Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, when Hindu Brahmins from the Kashmir Valley faced persecution from Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, they sought refuge with the ninth Sikh guru, Tegh Bahadur, whose name means “brave with a sword”. Aurangzeb had offered them a cruel choice: abandon their faith or offer a great sacrifice. On hearing this, a young Gobind Rai, who would go on to become the 10th Sikh guru and who was the son of …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, we know that Canadian law and the Constitution of Canada are a living tree, so I think it makes sense to look at other jurisdictions and their laws. When we look at the charter, we see that it will always apply to legislation we bring forward, so I suggest that all colleagues support the bill.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the ultimate responsibility for deciding bail and for deciding what the sentence eventually will be would always lie with the judge; the judge would have that latitude to play with. When we talk about the reverse onus brought in specifically for auto theft, it is violent auto theft for which the reverse onus would be activated. When we are talking about just auto theft, the principles…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to address an issue that goes to the very heart of Canadians' confidence in their justice system: bail reform. This is not a matter of legal procedure. It is about the safety of our communities, and it is directly tied to the responsibility that we bear as parliamentarians to uphold both justice and fairness. Across the country, Canadians are seeing the impac…
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Mr. Speaker, I think Canadians hold the Charter of Rights and Freedoms very dear in their hearts. During the election and during periods when the Leader of the Opposition campaigns, he has consistently referred to the “three strikes and you're out” rule. That law would be unconstitutional from the very foundation of where it comes from. It is not the type of law and society Canadians want. They wa…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I think the question is unfounded, because if my colleague were to listen to my speech and actually read the bill, he would know that we would be strengthening bail laws so bail would be harder to get in a case exactly like the one the member mentioned. If he supports the rights of victims, and the victims whom I have spoken to support the bill, I hope my colleagues from the other sid…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 16th report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security in relation to the motion adopted on October 23, 2023, regarding the growing problem of car thefts in Canada.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 15th report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security in relation to the supplementary estimates (B), 2024-2025.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, very recently we have seen acts of unlawfulness and indecency at the Hindu Sabha Mandir in Brampton and the Sri Guru Singh Sabha in Malton. The vast majority of Canadians are peace-loving and believe that every Canadian should have the right to practise their faith freely and safely. We have also heard from the RCMP that foreign elements are seeking to destabilize the harmony in our c…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled to share that an all-girls team from Darcel Avenue Sr. Public School, located in Malton, has won first place at the World Robot Olympiad in Italy. Known as the “Forest Guardians”, Chathak, Melanie, Chitra and Rubanya created the Blaze-Bot, designed to sense wildfires in their early stages and alert local fire stations before it is too late. Under the coaching of their Fr…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my hon. colleague for his thoughts on the misinformation and disinformation campaign that seems to be emanating from the Government of India. It is very coordinated. I am sure he has seen an uptick in bots on Twitter as well, and I wanted to get his thoughts on that.
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague and I both represent the Peel region, a region that has a large South Asian diaspora. He and I have had conversations with residents who are rightly concerned based on the allegations put forward by the RCMP. What conversations has he had with residents, and how does he reassure residents that the RCMP has the backs of Canadians?
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, my colleague is very quick to react to the past nine years, but I implore him to look at the years in which he was in government, when he was a minister. Then, there was a lack of investment in our police service and in our security agencies. It is our Prime Minister—
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his work and advocacy on this file, as well as for the question he just posed. Immediately after the Prime Minister stood in the House last year and again when he stood last week to indicate the news about the agents of the Government of India, we saw deflection and denial from Indian state media and, in fact, all Indian media. It is so coordin…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, in fact, that is a conversation I have had with my own family, in terms of what this means. Many deep-seated fears were realized when, last year, the Prime Minister stood in this very House, not too far from where I am standing now, and declared that there is evidence to show that agents of the Government of India have done some very bad things in this country to repress Canadians. …
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, it was a little over a year ago when I rose in this very chamber and called on all Canadians to unite. It was earlier that week when the Prime Minister stood in this House to tell all Canadians that our security agencies had been actively pursuing allegations of a link between agents of the Government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen. Since that time, much has taken pl…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, when the member was a minister, there was a severe lack of funding for security agencies and for police agencies in this country. It is our Prime Minister who set up NSIRA and NSICOP. He has stood in the House and declared that he was for Canada, for Canadians and for protecting their fundamental freedoms. That is our Prime Minister.
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, in the wake of the RCMP's alarming statement revealing it has gathered credible evidence that agents of the Indian government are involved in serious criminal activity in Canada, including coercion, extortion and homicides, many Canadians are understandably shaken and concerned for their safety. Trust in our institutions is being tested, and the sense of security that Canadians should…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for her consistent work on human rights. The leader of the NDP has top secret security clearance, and he has done a fine job speaking on this issue. What are her thoughts on the fact that the leader of the official opposition claims he will be silenced if he receives top secret security clearance?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canadian families know that the Liberal government will be there to support them when they need it most. Government programs, such as $10-a-day child care and a pharmacare system that helps to pay for contraceptives, have allowed a record number of women to enter the workforce. This is huge for Canadian families and the economy. Can the Minister of Families notify this House how we wi…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, our government will always uphold the Charter of Rights and Freedoms to protect Canadians' rights. We even established a rule, in 2019, that every government bill must be accompanied by a charter statement to ensure that Canadians' rights are respected in all legislation. Last week, the Leader of the Opposition admitted that he would overrule Canadians' rights using the notwithstandin…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, climate change is one of the most pressing issues of our time, and carbon pricing is the backbone of our climate plan. It has been one year since the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada was named leader, and he has offered Canadians absolutely nothing in terms of climate policy. There are no plans, no solutions. In 2023, Canadians know how important it is to fight climate chang…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Mississauga—Malton, I know people are concerned about crime. They want to know what our government is doing to make sure that people are safe. This is why I was pleased to see the House unanimously pass Bill C-48 last week, which would help ensure that violent repeat offenders would not get bail. Could the Minister of Justice tell us more about the progress of this leg…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, the member's riding is a neighbour to my riding, and we share some of the same communities. I have heard the same concerns from folks with family member abroad, both immigrants and individuals who were born in Canada who have families overseas. Individuals fundamentally respect the rule of law no matter where they come from or where they are, and the rule of law is what this country s…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, my answer to the member is an resounding yes. We should call on our partners who respect the rule of law to hold countries that engage in foreign interference to account.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, yesterday, the Prime Minister rose in this chamber to speak about something that strikes at the core of sovereignty of Canada. Now I wish to speak to all Canadians. As the PM said, over the past number of weeks, Canadian security agencies have been actively pursuing credible allegations of a potential link between agents of the government of India and the killing of a Canadian citizen…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, the federal government chose Justice Hogue to lead the independent public inquiry, and she will be tasked with investigating the interference by China, Russia and other foreign states and non-state actors in the 2019 and 2021 elections and otherwise. Her background is legal, as is mine. It is to respect the rule of law, and she was appointed under the Inquiries Act. The commissioner w…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, as a member of the Sikh community of Canada, I know Canadians stand united against foreign interference in all of its forms, including the targeting of diverse Canadians who come from diverse countries. I am an immigrant myself, and I have family within India. I share the same concerns that my hon. colleague raised. Again, there is an ongoing investigation. I cannot comment on that in…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight the great news we received last week that Bill C-46 received royal assent here in the House and a quick but thorough study in the Senate. Can the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance highlight how this bill will help Canadians in my riding of Mississauga—Malton?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, EI is something that is under consideration by this government. This government will never leave vulnerable Canadians behind. We will support vulnerable Canadians and our workers. That is exactly why my speech touched on automatic tax filing and on drawing more RESP loans for students. This government believes in the right of every Canadian to live in dignity, so we will support Can…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, my speech was on budget 2023 and that is what I will focus on. In opposition to Conservative logic, we cannot just cut our way into growth. We have to provide subsidies to companies that are creating jobs here in Canada, and that is something we can all agree on. Short-sighted, crisis-driven spending is never the answer. The answer is a fiscally responsible blueprint for jobs, which…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, EI was there for Canadians during the pandemic. We will continue to look at the system and how we can modernize it for our current day. Once again, these programs are meant to help vulnerable Canadians. That is exactly why I was touching on automatic tax filing for Canadians, which will help vulnerable Canadians who have not been able to access Canadian benefits. We also looked at s…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the defining issue of our time is how to keep the promise of a better future alive for everyone. We have a choice. We can settle for a country where a few people do very well and everyone else struggles to get by, or we can work toward a promise of a country where everyone gets a fair shot, where we all play by the same rules and where the strong do not get to pick on the weak and t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, my colleagues and I have heard from constituents about the ongoing mass suspension of Internet services in Punjab, India. Canadians have family and friends who are visiting Punjab and who do not have access to the Internet. Could the Minister of Foreign Affairs update the House on the ongoing situation?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Mississauga—Malton, rent and housing costs have risen for so many, especially working individuals, families and our most vulnerable. They need help, and they need it immediately. Could the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion please tell the House what our government is doing to help renters and those struggling with the cost of housing through this difficul…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the Conservatives used every tactic in the tool box to delay and block Bill C-11. At committee, all the members agreed to study the bill for 20 hours of witness testimony. However, the Conservatives did not allow that because they filibustered for seven hours. They went as far as to filibuster their own study at one point. Why will the colleague and his colleagues not support Canada…
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Madam Speaker, I welcome my colleague's support for this bill. It explicitly excludes all user-created content on social media platforms and streaming services. These exclusions mean that experiences for users creating, posting and interacting with other user-generated content will not be impacted whatsoever. I would like to ask my hon. colleague what he thinks of the Conservatives, who have been …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, this bill and this government have consistently been painted by the Conservatives as being soft on crime. I would like to ask my hon. colleague whether all mandatory minimums are being repealed or only a subset. If it is a subset, why that subset?
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, many people have made the trek from the villages of Punjab to Canada to build a life. Baldev Singh Sidhu went back to Punjab so that he could build the lives of others. With a passion for fighting, he started a boxing academy in his native village of Chakar. One day a young boy, a village-born child, showed up at his door, wanting to fight to prove himself after being at odds with a f…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I humbly reject the premise of my hon. colleague's question. We would not be decriminalizing drugs with this bill. We are looking at mandatory minimum penalties. I want to be clear that this is not a soft-on-crime approach. Those who commit serious offences would continue to receive serious sentences. Our bill is about getting rid of the failed policies that filled our prisons with …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, again, these proposed measures represent an important step in further addressing systemic issues related to existing sentencing policies. We know rooting out systemic racism and discrimination cannot be accomplished with just one measure—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I agree with the sentiment behind my colleague's question, but my speech was on mandatory minimum penalties, which is what we are here to talk about. This is an important step in the right direction. I would like to see the data surrounding other MMPs to see if they are also having a desperate effect on communities to see if we could further repeal those.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I disagree with the premise of my hon. colleague's question. These policies have been shown through data to affect marginalized communities, and by repealing them, we are helping those communities and those individuals who were targeted to rejoin society. The way the policies are currently set up, they are focused on retribution, and we are trying to change that.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the time has come to turn the page on many mandatory minimum penalties. This was a policy that in the end did not discourage crime. It certainly did not make our justice system any more fair. All it did was imprison far too many indigenous, Black and marginalized Canadians. The evidence is in the numbers of the prison population, and the numbers are stark. Indigenous individuals rep…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, inscribed at the top of one of the great law schools of this continent is the motto “Not under man, but under God and law”. I would read these words and feel a sense of pride that ours was a nation of laws, not men; a nation of citizens, not parties; of Canadians, not Liberals or Conservatives. For a nation as big and diverse as ours, our institutions, our norms and our rules bind us …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, MMPs are a part of the destructive Harper-era policies that have not deterred crime, have not kept us safer and have clogged up our courts. This party is the reason we are in this position. They were more concerned with locking up low-risk first-time offenders and targeting people of colour than truly keeping our communities safe. Could the hon. minister please expand on CSOs and how …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, whether it be $10 a day for child care, or historic investments in affordable housing, our government is committed to making life more affordable for Canadian families. We know that, traditionally speaking, Canadians have paid some of the highest cellphone bills in the world. Could the Prime Minister please update the House on actions being taken to make cellphone plans more affordabl…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, my constituents in Mississauga—Malton are worried about the rising cost of housing. They want to see federal leadership to create more affordable housing. Unfortunately, while our government delivers that leadership through the national housing strategy, Conservative Party members continued to repeat disinformation about a non-existent home equity tax in right-wing media last week. Ca…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, mental health is very important, especially in ethnic communities, which seem to suffer more during crises like the pandemic because there is no targeted support for them. This is a conversation I have had with friends, and it is unfortunately a very sad conversation. I am very thankful that the Prime Minister has appointed a Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, and I look forwar…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, housing is a priority for this government. That is why we are introducing a rent-to-own program and have the first-time homebuyer incentive. In fact, we will ban foreign home ownership for years to come so that homes can be more affordable for Canadians. The right to a home for Canadians is a right that everyone should enjoy, and it is something we should work toward. We will ensure t…
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