Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I will be presenting two petitions this morning. The first petition is close to my heart because Canadian creators matter. Our writers and publishers are at the centre of this petition brought forward by people from my community. The petitioners are asking for an amendment to the Copyright Act for the government to ensure educational copying is licensed, with royalties flowing back to…
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Mr. Speaker, I have another petition brought forward by people from my community. This one is on foreign affairs. The petition is asking the Government of Canada to send immediate aid to severely affected countries, such as Pakistan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Afghanistan, Syrian Arab Republic, Sudan, northern Nigeria, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Zimbabwe, Haiti and Burkina Faso, by releasing…
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Madam Speaker, I am happy to have the opportunity to talk about how we are standing alongside our European allies. We are standing alongside Ukraine and all of our European allies in this really difficult time. I am happy that the member opposite acknowledges that this is a global challenge that we are facing. In fact, when the German Chancellor came to Canada, we worked with him to have a deal on…
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Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to have the opportunity to speak about everything we are doing for the environment and to support Canadians. I would first like to point out that the federal system does not apply in Quebec because Quebec has its own system. For our part, we are doing a great deal to support Canadians. We just created a dental care plan and provided rental assistance. We understand…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to talk about everything we are doing for the environment. We said we would stop putting money into fossil fuels. We are also working hard to conserve and protect our lands and waters. We are doing that now. We are talking about it here, in Montreal and internationally. Everyone came to see what we are doing. We are proud of what we are doing to p…
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Mr. Speaker, I will say again that we are doing a lot to protect biodiversity and our environment. We have the oceans protection plan and we are making investments in that. I am very pleased that members opposite talked about what we did for the indigenous-led area-based conservation program. A big investment in that program was announced just yesterday. That is important for reconciliation and fo…
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Mr. Speaker, I have already said this, but I want to make it very clear that the Northeast Newfoundland Slope marine refuge will remain a refuge under current conditions, and we will examine all exploration activities in a marine refuge on a case-by-case basis. What we now have is a tendering process, but that does not authorize production activities.
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Mr. Speaker, I keep repeating the same thing day after day when I get asked this question: It is simply a tendering process that does not authorize offshore production. I want to clarify that any proposed offshore production would first be subject to the Impact Assessment Act. These are exploratory zones only. This is not for production.
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by saying I share the sense of urgency my friend was just speaking about, as a person who sees it in the natural disasters we are seeing in our country, as a mother and as someone who cares deeply about her community, about her country and about this world. I share that. That is why I see the work and commitment to doing that hard work, and it is not easy. Anyone who s…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said in my opening remarks and will repeat once again, what we are focused on is reducing emissions. That is what we are doing, be it through reducing emissions from our buildings or our transportation sectors, or putting a cap on emissions from the oil and gas sector. All of these pieces come together. We are building out our renewable energies and making sure we have an electri…
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Madam Speaker, let me be very clear. I have said it before, and I will say it again. Even in a net-zero world, we will always need oil for some things, and not just bike chain grease. We also need it to make lubricant for windmills. If members want to keep seeing latex gloves in our hospitals, we will always need oil. What we are going to do is cap greenhouse gas emissions. That is what we have to…
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Mr. Speaker, a net-zero world will always need oil for non-fuel purposes. We are talking about oil for the bicycle that I ride in town. We will always use it and there will always be a need for it. However, when it comes to exploration, the tendering process does not in itself authorize production activities in the offshore area. We are talking about exploration only, not a proposal for production…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to clarify that the bidding process does not in itself authorize production activities in the offshore area. I would also point out that any proposal for production within the boundaries would first and foremost be subject to the Impact Assessment Act, would have to fit within the framework of our climate plan and would have to offer the best emissions performance, including ne…
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Mr. Speaker, we are very proud of our work on biodiversity and we are proud to be at COP15 in Montreal. I will be clear. The Northeast Newfoundland Slope marine refuge will remain a refuge under current conditions, and we will examine all exploration activities in the refuge on a case-by-case basis. As I said, the tendering process does not authorize offshore production or development activities. …
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Madam Speaker, I want to emphasize that our government shares the member's concern that Nunavummiut can meaningfully participate in impact assessment processes. This is a responsibility of the Nunavut Impact Review Board, an independent arm's-length body established through the Nunavut Agreement to ensure the interests of all Nunavummiut are protected. On May 13, the independent Nunavut Impact Rev…
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Madam Speaker, I am really happy the member opposite has raised this issue. As I mentioned earlier and I just want to reiterate, prior to the Nunavut Impact Review Board's May 13 phase 2 recommendation, the Minister of Northern Affairs travelled to Pond Inlet, Nunavut, in August of last year. He met with the community, project proponents, the designated Qikiqtani Inuit Association and, in specific…
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Madam Speaker, I want to address the issue of inflation. The elevated inflation experienced now in Canada and, frankly, the rest of the world is a major issue for all Canadians. We do understand that Canadians continue to experience higher costs of living and that many are struggling to make ends meet. However, it is important to remember that inflation is a global phenomenon. It is a lingering re…
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Madam Speaker, I am sure most Canadians agree that taking action on climate change is important not only from an environmental perspective, but also as an economic necessity. However, if we are talking about economics too and affordability, there are good reasons for Canadians to be confident. Canada is already supporting those who need it the most with our affordability plan at the moment they ne…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Madam Speaker, our Toronto—Danforth community is shining a little brighter this week as we mourn the loss of Lillian Adamakis. She was also known as Diamond Lil. People have described Lillian as “a force of nature”. She exuded brilliance. She was magnetizing. She was someone who was an amazing force. She made our community a better place, and we all will miss her deeply. She was a real estate agen…
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Mr. Speaker, opportunity brings change. That is a motto that we were talking about yesterday at the Eastview Neighbourhood Community Centre when we saw young people receiving awards for their accomplishments and as a vote of confidence in their future. There were three young people who received awards. Ahmad Arif and Ruqaiyah Chhiboo received grade10 scholarships. They are participants and volunte…
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Madam Speaker, I am very happy to have this opportunity to speak today, because we are talking about two issues that are so important to Canadians right across our country. These issues are affordability and climate change. The fact is that our country is warming at twice the global average. The north is warming three times as fast. We are feeling the impacts of climate change right across this co…
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Madam Speaker, I did talk about the fact that affordability is a key issue for Canadians right now. Inflation around the world is very high, and Canada is below many of the other countries. We are seeing a slight decrease, but inflation is absolutely a top issue. That is why we are putting in extra supports to help Canadians. We are doing that with doubling the GST credit. We are trying to do that…
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Madam Speaker, I am glad that my colleague asked me this question. There is something we do not often talk about here: the fact that there is a fee system in place and that energy companies pay fees. They pay them in their province. It is not true that, when they make more profits, they do not pay more fees. They do. I think that it is also important to note our government's move to impose higher …
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Madam Speaker, we are working on a green building strategy that would provide supports to Canadians right now as some first steps, and we are going to continue to build on that. Environment Canada announced a program that will help Canadians who have lower incomes to retrofit their homes from oil heating to heat pumps. There is a greener homes grant, as well as other programs. In fact, other progr…
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Madam Speaker, I appreciated hearing comments from the member opposite about the importance of standing up against totalitarian regimes. As a Jewish Canadian, I found hearing about his experience of touring a concentration camp to be very important. Does he not, from that experience, think it is so important for our leaders here in Canada to stand up clearly to extremism right here in our country,…
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Madam Speaker, Canadians know that climate change is real. Canadians also know that climate action is hard. In Canada and around the world, climate action is no longer a matter of political debate or personal conviction. It is an existential challenge. That means it is also an economic necessity. Our climate plan is driven by our national price on pollution, the smartest and most effective incenti…
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Madam Speaker, our government understands quite well that Canadians are feeling the effects of elevated inflation, particularly at the gas pump and when they reach for items at the grocery store. However, dropping taxes on gasoline is simply not the right solution. We have developed an affordability plan that provides more money to Canadians who need it the most when they need it the most. Our pla…
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Madam Speaker, we are seeing higher inflation rates and higher costs of living in Canada and, frankly, right around the world as a large result of many factors, which include the war in Ukraine; global supply chain bottlenecks, in large part due to the pandemic; and global energy market uncertainty. This is something our government is concerned with, and I can reassure my colleagues that we are wo…
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Madam Speaker, our government is committed to making smart climate investments to reach net zero by 2050 and build a stronger, more vibrant economy for all. Canadians understand quite well that without a serious climate plan, Canada has no economic future. Our government will help Canada continue to lead in global efforts to fight climate change, to protect our nature and to build a clean economy …
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Madam Speaker, both domestic and international epidemiological situations, as well as long-range modelling, continue to evolve. These, as well as hospital and ICU capacity and the effectiveness of other public health measures to keep Canadians safe, are taken into account when public health experts provide guidance. As I said earlier, the pandemic is not over, and staying up to date with vaccinati…
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Madam Speaker, for over two and a half years we have been taking action at the border in an effort to protect the health and safety of Canadians. This about saving lives. Our border measures have been effective in monitoring and reducing the risk of importation and transmission of COVID-19 and new variants of concern in Canada. In recent months, the pandemic situation has evolved. We have increase…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity today to join the debate on Bill C-30, the cost of living relief act. I have to say this is something that I know people in my community want to see. After a summer of having conversations with people back home in the community about what their needs are and what they are seeing, this is a chance to show that we are here and that we are responding …
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member opposite for this question, which touches on an important subject. Today I talked about what we are doing in Canada, because this is a bill for Canadians. That is why I focused on that in my speech, but we certainly have a role to play internationally. For example, during the pandemic, we helped other countries get access to vaccines. We continue to help oth…
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Mr. Speaker, it is an interesting way to frame the question. I will say that we have been very much focused on the people in our communities and across the country on how to provide them with support. That is why it can be extremely disappointing when we see Conservatives vote quite regularly against measures that do help Canadians, like cutting taxes for the middle class, like the Canada child be…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I am really pleased to be able to stand today and speak in favour of Bill S-210, which would lower the voting age to 16. I think it is a really important thing for us to be talking about today and giving support. I thought that a good place to start would be to hand over the mike to some members of my youth council. I have a youth council. They are young people in the community who gi…
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, let us not underplay the role of the Bank of Canada in all of this. It has an important role in what it is doing, but I recognize that is not the only thing. We are working on other measures. For example, I mentioned at one point in my speech that we are working on things like helping to address labour shortages, which can be part of the challenge with supply chains. We …
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Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate that the member opposite is talking about oceans. They are extremely important, and that is why we have put so much work into the oceans protection plan. I was happy to hear the news, for example, that in the past three years, not one right whale has died, and this is because of the efforts we are putting into protecting our oceans environment. It is tremendously i…
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Mr. Speaker, our focus is on reducing combustion of fuels, and that is exactly what we are doing. We are doing it across all of our sectors. We are putting a cap on oil and gas emissions, and that also goes to the emissions that are happening right here in our country. We are working across all sectors. It is important that we do it quickly, but that we do it correctly so that it actually sticks a…
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Mr. Speaker, we have been there consistently to support Canadians as we transition to more affordable forms of energy for our homes. As I mentioned, just last week we announced a program that highlights supports for Atlantic Canada. More than that, we are working with the provinces, including Nova Scotia and those in Atlantic Canada, on ways we can provide affordable clean energy. We are there. We…
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Mr. Speaker, we hear Canadians in Atlantic Canada and the issues they have raised with respect to the cost of oil heating, which is why just last week we announced a special program for Atlantic Canada in particular to help them transition from oil to renewable energies and have cleaner, cheaper ways to heat their homes. We are there to support Canadians. We are there to support Atlantic Canadians…
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Mr. Speaker, last month, we welcomed the German chancellor to Canada. What are we exporting? Hydrogen and critical minerals. What are we creating right here at home? Well-paying, sustainable jobs. We had conversations with the chancellor. We responded to what they need, and we will be there to support our allies while supporting Canadian jobs.
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Mr. Speaker, we promised Canadians we would deliver a ban on single-use plastics, and today that is exactly what we have done. By the end of the year, we will not be able to manufacture or import these harmful plastics. After that, businesses will begin offering the sustainable solutions Canadians want. We are taking a historic step forward, and with these new regulations we are reducing plastic p…
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Mr. Speaker, we tabled an emissions reductions plan that is ambitious and achievable. It goes sector by sector to create a path for Canadians to reach our 2030 climate projections. It is a detailed plan that goes through each economic sector, and it has been supported by environmental groups right across our country. We are working very hard and take this issue very seriously. We will continue to …
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for all of her hard work on mines. We know there is no energy transition without critical minerals. They represent an important economic opportunity for our country. That is why our government is working on a critical minerals strategy. This week, we released our discussion paper to inform the development of that strategy. Canadians will be able to have th…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak today about the bill brought forward by the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands, Bill C-226, an act respecting the development of a national strategy to assess, prevent and address environmental racism and to advance environmental justice. Before I speak about the bill, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Lenore Zann, the form…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw the member opposite's attention to another aspect of our government's just transition agenda for good-paying, sustainable jobs for Canadians. I am sure she knows that some companies are concerned about a skilled labour shortage during this transition. That is why we are so focused on skills training. However, we also want to encourage more Canadians of diverse bac…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member opposite for raising the issue of the importance of protecting the environment, lowering emissions and creating good-paying, sustainable jobs for workers in Alberta. Our government is committed to a just, equitable and prosperous transition that supports all regions, all communities and all workers. It is about creating good-paying, sustainable jobs for work…
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Madam Speaker, in my colleague's speech, he talked about the impact that he sees in his own community and how this would support people within his own community. I was wondering if he would share with us how the bill would have a direct impact on young people who are Black or indigenous in a city like Toronto to make sure they are able to get the full breadth of judicial discretion and the importa…
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Madam Speaker, I heard the member opposite mention certain shows, like The Handmaid's Tale, but what he did not include in his question and what I would be really curious to hear more about is how many of the people working on that show were Canadian: the actors, directors and the writers for the actual shows. How much of that intellectual property remains in Canada? How much of that supports our …
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Madam Speaker, the member opposite earlier said that the people in his community were curious about what the impact of this bill would be. I can say that in my community, with so many people who work in the arts, they are very concerned about our making sure that web giants contribute back into the system that creates such an important economic sector right here in our country. This includes, for …
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