Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. friend and colleague from Kitchener Centre for his continued advocacy on this important issue and policy step. It is important, and our government firmly believes that at a time when middle-class Canadians are struggling to get ahead, and when it feels to so many like their hard work is not paying off as much as it used to, it is necessary for the gover…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, Canadians were proud to celebrate the exceptional performances of team Canada athletes this summer as they won a record number of medals and inspired the next generation of Olympic athletes. Through budget 2024, our Liberal government boosted the athlete assistance program that supports Canadian athletes. The carding checks directly support over 1,800 athletes across more than 94 sp…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, thanks to the CBC/Radio-Canada, Canadians enjoyed open and equitable access to countless hours of amazing sport from the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. Canadians cheered on our incredible athletes as they won medals, broke records and pushed the limits of human performance. The role the CBC plays as a public broadcaster in connecting Canadians to the Olympic and Paralympic Game…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, it is pretty rich for the Conservatives to be talking about pensions as they are actively committed to cancelling Canadians' pensions, while their pensions and the leader of the Conservatives' pension are worth more than $2 million. As always, the three-word slogans coming from the Conservatives do not make sense. They are not even true. Inflation is down. Interest rates are down. G…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, the Conservatives will never let the truth or good news get in the way of their shameless exploitation of the challenges that Canadians are facing these days, and their three-word slogans are not solutions, are not policies and are childish. They are also fake news. Inflation is down, interest rates are down and gas prices are down, and thanks to our environmental policies, emission…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, it is pretty rich for the Conservatives to stand up in the House when they introduced legislation when they were in government to raise the retirement age to 67 and gut Canadians' pensions. We are the party that reformed CPP and brought forward more senior supports. We are working to ensure that Canadians' pensions are strong. I have to mention that the member from British Columbia …
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, it is an honour and a privilege to stand in the House today for the first time after a summer break and speak to a policy proposal from the New Democratic Party on something I have always been very interested in looking at. I am always enthusiastic about any policy proposed in the House that aims to reduce or eliminate poverty in Canada. This project to bring forward a universal bas…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I will reiterate that the memorandum of understanding I referenced was signed just in June 2022. In collaboration with the First Peoples Cultural Council, the government signed an unprecedented five-year funding agreement for almost $104 million, which started last calendar year, and which was signed with the First Peoples Cultural Council. This year also marks the fifth anniversary…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I would reiterate that Canada is committed to lasting peace in the Middle East, which includes the creation of a Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel. That two-state solution needs to be a priority for anybody who is committed to lasting and sustained peace in the region. Unfortunately, I did not hear the term “two-state solution” in my colleague's…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to address the House of Commons on this important issue with my friend and colleague from British Columbia. Our government has repeatedly committed to supporting indigenous peoples in their efforts to reclaim, revitalize, maintain and strengthen indigenous languages. We recognize the important work that has been accomplished by indigenous communities acr…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, it is a shame that the Conservatives keep using the words of the food banks completely out of context. When the food banks propose these things, they also make recommendations. None of the recommendations is to use any of the tired three-word slogans or eliminate a program which is actually supporting low- and medium-income housing. The Conservatives also like to completely ignore t…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I will start by restating, and will continually state, that Canada unequivocally condemns the attack by Iran against Israel. This attack only serves to destabilize the region and further escalate violence, which is disproportionately killing innocent people: women, children, the elderly and the disabled. This violence achieves nothing. It is completely unacceptable and it must come …
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, we have been here before and we have talked about this before, with the member opposite and with many other members. The last I checked, Kelowna—Lake Country, a beautiful place, is in British Columbia. There is no federal price on pollution in British Columbia. In fact, it was a Liberal government in British Columbia that brought forward Canada's first carbon pricing system. It has …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the work of my colleague at the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development and in the House of Commons. We are the only G20 country to have eliminated subsidies for oil and gas companies, two years ahead of schedule, no less. This week, we announced $530 million in funding with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities in order to work with our communit…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question. Once again, I enjoy working with her. The new funding that I just mentioned supports more than 1,400 projects to help municipalities adapt to the impacts of climate change. Over the past two years, we have implemented a clean fuel standard, something that the Conservatives promised to do in their last election campaign. However, they changed their …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, June is Men’s Mental Health Awareness Month. It is often said that we do not talk about or acknowledge men's health and wellness often enough. I tend to agree. I also agree that change depends on us and it needs to start with men. First of all, there is a stigma surrounding men’s mental health. Many men feel as though they cannot reach out for help when they need it due to some societ…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, campaign platforms are not a buffet. All the members on the Conservatives' side ran on a commitment to price carbon with Erin O'Toole. That they have abandoned those commitments just demonstrates very clearly that they have no integrity and no desire to fight climate change or lower our emissions. Let us look at what the PBO actually said, which is that “carbon pricing is [the most] e…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, if I could finish, the PBO concluded that carbon pricing is the most cost-effective way to fight climate change. Canadians will receive their Canada carbon rebate on July 15, which supports affordability.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, that is not what the PBO did, and that is not what the PBO said. What the PBO said, back on April 17, is that he overestimated the economic cost of climate change. This means that all the axe-the-tax rallies are based on faulty math. This is just another reason for Conservatives to deny climate change. Denying the effectiveness and proven impact of carbon pricing is another form of cl…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank some lobbyists. I would like to thank Citizens’ Climate Lobby Canada. I would like to thank the David Suzuki Foundation. I would like to thank the member for her question. I would like to thank all the climate activists and all the folks across Canada who are concerned about the extreme emissions of the oil sands sector. Liberals are not just listening; we are ta…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we on this side of the House respect the work of the Parliamentary Budget Officer. The office provides independent analysis to the government and to Canadians. Canadians rely on that information for insight into how these programs impact our economy and their pocketbooks. However, Conservatives are misleading Canadians. Our government will continue to support the PBO to fulfill the ro…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, over the summer, Conservatives could consider taking a math class to brush up on their Conservative math. It really does not seem as though their math is adding up these days. Conservatives from Saskatchewan and Alberta should talk to their premiers, who jacked up the price of gas on April 1 by over 13¢. There is no Canada carbon rebate for provincial gas tax, and there is no rebate f…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, that is not what the PBO said. It is the opposite. The PBO has overestimated the economic impact of carbon pricing on Canada. It means that probably even more than eight out of 10 families are getting more back through the Canada carbon rebate than they pay in carbon pricing. This is just another opportunity for the Conservatives to deny climate change. Denying the effectiveness and p…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, let me say it again: There is no federal carbon tax in the province of Quebec. Quebec is a leader in the fight against climate change. The Conservatives are finding more and more reasons to deny climate change yet again. The government regularly shares confidential information with the Parliamentary Budget Officer, who uses it to produce its own reports.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we have been clear all along. The Conservatives are really the only people who continue to mislead Canadians, particularly on the case of the PBO report. The PBO released a report on April 17 that indicated that they actually overestimated the economic impact of the carbon tax and re-emphasized the fact that Canadians get more back than they pay through carbon pricing. On July 15, Can…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, over the past two years, we have introduced a new clean fuel standard, something Conservatives pledged to do during the last election campaign. However, they changed their minds to please their leader and voted against. We have also raised the price on pollution, and we are putting a cap on greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas sector. We are the only major oil-producing count…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately for the Conservatives, that is not what the PBO said. The Parliamentary Budget Officer issued a report, about a month and a half ago, saying that he accidentally overestimated the economic impact of the carbon price on Canadians. I would like to re-emphasize for Canadians that eight out of 10 Canadians get more money back through the Canada carbon rebate than they pay in…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would like to reiterate a happy World Environment Day to the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands, to all Greens, to Liberals, to NDP members and to the Bloc Québécois. Unfortunately, the Conservatives continue to deny the existence of climate change altogether, but just last year, the government announced important measures to help this country continue to lead the way in the fight agai…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by wishing a happy World Environment Day to all Canadians, especially to the failed former leader of the Conservative Party, the member for Regina—Qu'Appelle, and to the new leader of the Conservative Party from Carleton, who have voted against the environment over 400 times in the House of Commons. It is clear where they stand on climate change, and it is clear …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I find it difficult to answer the question when my colleague opposite will not let me finish. The truth is that we have to invest in Canada to make it cleaner and greener and assist some of the big sectors with those innovations. In the case of Dofasco in Hamilton, when I went to McMaster, I saw the billowing smoke from those coal-fired stacks. In a couple of years, they will be a thi…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer does important and essential work, and we thank him for the update. Recently, he had an update on his website, saying that the last estimate he had done was based on faulty information, and we thank him for correcting the record. It confirms what we have known all along, what economists and independent organizations across the country have been saying,…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have clung to this flawed scenario and they refuse to correct their own misinformation on this very important subject. I would recommend that the Leader of the Opposition maybe go to Carleton over the summer and brush up on his mathematics. However, it is very clear that it is probably elementary school he needs to go back to. We are talking about adding and subtract…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I apologize; that was completely unintentional. If you will indulge me, I will start from the top and eliminate the name. I want to thank the page for the podium here and say that I am very grateful for the opportunity to respond to comments made earlier by the leader of the New Democratic Party regarding the actions that our government is taking to address the very real food affordab…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to speak on behalf of my constituents in Milton today on the very important issue of grocery prices and all of the affordability challenges that Canadians are facing these days. I would like to start by stating that I will be splitting my time with the member for Surrey—Newton. I am happy to respond to some comments made earlier by the hon. Mr. Singh regarding the ac…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I support any and all measures to ensure affordability for Canadians, but I also want thoughtful debate in this House about how we should do it. Just saying the federal government should force a company to do something does not indicate how we might get there. We have heard the New Democratic Party say we should force a company to do this, force a company to do that a lot, but there a…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, once again, we are seeing an attempt by the Conservatives to conflate the affordability crisis with climate action and targets that we are using to lower emissions in Canada. The carbon emissions that are the responsibility of various sectors across the board have all been on the way down, whether it is in the transport sector, the agriculture sector, the grocery sector or the health …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, our community sport for all initiative has delivered accessible, affordable, inclusive and life-changing sport, physical activity and recreational opportunities to Canadians. Today, I met with the leaders who made it all happen at an impact summit here on Parliament Hill. We partnered with national sport organizations, such as Wheelchair Basketball and Nordiq Canada; networks, such as…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, once again, I find myself agreeing with most of what my colleague says. I do desperately want bold climate action, and we are finding with the current government that we also have to be reasonable. Canadians still need oil and gas. They still create a lot of jobs in Canada. Most Canadians still use natural gas to heat their homes and still use gasoline in their vehicles. A just transi…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I could not agree more with my hon. colleague from Skeena—Bulkley Valley. I tend to agree with him whether we are on committee or just going for a walk down Wellington. We are both very pressed with the issue of trying to find solutions to affordability in Canada. I have noticed the same thing. For months now, a head of lettuce has been $3.49 where I shop, and I do not think it is as …
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it sounds like we have the same goal. We both want to help Canadian business owners. However, we put forth ideas and actual policies, not just three-word slogans and rhyming couplets that look good on bumper stickers and hoodies. It requires some intellect to come to this place with policies and recommendations that would actually support the economy, support Canadians and, at the sam…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is always nice to be in the House in the evening with my colleague from Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon. I thank him for the opportunity for an adjournment debate on this important issue. Small and medium-sized businesses are the backbone of the Canadian economy, and over the last four or five years, business owners have had a really challenging environment to operate in. Depending o…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Victoria for her consistent advocacy in the House, in committee and anywhere she goes to fight climate change. She is a true advocate and a true champion for the environment; I am proud to be her colleague. We work together on the environment committee; there, we have to endure a lot of misinformation and disinformation, not just from the Conser…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, it is nice to join the debate this evening on an issue that is affecting so many Canadians, I would say every Canadian, because everybody needs to eat. Our groceries just cost too much these days. Everybody is frustrated, and I understand why. Food is an essential item. It is not as though people can just decide to take a couple of weeks off. Groceries are probably the third or fourth…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I will be totally frank: I am no expert on what thresholds of corporate profit should be deemed reasonable. I would leave that up to experts to determine. I would like some public input on that. I think everybody would agree that companies ought to be able to earn a profit. I grew up in non-profit housing, so nobody made any money when my mom paid the rent. I would like to see that sa…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, there are a lot of reasons to heckle in this House. Perhaps the Conservatives disagree with me on some key issues, but I find it really remarkable that they want to heckle and tell me that we should not be fighting for Canadians to have access to the drugs they need in order to live healthy and fulfilling lives. It really is remarkable and just re-emphasizes that if oil and gas was …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Thank you, Madam Speaker. There is not only heckling but also unnecessary interruption. I will use my remaining time to talk about diabetes and those living with diabetes. Diabetes is a disease with no cure. There is a treatment, and it is thanks to Canadian science, which is something that our government supports. Canadian scientist Frederick Banting and his team came up with an interim solution,…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is beyond the pale that Conservatives continue to refer to a national pharmacare plan as an expenditure that we just cannot afford. It is so unfortunate. This is an affordability measure. It is a way to support Canadians who are vulnerable. It is a proven method to ensure that vulnerable, lower-income and disproportionately impacted Canadians will receive the financial support th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question, but it is always the same story with the Bloc Québécois. The Bloc members always say that in Canada, the provincial government, in this case Quebec, is wholly responsible for the health care system. In actual fact, that is the case until the bill arrives and it is time to pay for the health care system. Canada's health care system is a shared r…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is an honour to rise this evening to discuss the bill before us, Bill C-64, an act respecting pharmacare. We can all agree, or I hope we can all agree, that Canadians should have access to the right medicines at an affordable price regardless of where they live in our country. That is precisely what Bill C-64 would do. It represents the first phase toward a national pharmacare pl…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, my colleague is absolutely correct. This is not only a cost-savings measure for the government, the health care system or people who live with diabetes or require contraception, but it is also a way to save money within the system. When Canadians stick to their regimen and take their diabetes medication, they will visit the hospital less often. We want to make sure not only that the…
Read full speech →