Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, certainly in Canada we have a great cultural mosaic of people who come to this country from around the globe, from every corner of the earth, and bring their languages and their culture with them, including, most importantly, those from Ukraine. Certainly we are seeing a great outpouring of support right now in Canada. Would my colleague comment on how we can use the culture that we…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the House to speak at second reading on Bill S-214, an act to designate February 21 of each year as international mother language day. The bill also includes the greater clarity line, which confirms that this does not result in the date of February 21 being a legal holiday. It is not a statutory holiday and would not provide a day off work for those workin…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the member opposite talked a lot about the foreign streamers and the web giants. I am just curious to know how he feels about the fact that he has spent $19,000-plus on Facebook advertising, rather than focusing on the important local broadcasting or local newspapers in his own riding. Why does he feel the need to spend his money on the foreign web giants rather than investing in Ca…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the decision by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) to recruit social media influencers to promote the National Shipbuilding Strategy (NSS): (a) how many influencers were sent recruiting requests or similar types of communication by PSPC; (b) what formula or rate is used to determine how much each influencer will receive in compensation for promoting the NSS; (c) what is t…
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Madam Speaker, a lot has been said today about web giants. I think the member said that the Internet matters, and I agree. The concern I have with the member for Winnipeg North is when he is talking about introducing new rules on the Internet. I am worried that he has broken previous rules. He used one of those web giants to break the Elections Act by advertising to more than 35,000 of his constit…
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Madam Speaker, the House of Commons has been called upon many times to pronounce its judgment and to vote: to vote on legislation, to vote on amendments, to vote on estimates and to vote on motions. In the parlance of parliamentary procedure, when the House of Commons votes, it divides. When a recorded vote is requested and we are asked to stand and be counted, it is called “a recorded division”. …
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Madam Speaker, the member for Vaughan—Woodbridge talks about this being a useful tool and measure, but I go back to my rural roots. As a farm kid growing up, yes, it would be nice to have that John Deere S series combine to get the job done, but we have spent a lot of years using the old John Deere 4400 combine, and it combined a lot of corn and soy beans. It got the job done. The fact is that, in…
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for the question. Indeed, the government could have done much more before resorting to the Emergencies Act. The government could have collaborated with the provinces and the police forces across Canada before using this legislation. It is incredible that the government allowed this occupation to go on and did not take any other measures before opting for th…
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Madam Speaker, I would say that, yes, different police forces have been able to use the Emergencies Act, but that does not mean that it was the only tool that was available to them. There are many measures the government and police forces could have used, short of using the Emergencies Act. I think that is the issue we are facing here today, the use of the sledgehammer of the Emergencies Act, when…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I can say to the minister, “stay tuned”, because my speech is coming up right afterward. I want to look very closely at section 4(2). I am sure the minister has heard, like I have, from digital first creators who are concerned about the exclusions, specifically the criteria about direct or indirect revenue. I would ask if he has heard from digital first creators and whether he takes t…
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Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour to rise in the House as the Conservative critic for Canadian heritage and present the official opposition's response to Bill C-11, the online streaming act. I want to begin by recognizing and celebrating the contributions made by our creators, including artists, actors, musicians and everyone who works in the Canadian arts, culture and heritage sector. There is no…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Kings—Hants and, likewise, I congratulate him on the quality of his French. As he said, it is great to see anglophones from Nova Scotia and Ontario using their second language in the House. To answer his question, we Conservatives do support the idea that large international corporations like Netflix and Disney+ must pay their fair share in Canada and inves…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Lac‑Saint‑Jean for the question. Let me be very clear. The Conservatives are in favour of some parts of the bill. It was in our election platform. We want to see the major international companies pay their share and invest in Canadian content. I had the great pleasure of meeting many creators. They have different concerns. We are in favour of many of the th…
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Mr. Speaker, at some point I would love to make it to that part of the country and see the vibrant arts scene in the member's riding. Once again, our platform was clear: We believe that large foreign streamers should pay their fair share in Canada and should be investing in Canadian productions here in Canada, using Canadian talent and telling Canadians stories.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I will go a step further, actually. We need to do much more in terms of how we oversee what happens at the CRTC. In this particular case, the minister has yet to provide policy direction to the CRTC in terms of how this piece of legislation and how this regulatory regime would be implemented when it gets to the CRTC. Without that clear direction from the government, we are left not kn…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my colleague hit the nail on the head there. There is much that we can agree on in this bill. There is much we can agree on with respect to where we can go forward within the broad cultural milieu. Certainly the web giants and foreign streamers who are operating within the Canadian regulatory regime and enjoying its benefits should be paying their fair share. Where we have concern is …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Repentigny for her question. I want to work constructively with my colleagues on the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. We can accomplish a lot together. I have asked the Minister of Canadian Heritage that the committee be able to hold discussions and hear from witnesses who work in the cultural sector, so that we can propose amendments to improve this …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Trois-Rivières for his speech. Has he heard the same concerns that I have from creators who use online platforms, like TikTok and YouTube, to share their content with the world?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his speech. It was very enjoyable. He spoke about Quebec content and francophone content on streaming services. What proportion of Quebec content would my colleague want to see on the big streaming platforms?
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Madam Speaker, a lot has been said in the debate today about social media and about web giants. I was curious to notice that the member for Davenport has spent $18,955 on Facebook advertising in the last couple of years. With subsection 4(2), on direct or indirect revenue generated from social media content, I am curious as to whether the member thinks that the $18,955 she has spent on Facebook ad…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member mentioned he was a business Liberal, which I think might be an endangered species within the Liberal Party, but I will take him at his word on that. My question to him is this. Here we are debating a programming motion, one that does not allow for a full study of this bill. It does not allow for committee study. It does not allow for the minister to appear before the c…
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Mr. Speaker, I worry that perhaps the Liberal Party is keeping its own members in the dark. It did look awfully dimly lit out there in Nova Scotia. I hope it is not a matter of a failure to pay the hydro bill out there. I do send my colleague all the best. I am happy to help contribute to that bill if that is an issue. Back to the point, we did just have a programming motion that cut short debate …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I think that the Liberals are also supporting Facebook, spending $4.2 million in advertising on Facebook alone in the last two years. It was like Groundhog Day on the day this bill was introduced, because the challenges that were in Bill C-10 are there again in Bill C-11. In the old Bill C-10, there was an exclusion for user-generated content, but then the Liberals excluded that exclu…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the government is trying to use 20th-century rules to address the digital world of 2022. Through Bill C-11, the government is once again delegating more power to the CRTC for some future solution at some future time. However, the government can act now and give support to Canadian broadcasters by simply abolishing CRTC part II licence fees. Will it?
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, on her 21st birthday, Princess Elizabeth declared, “my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service”, and what a record of service that has been, through 12 Canadian Prime Ministers and 14 Governors General, including the first Canadian-born Governor General and, today, the first indigenous person to serve as Governor General. During her reign, the Queen has…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, Simon Edgar Dickert loved dinosaurs and sharks, the Kratt brothers and Wild Kratts, and he was always smiling. Even while battling brain cancer for four years, he smiled through everything. He fought hard, and he stayed true to his beautiful personality and his sense of humour. When it came time for him to make a wish to the Make-a-Wish foundation, he thought of everyone else first. H…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I am seeking the guidance of the Chair. My understanding of Bosc and Gagnon is that a member may only speak to a motion once. My understanding is that the member has spoken three times now to the same motion. I am seeking clarity from the Chair on whether or not this is an oversight, or whether there are so few Liberals willing to defend their record that the member has to get up fo…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to federal government statistics on labour shortages in Ontario: (a) what are the government's estimates on the percentage and number of businesses in Ontario that encountered a labour shortage in (i) 2019, (ii) 2020, (iii) 2021; (b) what is the breakdown of (a) by sector and industry; (c) what is the projected labour shortage in Ontario for (i) 2022, (ii) 2023; and (d) what is the bre…
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With regard to all contracts signed by the government for the Centre Block rehabilitation project: (a) how many contracts have been awarded; and (b) what are the details of each contract, including the (i) date, (ii) description of the goods or services, including the volume, (iii) final amount, (iv) vendor, (v) country of the vendor?
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With regard to renovations made by the government at the residences used by the Prime Minister, including Harrington Lake, Rideau Cottage, and 24 Sussex Drive: (a) what are the details of all renovations completed since July 1, 2020, including, for each project, the (i) name of the property, (ii) detailed description of renovations or work completed, (iii) items or features added to the property o…
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With regard to the caretaker convention: (a) is the government, as of the date of the notice of this question, observing the caretaker convention; (b) if the answer to (a) is negative (i) when did the government cease observing the caretaker convention, (ii) what prompted this change, (iii) was that consistent with section 1 of the Privy Council Office's "Guidelines on the conduct of Ministers, Mi…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the member for Kingston and the Islands owes an apology to this House. It has long been the practice in the House that decisions of the Chair are not challenged. Members cannot challenge the decisions of the Speaker and that is exactly what the member for Kingston and the Islands was doing. He should apologize.
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Madam Speaker, 2022 marks the platinum jubilee of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. In 1975, 2002 and 2012, the governments of the day issued jubilee medals to mark this historic occasion and delivered them to deserving Canadians. If these past 20 months have shown us anything, it is that there are so many deserving Canadians who stepped up in the fight against COVID-19, yet here we stand in Decemb…
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Madam Speaker, "in due time”? Unless their calendar was broken, the Liberals have known 2022 has been coming for some time. Whether they are truck drivers, first responders, health care workers, those working in the food supply chain, the military or veterans, all of these Canadians stepped up over the last 20 months during the fight against COVID-19 and are so deserving of recognition through a p…
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Madam Speaker, on a point of order. I think all members in the House ought to have respect for the rules and traditions of this place. What we just saw was the member for Niagara Centre ask a question during question period as a parliamentary secretary. Precedents in this place state that parliamentary secretaries cannot ask questions of their own government. I would draw the Speaker's attention t…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I have a very simple question for the member for New Westminster—Burnaby. Our opposition House leader, the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent, introduced a very reasonable amendment that would increase the length of time we would have for accountability through the Committee of the Whole to provide an additional four hours. It was a very reasonable amendment. I was wondering if the NDP …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to legal expenses incurred by the government that are related to lawsuits filed against the government from individuals claiming to have suffered from the Havana syndrome: what are the total legal expenses incurred to date, broken down by case?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to join the debate this afternoon on Bill C-30, which is the government's first budget implementation act from this year's budget. When I approach legislation that comes before the House of Commons, my first priority is always to look to see how this impacts people, families, communities and the businesses located within my riding of Perth—Wellington. What I also look …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it is Tourism Week in Canada and while normally we would see a flurry of activity, this year optimism is guarded. Few places can boast the variety of tourist attractions Perth—Wellington does. Not only do the arts enrich our communities, they also help to diversify our economy. Drayton Entertainment, Stratford Summer Music and the SpringWorks and Stratford festivals all contribute mil…
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Mr. Speaker, the member reflects on the hospitality industry, the tourism industry and all the industries that have not recovered yet from the global pandemic and likely will not recover until some time in the distant future. They are likely considered to be the last to respond. The member talked about a specific aspect of this bill, in terms of the CERB reductions. I do not support this bill, inc…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Trois-Rivières. I really appreciated her comments about the arts and culture industries. In the charitable sector, the fact that non-profits do not have access to certain programs is a big issue. In Perth—Wellington, I have heard from non-profit businesses that applied for certain government programs but did not qualify. The government needs to fix this to …
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate all my colleague for Oshawa is doing in his community to support the hard-working families of Oshawa. He is 100% right. We should be attracting the best and brightest to Canada, and keeping those people in Canada. When someone graduates from college or university with high-skilled job training and then goes to an international destination, that is something we need to com…
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We will now resume debate. The hon. member for West Nova.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program: (a) how many applications have been (i) received, (ii) approved, (iii) denied; (b) what are the details of all approved fundings, including the (i) recipient, (ii) amount; and (c) what are the details of all denied applications, including the (i) applicant, (ii) amount requested, (iii) reason for denial?
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With regard to the government funding of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and the genocide of the Uyghurs in China: does the government know which of the projects currently funded by the AIIB and located in China are using forced Uyghur labour, and if so, which ones?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, in Ontario, the third wave is already hammering small businesses that were already on their last legs. ICUs and hospitals are filling up with COVID patients who have not received their vaccines. Kids in Ontario are not in school. They cannot play soccer or baseball, all while seeing businesses and families south of the border getting back to normal in a vaccinated United States. This …
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
moved that Bill C-219, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sexual exploitation), be read the second time and referred to a committee. Madam Speaker, it is indeed an honour to represent the good people of Perth—Wellington in this place. It is an honour to rise in the House this afternoon to begin second reading debate of my private member's bill, known in this Parliament as Bill C-219, an act to ame…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I will try to address most of what the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice spoke about. I would start with what he ended with, and that is mandatory minimums and overrepresentation of certain groups within the criminal justice system. That is a conversation that needs to be had, but on the crime of sexual exploitation, that is a crime in which there is a power imbalan…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. I apologize, but I will answer the question in English because it is harder for me to answer in French. The member does raise an important question about summary versus indictable offence. If I understood the question well, it was whether summary conviction and indictable offences would have the same mandatory minimum sentence and whether that …
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, the member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford does raise an important point about sentencing guidelines, which are already there, and I do agree with that to a degree, but we have seen cases, including one that happened in my riding, where that was not the outcome. There was no sentence. It was a monetary fine and probation for the individual I have seen in this riding. I would say that …
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