Canada. It is recognized that the cost of a predeparture test can be prohibitive for some individual travellers; however, this requirement is in place to protect Canada’s health care system and Canada’s most vulnerable populations. The …
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to the related motion adopted in the House of Commons on February 8, 2022, the Public Health Agency of Canada, PHAC, determined that it was not possible to suspend the mobility data request for proposal, the RFP. It would have had to be either cancelled and then reissued, or closed. As such, the RFP closed on February 18, 2022. As the RFP is finalized, PHAC will take into acc…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques for his judicious speech today. He quite rightly noted that we must remain vigilant. The Conservatives have continuously politicized the pandemic. Can my colleague comment on our mutual obligation to do the prudent and responsible thing in the face of such a risk?
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague and friend for her passionate speech today, and for always standing up for people who are vulnerable and for people who need a voice in this space. She is always there for them. Today, I would like to respond a little to the notion that our job in the House might be to do what is always popular. I think we have an obligation to do what is prudent and to do…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his balanced and well-thought-out speech, as well as for his collaboration at the Standing Committee on Health. I have a simple question. Did the experts my colleague talked to indicate that the time has come to declare this pandemic over?
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Mr. Speaker, as we all know, the health restrictions in our country and the vaccination rates across our nation have contributed to a hearteningly low death rate in Canada when compared to many of our peer nations in the G7, particularly in the U.K. and the United States. It is evident that our protocols have managed to keep Canadians safe. What specific protocols can we look back on as ones that …
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand in the House today to acknowledge the extraordinary resilience and positivity of my neighbour in Milton, Erin Wrigglesworth. Erin is 42, a wife to Eric and a mother to two awesome kids. She is an awesome school teacher, a very competitive runner and a friend. In December of 2020, she was diagnosed with breast cancer that has spread rapidly and has been deemed incur…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to address the question from my colleague and the entire Conservative caucus, which is unmasked today and is pretending that COVID-19 is completely over. I am sorry, but we cannot “wish” the pandemic to be over. We have to follow the science, and our government is committed to following that science.
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Mr. Speaker, I will put my mask on as soon as I sit back down, like the rest of my colleagues who are committed to following the science. This pandemic is not over. Canadians—
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his collaboration on the health committee. Today we know more about COVID-19 than ever before, and we are in a very different place than we were in March 2020. We have safe, effective vaccines and a highly vaccinated population as well as testing and surveillance tools and new ways to identify variants of concern to track the spread of the virus.…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague across the way for acknowledging that my answer was both thorough and good. I also want to acknowledge that he asked some pretty good questions yesterday in committee, and I thought the answers that the minister gave him were excellent. This is a very complex issue, and our government is going to keep making decisions based on the best science. We also understand …
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Mr. Speaker, I want this pandemic to be over as soon as possible, just like every other member of this House. I continue to follow the science and my colleagues have continued to follow the science, and we will ensure that we get through this pandemic. However, the thing I cannot get over is the fact that over 5,000 Canadians are in the hospital right now with COVID-19, and our colleagues across d…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, as we come out of the omicron wave, it is now important to take stock of where we are and to plan a more sustainable approach to our COVID‑19 management. Our goal from the start has been to minimize serious illness and overall deaths, while minimizing societal disruption. That remains unchanged. As the omicron wave continues to recede, we need to recognize that COVID is not just going…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, we are cautiously optimistic about the near-term trajectory for our country. We know that multiple layers of protection, including vaccination, protect us against severe health outcomes from COVID-19. Getting as many Canadians fully vaccinated and boosted as possible while continuing to adhere to individual public health measures is expected to help us get through this phase of uncert…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, there has been no breach of Wellness Together Canada, WTC, portal or PocketWell app privacy or data. The Government of Canada commissioned the portal and app, funding both their establishment and maintenance. They are led by a consortium of established leaders in mental health and substance use care, including Stepped Care Solutions, Homewood Health and Kids Help Phone. The contract b…
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Mr. Speaker, the vaccine injury support program, or VISP, provides financial support to people in Canada in the rare event that they experience a serious and permanent injury as a result of receiving a Health Canada authorized vaccine, administered in Canada, on or after December 8, 2020. The program also provides death benefits and support for funeral expenses in the rare case of a death as a res…
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Mr. Speaker, Switch Health reported results for 78,377 COVID-19 PCR tests from international arrivals entering the Calgary International Airport between December 1, 2021, and January 31, 2022. Of these tests, 4% were positive. The scope of the contract with Switch Health and its basis of payment involves the entire testing process from start to finish, including on-site sample collection, as well …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, Health Canada has authorized several COVID-19 vaccines for use in Canada. Each of these underwent a careful scientific review and met our standards for safety, efficacy and quality. Information about all of the authorized vaccines can be found on the COVID-19 vaccines and treatments portal, https://bit.ly/3EH07IB, by clicking on the individual vaccine names and then the “all resources…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his kind words with respect to the Olympics. I know he was a school teacher and taught my very good friend. I can say her name since she is not a member of Parliament: Sherraine Schalm. She competed in fencing. The Government of Canada's adjustments to the border measures are possible because we have a variety of tools at our disposal now. These include strong s…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the question that was on the Order Paper was not asked, so I am unsure if the member opposite would like me to talk about measures at the border, health or oil and gas. I am never shocked when members of the Conservative Party would prefer to talk about oil and gas over pretty much any other subject, but here we are. I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak about the government's…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, today I stand in this House of Commons in solidarity with Ukraine and Ukrainians to condemn the brutal and unprovoked attacks and acts of war perpetrated by Russia and Vladimir Putin. Canada is proudly home to the largest Ukrainian diaspora outside of the region, over 1.3 million. Ukrainian Canadians have helped build this country that we all love and call home, and Canada stands with…
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Mr. Speaker, since day one of this pandemic, our government's focus has been the health and safety of our neighbours, by following the latest science. The most recent data indicates that the omicron wave has passed its peak in Canada, which allows us to move toward a more long-term approach to managing COVID-19. We intend to follow the science, and we are working closely with experts, such as Dr. …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I just rushed back into the House. I was sitting in the lobby, listening to that speech, and I could not believe how willing the member for Regina—Qu'Appelle was to justify all these behaviours we are seeing. I saw a video of him crossing the road this morning giving a thumbs up and shaking hands with the people who have been occupying this capital city for the last three weeks. If …
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Mr. Speaker, I would remind the member again that he campaigned on testing as well, just like we did. While we are in a better position today than we were previously, this pandemic is not over yet. We all want this pandemic to be over but it is not over yet. The Government of Canada will continue to assess the evolving situation here at home and globally. While the members opposite continue to sho…
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Mr. Speaker, this transition, including this week's announcement, is possible because of a number of factors, which include our high vaccination rates and the increasing availability of rapid tests and treatments. As we have said all along, Canada's border measures will remain flexible and adaptable, guided by science and prudence. I have a quote for my colleague opposite. It states, “Everyone ent…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I will answer my hon. colleague's question in English. The last three weeks or so, our health committee have been deliberating on this matter. Her colleague from the Bloc Québécois would be able to reinforce how much conversation we have had at the health committee regarding this. In an update in January, we did touch on the bill with the minister, but if more conversations, more de…
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Madam Speaker, I could not agree more. Since the beginning of this pandemic, Canadians have all wanted to know when this is going to be over and when we can go back to normal, and various levels of government have been working together to ensure that it is as quickly as possible. We are in regular contact with public health officials here in Halton, municipal members, as well as local clinics to m…
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Madam Speaker, I am happy to follow up with specific numbers for British Columbia. I do not have them at my disposal, but I will follow up through email and make sure the member has access to that information. I agree that pharmacies are the most logical place to deliver rapid tests and things of this nature. I find it bizarre that they have been given out at various places like fast food joints a…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from Vancouver Kingsway for his expertise and willingness to work together on the health committee. We have been collaborating quite efficiently and I hope that can continue. As the member identified, testing is an important way to fight this. It is not the only way. Rapid tests have not been the only source of testing, but—
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Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question. Canadians have worked hard to stop the spread of COVID‑19, but we cannot stop now. We all have an important role to play in stopping the spread of COVID‑19. We need to work together to get through this crisis. By getting vaccinated and following public health measures like physical distancing, wearing a mask and, yes, as my hon. colleague …
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Madam Speaker, ever since the beginning of the pandemic, Canadians have all wanted to know when this will be over and when we can go back to the way things were before. I count myself among them. Every step of the way, we have had to adjust measures. We have developed new proposals and introduced novel programs to help keep Canadians safe and to ensure that Canadians know what is going on in a tim…
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Madam Speaker, our top priority from the very beginning of this pandemic has always been keeping Canadians healthy and safe while upholding the privacy standards that Canadians expect. Over the course of the pandemic, the Public Health Agency of Canada has used de-identified and aggregated data to perform and inform our government's response to COVID-19, and to transparently provide Canadians with…
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Madam Speaker, ever since the beginning of the pandemic, all Canadians have wanted to know when it will be over and when we can go back to the way things were. I count myself among them. I am eager to get back to normal as well. The reality is that we will continue to do what is right for Canadians and keep people safe throughout the pandemic. Different jurisdictions have handled things differentl…
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Madam Speaker, personal attacks aside, I am proud of Team Canada and I will give them a quick little shout-out over at the Winter Olympics. I am sure all of the members of the House are proud of our team. I do not know why she would want to take a personal dig at me for that. The reality is that we want to continue to support Canadians and we want to keep them safe, healthy and alive. We have to r…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for this very important question. We know that the omicron variant is spreading quickly around the world. That is why the government quickly put health restrictions in place at the borders in order to continue protecting Canadians against the spread of COVID-19. As stated earlier, our government is officially recommending that Canadians avoid all non-essential t…
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Madam Speaker, I agree with the member that the blockades are causing harm in our communities, so I would ask him to ask all of his colleagues on the other side to ensure we are all encouraging people to go home. As we have seen recently, the member for Carleton says he is proud of the trucker convoy. The anti-vax protests are exactly what he wants for his new political agenda, so let us encourage…
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Madam Speaker, what my colleague from Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes tends to like to ignore is that every person who gets vaccinated is one person fewer who is likely to experience severe outcomes, head to the hospital or, indeed, die from COVID-19. Canada is a big country and public health advice can vary across the country due to local epidemiological situations in various ju…
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Madam Speaker, that is a very important question, so I will answer it in English. Our government has invested incredible amounts of money to ensure that we have been able to get through this COVID-19 pandemic. We have provided $63.7 billion to support Canada's health response, including $14 billion for vaccines and $5.3 billion for PPE and medical health equipment. In 2020 and 2021, the Government…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his important question. During the election campaign, we committed $25 billion over five years, which means more support for health care. The provinces and territories will receive over $47 billion through the Canada health transfer in 2021-22, and the territories will receive $500 million to help them prepare and—
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Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House to talk about the motion before us today. Some parts of the country are starting to relax public health restrictions within their jurisdictions, but we have to assess the current situation carefully to determine what to do next. As all members of the House of Commons know, protecting Canadians from COVID‑19 continues to be this government's number-o…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, that was a very important question. I will be honest that I agree with her. As an MP here in Ontario I had some questions when we heard that rapid tests were broadly available through certain means and that the federal government had procured and delivered tests to the provinces, yet the tests were challenging to find and procure. In fact, over the Christmas holidays I recognized, a…
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