Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the member reminds us that when I was finance minister, we bailed out and supported the auto industry in Windsor. If it were not for Ontario's participation, against the wishes of the Conservatives, they would have faltered. We stood by the Canadian auto workers, we stood by the industry and we safeguarded those jobs and those companies. We will continue to do so. Foreign direct inves…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to discuss the future of Canada's automotive industry and how the government is working to protect the industry and Canadian workers. Canada's automotive sector has long been and remains a cornerstone of our economy. It has defined communities, strengthened our middle class and anchored Canada as a trusted partner in global manufacturing, while supporting hundreds of thou…
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Mr. Speaker, I agree that every sector of our economy from coast to coast to coast matters. Canada united and supporting every industry throughout the country is important, which includes, of course, those very same companies in Quebec. When the auto sector took a dive in 2008, the Ontario government and the federal government at the time stepped in to provide that support. Had it not been for tha…
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Mr. Speaker, it is important that Canada stays at the forefront of industry and innovation. It is important that we continue to attract investment because we are trusted partners. It is important that we look at the auto sector in a broader scope. It is important that we look to the future of auto. We do not pick winners and losers. They are picking losers. We need to ensure that those competitors…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on National Defence in relation to Bill C-11, an act to amend the National Defence Act and other acts. The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with amendments.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it is with heavy hearts that we mourn the passing of Miguel Domingos. A cherished leader and musician, he was a pillar of the Portuguese community. Miguel was a maestro of his beloved Banda do Sagrado Coração de Jesus of Toronto for decades and the conductor of the Banda do Senhor Santo Cristo. In their words, he stood at the helm of these marching bands, guiding their musicians with …
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Mr. Speaker, I am very fortunate to live in a community that comes together to support those most in need. For the 17th year in a row, I am proud to partner with 'Twas the Bite Before Christmas and my annual holiday turkey drive. Over these years, working together, we have raised more than $1.2 million to support food banks in Mississauga. We are once again raising money to provide turkey dinners …
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Mr. Speaker, it is important to recognize that there are two ways to stimulate economic growth in this country. One way is monetary policy, which the opposition has determined should not even exist. We need to have an independent and arm's-length overview of monetary policy to control inflation, and it has happened. Canadians had to endure some suffering, but the world suffers still to this day. T…
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Mr. Speaker, we recognize it very well. My colleague, the former minister of finance for Quebec, and I delivered around 11 budgets between us. One thing we did that is similar to what is in this budget was ensure that we distinguished between borrowing for operating and borrowing to make investments and increase our prosperity. We delved very precisely into infrastructure spending programs, which …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Marc-Aurèle-Fortin for sharing his time. I am proud to rise today in support of budget 2025. The budget would address the global challenges Canada is facing and seize the opportunity to reshape our economy and our nation’s future. I want to thank the many residents of Mississauga—Lakeshore who have spoken to me directly at town halls and constituency meetings to…
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Mr. Speaker, the question is about debt and deficits. I understand them fully. I delivered six budgets in the past. I recognized, after the 2008 financial crisis, that we were at the lowest we could be across Canada, not just in Ontario. We invested in infrastructure to stimulate economic growth and we tackled the situation by growing and stimulating the economy. Debt is a function of wealth. We c…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Davenport. It is both a privilege and a responsibility to rise in the House today to discuss a matter that affects not only the Canadian Armed Forces, but the very fabric of our democracy: Bill C-11, the military justice system modernization act. As chair of the national defence committee, I am acutely aware of the critical work being done…
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Mr. Speaker, I wish to reflect on the very nature of why this bill is important. As noted, there have been expert independent recommendations made by two justices recognizing its importance. One of the major priorities is the civilian enablement of the justice system to have more independence and protection for our armed forces and the individuals involved. All of us agree with that. I believe the…
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Mr. Speaker, having visited Latvia and Estonia, having gone to our bases in the U.K. and having been recently in Petawawa during military exercises, I was able to meet and talk first-hand with some of the soldiers and men and women on the front lines. Believe me, the soldiers, officers and leaders want discipline, but they want fairness and transparency and for their troops to be cared for. They r…
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Mr. Speaker, a lot of filibustering was happening in the previous session, a lot of delays, a lot of activity that obstructed government from doing its job. The member opposite is now talking about some partisan issues, recognizing full well that he himself wanted an election, and he lost because people supported the Liberal Party going forward and they are supporting our actions to support our mi…
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Mr. Speaker, that is a very important question. I do not understand why you seem apprehensive. There is no more time to waste. Let us support Bill C-11 now.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting. The Charter of Rights protects the very individual asking that question. The judicial system is there to protect individuals. If someone is a criminal, and they have committed a violent crime, they have to face the consequences by law, but the right is there to protect the victims too. We will always fight to have a fair judicial system and to ensure that criminals …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it was important that the leader of the Liberal Party, as all of us did during the election, recognized some of the concerns that our constituents have with crime, but make no mistake that they had concerns with crime for many years prior, even during the time the Conservatives were in power. Our leader took the time and had the consideration to listen, make commitments and put forwar…
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Absolutely, I do. Mr. Speaker, I take offence to the very nature of that notion. The fact that individuals are suggesting any member of this Parliament would prefer not to put a criminal in jail is offensive in its own right. There are laws that are in place. There are laws that have been in place all along. We have to enforce the law. These changes were not the result of partisan initiatives. The…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, that is another great question. We need a coordinated effort. We need to ensure that the federal government and provincial jurisdictions, which act on the law and are supposed to enforce laws, deal with matters like court delays, the collection of bail data, the funding and resources necessary, and even the justice platform by the BQ. We will continue to work in collaboration with the…
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Mr. Speaker, there we go. The member opposite is making a personal attack over the fact that I balanced the books in Ontario, which did not happen under the Conservatives in the last go-around. We will continue to fight for Canadians. We will continue to fight for public safety. I will not be addressing rhetoric like that. It only causes concern and enables the heightening of people's hate, which …
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Mr. Speaker, I am a proud representative of Mississauga—Lakeshore, and I will be sharing my time with the member for Calgary Signal Hill. As I rise to debate the opposition motion before us, I want to talk particularly about its narrative and the appropriate steps moving forward. My community, like many communities, is concerned. We have a number of town halls. We have talk groups. We have ongoing…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following two reports of the Standing Committee on National Defence. The first report is entitled “Gaps to Fill: Housing and Other Needed Supports for Canadian Armed Forces Members and Their Families”, and the second report is entitled “Rebuilding Trust: Transparency and Accountability in the Department of National Defence …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, Peel police announced the outcome of project outsource, an 11-month project that has led to multiple arrests connected with extortions, shootings and fraud. This affects my community and others. Can the Secretary of State for Combatting Crime speak to the actions the government is taking to crack down on organized crime, protect our streets and keep Canadians safe?
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, it is essential that partnerships exist in anything we go forward with, on the economic front and on the social front. Those partnerships with industry, with other levels of government and with indigenous communities are essential, because that co-operation is what enables us to succeed. We were able to do some of that, some of those nation-building exercises. More importantly, there …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question. It is essential to invest in infrastructure, be it infrastructure in Via Rail or in high-speed rail throughout the corridor that is being proposed, through Windsor all the way to Quebec City, to ensure that we foster ways to be competitive. I think what we are highlighting is also the fact that the way it stands now is ineffective and is not sustai…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. We are trying to ensure that we balance the operating budget. We have done that. I did that for six budgets during my time when I was the minister of finance for the Province of Ontario. We balanced the books. We took advantage of low-cost interest to invest in infrastructure projects. We incited foreign direct investment and partnerships with the private sector, to e…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, first, I wish to express my sincere gratitude to the people of Mississauga—Lakeshore for entrusting me with the honour of representing them here in Parliament. My wife, Zenny, and I are very grateful for their trust. Our community reflects the best of Canada: diverse, innovative, hard-working and compassionate. I am proud to be the voice of our community members in this chamber, and I…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, Conservatives pretend that they want to lower taxes, but when push comes to shove, they vote against it. Starting December 14, many items would be tax-free, and Canadians would be able to keep more of their money in their pockets, but not if the grinch in the Conservative bench has his way. Today, with Christmas around the corner, many people are looking forward to the spirit of givin…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada has the largest coastline in the world, and protecting that coastline is critical. Unlike what has happened with the Conservatives in the past, where they cut supports for our army and navy and supports for our servicemen on the front lines, we are increasing them. At the same time, we are looking at replacing the Victoria-class submarine, which is scheduled to depart in 2030. …
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Mr. Speaker, what is clear is the company in question was not listed as an indigenous company. What is clear is that the company never received a contract as an indigenous company. We have taken many steps going forward to provide for modernization of procurement, transparency and openness. We are working toward supporting Canadians and supporting the indigenous community that require our support,…
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Madam Speaker, let us be clear: It is completely unacceptable that there are any fraudulent billings. It is completely unacceptable for anyone in the public to try to abuse the system of working with government. That is why we have taken the necessary steps to protect Canadians and taxpayers by putting proper processes in place. We will continue to fight, and we will always support Canadians and s…
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the concerns that we all have about ensuring that we can maintain transparency and have adequate procurement processes in place, which we do. We have initiated a number of practices and have worked closely with the Auditor General and the procurement officer to ensure that all of the processes are adhered to. I recognize that the member opposite is always looking for cl…
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Madam Speaker, let me reiterate. The company in question never received a contract as an indigenous business. The company was never on the indigenous business directory. We continue to work very closely with indigenous partners to ensure their success. We will do so even without the Conservatives, who are blocking and obstructing the very necessity of working closely with indigenous people so they…
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Madam Speaker, the company in question has never received contracts as an indigenous business and has never been listed on the indigenous business directory. However, unlike the Conservatives, we will continue to work and partner with indigenous people so they have economic reconciliation.
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Mr. Speaker, we are making every effort to ensure that indigenous people are properly associated with the contracts that are procured. That is why we have established the very motion that is going forward. Members opposite want to criticize and be critical of the program, but it is essential to ensure that indigenous people have the ability to gain economic success and integration so that they too…
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Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is referring to an article that came out today, and I can assure everyone in the House and those watching that the article confirms that the company in question has never received any contracts as an indigenous business and has never been listed on the Indigenous Business Directory. Our focus is on building up indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs through procure…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the article makes it very clear that the association being referenced here did not get a contract. It was not listed on the indigenous list, and we take the appropriate steps in a procurement to ensure that does not happen.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the Translation Bureau, or the bureau, is continuing to meet its clients on a regular basis to review priorities, discuss processes and optimize resource allocation. It is also continuing with its efforts to foster the next generation of interpreters and enhance its interpretation capacity. These efforts enabled the bureau to cover all interpreted events for cabinet and cabinet commit…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, again, I appreciate the member's reinforcing the need for all of us, on all sides of the House, to take great care in the use of taxpayer monies for the purposes of providing services to Canadians. McKinsey is one of many contractors that are being applied and used, and it has been for many years. It is not the largest, by far; it is actually one of the smallest ones. Notwithstanding,…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the government indeed takes its responsibility as the steward of public funds very seriously. We are committed to making sure that government spending stands up to the highest levels of scrutiny. We have said many times already that we welcome and accept the findings and recommendations of the Auditor General and others with regard to their most recent report on procurement and profes…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, last week, the RCMP revealed that agents of the Indian government committed serious crimes on Canadian soil, including murder, extortion and foreign interference in our democratic process. At a time when the members of the House should be united against these appalling crimes, the Conservative leader's decision to prioritize his campaign over national security sends a message to Canad…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, with regard to Canada Post's climate action targets, Canada Post is a Crown Corporation that operates at arm’s length from the Government and has the mandate to be financially self-sustaining in a highly competitive sector that includes global companies like Amazon, FedEx and UPS. Canada Post has a unique and long-standing mandate that requires the national postal service to be funded…
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Mr. Speaker, with respect to part (a) of the question, to date, $79,465,823.04, including taxes, has been spent on the new system. With respect to part (b), seven vendors submitted bids to participate in the invitation to qualify process that closed in October 2018, including Canada Workday ULC, Ceridian Canada Ltd. (Dayforce), Freebalance Inc., Infor (Canada) Ltd, Oracle, Saba Software Inc., and …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, as the Canadian Surface Combatant project, the CSC project, is currently in definition phase, the design of ships is not finalized and, consequently, construction has not commenced. As such, Public Services and Procurement Canada, PSPC, is not yet able to provide the percentage of all materials and equipment planned to be of Canadian manufacturing and origin. The selection of equipmen…
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), Public Services and Procurement Canada, or PSPC, compensation officers tested the mPersona tool as part of their assigned duties to determine whether it could speed up payroll processing. PSPC employees received their regular salaries during the testing, and did not receive additional payments. With regard to (b), the source code for the mPersona application is ope…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the work done by the Auditor General. We thank her for her recommendations. We are all concerned about ensuring that there be transparency, accountability and integrity in all the work we do. There have been recommendations made by the Auditor General, the ombudsman and a number of others that reinforce concerns the government shares, which is why this review was initiate…
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Madam Speaker, it is an important program to provide for consumers and those most in need to provide affordability, something the Conservative government feels is not necessary to do, and that is very unfortunate.
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Madam Speaker, the member opposite does bring forward something very interesting. Canada and the province of Ontario, as an example, were part of the Western Climate Initiative throughout California and Quebec, along with other provinces and other states in the United States, to provide for industry-wide industrial pricing on carbon. It exempted that province, as well as Quebec, from the backstop,…
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Madam Speaker, now we are talking about trade on a broad scale. We are talking about international trade. That is an important question because agri-food processing is an essential trade element for Canada, as is our trade in all of the mineral deposits and every other aspect. It is important to provide value-added trade for Canada in the processing sector. Therefore, we are looking at ways to pro…
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