Parliamentary Speeches

Statements By Members

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay my respects to the Hon. James Scott Peterson, my extraordinary predecessor as the member of Parliament for Willowdale, who, sadly, passed away on May 10. Jim Peterson was a distinguished lawyer, philanthropist, parliamentarian and minister who won six federal elections and served as the member of Parliament for Willowdale for 23 years. What made him so incredibly m…

Private Members' Business

Madam Speaker, perhaps I was not as clear in identifying the fact that it is imperative for the federal government to work and to collaborate with our provinces. I do not mean to suggest for a second that the federal government should be telling the provinces what to do. Rather, I think it is important that we have a national framework and that this framework is developed in close collaboration wi…

Private Members' Business

Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for that suggestion. It is great to see that various organizations in B.C. are at the forefront of innovative change. They are certainly filling in gaps that are very important in terms of ensuring that we do have food security in this country. Far be it from me to suggest how the government should prioritize these things. What I would like to underscore is…

Routine Proceedings

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 26th report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development in relation to the motion adopted on Wednesday, May 8, 2024, regarding the governance of the Great Lakes Fishery Commission. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to th…

Private Members' Business

moved: That: (a) the House recognize that, (i) over 20% of food produced in Canada goes uneaten and wasted, costing the Canadian economy tens of billions of dollars, (ii) individuals, families, and communities across Canada face critical levels of food insecurity, (iii) surplus food unfit for human consumption may serve as animal feed, supporting farmers and reducing national methane emissions, (i…

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, once again I rise today to draw the attention of the House to the horrific and wholesale abuse of justice taking place in Iran. The regime in Tehran continues to wage war on its own citizens. Several days ago, 33-year-old Toomaj Salehi was sentenced to death. An extraordinary hip-hop artist and rapper, Toomaj has simply been demanding that the civil rights of all Iranians be respected…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 25th report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, entitled “Strengthening Canada's Diplomatic Capacity in an Increasingly Turbulent Age”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 24th report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, entitled “Including Every Child, Benefitting All: International Disability-Inclusive Education”. I can assure the House that all the members worked very hard to present this report. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests …

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank you for hosting a dinner last night to warmly welcome a delegation headed by the hon. Speaker of The National Assembly of the Republic of Korea and six members of the Korean Parliament. I believe all members of the House can agree that official relations between Canada and Korea have never been stronger. Our bilateral ties have experienced a renaissance in the la…

Routine Proceedings

Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to table two petitions today. They follow on the heels of a day of action that took place here, where over 40 Afghan and Iranian women descended upon Ottawa to meet with members of Parliament and with senators to urge them to recognize the crime of gender apartheid. The first petition from Afghan women essentially demands that international institutions re…

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, today marks the spring equinox, otherwise called Nowruz, which marks the new year for Iranians, Afghans, Ismailis, Baha’is, Zoroastrians and over 300 million individuals across the world. Many around the world are excited to welcome spring and the promise of a new year. I am certain every member of the House will join me in wishing all those celebrating Nowruz across Canada a happy ne…

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, today I want to draw the House's attention to the ongoing tragedy of gender apartheid. In states around the world, most notably Afghanistan and Iran, women and girls are oppressed by regimes that seek to segregate them from society and treat them as second-class citizens. They are violently harassed, prevented from accessing quality employment or education, and threatened with severe …

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, as everyone in this House is fully aware, this weekend marked the second anniversary of Putin's unprovoked and illegal war on Ukraine. Given the unspeakable violence Putin has unleashed on Ukrainians, which I can speak to as someone who has been there three times since the war started, I am incredibly proud to present a petition today that I have received from citizens across Canada. …

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 23rd report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, entitled “Canada’s Sanctions Regime: Transparency, Accountability and Effectiveness.” Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, 2023 marks the 60th anniversary of Canada's diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea. Several days ago, the Korean national assembly adopted a special resolution celebrating this significant milestone. The resolution mentioned the immense contributions of Canadian veterans to the defence of democracy during the Korean War and acknowledged the deep economic, strategic and cultur…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 21st report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, entitled “Current Human Rights Situation in Iran”. It is in reference to an icon of the human rights movement in Iran, Ms. Nasrin Sotoudeh. In addition, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 22nd report of the Sta…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, yes, my hon. colleague has rightly emphasized that our regime, as a general rule, has thresholds in place that allow us to screen investments coming in. In other instances, it is sectoral because there are various sectors of the economy that are vulnerable to falling into the wrong hands, if you will. These have been ongoing changes. I made reference to changes that we made in 2021 …

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, as the member is fully aware, I did make reference to three countries but the purpose of those references was to say that our regulations are to be fine-tuned every so often. The reason for that, as I tried to emphasize in my comments, is that we face a world that has a changing global threat landscape. In this particular case there are a few aspects of this bill that would require …

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to speak in support of Bill C-34, An Act to amend the Investment Canada Act. This bill would improve our ability to respond to changing circumstances that affect Canada's economic well-being and to remain vigilant in upholding our national security. More specifically, I want to focus on how our government's efforts to modernize the Investment …

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, yes, I do agree with the member. As we watch the situation unfold, we should all be concerned about the fact that Palestinians within Gaza are going through a very difficult time. That is precisely why many Canadians here are concerned. We should remind our good friends in Israel to make sure that they are proceeding with dismantling Hamas in a fashion which respects the rules of huma…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, that is a very insightful question. Yes, I would say that part of the reason the bonds of friendship and the amity exist between our country and the state of Israel is that we are democracies. Democracies are constantly aware of the fact that their actions and everything their governments undertake are underpinned by the values that inform their constitutions. Yes, even at a time of w…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, over the course of the past week we have all witnessed untold carnage. A moment of relative calm in the Middle East was punctured by a devastating wave of violence and rage. We in this House must be emphatic and unequivocal. The violence unleashed by Hamas on hundreds of innocent Israeli citizens amounted to nothing short of terrorism in its most gruesome form. Nothing could possibly …

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, it is truly a great privilege to work with the member on the foreign affairs committee. As to the question asked, I have every confidence that our government is vigilant and is constantly aware of what those threats are. What I was speaking about today was the pain that many Canadians have been enduring over the course of the last seven days. That is something we have to be mindful of…

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, allow me first to offer my most heartfelt congratulations on your election as Chair. I rise today because last week a fire broke out at a house under construction in my riding of Willowdale. While working to suppress the blaze, one of our courageous firefighters was injured. Fortunately, the firefighter was quickly rushed to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and, I am told, is in a go…

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure to be back in beautiful Ottawa with all my hon. colleagues. This weekend, members of the Iranian and Kurdish communities across Canada convened to mark the first anniversary of the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, a courageous Kurdish-Iranian woman. Following Mahsa's murder, over 500 individuals were killed and over 23,000 individuals were detained and incarcerated, y…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 20th report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, entitled “Canada's Approach to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights of Women Globally”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, it is truly a great honour for me to present a petition today on behalf of the Canadian Hazara advocacy group. This is a group with members from across the country, from coast to coast, and they are particularly concerned about the persecution that the Taliban is subjecting members of the Hazara community in Afghanistan to. It is well recorded that there are many atrocities going on. …

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 18th report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development in relation to Bill S-8, an act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, to make consequential amendments to other acts and to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. The committee has studied the bill and ha…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 17th report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, entitled “Main Estimates 2023-24: Votes 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 and L30 under Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development, Vote 1 under International Development Research Centre, and Vote 1 under International Joint Commission”.

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 16th report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, in relation to Bill C-281, an act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act, the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, the Broadcasting Act and the Prohibiting Cluster Munitions Act. The commit…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 14th report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, entitled “The Wake-Up Call: The World After February 24th 2022”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, April 23, many of us in Willowdale gathered to acknowledge a sombre occasion. Five years prior, on a seemingly ordinary, sunny Monday, a rental van jumped the Yonge Street sidewalk, violently striking pedestrians. The act claimed the lives of 11 people and injured many more, forever transforming our community. What was first believed to be a tragic accident quickly revealed…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 13th report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development in relation to Bill C-281, an act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act, the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act (Sergei Magnitsky Law), the Broadcasting Act and the Prohibiting Cluster Mun…

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, today, many here in Canada and across the world will gather to celebrate Nowruz. The spring equinox represents hope, optimism and renewal. To all those celebrating, Nowruz Pirooz. This is a time to count our blessings and look forward to the year ahead with renewed vim and vigour. I would be remiss if I did not mention that for many marking Nowruz today, the last year has represented …

Statements By Members

Madam Speaker, International Women’s Day provides the international community a unique opportunity to assess the progress made in promoting the rights, security and well-being of women across the globe. Regrettably, over the past year we have witnessed considerable backsliding on the fundamental rights of women to determine their own fate around the world. Undoubtedly, such developments should con…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following two reports of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development: the 11th report, entitled “Reopening of the Lachin Corridor”, and the 12th report, entitled “Humanitarian Aid in Afghanistan”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive res…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following two reports of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development: the ninth report, entitled “The 2002 Extreme Flooding in Pakistan: Saving Lives and Supporting a Climate-Resilient Recovery”, and the 10th report, entitled “The Russian State's Illegal War of Aggression Against Ukraine”. Pursua…

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, we have all been horrified to learn of the devastation and suffering caused by two powerful earthquakes that occurred in southeastern Turkey and northern Syria. As we witness the images emerging from the region, I know I speak on behalf of every member of the House when I say that we are truly shaken by the scale of the devastation, that we stand united in expressing our heartfelt con…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development in relation to Bill S-211, an act to enact the fighting against forced labour and child labour in supply chains act and to amend the customs tariff. The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, our government understands full well how important it is to stand up for consumers and to assist Canadians with their living expenses. Consequently, we recently enhanced resources available to the Competition Bureau, and even more recently, launched a review of the Competition Act. Would the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Industry explain to us why this is timely and neces…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, for the last nine weeks, we have watched the brutality that the Iranian regime has unleashed on its own citizens. So far, 15,000 courageous Iranians have been arrested and over 350 Iranians have been killed. Yesterday, our government announced its latest concrete measures against the Iranian regime by designating Iran a country that commits terrorism against its own citizens. I would …

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development in relation to the motion adopted on Wednesday, November 2, regarding humanitarian aid to Afghanistan.

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister stood shoulder to shoulder with protesters who participated in the freedom rally against the Iranian regime in Ottawa. As the Prime Minister made clear, our government will not stand idly by as the Iranian government terrorizes its own citizens. The message from our government is also consistent that Iranians have been suffocated for far too long, and we …

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Prime Minister Trudeau stood—

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, entitled “Overcoming the Barriers to Global Vaccine Equity and Ending the Pandemic”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

Oral Questions

Madam Speaker, we appreciate that these are difficult times for Canadians and that our companies are experiencing significant labour shortages. It is time we recognized the significant contributions of international students. I can tell members that in my riding of Willowdale many international students are contributing to the growth of companies. I want to ask the Minister of Immigration if he co…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, today marks 1,000 painful days since the Islamic Republic of Iran shot down flight PS752, killing all 176 passengers, including 85 Canadians and permanent residents. Last week, Canada hosted the 41st assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal. Would the Minister of Transport share with members of the House what Canada is doing to hold Iran to account?

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.

Statements By Members

Mr. Speaker, for the last week, Iran has descended into mourning following the death of Mahsa Amini, an innocent 22-year-old murdered while she was detained by the Iranian morality police for simply not having displayed a proper head covering. Since her death, thousands upon thousands have taken to the streets in over 25 cities scattered throughout Iran. They are demanding that women not be discri…

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to join other hon. members of this House to pay tribute to our head of state for over seven decades, Queen Elizabeth II. It is indeed a great privilege to share my personal sentiments, which I can assure members are shared by many residents of Willowdale who are deeply saddened by the passing of our monarch. Over the last several days, we have witnessed an e…