Arielle Kayabaga

moved for leave to introduce An Act to establish a National Day of the Canadian Athlete. Mr. Speaker, it is an honour for me to introduce an act to establish a national day of the Canadian athlete. (Motion deemed adopted) Mr. Speaker, while I am on my feet, I move: That the House do now proceed to orders of the day.

Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties, and if you seek it, you will find that there is unanimous consent to adopt the following motion. I move: That, notwithstanding Standing Order 28 or any other usual practice of the House, the following proposed calendar for the year 2027, referred to as Option H, be tabled and that the House adopt this calendar.

Madam Speaker, if you seek it, I think you will find unanimous consent for the following motion, which is seconded by the leader of the official opposition: That, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of the House, Bill C-38, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (extension of the federal fuel excise tax relief), be disposed of as follows: (a) the bill be ordered for consideration at the second reading stage on Tuesday, September 22, 2026; (b) on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, the House shall continue to sit until midnight for the purpose of considering this bill, provided that, after 7 p.m., no quorum calls, dilatory motions or requests for unanimous consent shall be received by the Chair, and when no member wishes to speak or at midnight, whichever is earlier, the bill shall be deemed read a second time on division and referred to the Standing Committee on Finance; (c) the Minister of Finance and National Revenue be ordered to appear before the Standing Committee on Finance in relation to the bill for one hour, no later than Tuesday, October 6, 2026, followed by an additional hour to gather evidence from witnesses, and immediately after, the committee proceed to clause-by-clause consideration of the bill; (d) the motion for third reading of the bill may be made in the same sitting during which the said bill has been concurred in at report stage; (e) at the expiry of the time provided for Government Orders on the day the bill is considered at the third reading stage, or when no member wishes to speak, whichever is earlier, the bill shall be deemed read a third time and passed on division.

Madam Speaker, earlier a member of the opposition talked about the fact that they were not filibustering, yet she was the one who actually told the story about an elephant in a discussion of Bill C-30, where there is money that has to go out to people who need more housing in a faster way. Could the minister talk about the fact that while opposition members continue to say we are stopping debate, they are talking about elephants in a debate about money that needs to go out for the construction of housing?

Mr. Speaker, obviously, the member has been at the municipal level before, and we know that we cannot build homes without cities and without partnerships with the provinces and municipalities. My city of London has been a great example of how those partnerships have yielded a lot of funding from the housing accelerator fund, yet we have seen the opposition take jabs at mayors. Can you talk about the importance of partnerships with mayors and provinces to make sure that we can build the homes that are needed across Canada fast?

Mr. Speaker, I really appreciated my colleague's speech. Of course, we all know that our systems and institutions are very robust in Canada, and I know my hon. colleague touched on that in his speech. Can he tell us more about what Canadians stand to gain from this bill? I would also like to hear him speak about the collaboration that made it possible to move this bill forward in a very short time.

Mr. Speaker, what I find interesting from the member opposite, who also sits on the committee with me, is the fact that he said he is not buying what we are selling, though we worked in collaboration with their team to bring the bill forward as quickly as possible. Maybe he could help all members of the House let Canadians know which parts of the bill he supports and which he does not support.

Earlier, Mr. Speaker, the member's colleague who sits on committee with me said he feels we are not listening. I talked about the fact that we did extensive collaboration. This is one of the most fast-tracked bills that I personally have witnessed since I have been a member of Parliament, because of the expert input we brought on and the collaboration that happened between all parties in the House. Can the member comment on what exactly in this bill the Conservatives cannot support and what they can support?

moved for leave to introduce An Act to establish National Agricultural Innovation Day. Mr. Speaker, it is an honour for me to introduce a bill entitled An Act to establish National Agricultural Innovation Day. (Motion deemed adopted) Mr. Speaker, while I am on my feet, I move: That the House do now proceed to orders of the day.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have obtained the unanimous consent of the House to share my time. I am pleased to rise in the House of Commons today to speak to Bill C‑25, the strong and free elections act. Bill C‑25 makes changes to the Canada Elections Act that will improve the strength and resilience of Canada's electoral system. As we all know, one of the pillars of our democracy is our electoral system, and the Canada Elections Act is the foundation of that system. The act is already recognized around the world for its rigorous administrative procedures, robust political financing regime and strict spending limits. However, we know that no democracy, including ours, is immune to the growing threats to elections that aim to undermine trust in our democratic electoral processes. Bad actors may try to interfere with our democratic processes and our elections from anywhere in the world at any time. Despite these challenges, the Public Inquiry into Foreign Interference in Federal Electoral Processes and Democratic Institutions confirmed that our elections are safe. However, we must continue to ensure that Canada's democracy remains one of the strongest in the world and that it continues to be protected from persistent threats, regardless of the circumstances. That is why, in keeping with this long-standing tradition of continually improving the Canada Elections Act, our government is proposing priority amendments to address these threats. It is essential that we draw on the knowledge and experience of experts when proposing changes to our democratic electoral system. Through Bill C-25, our government is acting on the recommendations that were made during the public inquiry into foreign interference, as well as those that were made by the Chief Electoral Officer and the commissioner of Canada elections. Bill C-25 proposes to further strengthen and secure Canada's federal elections through several new measures. Allow me to elaborate a bit on those. As I mentioned at the outset, interference in elections can occur at any point, and it is not just in elections. Bill C-25 addresses this issue in several ways. First, it would expand the prohibitions regarding undue foreign influence, offering or accepting a bribe, misleading publications that claim to come from someone that they are not, and broadcasting outside Canada with the intent to unduly influence voters to apply at any time, not just during the election period. This protection would also be applied to nomination and leadership contests. In addition, Bill C-25 extends the extraterritorial application of certain offences to ensure that bad actors operating outside Canada can also be investigated and held accountable for their illegal acts. Bill C‑25 also proposes important new financing rules to increase transparency and prevent anonymous, foreign and covert money from entering our democratic system. This includes prohibiting the use of contributions in the form of cryptoassets and prepaid money orders for all activities conducted by political actors or for regulated activities conducted by third parties. It is important to note that under Bill C‑25, third parties will only be permitted to use contributions they have received from Canadian citizens and permanent residents to pay for regulated election expenses. However, we understand, as we have heard at the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, that not all third parties receive contributions and that some may wish to use their own revenues to cover regulated expenses. In this case, third parties whose contributions represent 10% or less of their annual funds will be able to use their own funds to finance regulated activities. These amendments will strengthen transparency regarding the source of funds and will mitigate the risk of foreign and covert funds interfering in our elections, without depriving third parties acting in good faith of the ability to exercise their right to participate in the democratic process. The next point I want to highlight this evening is how Bill C-25 tackles the problem of disinformation. Disinformation is a key tactic aimed at stoking division and eroding public trust in all of our democratic processes. Disinformation always seeks to manipulate voters through false information that is deliberately disseminated, often online. The amendments proposed in Bill C-25 would strengthen our democratic institutions through new and expanded prohibitions designed to counter this threat. More specifically, the bill would prohibit the deliberate dissemination of false information regarding an election or the electoral process with the intent to interfere with the conduct or results of an election, while respecting the principles of freedom of expression and open dialogue that are at the heart of our democracy. Another source of misinformation is the potential misuse of technology, which Bill C-25 would also be addressing. As we all know, technology has helped revolutionize democracies around the world, but it also carries several risks. For example, content generated by artificial intelligence has become increasingly difficult to distinguish from reality. When combined with disinformation, AI such as deepfakes can pose significant threats. To address this emerging issue, Bill C-25 would amend the prohibition on impersonation to cover video and audio manipulation, such as deepfakes, and extend its application to nomination and leadership candidates, who are also vulnerable to such threats. When Canadians go to the polls, they expect to see a ballot that lists the candidates who have a legitimate desire to stand for election and to represent their constituents if elected. That is a fundamental principle of our system of government. However, this is not the case in ridings targeted by those seeking to create excessively long ballots. Instead, Canadians are inundated with the names of people who have neither the desire nor the intention to ever represent the voters' interests. Not only do these long ballots pose significant accessibility issues for voters and election officials, particularly those with disabilities, but they can also delay vote counting. That is what we heard during the study on unduly long ballots conducted by the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. I am therefore pleased to note that what has been proposed in Bill C-25 is fully in line with all of the committee's legislative recommendations. I would add that this is one of the most robust and collaborative processes I have seen to date. At a time when security is a growing concern within our political system, Bill C-25 proposes new safeguards. For example, the home addresses of returning officers will no longer be made public; candidates will receive higher reimbursements for their personal security expenses; and the rules governing regulated fundraising activities will be amended. The last part of the bill I would like to highlight concerns the important mandate of the independent commissioner of Canada elections, who is responsible for ensuring the implementation and enforcement of the Canada Elections Act. Bill C-25 will strengthen the tools available to the commissioner to fulfill this mandate. In closing, Bill C-25, the strong and free elections act, would further strengthen and secure Canada's federal elections through targeted, priority amendments that were recommended by experts and would ensure that our legislative framework remains resilient in a consistently evolving threat environment. I urge my colleagues and all members of the House to support this really important bill.

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague sits on the committee with me. We have had this conversation extensively. We agree that the 10% in the bill would actually prevent foreign money from going into our elections. The reporting measures in this bill have been recommended by experts. We believe these are strong measures to make sure we can keep track of where foreign money is coming from and to make sure Canadians understand where funds are coming from that go into our elections.

Mr. Speaker, I often appreciate the questions asked by my colleague opposite. He usually seems quite reasonable. We have been staying here later than usual for the past few days. I think that a bit of fatigue is setting in. I am sure he will have other opportunities to ask rather more serious questions.

Mr. Speaker, I deeply appreciate my colleague, who is also a member of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs. She took part in a number of discussions with experts and witnesses that highlighted the importance of protecting our elections. As I mentioned earlier, we are following the recommendations of the Chief Electoral Officer and other experts. The world is changing. We know that we already have a robust system, but we have to keep putting security measures in place to protect our elections and maintain Canadians' trust in our institutions.

Mr. Speaker, I used to be a staffer here. I remember a time when we all used our time in the House to inform Canadians, not mislead them, not switch information to sound like what it is not. I really want us to get back to that place.

Mr. Speaker, obviously, Canadians are not slow. They understand that transitions are tough. They understand the kinds of situations we have been in in the last couple of years, whether they were because of COVID or the unjustified tariffs that Canadians have experienced across the board. I am curious to know what the member opposite thinks Canadians think of him and his party when they see him get excited about Canadians not doing well.

Mr. Speaker, this past weekend I joined members of our London community for the annual remembering “our London family” vigil and march, marking the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attack that took the lives of Salman, Madiha, Yumnah and Talat Afzaal because they were Muslim. I also had the privilege of spending time with members of the Afzaal family, whose courage and resilience continue to inspire all of us across our city. I would like to thank the Youth Coalition Combating Islamophobia for organizing this important commemoration and for its continued advocacy to build a more inclusive and compassionate world. I also want to thank my colleagues who joined me in London for this event. As we reflect on the legacy of the Afzaal family, let us recommit ourselves to confronting Islamophobia, rejecting hatred in all its forms and building a Canada where everyone can live safely and with dignity. The Afzaal family will never be forgotten.

Mr. Speaker, our government is focused on building a stronger Canadian economy while ensuring that Canadian businesses remain competitive. We recognize the challenges that are faced across the country by manufacturers, and we have been taking action to support our businesses and manufacturing companies across the country. Unlike the opposition, we believe that growing an economy and reducing emissions can and must go hand in hand. We will continue to work with industries, provinces and workers to ensure that Canada remains competitive, while advancing our economy and our environmental objectives as well. On that note, this afternoon we will continue to debate Bill C‑16, the protecting victims act. Tomorrow and then Tuesday of next week, we will call Bill C‑20, the build Canada homes act, at report stage and third reading. I also wish to inform the House that Monday will be the final allotted day in this financial cycle. On Wednesday, we will begin studying the Senate amendments to Bill C-14, an act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and the National Defence Act regarding bail and sentencing. On Thursday, we will begin second reading debate of Bill C‑26, which seeks to improve housing supply.

Mr. Speaker, May was Prader-Willi Syndrome Awareness Month, a time to recognize individuals and families across Canada living with the rare genetic disorder that requires lifelong medical, behavioural and social support. Last Wednesday, families from across the country gathered on Parliament Hill for FPWR Canada's first day on the Hill, raising awareness and advocating for stronger support, timely access to therapies and more inclusive policies for Canadians living with rare diseases. This cause is especially meaningful to me, because one of those remarkable children is Olivier, my very own nephew. Like so many families, ours has witnessed both the incredible resilience of individuals living with Prader-Willi syndrome and the daily challenges they face. These families are not asking for sympathy; they are asking for equity, dignity and the opportunity for loved ones to live full lives. I want to thank FPWR Canada and the families, caregivers, researchers and advocates who continue to push for progress and bring hope for rare disease communities across Canada.