Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I rise to present e-petition 6620, which was signed by over 1,000 Canadians, who are calling for urgent federal leadership of brain injury awareness, prevention and treatment. The petitioners note that brain injuries can occur in many ways, from accidents to illnesses and strokes, and they often result in serious physical, cognitive, emotional and behavioural effects. They further poi…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, in August, the Prime Minister promised $1.2 billion to support the forest sector in response to Trump's tariffs and softwood lumber duties, which we are still waiting for. Just $50 million of that is earmarked for workers. That is not a plan. That is an insult. Almost 50,000 direct jobs in British Columbia alone are on the line. Will the Prime Minister step up with a serious plan to p…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to table a petition from Canadians and people from Courtenay—Alberni who are deeply frustrated with the chronic service failures at the Canada Revenue Agency. Petitioners know that, across the country, especially among seniors, those without Internet and rural residents, people face serious difficulties accessing timely CRA services. In regions like mine in Courtenay—Alb…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I want to make sure we get to speakers in the right order, so I want to time this point of order now. The member of Parliament for Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, when I asked him a question after his speech about out-of-control corporate greed, responded identifying me as a Conservative MP. I could not be farther from a Conservative MP. I want to give him an opportuni…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is a huge honour today to table e-petition 6778, signed by over 6,203 Canadians. The petitioners are deeply concerned about proposed regulatory changes to Canada's Plant Breeders' Rights Act. They note that the act currently grants plant breeders exclusive rights for 20 years, but it also protects farmers through a farmers' privilege clause, which allows them to save and replant se…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, Imperial Oil posted profits of over $7 billion in 2023, almost $5 billion in 2024 and almost $1 billion in the last quarter. It has returned $367 million to shareholders. What is the excess profits threshold for Conservatives before they would charge an excess profits tax, so they could support the very vulnerable people the member is talking about?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I have a ton of respect for my colleague, but he brought up the job losses of 900 people at Imperial Oil. At the same time, Imperial Oil just posted that it returned $367 million to shareholders last quarter. When somebody wins, we all want to see them do well. However, with excess profits such as this, will the Conservatives and Liberals ever agree that an excess profits tax could he…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, big banks, big grocery and big telecommunications companies are posting record profits. Meanwhile, people are getting squeezed at the pump. They are getting squeezed at the till. They cannot afford to pay their bills. When will the government charge an excess profits tax on the big corporations that are squeezing everyday Canadians when they are trying to make ends meet?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present e-petition 6522, which is signed by over 500 Canadians who are deeply concerned about recent federal policy changes that reduced international student study permits by over 40% and restricted post-graduation work permit eligibility without stakeholder consultation. The petitioners warn that these cuts undermine Canada's ability to meet urgent workforce needs in…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has been telling Canadians the government will spend less and invest more while abandoning the Liberals' promise to make mental health a full and equal part of Canada's universal public health care system. It is estimated every dollar invested in mental health generates two dollars of long-term savings, while untreated mental health issues cost our economy more than…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today to present a petition from Canadians concerned about the future of our forest industry and the rural communities it supports. Petitioners note that forestry has long been a source of good jobs, but, in recent years, it has faced major challenges, from wildfires and infestations to the ongoing softwood lumber dispute. The petitioners highlight that U.S. tr…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, on the B.C. coast alone there are 900 vessels, 90 of them over 500 tonnes, at their end of life, posing an imminent threat to our environment if they are not recycled. Towing even one large B.C. ferry from Vancouver Island to Halifax to be recycled could cost millions. In Port Alberni, we are ready to build a ship repair and recycling centre of excellence in partnership with first nat…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, this is very important legislation. I have heard from members of the Maa-nulth nations, who have signed a treaty, including Chief Anne Mack from Toquaht and Chief Wilfred Cootes from Uchucklesaht. They said this an essential oversight mechanism to help ensure the effective and timely implementation of modern-day treaties in terms of nation-to-nation, government-to-government and indig…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to bring forward a petition on behalf of Canadians, especially petitioners from the Port Alberni Friendship Center, which is in the process of, next week, having its sixtieth anniversary. The petitioners are calling for enhanced support for friendship centres. They highlight that friendship centres are vital community hubs providing culturally appropriate services in h…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, coastal first nations oppose crude oil projects going through their territories and strongly support the tanker moratorium protecting British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest. They have built a sustainable economy that creates jobs, supports communities and safeguards globally significant ecosystems. Premier Smith's pipeline push ignores their indigenous rights. When introducing Bill …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, farmers have saved and replanted seeds for generations, but the government is proposing changes to plant breeders' rights that threaten this age-old practice. To make matters worse, consultations were scheduled during the summer and the harvest season, when farmers are busiest and least able to respond. Does the Minister of Agriculture support the right of Canada's fruit and vegetable…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to table a petition from Canadians who are deeply concerned about growing foreign ownership of our commercial fisheries. The petitioners note that while the Department of Fisheries and Oceans is mandated to protect the stability and viability of Canadian fishing operations, in the Pacific region, there are no limits on the foreign acquisition of licenses and quotas, nor …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, one concern New Democrats have raised is the one-size-fits-all approach. This bill would lump together banks, telecoms, nuclear facilities and energy co-operatives under a single compliance framework. All of them would face the same 90-day timeline to stand up cybersecurity programs, no matter their size or capacity. For large corporations, perhaps this is feasible. For small operator…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, in the NDP, we have highlighted that there would be risks to privacy and civil liberties, and the bill would allow for mandatory information sharing between telecom regulators and federal agencies, as well as possibly onward to foreign governments. One of our questions is this: What is the standard for this disclosure? Simply having the minister's judgment on what is necessary as a st…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, investing in the aerial firefighting fleet far outweighs the cost to do that, and what we are facing now, which is a massive loss in biodiversity and cost to infrastructure and private property, driving up our home and business insurance. There is the impact on the forest sector and industry, as well as the release of emissions. Canada is the worst in the world right now in release …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today to present e-petition 6589. This petition was initiated by Lesley Fox from Port Alberni, British Columbia, and was signed by 10,800 Canadians who are deeply concerned about the risks and harms of fur farming. The petitioners note that fur-farmed animals can carry high-risk zoonotic diseases, including coronaviruses and influenza. Intense breeding in capti…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, we all want to end the cycle of crime. I will give an example to my colleague. In my riding, there was an application for a rapid housing initiative. The initiative was going to create housing for the most vulnerable and for people who were released. This application has a sworn letter from the Nanaimo parole office, from Correctional Service Canada, highlighting that they did not hav…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I am here tonight to urge the federal government to make the establishment of a sovereign aerial firefighting capacity fleet a core nation-building investment in the upcoming federal budget. Wildfires across Canada are increasing in both intensity and cost, demanding bold and timely action. We saw fires rage across Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland this l…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today to table this petition, which was created by Tseshaht First Nation member Dawn Foxcroft. It is timely. It is around indigenous language funding, and yesterday, as we know, was the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. I am tabling this petition on behalf of Canadians who are deeply concerned about the future of indigenous languages. The petitioners d…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, it is an honour and privilege to rise today to table a petition on behalf of Canadians who are deeply concerned about the worsening mental health and substance use crises across our country, a crisis that has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Petitioners note that too many Canadians are unable to access timely mental health or substance use supports. They point out that whe…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canada is facing record wildfires that are destroying communities, critical infrastructure and lives while also creating dangerous air pollution that harms human health, yet Canada still does not have a sovereign aerial firefighting fleet. In Port Alberni, Coulson Aviation is a world leader in retrofitting aircraft such as the retired CC-130 Hercules that could continue to protect Can…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, it is an honour to table this petition on behalf of petitioners from my riding of Courtenay—Alberni, who are on the front line of wildfires this season. They highlight that the increase in intensity and cost of wildfires in Canada, not just in British Columbia but across the country, requires bold and timely action. Without a national air tanker fleet, each province must weigh the c…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to rise today to table e-petition 6484, which was initiated by Black People United for Change, who are in Ottawa today. These Canadians and petitioners are calling on the government to take urgent action to confront anti-Black racism. The petitioners highlight the long history of systemic racism in this country, and they point to historic injustices, as well as recent …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I rise to table a petition from Canadians deeply concerned about the delivery of humanitarian aid in Gaza. The petitioners note that, under common article 1 of the Geneva Conventions, Canada must respect international humanitarian law. They highlight that article 59 of the fourth Geneva Convention requires occupying powers to allow impartial humanitarian relief and that Canada's inter…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I know you have talked about decorum in this place. I may not agree with his policies, but the member for Chilliwack—Hope asked a straight question of the government. My friend, the Secretary of State for Sport, whom I call a friend because I consider him that, responded with “Get a grip”. I think there is a point to be made here. There has to be respect on…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the extraordinary courage and resilience shown in my riding during the devastating Wesley Ridge and Mount Underwood wildfires that struck our communities this summer. At the heart of the response were career and volunteer firefighters, men and women who put their lives on the line, working around the clock with bravery and determination on the front lines. Th…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the Canada Dental Care Plan, since the program’s inception: (a) what is the total number of approved applications; (b) how many seniors, persons with disabilities and children have benefited from the program; (c) what information is the government collecting regarding co-payments and denial of claims, preauthorization submissions and post-determination submissions; (d) how many clai…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the Canadian Armed Forces: (a) since 1914, how many Regular Force members and Reserve Force members have lost their lives in non-combat roles during peacetime in Canada; and (b) since 2013, how many Regular Force members and Reserve Force members have died by suicide?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to federal funding and the communities which comprise the federal electoral district of Courtenay—Alberni, between the 2005-06 and current fiscal year: (a) what are the federal funding and capital investments related to infrastructure, including direct transfers to the municipalities and First Nations, for the communities of (i) Tofino, (ii) Ucluelet, (iii) Port Alberni, (iv) Parksvill…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to federal funding for ferries, broken down by fiscal year since 2015-16: what are the details of all federal grants, contributions and loans related to capital or operating costs for ferries, including the (i) name of the recipient, (ii) province or territory in which the recipient is located, (iii) date the funding was received, (iv) amount received, (v) department or agency that pro…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today to table e-petition 6530. This petition was signed by 781 Canadians who are deeply concerned about the future of our forestry sector. These petitioners point out that forestry has long provided good jobs in both rural and urban communities but now faces devastating challenges ranging from wildfires and insect infestations to the ongoing softwood lumber di…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour the life of Moonaquin mit Stephen Charleson, a proud member of the Hesquiaht First Nation and the House of Kinquashtakumtlth. Stephen was a lifelong fisher, learning traditional fishing and navigation skills from his father and brothers and living his entire life on the lands and waters around Hesquiaht Harbour, except for the painful years he spent in residenti…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I am rising regarding the establishment of a national strategy on brain injuries in Bill C-206. There have been discussions between parties, and I am hoping, if you seek it, that we find agreement to adopt the following motion by unanimous consent: That notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, Bill C-206, an act—
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-215, An Act to amend the Marine Liability Act (national strategy respecting pollution caused by shipping container spills). Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce a bill today that would amend the Marine Liability Act to require the development and implementation of a national strategy to address pollution caused by shipping container spills. In 2016, when 35 sh…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Nova Scotia is ready to negotiate a pharmacare deal, but it is still waiting on an invitation from Health Canada. The Prime Minister has not committed to expanding pharmacare for all Canadians. Access to essential medications should not depend on where one lives or one's private coverage. With the job losses from Trump's trade war, the need for public medication coverage is clear. Wil…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-211, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act and the Canada Pension Plan (deeming provision). Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to introduce an act to amend the Income Tax Act and the Canada pension plan, deeming provision. The goal of this bill is to make it easier for people with disabilities to obtain the benefits they are entitled to and to reduce the pape…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in the petition I am tabling, the petitioners highlight that under common article 1 of the Geneva Convention, Canada is required to respect international humanitarian law, and that under article 59 of the fourth Geneva Convention, Israel is an occupying power that must allow and facilitate humanitarian aid by impartial organizations. They highlight that Canada's own Official Developme…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, one thing I agree with my colleague on is that, when incentives are on the table, they should be honoured. That is certainly something we agree on. I am going to talk a bit about Norway, where 88.9% of all new vehicle sales are EVs. It is a cold country and a lot of it is very rural. It is going to be at 100% by the end of this year. Through you to my colleague, why do Conservatives c…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Bloc for talking about small businesses. We know small businesses are facing an availability and affordability crisis when it comes to commercial insurance, and it can be quite hard to find an insurer at a price that a small firm can afford. In a recent report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, we learned that half of Canadian business owners “have…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, we may not agree on the causation of inflation, but in the spirit of solidarity, we know that Canadian retaliatory tariffs are having a significant impact on small business. In fact, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business has cited that 49% of small businesses are feeling the impact either on their bottom line or throughout their supply chain. My colleague talked about transp…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, we have watched corporate taxes decrease from 28% under the Mulroney government to 15% today. We have seen record profits in big groceries, an 8% increase, which is double that from pre-COVID. In terms of big oil and gas, there has been a $192-billion profit over the last four years, more than in the 2010s altogether. Is the minister considering increasing corporate taxes or an excess…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, in 2023, big grocery stores saw record profits of $6 billion, an 8% increase in profit, double what it was pre-COVID. However, this place is starting to look like a corporate boardroom. We will never hear Liberals or Conservatives talk about corporate greed. Does my colleague agree that big grocery needs to pay an excess profit tax?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, in fairness to the interpreters, somebody's phone is ringing in the chamber. I am seeing more and more of this behaviour. People are not turning off their phones, and I encourage you to speak to all members to remind them to turn their phones off. It is not fair to the interpretation staff.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is a huge honour and privilege to table this petition, signed by members of the Port Alberni Friendship Center. They highlight that friendship centres across Canada serve as vital community hubs for indigenous people, offering culturally appropriate services in areas such as health, education, housing, employment and youth programming. The petitioners also highlight that government…
Read full speech →