Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the reason behind the motion is simple: It is politics. The Leader of the Opposition read something in the paper and thought, “Oh, here's something I can talk about and score a few political points”. Let us be honest. However, what more can be done is why we are convening this meeting on Thursday. As I said earlier, it has to be a collaborative effort by all parties involved. Auto man…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I think the member already knows where I stand on cutting police budgets. I disagree with any effort taken by a municipal government that will somehow limit or curtail the ability of the police forces to do their job. This is a serious problem, and we do not deny it is a serious problem, but serious problems require serious solutions, not slogans. The Leader of the Opposition held a p…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Winnipeg North. I am pleased to rise to speak to this motion and to illustrate our action in taking up the fight against organized crime and auto theft. It goes without saying that Canadians must be able to live free from fear of crime in their neighbourhoods. Not only can auto theft cause financial devastation, but it also makes people fe…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, as everybody did, I spent time in my constituency over Christmas and in January. I am very fortunate to have a large Ukrainian constituency. It is a community I have known and worked with since I was a child. Over the holidays, I attended many functions. I spoke with community leader and business leaders. I spoke with people approaching me and trying to find ways to work with govern…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I have had the pleasure of working with the member on a number of very important issues, and I have a lot of respect for his approach to politics. I also want to add my thanks to members of the Canadian military because we all know the good, hard work and effort they put in on our behalf. With respect to the member's question, I would be happy to speak with him off-line, on another …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak this morning about an issue that is very important to Canada, to Ukraine and to the constituents in my riding of Etobicoke—Lakeshore. Of course, I am speaking about the free trade agreement between Canada and Ukraine. We are not here debating carbon pricing. It is my honour to stand today in support of the legislation that would implement the mo…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I am the so-called lost Liberal the member is referring to. I was at that committee. I voted the way I did and I am proud I did. I stood up for unilingual French-speaking citizens in the province of Quebec. I stood up for English speakers and minorities across the country in British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario. The commission is going to be bilingual in nature. It is goi…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the short answer is that the Ukrainians want it in there. I do not know what else there is to say in answer to that question. I have spoken with members of the Ukrainian parliament. I have spoken with members of the Ukrainian community. I was in the room when President Zelenskyy signed the agreement. Ukrainians want it in the agreement; it is as simple as that. An agreement is somet…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I am happy to sit down with the member afterward, work through this and talk about the concerns he has raised to see whether we can find a compromise and a solution.
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I am thrilled to stand in support of my colleague today in seconding Motion No. 75, recognizing the great contribution that Polish Canadians have made in building this country, naming May 3 as Polish constitution day and the month of May every year as Polish heritage month. First, I want to congratulate and thank my colleague from Mississauga East—Cooksville for this initiative. It …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the only expenditure engaged by the Canadian Human Rights Commission in relation to the study and publication of the discussion paper on religious intolerance, published in October 2023, was for the translation of the document from English to French. The total cost for the translation of “Discussion Paper on Religious Intolerance” was $73.08.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, with respect to legal expenses incurred by the government related to the Responsible Plastic Use Coalition v. Canada (Environment and Climate Change) litigation, to the extent that the information that has been requested is or may be protected by any legal privileges, including solicitor-client privilege, the federal Crown asserts those privileges. In this case, it has only waived sol…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker,the Department of Justice undertook an extensive preliminary search in order to determine the amount of information that would fall within the scope of the question and the amount of time that would be required to prepare a comprehensive response. The level of detail of the information requested is not systematically tracked in a centralized database. The Department of Justice conclude…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, parliamentarians perform a pivotal role in Canada’s Westminster system of government by studying and passing legislation, deliberating on matters of national concern, and generally holding the government to account. The Government of Canada consistently strives to be as forthcoming with parliamentarians as possible, while respecting its legal obligations to treat certain types of info…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the Office of the Minister of Justice met with the Mayor of Swan River virtually on May 29, 2023, from 3:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the request of the Mayor. This meeting was attended by a Senior Policy Advisor from the Office of the Minister of Justice and by an Advisor, Parliamentary and Regional Affairs (West and North). The meeting was productive, and it was valuable to hear the per…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the Department of Justice supports the Government of Canada’s commitments to Gender-Based Analysis Plus, or GBA Plus, to help ensure that federal initiatives are responsive and inclusive. The department’s Policy on Gender-Based Analysis Plus: Applying an Intersectional Approach to Foster Inclusion and Address Inequities defines the guiding principles and key steps for the integration …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, until recently, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, CIRNAC, and Indigenous Services Canada, ISC, were part of the same department. In 2019, the Department of Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada split to create the separate departments of CIRNAC and ISC. Consequently, in this reply, reports are combined for CIRNAC and ISC, as some litigation files have both ISC a…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, when I say my heart goes out to this family, I say that on behalf of every member in this chamber. No family should have to experience what this family is currently going through. We recently passed Bill S-12 in this House, which addresses some of these concerns about online safety. The protection of children in our society is of utmost importance. I have a commitment from this side o…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition talks about fighting for freedom in Canada when we live in the freest country in the world. He has hijacked the word for partisan political purposes. He had a chance to stand up for Ukraine, which is truly fighting for freedom, two days ago, and he said no. It is appalling. The opposition lets domestic petty politics interfere with issues that should be is…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, what a wonderful occasion it is today to welcome Sikyong Penpa Tsering of the Central Tibetan Administration to Ottawa. Elected as Sikyong in 2021, he is the voice of the Tibetan people around the world, including right here in Canada. He also served as the speaker of the Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration. I think of the thousands of Tibetans across our communities in C…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, to suggest that any member from any side of this House, or a minister and a member of this government does not stand for the things that he is talking about, is outrageous. He should acknowledge the fact that this government, this minister, has stood firmly and proudly against all forms of hate and our government has taken significant steps in moving forward. I would ask this member…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, the funding has been approved, as the member quite rightly pointed out. The request has been made to the Treasury Board. I am prepared to undertake to explore this issue further and get back to her if she wishes.
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for Nunavut for raising the important issue of the Grassy Narrows situation. I can tell her that I have been to Grassy Narrows. She may have heard me mention earlier this evening that I was born in Thunder Bay, and I am familiar with Grassy Narrows. I am aware of what has been happening there, which is why I went. That is why I went many years ago. It is b…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
One minute is definitely not enough time to respond to that rhetoric, Madam Speaker. My mother used to say that common sense is not that common. I give members exhibit A. This government is doing everything it can to fight climate change. We are standing up for people in my community and we are standing up for people in the member's community. The five generations of farmers he is talking about ar…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, if the member for Battle River—Crowfoot thinks that defending the country from the perils of climate change is left-leaning ideology, then he sees the world through a different lens than I do. Our government understands how important this issue is. Our government understands the impact that climate change is having in our country. We cannot turn on the news without watching the deva…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, let me just start from the beginning. The minister has spoken loudly and clearly, denouncing all forms of hate. If he does not believe me, he should follow him on Twitter and he will see what I am talking about. Everyone in this country has the right to live their life free from fear of attack or abuse because of who they are as an individual. I want to begin by condemning what we s…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the House was scheduled to debate Bill C-57, the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. Instead, the Conservative Party played procedural games by moving a concurrence motion that prevented debate on this important piece of legislation. In recent months, the leader of the Conservative Party has become silent on Ukraine. He has never advocated for military, humanitarian or eco…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today I stand to highlight the recent passage of Bill S-12, which amends the Criminal Code, the Sex Offender Information Registration Act and the International Transfer of Offenders Act. This bill received royal assent yesterday. I want to express my gratitude to all parties and the Senate for its support and dedicated efforts in acknowledging the significance of this legislation and …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, today I rise to speak about Bill S-12, an act to amend the Criminal Code, the Sex Offender Information Registration Act and the International Transfer of Offenders Act. The bill was reported back to us with some modifications by members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights following their careful study of its proposals. Bill S-12 proposes amendments to both the publ…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the focus of this bill is victims' rights. Every section of the bill and every discussion we had with respect to the bill was with that in mind. The publication ban provisions, in particular, were entirely focused on victims' rights and making sure that they have the information that they need when they are caught up or involved in the legal system. I share the member's concern, and…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate my friend's student. I know what an honour it is to be a mentor to young students who are entering the profession and it is quite something when they reach their goal, so well done. First off, I was there and the minister was not hiding behind anybody. Let us make that clear, for starters. This bill is quite clear and we had extensive debate. I really enjoy wo…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, yesterday marked the fifth annual Canadian Beer Day. This year's theme was “Passion and Pride: The People Behind Canadian Beer”. It celebrates those who brew our beloved beer, sell it, deliver it, serve it or simply enjoy it. Canadian brewers play a pivotal role in all of our communities across the country, employing 21,000 Canadians directly and supporting 149,000 hard-working famili…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, we are fully aware of the Government of Saskatchewan's proposed use of the notwithstanding clause. We are dead set against the pre-emptive use of the notwithstanding clause in any circumstances. The notwithstanding clause is intended to protect minority rights, not suppress them. In light of the decision by the court in Saskatchewan yesterday, we would have thought that the Governme…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to join the second reading debate today of Bill S-205, an act to amend the Criminal Code and to make consequential amendments to another act, interim release and domestic violence recognizance orders, which was passed in the Senate this past April. I think all members would agree that the objective of Bill S-205 is laudable. The proposed amendments aim to better protect…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for sharing those stories. Her speech was very powerful and quite moving. Frankly, I applaud her for bringing this bill forward. I know that the member is aware of a previous bill that passed through this House, Bill S-233, regarding the consideration of electronic monitoring in intimate partner violence cases. There is some potential for conflict bet…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, one thing that always amazes me about this House is how much time we spend debating things we agree on. Today appears to be one of those occasions. We have talked about how long it took to get things done and how this began a year ago. We are here now and have a good piece of legislation before us, so my question for the member is whether he is going to support it.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would like to add my thanks to the member for his words today. I have had the pleasure of working with him on the justice committee for many years. I want to thank him for his hard work on intimate partner violence, and for his words today in support of this bill. He has raised, a number of times today, the need to get this bill urgently passed. The leader of the official opposition…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the Tibetan community in Canada, as we mark the end of Asian Heritage Month. In the 1970s and 1980s, Canada opened its doors to Tibetan refugees, offering them a chance to rebuild their lives. They were trailblazers. Many were the first non-European refugees to be permanently resettled in Canada as part of a government-sponsored refugee program. Since that ti…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, increases in duties such as those on alcohol can sometimes provide predictability to businesses. However, as all members of this House know, we are in an unusually high inflation situation. On April 1, the excise inflation adjustment on alcohol was set to increase by 6.3%. I am asking the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance to tell this House what the government is d…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Madam Speaker, on March 10, 2021, this House unanimously adopted Motion No. 18. It is the month of March, and that can only mean one thing: It is Irish Heritage Month. As we celebrate the contributions the Irish have made to building our country, I encourage Canadians in every city and town to take a look in their own community to see that Irish fingerprints are everywhere. From contributing to ou…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I have been sitting on the special MAID committee with the member for some time, and I appreciate his contribution. I take issue when he said that the conversations have been heated and personal. I do not remember it being that way. There were passionate discussions, but it was certainly never personal. I hope he did not find that I ever contributed to that impression. We can disagr…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today concerning the recent by-election in Mississauga—Lakeshore. First, I would like to thank the former MP Sven Spengemann for his seven years of stellar service. This week we elected his successor. I offer my sincere thanks to all the volunteers and candidates for participating in this election and working so hard. It was a tough election for many reasons, not the least of w…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I was born in Thunder Bay, and one of my fondest memories is the time spent with my dad and two brothers walking through the bush on a beautiful fall day. I am proud to say that I am hunter. I would not trade those memories for anything, and I would not want to deny anybody else the opportunity to make them. This is in no way inconsistent with the legislation before the House that wou…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, speaking truth to power is not always easy, but it is necessary. Canadians take inspiration from human rights defenders and leaders like Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who have the courage to speak up for what is right. Her actions, as well as those of Ukrainians, serve as a reminder that we must work together to create the world we want to live in. Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs upda…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour a member of our Hill family who recently left us. For over 33 years, Luce Cousineau served us diligently and faithfully in the parliamentary restaurant. Her warm smile and laugh greeted us and her impeccable service took care of MPs, senators and staff from all sides of the House. She had discerning taste, earning her the nickname “Chef Cousineau” with her colle…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, the day was September 28, 1972. The time was 2:30 p.m. It was the third period. There were 34 seconds left to play, and the goal heard around the world won the critical game between Canada and the Soviet Union. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Summit Series. The players were legends then and they are legends now. While Paul Henderson scored seven times in eight games, even …
Read full speech →Madam Speaker, it is always an honour to rise in this House. It is particularly so today, given the reason we are here. It is always a pleasure to speak when you are in the chair, I might add. Last week, when the world learned of the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, I thought back in history to Winston Churchill, who was the prime minister upon her becoming queen and the prime minister w…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I have risen many times in the chamber to celebrate the important relationship between Canada and Ireland. This week is the first-ever Canada regional conference. It is hosted by the Irish embassy in Ottawa and brings together Irish honorary consuls and the trade promotion agencies from across Canada. Representatives from Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Halifax and Ireland are meeting to…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I too arrived here in 2015 with the member for Mississauga—Lakeshore. I had the honour of knowing him before we were elected. I share a boundary with him; his riding is next door to mine. Most politicians, in my experience, arrive here very impressed with themselves. The member, on the other hand, is very rare. He has the combination of a massive intellect and humility. I want to than…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, residents in my riding of Etobicoke—Lakeshore continue to watch in horror as Russia pursues its war of aggression against Ukraine. The courage shown by the people of Ukraine is inspiring. Canadians expect our government to do everything it can to support their fight for freedom and democracy. Can the Prime Minister update this House on his recent visit to Kyiv with the Deputy Prime Mi…
Read full speech →