Ben Carr

Mr. Speaker, this summer Canada's newest national monument, located here in Ottawa, was unveiled. It is called Thunderhead, and it pays tribute to those affected by the LGBT purge and generations of 2SLGBTQI+ Canadians who fought to be seen, heard and treated equally. I am especially proud that this national monument has deep roots in my riding of Winnipeg South Centre. It was designed by Public City Architecture, led by my constituents Liz Wreford and Peter Sampson, in collaboration with artists Shawna Dempsey and Lorri Millan and knowledge keeper Albert McLeod. Inspired by the power and energy of a thunderhead cloud, the monument is a place of remembrance, healing, resilience, joy and hope. It helps us understand where we come from and fills us with valuable lessons as we chart a path toward a more hopeful and inclusive future. I offer huge congratulations to Public City and the entire team on creating this lasting contribution to our country.

Mr. Speaker, I will be brief. The colleague across the way and I had the wonderful privilege of being classmates together at Carleton University a number of years ago and debated quite often. If I am not mistaken, I do believe the debate before us is on Bill C-10, and although I am enjoying some of the observations the member is making, I have not heard the word “treaty”, the word “commissioner” or the bill referenced in the last 10 minutes. I wonder if maybe there is a point to be made on that front.

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology, entitled “The Impact Of U.S. Tariffs on the Tool, Die, Mould and Metallurgical Manufacturing Industries in Canada”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There have been discussions amongst the parties, and if you seek it, I think you will find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion: That, notwithstanding any Standing or Special Order or usual practice of the House, with respect to the consideration of Government Business No. 13: (a) when no member rises to speak, all questions necessary to dispose of Government Business No. 13 be put forthwith and successively without further debate or amendment; (b) if a recorded division is requested, it shall not be deferred and the bells to call in the members shall be sounded for not more than 30 minutes.

Mr. Speaker, there is one thing that I do not understand. If the member opposite is suggesting that we simply need the courage to enforce the law, and the laws already exist, why is it that the blame comes on the government to enforce those laws, when in fact it would be up to law enforcement, in accordance with the way our justice system works, to do that? I wonder if he could explain that a bit.

Mr. Speaker, I might take an opportunity to just pick up on something that happened a moment ago with a question from my colleague opposite. I think it is very important that she understands the following: It is a defence. That means that a person has to be in court before they can use it. That means that a person has to have been investigated by police for having spewed hate in this country before they can have the ability to use the defence. To suggest that there would a change in anything regarding that law, that it would be amended by Bill C-9 in a way that would remove something that already exists prior to the legal proceedings in court, is simply false. I would gladly welcome a question from my colleague on this at the end of my remarks. As a Jewish Canadian, I often have the opportunity to attend events in my riding that the community is a part of, not only as their representative but also as an individual who was raised as a member of the Jewish faith. It has been made very clear to me, from members of the Jewish community, both in Winnipeg and across the country, over the course of the past number of years, that they want what Bill C-9 would accomplish to take place as a meaningful step forward for their protection in this country. All of the major Jewish advocacy groups in the country have spoken in support of the bill, whether that be B'nai Brith, CIJA, the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center or a variety of grassroots members. I know because they have put pressure on me and my colleagues in the Jewish caucus on this side of the aisle, and on Jewish leadership across the country, to take action. The question is, of course, why? Well, the reason for this is that we have seen a significant increase in hate in this country. It is not just targeted at the Jewish community, but we know that those in the Jewish community, representing less than 1% of the Canadian population, are the victims of more than three-quarters of reported religiously motivated hate crimes in this country. I am going to, in a moment, speak to the amendment that the Senate put forward vis-à-vis a particular hate symbol, but there are a couple of arguments I have heard, put forward by my colleagues in the opposition, that I just do not quite understand. I welcome the opportunity for them to perhaps add some clarity in the questions that they will be permitted to ask when I am done my remarks. One argument came from one of our colleagues during debate about an hour ago. My question was, if what the Conservatives are saying is true, that this is not needed because it is simply a matter of a lack of enforcement on the part of police across the country, then why do they hold the government accountable for police not enforcing the law? If they argue that the laws are already there, that the laws are already strong enough, and therefore there is no reason for Bill C-9, an argument I have heard many make throughout this debate, then what is it that they want the government to do? The member's answer was similar to what I have heard from others. They said it is very important for the government to show leadership. It is very important, they say, for the government to have legislation that makes it easier for the police to be able to enforce the law. Is that not exactly what Bill C-9 does? If we look at some of the other arguments that have been made, again from colleagues across the way, they will say things like Bill C-9 is not going to stop a shooting at a synagogue. It might be true that, unfortunately, the targeting of a synagogue will take place regardless of how good our laws are, but that argument is like saying that we have a law preventing murder, but people still get killed, so what is the point of having a law that prohibits murder? It does not make any sense to me. What I continue to hear from my colleagues across the way is rooted not in fact, but in fear. I cannot help but note how much fundraising my colleagues have done off of this piece of legislation in the last year. They are telling Jews, for example, that they will not be able to say they are Zionists. That is ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous. It is important for us to have healthy debates in this chamber about how our public policy and laws will impact Canadians. What is not acceptable is to use those conversations to create divides and wedges in our country for political purposes. If we look at the Senate amendment that was put forward, the subject of our debate today, it is very important to note a couple of things. The first is that members opposite, including the member for York—Durham, yesterday suggested something that I am still struggling to understand, which is that the noose in Canada is not a hate symbol. Here is something I find interesting. Two weeks ago, when a noose was put around the neck of an effigy of a Jewish leader being burned on a street in Montreal, members across the way were, rightly so, up in arms, and they should have been, but now the member for York—Durham is saying that the very symbol placed around the neck of that Jewish leader, which he and his colleagues condemned, is not, in fact, a symbol of hate worthy of being included in this legislation. Again, I do not understand. We have heard the noose described by colleagues across the way as an American problem, as though it is a relic from somebody else's history. They have said that it is wrong for the Senate to have asked for that amendment. The request to have the noose included in Bill C‑9 was brought forward by many community organizations. The Black Opportunity Fund and, from my home province, the Black-Manitobans Chamber of Commerce testified at the human rights committee at the Senate. They were supported by Black Health Alliance, a co-author of Canada's Black justice strategy, researchers at McGill University, the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations and Black-led justice organizations in Nova Scotia and from across the country. When that many credible Canadian voices are saying the same thing, it is our responsibility to listen. When we listen, we have to hear the evidence, so here it is. Between 2020 and 2021, nooses were left at construction sites across Toronto, at a hospital, at transit stations on the Crosstown line, at a tower on Bay Street and at a housing development in Regent Park. They were so frequent and so frightening that Black workers in the construction trades formed their own association in response. What does the member for York—Durham say, which was not challenged by a single member in his own party, at least that I have heard? He says this is not a Canadian problem. In Nova Scotia, two teenagers were charged after waving a noose at a Black family. In Alberta, a surgeon taped a noose to an operating room door to terrorize a Black colleague, and the conduct was found to be a serious threat. In Ontario, a 13-year-old girl found a drawing of a noose in her backpack on the first day of school. This is not some other country's history. This is today in Canada, in our own time. Those are Canadian workers, Canadian families and Canadian children, and it reaches this very institution, where these stories have been shared. In testimony before the Senate human rights committee, Senator Wanda Thomas Bernard described being harassed in her own neighbourhood, being shouted at to go back to Africa by someone with a noose hanging from the back of their truck, yet the member for York—Durham says this is not a Canadian problem. I raise this because, when a member of Canada's Parliament has had a noose brandished at her on a Canadian street, we can no longer pretend this is a foreign problem. It happens here. It is happening here, and we need to take action. I would say, with respect, to any member who calls the noose an odd inclusion, that it is critical they listen to the testimony and experiences of our colleagues in Parliament, as well as those of Canadians from across the country, who are experiencing this form of hate. I do not understand why my colleagues opposite would not support the inclusion of this clearly problematic symbol of hate as an important amendment to the bill. It is a bill that I am proud to stand here, as a member of Parliament, as a Jewish member of Parliament and as a Canadian, in support of.

Mr. Speaker, I do not, in any way, believe that their views should be discounted. I simply do not believe that their views ought to be the determining factor for how we choose to protect Canadians through public policy and legal reform. I would suggest that part of the reason people are scared is that we have members of the opposition sending out emails on a weekly basis to Jewish leaders that say they are going to be put in jail for publicly saying that they are a Zionist. It is not true. It is not about diminishing the importance of hearing feedback from leaders in this country. It is about being honest and transparent with them about what this law would actually do.

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure I heard a question, but I do appreciate the reflections shared by the member opposite, for whom I have a great deal of respect. Of course, we want to live in a society and in a world free from hate. Unfortunately, that is not the reality of the world we find ourselves in today. It is incumbent upon elected officials in this country to take actions, on behalf of those they represent, to strengthen the protections that they deserve. Bill C‑9 is a reasonable and important step in making amendments to the Criminal Code that would keep people in this country safer than they would have been prior to the passage of the bill.

Mr. Speaker, I missed the first part of my colleague's question, but I think it is an extremely important conversation. We have a problem with hate in Canadian society, and in my opinion, Bill C‑9 is an extremely important step to ensuring that we have greater protection for Canadians across the country.

Mr. Speaker, as I said a few moments ago, this is a very important moment for us here in Canada. We must take action that will truly protect children, families and communities across Canada because hate is an ongoing problem. Many members of various communities across Canada continue to face violence and intimidation. This bill is necessary to ensure better protection. I fully support passing this bill.

Madam Speaker, I am curious. The opposition has been talking a lot, understandably, as have we, about the importance of the development of the natural resource sector. The implementation agreement that we negotiated recently with the Government of Alberta is contingent upon some important factors that will ensure we find balance between that development and environmental protection. My colleague across the way talks about scrapping all of these policies that are contingent upon a pipeline being developed in partnership with the Premier of Alberta who supports it. Does he disagree with the Premier of Alberta in relation to that question?

Mr. Speaker, in life, if we are lucky, our paths will cross with those of some truly extraordinary people. My dear friend, Jeff Kovalik-Plouffe, was one of them. On May 12, we lost this incredibly kind, generous and loyal man at the age of only 43. He gave back to the community and served proudly as a key member of the University of Winnipeg Wesmen basketball team. He served admirably in senior roles supporting federal ministers here in Ottawa, one of whom was my late father, Jim Carr. Jeff was well known to many who sit in this chamber for his incredible spirit. He managed my father's campaigns, as well as mine in 2023. When my dad was diagnosed in the hospital with cancer, Jeff was there. As my dad neared his final breath, Jeff was there. Whenever I needed him, Jeff was there, notwithstanding everything that was going on in his life. Jeff faced more health challenges than anybody should ever have to endure, but he met every one of them with strength, courage and grace. He never complained. He just kept going. We will miss him dearly, and we are very grateful for the contributions that he and his family have made to this country. May his memory be a blessing.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to commend my hon. colleague from Winnipeg for bringing the bill forward. She has been a tremendous advocate, not only for this family, but for the broader community, for quite a long time now. I am pleased to see that the bill has made its way to the floor of the House of Commons. I am certainly open to supporting the bill to the committee stage. I understand that there are some questions that might have to do with jurisdiction or with privacy. Can my colleague can speak to some of the reasonable amendments she feels we might be able to make collaboratively at the committee stage in order to get the bill back to the House in tip-top shape, in order to make it the law of the land?

Mr. Speaker, I have had the privilege over the last couple of months, as chair of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology, of being part of lots of exceptional conversations with industry leaders and experts, who have given us significant guidance and insight. We had a conversation yesterday at the committee in relation to the $1.5 billion that the Minister of Industry announced yesterday. I am wondering if the parliamentary secretary can comment on the ways in which those investments are going to allow the businesses we are talking about, in reference to this challenge in the House today, deal with the significant challenges they are facing right now.

Mr. Speaker, on November 21, 1919, the iconic Golden Boy was hoisted atop the Manitoba Legislative Building, and it points north to signal the prosperity of the region. Can the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs update the House on the ways in which the federal government is allowing the region to realize that potential?

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the remarkable career of Scott Oake, a proud Winnipegger and one of Canada's most trusted voices in sports. For decades on Hockey Night in Canada, Scott brought Canadians together, not merely through highlights and interviews but also through his storytelling that captured the people behind our game. Scott has the rare ability to connect, to listen and to let others shine. He reflected the best of who we are back to the nation. Beyond broadcasting, his impact runs even deeper. Through the Bruce Oake Recovery Centre, founded in memory of his son, Scott and his late wife Anne helped transform lives and brought hope to families facing addiction. As Scott steps away from the broadcast booth, Canadians, especially Winnipeggers, thank him for a career defined by excellence, compassion and leadership. I congratulate Scott on an extraordinary career, and I thank him for everything he has given to our country. We look forward to having him back among his people in Winnipeg.

Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the people of Winnipeg South Centre. The spring economic update, much like the budget, is a wonderful exercise in the democratic process. It is not only an opportunity for the prime minister and the minister of finance to report back to Canadians and indicate the direction of the government. It is also an opportunity, through a variety of different iterations, for grassroots Canadians, constituents, to convey their needs, their wants and the opportunities that exist in our country back to the people who represent them, such as me, here in Ottawa. I try to create time every week, whether I am in Ottawa or in Winnipeg, to sit down with people I represent in order to have a conversation, whether through email correspondence, a phone call, in-person meetings or at events. It is an opportunity for them to connect with me and help me understand what they want said on their behalf on the floor of the House of Commons. My speech today will be framed around one question: What builds a strong community? For me and for many people I represent, it is about connection of people and places. More specifically, I want to talk about opportunity, belonging and stability. I am going to start with sport. I was extremely privileged and blessed, as a young person growing up in Winnipeg South Centre, to have been raised in a community filled with people who wanted to give back. I am thinking of my coaches in baseball, John Matas and Ray Ali, and my coaches in football, Jon Romu and Gerry Urbanovich, who gave so much back to my teammates and I. They taught us about the importance of teamwork, leadership and perseverance. Sport brings us together and creates a sense of belonging. Like the arts, it is a practice of expression. It is a reflection of us back to others. In addition to creating a deep sense of belonging, sport is also critically important from the perspective of both our physical and mental health. I can remember having the privilege of being the head coach of the Kelvin Clippers football team, where I had been a player in high school, and working with a number of students who came from difficult situations, whether that was conflict in the home, a lack of success in what we would have traditionally deemed as such in the confines of a classroom, or just looking for something to belong to. Sport, particularly team sport, was an avenue for them to grow, develop and be a part of something bigger than themselves and to do so in a way that contributed positively to their mental and physical health. The spring economic update's announcement of an investment of $755 million, a monumental and generational investment not only in Canadian athletes but also in participants in sport across the country, is going to be a game changer that brings about a healthier sense of belonging in our communities. I want to now turn to opportunity. I recently met with Fred Meier, who is the president of Red River College Polytech in my hometown of Winnipeg. Alongside Fred, I had the opportunity to chat with a number of members of the faculty associations. One of the things they raised is the existence, unfortunately still, of a stigma that exists in our country around the trades. There is a belief among some people that the only path to prosperity through higher education can come through traditional programming at universities. This could not be farther from the truth. Not only are the trades and skilled workers who occupy the positions within that domain working valuable jobs in terms of being able to people prosper economically and financially, but they are also critical to the growth of our country. What young people in this country need right now, vis-à-vis the trades, is opportunity. The government's growth agenda is going to help them realize that. As we build a strong Canada, we need to allow for the development of a strong workforce that will help support many of the major projects and critical infrastructure developments we are catalyzing right now. In the context of the spring economic update specifically, there were a number of measures I was very pleased to see that I think are going to make a significant difference for folks on the ground in Winnipeg, throughout Manitoba and beyond, across the country. Included in those are up to $16,000 over the course of about four years for somebody who is in training to become a skilled worker in the trades. This financial incentive is critical for folks who are trying to balance their education with the financial responsibilities they have in their life. This type of incentive is going to ensure that we retain people throughout that educational process. In addition to that, one of the things we see in this particular part of the spring economic update statement regarding the skilled trades are supports for small and medium-sized businesses to allow for apprentices to have opportunities. I was very proud a number of years ago to be the principal of the Maples Met high school. One of the things that was amazing about this school was that on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays the kids would be in class doing project-based learning, but on Tuesdays and Thursdays they would go out into the community to do internships. Often these internships would take place with the leaders of small and medium-sized businesses, who would help them understand what the pathway was toward a profession in the trades. We are going to be creating an agency government-wide that is going to help facilitate that process, whereby business owners, educational institutions and people who are wanting to join a profession are going to be able to work collaboratively to advance those opportunities. Inclusive as well of the opportunity in trades is a $5,000 incentive upon the completion of a Red Seal certification. One thing I would like us to move on is some conversations between the federal government and provincial governments in order to make sure we are aligned on helping to create that opportunity for young people. It is often as early as grades 8, 9 and 10 that people know they want to begin to explore the spaces around the skilled trades, and the more closely we can be aligned across the country to create those pathways, the stronger I believe we are going to be. I also want to talk about the importance of stability in building a strong community. In my hometown of Winnipeg, there is a significant crisis ongoing in relation to mental health, addiction and homelessness. We have announced a continuation of a $125-million investment in unsheltered homelessness and encampment initiatives. Just last week in my office here in Ottawa, I sat down with some executives from the Canadian Mental Health Association, the Manitoba chapter, who talked to me about how critically important the investments in this fund have been to providing, particularly, wraparound services. When we talk about dealing with the mental health and addictions crisis and about people who are currently unsheltered or living on the streets, we have to focus not just on creating housing but also on creating stable housing that is supported by a variety of different resources, whether that be addiction treatment options, social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists, or peers who are going through similar situations who can build strong bonds within the community to help people through these very difficult aspects of their journey. The $125 million is a significant investment, but in addition to that, it builds on top of the $5-billion health infrastructure announcement we made in the last budget. I am working very closely with my colleagues on the ground in Winnipeg and other stakeholders to make sure these funds go towards building the types of wraparound services that will comprehensively and collaboratively create the type of supports people in Winnipeg need right now. I started this speech by talking about the importance of connection between people and places. Connection to our natural environment is critical, and the last thing I will say is that I am very proud to have seen reflected in the spring economic update the insights, feedback and guidance that the people I represent in Winnipeg South Centre had given me, inclusive of input on the environment. It is investments like the $75 million in the Seal River Watershed in Northern Manitoba that speak very much to that.

Mr. Speaker, I met with police officers from the Winnipeg police union a couple of days ago in Ottawa. I can say that their view was very different, as was that of police chiefs from across the country. For example, Bill C-14, which would bring in tougher penalties for repeat offenders, particularly those who are using weapons and violence in the crimes they are committing, is being welcomed across the board in this country. In addition to that, I want to go back to a component of my speech that talked about the importance of investing in supports for mental health and addictions, and homelessness. Lots of crime is born out of poverty and out of very difficult conditions that people find themselves in, so by making investments in people through social services, we help to reduce crime rates in this country.

Mr. Speaker, we are allocating nearly $220 million for infrastructure and health care in Manitoba. What does that mean for the people of Winnipeg and Manitoba? It means that we can continue to provide the necessary services. As I just mentioned in my response to the previous question, there is a crisis happening right now on the streets of Winnipeg. These investments will make a big difference. I cannot speak to what is happening in Quebec specifically, but I can say that, in Manitoba, these investments are making a big difference for the people of my province.