Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Health. The report concerns Bill C-234, an act respecting the establishment and award of a living donor recognition medal. The committee studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with amendments. I also have the honour to present in both official language…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to offer comfort to the families who lost their loved ones so tragically, so cruelly and so suddenly in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., but I am at a loss for words. They have all been said. What can I say to ease the pain of a parent who will never again see or hug their child, watch them grow or share with them the ordinary joys and sorrows of daily life? As a mother, my heart breaks fo…
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Mr. Speaker, cardiovascular disease, CVD, remains one of the greatest health challenges facing Canadians today. Currently, one in 12 adults, 2.6 million people, lives with CVD. Nine in 10 Canadians over age 20 have at least one risk factor. More than 750,000 Canadians live with heart failure, and a million live with atrial fibrillation. Nine out of 10 over age 20 are at risk. CVD is one of the mai…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to flag some disconcerting data regarding HIV/AIDS with my colleagues. The goal of ending AIDS as an epidemic globally by 2030 has gone off track. In poor nations, it is now increasing, partly due to U.S. funding cuts. What is alarming is the 35% rise in new cases in Canada this year, especially in Saskatchewan, in Manitoba and among first nations. This is the result of poor tr…
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Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following three reports: the report of the Canadian delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly, respecting its participation of the 24th winter meeting in Vienna, Austria, on February 20 and 21; the report of the Canadian delegation to th…
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Mr. Speaker, as November ends, let us look back at the tragic data on men's mental and physical health in Canada. Too many men are dying young from preventable causes. Men account for 75% of suicides and 72% of opioid deaths. They are at higher risk for cardiac disease, chronic lung disease and many cancers. However, stigma and pride in being macho prevent them from seeking help, and 65% of men sa…
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Health, entitled, “Women's Health in Canada: Closing the Gender Gap”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.
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Mr. Speaker, this is very interesting. British Columbia did not get any money back either. Do you know why? It is because British Columbia had its own carbon tax. The province ran it, and it gave money back to the people by way of social programs. I do not understand why if a province did not participate in the national carbon tax it should be compensated for anything. Does it make sense to you? I…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to honour Gordon Quan, the last of the World War II Chinese veterans in Vancouver, whose life stands as a powerful testament to service, sacrifice and patriotism. At a time when the Chinese were denied full citizenship in Canada, young Gordon volunteered for Force 136, Britain's legendary commandos fighting behind Japanese lines. Denied, he persisted until Canada, running out o…
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Mr. Speaker, building is not just about building houses. It is not just about building housing units. It is about building industries and about building manufacturing sectors. It is about building the skills of workers. It is about creating workers. This is a visionary budget; let us make no bones about it. It is a budget that is looking straight down the road to a strong future for Canada, and th…
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Mr. Speaker, the world has changed. This is a new budget. The hon. member talked a bit about why we should look at productivity. Yes, Canada has lagged in productivity. What do we do when we want to increase productivity? We train people, we skill people, we build industries and we help industry to expand to create jobs. That is what productivity is about. We make sure that women can join the work…
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Mr. Speaker, I have not been this excited about a budget since 1995, when we faced a $43-billion deficit, 18% mortgages and 26% youth unemployment, left to us by the Conservative government of the day. Jean Chrétien's budget was transformative, as is this one. It looked at Canada going into the 21st century and prepared us for that. It was a budget that looked forward and built for the future. Thi…
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Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the following report. It is from the Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly respecting its participation in the election observation mission in Washington, D.C., and other regions of the United States of America from…
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Health entitled “Saving More Lives: Improving Guidance, Increasing Access and Achieving Better Outcomes in Breast Cancer Screening”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.
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Mr Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the following reports: the report of the Canadian delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly respecting its participation at the 31st annual session in Bucharest, Romania, from June 29 to July 3, 2024; and the report of the Canadian…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank Vancouver Centre residents for putting their trust in me again, for the 11th time. I will work hard to represent them. I speak to them now, though, not as an MP but as a physician. I fear for the health of our children. Canada faces an outbreak of measles as has been unseen in decades. We eliminated measles in 1998, and now it is back. Measles is the most contagious of…
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly, respecting its participation at the 22nd autumn meeting in Dublin, Ireland, from October 2 to 4, 2024.
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 16th report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, entitled “Future of CBC/Radio-Canada: Challenges and Opportunities”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report. I would like to congratulate the committee on all sides for the most remar…
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, two reports of the Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly, with one respecting its participation at the 23rd winter meeting in Vienna, Austria, from February 22-23, and with the other respecting its participation at th…
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following two reports of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. The first is the 14th report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, entitled “Harms Caused by Illegal Sexually Explicit Material Online”. The second is the 15th report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, entitled “The Holding of a Nat…
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 13th report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage entitled “Tech giants' intimidation and subversion tactics to evade regulation in Canada and globally”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Pharmacare Act received royal assent on October 10. British Columbia has been benefiting from that act, saving the province $28 million because of free contraceptives. Now with the passage of this bill, women and gender-diverse Canadians have access to contraceptives across Canada. The Pharmacare Act also includes access to expensive diabetes medications and tools. These life-savi…
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Mr. Speaker, we have a problem. Thirty years ago, polio was eradicated in the Americas. Two generations of children were made safe from the death and disability that polio wrought. Now we must wage this battle again. We are seeing long-eradicated diseases making a comeback, mostly because of the disinformation that fuels anti-vax communities. As a physician, I watch in despair as conditions such a…
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 12th report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, entitled “Safe Sport in Canada.” This is a report everyone should read because it tells us about the deplorable state of safety in sports in Canada. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to the rep…
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 10th report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, in relation to Bill C-316, an act to amend the Department of Canadian Heritage Act on the court challenges program. The committee studied the bill and decided to report it back to the House with amendments.
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Mr. Speaker, Vancouver has a vibrant and innovative cultural scene known for its firsts in Canada. Ballet BC ranks number three in North America. The VSO, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, featured students playing solos and complex pieces alongside the professional orchestra on the Day of Music last weekend, with five free venues across the city. Now they plan to merge performances of dance, symp…
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Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 10th report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage on the main estimates 2024-25.
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Mr. Speaker, as a family doctor who delivered close to 500 babies, I am concerned about access to reproductive choice. Claiming to support reproductive choice is not enough. We must pass legislation that makes it fully accessible to all. The pharmacare act is a start. It would provide free contraception to over nine million patients. Unfortunately, our Conservative colleagues oppose it. They also …
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Mr. Speaker, Black Mental Health Week begins next week. It is a time to amplify Black voices and support equity in mental health. It is time to correct the disproportionate lack of Black health researchers, so we can deliver culturally appropriate mental health solutions. It is time to act to improve the wide gap in health outcomes for many Black Canadians that is the result of historical and syst…
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Mr. Speaker, I wish a happy Black History Month to residents in my riding of Vancouver Centre. I want to highlight their contributions to economic development and job creation in B.C. I also want to give a shout-out to the Black Business Association of BC, an umbrella organization for small businesses that works to help Black entrepreneurs thrive and expand despite the systemic barriers they still…
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Mr. Speaker, sexual and reproductive health touches all aspects of human health and well-being. It affects physical and mental health. It impacts social participation. It ensures healthy reproductive organs, family planning, pre- and post-natal care, the delivery of healthy babies and safe abortion. There is a push globally to limit access to the full range of sexual and reproductive health care. …
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Vaughan—Woodbridge. I am standing here to speak against this motion. It is a motion that is so based on ideology. It would do great harm to Canadians. A carbon tax is regarded by a majority of economists and policy researchers to be the most simple and powerful tool to limit carbon dioxide emissions. It is based on a premise that the pol…
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Madam Speaker, I think I said it all in my speech, but I will reiterate it. BC Stats and Statistics Canada say that the B.C. economy rose by 12.4% when other economies in Canada were going down. They said that 300 new companies, since the tax took effect, are now moving into B.C. to work in green technology. We are looking at about 130,000 new jobs in B.C. and about $90,000 per capita. I have no i…
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Madam Speaker, it is very clear that we do not just have a price on pollution. As we can clearly see, we are investing in green technologies across the country. In Quebec, B.C. and across the country, we are helping to build new industries. We are giving them start-up funds, we are moving them forward and they are growing extremely well. That is one of the things we are doing. At the same time, so…
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Madam Speaker, I do not think the Liberals are doing that anymore. They have moved to stop helping oil and gas companies. When I talked about British Columbia, one of the things that happened was that fuel usage went down by 16%, so it is not using as much fuel. We are investing in electric cars. Across the country, there is a whole highway that allows for the use of electric cars. We are putting …
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moved that the bill be concurred in.
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Madam Speaker, once again, I think that is a good question, and I want to thank the member for bringing it up. We need to remember one very important thing. While it is very important to look at standards of care, with the huge death toll we saw in long-term care homes, in fact, it is not a federal jurisdiction to do those things. Long-term care is provincial jurisdiction. We are, at the moment, n…
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Madam Speaker, I am getting very good questions here. I want to point out that we are talking about the COVID pandemic, but let us remember that measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria and small pox had all gone and died. They were not occurring anymore. They are coming back now because of vaccine deniers, people who are not vaccinating themselves. We are going to see polio once again, with children s…
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Madam Speaker, I think that is a very important point, and I think we know that zoonoses are on the rise. Once again, it is that people are in contact with the animal world more than we used to be in contact with them. We are visiting game farms. We have the ability to meet wild animals in the wild. What we learned and must remember in this pandemic remembrance day is that zoonoses are very import…
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moved that the bill be read the third time and passed. Madam Speaker, this is a simple bill. Everyone has heard about it. In simple language, the bill states that throughout Canada, each and every year, March 11 would be known as “pandemic observance day”. There are about three reasons to do this. The first is to remember that, to date, 57,000 people in Canada have actually died from COVID-19, to …
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Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliamentary Assembly respecting its participation in the 30th annual session, held in Vancouver, British Columbia, from June 30 to July 4, 2023.
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canadian Delegation to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Parliament Assembly respecting its participation in the 22nd Winter Meeting in Vienna, Austria, from February 23 to 24.
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the seventh report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in relation to Bill S-202, an act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (Parliamentary Visual Artist Laureate). The committee has studied the bill and has decided to support the bill back to the House, with amendments.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise to mourn the passing of the Honourable Selwyn Romilly. He was the first Black student to graduate law at UBC, the first Black provincial court judge and the first Black justice on the B.C Supreme Court. Indeed, he had many firsts. Three years ago, at 81, he was the first Black retired justice to be handcuffed in public by the Vancouver Police who had mistaken him for a 40-year-…
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Mr. Speaker, Tuesday was World Contraception Day. As access to sexual and reproductive services comes under attack globally, more voices are calling for the right to universal free contraception. My province of B.C. set an example this April by implementing the policy. It is time for all of Canada to follow suit. Preventing an unwanted pregnancy is vital to reproductive health and gender equality.…
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moved that the bill be read the third time and passed. Madam Speaker, for those who do not remember, I just want to quickly refresh them. This bill seeks to amend the Criminal Code under section 215, to ensure that there is a clear duty of the persons responsible for providing the necessaries of life to vulnerable adults to do so. It is very clear. I want to thank the House. All of the parties hav…
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moved that the bill be concurred in.
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Madam Speaker, that is a good question. If someone did not provide the necessaries of life and was responsible for doing it, and we penalized them either with fines or jail time and prohibited them from being able to even volunteer in such institutions for three years, I think we should give them the benefit of the doubt that they may have learned some lessons. It is important, therefore, for peop…
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Madam Speaker, no, I do not see that it has any relationship to this bill. The MAID, medical assistance in dying, bill is very clear in terms of what it is supposed to encompass and how it is supposed to encompass that. This has nothing to do with that. Before MAID even came about, there were institutions that looked after vulnerable adults. We want to make sure that we do not have a repeat of wha…
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Madam Speaker, that was a very leading question. I think it is important to note that the criteria and guidelines for medical assistance in dying for people suffering from a mental illness are very clear. I co-chaired the committee that looked at MAID for a year and a half. It was a joint committee with the Senate. We heard so many witnesses who told us that there is a very clear distinction betwe…
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