Government Orders
Madam Speaker, as I begin speaking about this very important topic in the motion, which, in part, asks us to stand in solidarity with and express support for all those affected by the current forest fires and to acknowledge that climate change is having a direct impact on people's quality of life and is exacerbating the frequency and scale of extreme weather and climate events, I want to extend my…
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Madam Speaker, as our government and I have said in the past, they really are hand in hand, the environment and the economy. I think a clean and just transition includes partnerships with our indigenous communities. It includes partnerships with all types of industries to ensure that any transition, and the important transition we have to make, happen with the community coming together and ensurin…
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I can hear the member speaking over me as I am trying to answer his question. It is that we need to continue. This is not a flip of a switch, and everything is fixed with one measure. It is, yes, a price on pollution; yes, it is to get to net-zero emissions; yes, it is to invest in clean technology and to make sure there is a transition to clean technology in our country. It is not partisan politi…
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Madam Speaker, I love that the member opposite feels he needs to draw a short-term transactional type of question here. What I had said in my speech—
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Madam Speaker, I think it is important to transition those that are heavy emitters, but in my speech I also spoke about a company in my riding that, through research and development and by starting a lithium battery within its garage, is now able to make clear reductions to our emissions through clean tech. We invested $4.8 million in that company to ensure that it is able to thrive and provide su…
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Mr. Speaker, today I stand to recognize and celebrate the remarkable journey of HCLTech in Canada. Over the past 14 years, HCLTech has made significant contributions to Canada's technology sector, and it has become one of the leading global technology firms operating in our country. HCLTech's mission to bring together the best of technology and people has helped it prove itself as a socially respo…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I am here today to speak to the private member's bill, Bill C-325, an act to amend the Criminal Code and the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, on conditions of release and conditional sentences. Let me be clear from the onset. I do not support this bill. This bill would have significant negative impacts on the criminal justice system, including exacerbating the overincarcerat…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, last weekend, in front of a sold-out crowd of over 19,000 in Toronto, women MPs from our Liberal caucus and I attended the historic first WNBA pre-season game ever played in Canada. On Saturday, Canada welcomed the Chicago Sky and the Minnesota Lynx, in what was a proud moment for Canadians and, particularly, women in sport. These talented professional athletes, including Canadian ath…
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Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Mississauga—Erin Mills, I have heard from many constituents and small businesses about the need for urgent financial support. Can the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance please update the House on how budget 2023 is going to help Canadians in my riding of Mississauga—Erin Mills and across Canada with reduced credit card fees for small businesses, ince…
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Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to take part in this debate on Bill C-47, an act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on March 28, 2023. Over the past number of years, I have heard from my constituents about how difficult life is getting to sustain. They want to take care of their families and ensure they are doing well, that they are living comfortably and that they…
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Madam Speaker, I think the only thing that is shameful is that we do not highlight the good work the government does, regardless of which government it is. Over the past seven years, not only have we increased Canada student grants and increased our investment in the Canada summer jobs program, but just now, through budget 2023, we have ensured that no interest will be paid on student loans. I thi…
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Madam Speaker, as much as the member would disagree, the government supports that were given during the most difficult time for Canadians in our history, which was COVID-19, helped them keep their lights on and put food on the table. If it means that Canadians can live and sustain themselves as our economy improves and as the global economy improves, our government should definitely be there for C…
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Madam Speaker, the member is absolutely right that Canadians struggle with affordable pharmacare. I think we need to work on that with our provincial and territorial partners to ensure Canadians are well taken care of. I know that seniors have the ability to access affordable pharmacare at this time, and young people do as well. However, we need to come together and make sure we have a robust syst…
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Mr. Speaker, today, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen and the crew of Artemis II join us in Ottawa. This is the historic first crewed mission to the moon in half a century. On April 3, I joined the awesome Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry at NASA, where I witnessed the dedication and the brilliance of the Canadian Space Agency and astronauts like Jeremy Hansen, who are an inspiration to…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of constituents and stakeholders in my community of Mississauga—Erin Mills and citizens across Canada. Petition e-3899 considers the ongoing humanitarian and refugee crisis in Yemen and has garnered over 1,000 signatures. As of today, more than four and a half million Yemeni people have been displaced or forced to flee their homes due to co…
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Mr. Speaker, this evening Muslims in my community of Mississauga—Erin Mills and across Canada will mark the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan. Many of our friends, family members and neighbours will gather at their local mosques to pray, hold Iftars, break their fast and emphasize Canadian and Muslim values such as charity and compassion. This is also a time to reinforce the cultural bonds of…
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Mr. Speaker, over a year ago, this government tabled Bill C-11, the online streaming act. Still, there is so much disinformation about how this legislation helps artists in my riding of Mississauga—Erin Mills and across Canada, while also protecting the freedom of expression for Canadians. Could the Minister of Canadian Heritage please update the House on how this bill would make tech giants pay t…
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Mr. Speaker, every woman counts. On this International Women’s Day, I would like to have the women in my life be counted. I stand where I am today because of women role models and male allies: my Erin Mills Women’s Council's strong leadership toward the empowerment of women and the tackling of our most pressing social issues daily; my mother, my bebey, whose support has provided me with the opport…
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Mr. Speaker, this week, we welcome the Canadian Foodgrains Bank to Parliament Hill as it celebrates its 40-year anniversary. In a world challenged with inequality, it has played a pivotal role toward ending global food insecurity. This includes funding 106 projects in 34 countries serving over 900,000 people, providing food assistance to earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria, and supplying relief…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize an important stakeholder in my community who lost the battle against cancer. Zahid Malik was a young, dynamic and humble community worker who really represented the best qualities of our community and the people who strive to strengthen it every day. He leaves behind a legacy as an accomplished small business person, a dedicated philanthropist, a husband and …
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Mr. Speaker, in December 1995, the hon. Dr. Jean Augustine presented a motion in the House of Commons that officially recognized February as Black History Month in Canada. Today I would like to highlight just a few of the many Black Canadians who have positively shaped Canada and my community of Mississauga—Erin Mills. Oscar Peterson, one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time, called Erin Mill…
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Mr. Speaker, February 11 marks the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. It is a time to recognize the critical place for women and girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. It is a time to recognize that when women succeed, including in STEM, we all succeed. I have had the honour of knowing and supporting some remarkable women in STEM. Zainab Azim, 21 years old, is Can…
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Madam Speaker, I think my hon. colleague's question is an important one, and it goes back to what I was saying: We really need to put the harm reduction principle at the centre of bail reform and how we administer justice in our country as it is. I agree with him. I think tackling the opioid crisis is a big step and is part of the key to resolving the whole framework of providing safer communities…
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Madam Speaker, I had a conversation with our chief of police and many other chiefs of police across the country with respect to how we are protecting our borders. I know that our government has made hundreds of millions of dollars of investments to ensure we have more restrictions at our borders with respect to how firearms are coming across. I have talked to chiefs of police who tell me exactly h…
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Madam Speaker, the whole point of this is that there is no flip of a switch. No one piece of legislation is going to fix the issue of bail reform in our country. As I was trying to say, this is a multi-faceted problem. We need to engage the provincial, territorial and regional governments, and we need to ensure they have the support they need to administer justice. Over the past seven years of our…
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Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak to the motion brought by the hon. member of Parliament for Fundy Royal. I would like to split my time with the member for Kingston and the Islands. First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge the tragic and disturbing events involving the recent deaths of several police officers in this country. It is beyond words to describe how tha…
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Mr. Speaker, I cannot begin to describe what it was like to grow up in Mississauga with a woman like Hazel McCallion as our mayor. She won her election 45 years ago, at a time when many thought it was unthinkable for a woman to seek office. Hazel proved them wrong, and over her 36 years of service, she was a shining example of what a woman in leadership is capable of. Fearless and compassionate, s…
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Madam Speaker, this chamber, this place, is for debate. It is for expressing the opinions of my constituents, and for each and every one of our constituents. I know for a fact that my constituents want this bill to go forward. I know for a fact that each and every member across the aisle, and I have sat and listened to their speeches, have something to contribute to this bill. I would like to see …
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Madam Speaker, before I begin, I just want to let members know I will be sharing my time with the member for Milton. I am rising today to speak to Bill C-20. It is a bill that would establish “an independent body, called the Public Complaints and Review Commission”, which would “review and investigate complaints concerning the conduct and level of service” of the RCMP and the CBSA and “conduct rev…
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Madam Speaker, this bill, this proposition of having an oversight body, is really about equality of opportunity. It is about righting wrongs, regardless of what those wrongs are. It is about using our Charter of Rights and Freedoms as a baseline to ensure Canadians are protected within our country. It is about transparency. It is about openness. I am looking forward to this bill having a positive …
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Madam Speaker, our frontline service members, the ones who really get out there and provide those services at the front end, are doing our country a wonderful service. They are to be commended for their wonderful efforts. What this bill is trying to implement is a way to ensure the services being provided at that front end are objective and fair. Those who feel they have not been properly treated …
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Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to be back in the House after a productive summer in my riding of Mississauga—Erin Mills. In between attending over 160 community meetings and events, visiting local businesses and bringing ministers to Erin Mills to hear directly from residents about local issues, I once again hosted my annual barbecue, where we welcomed over 4,500 residents. I joined colleagues represe…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of grade 8 students at Thomas Street Middle School in Mississauga-Erin Mills to highlight an important figure in our history, Mathieu Da Costa. Mathieu da Costa is said to have been the first recorded person of African descent to set foot on this land that we now call Canada. He is one of so many Canadians of African descent who have helped build this country si…
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Madam Speaker, before I begin, I will let you know that I am sharing my time with the member for Vancouver Granville. I am pleased to stand today to speak to the work by Justice Canada to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. It is a key piece to reconciliation, ensuring the effective implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indi…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said, it is really important for us to listen to indigenous communities with respect to the kinds of services they need. The secretariat will endeavour to find out the best ways to support victims who are indigenous. I know we have a lot of work to do to decrease that overrepresentation within our justice system and to provide that support to indigenous communities and those who …
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Mr. Speaker, I am on the record saying that housing is a human right. It is a basic right that all Canadians, including indigenous communities, deserve. We are prioritizing housing and ensuring that we are building and providing that culturally sensitive support to communities like the indigenous community. I look forward to working with the member opposite to ensure that we are advocating and pus…
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Mr. Speaker, I absolutely, wholeheartedly agree with the example provided by the minister. That nation-to-nation connection of supporting communities and uplifting them, I think, is the only way that we can really achieve proper truth and reconciliation, really building those partnerships with communities and creating a next generation of empowered indigenous peoples who have respect for their cul…
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Mr. Speaker, with a heavy heart I rise today to recognize a remarkable member of the Erin Mills community who passed away on May 30. Shirley Haslam was a constituent, a strong member of the Mississauga Erin Mills Women's Council and she was a dear friend. Shirley was a teacher for 32 years and volunteered with the Arthritis Society and Scleroderma Society for many years. She leaves behind so many …
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Mr. Speaker, I am standing here with a lot of mixed emotions. The member for Mississauga—Lakeshore is a very close personal friend. I met him in 2015. I really value the class, grace and intelligence that he has brought to the House and to each and every one of us, and the advice, level of respect and quality of debate that he has brought to this place. I will be very, very sad to see him go. It h…
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Mr. Speaker, Shireen Abu Akleh spent her career as a journalist shedding light on the plight of the Palestinian people. She was fearless, inspiring and, at her core, a compassionate woman who dedicated herself to bringing a voice to the voiceless. On May 12, she was shot and killed while reporting on an Israeli military raid in the West Bank. Good journalists perform a vital role in democracies ar…
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Madam Speaker, absolutely, I am proud that it was this government that enhanced the CPP so that future seniors will have more pension to live on. I am proud of this government for increasing old age security. I am proud of this government for investing in affordable housing and investing in long-term care for our seniors. Bill C-19 shows us the empathy and the care that we have to really build upo…
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Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak to Bill C-19, the budget implementation act. This bill proposes to officially implement many of the important measures contained in budget 2022, tabled just a few weeks ago, measures that would impact people from all walks of life in my riding of Mississauga—Erin Mills. Budget 2022 contains targeted and responsible investments to create jobs and p…
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Madam Speaker, one of the things I hear very regularly within my community, especially from small business owners, is their inability to find workers and skilled tradespeople who can fill those gaps that are being created. We, as a government, over the past number of years have been finding those pathways to permanent residence for those workers who are highly skilled and want to come and live in …
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Madam Speaker, while I appreciate the question from the member opposite, I think it is ill-informed. We did spend the past two years making sure that Canadians had roofs over their heads, had food on their tables and were able to safely isolate themselves if they had COVID. Bill C-19 and budget 2022 are really about providing that economic recovery. The child care plan that we had installed across…
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, Muslims across Canada and around the world observed the end of the holy month of Ramadan, a time of fasting and charity, and marked the beginning of Eid al-Fitr, a time to pray, feast, give back, help the less fortunate in our communities and celebrate with our loved ones. This Eid, I would like to draw attention to those Muslims across the world who are struggling: the Uig…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I am quite delighted to rise today to speak to this very important issue of Bill C-242: the reuniting families act. This bill proposes to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to allow a parent or grandparent who applies for a temporary resident visa as a visitor to purchase private health insurance outside Canada, and to stay in Canada for a period of five years. I am hopi…
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Mr. Speaker, this has been an exciting week. Budget 2021 set out our plan for affordable child care for only $10 a day. On Monday, Ontario finally signed on, which means we have deals to deliver affordable child care to every province and territory. This has been a top priority in my riding of Mississauga—Erin Mills and we delivered. That was in 2021. Next week, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minis…
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday was the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. This day reminds us that, while progress is being made to fight systemic racism, hate and injustice, there is much more work to do. That work is really important, because uplifting vulnerable communities improves the health and prosperity of all Canadians, including our economy. Can the Minister of Housi…
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Mr. Speaker, on March 8 we celebrate International Women's Day. This year's theme is #BreakTheBias, and what better example than Marian Coveny from Erin Mills. She was a teacher at Loyola Catholic Secondary School and a trail-blazing hockey player. She led Team Canada to undefeated victory in the first-ever women's world hockey tournament in 1987. It was the first game ever played by a Canadian wo…
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Madam Speaker, as I join colleagues today from the national capital region, I respectfully acknowledge that the land on which I am located today is the traditional ancestral and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. The online streaming act is about updating the Canadian broadcasting system so that it better reflects our current environment. Our environment has changed drastically …
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