Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was crystal clear in this place when he told the people of Princeton, British Columbia, that he had their backs and would be there for them as they rebuilt from flooding. The community needs $2 million as soon as possible to rebuild, or their property taxes will have to go up by 70%. Can the Prime Minister tell the people of Princeton when they will receive the fede…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has made a commitment in this place. This is also a Prime Minister whose government gave Loblaws, a billion-dollar grocery chain, $12 million to buy new refrigerators. The people of Princeton just want to receive today the $2 million they were promised by the Prime Minister to rebuild their community. Can the Prime Minister answer why they are waiting when others ar…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour to rise in this place, particularly after such a great member. What a speech, and I congratulate him on it. I believe few would dispute that we live in highly unusual times. Indeed, we are charting a path through a pandemic without a playbook. This is not the fault of the government. Every government in the world is in the same situation. We all know different g…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for her question and for the work she does on the environment committee with me and other members. I certainly always appreciate her interventions. Let me start by saying that anyone who evades their taxes, anyone who tries to work outside the system, should be brought in to pay their fair share. On the flip side, I do believe the Government of Canada, and w…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my fellow member from British Columbia and say that she has done more than her fair share to bring up the lack of action on housing, particularly in her riding, and the lack of federal monies, which the government continues to say are coming. When it comes to financialization, I do have some concerns about how our economy under the government is going. The finance comm…
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Mr. Speaker, inflation is at a 30-year high, paycheques are getting smaller due to increased CPP rates and household debt is at a record high. I asked the Prime Minister what would happen if interest rates go up and people cannot afford their payments anymore. Does he have a plan or does he just have more empty words disconnected from Canadians' realities?
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Mr. Speaker, the slower the finance minister responds to questions of real concern does not make the matters any less urgent. To the federal government, our payments on debt servicing alone are growing faster than our health care transfers. If interest rates go up when affordability has never been worse, what would happen? The Prime Minister and finance minister believe that budgets balance themse…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to delayed federally funded infrastructure projects in British Columbia: what are the details of all projects which have yet to be completed, and have had their original expected completion date delayed by more than six months, including, for each, (i) the project location, (ii) the project description, (iii) the original expected completion date, (iv) the revised expected completion d…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, originally when COVID-19 and the pandemic arose, the Conservatives said we would support a response from the government that was responsive to needs, temporary and would bridge back to a regular economy. Liberal arrogance, as has been said many times, is the greatest kryptonite. It seems the Liberals have not learned anything from their previous experience with the Canada emergency …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I certainly appreciate the member's contributions to the debate today. In June of last year, when it came to Bill C-208, a bill that would allow someone to sell their family farm or fishing enterprise to their children and be treated the same as if selling to someone at arm's length, the government and the minister said that the coming into force date was not specified in that piece…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I certainly listened intently to the member's speech. His experience as a Crown prosecutor in Ontario excellently lends itself to the debate. There are changes in the bill to conditional sentencing. Obviously, if any mother were to see that someone who is charged with kidnapping could be given a conditional sentence, as in house arrest, they would find it egregious and wrong. Are ther…
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Mr. Speaker, workers in my riding cannot take the minister's statement to the bank. Communities in my region have been beset by fires, floods and now a government that has given up. They work hard and they deserve a government that works hard for them. Sadly, the Liberal government does not consider these families and these communities a priority. What do the forestry workers in my riding have to …
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Mr. Speaker, it has been weeks since the U.S. jacked up softwood lumber tariffs on communities like those in my riding, yet the government seems to have given up, thrown in the towel. Workers in my riding cannot afford to give up. Why does the government not seem to care at all about fighting for forestry jobs?
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, first of all, I congratulate the member for her speech in the House of Commons. I certainly know that she has many ideas to share with the House. Perhaps the member will continue to share the ideas that are important to her.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, first of all, I hope the member still considers that the whole purpose of the Magna Carta was to ensure the king could not unilaterally decide for everyone. That was an important step. The Conservatives have always believed in extending franchise to first nations and women, for example. It was Conservative prime ministers who first brought these ideas here in this place. I hope the …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I want to debate with the member for Winnipeg North around one specific point. He is misrepresenting the motion before us. In the previous election, we said that we would like to review “the extensive real estate portfolio of the federal government – the largest property owner in the country with over 37,000 buildings – and releasing at least 15 per cent for homes”, while improving …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I attended, along with the member for Edmonton Riverbend, the FCM meeting in Quebec City. One of the things I attended was a forum on affordable housing, and the B.C. housing minister at the time, Selina Robinson, who now happens to be the finance minister, was asked about the national housing strategy. She responded that the government had come to the table, but it had yet to inves…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would like to first congratulate a fellow British Columbian on her election, but also thank her for participating tonight. The NDP has made its points today with regard to it. It also has the ability to raise its own opposition day motion specifically, because sometimes political parties are going to say where they see the main problems being. It is not to say there are not other …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I certainly appreciate the member's contribution, for her service and for being part of the debate tonight. I certainly hope she gets to ask that question from this side of the House in the future. When I first became a parliamentarian, in the 41st Parliament, one of the things I remember is speaking to the previous minister responsible, Diane Finley, about this. She had worked out,…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is certainly an honour to rise on behalf of the good people of Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola to debate this very serious topic. I will be splitting my time with the member for Bay of Quinte. I am very proud to say that. I suspect every member of this place knows of the housing affordability crisis many Canadians are facing. We all know it, and we certainly know the Prime Mi…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, on a point of order, during the previous engagement we had a member walking around the chamber without a mask on. I would just like us all to be mindful of each other by wearing masks in the House.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the government is just not listening. One of my constituents, Allan, crossed the border with his wife to attend a matter in Washington state and returned an hour later. The government announced a 72-hour exemption, but despite being fully vaccinated, Allan and his wife, because he does not use a smart phone, were told their documents were not acceptable and they would have to quaranti…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, some areas in my riding, such as the Kelowna General Hospital and the Penticton Regional Hospital, have been built up to the footprint of the road, and there is not a lot of space. Again, I am very supportive, as is the member, of freedom of expression and the ability to share one's political views regardless of what they are. We are a free and open society, but let us bear in mind th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, in British Columbia, the NDP government has already introduced a five-day sick leave regime. Obviously, the federal one is 10 days. I would like to ask the member whether he believes the B.C. NDP's five days is too low, or the federal one is too generous.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I would like to congratulate the member for his speech. When the Liberal government was elected in 2015, there were a lot of problems with the mandate letters that the government released. In fact, I remember asking the government to prioritize softwood lumber in the mandate letters in 2015. It was the first thing I said when this chamber came back after the election. Would the member a…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, let me give some context. In my riding, the Merritt Tolko mill has closed, and Tolko has closed in the Kelowna—Lake Country riding. The company is not leaving forestry. It is leaving British Columbia, and opening up in places like Louisiana. The member says they should be able to open up other places. On May 29, 2021, in a story by Lance Lambert in Fortune magazine, headlined “Biden a…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I certainly do appreciate the member for Davenport, but, realistically, she said that things were going well with the United States. We have issues with electric car batteries. We have buy-American provisions. We have softwood lumber issues. This is all going horribly wrong. We all may be on team Canada, but when the manager is not doing a good job of managing the team, the manager gets…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I would love to ask the member about Crown copyright, but that is a discussion for another day. We are seeing more and more investment shifting southward. That is bad for workers who want to put their skills to use and who want to put food on the table for their families. It is bad for those communities, specifically for those communities that rely extensively on forestry for that emplo…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the Prime Minister's presence here today to share with us his response to the Leader of the Opposition. Canadians want to see a little more statesmanship when it comes to the big issues they have. I must confess, and maybe it is the smallness on my side and my character, but I found the Prime Minister's speech today very partisan. Actually, maybe it is for the best, bec…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, it is lovely to be here. I would like to thank the member for a great presentation. I am sure his voters are very proud of what he has to say. The member has struck on a number of points when it comes to the government's need to prioritize. The Liberal government, even before the pandemic hit, found difficulties when it did a cost-savings analysis and it said it needed to spend more…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, for years we have been saying that the Liberals are all talk, no action on climate change and now we have proof. The environment commissioner has confirmed that the government has been a total failure on reducing emissions. Canada is number one in emissions in the G7. Is the minister proud of being number one?
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Mr. Speaker, Liberals are number one in the G7 on emissions and number one in this place for blaming others for their lack of action. Now, the government has declared war on the oil and gas sector. Despite that, emissions are continuing to rise. Liberals pick fights, make enemies and kill jobs, but still emissions do not decline, so if it is not to lower emissions, why is the government so focused…
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Mr. Speaker, the minister just does not get it. My region and province have been suffering for years due to the inaction of the government on the softwood lumber dispute, yet when the Prime Minister promised hope and met with President Biden, the American leader said their relationship was easy and then jacked up the tariffs on Canadian wood. Why did the Prime Minister not get a deal on softwood l…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, it is a certainly a pleasure to rise. I would like to thank my colleague from Quebec for her sympathy with British Columbians who are going through a very difficult time. While the focus of this debate should be on that, she did bring in a bit of a wider scope. Before I ask my question, I want to say that I agree with her. The government, in the throne speech, talked about an adaptati…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to thank so many members of this place and their constituents who have reached out and passed on support to the good people of Princeton and Merritt, along with the many small indigenous communities in the Similkameen and Nicola valleys, who have been devastated by flooding. While there has been some positive news that some residents can return home, the …
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, you know there is no such thing as a brief answer from me, but I will try. The leader of the official opposition was very wise in appointing, as his shadow minister for emergency preparedness, our member from Alberta. If we hearken back to the tornado that hit Ottawa, there were concerns around the lack of cellphone coverage, part of that being because of the infrastructure that run…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for his passion and his productivity, and for giving the ministers the message that we need help. That was incredible. In his speech tonight he talked about the challenges that many small indigenous communities have had and the gaps they are falling through. It is tremendously important that we try to help out those communities that need that support…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, obviously this has been quite a debate, and I would say that all sides have been supportive of British Columbia. I want to thank the minister for being part of that. One thing we have heard, whether it was in the election or since then, is that the government seems to have large ambitions but not many achievements. It is something the Leader of the Opposition said earlier. There are…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, my neighbouring member of Parliament and I, as British Columbians, stand together and appreciate the fact that we have an emergency debate to discuss these issues. At the tail end of his speech, the member did talk about the experience of Grand Forks. I was wondering if the member could please give us a little more background on exactly what happened and also how the community is doin…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I want to salute my fellow British Columbian for her comments today and her sympathy for all those who have been affected by the flooding in our great province. The hon. member talked about needing to do things differently. Tonight, I know that we are going to debate lots of different ideas and I do hope we hit some big ideas. For example, I have heard from small municipalities about …
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I want to thank my fellow British Columbian for his participation here tonight and for sharing some of his knowledge and expertise. The community of Grand Forks, as he said, went through quite a process, and we are going to see the same things happen here. We are going to be running into it. Right now, I hear from people who are saying that, if they are insured, they are being told …
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, first of all, I am delighted, and I congratulate the member for her election. I am also delighted that her children get to see her in action. I feel badly that they had to see 20 minutes of me to get to that. Most important, there are so many challenges at an individual household and community level that this is where we really need to come together. The member for Abbotsford said i…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I certainly appreciate the member raising the issue. Again, the mayors who requested that this be looked at really do not care if the 40% is coming from the province and the remainder is coming from Ottawa, or vice versa. They are just saying that they cannot afford this but they have to proceed with these repairs. They have to protect their communities. They have to get these thing…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I asked the question of Michael Reeve from Q101, stationed in Merritt, because he was continuing to do his job as a journalist to make sure the public was informed of the policies and guidelines that were being taken, and he was evacuated. The difficulty with dealing with these kinds of cases is that we put journalists, first responders and local officials in such difficult situatio…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise today. As this is the first opportunity I have had to thank the good people of Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola for their continued support, I would just thank them all. It is a big honour. Let me begin by also congratulating all members on their election to this new Parliament. While there will undeniably be things we disagree upon, let us be mindful tha…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as the defender of all our rights and privileges here, I know it is not an easy task. However, part of the way this institution works is that if members experience where their privileges have been violated, it is incumbent upon those members to immediately raise it with the Speaker at the earliest opportunity. Obviously with the clock being what it is, it is a principle that the Speak…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, first let me say that it is always a pleasure to rise in this august chamber on behalf of the good people of Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola. I wish it was under different circumstances. To all of the parties that supported the creation of the Canada-China special committee, I thank them. It has opened a door into a world that we often have failed to see. There are a number of thi…
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