Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, the second petition I would like to present today is on behalf of residents of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford who are deeply concerned about the proposed expansion of medical assistance in dying to individuals whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness. My constituents fear that expanding MAID in this way risks normalizing suicide as a response to mental illness. They believe t…
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Madam Speaker, on behalf of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford, I would like to present a petition about Bill C-9. The Liberal-Bloc amendment to Bill C-9, passed at the justice committee, would remove the good-faith religious defence clause from the Criminal Code of Canada. Bill C-9 would allow the state to prosecute people who express deeply held religious beliefs the government finds offensive. Therefor…
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Madam Speaker, the third petition I would like to present today is about GST and HST in the context of physical education, specifically dance education, which provides significant physical, mental and emotional health benefits, including improved fitness, self-confidence and resilience, contributing to the overall well-being of Canadians. The petitioning Canadians are calling on the Government of …
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Madam Speaker, the last petition I would like to present today is on behalf of citizens of Abbotsford, in honour of Darshan Sahsi, who lost his life a few months ago. These residents are calling upon the Government of Canada to reinforce the process of public reporting so Canadians can clearly see how federal, provincial and local governments are working together to prevent further increases in vi…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present petition e-6753, which was signed by 7,175 Canadians who want the GST and HST removed from massage therapy services. Registered massage therapy is recognized as a medical service by health care professionals, and registered massage therapists are licensed and regulated like other health professionals but still not exempt from GST and HST under the Excise Tax Ac…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the member opposite, the parliamentary secretary, said that the Conservatives do not talk about climate change. A government scientist said that the disaster that happened in my riding in December was related to climate change. I have been in the House for many years, beating my head against the table, asking the government for a response in order to protect the breadbasket of Briti…
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Mr. Speaker, extortion cases are exploding and it is a full-on crisis. In Surrey alone, police are responding to more than one case a day. Families and small businesses are terrified, truckers are feeling the heat and people feel abandoned by Justice Canada. After years of Liberal promises, the results speak for themselves. Crime is up and criminals walk free. Bill C-5 and Bill C-75 strip mandator…
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise on behalf of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford to table two petitions. The first is in memory of Mr. Darshan Sahsi. Daylight shootings, murders and violence underscore a broader public safety crisis in the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland. Residents are calling on the Government of Canada to reinforce the process of public reporting so Canadians can clearly see how federal, prov…
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Mr. Speaker, the second petition I present today is calling for an alternate location to a supportive housing project planned for Martens Street across from the Abbotsford Traditional School. Throughout the process, there has been a lack of transparency, public input and considerations of alternate locations, nor has a disclosure of plans been provided by BC Housing. The petitioners are calling on…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, communities across the Fraser Valley and the interior are under evacuation orders as rising waters threaten homes, farms and critical infrastructure. The border is shut, highways are closed and supply chains are disrupted. The 2021 floods taught us hard lessons, yet today we find ourselves confronting the same vulnerabilities. Our roads, dikes and drainage systems remain inadequate to…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to table a petition on behalf of residents of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford who are frightened by the ever-increasing levels of organized violence, extortion, shootings and intimidation across the Lower Mainland. Daylight shootings, murders and violence underscore a broader public safety crisis. These residents call upon the Government of Canada to reinforce the process of public …
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Mr. Speaker, nearly one in four British Columbians is food insecure and food bank usage is soaring. The Prime Minister told Canadians to judge him by grocery prices. Well, the verdict is in. Under the current Liberal government, food banks are not just for emergencies anymore. They are now an entrenched lifeline of support. When will these Liberals stop their inflationary spending and cut the hidd…
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Mr. Speaker, that member should be ashamed of outlining fiction and fantasy in respect to the challenges of British Columbians in feeding their families. The 2026 food price report says grocery prices will keep climbing to $1,000 more next year, forcing families to compromise on healthy food and to rely more on food banks. Farmers in my riding, the breadbasket of British Columbia, tell me they are…
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Mr. Speaker, the second petition I present today is on behalf of angered parents who are concerned about the actions of BC Housing and its attempt to install a safe consumption site, or drug den, across the street from the school track at Abbotsford Traditional School. Angered parents are calling upon the Government of Canada to cease all federal funding to BC Housing until it comes to its senses …
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise to present three petitions. The first is on behalf of residents in Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford regarding the gun confiscation program that will cost Canadian taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. They feel it unfairly targets law-abiding firearms owners, and the petitioners note the Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates the cost to compensate firearm owners alone wil…
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the discourse from the member from the Bloc Québécois, but unfortunately I do not think he really understands British Columbia and what British Columbians want. British Columbians are the most environmentally conscious people in the entire country. That is a statistical fact. We love our rainforests. We love our natural environment. However, the majority of British Colu…
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Madam Speaker, I am scared. I am scared for the future of my children, because the Government of Canada is not doing good enough. As the member mentioned in her remarks, we turned down three major natural resource deals, which would have lifted children out of poverty and lowered global emissions, yet the Liberals said no. When I was a staffer, the Liberals put forward the most divisive and burden…
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Madam Speaker, I think my colleague missed the amendment that we put forward to the motion today, which talks about the Conservative commitment to indigenous ownership, partnerships and benefits, and engaging with British Columbia in a trilateral discussion. There has never been a prime minister in the history of Canada who has had a more favourable social climate to build projects than the Prime …
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Mr. Speaker, third, I would like to present a petition today on extortion. Petitioners are concerned about daylight shootings, murders and violence, which underscore a broader public safety issue. The residents are calling upon the Government of Canada to reinforce the process of public reporting so Canadians can clearly see how federal, provincial and local governments are working together to pre…
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Madam Speaker, I have a few points to discuss on the MOU regarding collaboration. The MOU states that the Government of Canada is going to collaborate with British Columbia. Under Bill C-5, the government has granted itself powers to exempt the federal government from following other existing legislation. How is the Minister of Natural Resources going to square that with the anti-energy, anti-priv…
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Madam Speaker, forgive my cynicism today, but my riding of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford is one of the most trade-exposed regions in all of Canada. We are the breadbasket of British Columbia. We have one of the most diverse economies. Four years ago, we suffered the most disastrous natural disaster caused by climate change in the history of Canada. Where has the Government of Canada been on securing …
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Mr. Speaker, the second petition I would like to present is on behalf angered parents who are again calling upon the Government of Canada to enforce its agreement with British Columbia and not allow for a safe consumption site across the street from a school track. Parents are calling for the Government of Canada to cease all funding to BC Housing until it comes to its senses and finds a more suit…
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Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I believe it is under the Standing Orders. This is a misrepresentation of the way Conservatives feel about Canadians. We do not, in fact, believe Canadians are stupid—
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Madam Speaker, I rise, again, on behalf of angered parents who are concerned about the horrible actions of BC Housing, which is proposing a safe consumption site across from the high school track at Abbotsford Traditional School. The petitioners are calling upon the Government of Canada to enforce its agreement with the Province of British Columbia, which does not allow for hard drugs to be done i…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I rise today to address Bill C-241, which proposes the creation of a national strategy for flood and drought forecasting. While the intent to improve coordination and data sharing is commendable, the bill risks becoming yet another Ottawa-driven exercise in paperwork rather than delivering real solutions. Canadians have seen first-hand the devastation of floods and droughts, from Ab…
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Mr. Speaker, I do not even think $350 million would address the pump issues we are facing on Sumas Prairie. The former prime minister, Mr. Trudeau, made a promise to the people of Abbotsford, and to all regions of British Columbia that suffered the most catastrophic floods four years ago, that the government would have their backs. Yes, we did receive $5 billion in the 2021 fall economic statement…
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Mr. Speaker, with respect to carbon capture and storage, it is one tool among many that can improve Canada's competitiveness in the oil and gas sector. I visited some of the leading technology firms that we have in British Columbia working on this important issue. That said, the primary point of my speech was that this budget missed the key points needed to address the structural reforms in Canada…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, what is the consequence of a weak immigration system? It is extortion. What is the consequence of a government that believes that the perpetrators of crime are in fact the victims? It is extortion. What is the consequence of loosening bail conditions and reducing sentencing for violent crimes? It is extortion. We have an extortion problem in Canada because we have a Liberal governme…
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Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to have previously represented many of the regions this member now represents in the Fraser Canyon. Indeed, in 2021, the federal government promised billions of dollars to help rebuild British Columbia. The government talked about the impacts of climate change. We have seen them more specifically than any other region of Canada. Why does the government not believe in cli…
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today on behalf of the great people of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford. I come from a very entrepreneurial riding. Right now in Canada, small businesses are under real pressure: rising costs, persistent inflation and complex regulations. Across Canada, 30.5% of small business firms with fewer than 20 employees reported lower revenues last year and over 20% worry abo…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, Conservatives have been very clear in the House that we are generally in support of many of the measures in Bill C-12 and Bill C-14. In respect of Bill C-2 and the Liberal government now tying it to extortion, the reality is that we are in a minority Parliament and the Liberals never work with us. They never addressed some of the charter challenges that will inevitably come from tha…
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Mr. Speaker, there is a correlation between government regulations that limit resource development and extraction in Canada and the number of small businesses. If we ignore the portion of our economy that actually generates wealth and creates income for Canadians, we are going to see a precipitous decline in the number of small businesses. In the Fraser Valley, the heartland of agricultural produc…
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise on behalf of angry parents with children at Abbotsford Traditional School, who are concerned about BC Housing's policy to establish a “safe” consumption site across from the school track. Parents want to protect the innocence of their children. Hard drugs have no business being close to high schools, and parents are demanding that all funding to BC Housing from the federa…
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Mr. Speaker, Family Services of Greater Vancouver reports record demand for Christmas food hampers and food banks in general. They outline that families working full time, even those in higher income tax brackets, cannot afford the basics. For nine straight months, grocery prices across Canada have risen faster than inflation, yet the government keeps piling on costs, driving food prices even high…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise again on behalf of the concerned parents who send their kids to Abbotsford Traditional School. They are rightly concerned about the increase in drug use, and they are rightly concerned about the proposed safe consumption site across the street from the school track. Parents are calling on the federal government to respect the special agreement with British Columbia and not allo…
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Mr. Speaker, every dollar the Liberal government spends comes out of the pockets of Canadians in the form of higher taxes and inflation. The Prime Minister tells young Canadians to sacrifice, yet Liberal insiders are thriving. Case in point: as Canadians give up on home ownership, the government handed out over $30 million in bonuses to 99% of housing agency executives, averaging $43,000 per bonus…
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Mr. Speaker, there are a few things I would like to point out with respect to the parliamentary secretary's speech. First off, the approach of the government creates an ethical dilemma when citizenship is passed on to the grandchildren of naturalized citizens. There will come a time when Canada has to use its conscription laws. How will a Canadian living in another country be treated versus a Cana…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to speak about Abbotsford, where last week there were three shootings in three days. It is devastating to have another member of our community, Mr. Darshan Sasi, killed. I want to thank the Abbotsford Police Department and our first responders for their quick action, but this should not be the norm. The pressures they face to protect our crime-ridden co…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it is Small Business Week, and I want to take a moment to recognize the incredible role small businesses play in our communities and across the country. These entrepreneurs are the driving force behind innovation, job creation and local economic growth. Small business owners are feeling the pressure, though, from rising costs, excessive red tape, unfair taxes, crime and ongoing econom…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of small businesses, including convenience stores, asking to remove restrictions on the sale of nicotine pouches. Many adult Canadians make use of nicotine pouches to help them quit other tobacco products by relieving cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Only allowing pharmacies to sell the product from behind a counter takes away the freedom …
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Mr. Speaker, I represent one of the most trade-exposed regions in Canada, and Canadian manufacturers are being crushed by the industrial carbon tax and rising inflation. From steel, aerospace and auto parts to food processing, every step in the supply chain is costing more. Manufacturers cannot compete when the cost of everything keeps rising and businesses are burdened with more and more red tape…
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Mr. Speaker, if the industry minister had to be burdened with the paperwork and bills small businesses are facing today, she would act differently in this House. Take the food and beverage industry, for example. It runs on razor-thin margins, and after 10 years of Liberal deficits, food inflation continues to rise, to 4% this year. That is forcing restaurants to charge more and make less. Is the g…
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Madam Speaker, what has become clear during our debate on Bill C-12 over the last number of days is that the measures in this bill respond to long-standing grievances outlined by the Conservatives, mainly on immigration and the open-door policies that Canada suffered under Justin Trudeau. With some of the provisions in this bill, we hope to see some improvements in public confidence about immigrat…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Scarborough—Woburn for his genuinely nice comments about my comportment in the House of Commons. I will note and re-emphasize that, in this Parliament, Conservatives have heard what Canadians had to say, and we are working to improve the lives of all Canadians. We ran on a platform that included strong taxation measures. We ran on a platform to imp…
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Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise today on Bill C-12. Bill C-12 touches upon immigration and border security, issues that matter deeply to the great people of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford. The bill is actually a direct result of Conservative leadership, our commitment to holding the government accountable and our pushing back against some of the divisiveness we saw in Bill C-2. Let us not forget…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member for Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola on his incredible work and his adopting some of the greatest parts of Canada into his new riding, especially the Fraser Canyon. The member has been working incredibly hard, and he was leading the charge in many respects on getting to Bill C-12. Why did we need to get to Bill C-12? Bill C-2 included provisions that wo…
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Mr. Speaker, I think the member from the Bloc Québécois raises a very valid point on asylum seekers. Many Liberals were celebrating 10 years of Justin Trudeau the other day. One of the worst legacies of Justin Trudeau was his policies on the border. Justin Trudeau said to the world, “Hey, come to Canada.” Frankly, we had a de facto open border policy under his reign. It destroyed public trust in i…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like the Bloc Québécois member to clarify his party's stand on part 7(a) of the bill's summary, which reads as follows: ...authorize the Governor in Council to make an order specifying that certain applications made under that Act are not to be accepted for processing, or that the processing of those applications is to be suspended or terminated, when the Governor in Council i…
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Mr. Speaker, businesses across British Columbia, mainly in Surrey and Abbotsford, are sick and tired of the catch-and-release policies of the Liberal government. The petitioners are calling for immediate action to address the extortion and catch-and-release policies that have hurt their businesses, hurt their way of life and hurt their profit line unnecessarily.
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