Parliamentary Speeches

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, my question is to the hon. Minister of Housing. British Columbian MPs were stunned when the provincial government killed the B.C. community housing fund. We now have projects that are ready to roll. The land has been purchased, the zoning is completed and the permits are in place for senior, low-income housing and veterans housing on Galiano Island, on Mayne Island, in Saanich and acr…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, this legislation certainly needs the amendments of the Senate. Bill S-2 must include dealing with the first-generation cut-off. I want to ask the hon. member if she heard an answer when she asked the minister if the government was prepared to support the Senate amendments so this bill could be passed expeditiously. I am still not certain, and I ask the hon. member for Nunavut.

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise on behalf of the constituents of Saanich—Gulf Islands to present a petition through which constituents in Saanich—Gulf Islands are looking to see the government pursue the promise of protected marine areas. It has been such a long time, as it has been decades, since it was first proposed that there be a protected marine area next to the Gulf Islands National Pa…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I would like to ask my colleague from Mirabel a question. The member for Winnipeg North said that we have had plenty of time to study this omnibus bill, which is over 600 pages long. However, first reading was on November 18, and then we had the Christmas break. We did not have time to properly study all the sections and each very complicated provision, particularly those concerning…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, is there no way that there could be a recorded vote on an issue as important as this?

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to make sure this is on the record, because the hon. member for Winnipeg North said clearly that everyone in the House was in favour of the process we are taking now because the motion received unanimous consent. The people who put it forward at that moment knew full well that I would object but that I was travelling with the Prime Minister to Tumbler Ridge. That is …

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, the Green Party agrees to apply the vote and will be voting against the motion.

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, the Green Party agrees to apply the vote. We will be voting no.

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, the Green Party agrees to apply the vote and will be voting against the motion.

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of many constituents, I rise to present a petition expressing their deep concern that Canada is off track to meet its targets under the Paris Agreement. These are not political targets but are based in the science, which demands that for the security of humankind, all life on the planet, our children and our grandchildren, we hold the global average temperature increase to n…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I agree to applying the vote, voting yes.

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry. My eyesight is giving me some difficulties. For the last motion, I would like to vote in favour.

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I completely agree with my esteemed colleague from the Bloc Québécois. It is clear. The proof is there. We have no indication that the current government will uphold environmental laws protecting endangered species. It is clear from Bill C-5 and Bill C-15 that those things do not matter. The only thing that matters is the bulldozers.

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, as has also been pointed out by another colleague from the member's bench, some of the high-speed rail will impact sensitive areas. The problem with building everything fast is this. I can say it in French. I asked a Bloc Québécois colleague what the French word for “bulldozer” is. It is the same word. We are seeing a lot of bulldozing over process, procedure, democracy and ecosystems…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I would say this quickly to my hon. colleague from Winnipeg North. As he knows, I am the only opposition party member who voted for the budget itself. I largely did that because the budget, on page 348, committed that the eligible uses for investment tax credits would not include “enhanced oil recovery”. It was 10 days after I voted for the budget that the memorandum of understanding …

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, the Green Party agrees to apply the vote and will be voting in favour.

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I usually begin a speech by saying it is an honour or a pleasure to stand to speak to the bill before us, but I am so deeply appalled and offended by what has been going on in this place since June that I have a hard time speaking without the rage making my voice tremble. Bill C-15, the omnibus budget bill, is offensive at every level. It is very much an omnibus bill. A budget impleme…

Adjournment Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, surely my hon. colleague is aware that recent studies, including by the government-appointed experts in the Canadian Climate Institute, have shown that Canada is not on track to meet any of our targets. That includes that Canada is not on track to meet the climate targets put in place by former prime minister Stephen Harper and that Canada is nowhere near the targets under former prim…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to put a question directly to the hon. leader of the official opposition. As an Albertan who, I know, is also a proud Canadian, would he let Canadians know where he will stand if there is a referendum on Alberta separation?

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, in an open letter to the world from an island, an ordinary woman denounces a crime that the world refuses to see. She writes, “My name is like millions of others”, Ikay Romay. “I am an ordinary Cuban woman—a daughter, a sister [and] I write this with a broken heart and trembling hands. What my people [are experiencing] today is not a crisis.” It is a crime. “It is slow, calculated mur…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition today on behalf of residents from within Saanich—Gulf Islands and, increasingly, from across the country, I should add, who are concerned with the state of Canada's waterways and watersheds. Petitioners recognize that riding alongside the climate crisis comes a water crisis. They call on the Government of Canada and the House of Commons to update Canada's …

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I wonder if my hon. friend from Calgary Nose Hill, as a proud Albertan, has thoughts on the premier's recent proposal around immigration as a referendum for Albertans since it touches on today's question. I am baffled by the fact that she is encouraging more people to move to Alberta, with Alberta complaining the federal Liberals are not doing enough to get immigrants to Alberta. If…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to hear the parliamentary secretary say he will stand up and call out whenever refugees are made scapegoats. Why did he not stand up and call out Bill C-12? Right now, the senators are trying, with sober second thought, to take out the anti-refugee components of that bill.

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, today, it is almost impossible to imagine and believe that, for the past four years, there has been a war in Ukraine that is the result of the brutality of one country, one man: Mr. Putin and his pointless and cruel war. We are united in this country. We are united in this Parliament. I want to thank every one of my colleagues who spoke, including the hon. Minister of Defence, my frie…

Adjournment Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House tonight, in Adjournment Proceedings, to pursue a question I asked on a memorable date, November 17, 2025. It was a day on which we were going to vote later in the day on the budget itself. My question pertained to the budget. It was for the Prime Minister. In that instance, I asked him if he would agree that there was a deficiency in the budget, in t…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, the Greens agree with the application of the results of the last vote to this vote, with Greens voting no.

Government Orders

,seconded by the member for Nunavut, moved: Motion No. 2 That Bill C-14 be amended by deleting Clause 43. Motion No. 3 That Bill C-14, in Clause 58, be amended by replacing lines 32 and 33 on page 28 with the following: “Criminal Code, as enacted by sections 8, 9, 11, 37 and 40, apply only with respect to an offence” Motion No. 4 That Bill C-14 be amended by deleting Clause 70. Motion No. 5 That B…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I appreciated my hon. friend from Kingston and the Islands' call for Canada to be in the forefront. We are too late to be in the forefront, but like the hon. member for Kingston and the Islands, I drive a plug-in, a hybrid. For those who talk about range anxiety and not having enough charging stations, this is a good step. A hybrid is not as expensive as a full electric, and I can use…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, we know foreign interference is a threat to Canadian democracy. It was confirmed by the Hogue commission, and we have taken steps, at the federal level for federal elections, to deal with the threat of foreign interference. Is there anything being done and what is being done now to consider the threat of foreign interference to provincial referenda that could break up this country, wh…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise to present a petition on behalf of the constituents of Saanich—Gulf Islands. They have raised this concern with me in person as well as in this petition. They call the attention of the House to the ongoing joint ecological, social and economic crises, sometimes referred to as a “polycrisis”, and they ask that the Government of Canada extend leadership in that are…

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Prime Minister from the bottom of my heart for his thoughtful words. They were truly touching. I also thank the Leader of the Opposition for sharing thoughts that are very difficult to say out loud. It is hard for any one of us as parents to imagine what the community of Tumbler Ridge is going through. I would also like to thank the leader of the Bloc Québécois for…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During the course of debate today, numerous times, numerous Liberal members made reference to Bill C-2, which was named the strong borders act when it was introduced in June. The trouble, and I will try to be succinct, is that Bill C-2 cannot be put forward for a vote. It is in violation at this moment. It would only be acceptable for it to sit on a shelf c…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, my hon. friend from Winnipeg North will know that I am pretty fair-minded. If the Conservatives are filibustering, I would love to join him in denouncing that, but I do not see any sign of the Conservatives' filibustering, particularly on Bill C-2, which came forward for first reading on June 5. The Liberals then put it up for debate on June 18, September 16 and September 17, and we h…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I would like to ask a question of the hon. parliamentary secretary, and she is an honourable member. I am opposed to Bill C-2, and I understand that she put it forward again in the House today as though there has been some delay on the part of opposition members. I want to ask her if she can explain the quite unusual procedure where Bill C-2, the so-called strong borders act, was pu…

Adjournment Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, the late show has never come so early. I am rising tonight to raise an issue that I initially put before the House on December 9, 2025. I am rather proud of the fact that I seem to have been the first member of Parliament to have put this on the public record. Hopefully people noticed, and yes, there is a growing coalition who wants to raise awareness of the issue I first raised here …

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today on behalf of constituents in Saanich—Gulf Islands who are concerned with irresponsible practices from industry and large multinational corporations that have led to the destruction and denigration of much of Canada's waterways and wetlands. They are also concerned for the sustainability of our groundwater. They are calling on the House of Commons to updat…

Adjournment Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I will try to watch the clock carefully, because I cannot possibly take apart even the so-called conditions that are found in proposed paragraphs 12(3)(a) through 12(3)(e) at page 301 of the bill. They are highly discretionary. The bill would do no such thing as create guardrails; it may create small children waving by the side of the road. It is not a piece of legislation that is wel…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, members of this place who are in unrecognized parties get a 35-second opportunity once a week. I take members at their word. I wonder if it would not be appropriate, as we do for each other all the time, to ask for unanimous consent for the member for Nunavut to ask her question again.

Oral Questions

Madam Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to finish up my speech as quickly as I can. I am very sorry.

Oral Questions

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues. I am going to close with words from another one of Kirsty's scientist colleagues, Dr. Ian Burton, who said: It has been an honour to work in association with Kirsty Duncan through the University of Toronto and IPCC.... With her work and training in Medical Geography she made outstanding contributions to the award of the Nobel Prize to the IPCC. Her premature d…

Oral Questions

Madam Speaker, it is a great honour for me to rise today. It is a very difficult moment for me, but I want to pay tribute to my dear friend, Kirsty Duncan. I do not think I have ever been in the House when we have had a round of speeches for a former colleague when the flag over the Peace Tower is at half-mast. Maybe we have, but it is an unusual moment. Today is the day that Kirsty's family is ha…

Routine Proceedings

Madam Speaker, I am presenting a petition on behalf of petitioners, who requested that it be presented today, February 6, in honour of the life and work of Ghaffar Khan, who is a close friend of Mahatma Gandhi and a champion political and spiritual leader known for his non-violent opposition and lifelong pacifism in the search to end colonial rule in India. The petitioners summarize by saying that…

Orders of the Day

Madam Speaker, this is the first time I have had today to rise to speak to the Standing Orders. If I can, before asking a question of the hon. member for Lanark—Frontenac, I want to associate myself with some of the comments made by the member for Calgary Crowfoot. I strongly agree with his argument that five standing members should be able to ensure a recorded vote and that passing bills on divis…

Orders of the Day

Madam Speaker, I am passionate about the Standing Orders. We do not get nearly enough time to speak about them. As the Green Party member, I do not have an opportunity to participate in PROC to pursue these essential changes. I want to make a point to the hon. parliamentary secretary. I think things would work better in this place if we were to actually observe the rules we currently have. For ins…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, as International Development Week comes to a close, I know I and many of my colleagues in this place have met with dozens of frontline workers from development organizations who are reeling from a broken promise. During the election, the Liberals promised and the Prime Minister said that we would “not cut foreign aid” or development assistance, but the budget showed a cut of $2.7 bill…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, the petitioners wish to draw the attention of the House to findings from international conservation organizations that point out that when we have marine protected areas, and Canada has committed to having 30% protected, there is a positive effect. The petition describes this as a positive spillover effect, where neighbouring fishing areas have larger populations of fish, larger sizes…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. It is an honour to raise this point of order when the Right Hon. Stephen Harper is in the House. I remember the level of decorum we had in those days, and I rise only because Standing Orders 14 to 16 were repeatedly violated on all sides of the House today. When Mr. Harper was prime minister, he was never once interrupted by heckling, as I recall. I hope we…

Adjournment Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight at Adjournment Proceedings to pursue a question I asked the Minister of Finance back on December 4, 2025, about what was committed in the budget. At page 348 in the budget, it very clearly states that a component of carbon capture, utilization and storage, known as “enhanced oil recovery”, would not qualify for investment tax credits. For those who are watching and do n…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, there is one part of this motion that I could agree with, which is point (b): that we need to boost competition. When we look at why food prices in Canada are higher, it has to do with the big, giant grocery stores having a much larger concentration of ownership in our market. I grew up in Atlantic Canada, where I belonged to a co-op. The co-op grocery stores across Canada continue to…

Adjournment Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, that was four minutes without an answer. I asked what the deficit is now because the government has increased throwing money at big oil. I did not get an answer. I was told a number of things that are not true, including that, somehow, the memorandum of understanding with Alberta has something to do with diversifying trade in Canada. With a barrel of West Texas Intermediate selling at…