Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is an honour to rise on behalf of my constituents in Milton on Bill C-57. I have a thriving Ukrainian diaspora in Milton. It is also a privilege to be sharing my time with the member for Kingston and the Islands. I will start with a bit of a history on this topic here in the House of Commons. On November 21, the House of Commons passed second reading on this bill, which is intend…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, what Ukraine has asked us for is free trade and an updated free trade agreement between our two nations. The President of Ukraine stood in this place and asked for our unanimous support. Apparently that was too much for the Conservatives. That was just asking too much of the Conservative Party. The President literally came to this place, stood here and said that he hoped Ukraine cou…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services provides vital support to members of the Canadian Armed Forces every single day. While it is unfortunate that a settlement has not been reached, we still respect the right of employees to strike. We are always seeking to ensure employees are paid fair wages. That is why no positions within the Staff of the Non-Public Funds, Canadian Forces a…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, again, it is just slogans with no solutions. It is actually astonishing to see people who believe themselves to be a government in waiting come forward with absolutely no policy recommendations or ideas, just to get rid of something that is actually working. Our emissions in Canada are down. It is absolutely the case that emissions in Canada are down and that a third of the emissions …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, that is more shameless “Consplaining” from the Conservative member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan. It is incredible to watch Conservatives twist themselves into knots to try to justify their shameful vote against Ukraine. My questions for the member are simple: Who does their vote against the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement satisfy or make happy? Who asked the Conservative me…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour and a privilege to be up this evening in Adjournment Proceedings. It is always nice to chat with my friend and colleague from Victoria with respect to an area of mutual interest and enthusiasm. That is how we fight climate change in this country. I often say that it is refreshing to stand in the House and talk about how we fight climate change and all the great ideas o…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is absolutely incredible. It is impossible to rationalize why the Conservatives have made this calculation. I have gone on to their social media on occasion to see what the comments are like. It is really clear to me what those comments have led those Conservatives to believe is the right thing to do in this case. There are a lot of pro-Russia comments under the tweets and the Fa…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is simple. Support for Ukraine is simple and easy. It is not very complicated or difficult to understand. Simply put, Ukraine is an ally and a friend of Canada. Supporting Ukraine is straightforward. For some reason, the Conservatives have a hard time understanding that. Why? Right now, support for this bill should be unanimous.
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I think it actually speaks such volumes to our climate action initiatives that I cannot get through all of them in just a short response in an adjournment debate. It certainly does not stop the Canada summer jobs initiative or the green jobs initiative with the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association. I hope to sit down with the CPRA and talk more about how those 280 jobs are going …
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the government recognizes the gravity of the recent allegations, and the need to respond transparently and to uphold the highest standards of ethics and accountability. That is precisely why there is currently an ongoing RCMP investigation into the case. I would like to clarify that there are also two separate matters at stake here. It is just not as simple as the member would like to…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the important speech by my colleague. It was a real honour to join the veterans committee earlier today. I appreciate highlighting this very important issue and cause. Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services, or CFMWS, provides many vital programs and services in support of the Canadian Armed Forces. This includes deployment support, retail and financial services and …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it has been 116 days since the October 7 attacks: 116 days of hostilities, violence and an ever-escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. I continue to be in full support of a complete and sustainable ceasefire. Hamas must surrender and must release all hostages. More humanitarian aid must reach civilians, and innocent people must be protected, particularly children, who have suffered t…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, Canadian workers and the labour movement in Canada know they cannot trust Conservatives. They know that Conservatives have never had their backs and they are proud of this government, with our NDP colleagues, for producing Canada's first-ever replacement worker ban. We are banning scabs. It is going to be impossible to replace, which is so important for the labour movement's ability t…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, thank you for wishing me a happy birthday as I stand for the first time in the House in 2024. I know my hon. colleague and friend on the other side has spent many years of her life feeding Canadians, so on behalf of Canadians who enjoy potatoes, I would like to say thanks. My family is from a similar region. The Dutch side of my family settled in southwestern Ontario and farmed apples…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is nice to be in the House this evening. I first would like to point out that it is great to see Conservatives stand up in the House, every once in a while, for workers' rights. It is rare, but on occasion it happens and it is wonderful. Over the last 30 years, Conservatives have been a bit of a thorn in the side of the labour movement in Canada, so to see Conservatives stand in th…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague and friend for the well wishes on my birthday and for standing up for climate action at this time. I cannot say enough or emphasize strongly enough how nice it is to stand up in the House of Commons and talk about how we fight climate change, not whether we fight climate change. With the Conservatives, day after day, asking the majority of the q…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, once again I want to emphasize that the CEO of Imperial Oil, Brad Corson, is not my friend. He is no friend of the environment, this government or the planet. That company is destroying the planet. Those operations are having a negative impact on the health and the well-being of the natural environment and the people who live on those lands and have done so, in the case of the first n…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I hate to start this way, but unfortunately I need to correct the member opposite. The claims that the carbon price is increasing the cost of living are categorically false. There is not one economist in this country who is pointing to carbon pricing, carbon taxing, pollution pricing or any variation of our plan to lower emissions by putting a price on pollution as what is causing inf…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, once again, the misinformation from the other side is concerning. Economists have confirmed over and over again that our climate plan is not responsible for recent inflation. It is math. It is not refutable. It is not as though my opinion matters more than facts. Facts matter. It is also true that we are not bankrupting any part of our economy. These claims are concerning and straight…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. and hard-working colleague for his commitment to climate action. COP28 was a remarkable meeting, where the world came together to commit to lowering our reliance on fossil fuels drastically, in fact, to phasing them out, and to commit to tripling renewable energy. At the same time, our government committed to an oil and gas emissions cap and lowering ou…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I really appreciate the advocacy from the member opposite, who I know recognizes that in modern times, the incidence of extreme weather events happens more frequently because of climate change. We have an obligation to ensure that the data and reporting from those weather stations is up to date and fully functional. That has a direct impact on the safety of our neighbours, particula…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, we know that the Conservatives do not value the work of journalists, but we do. Over 500 newsrooms have closed in the past 10 years. That is why we passed the Online News Act, to level the playing field for journalists against the web giants. The publication of our final regulations is the final step in the process for Bill C‑18.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. Last month, we announced a historic agreement with Google to compensate local journalists for their important work. This agreement will enable newsrooms to keep producing local content for their communities. We know that all media outlets are in crisis. We are doing our part to ensure that they can continue delivering the news to Canadians acro…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I would like to point out that the stunt, the overnight filibuster, the member pointed out cost taxpayers $2 million, so as he preaches about fiscal responsibility, it is a bit tough to stomach. The food report he references said explicitly that it is misleading to suggest that carbon-pricing policies are affecting food prices. Moreover, Trevor Tombe said last week, “If we got rid o…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I, too, would like to wish everybody in this House a merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah, happy holidays and a happy new year. I also hope that the Conservatives come back willing to work in the new year. Conservatives continue to take farmers for granted. Not only do they vote against Canadian farmers, they have also abandoned Ukrainian farmers. Ukraine is the breadbasket of the worl…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, thinking back a few short months ago, we arrived back in the House of Commons to continue supporting our neighbours with ambitions to support housing affordability and the rising cost of living and to make key improvements to health care delivery in Canada. Last summer was also the worst year on record for wildfires and extreme weather, so our obligation to address climate change wa…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question from my hon. colleague, but Canadians have some questions for the Conservative Party after its leader's $2-million temper tantrum last week. The first question is, since an average family of four in Ontario receives more than $300 back from the climate action incentive, why are the Conservatives so hell-bent on taking money from lower- and middle-income Canad…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am also eager to ask questions, but I am also eager to point out that it was a $1-billion CMHC loan, the largest ever from the federal government, to the Squamish Nation.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canada is at COP28 to show that we are committed to advancing the low-carbon economy. We are working on a plan to cap emissions from the oil and gas sector and ensure that this sector makes a significant contribution to meeting Canada's climate targets.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take the opportunity to, once again, say that Canada was the first nation ever to put a cap on oil and gas emissions at COP28. That comes in the exact same week as Canada was the first country ever to suggest that we were going to reduce our methane oil and gas emissions by 75%. That is leadership in climate action. I welcome the questions from the Bloc and the NDP abo…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, Canadians from coast to coast continue to feel the effects of climate change. While our government is putting forth important funding to move forward on our environmental agenda, Conservatives want to reverse our government's progress and put us in reverse on fighting climate change. Last week, they voted against $10 million in funding for restoration efforts for damaged infrastructur…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are always trying to cancel climate action, but last week the Grinch, or the leader of the Conservative Party, tried to cancel Christmas as well. Instead, he cancelled—
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are always trying to cancel climate action, but last week. the leader of the Conservatives tried to cancel Christmas too. Instead, he just cancelled his credibility. Last week, the Conservatives voted against the GST being taken off psychotherapy and counselling. Last week, the Conservatives voted against seniors getting their teeth fixed. When will he admit that his…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, since axing the tax would recklessly cost the average family of four in Ontario $300 a year, I would request a recorded division.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is clear the member does not agree with climate action. I wonder if his children would agree with climate action. It is going to impact next generations more than it affects us. When Conservatives show Canadians who they are advocating for, they take notice. I would pose a question back to the Leader of the Opposition. As a family of four, he would have received $976 in climate act…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is clear the member opposite does not believe in climate change, but I wonder if he believes in math. A Calgary-based economist did a study on our carbon pricing program, and I will give him two quotes: first, “A clear majority of [Canadian] households do receive rebates that are larger than” the pollution price costs; and, second, “If we got rid of the carbon tax and rebate, this …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we have solutions, not slogans, for fighting climate change and affordability. I appreciate the question since it gives me the opportunity, on this side of House, to announce that, in the same week our government committed to a 75% reduction in methane emissions from oil and gas, as of today, we are the first oil and gas producing nation to put a cap on oil …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, “2022-2023 Reports by Federal Authorities with Obligations under Section 71 of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012”. Furthermore, as required by subsection 14(1.1) of the Canadian Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act, I would also like to table, in both official languages, “2023 Progress Report on the 2030 Emissions …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we do not need Conservatives to tell us how to help farmers. Farmers are the most impacted by climate change. The last season was one of the worst, with 20% lower wheat yields in the Prairies. The culprit was a hotter season. That is climate change. Now, we already know that Conservatives do not believe in climate change, but it seems like they do not believe in math either as 94% of …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, farmers are on the front lines of the climate crisis. They are the first to feel the effects of floods and droughts. Wheat yields are down 20% in 2023. Why is that? It is climate change, yet unlike the Conservatives, farmers have no problem identifying climate change as the culprit for the reduction in their yields. Speaking of wheat, if the Conservatives really want to support food s…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, there are no Liberal senators and the Conservative senators did not even vote. We already know the Conservatives do not believe in climate change, but it seems like they do not believe in math either. University of Calgary-based economists conducted a thorough review of our price on pollution and facts are facts: 94% of families that earn less than $50,000 receive more back through ou…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the only senators who sit in any caucus are Conservative senators, and I would note that up to one-third of those Conservative senators did not vote yesterday. Climate change, not pollution pricing, is driving food inflation. Farmers are on the front lines of climate change. They know about climate change. They experience the effects of droughts, floods and storms first-hand, and, unl…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would just like to take a moment to welcome my friend and colleague back to the House. It is good to have her back, not only because it is good to talk about how we fight climate change and not whether we fight climate change in this House. I think the idea of having a youth environment corps to fight climate change and bring forward great ideas is an awesome one. I am looking forwa…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, again, I will note that our carbon pricing mechanism sends more money back to lower-income families. That includes both the fiscal amount and the economic impact. Something the Conservatives love to not focus on is the impact of climate change. Climate change impacts the price of food more than any other factor. We are also helping farmers, because farmers are the ones that know clima…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, again, I will focus my response on an economist's response to the rhetoric in the House with respect to the carbon price. He said that if we got rid of the carbon tax and the rebate, then this would harm a much larger fraction of lower and middle-income households than it would higher-income households. Very clearly, the economist from Calgary indicates that our carbon price sends mor…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is important that we focus on affordability for families. It is also important that we look at facts when it comes to the carbon price that we have put in place. It is also important to remind Conservative members that they ran on a carbon price. Carbon pricing is the most efficient and the cheapest way to lower our emissions. With respect to food prices, particularly those facing …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is important for me to say once again that there is no federal tax on carbon for farmers in Quebec. Just like everyone in this House, I share the goal of ensuring the success of our Canadian farmers. That is why our government has created a rural top-up for rebates to directly return the proceeds of the price on pollution. Our government has already returned $120 million to farmers…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, just like every member of the House, I share the goal of ensuring the success of our Canadian farmers, and that is why the government has exempted gas and diesel for farm use from pollution pricing. We have created a rural top-up for rebates; we have doubled it. We have directly returned the proceeds collected in proportion to the amount collected. We have also returned $120 million t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, for the fourth or fifth time, I would like to remind the Conservatives that the only senators who sit in a caucus sit in their Conservative caucus, and that the Senate is independent. I would like to raise the fact that the Conservatives have had a really troubling trend of bullying, particularly of female senators, whenever they are not getting what they want out of the Senate. That …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, while the Conservatives continue to talk down the Canadian economy, I would like to take the opportunity to remind them about some of the key results of our economic plan so far. Canada is working because Canadians are working. Our GDP today is actually 4.1% above prepandemic levels. That is higher than Italy, the European Union, France, the U.K. and Germany. The IMF projects that C…
Read full speech →