Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I want to give my honourable colleague the opportunity to elaborate even further on why policies and legislation, anything that comes out of the House, should be metrics-based, should be built on results not on virtue signalling and not on putting more money into the government bureaucracy but on actually achieving things. Specifically, in this case, we are discussing the incredible…
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Madam Speaker, I have two quick questions and a comment for the member opposite. He was expounding on the importance of the housing accelerator fund. It is supposed to be an equitable fund for all ridings across the country. First, I would like the member to name one Conservative-held riding in Ontario that got a single penny of the housing accelerator fund. Second, because he thinks this is such …
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With regard to the AgriScience Program, Projects Component: (a) how many applications have been (i) received, (ii) approved, since the program’s inception; (b) how much funding has been awarded to date, in total and broken down by sector (beef, dairy, pork, etc.) and by province or territory; (c) what are the details of all funding provided through the component to date, including, for each instan…
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Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded division.
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Madam Speaker, on a point of order, the NDP member fully understands that he cannot refer to a person's presence in the chamber.
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, the member has talked specifically about this program that we are debating today, SDTC, and about how it actually functioned for about 20 years with no issues. It is only in the last few years that some insider appointments by the current Liberal government have created this problem. Could he just elaborate on the damage the government has done to this program?
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, the member highlighted the concerns around transparency and representing our constituents. When I spoke to this parliamentary privilege motion, I could not believe the amount of feedback when I asked my constituents about just how frustrated they are with the government's unwillingness to comply with the will of this democratic chamber, of Parliament, in turning over the documents. …
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for pointing out throughout her speech the hypocrisy that exists with the government by spending money and not delivering results. Unfortunately, and it refutes the member for Winnipeg North's comment earlier about where we are in this country, the Stats Canada data just out today indicates that our per capita income has shrunk for six consecutive quarte…
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Madam Speaker, I have a simple comment for the member for Winnipeg North. I want to congratulate him. He has spoken over 300 times on this parliamentary question of privilege debate, which is 10 times more than, I believe, any other member in the House of Commons. He has contributed quite a lot to the debate. My question for the member is a question of fairness. Does he think that every member in …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I will keep my answer fairly short because I know the member for Edmonton Griesbach wants to get in a quick question too. The short answer is that I respect the will of Parliament. We will get to a vote on that. I am going to be voting yes on this motion. At the same time, as I have told the member I do not know how many times, I think everybody has a right to speak. Do members know w…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I just want to sort of pick my hon. colleague's brain a little bit, because I know he has a finance background. He brought up and highlighted in his speech a number of important things that I hear frequently from my constituents too, in particular about the state of our national finances, the sheer amount of interest we are paying on our national debt and how big that national debt is…
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Mr. Speaker, I think the member was newly elected in 2021. I was only elected in 2019. I cannot speak to past governments, but what I will commit to doing in this chamber is holding any government of any political stripe to account on corruption every darn time, and I will be 100 times harder on a future Conservative government that does anything even half as bad as the current Liberal government.
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Mr. Speaker, that is a good question, and it is something I talked about in my first speech. How did we get into this mess? I highlighted that this fund worked really well for 20 years, but where did it go off the rails? It was when the former Liberal minister, Navdeep Bains, decided to appoint a chair of SDTC who had conflicts of interest, despite being forewarned about the appointment of that me…
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Madam Speaker, hopefully, this time, with enough members of the government listening, the Liberals will actually be willing to comply with the order of the Chair. Last time I got up here, I utilized the opportunity to voice a number of the answers that I got from my constituents of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, and I read those answers directly into the record. I was asking for their feedback on two ques…
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Mr. Speaker, I have complete faith in our committees and our process here. I never once said anything in my speech to the contrary. I am here at the will and privilege of being elected by the great people of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound. I asked for their opinions about whether the government should comply with the will of Parliament. Yes, maybe it is a precedent. Maybe the government should have made th…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the incredibly hard work he has been doing. I know he has been at the forefront of uncovering this scandal for a while now. I just learned something new. I was not aware that the Prime Minister's Office basically suggested that the access to information law is somehow more important than the will of Parliament. I flat out disagree with that assertion. I repres…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, as always, it is a pleasure to rise here in the chamber to speak on behalf of my constituents in Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound. This is the second time I have had to speak to this question of privilege. To be frank, I am shocked to get this opportunity because I thought, after hearing my first speech, the Liberal government would have seen the error of its ways and complied with the Speaker…
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Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There have been consultations among the parties, and I believe if you were to seek it, you would find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That, considering the government has stated that there is no prayer ban, the House call on the government to confirm that military chaplains, ahead of Remembrance Day ceremonies, have the right to offer …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I just want to thank my colleague for highlighting the incredible service that so many veterans rendered to Canada and for tying it to what we are here to do as a democracy. It is important. I want to highlight his recognizing retired brigadier-general Hayter, a man who served in my regiment. One of my first tasks as a subaltern was to be his aide at a mess dinner. I cannot repeat s…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Considering that the government has stated there is no prayer ban, the House calls on the government to confirm that military—
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I have a quick comment that goes back to the question my colleague got from the Bloc member about when we are going to have the next confidence vote in this government. I just thought it would be important to put it on the record. We have actually had two since we came back this fall, and both times the Bloc Québécois and the NDP continued to prop up the Liberal government.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) contribution room being included on the Notice of Assessment (NOA) until February 2011: (a) what was the CRA's justification for removing the TFSA contribution room from the NOA; (b) has the CRA examined other methods to communicate the TFSA contribution room to those without access to the internet or phone services, and, if so, what methods have …
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Mr. Speaker, my riding of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound is facing a chronic homelessness situation. I had the privilege of sitting on the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities committee when we were debating the introduction of the housing accelerator fund. I asked the minister and those testifying how much of this money would be g…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, I am proud to represent a rural riding that includes many in the Amish community. The Amish do not use electricity, phones or the Internet. They are pacifists, they do not vote and many are dual Canadian-U.S. citizens. In April 2021, I first asked the Liberal government how it was communicating border restrictions and requirements to Canadians like the Amish. I followed this up in F…
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With regard to the Privy Council Office's response to the question on the Order Paper Q-2571, namely, that “Members of Parliament being considered for Cabinet position undergo a pre-appointment Governor-in-Council background check conducted by the Privy Council Office. Once appointed to Cabinet, the background check, coupled with the oath they take and the Ministerial Security Briefing they receiv…
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With regard to consultations for budget 2024: (a) were measures to assist individuals living with Celiac disease presented, and, if so, (i) by what organization, (ii) when; (b) why were no supports for those living with Celiac disease included in budget 2024; and (c) what initiatives are the federal government exploring to help with the high cost of gluten-free foods for those living with Celiac d…
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Madam Speaker, I request a recorded vote.
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Mr. Speaker, I was cut off during my last speech on Bill C-20, which was my first time debating the bill. It now, unfortunately, has been time-allocated. I am a big believer that all members of Parliament should at least have the opportunity to debate one stage of a bill, as it goes through the parliamentary process, to represent our constituents and express any concerns or support for said bill. …
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Mr. Speaker, I will just push back and counter the parliamentary secretary's comments, because, as I mentioned at the start of my speech and as I have brought up in debate previously, I am a big believer that every member in this House should have the opportunity to speak to every piece of legislation, if it is something that their constituents want them to speak to. That member is a member who sp…
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Mr. Speaker, it is very important. Transparency is not only something that we see with different ombudsmen and different roles, but ultimately it is important. Again, we just need to look at anything that has been tabled in the House recently on some of the reports that have been coming out. We can look at foreign interference and the importance of transparency there to get to the crux of what we …
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Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the member knows that as a member of NSICOP, I have to be very careful and judicious about what I talk about. I congratulate all the members, including the NDP member, the four Liberal members, the Bloc Québécois member and the senators who are part of that committee. It is a very important report that was just tabled. I know there are lots of questions being raised by …
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Madam Speaker, I have two quick questions for the parliamentary secretary. First, if the Speaker does not do the honourable thing and resign, is the member going to vote to have the Speaker step down? If his answer is no, then I want to know how many strikes, mistakes or errors of judgment he expects the Speaker to be tied to before he would ask him to step down. As for my second question, the par…
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Madam Speaker, I want to give the parliamentary secretary another chance to answer my question. I asked him this: If the Speaker does not resign, when this comes to a vote, how is he going to vote? Is he going to vote for the Speaker to stay in the chair or not? If he is going to vote to keep the Speaker in the chair, how many more mistakes does he think the Speaker should be allowed? Is it one, t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the federal government’s implementation of new bare trust filing requirements: (a) what is the Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) formal definition of a bare trust; (b) what guidance regarding formal and informal arrangements that qualify as a bare trust that requires filing for tax purposes has the CRA provided; (c) how many complaints or requests for information or clarity has the mini…
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With regard to the mandatory electronic filing requirements for the Goods and services tax (GST) and harmonized sales tax (HST): (a) did the government consult with any religious or cultural communities such as the Amish, Mennonite and Hutterite communities that do not have access or utilize the internet before making paper filing less accessible, and, if so, what are the details, including the (i…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak to this bill for the first time. I understand I have only two minutes, so I am not going to be able to address all the concerns. However, I just want to start. There has been a lot of commentary so far about how members should not have the opportunity to debate. It is one of my biggest observations, and I find it very frustrating when members acro…
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Mr. Speaker, Bill C-20 is clearly important for building trust and accountability within the RCMP and the CBSA. Unfortunately, the current Liberal government always seems reluctant to prioritize legislation that enhances accountability. Here is another example. The review of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians Act was supposed to begin in the fall of 2022, but the …
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Mr. Speaker, the member talked a lot about, really, restricting or censoring the ability of members in the House to speak and voice their concerns about legislation. Does the hon. member think that all members of the House should have an equal right to speak to any bill at any stage of the debate, and if he does not, as the House leader for the New Democratic Party, how does he censor or restrict …
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Mr. Speaker, I just want to take the opportunity to correct something from my hon. colleague from the Bloc Québécois. He did use the term “military-style assault rifles” when referring to the legislation. However, there is nothing in the legislation that refers to that, so it does bother me when we hear misleading comments that confuse Canadians. My question to my hon. colleague is specifically ab…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for really focusing on the need for economic growth in this country. I am wondering, considering that the Liberal government has put us in a position where we are paying more money to service the national debt than the government collects from taxpayers in GST, what impact that is having on increasing or supporting economic growth in this country. Even fur…
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Madam Speaker, something that bothers me and a lot of my constituents is just how much interest we are paying on the national debt. My hon. colleague talked about more money going to service the debt than going into health care, but he mentioned the military as well. I would like to ask his opinion on the importance of supporting our military here in Canada, especially considering how volatile the…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the processing of requests made under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act (ATIP) by Parks Canada since January 2015: (a) how many requests have been received each year; (b) what is the average response time each year; (c) what was the shortest processing time each year; (d) what is the longest processing time each year; (e) how many hours of work were allocated to proc…
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With regard to the government's response to recommendations 8 and 13 in the 11th report of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans entitled "Restoring Full Accountability for Resources and Governance of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission": (a) has a decision been made about transferring the responsibilities and governance of the Great Lake Fisheries Commission (GLFC) from Fisheries and Ocea…
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Madam Speaker, it is hard for me to answer a question from somebody who knows even more about this than I do. My point is that Canada is a large, diverse country. Part of the reason I got into politics was that I was tired of seeing decisions coming out of Ottawa that work great for major urban centres but do not work for every part of this great country, like at the provincial level, but mainly b…
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Madam Speaker, I wish I could answer. I really take pride in trying to answer all questions. I have no idea of the logic or the rationale. It is not something I am familiar with. I will follow up with the member to try to get an answer by talking to my colleagues who are part of that committee, but I was not aware. The bottom line is, to highlight what I did bring up in my speech, it was not even …
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Madam Speaker, I understood the question perfectly. I said that even if I could qualify for it, I would not apply for it. Again, we are talking about something that has nothing to do with the debate today. My question back to the member is, why is there not an income means-testing on this program? Right now, the Liberal government is basically cutting cheques to millionaires.
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Madam Speaker, unfortunately, I cannot answer a question on a bill that has yet to be fully debated or analyzed, on pharmacare. I did speak to Bill C-35 and the child care program in Quebec, and I complimented Quebec because it was able to implement something. The majority of this does fall within provincial jurisdiction. I made the comment when I spoke to this last year that I do not even underst…
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Madam Speaker, I want to open my speech this afternoon by clarifying a few things, especially for the member for Winnipeg South Centre and the member for Winnipeg North. They seem to be confused about how Conservatives voted on Bill C-35. The bill was voted on at all stages and received unanimous consent from every member in this House. I will make it crystal clear to everybody now that I support …
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Madam Speaker, unfortunately, I was elected only in 2019, and I know the member was elected more recently, so I cannot really compare. I have not done sufficient data analysis. I am just saying that I support income testing for the program. I know plenty of people would use it, myself included, though I likely would not meet the requirement anyway because I have the privilege of being compensated …
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Madam Speaker, I never said that. I said me personally. I was talking about a question that I received from the Liberal member about the child care benefit, not about the early learning and child care program. I am just saying that it is something that I would not personally partake in. It is the way I was raised, that we take care of things ourselves, but I have 100% indicated the importance of t…
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