Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. Of course, public servants, retirees and their dependants deserve adequate support to access their benefits. Wait times at the Canada Life call centre are unacceptable. I have had discussions with Canada Life executives and told them the same thing. I will work very hard to make sure that public servants can access their benefits.
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Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservatives across the aisle, our government actually has a plan to support Canadians, whether it supports 11 million Canadians with the grocery rebate, 4.2 million Canadians with the workers benefit or six million Canadians by indexing old age security. Unlike the Conservatives, our government actually has a plan. Every step of the way, we will focus on Canadians and wha…
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Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservatives, our government actually has a plan to support Canadians during this time. We have, for example, the grocery rebate helping 11 million Canadians. We are helping 4.2 million Canadians with the workers benefits and over six million Canadians with indexed old age security. What is the Conservatives' plan? That is right; they do not have one.
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moved that Bill S-12, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Sex Offender Information Registration Act and the International Transfer of Offenders Act, be read the first time. (Motion agreed to and bill read the first time)
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Mr. Chair, as you may be aware, I come from a family originally from India. Both of my parents came from India. They have passed now, but my father was from Tamil Nadu and my mother was from Jandiala Guru, a small town outside Amritsar. Many years ago, they immigrated to the province where you hail from, Mr. Chair, Nova Scotia, and settled in a small rural town of 5,000 people. I was born there. L…
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Mr. Chair, I thank the hon. member for her service to her community on behalf of all Canadians. I have heard from many constituents as well as members of the broader South Asian community, and I will say that there is concern coming from the community and Canadians generally about the Prime Minister's words yesterday, especially because people want, need and should be able to feel safe in their ow…
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Mr. Chair, I can confirm the veracity of the statement made by my hon. colleague just now relating to our past collegial relationship as professor and student. I will say that it would be highly imprudent for anyone to comment on potential or actual evidence in the process of an ongoing investigation. Therefore, the question for us to adduce such evidence while an ongoing investigation is occurrin…
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Mr. Chair, of course, this affects not only members of the Sikh community but every single person in Canada. Every individual, regardless of age, ethnicity, cultural background or religion, must feel safe and secure in their own community. That is fundamental to our democracy, it is fundamental to a country governed by the rule of law and it is absolutely central to the Canada that we know and lov…
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Mr. Speaker, public servants who disclose wrongdoing within or relating to the public sector, under either the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act or under any other act of Parliament, are protected from reprisal for having made that disclosure. They may not be fired, demoted, disciplined or subjected to any other measure that adversely affects their employment or working conditions because …
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Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is working to create a diverse and inclusive public service, free from racism, harassment and discrimination, where everyone has a sense of belonging. Budget 2022 proposed $3.7 million over four years, and Budget 2023 proposed to provide a further $45.9 million over three years, starting in 2023-24, to the Treasury Board Secretariat to create a Mental Health F…
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Mr. Speaker, in 2016, the Government of Canada established a mandatory non-partisan external review process as part of a commitment to strengthen the oversight of government advertising. Ad Standards, the independent, not-for-profit, self-regulatory body that administers the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards was contracted to undertake this work. At that time, advertising campaigns with budge…
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Mr. Speaker, since day one, Canada has stood steadfast with Ukraine in its fight for sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. On the weekend, the Prime Minister announced another $500 million for Ukraine. That is going to go to extending Operation UNIFIER. It is going to go to 10,000 rounds of ammunition as well as almost 300 air defence missiles to protect Ukraine's skies. We will always …
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Mr. Speaker, search and rescue capabilities are at the very heart of the expertise of the Canadian Armed Forces. That is why last week I was pleased to announce the expansion and upgrade of our Cormorant helicopter fleet, which is projected to add 650 jobs annually and $79 million to our economy annually. Most importantly, it will ensure that our Canadian Armed Forces are always prepared to answer…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question from my hon. colleague. Let me reiterate that since I have been appointed, we have put on the table a number of additional reforms, including laying a road map for all 48 of the recommendations of Madame Arbour. In addition to an official apology, in addition to millions of dollars in supports for victims and survivors as well as the transfer of cases from th…
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Mr. Speaker, last week we reaffirmed our commitment to continental defence and Arctic security by investing $7.3 billion in bases across this country, including in bases that will house the F-35. These investments will ensure economic benefits for indigenous communities and Canadians across this country. As President Biden said, we can “rest soundly, knowing [that] NORAD [has] the watch.”
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Mr. Speaker, since 2015, the Canadian Armed Forces have trained over 35,000 members of the Ukrainian armed forces. We are training Ukrainians in England. We are training Ukrainian engineers in Poland, and we are training them on the use of the Leopard 2A4 battle tank. As President von der Leyen said, the Canadian Armed Forces have been instrumental in terms of the resilience being shown on the bat…
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Mr. Speaker, since the very beginning, Canada has stood shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine. Since 2015, Canada has trained over 34,000 Ukrainian armed forces members. We have put on the table over $5 billion of military aid. We will stand with Ukraine in its fight for security, solidarity and sovereignty. The decision relating to peace and Ukraine's future will come from Ukraine itself. Canada will…
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2) and recommendation 47 of former Supreme Court Justice Arbour's independent external comprehensive review, I have the pleasure to table, in both official languages, copies of the Minister of National Defence's “Report to Parliament on Culture Change Reforms in Response to Former Supreme Court Justice Arbour's Recommendations”.
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Mr. Speaker, this time is different. It is my intention and the Department of National Defence's intention to implement all 48 recommendations of the Arbour report. In fact, we have begun doing that and we will continue until it gets done. We are putting our shoulders to the wheel. This is important for moral reasons and operational reasons as we continued to grow a Canadian Armed Forces where eve…
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Madam Speaker, that is a very timely question. In fact, we have been working very hard on responding to the recommendations in the Arbour report, which involve examining our current law as well as law under the National Defence Act. I take the member opposite's question with great earnest and interest. I look forward to responding to it as we examine the path forward for our armed forces and as we…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his leadership on this issue. Since 2015, under Operation Unifier, the Canadian Armed Forces have trained more than 34,000 Ukrainian military personnel. We are training them in England. We are training Ukrainian engineers in Poland. Why? It is because their sovereignty, their stability and their security is global security as well, and we are there in the…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada stands firmly with our allies on the side of democracy and the rule of law. That is why we will continue offering unwavering support to Ukraine. This weekend, Canada announced that Halifax would be the location for the NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, or DIANA, which will bring together innovators, tech companies and researchers to solve critical secu…
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Mr. Speaker, this morning, the Prime Minister announced an additional $500 million of military aid for Ukraine, bringing the total committed by the Government of Canada to over $1 billion. In addition, Canada is transporting military aid on behalf of our allies and ourselves. We have transported over five million pounds of aid. We stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine in the short and long term.
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Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise on behalf of the hon. Minister of Veterans Affairs to pay tribute to all the Canadians who have so selflessly served our country in uniform. When I was a little girl growing up in Kentville, Nova Scotia, where I was born, our province and town were steeped in military history. The history was palpable in our schools, on our class trips and at public gatherings. I…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for that important question. We have already established the foundations for a culture change. For example, we have started transferring cases to the civilian system. Last week, I appointed Jocelyne Therrien as external monitor. She will help us ensure that we continue to make real progress. We will keep working to protect women and minorities in the Canadian Arme…
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Mr. Speaker, last week, in Poland, I signed a memorandum of understanding, strengthening the defence relationship with Poland, and committed 40 Canadian Armed Forces engineers to help train Ukrainians. Then at NATO, I announced another tranche of military aid for Ukraine, including cameras for drones, satellite services, 155 millimetre ammunition and additional aid. We will stand shoulder to shoul…
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Mr. Speaker, as a Nova Scotian myself, I want to assure my hon. colleague and everyone in the House that the Canadian Armed Forces will be there for as long as needed. In Nova Scotia, they are removing debris and restoring roadways and bridges. In Prince Edward Island, they are assisting with restoring the power grid. In Newfoundland, they are going door to door to check on neighbours to make sure…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. As Canada's Minister of National Defence, I am certain that the Canadian Armed Forces will be there during environmental crises. That is what is happening right now in the Atlantic provinces. We are on the ground right now with military personnel, equipment, materials and frigates. HMCS Margaret Brooke, for instance, will bring relief to the west…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question. We do not have a request for assistance from the province of Quebec at this time, but the Canadian Armed Forces are ready to deploy if we receive such a request. Right now, as I said yesterday, in total we have about 100 Canadian Forces members per province available to assist in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. If w…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for that question. It is very important to remember that, in order to help the provinces and territories with these kinds of environmental disasters, we need to act on many fronts. On our end, we have sent the Canadian Armed Forces to assist the provinces and territories. Three units are now ready to provide equipment and personnel. Residents in the affected areas w…
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Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be here this evening to take part in this emergency debate. I will start by saying that our thoughts are with all those affected by hurricane Fiona. I was born in Kentville, Nova Scotia, in the heart of the Annapolis Valley, and I am devastated to see the damage that is being wrought on the Atlantic provinces and eastern Quebec. I would also like to echo the words…
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday our government announced the largest investment in continental defence and NORAD in four decades. As part of that, we will ensure that we partner with indigenous communities in multiple areas, including in the area of infrastructure. We need to make sure they are together with us in terms of the investments we will make to keep Canadians safe and to ensure that our Canadian …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to put forward a few facts. After significant cuts made by the previous Conservative government, we actually are delivering results for our Canadian Armed Forces members and their families. Tax-free income for members—
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Mr. Speaker, I will try this again. After significant cuts made by the previous Conservative government, we are delivering results for our Canadian Armed Forces. Some of these results are the tax-free income for members deployed on international operations, close to $200 million to improve access to health care and implement a joint suicide prevention strategy, $6 million per year in new funding f…
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Mr. Speaker, military members and their families are our top priority and we are investing $445 million over the coming years to tackle this very important issue that the hon. member raised. In February 2021, we increased military members' rates of pay to ensure alignment with increases received by the federal public service. We also implemented an interim relocation policy to enable remote work o…
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Mr. Speaker, in all seriousness, we will continue to support our Canadian Armed Forces personnel posted across the country and their families. For example, the post living differential allowance is intended to help reduce financial burdens for Canadian Armed Forces personnel and their families. To ensure that the PLD allowance effectively supports CAF members and their families and addresses affor…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that I have military members and their families as my top priority. From day one, as stated in my mandate letter, I have continued to commit to ensuring that our members have the support and resources that they need. That is why we are increasing our defence spending by 70% over a nine-year period beginning in 2017. That is why we committed another $8 billion in de…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank Madam Arbour for her comprehensive and detailed report, which will be the cornerstone of our culture change efforts going forward. This morning, I accepted her report in its entirety. I spoke with the Prime Minister. At the outset, let me be clear that we wholeheartedly agree with the significant issues identified by Madam Arbour. My top priority is to build a military where e…
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Mr. Speaker, today, I announced that I have received, and I welcome and accept, Madame Arbour's report in its entirety. I confirmed that as an immediate step, I have accepted, and the defence team will be immediately moving on, implementing over one-third of Madame Arbour's recommendations. This is just the beginning of our response, and I look forward to providing a further update as we strengthe…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank Ms. Arbour for her detailed report, which will be the cornerstone of our efforts. I accepted the report in its entirety. I spoke with the Prime Minister this morning, and we completely agree with the important issues raised by Ms. Arbour. My priority is to build an institution where everyone is safe, protected and respected at work.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question. The Conservatives want to question our commitment to the Canadian Armed Forces. Let us be clear. The Conservatives, for a decade, had a chance to step up and invest in NATO and our armed forces. Instead, they decided to actively step back and allow military spending to drop below 1% of our GDP in 2013, but not us. We will continue to invest in our …
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Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservatives, who cut billions from defence, we are providing our Canadian Armed Forces members with the equipment they need to keep Canadians safe. This means we are moving to finalize contracts for 88 new fighter jets. This means we are delivering the first Canadian-built ship in 20 years. This means we are delivering six Arctic offshore patrol vessels, two of which have…
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Mr. Speaker, I find it unfortunate that the member opposite is characterizing the views of our Canadian Armed Forces as being ashamed. On the contrary, at the top of my mandate letter is making sure that the Canadian Armed Forces have the equipment they need to defend our country. I am focused on delivering results for the Canadian Armed Forces. We are increasing defence spending by 70% over a nin…
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Mr. Speaker, let me assure the member opposite that we are ensuring that our Canadian Armed Forces has the equipment it needs to protect Canadians. On Monday, when we announced the procurement of the 88 fighter jets and the top-ranked bidder, this brought us one step closer to a new fleet of state-of-the-art fighter jets for our Royal Canadian Air Force. This is going to ensure that our pilots hav…
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Mr. Speaker, let me assure the member opposite again that we have ensured and we will continue to ensure that we are taking the steps needed to select the right fighter at the right price with the right benefits for the Canadian Armed Forces. This is the most significant investment in the RCAF in 30 years. As we continue to move through this process, the details on costing will be further refined.…
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Mr. Speaker, this is somewhat humorous. Unlike the Conservatives who cut billions from defence, we are providing our CAF members with the equipment they need to keep Canadians safe. We are moving to finalize the 88 new fighter jets. We are delivering the first Canadian-built ship in 20 years. We are acquiring six Arctic offshore patrol vessels, two of which are in the water and one of which has ci…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Saint-Laurent for her question. Canada is getting closer to the delivery of a new fleet of fighter jets that will help our Royal Canadian Air Force defend Canada and our allies. This will also create economic opportunities for Canadians, especially in Bagotville, where we are investing in modernizing infrastructure to house the new fleet. This is good news for C…
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Mr. Speaker, I am surprised at the member opposite's characterization of our Canadian Armed Forces. In fact, our commitment to NATO operations, including Operation Reassurance, is unwavering. To reinforce our deterrent measures in Europe in the face of rising tensions, we announced that we are increasing military contributions in support of NATO and in support of Operation Reassurance with up to 4…
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Mr. Speaker, I differ with the member opposite's characterization of Canada's aid to date. In fact, I have announced six tranches of military aid, both lethal and non-lethal, to Ukraine since February alone. This represents well over $100 million in military aid to Ukraine. We have also assisted our allies. With 21 flights on the C-130s, Canada is providing airlift support across the NATO alliance…
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-17, An Act to amend the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act and to authorize certain payments to be made out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
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