Juanita Nathan

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-39, the building Canada strong act, is a critical piece of legislation that would make Canada's transportation system work better for Canadians and for our economy. It is about keeping Canada moving by strengthening trade corridors and ports, providing regulatory certainty, achieving red tape reduction and modernizing transportation security clearances. Canada's prosperity has always depended on our ability to move goods across vast distances and deepen trade relationships with countries near and far. However, the world has changed. The global trading system is being reshaped. Supply chains are being reorganized. Businesses are looking for reliable markets and reliable partners, while competition for investment is intensifying. For decades, Canadians benefited from a stable and increasingly integrated trading relationship with the United States, one built on growing market access and shared understanding of the rules governing our trade. Today, that environment has fundamentally changed and been replaced with a new reality, one where tariffs are being treated as leverage and supply chains are vulnerabilities. The recent tensions with Canada's largest trading partner have underscored the importance of building greater economic strength and resilience here at home, started by building Canada strong and united as one Canadian economy. Since last year, the government has been working to advance nation-building projects faster and more responsibly, diversifying our industries and trade relationships, and creating high-paying jobs for generations. Bill C-39 would unlock more of Canada's economic potential by strengthening our economy at home and expanding opportunities for Canadian businesses abroad. To achieve this priority is to deliver generational investments in our trade and transportation infrastructure. The proposed measures in Bill C-39 would strengthen our transportation supply chain by modernizing our transportation policy and strengthening our trade corridors and ports to get products to market more efficiently and affordably. Importantly, the bill also proposes measures to modernize Canada's marine governance structure. Given that 85% of Canada's non-U.S. trade moves through our marine ports, without them there is no trade diversification. The bill would also provide certainty and stability and achieve red tape reduction to get major projects built faster to help Canada's businesses save time and money, and make Canada an attractive place for investments. It would support trade digitalization. Together, the initiatives in Bill C-39 would reduce cost, improve administrative efficiency and improve the security of goods that move across our border by mitigating fraud. They would also strengthen our labour relations framework which would create more reliable supply chains and greater economic resilience. This bill is also part of a much broader economic plan. In the Speech from the Throne, the government set an overarching goal to build the strongest economy in the G7. The government is committed to removing barriers that hold back trade and investment, getting major projects built faster and strengthening Canada's relationships with reliable trading partners all around the world. The government has already moved quickly to launch a new $5-billion trade diversification corridor fund to put investments behind the ambition into action to build our infrastructure, strengthen our supply chains, attract private capital and grow Canada's economy. These are significant investments that would connect Canadian products to domestic and international markets and would support our government's goal of doubling Canada's non-U.S. exports over the next decade. Bill C-39 is the next piece of that work. However, infrastructure investment is only part of the solution. Measures in Bill C-39 would also address some of the structural issues in the transportation supply chain. The bill would modernize the regulations, policy and governance structures that determine how our transportation supply chain operates and international trade is processed. By strengthening transportation networks, the government would build more reliable supply chains and give investors and trading partners greater certainty that Canada is a stable place to do business and invest. When there is a bottleneck at a port, a shortage of rail capacity, a shipment held up by administrative or paperwork issues or a disruption anywhere along the way, the costs are ultimately borne by Canadian businesses and workers. Delays are costly for our businesses and for Canada's reputation as a reliable trading partner. When we strengthen Canada's supply chains, we are not simply moving goods more efficiently within Canada. We are helping a business in Quebec, Vancouver or Toronto reach a customer halfway around the world. That is how Bill C-39 would strengthen trade, investment, jobs and economic growth. This bill is about much more than modernizing Canada's supply chain. It is economic legislation. It is about strengthening our economy and creating the conditions for Canadian businesses to compete and grow. It is about improving the conditions for investment and growth across Canada and reducing costs by making government work better. One of the most practical things a government can do to strengthen its economy is to reduce unnecessary regulatory burden. Businesses should be focused on investing, building and creating jobs, not navigating duplicative processes and unclear timelines. That is why Bill C-39 takes practical steps that would streamline federal review and permitting processes and reduce duplication across departments. We are proposing to allow federal departments and agencies to share international trade information for imports and exports more easily and with less duplication so they can reduce information filing requirements for businesses, saving them time and money. As I mentioned, this bill supports trade digitalization and would provide opportunities to modernize regulations. Many Canadian exporters still rely on paper-based systems, which slow movements and increase costs and the time needed to get goods to global markets. The Commonwealth estimates that trading digitalization could boost Canada's trade volumes by approximately $100 billion. We would also create a new advisory group on national trade corridors to find problem areas that cause delays, suggest ways to improve the system, improve efficiency and help different players make more coordinated decisions. This bill would modernize Canada's national transportation policy to give greater recognition to supply chain efficiency. More than 525 billion dollars' worth of goods and services move between our provinces and territories every year. When we look beyond our borders, we see that Canada's transportation corridors support approximately $1.55 trillion in international merchandise trade. These transactions depend on reliable railways, ports and other infrastructure. Transportation performance and economic performance are connected, but we also need to ensure that the transportation system remains secure and resilient. Today's transportation system faces more complex and connected threats than in the past. This requires a modern, more responsive approach that can respond to evolving risks while remaining predictable for industry. Updating the Canada Transportation Act to modernize the approach to transportation security clearances would create a broader, more effective framework. These proposed changes would help partners work together, make better use of information and help us better manage risks related to people who hold trusted roles within the transportation systems. I want to pause and underline the commitment of the Government of Canada to uphold indigenous rights and collaborate with indigenous partners during the implementation phase of this bill. We undertook engagement. We heard from indigenous people, the transportation industry and Canadians to better understand how we can build more efficient, resilient and reliable supply chains while supporting economic growth and trade. Those conversations helped inform the measures before us today—

Mr. Speaker, Canada's new government is building Canada strong. From the time we took our seats in 2025, we have been acting with greater speed, certainty and predictability to bring projects and investments into Canada. Since last spring, Canada has signed over 20 new economic and security agreements and has advanced 27 nation-building initiatives that will support more than 337,000 jobs and attract nearly $200 billion in new investments.

Mr. Speaker, I understand the concerns the opposition member has about this. That is why this bill has built-in guardrails to safeguard against giving ministers the authority that he is talking about. Of course, when the bill goes to committee, members will have an opportunity to weigh in and give their suggestions on how to make this bill better, as the bill is still open for suggestions. I would reiterate that there are guardrails in it to prevent that from happening.

Mr. Speaker, union workers are at the heart of a strong economy. This bill is designed to strengthen good-faith bargaining and achieve better outcomes for everyone. It would crack down on wage theft and the misclassification of jobs. It would protect workers during business transactions and insolvencies. It would safeguard bargaining rights when contracts change hands. It would speed up grievance arbitration, in addition to always upholding the constitutionally protected right to strike. I just want to reiterate that the right to strike would always be protected under this bill.

Mr. Speaker, we have been building, and if you were listening to my colleague's speech earlier, they were talking about Darlington, where shovels are in the ground at the moment. It is in my region, so I have seen that myself. This is the second part of Bill C-5 that we need in order to make Canada—

Mr. Speaker, the global landscape is changing quickly. I am constantly reminded by my constituents in Pickering—Brooklin to act quickly to secure our country's economic sovereignty. That is why, on the first day of this fall sitting, our government introduced the building Canada strong bill. Can the Minister of Transport please explain how this legislation will help us respond to the challenges we are facing today and deliver our government's mandate to build Canada strong?

Mr. Speaker, I want to recognize a constituent and disability advocate from Pickering—Brooklin, Onila Miranda. Onila, who lives with cerebral palsy, has launched an advocacy campaign called “Love is a Human Right” to raise awareness about ableism and call for greater dignity, inclusion and respect for people with disabilities. His message is clear. Accessibility is more than ramps and infrastructure. It is about ensuring that every Canadian can participate fully in their community, pursue opportunities, build relationships and live with dignity. Let us recommit to breaking down every barrier, because a truly strong Canada is one where every person can fully participate and belong. Ableism is discrimination, ableism is injustice and ableism does not belong in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, as we recognize Seniors Month, I rise today to highlight that this Saturday, June 13, marks Canada's National Long-Term Care Day. This year's theme, caring across Canada, celebrates the residents, families, staff, volunteers and advocates who make long-term care communities strong from coast to coast to coast. Long-term care is an essential part of our health care system, but above all, it is home to hundreds of thousands of Canadians. Our seniors deserve to live with dignity, respect and a strong sense of community. On behalf of the Canadian Association for Long Term Care, I thank all those whose dedication makes this care possible and invite all members to join me in celebrating the hard work of our essential workers this Seniors Month.

Madam Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to be here today to speak to Bill C-16, the protecting victims act, and to contextualize this legislation within Canada's broader efforts to confront and prevent gender-based violence. Gender-based violence is a persistent and measurable reality affecting women, girls and gender-diverse people across this country. In 2024, 187 women were killed violently in Canada. That represents one woman every two days. Women are far more likely than men to experience severe forms of intimate partner violence, sexual violence and criminal harassment. More than one-quarter, about 28%, of all victims of violent crimes in 2024 were victimized by an intimate partner. These are not isolated incidents, and our justice system has struggled to effectively address these crimes given the complex realities of gender-based violence and the patterns of coercive behaviour that often define abuse. The rate of intimate partner violence, one of the most prevalent forms of gender-based violence experienced by women and girls, is more than 3.5 times higher than it is for men and boys. Indigenous women, women with disabilities and young women face even higher risks. The Government of Canada has recognized that addressing gender-based violence requires a comprehensive and coordinated response. In 2017, the federal government released a federal gender-based violence strategy and has since invested over $800 million, about $44 million per year, to coordinate federal actions under three pillars: preventing gender-based violence, supporting survivors and their families, and promoting a responsive justice system. Since 2022, the federal government has invested in a national action plan to end gender-based violence, a 10-year framework aiming to end gender-based violence in Canada by supporting victims and survivors of crime and their families and improving their experiences with the criminal justice system. Significant efforts have been undertaken in this area. For example, the federal victims strategy works to give victims a more effective voice in the criminal justice system and to increase their access to justice. Through the victims fund, which is part of the federal victims strategy, resources are made available to the provinces and territories for the implementation of the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights, including for the development of public legal education and information material and the provision of training on the legislation for criminal justice professionals. Considerable efforts have also been made to strengthen the criminal justice system's response to gender-based violence. Canada's Criminal Code provides a broad-based response to all forms of violence, exploitation and abuse against all persons in Canada. Over the past year, legislative amendments in Bill C-51 and Bill C-75 clarified and strengthened sexual assault laws and the criminal justice system's response to intimate partner violence, and Bill C-233 imposed stricter conditions for people charged with an offence involving intimate partner violence. In addition, Bill S-205, which came into force in April 2025, created a new peace bond designed specifically to provide better protection for victims of intimate partner violence and for children, including by allowing conditions such as electronic monitoring to be imposed on the defendant. All these efforts reflect an understanding that provision, protection, accountability and survivor support must work together. Today, Bill C-16 is a critical part of that continuum. It would strengthen the criminal law in ways that respond directly to what survivors, advocates and frontline professionals have long told us about how gender-based violence actually occurs. Bill C-16 would create a new offence, criminalizing a pattern of coercive or controlling conduct in intimate partner relationships. This would address the reality that this abuse takes place over time. It would align the law with the lived reality of survivors and allow for earlier intervention before coercive or controlling conduct turns into serious physical harm or death. It would also support more accurate police and prosecutorial responses by requiring a contextual assessment of power and exploitation. Bill C-16 would also address the most extreme manifestation of gender-based violence: the killing of women because they are women. By explicitly naming and recognizing femicide in the Criminal Code, the bill would acknowledge that women and girls are disproportionately killed in specific contexts, including intimate partner violence, sexual violence, exploitation and hate-motivated attacks. Naming femicide matters. It makes visible a reality that has too often been obscured and affirmed: These killings are not random tragedies but are systemic failures that demand accountability. The bill would ensure that murders occurring in these circumstances are treated as first-degree murder. It would also require judges, when sentencing for manslaughter in the same context, to consider penalties equivalent to second-degree murder, including life imprisonment and parole ineligibility for 10 to 25 years. Importantly, Bill C-16 also recognizes that gender-based violence increasingly occurs through technology. The rise of sexually explicit deepfakes, sextortion and online harassment has created new avenues for abuse, particularly targeting women and girls. These forms of violence can destroy reputations, livelihoods and mental health, and they often silence victims through shame and fear. The bill would address these gaps by clarifying that non-consensual distribution of intimate images includes realistic deepfakes, as well as by criminalizing threats to distribute such materials and by increasing penalties for these offences. These measures would complement existing Government of Canada initiatives aimed at addressing online harms and protecting digital safety, particularly for young people. The bill would also modernize the offence of criminal harassment. Data shows that striking and harassment are common precursors to serious violence, yet the current requirement to prove a victim's subjective fear has made early intervention difficult. Further, Bill C-16 proposes reforms to the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights to better protect victims and expand access to testimonial aids for adult victims of intimate partner violence, sexual offences and criminal harassment, offences that disproportionately affect women and girls. These measures would improve justice system outcomes for victims by recognizing that court procedures themselves can be retraumatizing and that supporting meaningful participation is essential to justice. The bill would also build on recent reforms to peace bonds and firearms controls, reflecting clear evidence that access to firearms significantly increases the risk of lethal intimate partner violence. By strengthening preventative tools and closing enforcement gaps, Bill C-16 supports the Government of Canada's broader commitment to keeping victims and communities safe. Bill C-16 is a necessary step in Canada's ongoing commitment to confront gender-based violence with seriousness, clarity and resolve. It reflects the hard truths that violence is rarely a single act but often a pattern, that technology has created new tools for abuse, and that too many women and girls continue to lose their lives in preventable circumstances. By criminalizing coercive control, recognizing femicide, strengthening protections against online and intimate partner violence, and reducing barriers for victims and survivors of crime within the justice system, Bill C-16 would align our laws with lived reality and evidence. For these reasons, I urge all members to support Bill C-16. Addressing gender-based violence is not optional. Protecting victims—

Madam Speaker, the bill that is in front of the House today and that we are debating is progressive. The changes we are proposing today would progress the Criminal Code more than the changes in all other years when we added so many measures to it did. The protecting victims act would be one of the most significant updates to the criminal justice system in generations, as I said. It has a broad scope. It would give judges the right to make decisions, and the safety valve would be there so they could make those decisions appropriately.

Madam Speaker, criminal harassment is a very big and important part of the bill. The bill would remove the subjective requirement to prove a victim's fear for their safety and replace it with the requirement to prove that the harassing conduct could reasonably be expected to cause a victim to believe that their safety is threatened, thereby removing the victim's need to testify. This would allow victims to better trust our system and ensure that the proposed offence captures harassing conduct committed through modern technology.

Madam Speaker, the bill would strengthen mandatory minimums for predators who possess or access child sexual abuse and exploitation materials, restoring 12 mandatory minimums for a range of child sexual offences that were previously struck down by the court. The safety valve would be there so judges could use their own discretion and so they would have the leeway, when necessary, to make the right decisions.

Mr. Speaker, this month, during National Nursing Week, I had the privilege of being invited to a tea in Claremont to honour nurses from our community. Sitting with them and hearing their stories, I was reminded of what nursing truly is, that it is not just a profession but a calling. The nurses of Pickering—Brooklin and across this country show up every single day with skills, compassion and quiet courage. When we were hit with the SARS epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic, our nurses showed up each day, working tirelessly on the front lines. They also held our hands during the most difficult moments and championed our health with tireless dedication. To every nurse in this community of Pickering—Brooklin, their work is seen, it is valued and it matters deeply. I thank them for what they do.

Mr. Speaker, May 18 is not just a date on a calendar. For Tamil Canadians, it is a wound that has never fully healed. Seventeen years ago, the Sri Lankan civil war ended in a final offensive that claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians in a matter of weeks. Hundreds of thousands were displaced. The wounds, psychological, familial and cultural, persist to this day. As someone with Tamil roots, I carry this history. Tamil Canadians across the country carry it, too, in the names of relatives they never got to say goodbye to and in the trauma passed silently between generations. Tamil Canadians across the country are asking for the truth to be spoken here, in the House, where it matters. We remember on May 18, Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day, because memory is resistance and because silence encourages those who would repeat these horrors elsewhere in the world. I call on the the government and all members to stand with Tamil Canadians across the nation this month.

Mr. Speaker, the seniors in our country are the very people who built the communities we live in today, who raised families, strengthened our economy and shaped the Canada we are so proud of. They deserve to age with dignity, security and peace of mind. In Pickering—Brooklin, our seniors are concerned about affordability and ensuring they receive the benefits they rely on. Can the secretary of state update Canadians on how our government is supporting seniors and protecting them from financial vulnerability?

Mr. Speaker, today is the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims. The UN warns that during times of geopolitical strife, facts are manipulated, victims retraumatized and violations erased. This is not abstract. Many constituents in my riding have shared that their own family members are enduring these conditions in Iran today. When a government turns against its people, the first things taken are food, water, dignity and truth. This is a collective responsibility. When people cannot speak their truth, we must speak it for them, so today, learn the names, share the stories and bear witness, because the most powerful thing any of us can do is refuse to let the truth disappear.

Mr. Speaker, Black History Month is not only a time to look back. It is a call to build forward. As we mark 30 years of its recognition in Canada, we are reminded that celebrating Black excellence must go hand in hand with expanding opportunities. This year's theme, “From Nation Builders to Tomorrow's Visionaries”, speaks to this continuum. The entrepreneurs, community leaders and advocates shaping our economy today are laying the foundation for the next generation. This is why this Saturday in Pickering—Brooklin, we will gather for our Black entrepreneurship forum, a space dedicated not only to dialogue but to connection, capital and concrete opportunity. With the participation of the Secretary of State for Small Business, the focus will be clear: ensuring Black-owned businesses can access the tools they need to grow, scale and thrive. Together, through partnership and purposeful investment, we honour those who built before us and empower those who will lead next.

Madam Speaker, after months of obstruction, the justice committee finally completed its study on the bail and sentencing reform act. Premiers, mayors and law enforcement from across the country are asking for it to pass swiftly. Can the parliamentary secretary explain the important measures of the bail and sentencing reform act for us, please?

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to participate in today's debate on Bill C-19, the Canada groceries and essentials benefit act. We are at a pivotal moment in Canadian history. We are all bearing witness to a rapid change in the global landscape. Trade shocks are hitting countries around the world, and geopolitical threats are intensifying. This transformation is thrusting workers, businesses and whole economies into a state of uncertainty. As the Prime Minister said recently at the World Economic Forum in Davos, “We are in the midst of a rupture, not a transition.” He argued that the rules-based order is fading, but there is still much that can be done. Canada's new government is focused on what it can control, and a big part of taking things into our own hands is building a strong economy to make life more affordable for Canadians. Of course, our plan would generate big payoffs for Canadians over time. However, we know that many Canadians are feeling the financial squeeze of everyday expenses right now. They want immediate relief, and we are delivering. Our government is proposing the new Canada groceries and essentials benefit to help more than 12 million low- and moderate-income Canadians afford day-to-day necessities right now. Alongside this benefit, we are also proposing a one-time lump sum payment based on eligibility for the goods and services tax credit. The positive impact of the Canada groceries and essentials benefit and the one-time payment would come quickly, when Canadians need it the most. If the legislation receives swift royal assent, the support would start rolling out as early as this spring. I urge all hon. members to pass Bill C-19 without delay so we can ensure that Canadians get this much-needed relief as soon as possible. I know the Canada groceries and essentials benefit would be a difference maker for so many Canadians, including Canadians in my riding of Pickering—Brooklin. The benefit would be indexed to inflation and would build on the existing GST credit. Our government has designated the benefit to provide $11.7 million in additional support over six years. To help address affordability challenges, the benefit would provide a one-time top-up payment equal to a 50% increase in the annual 2025-26 year value of the GST credit. This support would be paid out as early as possible this spring, or no later than June 2026. It would deliver $3.1 billion in immediate assistance to individuals and families already getting the GST credit. There is more. In addition, the value of the Canada groceries and essentials benefit would increase by 25% for five years, starting in July 2026. This expansion would deliver another $8.6 billion in support over the 2026-27 to 2030-31 period, and would ensure that the benefit goes to half a million new individuals and families. Combined, these measures would deliver extra support of up to $402 to a single individual without children, $527 to a couple and $805 to a couple with two children. For example, a single senior with $25,000 in net income would receive a one-time top-up of $267 plus a longer-term increase of $137 for the 2026-27 benefit year, for a total increase of $402. In total, for the 2026-27 benefit year, they would receive $950, including the top-up. Here is another example. A couple with two children and $40,000 in net income would receive a one-time top-up of $533 plus an increase of $272 for the 2026-27 benefit year, for a total increase of $805. In all, for the 2026-27 benefit year, the couple would receive $1,890, including the top-up. I want to be clear on my next point. At these levels, the government would be offsetting the rising cost of groceries beyond the overall inflation growth that we have experienced since the pandemic. After the one-time payment is made in the spring of 2026, eligible families and individuals in Canada would receive the enriched regular payment under the Canada groceries and essentials benefit as of July 2026. The benefit payment would arrive quarterly, to ensure families can use the funds to help with their day-to-day expenses. As we know, the benefit would be only one example of the many ways we are supporting Canadians. It would be in addition to existing benefits such as the Canada child benefit, the Canada disability benefit and the guaranteed income supplement. The new Canada groceries and essentials benefit would not only help Canadians at a difficult time; it would also support our drive to build the strongest economy in the G7. Canada's new government has been relentlessly focused on bringing costs down for Canadians. Above all, the government will empower Canadians by helping them get ahead and reducing their cost of living. When Canadians keep more of the money they earn, they can better support their families, invest in their communities and build the future they want. The government is committed to improving affordability in Canada, and our actions have been fulfilling this pledge. Through measures such as those outlined in budget 2025, we have taken important steps to ease the financial pressure on Canadian households. For instance, as part of Bill C-4, we are eliminating the GST for first-time homebuyers on new homes up to $1 million and reducing the GST for first-time homebuyers on new homes between $1 million and $1.5 million. We are also delivering major tax cuts. Since July 1, 2025, Canadians have been paying less tax after the government announced lowering the first marginal personal income tax rate from 15% to 14%. The rate reduction, which is currently before Parliament as part of Bill C-4, would apply to taxable income of up to $58,523 in 2026. This change would ensure that nearly 22 million Canadians benefit from tax relief of up to $420 per person, saving two-income families up to $840 this year. Notably, most of the tax relief would go to Canadians with income in the two lowest tax brackets. The government has also cancelled the divisive consumer fuel charge, directly allowing Canadians in provinces and territories where the fuel charge applies to save money with the price they pay at the pump. This action has reduced gasoline prices in most provinces and territories by up to 18¢ a litre in comparison to 2024-25. It has also helped to lower headline inflation. Actions on affordability, such as those I have highlighted today, are key examples of how the government is empowering Canadians to shape their own future. In the words of the Prime Minister, we cannot control what other nations do, but we can control what we build for ourselves.