Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am looking around the room right now and I see a lot of Conservatives on this side here and ready to work. The member opposite talks about work. We are here; we are ready, and we are working. Our constituents put us here to discuss things, not just to pass bills blatantly. I keep hearing that the Conservatives are filibustering. I am not filibustering; I am here doing my job. We get…
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The short answer is that it does not sound like a good deal to me, Mr. Speaker.
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Mr. Speaker, just before we get going, I would like to put everybody in the festive spirit. This may be the last time we speak before we leave next week, and I want to say merry Christmas, happy holidays and the best of the new year. I would like to remind people that there is a lot of great charity work going on in Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte. Some of the charities are doing great work to help…
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Mr. Speaker, I did not know the member was going to mention it, but it is great to hear. It is unfortunate what has happened in Barrie and many cities, most cities, all cities across Canada, quite frankly. I had this discussion recently with my two young sons, who are in their twenties. I told them that what they are seeing today is not the Canada I grew up in or the Canada I remember. They do not…
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Mr. Speaker, Christmas is right around the corner, and in Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, the festivities are already in full swing, with Santa Claus parades, Christmas markets and, most importantly, the spirit of giving. Year-round in my community, charities do outstanding work to help the residents of our community, especially during the holiday season. Our local charities, such as the Barrie Fo…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened intently to the words of my colleague. In Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, we have a terrible crime issue. The mayor has actually ordered a state of emergency to be put in place to help deal with some of the lawlessness going on. I was surprised to hear from the Liberal member opposite that the crime rates are going down. I have in my hand numbers from Stats Canada, saying t…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for her words this morning. I would like some clarification. Last year in Barrie, a police officer was stabbed while on duty. The person who stabbed him had been arrested and released over 17 times in the two years prior to that altercation. I wonder if the member opposite could speak to this motion and if she will support it. Then I could go back to this o…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened intently to the words that were presented this morning. We know this is an issue right across Canada, but specifically, I would like to mention a couple of statistics coming out of Barrie. Right now, there are over 500 households using the Barrie Food Bank each day, and 38% of those clients are now children. Those are heartbreaking statistics. Will the member opposite suppo…
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Mr. Speaker, recently in Barrie, there was a Barrie police officer, Constable Jim Peters, who was stabbed while on duty. He was stabbed by an accused individual who had been arrested and released 17 times two years prior to that incident and had had over 100 interactions with Barrie Police Service. This type of rampant crime and chaos must end. What would this motion today do to help officers like…
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Mr. Speaker, that was an interesting question from across the aisle. I did have many quotes in mind of what I have been hearing back in my community. It is chaos back home. He wants to talk about conspiracy theories. These are not conspiracy theories; these are facts. Total violent crime is up 49.84%; total homicides are up 27.75%; total sexual assaults are up 74.83%; total violent firearms offenc…
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Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the great people of Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, I am pleased to rise today to speak to this important piece of legislation. Since this is my first full speech in the 45th Parliament, I would be a little remiss if I did not take a moment to thank a few people who helped send me back here. First of all, I would like to mention my EDA president and sign guru, Shawn Scott…
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Mr. Speaker, when I was at the public safety committee the last time, we discussed this issue in great detail. I would like to go over some of the issues or some of the concerns that Conservatives had. We have been consistent in trying to make our borders stronger. We have been calling for this for years. It was only when the President of the United States called on us to take action that we actua…
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Mr. Speaker, what I saw happening last summer in Barrie was remarkable. The downtown area was becoming unlivable. Businesses were closing up. The good mayor there took the drastic step of declaring a state of emergency and doing something about it. We are actually starting to clean up our downtown area and starting to move the tents and get people the help they need. It is a big issue, but at leas…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, under the Liberal government, lawlessness has become the norm in Canada. In many cities, children cannot play safely in parks, families cannot walk down sidewalks, businesses are suffering and residents are living in fear. Tent encampments and lawlessness are taking over public spaces. This summer, Barrie mayor Alex Nuttall was forced to take the extraordinary step of declaring a stat…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened intently to my colleague's very informative speech this morning. One of the things I found a little shocking, and I am sure most Canadians would like to know a bit more about, is the opening up of our citizenship for people coming in, not having a security background check, and the implications that could have to our already burgeoning and struggling justice system. What, i…
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Mr. Speaker, I listened intently for the last few minutes, and the member opposite asked for any suggestions or amendments. One of the things I would like to put forward is that in this legislation, Bill C-3, there is no talk of any background or security checks for any of these people who could be getting clearance and citizenship to come to Canada. I wonder if the Liberals feel that maybe it is …
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Mr. Speaker, under the Liberal government, the cost of groceries and food prices continue to skyrocket. This year alone, the cost of apples is up 19%, beef strip loin is up 34%, white rice is up 14% and infant formula is up 9%. We know the Liberal government's deficit spending drives inflation and leads to higher prices at the grocery store. Will the minority Liberal government table a budget that…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said he wants to be held accountable for what Canadians pay at the grocery store. This year, Canadians are spending $800 more on groceries, and the Barrie Food Bank is now supporting upwards of 7,000 people per month, 37% of whom are children. Instead of offering relief and a real fiscal plan, the Prime Minister is spending a half-trillion dollars without telling Ca…
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Madam Speaker, we have heard from many police services, police associations and chiefs of police. The number one thing that Canada needs is bail reform. This bill is talking about trying to make Canada safer, but there is nothing in here about bail reform. Can the member comment on why we are not giving the police associations and the police chiefs what they are really asking for?
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her words on Bill C-2 today. I just wanted to bring up that back in December, under the 44th Parliament, there was an opposition day motion brought forward by the Conservative Party that listed many of the same factors we are debating here today. Some of them, as my colleague has mentioned, obviously are important to her because she is in a border riding. We…
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Mr. Speaker, it has been absolutely terrible what this nasty drug has done in Canada. I would just like to mention a couple of the statistics. Since the Prime Minister was first elected, over 47,000 Canadians have died from drug overdoses. Just last year, 8,049 Canadians were killed by opioids. That is a 184% increase since he became Prime Minister. One of these was Brianna MacDonald, who died of …
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Madam Speaker, the member opposite for Timmins—James Bay talked a lot about the fentanyl situation here in Canada. Recently, a memo drafted by CSIS for the Prime Minister stated, “CSIS identifies more than 350 organized crime groups actively involved in the domestic illegal fentanyl market”. We are now producing much more fentanyl here in Canada, and we have become a net exporter of fentanyl rathe…
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Mr. Speaker, I think those are good questions, although I am not sure about the last one. I will mention that he is talking about the border. The border is a problem right across Canada. We heard that in the public safety committee. We have been talking about the border and how porous it is. We know that there is not a lot of security going on at a lot of points. We have been hearing, lately, in o…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak to this important motion on behalf of the great people of Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, and I just want to remind the Speaker that I will be splitting my time with the great member for Chilliwack—Hope. I am always happy to discuss the issue of border security and how we can maintain and improve our relationship with the United States. Given that C…
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Mr. Speaker, I would just like to draw to our attention to something that just came out from York Regional Police. It was Project Skyfall. This is amazing. This is what is going on in Canada. These are facts. This is truth. This morning, York Regional Police announced that they arrested 17 individuals, all on robberies and drug trafficking. They said it was a multi-faceted criminal organization. T…
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Mr. Speaker, I have heard this banter quite a bit, so I have some facts and figures. There were the exact numbers of full-time employees in the CBSA. In 2006-07, there were 12,383 employees and in 2015-16, which is the period the member opposite is talking about, there were 13,774 full-time employees. That is a net increase, so we have proven that one wrong today. The budget itself, in 2005-06, fo…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, we are hearing more and more about this scandal. We have been talking now for months about how much money has gone and missing and how many ethics charges there are. It is unbelievable. We heard this morning from the Auditor General's report that things are growing more and more. My only concern is that there are so many scandals and issues that people are losing track. My colleague…
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Madam Speaker, my question this morning is right on point because it is about wasted money. That is really what we are talking about here today with this scandal. I listened to my colleague give a great version of the events that have taken place. We are talking about ethics that have gone awry. There is $400 million that has gone elsewhere while people across Canada are struggling. How much could…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, after nine years, the Liberal government is not worth the crime or the chaos. Just this week, a Winnipeg police officer was stabbed in the neck during an arrest at a shopping mall. While I am relieved to hear that the officer is recovering, incidents like these are happening far too often under the Liberal government. The 50% increase in violent crime since the Liberal government came…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my good colleague and bordering neighbour to the north from Simcoe North. I would like to quote something very interesting that came from a whistle-blower in the testimony on SDTC. They said, “I think the current government is more interested in protecting themselves and protecting the situation from being a public nightmare. They would rather protect wrongdoers and financia…
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Sarnia—Lambton for her great words in that very informative speech. At the heart of this situation is a tremendous scandal of the SDTC issue, and the $400 million that has gone missing. The Auditor General has confirmed that. In my riding of Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, the biggest two concerns right now are the economy and crime. I would like to…
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Mr. Speaker, what a great way to start a week: listening to the great and insightful knowledge being shared by my neighbour and colleague from Simcoe—Grey. Because he is from my area and his riding borders mine, I want to touch base with him. I hear day in and day out in my riding about how hard he works in his riding and how many events he goes to. He is always out there. He has boots on the grou…
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Madam Speaker, it was an honour and a pleasure to listen to my colleague from Sturgeon River—Parkland give his great speech this morning on this scandal we are once again faced with. I was very curious to hear, after his remarks, a member from the Liberal side stand up and talk about how great the economy is in Canada. In Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, what I am hearing is far from that. A lot of…
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Madam Speaker, after nine years, the NDP-Liberals are not worth the crime. Canadians recently learned that Paul Bernardo, the vile serial killer and rapist, is scheduled for his third parole hearing later this month. This comes after the Liberal government allowed him to be transferred to a medium-security prison. These parole hearings are deeply retraumatizing to the French and Mahaffy families, …
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his great 20-minute speech on this issue. We heard some questions earlier about how we got here. We got here because there is a lack of producing documents. That is why we have been here for almost a month now. Why does the member think we are here? What are the Liberals so afraid of with respect to these documents and why are they not producing them? Maybe …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to comment on the words we have heard over the last 10 minutes. The member's riding is not all that far south of where I live in beautiful Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte. I am hearing a much different message in my community, which it is that people are struggling a lot. There is a big issue in my area these days with homeless encampments. The member opposite mentioned a …
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Mr. Speaker, after nine years of NDP-Liberals, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up and time is up. Under this soft-on-crime Liberal government, car theft is up 34%, including being up by over 300% in Toronto. We know that in Ontario, 68% of those convicted for an auto theft-related offence serve a sentence of six months or less. Just recently, we learned that Ontario's carjacking task force ma…
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Mr. Speaker, I just listened, for 20 minutes, to the member opposite talking about the job the Liberals have done over nine years on the housing file in Canada. I represent Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte and there are housing encampments all over our riding now. Nine years ago, these did not exist. Just this week, I read in Barrie Today, there was another fire at a homeless encampment at Milligan'…
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Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberals, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up, time is up. Due to the Liberal government's elimination of mandatory prison time for countless violent offences, criminals are given free rein to terrorize our communities. The results of the Liberal government's soft-on-crime policies are clear: Canadians do not even feel safe walking down their streets or…
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Mr. Speaker, the long, cold winter is gone. The sun is shining, and the days are warmer. June is here, and with its arrival comes the much anticipated opening of local farmers' markets all across Canada. In my community, we are very fortunate to have three major local farmers' markets operating. The Barrie farmers' market is back outdoors and is open every Saturday, on Collier Street, from 9 a.m. …
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Fort McMurray—Cold Lake. I am honoured to rise in the House and add the voice of the people of Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte to today's debate. I want to take a moment to go over the unfortunate state of this country's finances after nine years of deficit budgets and how the Liberal government's inflationary policies are affecting familie…
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Mr. Speaker, hopefully I heard the entire question. We are a long way down from each other right now. What the Conservatives and myself are afraid of is more bureaucracy. It has been proven over the last nine years that the Liberal-NDP government has been building bureaucracy, which is costing more and more money. That is our biggest fear. We do not believe more bureaucracy is going to solve a lot…
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member mentioned that “Canada is doing well”. I spoke to many residents over the past couple of weeks and want to give two examples of Canadians I spoke to. The member can let me know if he is differentiating between how Canadians are doing and how Canada is doing. I had two calls last week. One of them was from a senior who is no longer eating lunch because she cannot afford…
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Mr. Speaker, the member opposite says nine more to go. Hopefully it means months or days, because that is enough. We need to get back to having an election and bringing the Conservatives back in, and we will bring back this dream where young people, especially teenagers, can afford to buy a home.
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Mr. Speaker, yes, quite frankly, some of the calls and emails I get are heartbreaking. I was recently in my office, returning a bunch of calls. By the end of that, things felt very daunting and very stressful. I heard negativity from every single person I spoke to. I mentioned earlier, and I will mention it again, two specific people I spoke to on the phone who really stuck in my mind. One was a s…
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Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my speech, Canada was not like this nine years ago. One could live the dream. I remember buying my first home, freshly married, and it was a goal to be able to do that. That is long gone. The Liberal government and the NDP have been in power now for nine years. A huge issue has been created over that time.
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-389, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (automated external defibrillators). Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House on behalf of the great people of Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte to introduce this bill. I thank my friend and colleague from Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston for being here with me today and for seconding this bill. Simply put, this legislation s…
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Mr. Speaker, it is great to hear the member opposite mention that she helps people as they come in, which is my biggest goal. Being in here is one aspect of our job, but helping residents is really the best part of it. Every time someone comes into our office, we try to point them to the right place to get assistance.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost or the crime. Today, we learned that thieves who stole $20 million in the biggest gold heist in Canadian history are out on bail. This is because of the Liberal government's shameful Bill C-75, which allows offenders to be in jail in the morning and back on the streets in the evening. Will the Pri…
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With regard to Correctional Service Canada (CSC), in total and broken down by year since 2016: (a) how many times has CSC overridden an inmate's security level in relation to the security level cut-off scores in the (i) Security Reclassification Scale, (ii) Security Reclassification Scale for Women, (iii) Security Reclassification Scale for Women - Version 2; (b) of the instances in (a), how many …
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