Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Canada Health Act guarantees Canadians universal access to public health care, but Danielle Smith is creating a private system that will hollow out health care in Alberta and spread to other provinces, making the crisis across the country even worse. At the same time, Canadians in nine provinces and territories still have no access to national pharmacare, and the health minister w…
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Mr. Speaker, the government is cutting thousands of public sector jobs, like those of the people who process EI, OAS and CPP claims and passports; agricultural researchers; and 1,300 food inspectors. These are not numbers on a CEO's spreadsheet. They are real people. They work to help Canadians. They support family farmers. They keep our food safe. Instead of giving his friends a tax break on thei…
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Mr. Speaker, I asked a question of the government on the privatization of health care in Alberta. I want to be very clear: This is something that is starting in Alberta but something that I am deeply worried will have impacts across this country. I also want to be clear: This is not a theoretical issue. This is a debate; it is a conversation that Canadians need to have. On December 22, a father of…
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Mr. Speaker, that was not a response to my question about when the government is going to step in to tell Danielle Smith to adhere to the Canada Health Act. I want to talk about one other piece that Danielle Smith is attacking, which is the rights of trans kids and trans people in my province. She is interfering in the relationships that trans people have with their doctors. There are three people…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada is in a national housing emergency. Rents are skyrocketing, home ownership is slipping out of reach and encampments are growing in every city. This did not happen by accident, and it is not inevitable; it is the result of a government that has failed to act with the urgency and the scale that this crisis demands. Housing is a human right. We need public builders, real investmen…
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-259, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (fair representation). Mr. Speaker, I rise today to table the fair representation act. This law protects workers' rights. This legislation would protect workers' fundamental right to organize freely and know that they are being represented by an independent and democratic union. The CLAC is the largest example of a com…
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Mr. Speaker, families in Edmonton Strathcona and across the country cannot wait until June to get help with their groceries. In 2022, the House passed legislation and there was an emergency payment done in weeks. Instead of making Canadians wait for months, will the Prime Minister work with the NDP to get help for Canadians immediately? If the Liberals are interested in lowering the rate for groce…
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Mr. Speaker, Danielle Smith is making an unprecedented attack on health care in this country. If she is allowed to get away with privatization, it will be the beginning of the end of public, universal, single-payer health care in this country, which is central to Canadian identity. Alberta health care workers are calling for the government to protect health care and to enforce the Canada Health Ac…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are living through a housing crisis. Families are being priced out of their neighbourhoods. Young people cannot imagine owning a home. Seniors are being pushed into impossible situations. This crisis is not abstract; it is urgent, it is national, and it is getting worse every single day. When I was in Sudbury this week, I heard directly from local housing experts, who told m…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians do not want coal mines destroying our cherished Rocky Mountains. Four years ago, the minister promised new coal mine selenium regulations that would protect our rivers and lakes from toxic pollution. Now we discover that instead of providing protection, the Liberals are allowing a dramatic increase in the pollutants going into rivers and lakes. The government is betraying it…
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Mr. Speaker, I have another petition as well. This petition was signed by 850 Canadians. Knowing that the population of Gaza is enduring an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe, including forced starvation, displacement and systematic attacks on civilians, in blatant violation of international law, and knowing that the Gaza temporary resident visa program, launched by Canada, has been an incredi…
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Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to table today. In the first petition, petitioners from across Canada have noted that nickel is an important raw material in the manufacturing of arms and that Canada is a strong producer of nickel. Knowing that Israel is committing a genocide in Palestine, these citizens have asked the Canadian government to ensure that there is a ban on any Canadian nickel being…
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Mr. Speaker, this weekend, we lost an extraordinary Edmontonian, a beautiful human being who devoted his life to serving his community, his country and this planet. Hans Smits was an educator and a former associate dean at the University of Calgary. His passion for learning and his lifelong dedication to the teaching profession inspired thousands across Canada and around the world. Hans was deeply…
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Mr. Speaker, I am standing here today in solidarity with the over 60,000 CUPW workers in this country, workers the government has turned its back on. Last spring, I asked the Minister of Jobs and Families why the Liberals were not protecting postal services and our posties. She said, “Federal mediators continue to work with the parties on a solution”. That is not true. None of that is happening. T…
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Mr. Speaker, across this country, from the schools in Alberta to the factories in Ontario and from the farms in the Prairies to the offices and hospitals in our cities, it is the workers of Canada who build this nation every single day. Workers' rights are not gifts handed down. They are victories won through courage, solidarity and sacrifice. Every fair wage, every safe workplace and every weeken…
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Mr. Speaker, Albertans are being charged $100 for a COVID-19 vaccination while other Canadians are getting their vaccinations for free. The Canada Health Act guarantees access to necessary health services for everyone regardless of where they live, but the government is doing nothing while premiers break the law and Canadians' health suffers. I wrote to the Prime Minister about this months ago and…
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Mr. Speaker, postal workers are the backbone of our communities. They deliver prescriptions, they deliver cheques and they deliver vital communications. They could expand services as well, to include things like postal banking and seniors' check-ins, yet instead of supporting the workers and allowing them to bargain, the Liberal government has chosen to fight with over 65,000 workers. The governme…
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-229, An Act to establish a national framework respecting attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Mr. Speaker, it is my great honour to stand in the House today and table this legislation. We all know somebody who has ADHD. For me, it is my son Maclean. When my son was young, we were able to get him the treatment and care he needed, but I found during the time …
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Mr. Speaker, the third is a petition that is being presented in the context of the deteriorating political situation in Pakistan, concerning democracy, human rights and the safety of Canadian Pakistanis who have been vocal in their support for these causes. Those who have signed this petition ask the Government of Canada to call for an immediate inquiry into the tragic events of November 26, 2024,…
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Mr. Speaker, I have four petitions to present today. The first petition comes from citizens across this country. More than 30,000 Canadians have signed this petition. It is a petition recognizing that there is an ongoing genocide happening in Gaza, that civilians in Gaza are enduring prolonged periods without food as aid is blocked, that UN agencies confirm mass starvation, that nearly 90% of Gaza…
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Mr. Speaker, finally, I present a petition that has been signed by Canadians from coast to coast. They note that during the dissolution of the 44th Parliament, petition e-5345 was not able to get a response, and this muzzled the voices of the 66,562 Canadians from 10 provinces and three territories who signed the petition. The petition declared that Donald J. Trump is a convicted and sentenced fel…
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Mr. Speaker, I have had flights delayed longer than it took the Liberal government to attack the rights of workers in this country. Over and over and over again, the Liberals have used section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to have back-to-work legislation by another name. They used it against Air Canada flight attendants. They used it against postal workers, who have been asking for a fair contrac…
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With regard to the implementation of Bill C-41, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to other Acts: (a) what funds have been allocated under the new system, including (i) to which organizations, (ii) for work in which countries; (b) how many authorization applications has the government (i) made for its own activities, (ii) received from outside government, (iii) …
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With regard to supply chain due diligence legislation and the office of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise: (a) by what date will the government release the results of the five-year review of the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise, and what is the government’s plan for parliamentary input on this review; (b) by what date will a new Ombudsperson be appointed; (c) dur…
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With regard to the government’s standing agreements with the state of Israel, including the Canada-Israel Free Trade Agreement and the Canada-Israel Strategic Partnership: (a) what are the timelines, including specific or approximate dates if available, for both annual and comprehensive reviews; (b) what is entailed and who is involved in the reviews; (c) which departments and agencies, and specif…
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With regard to Canada’s transfer of F-35 Joint Strike Fighter components to the United States, and the subsequent transfer of some of those components to the Israeli Air Force following their integration into the aircraft: (a) what is the current approximate value of Canadian technology integrated into each F-35; (b) what is the approximate value of Canadian technology integrated into each F-35 de…
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Mr. Speaker, we are at a critical time in our nation's history. We know that Canada can no longer rely on the U.S. for our primary strategic trade and security needs. We must now forge a different and a strategic path to ensure that our security, our peace and our sovereignty are protected. However, right now in Alberta, separatist groups are preparing a referendum to separate from Canada, thanks …
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Mr. Speaker, it has been four years since we were promised new selenium regulations to protect Canada's water and fish from the devastating impacts of coal mining. With the Conservatives and the Liberals in a bromance on Bill C-5, I am wondering whether the minister will be bringing these protections forward. Now that they have decided to ignore workers' rights, environmental laws and indigenous r…
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Mr. Speaker, in Edmonton Strathcona, what people want to see is a reasonable approach to developing nation-building projects. My dad was a truck driver. My family works in the oil and gas sector. Having projects stopped in court and held up in gridlock because we do not do the proper work is a real problem. We also need to make sure we are protecting our wild spaces, protecting our wildlife and en…
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Mr. Speaker, in my opinion, the one thing we can actually prove Stephen Harper built in this country was a whole bunch of division, a whole bunch of groups that were muzzled, scientists who were muzzled. Oh, and he also built what I believe was seven affordable homes during his decade.
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Mr. Speaker, I have a very simple question. This is a very complex piece of legislation. I understand the Conservatives will be voting with the Liberals to support it. What I do not understand is why, with such a complex piece of legislation, the Conservatives voted with the Liberals to prevent the Prime Minister from testifying at committee. They had an opportunity to have the Prime Minister come…
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Mr. Speaker, I think the member perhaps did not hear what I said, because I said that I actually do support big nation-building projects. However, when we do it wrong, as Stephen Harper did, when we do it wrong, as Bill C-5 would, those projects do not get built. They end up in court. There end up being protests. There end up being blockades, because the Liberals are not doing the hard work to ens…
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Mr. Speaker, why did the Conservative Party of Canada vote with the Liberal Party of Canada to prevent the Prime Minister from coming to committee to explain why he brought forward this piece of legislation?
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Mr. Speaker, this is my first speech in the House this Parliament, and I would like to take some time to thank the constituents of Edmonton Strathcona for putting their trust in me again. I would also like to thank my incredible team, both in Edmonton and in Ottawa, for all the work they do to help me. Of course, it would not be a maiden speech if I did not take a moment to thank my dear husband, …
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Mr. Speaker, the Standing Orders clearly indicate we are not able to indicate how a member voted. However, we are able to discuss how parties voted. That is in the Standing Orders. I would like the member to explain why the Conservatives voted with the Liberals to not bring Mark Carney to committee.
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Mr. Speaker, Israel has bombed dozens of sites in Iran, including residential homes, causing hundreds of casualties, including children. Netanyahu is leading the region into yet another war in which civilians will pay the price. Canadians with loved ones throughout the Middle East are terrified of what comes next. We need de-escalation, diplomacy and rule of law. Will Canada condemn this latest es…
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Mr. Chair, in addition to the 11% cut to peace and security spending, there is a 5% cut in development spending and a 40% decrease in peacekeeping since 2016. That does not feel, to me, like a government that is playing a meaningful role on the world stage. In addition to that, the minister knows that there have been recent reports, including from NCCM and the University of Toronto's “Under Layere…
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Mr. Chair, I was not asking if they were going to be working on reducing racism. I was asking if they were going to fix the systems that were systematically targeting Muslim charities within the CRA. The answer he provided does not answer the question I asked him. Indigenous and northern communities continue to face critical challenges, from inadequate infrastructure and housing to limited access …
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Mr. Chair, in the last Parliament, I tabled some legislation that would tie federal transfer payments intended for post-secondary education to be used solely for post-secondary education. It was a piece of legislation that was intended to ensure that the transfer payments we send from the federal government to the provincial government could direct and ensure that post-secondary education became m…
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Mr. Chair, without a budget, it will be difficult for any Canadian to take the minister at his word. The disability benefit is something that was brought up earlier this evening. The payments are meant to be starting in July, and the process to apply for the disability benefit has not even opened yet. Nothing has been done. How does this minister expect that he will be able to pay people the insuf…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge that I stood with my colleague this week as we urged the government to provide honorary citizenship for Jimmy Lai. I appreciate his work on that. It is unfortunate that has not happened yet. The government has announced huge expenditures in defence spending. One of the things I worry about is that this is ultimately a procurement issue, and I am concerned about w…
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Mr. Chair, I would like to extend my congratulations to the minister on his appointment. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has warned that, to pay for the government's promises, deep cuts to the federal public service will be unavoidable. Canadians deserve to know what things are going to be cut. Is it their public health care system? Is it veteran services? What will be cut to make sure that the g…
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Mr. Chair, the minister is responsible for ensuring that those benefits are paid to people living with a disability. I would say those are the people in this country who are most vulnerable and are constantly being asked to wait by the government. The minister also spoke about the important role Canada will continue to play in the world and talked about defence spending. While the New Democrats ar…
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Mr. Chair, yes, and those rules can be changed, which is what our job is here actually, Minister. My next question is on Canada summer jobs. In Edmonton Strathcona, four out of five Canada summer jobs are unfunded, despite the fact that we have a youth employment crisis in this country. I am wondering if the minister has anything to say about the chronic underfunding of the Canada summer jobs prog…
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Mr. Chair, I would like to just point out to the minister that in fact he is responsible for ensuring that money leaves the federal government, and so he has oversight on how that is done. All programs require funding from the federal government, and we have the ability to ask him questions about those funds. The fact that he has not been able to answer very many of those this evening is deeply wo…
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Mr. Speaker, the member spoke a lot about the mandate that the Canadian people have given his government. One of the things the Prime Minister ran on was the idea of “elbows up”, fighting back against Donald Trump and the illegal tariffs that he has put on Canada. However, we have now learned that they are texting, they are buddies and they are sending messages back and forth. They are agreeing on…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians were shocked to learn that the Indian prime minister, Prime Minister Modi, has been invited to the G7 meetings here. This is deeply troubling and hurtful for the Sikh community and for all Canadians who are concerned about human rights and foreign interference. Now we find out that the Saudi leader has also been invited. Honestly, the G7 leaders' summit is becoming a showcas…
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Mr. Speaker, in March, the government announced temporary EI relief because of foreign tariffs. It was lowering the hours needed, waiving the waiting weeks and suspending the severance clawbacks, but those changes are only temporary. I am wondering whether the government will be making those changes permanent for Canadian workers.
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Mr. Speaker, I would believe that questions on trade agreements would be something that the trade minister should be able to answer, and the fact that the minister is not answering that question makes me think he does not actually want to provide an answer to Canadians. Will the government introduce mandatory supply chain due diligence legislation requiring companies to address human rights, inclu…
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Mr. Speaker, will the minister be making those measures permanent for Canadian workers, as the New Democrats have been asking for some time?
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