Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I have a number of petitions to present to the House today. The first is from some great people from Skeena—Bulkley Valley. I want to thank them for signing this petition in support of Bill C-257. It is a private member's bill put forward by me in the House to combat political discrimination. Petitioners note that it should be a protected right in Canada to be free from discriminati…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I rise on the same point of order. I will read very specifically from the standing order I think the member is trying to refer to. This is Standing Order 18, the second half of it, which reads: No member may reflect upon any vote of the House, except for the purpose of moving that such vote be rescinded. That makes fairly clear that reflecting on a vote of committee is not covered b…
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With regard to visas for international students in Canada: how many international students (i) are currently studying in Canada, (ii) are studying at institutions accredited by Universities Canada, (iii) are in post-graduate studies, (iv) have transferred institutions within Canada during their period of study, (v) have completed their program of study in the last year, (vi) dropped out of their p…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, the government is spending an enormous amount of money on subsidies to various manufacturers involved in batteries here in Canada. Over $40 billion is being spent on this particular business subsidy program. This subsidy plan will cost every single Canadian family about $3,000. Conservatives are committed to always standing up for workers, which is why we have asked for clarity from…
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With regard to the government’s response to the situation in Sudan: (a) how many people have been evacuated from Sudan who are (i) Canadian citizens, (ii) Canadian permanent residents, (iii) family members of Canadian citizens or permanent residents, since April 1, 2023; (b) what special immigration measures has the government implemented for people leaving Sudan; (c) what additional special immig…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, of course, different sovereign states disagree from time to time about policy. Last summer, the Canadian ambassador to Ukraine was actually summoned, and the President of Ukraine publicly and repeatedly expressed his extreme displeasure over the fact that this government granted a sanctions waiver for a turbine that was to facilitate the export of Russian gas. This was a very seriou…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I rise on the same point of order. These far left, mega disruptive tactics from this member have no place in the House. He should be ashamed of himself. The member in question was talking about his own decisions, which the other member has done, and he says this should be allowed. Again, I encourage these far left-importing tactics—
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, the parliamentary secretary seems to think this is funny. It is not. Over $40 billion in taxpayer money is being used not to employ Canadian workers but to hire foreign replacement workers, who are going to come to Canada to do the job. That is concerning, obviously. Did these contracts include protections for Canadian workers or guarantees for jobs for Canadians? We would like to k…
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With regard to members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) posted in Europe: are members of the CAF still being asked to pay for their own meals upfront and then seek reimbursements, and, if so, how many are currently required to do this, in total, and broken down by rank and location of service?
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With regard to Canadian citizens detained or incarcerated abroad, in total, and broken down by country of detention or incarceration: (a) how many citizens are detained or incarcerated; (b) how many citizens are detained in circumstances that violate their human rights; (c) how many citizens are detained for offenses that would not be considered offenses if committed in Canada; and (d) how many Ca…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, a moment ago the member was reflecting on the presence or absence of members at the end of last week. That is very clearly against the rules. The member is not new and knows that reflecting on the presence or absence of particular members is against the rules. I hope he will bring himself to order.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, you have very clearly made a ruling with respect to a standing order on reflecting on a vote. This is not a matter of what individual members want or prefer, it is simply a matter of enforcement of the ruling you made. This member is continuing to show disrespect for the Chair, which is against another standing order, by doing everything he can to make a point that the Speaker has s…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, as predicted, the parliamentary secretary did not even come close to attempting to answer the question. He said this is a great deal, these are great contracts and this is a great investment. Our question is quite clear: What is in these contracts for workers? How we can know what is in these contracts for workers is if the contracts are released. If the government thinks it has don…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I want to ask the government a bit of a broader question. The member spoke about including the voices of indigenous peoples, consultation, self-government, etc. However, I note that in many cases there is a tension between the government's stated goals with respect to climate policy and what individual indigenous nations may be asking for. There is a case now that has over 130 indigenou…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I have a brief question for my NDP colleague. She spoke a bit during her remarks about the fact that the NDP is calling for, from what I understand, an immediate ceasefire in the context of Israel and Gaza. As far as I have seen, the NDP has not called for an immediate ceasefire in the context of the Ukraine war. I am trying to understand the consistency of the position of the New D…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it was refreshing, after some of the earlier speeches, to actually get back to a discussion of Afghanistan. I thank the member for that. I want to ask specifically about the view of the government as it relates to engagement with opposition groups. It is my view and our view that engaging and working with the anti-Taliban, pro-democracy opposition groups is very important and somethin…
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Mr. Speaker, without the fanfare to which we have normally become accustomed, at this point I would simply request a recorded division.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for his service in Afghanistan and to our country. It has been inspiring to me to see the deep bonds that were established between Canadian Forces members who served and the Afghan people, and to see the incredible lengths that people who served in Afghanistan have gone, since the pullout in 2021, to assist and support the Afghan people. That goes for not …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, the House of Commons standing orders provide various opportunities for the government to put forward its legislative agenda, and they also provide various opportunities for opposition members to put forward ideas for debate that are priorities for them and their constituents. The way the schedule works on Mondays is that we have an hour for Private Members' Business, the government …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, we are here debating an important motion about human rights in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover. A couple of members have said we should not be debating this. We do not need to be debating this for the full three hours. Those members have proceeded to give lengthy speeches on the subject. Of course, those members know the process is if they think it should maybe collapse o…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, if you judge it unparliamentary, I will withdraw it out of deference to your office. The member knows the following facts. He knows the Conservatives support Operation Unifier. He knows that we started Operation Unifier, actually. He also understands that when we have budget and confidence motions, members are not just voting on the particular item on the table; they are voting rega…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I have enjoyed discussing these matters with the member. What I was advocating in my speech is that we can take a posture of non-interventionist intolerance in many cases. That is recognizing the limits we have in our capacity. We cannot be everywhere. We cannot be actively fighting with every opponent to freedom and democracy. However, that does not mean that we should tolerate the…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The hon. member repeatedly spreads falsehoods on this issue. I spoke up and corrected him the last time the member spread this nonsense. It is complete nonsense. The committee in question invited an opposition member, with whom I disagree on many issues, as it happens, who very clearly said, in the context of the committee, that she did not agree with any…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, my hon. friend is not as ignorant as he pretends to be. He knows that we support Operation Unifier, and he knows that we started Operation Unifier—
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I move that the 12th report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, presented to the House on Monday, June 5, be concurred in. Today, I am seeking the agreement of the House on the 12th report of the justice committee, a report which condemns the violence of the Taliban regime, affirms that it is not the legitimate government of Afghanistan and expresses the belief that…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, Conservatives believe we should be doing much more for Ukraine, including being consistent on sanctions and not sending turbines back. That is why we want a recorded division.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, some may find this process taxing, but it is nothing compared to how taxed Canadians are. I request a recorded division.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, if you seek it I believe you may find support for the following motion: That the House call upon the government to take the carbon tax off farmers—
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The member for Timmins—James Bay frequently tries to shout down the indigenous woman in our caucus, the member for Lakeland, at the natural resources committee—
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, last night, under the cover of darkness, the NDP-Liberal government rammed through its anti-energy unjust transition and job-killing agenda at the natural resources committee. It broke every rule of parliamentary procedure and denied MPs the chance to be heard as it rammed through its anti-energy agenda. On the agenda of the committee, I ask the chair of the natural resources committe…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I have a simple proposition for the member. If the NDP-Liberal government is genuinely proud of its work, then release the contracts. Let all of us see them so that we can know, but the NDP is complicit with the Liberals in trying to bury these contracts. Why? Every Canadian family will pay $3,000 for these deals, so they want to know. What is in these deals for them? Again, what did …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after eight years, workers know that they cannot rely on the NDP. The NDP leader initially called for the release of EV contracts, but last night the NDP flip-flopped and voted with the Liberals to bury them. These contracts will cost taxpayers over $40 billion. That is about $3,000 per Canadian family and the money will be used to fund foreign replacement workers instead of Canadian …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, have members ever known people who have said they would have their backs and then immediately folded under pressure, or who said they would be there for them and never were? Canadian workers are discovering that the federal NDP are exactly that. The NDP has the consistency of Alcibiades. The NDP has the strength and steadfastness of a broken felt hat. We have learned that the Stellant…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, the point is that the floor was taken away from me. I had the floor, I tried to raise a question of privilege and the Chair said I could not, which I did not agree with. That is one issue in terms of privilege. Secondarily, the Chair then said that he would go to the member for Timmins—James Bay and give him the floor. In the middle of a member speaking who has not moved any motion, w…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, if this is the wish of the House, then I would simply commend to the Speaker the reading of all of the blues that came from the natural resources committee. I will not cite the evidence then if the Speaker is not interested in hearing the evidence, but I thought it might in fact save time—
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I will skip forward to give the highlights. The chair then retroactively ruled that the matter that we had been discussing for more than a day was in fact no longer a question of privilege. He said that given that committees are empowered to limit the participation of non-members, it was his opinion that the objections raised by the member constituted a point of order and did not touc…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I am doing my best but I am constantly interrupted. Standing Order 116 directs us to bring these matters to the attention of the House. I believe the member for Winnipeg North supported the addition of Standing Order 116(2)(a) and (b). This was a proposal from the previous government House leader, I believe. He could propose further changes to the Standing Orders, if he does not belie…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, there have been a number of matters that happened at the natural resources committee. I am going through them, but it is important to say that there were multiple instances and multiple ways the chair violated the privileges of members, in violation of Standing Order 116. Just to clarify for my esteemed colleague—
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I do appreciate the point that privilege has priority in this House. The Standing Orders do provide that when there is an issue at committee that involves the rights of members to speak, the ability of members to not be interrupted, the imposition of time limits and contravention of the rules or the orders adopted by that committee, that it is an issue that can be brought to the House…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I certainly will, hopefully without interruptions. I share the outrage of the member for Sarnia—Lambton, although she should review some of the transcripts of the natural resources committee to realize how bad it can sometimes get with the member for Timmins—James Bay. In any event, I was sharing the evidence from October 31. This was at 3:50 p.m., and the Chair said, “I'd like to rem…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, the member for Timmins—James Bay is very keen to get into this conversation. Frankly, I am sure he is embarrassed right now because his conduct at committee was—
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, first of all, the member said it was a point of order. He was actually making arguments regarding the question of privilege, which he will have an opportunity to do. He is intimately involved in these proceedings and, I am sure, will have a great deal to say about it. I did begin my remarks, which maybe the member for Timmins—James Bay was not listening to, by mentioning that I am spe…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity, although grieved by the necessity of raising this. I am rising to draw the attention of the House to a violation of my privileges and the privileges of other members that relates to the provisions of Standing Order 116, which I will briefly read. It pertains to the work of committees: In a standing, special or legislative committee, the Standing Orde…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I do want to address this question of privilege and speak to the international role of the Speaker, which I do not think has been raised by other members. The primary role of the Speaker, of course, is to preside over this chamber, and impartiality is crucial in his work in that regard. However, the Speaker also represents this chamber in various fora with respect to international wor…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, maybe there are more I am not aware of, but my understanding is that we have three former Speakers in this chamber: the member for Regina—Qu'Appelle, the member for Nipissing—Timiskaming and the member who is speaking. I think it is important to hear from members with specific expertise on the role of the Speaker who have been Speakers. They understand the pressures on them far more t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During the statement made by the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, the member for Mississauga—Erin Mills was making a number of very clearly unparliamentary statements. One of them is audible on the video at the 14:20:30 mark. I would prefer not to offer specifics if it is not necessary, provided the member is prepared to apologi…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, J.F.K. purportedly said once that victory has a thousand fathers, but defeat is an orphan. From this, we can gather that the decision to hire GC Strategies to build the ArriveCAN app was a failure because nobody will admit to being the one responsible. Nobody wants to claim the parentage of this terrible decision. Conservatives have been persistently prosecuting this case of the arr…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, in typical fashion, the member has delivered a word salad to the House of Commons that has absolutely nothing to do with the question I asked. Somebody in the government made a decision to hire GC Strategies to produce ArriveCAN. The decision was made, so someone had to make it. I did not ever at any point say who made that decision, but I asked the government to tell us who was res…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the government has been in power for eight years, and there is a profound dissonance between those alleged expectations and what they have been delivering and doing these eight long years. Arrive scam hearings have been explosive. This week, senior government officials accused each other of lying because the Liberal minister wanted someone else's head on a plate. This government is de…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I have three petitions to table today. In the first petition, the petitioners draw the attention of the House to the Liberals' imposed carbon tax, saying it will continue to drive up the cost of home heating for Canadians. They say that in Canada, heating one's home in the winter is not a luxury; it is a necessity, and that after eight years of the Liberal government, Canadians now …
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