Private Members' Business
moved: That Bill C-284, in Clause 2, be amended (a) by replacing, in the English version, line 10 on page 2 with the following: “(a) identify the needs of health care professionals and other professionals in relation to” (b) by replacing, in the English version, line 12 on page 2 with the following: “ment of eye disease and on vision rehabilitation;” The question was put on Motion No. 1 and it was…
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moved that the bill, as amended, be concurred in at report stage with a further amendment.
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Madam Speaker, clearly it is the whole issue of awareness. We neglect far too many things, and eyes are another thing we neglect until we start to develop a problem, when it is often too late. Establishing a national eye care strategy with a framework would bring the provinces to the table with the federal government and other health officials to develop a plan to increase awareness and to make su…
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Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague and I work very well together and advance a lot of good, important issues at the Standing Committee on International Trade. I have lobbied many of my colleagues over the last year and spoken to them about the bill. CNIB, Fighting Blindness Canada and the other 25 organizations that are supporting the bill have all sent letters, and they have all lobbied everybody. …
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Madam Speaker, as I indicated earlier, it takes all of us to make a difference in this country. The national eye strategy was started by you, Madam Speaker. You were the one who started this several times through different motions that you tried to move forward. I suspect that if I had not had this opportunity because my name got picked out of the hat first, you would have been the one moving forw…
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Madam Speaker, I am glad to have a moment to be able to get up and speak to Bill C-56, an issue that I know matters to all of us here in the House. On September 21, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance introduced an act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Competition Act. This government has consulted and worked alongside the public to establish a tangible solution to alleviate this b…
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Madam Speaker, certainly the government is very concerned and investing a lot of money in opportunities in the agricultural community to ensure that farmers can have more than just a comfortable living, but that they can have a good quality of life. We know many of the farmers have their own families that intend to take over their farms when they retire. It is important that the farming industry c…
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Madam Speaker, the whole issue is how we need to bring in foreign workers and temporary workers to be able to help pick the tomatoes, cucumbers and all the wonderful stuff we enjoy every day. Finding Canadians to do that is very difficult, so we all know that temporary foreign workers are a very important part of our economy. They have to be treated fairly, they have to be treated appropriately an…
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Madam Speaker, I do not think we should fool ourselves, and we should not be over the ceiling with anything. These are initiatives that are moving forward. I hope they will be able to materialize very quickly, but I think we have to be realistic. This is legislation that is coming in now. The needs of our communities are out there today, and there are people out there who are homeless and people i…
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Mr. Speaker, in a memorable viral moment, celebrities, athletes and even MPs dumped buckets of ice on their heads to raise awareness for ALS, a disease not many had heard of but one that impacts thousands of people, usually with a life expectancy of two to five years. This trend attracted worldwide attention and generated significant funding for ALS research. Unfortunately, it was short-lived and …
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Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to acknowledge Mr. Jimmy Lai, a 75-year-old U.K. citizen imprisoned in Hong Kong. Mr. Lai is a well-known supporter of the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement and the founder and owner of Apple Daily, which was one of Hong Kong's most popular Chinese language newspapers until its forced closure in June 2021. Since 2020, Mr. Lai has been imprisoned in Hong Kong for exe…
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Madam Speaker, it is wonderful to be back here in the House. I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 10th report of the Standing Committee on International Trade, entitled “Canadian Mining and Mineral Exploration Firms Operating Abroad: Impacts on the Natural Environment and Human Rights”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comp…
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Madam Speaker, it was interesting to listen to my hon. colleague's concerns and comments. First, I want to address the issue of the Senate, a place I have amazing respect for, regardless of who appointed the senators. I think everything they put forward is treated with respect and consideration. We like to think they have an extra sense of maturity, and I think we should not be disrespectful in ou…
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Mr. Speaker, today I would like to share some exciting news that will undoubtedly strengthen international trade and foster closer ties between Canada and Taiwan. Last week, Taiwan took a significant step by fully opening its market to imports of Canadian beef. This decision marks a momentous occasion, not only for the Canadian beef industry but also for the bilateral relations between Canada and …
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Madam Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on a wonderful report. The recommendations cover so many different areas that I have concerns about when it comes to victims' rights. As I had mentioned earlier, a constituent was the victim of a drive-by shooting and left paralyzed. That is when I started asking questions about what kinds of supports there were, both financial and restorative as well as …
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Mr. Speaker, as I indicated earlier, I found out first-hand what is available to victims as far as support or anything else goes when one of my constituents was a victim of a drive-by shooting. I went to see what I could do to help and found out how little there was, whether it was financial support, emotional support or just being able to get before a committee and share what had happened. There …
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Mr. Speaker, on the amendment, we all have a responsibility as we move forward to try to ensure that proper changes are made and things are done in the most effective way. I believe all of us parliamentarians, and in particular ministers, have a huge responsibility to ensure that we are moving forward on and responding to issues of the day. The amendment put forward today was another opportunity t…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his work on the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. I hope the bill is the kind of thing that has unanimous support from all parliamentarians in the House. It talks about how we can better support victims in Canada and what kinds of resources are needed as we move forward. I very much hope we will have unanimous support when it comes forward.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his years of work on the issues of safety and improving safety throughout Canada. I can share with him the fact that when I came here, 23 years ago, one of my issues was very much the issue of crime and safety. I, too, lost a cousin who was an OPP officer in a terrible shooting. The results for the individual who performed the shooting were, I felt, very ins…
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Madam Speaker, I am impressed with the speech of my colleague. I have heard clearly, in every word he has said, how he feels about this issue and how important it is that we move forward on the recommendations in this report. It covers many of the issues of victims' rights. A constituent of mine was the victim of a drive-by shooting that left her completely paralyzed. That is when I found out how …
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Mr. Speaker, I came in here this morning expecting to be dealing with Bill C-35. I certainly agree with the recommendations in this report. As my hon. colleague indicated, we should stay very focused on these recommendations but move forward. The amendment that my colleague moved for in the concurrence report is just another effort to politicize another terrible issue that we are concerned about, …
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Mr. Speaker, I expect that my reaction would be the exact same as my colleague's reaction. Today, we have important time to try to get legislation through. We all know that we expect the House will rise. I had hoped it was going to rise this week, but clearly it is going to rise next week. The minister is responsible, at the end of the day, for his actions, and that will follow. We should not be u…
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague has done admirable work on the files that she has had, on these ones and on the other ones before. We have worked together on a variety of different things. I have tremendous respect for my colleague, but I have to say that there are issues that are taking valuable time in the House. We are supposed to be talking about Bill C-35, which would entrench the issues of ch…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today I would like to celebrate two remarkable milestones. First, I want to congratulate Liem Tran on reaching the magnificent milestone of his 80th birthday. Liem Tran's journey through eight decades has been a testament to resilience, wisdom and the beauty of a life well lived. His dedication, kindness and commitment to our community have touched the lives of countless individuals, …
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 107(3), I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Liaison Committee, entitled “Committee Activities and Expenditures: April 1, 2022 - March 31, 2023”. This report highlights the work and accomplishments of each committee, as well as detailing the budgets that fund the activities approved by the committee. It is a very …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the House debated Bill C-311, which was introduced by one of the most anti-choice members of this House in a transparent effort by the Conservative Party to reopen the abortion debate in Canada. The Conservatives do not just want women in Canada to not have the right to choose; they also oppose our support of women's reproductive rights abroad. When it comes to reproductive…
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Mr. Speaker, I am very honoured today to present, in both official languages, the ninth report of the Standing Committee on International Trade, entitled “The United States’ Inflation Reduction Act of 2022: Trade Impacts on Certain Canadian Sectors”.
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Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association recently celebrated its 65th anniversary, marking over six decades of advocacy and representation for the consumer specialty products industry in Canada. Founded in 1958, the CCSPA has been instrumental in ensuring that Canadian consumers have access to safe and innovative products, ranging from household cleaners and personal care …
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Mr. Speaker, as we begin the month of May, with all of this rain out there, it is important to recognize that May is Vision Health Month. For over 10 years, it has had that recognition. This is a time to focus on the eye health that we oftentimes take for granted. Last Friday I introduced and moved second reading of my private member's bill, Bill C-284, an act to establish a national strategy for …
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Madam Speaker, what I have found is that when I started to do the research on Bill C-284, I knew very little about it. I have been fortunate to have pretty good eyesight all of these years, other than what my own family experienced through blindness. What I have learned is that the number of things that happen with one's eyes is quite remarkable. When one suddenly starts to notice something about …
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moved that Bill C-284, An Act to establish a national strategy for eye care, be read the second time and referred to a committee. Madam Speaker, I am very excited to stand today for the second hour to speak on my bill, Bill C-284, which would establish a national eye care strategy, on second reading. For many years, Canadians have been calling for a comprehensive national plan for vision health, i…
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Madam Speaker, I enjoy, very much, working with my hon. colleague and I know how hard she fights for her community and, in fact, for all Canadians in a variety of different capacities. I think that one of the things that would come out of Bill C-284 is the fact that the provinces and the federal government have to sit down at the table together and look at the huge cost to society as a result of n…
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on International Trade, in relation to Bill C-282, an act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act, on supply management. The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House without amendment.
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the seventh report of the Standing Committee on International Trade entitled “Main Estimates 2023-24: Vote 1 under Canadian Commercial Corporation, Vote 1 under Invest in Canada Hub”.
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Mr. Speaker, I very much enjoy the times when my colleague and I occasionally get together at events. We do not always know what the government is doing. It does not send out a message to us every day on what it is doing and what it is not doing. When the government chose to take the route of not doing a blanket cover over everybody in Iran who was part of the regime, it was an attempt to make sur…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague continues to ask questions about what else can be done, rather than just talking about labelling it as a terrorist organization. I think many of us want to see that happen. The issue is what else can be done. How do we continue to be the voices for the protection of journalism? So many journalists have been in jail. With the recent incident of the poisoning of many school…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to applaud the member for the work that she continues to do on these issues. I am very happy to try to facilitate that as soon as we can get together and do that.
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Madam Speaker, as parliamentarians, we are pretty much all feeling the same frustration of wanting to see more done. The fact is that the government has taken the stance of refusing visas to any of the Iranian officials and has quite a long list of people who would be denied visas to come to Canada, who are inadmissible. Part of the concern is that all of those younger people who would have been e…
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Mr. Speaker, as much as it was unexpected this morning to be dealing with this rather than the Order Paper items and the work of the government, I think it is a very important debate. I would like to see us have a take-note debate in an evening when we could talk a lot more about the issues that we are all talking about. I believe all of us stand against this terrible regime, and stand with the Ir…
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Madam Speaker, I want to acknowledge my colleague for the commitment he has to ensuring that democracy is promoted and fought for. He has worked on many files over the years, and I have always respected him immensely. On a personal level, I very much support the IRGC being labelled a terrorist organization. I supported that when it came forward, and I would certainly like to see more activity happ…
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Mr. Speaker, I do not think there is a parliamentarian in this House or anywhere else who does not support the people of Iran and their quest for freedom and for a free and democratic Iran, ultimately. I believe we all want the very same thing. One recommendation was put forward by the committee, and I will read it quickly: That the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration report the foll…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to show my support for the people of Iran, following several troubling reports. In the past three months, over 50 schools in Iran have reported cases of schoolgirls impacted by alleged poisonings, followed by much concern over the effects that this will have on their education and their future. Despite lacking information on the details of these despicable attacks, due to…
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Mr. Speaker, this is a report on the committee activities and expenditures, from April 1, 2022 to December 1, 2022, of the committees of the House of Commons. I will present it, in both official languages, as required. This is the fifth report of the Liaison Committee. This report highlights the work and accomplishments of each committee of the House and details the budgets that fund the activitie…
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Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to present a report from the Standing Committee on International Trade, on which we have spent many hours in discussion and looking at opportunities for improvements in the system. It is my honour to present, in both official languages, as required, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on International Trade, entitled “The ArriveCAN Digital tool: Impacts on Cer…
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Mr. Speaker, during the pandemic, gender-based violence increased at an alarming rate. We simultaneously saw that crisis lines were used more than ever across Canada, and this demand, unfortunately, continues today. Could the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth share what our government is doing to respond to this heartbreaking increase and provide support to those experiencing gender…
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on International Trade, entitled “Transporting Goods in Rail Containers: Some Trade Implications for Canada”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to acknowledge February as Age-Related Macular Degeneration Awareness Month. Macular degeneration is among the top five eye conditions leading to serious vision loss. It affects individuals' ability to read, to drive, to socialize, to recognize people. It largely impacts individuals’ independence and quality of life. In fact, many of us in this room may also develop age-r…
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Mr. Speaker, the current income tax system for seniors gives couples numerous ways to lower taxes while singles get none. Senior couples can split their pension income, thereby allowing them to pay less tax and qualify for the age amount tax credit and old age security with limited or no clawbacks. The undersigned single members and other citizens of Canada call upon the Government of Canada to of…
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on International Trade in relation to the motion adopted on Thursday, February 2, 2023, regarding prohibiting the importation of goods linked to the use of forced labour and developing a related strategy.
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Madam Speaker, it is deeply disturbing to hear about the growing persecutions of the Ahmadi Muslim community around the world. In recent weeks, the media burst with the news about the unlawful raids, detentions and killings of Ahmadi Muslims in Burkina Faso and Pakistan. The safety of the community in Afghanistan, Algeria and Sri Lanka is also deeply concerning. No individual should be persecuted …
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