Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I do not believe, after we have taken a vote on a matter, that it is appropriate for a member to refer to the comings and goings of the Prime Minister.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, with respect to the question from the member for Winnipeg North, there would have been a federal licensing body. Let us turn to page 2 of the Liberal platform, which states, “Unleash free trade in Canada by Canada Day by tabling legislation to eliminate all federal barriers”. We are not getting that. The platform continues, “Achieve mutual recognition of credentials with provinces a…
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Mr. Speaker, during the election, the Prime Minister made many references to the legislation before the House today. The expectation in British Columbia is that after this bill is passed, British Columbian farmers will be able to sell their wine in every other province and territory in Canada. Can the leader of the House for the government state clearly today whether all trade barriers for the dis…
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Madam Speaker, in the Fraser Canyon and Fraser Valley region, we are seeing a huge number of first nations entrepreneurs who want to build projects on their traditional lands. They want to bring economic prosperity to their people, and they are pushing ahead faster than the Government of Canada is able to move with more projects. First nations want to see barriers eliminated for that work. They wa…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the member for Winnipeg North has not. Frankly, in his riding, the Filipinos are very upset with him because he made that promise, and he cannot deliver on it. Conservatives proposed a blue seal program that would allow health care workers to transfer their skills easily across provinces and the establishment of a national competency body, similar to the Red Seal programs for trade. B…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, there were multiple questions and points made by the member, and I congratulate him on his entry into the House of Commons. I will note that I am supporting this bill because I believe there is an urgency. I just believe that the Prime Minister's Office is going too far and is lacking transparency in its approach to the second part of the bill before us today. If the member would li…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the second petition is on behalf of Seabird Island First Nation. On June 23, 2022, Bill C-28 received royal assent, which allowed for extreme intoxication to be used as a defence for violent crimes such as sexual assault, where a reasonable person would not have foreseen the risk of a violent loss of control. Residents are very concerned about this provision in the Criminal Code and a…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, today I table two petitions on behalf of voters in Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford. The first is in respect to the prison needle exchange program. Drugs and drug paraphernalia are considered contraband in prison, yet the Liberal government is forcing our correctional officers to simply turn a blind eye and allow dangerous drugs to be used inside our prisons. These correctional officers are…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, while I have spoken many times in committee of the whole, while presenting petitions and when asking questions during question period, so far in this parliamentary session, I have not participated in Government Orders. To that end, I would like to thank the voters in Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford for giving me an overwhelming majority to represent them in the people's House of Commons in…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member for Kapiskasing—Timmins—Mushkegowuk on his first speech in the House of Commons. He mentioned that he had worked in the forestry sector. What measures could we take to support the forestry sector in Canada through Bill C-5 or other initiatives here in the House of Commons?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, while I appreciate the sentiment of the member from Mississauga, I am worried about the details in the legislation before us today. Can the member confirm if the breakdown of interprovincial trade barriers will allow B.C. wine producers to sell their goods, without any federal rules in place, to any other province or territory? Second, why has forestry been excluded from projects of n…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, small businesses fought for five years to receive the carbon tax rebate. Now that the money has been disbursed to small businesses across Canada, they are seeking clarification as to whether or not the Canada Revenue Agency will treat it as a taxable benefit. Can the Government of Canada clarify this today? Yes or no, are carbon tax rebates taxable?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, will the ferries from China be subject to tariffs like Chinese EV tariffs put in place by the government?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of British Columbians who are facing repeated closures of hospital emergency rooms. In my riding, some of those closures took place during the Chilcotin landslides, on the hottest day in 2024 and on many days since. While hospital closures are regularly blamed on staffing shortages, delays in recognition of foreign-trained health care worke…
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Mr. Chair, does the minister acknowledge that CN Rail, CP Rail, an international airport, Southern Railway, a border crossing and Highway 1 are all present in Abbotsford and are critical to Canada's natural interests and the operation of our supply chains?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, is the minister aware that Abbotsford was impacted by floods in 2021, one of the most costly disasters in the history of Canada? Is the minister aware that in the fall economic statement of the previous Parliament, over $5 billion was allocated to disaster recovery efforts in the province of British Columbia?
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Mr. Chair, would the minister agree that Abbotsford should be aided by the federal government to rebuild its infrastructure to account for natural disasters and climate change?
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Mr. Chair, does the Government of Canada condemn BC Ferries' decision to purchase ferries from a state-owned enterprise in Communist China?
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Mr. Chair, does the minister agree that the federal government has a responsibility in aiding communities that have suffered from a natural disaster and need additional infrastructure funding?
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Mr. Chair, can the minister please outline to the House which government program Abbotsford should apply to to receive its portion of the main estimates being debated here tonight?
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Mr. Chair, will the Government of Canada continue its $30-million subsidy of BC Ferries?
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Mr. Chair, table 176 of the main estimates outlines $2.4 billion in transfer payments to the Department of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities. What portion will be allotted to British Columbia?
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Mr. Chair, in table 176, $440 million is allocated to the disaster mitigation and adaptation fund. How much will British Columbia receive?
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Mr. Chair, does the minister agree that Abbotsford plays a critical role in B.C.'s food security?
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Mr. Chair, what portion of the $16 million of the supporting climate resilient infrastructure initiative will British Columbia receive?
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Mr. Chair, the Liberal Party's platform promised additional funding for disaster mitigation and recovery. What is the total, and how much will B.C. receive?
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Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member for Spadina—Harbourfront on her first remarks in this House of Commons. We share one thing in common: We are both former parliamentary interns. I welcome her to the House of Commons. I would encourage her to use her voice in this chamber. The Liberal Party has a tradition of allowing the member for Winnipeg North to disproportionately take up all the time. Th…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, Conservatives are calling on the Prime Minister to table a budget as soon as possible. The Prime Minister platformed on making groceries more affordable for Canadians, yet they will spend $800 more on food this year. Food prices continue to rise, and I am referring only to essentials, such as beef, chicken, apples, white rice and infant formula. The Prime Minister's first spending bil…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, petitioners in my riding of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford are concerned on behalf of small businesses, including convenience stores, and ask the government to remove the restrictions on the sale of nicotine pouches. Many adult Canadians make use of nicotine pouches to help them quit tobacco-smoking by relieving cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Only allowing pharmacies to sell the produc…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, small businesses are struggling with the complexity and obscurity of the customs notice. For a government program that was designed to help businesses, the CBSA is causing turmoil, costing time and money for many in manufacturing and its supply chains. On May 20, the department quietly issued an updated notice on its interpretation of the scope, narrowing the order. Why, in this time …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, to the member for Victoria, congratulations on your first speech in the House of Commons. As a fellow British Columbian—
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, through you, I congratulate the member for Victoria. As the member knows, my riding of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford suffered one of the most devastating natural disasters in the history of Canada. Our major roadways were washed out. Sumas Prairie, the breadbasket of British Columbia, was flooded. It was turmoil. Since that natural disaster, the federal government has not come forward wi…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member for Prescott—Russell—Cumberland on her maiden speech in the House of Commons. During the election, there was much consensus on the fact that Canada needs to build. We need to build energy infrastructure. We need to build more homes. We need to do a lot more than we have seen in the last 10 years. However, the Liberal candidate in my riding spoke about Liberal…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I thank the good people of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford for re-electing me to the House. Today, I present a petition on behalf of constituents in my riding who are concerned about the transition from military to civilian life. The petitioners are calling upon the Government of Canada to drastically reduce red tape for our veterans and to improve the process of going from military life t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I am presenting three petitions today. The first one is on the prison needle exchange program. Constituents in Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon are against the government's providing needles so inmates can do illegal drugs. That is not safe and it is not good for correctional officers. It is not good for inmates. Petitioners are calling for that government policy to end.
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Mr. Speaker, the second petition is on natural health products. Petitioners in Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon are calling upon the Government of Canada to reverse its attack on natural health products, which will decimate small businesses and a billion-dollar industry in Canada. Again, it is a policy that will hurt workers and businesses alike.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in the third petition, petitioners are calling for further support for the Lets'emot Regional Recreation & Aquatic Centre, which brings together indigenous communities and the District of Kent to provide adequate recreational facilities in the District of Kent.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, the NDP-Liberal government has passed a number of bills that have led to more violence against women. How can the member support measures that have measurably decreased the quality of life of women and their safety in Canada since they signed their confidence and supply agreement with the Liberal government?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the exceptional roles and responsibilities Canada's military members undertake while in service can lead to physical and mental health difficulties. Adjusting to civilian life can be challenging for many of our military veterans, and this adjustment can impact their physical and mental health. The process for veterans and their family members to obtain Veterans Affairs Canada benefits…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, I asked the Minister of Housing if he would join Conservatives in axing the federal GST on housing so more Canadians could finally buy a home. Axing the federal GST would spark 30,000 new developments across the country per year. This tax cut would save $40,000, or $2,200 a year in mortgage payments on an $800,000 house. Unfortunately, the Minister of Housing refuses …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, first, with respect to the concurrence report that we are debating today, will the member for Winnipeg North please apologize to all Canadians of indigenous ancestry for the horrible actions of the former cabinet minister, the member for Edmonton Centre? Second, will the member apologize to all the women he has silenced in the House of Commons by taking up all the time in Government…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I think the member for London North Centre and I can agree on one thing: Zoning reform is indeed needed across Canada. It was under the previous election platform from the Conservative Party that zoning measures were introduced as a means to spur more development. The Liberals in fact copied our plan. The premier of British Columbia implemented similar policies and actually targeted m…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, today the Auditor General released a bombshell report on the Canada emergency business account. It highlights serious inefficiencies, a lack of government oversight and $3.5 billion in losses to ineligible recipients. How did we get here? The report outlined that the third party program administrator, Accenture, set its own pricing, wrote its own contracts, ran procurement and receive…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, because the NDP-Liberals are trying to fool Canadians with this tax trick, small business owners are forced to reprogram their point-of-sales machines and to find the time and money to pay for these changes. They are very much scrambling to do so. It is a shame that the minister did not care to think about the impact this change would have on the small business owners the government…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, because the NDP-Liberals are trying to fool Canadians with a two-month tax trick, small businesses are being forced, and are scrambling, to reprogram their point-of-sale machines and to find the time and money to pay for these changes. It is a shame the Minister of Small Business knew and did not care that this tax trick would hurt the very businesses she purports to help. We all know…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, the NDP members are a bunch of sellouts. Despite the leader of the NDP's media stunt where he ripped up the coalition deal and said, “the Liberals are too weak, too selfish and too beholden to corporate interests to fight for people,” he continues to prop up the Prime Minister and his failed caucus. The leader of the NDP voted for the carbon tax over 24 times, pushing Canadians to foo…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the carbon tax revenues collected from small businesses since 2019 and the over $2.5 billion in fuel charge rebates owed to small businesses: (a) what is the average processing time for the Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses as announced in budget 2024; (b) when can businesses who filed their 2023 taxes before the deadline of July 15, 2024, expect their rebate; and (c) how ma…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I understand that in every Liberal budget, there seems to be a line item for every issue facing our country. However, the Liberal approach fails to address the broader economic conditions that government programs, on a one-off basis, cannot address. We need a government right now that is going to address the overall productivity of the Canadian economy and the overall state of our eco…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in October, I asked the Minister of Industry and the Minister of Small Business why it was okay for Liberals to enrich their friends through Sustainable Development Technology Canada while small businesses are struggling. SDTC was established in 2001 and it operated with few issues under both previous Liberal and Conservative governments until the Prime Minister took office. Earlier t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after nine years of NDP-Liberals, they are simply not worth the cost of housing. There are encampments all over the city of Abbotsford, including the beloved cenotaph. Young people are feeling hopeless, knowing even with a good salary, they will not be able to afford a new house. Conservatives understand that and that is why we have proposed a federal GST cut on new homes, a tax cut t…
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