Parliamentary Speeches
194 speeches by Anthony Housefather — Page 1 of 4
Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I have some good news for my colleague. Last week, I was with the Minister of Finance in my riding, where Kraft Heinz announced a $250-million investment to increase the number of Canadian products being made here at home in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. That is because Kraft Heinz has confidence that the new government knows what it is doing with the economy. I think we should look at th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the first thing I want to say is that this bill, when we talk about anti-Semitism, is something that has been asked for by all of the main Jewish organizations in Canada, including CIJA, B’nai Brith and the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center. I can go on and on about the Jewish organizations that support the bill and have asked for the bill. They want to see actual action, not just wo…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I extend the same appreciation to my colleague, whom I often work with and very much enjoy working with. The member asked about two things. First, I have called for the repeal of the religious-based defence since early 2024, when CIJA called for it, and I agreed with them, following what happened with Charkaoui in Montreal. I have supported removing that for two years. It has never su…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I have been asking for this bill for two years. This is a bill I feel passionately about, and it is a bill that is desperately needed. In the last month, three synagogues in Toronto were shot at. Jewish institutions were shot at in Belgium and Holland. A synagogue in Detroit was attacked with a car by a guy who was armed. He rammed into the gate. Over and over in this world, we have s…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, of course the answer is no. It is clear that people could read any sacred text, pray to it, or do anything else, and no one would be charged for reading a sacred text. The issue here is the promotion of hatred, that is, deliberately wanting someone to be slandered. The idea that this would happen simply because a person goes to church and reads the Bible there makes no sense. It is no…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I believe we all need to prioritize the safety and security of the Canadian Armed Forces and not expose them to unnecessary risks. There are members of our armed forces, brave men and women, operating in a theatre of war where Iran is launching missiles and drones. For reasons of operational security, specific measures to protect the forces are not disclosed.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I think the most important thing is that all members of the Canadian Armed Forces in the region are safe. Our priority as a government and as parliamentarians should be the safety and security of our armed forces who are currently operating in a theatre of war. I will say that our government's priority will always be to maximize the safety and security of our armed forces.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Burnaby Central. I am very pleased to address the House today with respect to the combatting hate act, which is a law that would protect all Canadians better. However, we need to talk about how we got to the combatting hate act. As a member of the Jewish community of Canada, I would have to start with the fact that since October 7, 2023,…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member that absolutely nothing in Bill C‑9 will prevent anyone from reading or promoting religious texts in a church, synagogue, mosque or any other place of worship. It contains absolutely nothing to that effect. For even greater certainty, considering the proliferation of disinformation, we also decided to state that point unequivocally. The Liberal members came to …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present in the House today a petition signed by 1,058 Canadians, related to a very sad chapter in Canadian history. Members will remember that about eight years ago, our former prime minister Justin Trudeau rose in the House to apologize for the treatment of Jewish refugees in the Second World War, including the refusal for the MS St. Louis to dock in Canada, send…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I have heard in response to the Minister of Justice's comments, multiple times, that we should enforce the existing law. Enforcing the existing law is one thing; sending a message to police about what the House of Commons believes we should be doing about hate crimes and adding additional offences is another. My questions are, one, does the minister have the power to tell the Toronto …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member focused a great deal on a defence that has never once successfully been used in the history of Canada, and she talked about the monumental change this would make to the criminal law when, again, it is a defence that has never once been successfully used. The only people who could avail themselves of this defence are those who are charged with wilfully promoting hate, w…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, freedom of religion and freedom of expression are guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. In fact, when I was mayor of Côte Saint-Luc, I held a rally for religious freedom. I very much believe in religious freedom. There is nothing in the bill that would stop anyone from preaching, reciting, reading or doing anything that they are doing today. This defence has never…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the Parliament of Canada writes the Criminal Code. The enforcement of the Criminal Code is provincial, and most of that is carried out by municipal police. The idea that the federal government can interfere with enforcement, which is a provincial jurisdiction, when it is mostly carried out by municipal police that we do not hire or fire, is a fantasy. What we can do is what the Jewish…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I can only say, having listened to that last answer, that the hon. member has not read the bill, because it does not change whatsoever the way one levels a complaint with respect to a hate crime or the definition of a hate crime. The hon. member talked about enforcement. Can he talk to us about what he believes the role of the federal government is when it comes to police enforcement …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, as the hon. member well knows, this is not question period. I am not here speaking on behalf of the government, but I am here speaking on behalf of myself. I heard the Minister of Public Safety today, during question period, making very clear that Canada wants to expel anybody who should be expelled from this country, which includes the people who are high-level officers in the IRGC, an…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I am not going to speak for others. I can say that I made a speech in which I stated my position very clearly. My position is that the Iranian regime is a danger to Canadians, that it should never obtain nuclear weapons and that we must ensure that Canadians in the Middle East return to Canada. We must ensure that Canadians are safe and secure, particularly Canadians of Iranian origin a…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, can I ask my colleague where his leader is tonight?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I take note of the point. I am not sure I can label it. I would say it is disgusting, it is deplorable and it needs to stop. The real goal is making it stop. It needs to stop.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I will be sharing my time with the member for Willowdale. First of all, I would say that this debate tonight, for me, boils down to four simple questions. Question number one is this: Is Canada safer if Iran is denied the opportunity to possess nuclear weapons? To me, the answer is a very clear yes. Question number two is this: Is Canada better off, are Canadians better off, is the worl…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, Jewish organizations across the country have said that we need to adopt the combatting hate act. To me, that is the first thing this House of Commons needs to do in order to protect not only the Jewish community and its institutions, but all communities and their institutions. The combatting hate act's main provisions were part of the justice committee's recommendations in our anti-Semi…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, there is a rogue regime that promotes terrorism abroad, threatens communities across the world, is on the verge of getting a nuclear weapon and has an ally in the Security Council that would veto any action the United Nations would take against it. Is the hon. member saying that the world should then do absolutely nothing and allow that country to get a nuclear weapon and destroy the …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, as always, my colleague gave a very interesting speech. The last part, part (d) of the motion, calls for the repeal of Bill C-75, which would essentially put the criminal law back to the state it was in before Bill C-75. Bill C-75 did a number of important things, one of which was to repeal the bawdy house laws and vagrancy laws that led to the mass jailing of gay men in Toronto and…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, on September 11, 2001, I was in New York when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center. I saw the bravery and solidarity and shared the anguish first-hand. As a Canadian, I was incredibly proud of how we rose to the occasion to support our closest friend and ally. From the hospitality showed by the people of Gander to fundraising campaigns to support the victims, to our government b…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would like to present petition e-6903, which has been signed by 2,275 people. The petitioners are asking for faster processing times for humanitarian and compassionate applications. They want to see a transparent action plan to address the backlog and ensure reasonable decision timelines and they are asking the Minister of Immigration and the House to consider that.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, Quebec's National Assembly adopted Bill 2 last month. On November 9, 20 clinics in my riding and nearby warned that they may need to close their doors as a direct result of Bill 2. Government funding and the salaries of the doctors who finance these public clinics will decrease significantly. Meanwhile, these clinics will be forced to see more patients more quickly, with fewer resourc…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today in support of budget 2025. We are building Canada strong. This is a plan that would protect our communities, empower Canadians with better careers and make life more affordable. We are creating an economy by Canadians for Canadians. Our government is cutting spending, building more and honouring our commitments, because that is how we are investing in Can…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my businesses have also reacted very well to the tax credits and the tax breaks that are being given in the budget. I believe my population has also reacted well to the general tax cut that was given to all Canadians in the very first law the House passed in the spring.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I share the hon. member's concern about wildfires that are caused by climate change. This is a first step. It is a good first step. I want to continue to work with her and other members to continue to support the provinces in their fight against wildfires.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the budget talks about jobs for all Canadians. We care about people who work in sawmills, and we care about people who work in every industry. That is why this budget builds jobs and gives money to those industries that need it the most and are impacted by the U.S. tariffs. The budget also deals with climate change, and we deal with emergency management. I do not agree with the way th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I completely agree that the health care system in Quebec, and in several other provinces, is very fragile. Federal government investments are very important. However, the questions I am hearing from the doctors in my community concern Quebec's Bill 2 and the problems it will cause, including the closure of family medicine clinics in almost every region of Quebec. In my riding, 20 clin…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, let me reiterate that our top priority is keeping our roads and drivers safe. Budget 2025 includes important measures to ensure roadway safety. The two opposition parties have a choice. Will they vote in favour of a budget that advances the cause of trucker safety? I hope so.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, our top priority is keeping our roads and drivers safe. The minister made an honest mistake, but budget 2025 includes funding for a targeted $77-million program to address the issue of non-compliance related to contractor services and service fees. The Bloc Québécois can vote for that and for the budget, thereby preventing a Christmas election. Will the Bloc do so?
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today, I want to welcome the Jewish community leaders from the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and the Jewish Federations of Canada, who are here on Parliament Hill for their annual advocacy day. They come at a time when Canada's Jewish community is facing an alarming rise in anti-Semitism. Though Jewish Canadians make up just 1.2% of the population, we make up 70% of all religio…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, Alex Look was a force of nature. He embodied love, generosity and courage. He was Raquel and Alain's son and Kayla's brother. He had friends and family who loved him. He grew up in Montreal but was also a man of the world who spoke seven languages and ran an international business. He was the life of any room. Alex was also a proud Jew. On October 7, 2023, he was vacationing in Israel…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I fully agree with my colleague. Even if the notwithstanding clause is used legitimately, it is very important, if a right is violated in a way that is not reasonable in a free and democratic society, that a court is able to advise the people in this respect. As we explained in the factum, it is very important for the court to study the manner in which this was done in order to rule o…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I did not hear a question in there, but let me just say, again, that I think it is really important. I appreciate the substantive question I am sure my colleague was coming to. The government's factum does not contest the ability of a province or the federal Parliament to use the notwithstanding clause, although personally, my position has always been that we should not do so. The fac…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his kind words. I also want to wish the entire Jewish community in Canada a Shana Tova. When a factum is put before a court, it is a message to the judges. It is not meant for the public, and it is not about politics. The matter before the court is whether limitations on section 33 that are not procedural in nature are permissible. Examples are given t…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech. I am somewhat surprised that the Bloc Québécois motion calls for the Attorney General of Canada to withdraw his factum in a case where the notwithstanding clause affects not only the provinces, but also the Government of Canada. It also affects the House of Commons and the Senate too. It can be used. Does the Bloc Québécois believe that the Gover…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank the leader of the Bloc Québécois for his speech. I must point out that the matter of whether the clause may be used pre-emptively does not even appear in the government's factum. It was not even raised. The Bloc is calling on us to withdraw the factum filed with the Supreme Court, but there is a very important question that needs to be addressed. The Quebec Superior Court and …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank my Bloc Québécois colleagues who moved this opposition day motion. I am pleased to speak in the House of Commons as a Quebecker because it is very important to show that Quebeckers have a wide range of opinions on Bill 21 and the pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause. The Bloc Québécois does not have a monopoly on speaking in the House of Commons on behalf of all Quebe…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my understanding is that the Canada Elections Act requires somebody to swear that they are voting in the last riding that they lived in in Canada, and they have to disclose that address. Would that not be correct, and would that not prevent some of what the hon. member is suggesting might happen?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, they talk about redistribution, but fail to say that there are several provinces that do not receive equalization payments. Albert and Saskatchewan do not receive any money through this redistribution, while Quebec does. As a Quebecker, I am very pleased to live in a federation where there is a willingness to help one another. I am grateful to the people of Alberta and Saskatchewan wh…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, congratulations on your appointment to the role of Deputy Speaker of the House. I will be sharing my time with the member for Compton—Stanstead. I am very proud to be in the House with this new member because there are now 44 of us members from Quebec on the Liberal side. With the 11 members from Quebec on the Conservative side, there are 55 members who are able to be both proud Quebe…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I think there are those who would argue that it is not the only measure that has brought down emissions, and I am sure the government will come forward with its plan in due time.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, they come from Alberta and other provinces; that is correct. When we look at federal programs, we see that federal programs' monies do not always flow equally to every single province. They flow directly to different things in different programs. We would imagine, in the end, that the country is made better as a whole by all the programs we have. The idea that we would take each and e…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my hope is that everybody looking at the challenges we are facing from the United States will come to the rationalization that we need to exploit Canadian energy to its potential. I am going to hope and pray that everyone will look at this as rational actors and will understand that we need to be resilient across our country first so that we are not buying oil from other countries to …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me welcome my colleague from Kitchener South—Hespeler to the House. It is always nice to have more doctors in the House. I think they say that often. It is funny that he is talking about prepared talking notes, because I think people watching me will note that I did not use any talking notes whatsoever for my speech, which is actually how I think speeches should be g…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to welcome the member for Toronto—St. Paul's to the House. She is a true ally of the Jewish community. In terms of what she said in her speech, just in the last 10 days, two Jews were killed in Washington, D.C., while leaving an American Jewish Committee event. We had the incident this weekend where people who were marching for the release of the hostages were attacke…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we will continue to work with the province. We will continue to work with investors. We are going to make sure we do everything we can, because this industry is the future of Canada, the future of Quebec. We absolutely want this to work.
Read full speech →