Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, each year, two students from each of my riding's seven secondary schools are selected to participate in a program called the “Capital Experience”. During their three-day trip to Ottawa, they will learn about various career opportunities that await them following their graduation from post-secondary education. I would like to introduce this year's participants: Brody Bolger and Veronic…
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Madam Speaker, in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, people are worried about how they will get to work, heat their homes and put food on the table. Douglas wrote to me about the cost of diesel: “I couldn't believe that diesel in Lindsay ranges from $2.16 to $2.40. With diesel being so high, grocery prices will rise even more and make it more unaffordable for the low and middle class to buy food. Wh…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak to Bill S-219, an act respecting a national ribbon skirt day. This bill aims to further educate Canadians about the role of indigenous women and indigenous culture and heritage, and to celebrate those contributions. The ribbon skirt is a symbol of womanhood, identity, adaptation and survival. It is a way for indigenous women to honour themselves a…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' out-of-control spending and tax hikes are increasing the cost of everything. Food prices in remote indigenous communities are two and a half times higher than the national average, and rising fuel prices are just compounding inflation's economic toll on families absolutely everywhere. While the minister monitors the situation, families are struggling with food and heat t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
moved: That, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of the House, the motion for second reading of Bill C-29, An Act to provide for the establishment of a national council for reconciliation, be deemed adopted on division, deemed read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs.
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Mr. Speaker, on average, Canadians now spend more of their income on taxes, at 43%, than they do on necessities such as food, shelter and clothing, which combined amount to 35%. Families are growing increasingly desperate as they stretch out their paycheques to fight inflation, a weakening dollar and out-of-control tax increases by the government. When will the Prime Minister listen to their pleas…
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Mr. Speaker, the new Conservative leader will put people first: their paycheques, their homes, their retirements and their country. It is time for action and it is time to return a sense of self-sufficiency to a people who have had it stripped away by the paternalistic, archaic and broken Indian Act. Canada's Conservatives, under our new leader, would restore to indigenous people more control of t…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, yes, it is exactly what I pointed out in my speech. We should first of all be ready to have this conversation, and there are many who are ready to have this conversation. Many acknowledge the barriers the Indian Act has imposed upon communities right across the country. There are communities, as I mentioned in my speech, that are ready for this conversation now. There are some conside…
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Mr. Speaker, we want to, as I mentioned in my speech, respect the various jurisdictions, such as provincial and municipal governments, and work with them in partnership when there is an opportunity to do so. We also do not want to overstep and be the federal government that knows best.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to speak to Bill C-29, the national council for reconciliation act. This bill is the government's attempt after six and a half years to address the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action 53 through 56. Indeed, since 2015, the Liberal government, for all its rhetoric on reconciliation, has only fully implemented 11 out of the 94 ca…
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Mr. Speaker, we have talked about the slow response to the TRC calls to action. We have done that many times in committee. We have questioned the minister over and over again about the slow response to these calls to action. Right now we are talking about Bill C-29, and we are pointing out flaws and things the government has missed in its bill. As I said in my question to that member opposite a fe…
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Mr. Speaker, a few moments ago my colleague from Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River asked a question of the minister regarding what we feel on this side of the House is a flaw in the bill, and that is call to action 56, which we feel is not properly addressed in this piece of legislation. The minister responded that the opposition should propose an amendment to the call to action we think is flaw…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member opposite's work on the committee. Yes, obviously we want to ensure everything is done properly. It is why my colleague from northern Saskatchewan and I just outlined in our speeches some improvements we would like to see made. At the same time, there are less than nine calls to action under federal jurisdiction that have actually been completed, and we have bee…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, residents in my riding are making hard decisions when it comes to everyday essentials. Paul, from Omemee, is caught in a catch-22, because he has to work more than 50 hours a week just to make a living. Barbara, a senior in Bobcaygeon, worries as her savings dwindle away. Scott, from Burnt River, has concerns that the ongoing cost of diesel could mean the end of his business. Brad, fr…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to all contracts for Cloud-Based Storage Services at the Protected B level since 2016: what are the details of all such contracts, including for each (i) the date, (ii) the vendor, (iii) the amount, (iv) the description of goods or services, (v) the duration of the contract, (vi) whether the contract was sole-sourced, (vii) reason for sole-sourcing the contract, if applicable?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his strong advocacy of my riding, which he drives through almost weekly on his way to Ottawa, and I know he does love that Kawartha Dairy ice cream. We mentioned gun crime. If we are talking about reducing the shootings in our major cities, we need to stop the smuggling of these firearms into the country. That is one area that has been exceptionally clear in muc…
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise to speak to Bill C-5, which seeks to make changes to the Criminal Code that would make life easier for criminals charged with violent firearms offences and criminals who are fuelling the opioid crisis here in Canada. Most of the offences we are discussing today, for which the Liberals want to get rid of mandatory jail time, are crimes that involve firearms. To be clear, t…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my friend's leniency as I was talking about the work that my fine municipal counterparts were doing in their communities. As I mentioned in my speech, there were a number of platforms that each party in the House campaigned on very hard. Mental health was one. Addictions were another. Safe communities were another one we championed quite well. Where we differ in the conve…
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Mr. Speaker, accountability means taking responsibility when one fails, but the government would rather blame Canadians. The Minister of Transport blames Canadian families wanting to vacation for passport delays and long lines at airports. The Minister of Public Safety blames Canadians for his failure to tackle gang violence on law-abiding Canadians. What is next: blaming inflation on taxpayers, w…
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Mr. Speaker, constituents in my riding are complaining non-stop about delays at Service Canada, like Melody, whose child’s passport did not arrive in the mail. She waited in line all day, only to be rudely told to go home. Michael stood in line for seven hours for a copy of his social insurance number in an office that had one employee, but usually has six. Now, Service Canada will not even talk t…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, residents at Kawartha Lakes felt the loss of two prominent historians and authors. Bev Ewen grew up working at his family's convenience store in Kirkfield, delivering milk to try to get himself through university to complete his teaching degree. After retiring from the Durham District School Board, Bev volunteered with the Kirkfield and District Historical Society,…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, of course dental care is an issue. In every community, people are trying to access it, and I think we need to do a better job of that. The feds need to work better with the provinces to figure out a solution to that. However, there are priorities every government must manage. First we need a strong economy in order to fund those programs, and at this point our economic anchors are b…
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Madam Speaker, to the member across the way, I appreciate that. I am pleased to rise today, not only as the member of Parliament for Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, but also as the critic or shadow minister for indigenous services on behalf of the official opposition, to speak on the budget implementation act, Bill C-19, an act to implement certain provisions of the 2022 budget. As I am sure many…
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Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Winnipeg North for that important recognition and comment. He is right that today is Red Dress Day. We had a debate yesterday in the House until midnight regarding murdered and missing indigenous women and girls, and a lot of emotions were being shared in this chamber. We also talked about other campaigns. In my speech yesterday I talked about Red Dress Day, t…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, my friend from the Bloc is absolutely right. Housing is a major concern for indigenous people, first nations and those who are off reserve specifically, which I think his question referred to. There is a major problem with access to affordable housing. There are some solutions we can talk about, such as incentivizing municipalities to speed up the process and costs associated with a…
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Mr. Chair, in Canada, we know that there are different campaigns and organizations that exist to raise awareness and honour indigenous women and girls who have either been murdered or gone missing. As some members have mentioned, tomorrow is Red Dress Day. There is also the Moose Hide Campaign Day, the Faceless Dolls Project and many others. In addition to participating in events such as those, ho…
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Mr. Chair, I appreciate the question from my friend for Nunavut. She is a great advocate for her territory in committee. I enjoy working with her. In fact, I have learned a lot from her and respect everything she has to say. I truly enjoy my time with her. I see the member for Winnipeg Centre right in front of her, who also spent time on committee. I learned a lot from her as well. In terms of the…
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Mr. Chair, I thank my friend for Shefford for that question. She is absolutely right. Even in committee, the experts said that the numbers were not as accurate as they probably could be, because the correct information was not there and the data was not there. We heard a number of recommendations from committee, all the way from changing how indigenous police services are able to operate, act and …
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Mr. Chair, I would be open to hearing anything that helps solve this problem and makes it safer for indigenous women and girls anywhere. As we did here in committee, there are a number of changes that can be made so that indigenous police services have a level playing field with non-indigenous police services. That might help people feel safe and change that relationship a bit. I would support tha…
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Mr. Chair, I rise today in the House to speak to a matter that evokes strong emotions on all sides, a matter that speaks to the tragedy of racism and discrimination and a matter that requires continued vigilance to overcome. Of course, I speak of the horrors of the murdered and missing indigenous women and girls in this country. Before I get into my speech, I would like to thank my colleague, the …
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I can personally attest to the devastating impact multiple sclerosis has on families. As some may know, my mother succumbed to a progressive form of MS a few years ago. I can still remember the impact that diagnosis had on her, from coming to terms with the news, to planning home renovations that included a wheelchair ramp and accessible bathroom. As it worsened, it left a loved one w…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, this is Mental Health Week, and I want to highlight the work of two amazing organizations in my riding. I send a big shout-out to Marg Cox, a tireless champion at the Haliburton County Youth Wellness Hub, one of only 10 such centres in Ontario. Despite restrictions imposed by COVID, the hub served 656 youth aged 12 to 25 last year, helping with mental health, substance abuse, primary …
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Madam Speaker, I thank my friend from the NDP for his very passionate speech and his commitment to those suffering with addictions. As the member mentioned, the theme of Mental Health Week, which is this week, is empathy. I think it has been said many times that the shortest distance between two people is in fact empathy, and that we can actually start to bridge some of the divides and heal our co…
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The hon. member for Calgary Centre has 20 seconds or less.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, price shocks on everyday items continue to hurt a growing number of Canadians, and it appears the worst is yet to come. Inflation is almost 7%. We have price inflation and currency inflation happening at the same time. Interest rates are on the way up. People of all ages, especially those on the margins, are trimming expenses just to make ends meet. The dream of home ownership is movi…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to asylum seekers who entered Canada at the unauthorized border point at Roxham Road since the government lifted the crossing ban on November 1, 2021: (a) how many asylum seekers have crossed the border at Roxham Road; (b) how many of the individuals in (a) were (i) fully vaccinated, (ii) not fully vaccinated; (c) were asylum seekers who were not fully vaccinated returned to the United…
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Madam Speaker, the Liberals' failure to take the crisis facing our food supply seriously hurts Canadian farmers and families. The Ontario Agri Business Association and farmers in my riding support sanctions against Russia. However, they have asked, along with Conservatives, if tariffs will apply to fertilizer purchased before March 2 and if orders will be allowed to be offloaded here in Canada. Wi…
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Madam Speaker, Canadians are still deeply concerned that the government has no plan to address skyrocketing food and gas prices. An inflation crisis, coupled with supply chain shortages, is forcing many businesses to raise prices anywhere from 25% to 40% just to stay afloat. Higher energy, fertilizer, wheat and corn prices are all impacting the cost of food here in Canada. When will the Prime Mini…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak to private member's bill, Bill S-214, an act to establish international mother language day. International mother language day is a worldwide annual observance held on February 21 to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity and to promote multilingualism. Mother language day is part of a broader initiative to promote the preservation and protectio…
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Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise to talk about Bill C-8, an economic and fiscal update tabled in December of 2021. Before I get to the crux of my speech, I want to point out that this bill would add an additional $70 billion of new inflationary fuel to the fire we are seeing already with our public finances. Inflation was at 5.7% in February. We are seeing supply chain shortages and labour …
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Madam Speaker, this is our job. We are legislators. We are supposed to be criticizing. We are supposed to be talking about how we can improve pieces of legislation. I will not stop talking about this issue and the causes of inflation when we are talking about a bill that is adding an additional $70 billion in new spending. I have just gone through how printing money and expanding the money supply …
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Madam Speaker, this is a point we have brought up many times. This was a pandemic that required health care to kick into high gear. We have seen that happen in every provincial jurisdiction. The one thing that did not happen was increases in health care transfers to the provinces beyond what was already previously budgeted for. We also saw that a third of the COVID spending that the government put…
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Madam Speaker, I thank the member for coming to Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock. I know the member for York—Simcoe was really putting in a plug, so maybe next time he can visit that area and see the beauty that his area has to offer. The member is absolutely right that the tourism and hospitality sector has been severely hit. Tourism is number two in the economy in my area. A survey by the Canadia…
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Mr. Speaker, despite some of the highest vaccination rates in the world, the federal government refuses to remove its travel mandates. Canadians returning home from the U.S. at land border crossings without a COVID test result could be fined $5,000. Yesterday, 15 border mayors called for an end to the testing requirements. Many European countries and Canadian provinces have already ditched their m…
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Mr. Speaker, Parliament Hill is now cleared. Most of the charges in Ottawa involve trespassing and mischief. Tow truck operators were already compelled to help authorities before the Emergencies Act. Our borders were cleared prior to the law, which has never been used before, was activated. Organizations such as the Canadian Civil Liberties Association tell us that the government is not limiting t…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, again, I am very disappointed at the tone of these questions. I thought I had laid out a pretty solid argument here. As I said in my speech and repeated in my answer just now, the police already had tools at their disposal that they could have used to end this situation a lot sooner. Again, it could have been diluted a lot had the Prime Minister not decided to go with creating stron…
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Madam Speaker, I am actually saddened by the tone of that question. I get along with that member. We serve on the same committee and have done so for the second Parliament in a row. I thought I laid out a pretty logical argument as to why I am voting against it. I am sorry that he felt that way. I would also send it back to the member and ask, what powers do the police have, at this exact moment, …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, it is always a privilege to rise in this place and speak. Today, I am going to lay out my case as to why I am voting against continuing the Emergencies Act. In the past 34 years, since the inception of the Emergencies Act, there have been four times when a national crisis was faced by a prime minister, and they each refused to implement the act. Brian Mulroney did not do it during t…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, as I mentioned in the justification, there were a number of tools already at the disposal of local and provincial police. Those tools should have been used first. The fact that we have gotten to this point is disappointing and a failure in leadership. A lot of this could have been avoided, but instead the Prime Minister chose to divide rather than unite.
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Madam Speaker, the deliberate politicization of the pandemic has undermined trust in our public health institutions and has damaged national unity, with western alienation, rich versus poor, urban versus rural and vaccinated versus unvaccinated. The divisions in this country are real. During the election, the Prime Minister chose to capitalize on Canadians' fear and sowed division for his own poli…
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