Government Orders
Madam Speaker, we know that millions of people are worried about losing their jobs. At the same time, Canada's richest people have gotten richer. We have seen excess profits for large corporations that have benefited from the pandemic. The NDP has gone to the PBO and costed out an excess-profits tax. It would get $8 billion from the companies that profited from the pandemic. We would get $9 billio…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I have great respect for my colleague. One thing I am concerned about tonight's debate is that we are not talking enough about solutions to this issue. We are not hearing good ideas coming forward as to how to alleviate this logjam. We are also not talking about why this has come about. This is about fear. This is about the Governor of Michigan and her constituents being concerned a…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, one thing I feel is really missing from this conversation is the voices of indigenous people. We know that the Special Committee on the Economic Relationship between Canada and the United States did the interim report on Enbridge Line 5. There was not one indigenous witness who participated in that report. To build meaningful relationships with indigenous peoples when it comes to en…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague especially for the conversation around building trust. We saw that the Government of Alberta failed to listen to health officials when it came to very critical measures that would have saved lives. That is where the Government of Alberta is losing trust. We are seeing that even in Edmonton, where the government is cutting really important harm reduction …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, my colleague talked about small businesses and some of the challenges that owners are facing. Dave Ball, who owns VanIsle Wine and Beer Makers, got a CEBA loan. Five months ago, the government announced the increase to the CEBA and he applied for it. Now, there is a technical issue and he cannot get the increase. Here we are five months later, he cannot get the increase and we hear …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure today to pay tribute to the board, volunteers and staff of LUSH Valley Food Action Society on central Vancouver Island. Created in 2000, LUSH Valley helps people gain the local food system's skills of knowledge and access to good food. They believe good food is a vehicle for empowerment, social justice, celebration and community well-being. The scope of LUSH Valley g…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have abandoned start-ups and new businesses when they need help the most. Jennifer, who owns tru MOVEMENT dance fitness and yoga in my riding, had just signed a lease and invested over $30,000 in improvements when the pandemic began, and she has since been left without any support. She has had no rent support, no wage subsidy and no help at all because her business starte…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour today to table e-petition 3290 sponsored by municipal councillor Vickey Brown of Cumberland, B.C. The 1,118 signatories to this petition are calling on the government to create a national matching program for all provincial food market nutrition coupon programs across Canada that would match the provinces that are already contributing to their food market nutrition cou…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for speaking about workers and the important role we play in protecting them, especially this week, as here we are honouring those who have been injured and killed in the workplace, or who have become sick due to workplace-related hazards and occupational exposures, through the National Day of Mourning. Right now we do not have a national strategy in Canada for th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, in terms of this motion, instead of playing politics, we want to make sure that we are not offering Canadians false hope. We are focused on realistic and constructive proposals to protect people because we know that every day vaccines are delayed, more people getting the virus and there are more hospitalizations. The already over-burdened health care systems are getting backed up, a…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it has never been more clear to me that there must be a culture shift within the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, especially when it comes to its relationship with indigenous fishers. In fact, for months now, we have seen the government fail Mi’kmaq fishers in Nova Scotia, failing to protect Sipekne'katik fishers, despite knowing they were at immediate risk to their safety and fail…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it alarms me that the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence is here to answer this question. It should be concerning to the indigenous fishers, given the fact that they have not had the protection they need. Otherwise, it is the government not taking this seriously. It has not talked about how it is going to meet the Badger test. It has not delivered a mandate. T…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is a huge privilege and honour today to table a petition on behalf of constituents of Parksville who are calling on the government to increase the tax exemption from $3,000 to $10,000 to help essential volunteer firefighters and search and rescue workers across the country. The petitioners cite that volunteer firefighters account for 83% of Canada's total firefighting essential fir…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member talking about basic needs. We know that there are over 300,000 homeless people in our country right now. The government announced 4,500 new units for rapid housing and it is patting itself on the back, but at this pace, it is going to take over 37 years to house the homeless. I know the Conservatives have talked a lot about reducing crime. We had a rapid housin…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would like to wish the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations a Happy Earth Day. In relation to tourism, I was talking today to the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, which represent 1,900 indigenous businesses, over 40,000 indigenous jobs and managed a budget of $20 million in the last fiscal year, which saved thousands of jobs. It was given $2…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, we have seen what happens in terms of rushed reopenings like we had in Ontario and Alberta. Both have Conservative governments that have been scared and have not had the courage to stand up for families and for working people, and instead have catered to large corporations, big business and the wealthy. They have now plunged both of their provinces into record numbers of COVID-19 case…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, first, I want to thank my colleague for Saanich—Gulf Islands for triggering tonight's debate. My colleague is genuine, and I do appreciate his speech and the work that he does on the all-party mental health caucus, which I sit on with him. I appreciate him talking about the opioid crisis. The member talked about the small business owners who are struggling right now with mental heal…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, as we know, big corporate data privacy breaches are becoming more common every year, and Canadians are concerned about how the big tech giants like Facebook are collecting and using information. Privacy is now a household issue that really affects everyone. My concerns are around the private rights of action, which would allow individuals and groups of consumers to seek compensation i…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, small businesses have been on the front line of the pandemic, and many are not able to weather further restrictions without more help from the government. These entrepreneurs want assurances that next week's budget will provide them with the support they desperately need. New Democrats are listening to small business owners, and they have been clear that the Liberal government needs…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, we welcome this bill. It is a step in the right direction, but it simply does not go far enough to ensure that we are doing everything we can to address the climate crisis. When the Prime Minister was asked why there was no target for 2025, he did not even answer the question. He talked about how, ultimately, the accountability for the government's actions or inaction comes from Can…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I understand there are only three midwifery programs in all of Ontario. All the student midwives in the Ottawa region, for example, are from Laurentian as it has the only French program in Ontario. We know midwives are essential to improve maternal and newborn outcomes, and they deliver important care to marginalized communities. People who have given birth have said constantly that…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for really articulating the impact of these cuts on northern Ontario and all of Canada. One thing we have not talked enough about is what students are going through right now. We hear about students across the country. Last summer they had a shortened work season. They are studying under difficult conditions. With COVID, they are under unbelievable stres…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I am hopeful that if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for me to split my time with the member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the New Democrats are also concerned about how we are going to pay back the deficit we are running right now during this crisis. In fact, I received a message from Paul, a local health worker, last night. He is worried he will end up having to pay for the costs of repayment of the deficit. As New Democrats, we put forward a proposal to tax the super-rich, the multi-millionaires who …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is a huge honour to rise on behalf of the people of Courtenay—Alberni and as the critic for the federal NDP on small business, tourism, fisheries and oceans, and economic development. As we know, the third wave is among us, especially here in British Columbia. I would not be surprised if further measures are announced by the provincial government today, but right now we know that…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is frustrating. We have seen the Conservatives continue to delay legislation. They have not brought any new ideas forward to help in this crisis, and it has been challenging at best, but the Liberals as well are delaying. They are delaying every time that they put out programs with timelines like June. We are looking for the government to commit all the programs, whether they be …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, that is an excellent question. We are also asking the government to fix the broken HASCAP. People cannot access the liquidity they need right now. These businesses are running out of time. I will go back to the certainty of the wage subsidy and the rent program. They need a commitment that the government is in it for the long haul, right to the very end, and will fix the broken prog…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, everyone across the country is being impacted by the opioid crisis, and it is preventable. These are fentanyl-poisoned drugs that people are using right now, when they need a clean source. The member asked about some of the solutions. We need therapeutic treatment centres like those in Portugal. We need the government to actually declare it a national public health emergency and to …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to Motion M-225, adopted by the House on June 13, 2019: (a) has the government set a goal to prevent and end veterans homelessness in Canada by 2025; (b) what progress has the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development made towards developing a plan to present to the House to end veterans homelessness, and, if so, when will this plan be presented to the House; (c) broken dow…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the government’s Blue Economy Strategy: (a) how does the government define a blue economy, and is land-based aquaculture a part of that definition; (b) what consultations has the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard attended or plan to attend, broken down by date; and (c) for each consultation meeting in (b), which organizations, companies, and individuals atte…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the Marine Communications and Traffic Services, broken down by centre and year since 2012: (a) what is the annual budget for each centre; (b) how many full-time staff are employed at each centre; (c) how much overtime has been claimed at each station; and (d) what is the total number of distress and safety calls that each centre responded to?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to volunteer firefighter and search and rescue volunteer services: (a) broken down by line and fiscal year between 2015-16 and 2019-20, (i) how many individuals claimed amounts on lines 362 and 395 of their individual tax returns, (ii) what was the total amount claimed in (a)(i); and (b) broken down by line and fiscal year since 2019-20, (i) how many individuals claimed amounts on line…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my colleague knows I want to ask a question about wild salmon, but this is a very important issue. On March 3, the defence committee summoned Gary Walbourne, the former ombudsman, to testify. He testified to the details of the March 1, 2018, meeting between him and the minister. He reported that the minister refused to look at the evidence against General Vance. He also testified that…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, coastal British Columbians have been appealing to the government for months to declare a wild salmon emergency and to save Pacific wild salmon, but after two years of not having a federal budget, people are rightly concerned that the Liberals are not taking this seriously. Coastal first nations and British Columbians need a government that will make historic investments in the conserv…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, I want to first thank my colleague for seeing how forms of violence such as patterns of coercive and controlling behaviour are often a precursor to overt physical violence. The member for Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke has put forward a bill to make this kind of behaviour a criminal offence, which would allow earlier intervention by police, courts and service organizations, without having to…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, we know that under the Conservative government of Stephen Harper, women's organizations saw cuts to critical funding that would have been really important to prevent violence against women and provide safety for women who were the most vulnerable. They did not get the stable funding that they needed. I believe that it is going to take all parties in the House coming together and suppo…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, most of the opening levers we know, other than the international travel quarantine and economic benefits, are at the provincial, territorial and municipal levels. However, the federal government can play an important role through setting data-driven guidelines, as outlined in the motion. Another huge issue is the need for proof of prior infection or vaccination. We know there are lots…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, as New Democrats, we have been calling on the Liberal government to fix the Canada recovery sickness benefit and its flaws to make it easier for people to access the program and get help faster. Workers need and should be able to receive full replacement income as soon as possible when they need it. They need to be able to take a day or two off at a time and have the protection of the…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I have concerns when my colleague says that he does not think that experts should be listened to as a priority. We know that experts are saying that the virus is harder to control in workplaces where there are higher transmission rates when workers do not stay home when they are sick. We have been asking the Conservatives if they support access to 10 days of paid sick leave. As we kno…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my colleague from South Okanagan—West Kootenay talked about Chinese state-owned Anbang taking over Retirement Concepts and the Liberal government rubber-stamping that sale. We saw the deterioration of service in retirement homes in my riding of Courtenay, and evidence is clear that across Canada that, even before the pandemic, for-profit long-term care homes led to worse outcomes for …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am really disappointed to hear my colleague call out the NDP for wanting to nationalize seniors care. This is about taking care of our seniors. We can remember when the Liberal government rubber-stamped the sale of Retirement Concepts for $1 billion to Anbang, the Chinese-state owned company. I know, from my riding in Courtenay, what happened. I love the question by my colleague fro…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, the government has failed to take action on systemic racism against Mi'kmaq fishers in Nova Scotia and now, instead of engaging in a nation-to-nation relationship, it is imposing unilateral decisions on them that continue a pattern of paternalistic and oppressive behaviour. That is not reconciliation. The minister has failed to protect Mi'kmaq fishers and uphold treaty rights and he…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, this year, the community of Parksville on Vancouver Island lost a local hero. Joan LeMoine was truly a force of nature. She was a consummate volunteer, generous with her time and endless energy and driven by a passion for helping others. On her 90th birthday, the City of Parksville presented Joan with the key to the city and declared July 6 Joan LeMoine Day in recognition of her servi…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, it is truly an honour and a pleasure to rise today to speak in support of Bill C-232, an act respecting a climate emergency action framework. This bill, which has been tabled by my good friend and colleague from Winnipeg Centre, is such an important bill, and I want to thank her at the outset for her important work in standing up not just for indigenous peoples but for all Canadians…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for bringing this motion forward today. For him and for every other MP in this country, our phones are ringing off the hook with the government's expansion of the CEBA loan because of the delays in getting the extra $20,000 out to small business owners. One thing the member just talked about was the banks. The banks have been getting a free ride throughout this …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is a huge honour and privilege to rise to speak on today's motion. I want to thank my colleague from Abbotsford for tabling this very important motion today because we know that so many main street businesses have been hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Truly, we do not talk enough about small business owners being the unsung heroes of this pandemic. They closed their doors to prot…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, as my colleague outlined, the travel agent industry is predominantly composed of women, who have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. Any bailout of the transport sector and the air sector has to be contingent on refunds to consumers who have bought tickets and have not been reimbursed. However, we must also ensure that the commissions collected initially by travel…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am glad my colleague brought up wild salmon, because where I live, if we do not invest in wild salmon we will not have a healthy economic recovery on Vancouver Island. He talked about the importance of incentives for hiring people, and I think about the many people who have been disproportionately impacted, especially youth. They have been left out, and we need to make sure that we …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for his service, as I know he is not running again, and for the important work he has done for seniors and protecting workers' pensions. All Canadians and every member of the House are grateful for the work he has done. As for travel agents who have been disproportionately impacted, I cannot believe we would support any agreement without protecting tr…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for his speech but also for his important work with the parliamentary association for Canada-U.K. He talked about irritants with this trade deal. He heard earlier from my colleague from Nanaimo—Ladysmith about the 136,000 recipients of the U.K. state pension who live here in Canada, many of them in my riding. Their pensions' annual indexes have been f…
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