Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that. Chris Gallaway was here today. He is from Friends of Medicare from Alberta. He highlighted that the minister, who has claimed over and over again in questions from me and from my colleague, the member for Edmonton Strathcona, that she is the guardian of the Health Care Act, has not told Canadians what she thinks about the act, what her plan is, and what regulations …
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Mr. Speaker, we hear the Prime Minister and my colleague compare the sovereign wealth fund to the Norwegian fund. The Norwegian sovereign wealth fund is independent, and it is only for public good. It is not used for political interests or what the Liberals call nation-building projects, which could end up funnelling money to Danielle Smith's dream pipeline through the north coast, billions of dol…
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Mr. Speaker, just like last week, and just like the week before, I am here tonight to drag the government in here to hold it to account and to ensure that it protects and enhances our public health care system and follows through with its promises. I will just serve notice that I will be dragging the government back in here again next week if it does not take some action. No one in Canada, not our…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for coming. I know it is inconvenient, but I will continue to drag her and her government here to debate this issue, because what we heard does not match the reality that Canadians are facing. It is great to hear that British Columbians are getting access to pharmacare. The government says pharmacare is moving ahead, but only four out of five Canadians are a…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government's decision to end the Canadian Corps of Commissionaires' preferential contracting threatens jobs for veterans who rely on it for stable work after service, while potentially shifting contracts to for-profit firms. For decades, Commissionaires has supported their transition from serving our nation in the Canadian Armed Forces or the RCMP with dignity. Why is the …
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to table a petition on behalf of constituents on Vancouver Island. Petitioners are highlighting that Canada is experiencing a mental health and substance use crisis that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. They highlight that too many Canadians are unable to access mental health or substance use supports in a timely manner, that the lack of access to community-ba…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister cannot go on TV one day and claim that pharmacare is a nation-building program for all Canadians, and the next day allow entire provinces to be excluded. Newfoundland and Labrador's health minister says that the federal government has closed the door on negotiations. Right now, where one lives determines whether one can access essential medications. People are being…
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Mr. Speaker, we know that people living with disabilities who qualify get $200 for the Canada disability benefit. That is very meagre and the Liberals offered nothing in terms of an increase, despite the high rates of inflation. Also, we talked to the Liberals and brought forward ideas about improving the disability tax credit form to honour people who are living with disabilities in their provinc…
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Mr. Speaker, on the west coast, commercial fish harvesters, the people actually doing the fishing, are being pushed out. Corporate concentration and growing foreign ownership of licences and quota are driving up costs and draining wealth out of coastal communities. We do not even know who owns much of this quota because there is no public registry. Meanwhile, on the east coast, an owner-operator m…
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Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to table a petition on behalf of my constituents. The petitioners highlight that the threat of wildfires, floods, and other natural disasters is on the rise as a result of climate change; that mass casualty events, including the 2018 Fredericton shooting and the Lac-Mégantic rail disaster, leave scars on their communities for years afterward; that evacuations, property l…
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to present this petition on behalf of farmers across this country who have signed this petition. They cite that, in January, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada announced plans to cut 665 positions, primarily scientific, technical and support staff carrying out agricultural research, and close seven research facilities. They cite that the affected positions and facilities…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight on behalf of those who have been cut out of the conversation on the Liberals' pipeline MOU with Alberta Premier, Danielle Smith, and the Canadian taxpayers who are continually on the hook for big oil subsidies. It is time for their voices to be heard. The MOU fails to respect first nations' emphatic stance against a new pipeline to the north coast; fails to respect the …
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for Cumberland—Colchester for bringing this motion forward and for raising this important issue about how we support veterans. This motion proposes a study on how unused federal lands and buildings could support veterans, including with housing and community services. We support studying these ideas, but let us be clear: This is a non-binding motion. It as…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals may try to dismiss these concerns, but Canadians can see what is happening. The government is still funding big oil, with over $30 billion in taxpayer money and subsidies, while refusing to be transparent about the real cost. We have already seen the consequences. Projects like the Trans Mountain expansion have shown that public financing of fossil fuel infrastructure can…
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Mr. Speaker, I am again here late at night to offer the government common-sense solutions. We hear every day that our health care system is stretched thin. Across the 34 communities in my riding of Courtenay—Alberni, too many people are already struggling to find a family doctor. We should be reducing pressure on the system, not adding to it, yet the federal disability tax credit process continues…
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour today to table this petition on behalf of petitioners who are part of the peace train movement. They highlight that for lasting peace, military deterrence must take place within the context of long-term solutions identified through research and analysis. They also note that, within its NATO funding commitment, Canada can and should establish a national centre dedicated…
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Mr. Speaker, I just hosted four town halls in my riding on the cost of living and affordability, and I brought this very idea that the Conservatives are proposing to the people at those town halls. Nearly unanimously, people there wanted the taxes removed temporarily to provide relief. However, it was also unanimous that the people at those town halls wanted the big oil and gas companies, which ar…
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Mr. Speaker, Statistics Canada highlighted yesterday that inequality is skyrocketing even more, with the bottom 40% only holding 3% of the wealth and the top 20% holding two-thirds of the wealth. This is at a time when the big banks have posted $70 billion in profits. For the top big five oil companies, it is almost $25 billion. The top five grocery stores have gone from $2.4 billion in profits to…
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Mr. Speaker, it feels like Groundhog Day showing up here. We come here and hear the Liberals adopting Conservative policies, such as removing the carbon tax. The Conservatives said the sky was falling because of the carbon tax. Now it is the gas tax, or austerity, or the first-time homebuyer tax that my colleague talked about. That has not made housing more affordable. What we see constantly with …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, two months ago the Minister of Health stood in the House and called herself “the guardian of the Canada Health Act”, yet after months of delay, she has failed to act while Danielle Smith expands American-style “pay for access” diagnostics and two-tiered care. Canadians cannot afford more stalling while our universal health care system is undermined. If the minister is truly the guardi…
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Mr. Speaker, it was not that long ago that the leader of the official opposition was running on a campaign around axe the tax. He talked about how the sky was falling because of the carbon tax. What happened when the carbon tax was removed? Gas prices dropped for maybe a day or two then started increasing. What we have seen is gas prices skyrocketing. What is also skyrocketing is profits for big o…
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Mr. Speaker, even though this is federal, clearly the Liberal government does not see this as its issue. During COVID, governments moved quickly. We cut red tape, trusted existing systems and delivered support when Canadians needed it most. We need that same urgency now. Today, doctors are losing valuable time to paperwork instead of seeing patients. People who qualify for the disability tax credi…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a petition on behalf of constituents of my riding of Courtenay—Alberni. They are citing that there are 165,000 new cases of brain injuries annually in Canada; that health and community service providers require more education regarding the intersection of brain injury, mental health and addiction; that the risk of suicide increases by 400% for a survivor of brain injury; …
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Mr. Speaker, seniors in my riding are being told they no longer qualify for the Canadian dental care plan because they supposedly have access to private insurance, even when that so-called access is only theoretical, unaffordable or based on plans they opted out of decades ago. Some have already had treatment approved and completed and are now being told they may have to pay the money back. Why is…
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Mr. Speaker, the illegal war waged by Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu in the Middle East is inflicting devastating consequences on civilians, especially children. The humanitarian and environmental tolls are immense, and the economic fallout is global. It is driving up gas and fertilizer prices, disrupting critical supplies, like helium used in MRIs, and threatening pharmaceutical supply chain…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, public health experts across Canada are clear that supervised consumption sites save lives and connect people to treatment, recovery and support, and yet, in Ontario, the Conservative government is cutting supervised consumption sites. In Alberta, the Conservative government is closing Calgary's only such service, despite the fact that thousands of overdoses have been reversed there w…
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour today to table a petition on behalf of Vancouver Islanders who are deeply upset and concerned about the cutting of the world-class ghost gear fund. They cite that ghost gear is abandoned, lost or discarded fishing gear that is among the deadliest sources of plastic pollution. The petitioners note that ghost gear kills fish, marine mammals, seabirds and turtles; damages…
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Mr. Speaker, because the Liberal fisheries minister has failed to explain the Pacific salmon allocation policy review, misinformation is spreading across the west coast. Recreational fishing is essential to many Vancouver Island communities, which are uncertain about their future, and that confusion is fuelling division and racism. This review was directed by the courts to update an outdated polic…
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Mr. Speaker, we would be hard-pressed to find another member of Parliament that advocates more for the livestock and agriculture industry than that member. I wanted to state that here. Agriculture is not a partisan issue, and this member has been a champion of that. I want to say how important the conversation around the indexing of British pensions here in Canada is when we have any discussion on…
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today to speak to Bill C-13, legislation that would implement the protocol on the accession of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. At its core, the bill would update Canadian legislation so the United Kingdom can formally join the CPTPP trade agreement so Canada c…
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Mr. Speaker, as I outlined at the beginning, we of course support trade, and we put conditions on how we support trade. It cannot be a blank cheque from the government. We also believe in reciprocity. We outlined, regarding the pork producers and the beef producers, that it is not reciprocal. These countries are getting access to our market, but we are not getting the same access to their markets.…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague from the Bloc raises a really important point. It is something I hopefully addressed, for the most part, in my speech, but he is absolutely right. This exposes Canada when it comes to the environment and when it comes to sovereignty here at home. We were able to get those ISDS, or investor-state dispute settlement, provisions removed from CUSMA. It should be something we …
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Mr. Speaker, like I said earlier, U.K. pensioners living in the United States, Israel, Turkey, the Philippines and the European Union are actually not penalized like this. Their pensions are not frozen. They are indexed, just like our pensions are for Canadians who are retiring abroad. However, for some reason, Canada has not been able to get an agreement with the U.K. The Prime Minister supposedl…
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise to present a petition from Canadians committed to advancing peace and human rights, especially given the conflict right now in the Middle East. The petitioners note that Canada pledged itself to these principles with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. They highlight that justice, equality and freedom are essential to preventing conflict while a …
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Mr. Speaker, I am here again tonight to once again remind the House and, of course, the Liberal government about a massive gap in our emergency preparedness framework: the lack of a standing federal plan to prevent, prepare for and actively respond to marine debris spills. To begin, I want to recognize some of the environmental champions who have been calling attention to the urgency of this issue…
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Mr. Speaker, we can ask coastal communities how the Liberals' regimes are playing out. If a spill were to happen today, nothing has changed. It would be municipalities, conservation groups and first nations caught holding the bag. Promises and statements like that do not protect coastal communities. The Transportation Safety Board said that Canada is not properly prepared for marine emergencies, i…
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to table a petition that was collected by the National Union of Public and General Employees. The petition first highlights that wildland and forest firefighters across Canada perform life-threatening public safety duties, including wildfire suppression and evacuation. They protect communities, ecosystems, property and critical infrastructure during increasingly severe…
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Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to table a petition from Canadians on Vancouver Island, from Victoria and Courtenay to Port Alberni and Parksville. They are all calling on the federal government to take leadership on brain injury awareness, prevention and treatment. The petitioners note that brain injuries can occur in many ways, from accidents and sporting events to illnesses, strokes and overdoses, a…
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Madam Speaker, the bureau of pensions advocates is about to lose half of its workforce. The Liberal government is sunsetting a program that is meant to address wait times for Canada's RCMP and military veterans. This is important for veterans who are appealing benefits that have been denied. In fact, the bureau has had an 89% success rate for cases that have been heard improving benefits. Greg Har…
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Mr. Speaker, I am honoured today to table a petition on behalf of residents from Port Alberni, Parksville, Qualicum and Courtenay in my riding who are concerned about rising inequality, austerity and the erosion of public services. These petitioners note that while corporate profits continue to reach record highs, more Canadians are struggling to afford the basics of life. They warn that austerity…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition signed by Canadian military and RCMP veterans who are calling on the Government of Canada to eliminate the so-called marriage after 60 clause, a discriminatory provision of the Canadian Forces Superannuation Act that denies survivor pension benefits to spouses and partners of military and RCMP veterans who marry after the age of 60. This outdated pol…
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Madam Speaker, in this place, there is a responsibility to provide background in evidence when a member starts making claims that a whole province would be—
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Mr. Speaker, our health care system is already stretched, yet the Liberal government piles on needless paperwork. The College of Family Physicians warns that the disability tax credit form is worsening the strain on family doctors and limiting access to the Canada disability benefit. Instead of fixing the problem, budget 2025 sets aside $10 million to help people navigate a broken system. Province…
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Mr. Speaker, here we are today, on the fourth anniversary of the war that Russia implemented on Ukraine, and what did we hear from a Conservative? A Conservative got up and stated that “the program for bogus refugee claimants” costs the same as the transfer to the whole province of Saskatchewan at $1.6 billion a year. Basically, the member is insinuating that every single immigrant and every singl…
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Mr. Speaker, we keep asking the Liberal government when pharmacare will expand, and we cannot get a straight answer from the Minister of Health. British Columbia's pharmacare agreement starts next week, because New Democrats pushed for it and because the B.C. NDP moved quickly. Families in other provinces are still waiting because the Liberal government is not negotiating. This means access to lif…
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to table a petition on behalf of residents from Tofino, Ucluelet, Port Alberni and the Oceanside region in my riding of Courtenay—Alberni who are deeply concerned about the shortage of community recreation facilities in our region and across Canada. Petitioners stress that recreation centres are vital spaces for people of all ages to gather, stay healthy and build stro…
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Mr. Speaker, nowhere in the world has the free market solved an affordable housing crisis. Let us look at the Netherlands, with 34% non-market housing; Denmark, 21%; Britain, 16%; and France, 17%. Here in Canada, we are now at 3.4% non-market housing. Nothing in this bill sets targets on non-market housing. My colleague had a good idea around removing the GST on housing. Instead, why do we not tak…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today to speak to Bill C-244. It is a bill that delivers real accountability and takes a proactive approach to preventing marine pollution and abandoned vessels. I would first like to thank my colleague, the member for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, for bringing this bill forward, which shows great leadership. The first thing the bill does is…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister says he is committed to pharmacare, but today only three provinces and one territory are covered. That is about 17% of all Canadians. A commitment to pharmacare should mean access for Canadians no matter where they live. Right now, access to medicine depends on one's postal code. It is not nation building when we give only certain provinces and territories access to…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to table a certified petition on behalf of residents from Port Alberni on Vancouver Island who are calling on the federal government to fund more shore power at the Port Alberni loading docks. The petitioners describe living with the relentless noise and air pollution caused by ships running diesel generators while they are berthed, sometimes continuously day and night fo…
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