Parliamentary Speeches

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Finance, entitled “Recommendations of the Standing Committee on Finance for the 2026 budget”. I would like to take a moment to thank all the Canadians and organizations that contributed to this report. We received over 1,350 submissions and saw over 90 witnesses. I would like to extend my gratitude to all committee members for the very hard work they did in putting this report together. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to salute my colleague. It has been a pleasure working with him over the past few years, and I want to extend my best wishes to him. I wish him all the best for the future. We will miss him, even though we have differences of opinion about our country. However, over the past few years I have seen that he has worked hard and has always been there to support Quebec, Quebeckers and his constituents. It is always a pleasure to work with someone who is professional and does their homework. I wish him all the best for the future.

Mr. Speaker, Saturday marked 20 years since the death of OPP sergeant Greg Stobbart, a beloved Burlington resident who was killed by a careless motorist while on a training ride on his bike. He was a dedicated officer with 25 years of experience, a committed athlete and a deeply loved family man and friend. In the face of unimaginable loss, Greg's wife, Eleanor McMahon, chose courage. She founded the Share the Road Cycling Coalition, which has since become one of the most influential road safety organizations in Canada. Eleanor's advocacy resulted in “Greg's law”, Ontario's one-metre safe passage law, strengthening penalties for drivers who injure or kill vulnerable road users. From grief to purpose, she transformed road safety in Ontario and saved lives. With the 20th-anniversary Share the Road Gran Fondo in Milton and the annual Ontario Bike Summit, we remember Sergeant Stobbart, honour his legacy and together continue the work.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present two petitions. The first petition is from constituents in Burlington who want to reaffirm their support for the Canada-wide early learning and child care system. The petitioners request that all future budgets include adequate funding that keeps up with inflation and allows for the growth of the program. They believe it is essential to the healthy development of children, to the economic value of women entering the labour force, and to the alleviation of the affordability crisis that is affecting the well-being of families and communities across Canada. They deeply believe in the Canada-wide early learning and child care program, and they ask that the House affirm its belief in the program as well.

Mr. Speaker, the second is an e-petition, in which petitioners note that in January 2026, widespread human rights protests in Iran were met with state violence, including arrests, torture, enforced disappearances and the killing of 30,000-plus civilians. They state that the Iranian regime simultaneously shut down the Internet and telecoms, stifling witnesses and victims and preventing access for Iranians to reliable information and communications abroad. The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to publicly condemn the Islamic regime's ongoing human rights violations that use state violence and the shutdown of digital communications and telecommunications. They demand the immediate restoration of Internet access and telecoms to ensure governmental transparency and civilian safety, the cessation of lethal force against Iranian dissidents, and the release of all political prisoners and detainees. They publicly support the Iranian people's right to determine their own political future free from violence and repression. Petitioners call on the government to expand targeted sanctions, to enforce accountability measures against the people responsible for human rights abuses, and to pursue the above actions with international partners that support R2P.

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to present a petition on behalf of over 600 Canadians. In the postwar years, over 300,000 unmarried young women had their babies forcibly removed after giving birth. In 2018, the Senate released the report “The Shame is Ours”, calling on the government to implement four recommendations to right these historic wrongs. These women and children, because of outdated adoption laws, have not been able to find each other and have not been able to get closure. On behalf of the hundreds of these women in Canada still alive today, and their children, petitioners are calling upon the government to implement the recommendations of the Senate report and to make amends for this historic wrong.

Mr. Speaker, between 1945 and the 1970s, hundreds of thousands of unmarried mothers in Canada were coerced into surrendering their babies for adoption. This occurred under intense pressure from religious organizations, social workers and the medical community, particularly in maternity homes and hospitals. I first learned about this shameful part of Canadian history from a 2018 Senate report, led by the Hon. Art Eggleton, entitled “The Shame is Ours”. I got to know the courageous Valerie Andrews, a survivor of this cruel practice and tireless advocate with Origins Canada for the mothers whose babies were taken from them. I read Heather Marshall's profound book, Looking for Jane, which sheds light on the treatment of unwed mothers in Canada in the post-war years. Australia, Wales, Scotland and Ireland all had similar practices and all have acknowledged the historic wrongs these women and their children were subjected to. These women, those who are still alive today, are elderly, and they deserve to know that what happened to them was wrong.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking our Bloc Québécois colleagues for moving this motion today. It is important that we stand together as a nation at this point in time to address the unjustified tariffs imposed by the United States, so I would like to thank them for that. I come from Burlington, Ontario. When I look to the west and the south from my constituency office, I see the steel mills in Hamilton. When I look to the east, I see the Ford Motor Company assembly plant in Oakville. In between and all around me, there are small and medium-sized manufacturers in the steel and automotive business that are major exporters to the United States and employ tens of thousands of people in my community and surrounding areas. This conversation today is so important because the section 232 tariffs are in direct violation of CUSMA, the agreement we signed with the United States. The tariffs are a challenge to the businesses, but, most importantly, to the people in my community who are looking for certainty and stability and hoping this issue will be resolved soon with the United States. I have spent so much time over the last year talking to business owners and employees in my community about what these tariffs mean for them. When they were first applied at 25% on the steel, aluminum, auto and softwood lumber industries, and now copper, they had a major impact, but when they were increased to 50%, it was devastating for our economy. I am really glad that the federal government and the Prime Minister recognize that and are acting swiftly to support these businesses. In fact, just yesterday, the Minister of Industry and the Minister of Artificial Intelligence announced a $1‑billion additional fund to support businesses and tariff-affected sectors. I have heard from so many businesses in my community that this relief is so important. We need to ensure as a government that we are supporting these businesses in weathering this storm. We know we have some of the most innovative businesses, some of the best manufacturers and most highly skilled workers in the world in southern Ontario and around the country, but we need to support them in getting through this time, and support them to retool, re-skill and find new export markets to make sure they can continue to thrive and be successful. I had the pleasure of touring some of these amazing plants. I was at a company on Saturday evening in my riding, the Thomson-Gordon Group and Thordon Bearings. They make these incredible ship bearings that do not use oil. They are eco-friendly and export around the world. This is an opportunity for us to showcase that Canadian talent, Canadian skills and Canadian products and use this opportunity to double our exports around the world, to make sure we are bringing this Canadian ingenuity, skill and talent right around the globe. I do not want to minimize the importance of the relationship with the United States. Eighty per cent of Canadians live within 100 kilometres of the U.S. border. When I talk to manufacturers in southern Ontario, I hear that often 50% to 70% of their exports currently go to the United States. It is so important for us to get a good deal with the Americans, and that is exactly what this government is aiming to do. However, in the meantime, we also have to make our economy more resilient and less dependent on the United States so that we can weather these shocks. I was in Washington, D.C., a couple of weeks ago and talked to some American colleagues there. One of the key things we have to understand is that we have a lot of friends in the United States. We have a lot of allies in the United States who want to do business with Canada and continue to support what has made both of our countries prosperous, the cross-border trade, the North American economy that we have developed that is so integrated over the last few decades, but we also need to demonstrate to them that we are an important partner and they have to be able to show us that we can trust them into the future. When the Prime Minister talks about the fact that our relationship has irrevocably changed, what he is talking about is whether Canadians and Canadian businesses can trust that, moving into the future, the agreements that we sign with our American partners are going to be honoured and respected. As Canadians, we value the relationship we have with the United States. We value that cross-border relationship when it comes to our economy, our friendship and our Armed Forces, which have served side by side in conflict after conflict. We are friends, allies and business partners and we want that to continue. However, Canadians need assurances that when the Americans sign those agreements they are going to honour them into the future. When it comes to the section 232 tariffs, this latest change that we saw on April 6 is going to be really difficult for Canadian companies. That is why yesterday's announcement by the government that we continue to support our Canadian companies is so important. There was a report that came out of the University of Calgary a couple of weeks ago that looked at the impact of the section 232 tariffs on the overall economy. While it is true that upward of 85% of Canada's exports to the United States are still covered under CUSMA, and we need to do everything we can to protect that and ensure that continues, the sectors that are affected by the 232 tariffs are disproportionately in Ontario and Quebec because it is steel, aluminum and auto manufacturing that are most impacted. When we look at Ontario and Quebec, we see that the percentage of our U.S. exports that are hit by the 232 tariffs in Ontario is 60%, and in Quebec it is almost 55%. This is our manufacturing heartland and something we need to protect, nourish and support moving into the future. If we are going to move forward, as we are planning to, with the defence industrial strategy, building Canada and ensuring we have the infrastructure we need, we need to have a strong and vibrant steel and aluminum sector. That is why we are providing supports to the steel sector. It is why we have imposed import duties on non-free trade partners when it comes to steel in Canada. It is why the buy Canadian strategy when it comes to steel in our infrastructure is so important. These are the industries we rely on to build our country. I will conclude by saying that today's motion and debate are really important, because we need to be unified. We need to be team Canada. We need to protect the businesses, employees and people who make our country strong and make it run.

Mr. Speaker, I am also concerned about the future of small- and medium-sized businesses in my riding. I have spoken about the big businesses next door to my riding. In my riding, however, small and medium-sized businesses are the ones that need this help. Yesterday, we announced an envelope of $500 million dollars for regional development agencies. The goal is precisely to support SMEs affected by section 232 tariffs. Will that be enough? We shall see. We will see how long this lasts, and how we will need to support SMEs.

Mr. Speaker, this is not something that the Canadian government wants. I do not think any Canadian wants this. I think most people realize that this is a decision of the U.S. President. We need to do what we can to support Canadian industries. That is exactly what the government is doing. It continues to be an evolving process. As I mentioned, 85% of exports from Canada to the United States are still covered under CUSMA. We need to protect that. We need to ensure that this continues. We need to do everything we can to ensure that the section 232 tariffs are removed across the board, so that we can protect the vital industries that are so important to our economy.

Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, what we are trying to do as a government is build a strong and resilient economy. We know it is extremely important that we support our industries so that we support our workers. When I talk about the steel sector, and when I talk about the automotive sector, it is not about the plant; it is about the people who work in those plants. I had the opportunity to visit Dofasco with the Prime Minister a couple of weeks ago. We spoke to the employees. I met a third-generation steel worker at Dofasco. The whole reason we are doing this is that we want to ensure that she continues to have that job, that she continues to be able to make a good living and that she has that respectable job that we can continue to have in this country. All of these measures are about supporting those workers. They make up our community and they make up our economy. The strength of Canada's economy is in our people.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. As he mentioned, we work very well together at the Standing Committee on Finance. I very much appreciate everything he said. I want to ask him to tell us a bit more about how his constituents are affected and how important it is for them to get the support that they need. I liked when he talked about SMEs and the importance of retaining workers. Does the hon. member have anything more to say on that subject?

Mr. Speaker, today we welcome to Parliament Hill children and youth from across Canada, including members of the Young Canadians’ Parliament, who are here to deliver a simple and urgent message, that time is up on online harms. They are joined by parents whose lived experience gives this call for action profound urgency and who are standing up to protect other children from similar harm. Together, they are part of the growing Countdown for Kids movement led by Children First Canada, reminding us that children have waited years for online safety legislation at the cost of real and preventable harm. As a parent and as someone who has fought hard for children's rights in Canada, I look forward to the government presenting legislation on online harms and to the House finally putting the safety of our kids first and passing it quickly. These children are asking for us to act now, to put their safety first, to work together and to show that protecting children is never optional.

Mr. Speaker, I always enjoy listening to my hon. colleague's faux-righteous indignation. As much as I enjoy that, I think we need to put some facts on the table. The fact of the matter is that there is now a majority government here in Ottawa. With that comes the ability to have a majority on parliamentary committees. In those three by-elections that we had just last week, Canadians overwhelmingly voted for Liberal candidates. In fact, Conservative votes went down, incredibly. I have a very simple question for my hon. colleague. I think he should be able to answer it. I would like to know, if ever the Conservatives have a majority in Parliament, given their argument right now, will he commit and will he promise to Canadians that Conservatives will not have a majority on committee?

Mr. Speaker, I have been here for over 10 years and I have seen a lot of theatrics in this place, but the drama coming from that last speech was a bit much even for that hon. member and the Conservatives. Speaking as if we are taking away members' rights and their opportunities to be representatives is over the top. In fact, every member in this House has an important role to play. What the government is doing is acting on the fact that we now have a majority. I will put this to him because I did not actually get an answer from his House leader when I asked. If the Conservatives should ever, and we will see if that ever happens, find themselves in a situation where they have a majority government, will he commit right now to ensuring that the Conservatives do not hold a majority on committee?

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to rise today to present a petition on behalf of residents of Burlington and citizens of Canada. Following the tragic loss of her daughter Katie Pryla, a constituent of mine noted that connective tissue disorders, such as Marfan syndrome, often go undiagnosed, despite clear clinical signs such as scoliosis, hypermobility, long limb proportions and early connective tissue complications. It can lead to unforeseen medical consequences, particularly for those who become pregnant. Therefore, the petitioners are requesting that the Government of Canada establish national screening guidelines for Marfan syndrome and related connective tissue disorders, especially for patients presenting with scoliosis or similar connective tissue disorders; implement national education and awareness programs for physicians, specialists and other health care professionals on identifying and managing connective tissue disorders; require genetic and cardiac screening protocols for IVF and high-risk pregnancy patients with connective tissue indicators; and support public awareness initiatives to educate Canadians on the signs and risks of Marfan syndrome and the importance of early education. If the government were to do such things, it could help prevent the tragic and unnecessary loss of life. I am pleased to be able to present this petition on behalf of my constituents.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present two petitions on behalf of my constituents. The first was started in Burlington. It is an e-petition that is calling on the government to increase the lifetime contribution for the registered disability savings plan. My constituents and petitioners note that only 35% of eligible Canadians contribute to an RDSP, and they are calling on the government to increase the lifetime contribution from $200,000 to $300,000. This would ensure that folks would be able to take care of themselves and that families could provide for their children and dependents for the long run.

Mr. Speaker, did members watch an NHL game last night or the House of Commons this past week? If so, they did so thanks to technology developed and built in Burlington, Ontario. For decades, Evertz has helped shape how the world sees and understands major moments. The company has enabled news and live events to reach audiences in real time, and behind that success are about 1,800 Canadian workers whose expertise is in driving change across the industry. In January, I had the chance to tour its Burlington manufacturing facility and global headquarters to see first-hand how Canadian ingenuity, technology and skill are shaping the global media landscape. Evertz is Canadian first, a fully sovereign company, at a time when that matters more than ever. To my colleagues in this place, every time they look into one of these cameras to speak to their constituents, they can know that they are doing so with technology developed and built in Burlington, Ontario.

Mr. Speaker, Canada should be the best place world to be a child and to raise a child. On National Child Day, I reflect on the many steps we have taken to make this a reality. We introduced, in the last decade, the Canada child benefit, which has lifted half a million kids out of poverty. We created a national child care program, which is setting our kids up for success and enabling parents to stay in the workforce. We also created of a national school food program that is feeding 400,000 kids in Canada. While these are good and necessary steps, there is still so much more we can and must do to provide the best start in life for Canadian children. One such area we need to tackle is the increasing harms our children are facing online, including cyberbullying, exploitation, grooming and AI-generated abuse. Children's organizations, parents and kids themselves are sounding the alarm. Today, let us commit to tackling these new and emerging issues because all of our nation's kids deserve to live in safety and with every opportunity to build a bright future.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share the story of my constituent Kerry-Anne Hall, who suffered a tragic loss. Her daughter, Kathryn Ellen Pryla, was just 28 years old, and eight months pregnant, when she died suddenly from an aortic dissection. Her baby boy, Callum James, did not survive. Only after Kathryn’s passing did genetic testing confirm she had Marfan syndrome, a connective tissue disorder. From the age of three, she was under specialist care for scoliosis, eye complications and other related issues, yet each was treated in isolation. No one recognized the larger pattern that could have pointed to Marfan sooner. Kathryn’s story reminds us of the importance of seeing the whole picture and of ensuring that our health care systems, professionals and researchers have the awareness and tools they need to identify rare genetic conditions early. Greater collaboration, education and research can save lives. We owe it to families like Kerry-Anne’s to raise national awareness of genetic aortic disorders and to make sure no one else is lost because the signs were missed.

Mr. Speaker, I want to add my gratitude to the hon. member for Burnaby North—Seymour for bringing the bill forward. In his speech he said that he knew this was not going to change the world, but that it would make a world of difference for the affected families. I could not agree more. For those 1,600 families who tragically experience this every year, he is making their lives a bit easier. I just want to thank him for that. I am also a former minister of Service Canada, and my colleague is as well; we do not often get two previous ministers of Service Canada sitting beside each other. I wonder if he can talk about what this means from a service delivery point of view, why this is not only good policy that is compassionate and does the right thing but also better at delivering services.

Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I want to take a moment to thank colleagues in this House for their incredibly thoughtful and compassionate interventions. This is a moment when Canadians can be quite proud of this chamber as we come together for our shared humanity. I really want to thank my colleague from Burnaby North—Seymour for bringing the bill forward, because it touches all of us. I rise today to tell everyone about Jennifer and her son Evan. Jennifer is the reason I stand here today in support of the bill, and her story is the inspiration for Evan's law. In spring 2022, a constituent called me to tell me her story. She had found her baby blue and motionless in his crib. In a panic, she called 911, and emergency services arrived soon after, confirming that he had passed. As she and her husband waited nearly six hours before a coroner came, a million questions flooded their minds. The experience was traumatizing. Evan was four months old when he passed away. Jennifer described him as “a laughy little guy” who had the best smile. He loved to be held, and everybody loved to hold him. He was, as she said lovingly, the perfect little baby boy. In the days that followed, Jennifer and her husband felt as though they did not know what to do with themselves, as though they were walking into walls, disoriented, exhausted and devastated. As a mother of two, I cannot begin to imagine the heartbreak and despair that comes with losing a child. I hope I never have to, but, sadly, as we all know, this happens to thousands of families each year in Canada. For about 1,600 families, it happens while they are on EI parental leave. Jennifer was one of those Canadians on EI parental leave at the time. No one told her after she lost Evan that she needed to contact Service Canada, but she did so of her own accord, which is not the case for many parents in her situation. She figured she needed to find out what this would mean. Jennifer soon contacted Service Canada to describe what had happened. She was informed that because her child had passed, she was no longer eligible to receive parental benefits. In the eyes of the Employment Insurance Act as it is currently written, once a child passes away, the act no longer considers a person a parent. Therefore, they are no longer entitled to receive parental benefits. When I learned this, I was shocked. In my humble opinion, it is cruel and unnecessary both to define what being a parent is in this way and to cease benefits immediately if a person loses a child while on leave. To receive any financial support or time off work, Jennifer would have to switch to EI sickness benefits, a program that is not designed with grieving parents in mind. She spent hours on the phone trying to switch her benefits. Then she was told that she would have to call back every two weeks to confirm her eligibility. This took a serious toll on her. She told me the biggest thing was that every single time she called, she spoke to a new person. She was forced to relive her trauma every two weeks and explain everything over again, every single time. Through no fault of their own, the staff picking up the phone at Service Canada were not always equipped or trained to handle the sensitivity and weight of that kind of call. As we can imagine, contacting Service Canada is the last thing on the minds of grieving parents. Often, parents may not even realize that they have become ineligible. In too many cases, parental benefits continue to be paid in full, only for the CRA to seek repayment months or even years later. In effect, these parents find themselves indebted to the government because of the death of their child. I strongly believe this runs contrary to Canadian values and the values of this House, as we have seen today. Like Jennifer and her husband, roughly 1,600 Canadian families face the tragedy of infant loss each year. Almost 50% of those losses occur in the first 24 hours following birth. For most who experience it, it is the darkest moment of their lives. Despite this, the current provisions of the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Labour Code cut off access to parental benefits when infant loss occurs, removing critical support that these grieving Canadians so desperately need. When families need the most support, additional bureaucratic and financial strain is imposed upon them. However, we can change that, and Evan's law would do so. While no policy can take away the sorrow and tragedy of losing a child, it is our duty as legislators to ensure that the systems we have in place do not add unnecessary burdens to the grieving process. The essence of the bill lies in our ability to support parents during their darkest moments. For anyone who has experienced a loss, particularly the loss of a child, the pain is not just emotional; it can also be financial and logistical, and it is often overwhelming. By removing the need for a new claim and by ensuring that the parent continues to be eligible for benefits, Evan's law would provide not only financial relief but emotional relief as well. Grieving parents would no longer be forced to prove their eligibility in the midst of their mourning. The bill would send a message that as a country, we understand the profound impact of such a loss and that we are here to support those who face it with the utmost dignity and respect. We must also recognize that every parent grieves differently. Jennifer needed time off. She needed time to grieve. On the other hand, her husband needed to go right back to work; that is what helped him through the grieving process. The bill would give parents the permission and the flexibility to grieve how they need to in one of the worst moments of their lives. We can give them the choice: to return to work when they are ready or to take the time they need. Just last week, I heard from two more parents, Samantha and Neil. After they had suffered through three first-trimester losses on their journey to parenthood, their daughter Lily finally arrived, safe and sound, last December. However, this past March, just days before Lily turned three months old, the family received devastating news: Lily had been diagnosed with a highly aggressive form of acute leukemia. Samantha said, “We felt like lightning had hit us for the fourth time.” Lily began undergoing intensive treatment immediately, and her parents moved into the hospital with her. They did not know how short their time left with her would be. Due to complications with her treatment, Lily passed away on June 28. Samantha soon learned that she was no longer eligible for parental benefits. In the midst of grieving such an enormous loss, she was forced to navigate a series of burdensome administrative tasks. Samantha told me, “had Evan's law been in place, this would have been one less thing I would have worried about. It would have provided us some relief during that unimaginable time, allowing us some peace so we could grieve the death of our daughter.” When we speak about family, we often focus on the joy that comes with raising children and supporting parents through the milestones of life, but it is equally vital to acknowledge the pain of loss and to ensure that our social safety net does not fail people who are in their time of greatest need. Let me conclude with some thanks. First, I thank Jennifer for having the courage to share her and Evan's story, not just with me but with all of Canada. I thank Nora Spinks, Michelle La Fontaine and Lynn Steele, and the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Network, for their collaboration and support as we developed the legislation. Of course, I offer very deep and heartfelt gratitude to my colleague and my dear friend, the member for Burnaby North—Seymour, for taking up the task and introducing Evan's law. I and thousands of others across the country are grateful for his compassion and leadership in moving Evan's law forward. In their darkest moment, Evan's law would give grieving parents the knowledge that their benefits would not end abruptly, and the opportunity to take care of themselves. We are a nation that prides itself on compassion, and Evan's law would be a step toward ensuring that our policies reflect that compassion in the most challenging of circumstances. In honour of Evan's life and in honour of every parent who has experienced this unimaginable loss, I am grateful to my colleagues who have expressed their support for this private member's bill. It is time to give grieving parents the space and the support they need during the most difficult time in their lives.

Mr. Speaker, I am wondering if you could speak a little more about what this would mean for children, their agency and their well-being. I know you have heard from many survivors of this reunification therapy. I wonder if you could expand on that. I think that what you are doing is going to protect so many children from future abuse and that it is going to have a really meaningful impact on their lives.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin my remarks this evening by really thanking the member of Parliament for Hamilton Mountain. She has taken on this important private member's bill and taken on this important issue to protect children, to protect families and to protect parents. I cannot express my gratitude enough to her, but I think what is telling is that there are 300 women's organizations across this country that lend their support to this private member's bill. That is an indication of just how important this piece of legislation is to protect children in our country. I want to share those thanks a bit broader because, as my Bloc colleague raised earlier, this began with a study at FEWO, at the status of women committee. It was also the courage of our members, from all parties, who began the study on coercive control and learned about the issue of parental alienation. I want to take that a step back even, because this builds on important measures that the House has passed over the last years, notably the changes to the Divorce Act in Bill C-78 and then, more recently, Keira's law. For those colleagues who do not know about Keira's law, it was the first time that judges would be required to study and understand intimate partner violence and coercive control. Keira's law came about because of a little girl in my community who died tragically while on a hike with her estranged father. Jennifer Kagan, her mother, believes strongly that if the judge had learned and understood about intimate partner violence, had learned and understood about coercive control, Keira, who was four years old at the time, would still be alive today. I want to thank someone else, Pam Damoff, who is no longer here in the House but who served as a former colleague. She really spearheaded this work and made sure that Keira's law became reality and that Keira's legacy would live on. The member for Hamilton Mountain is taking another step. I first became aware of this when a constituent of mine approached me to ask if we could have a meeting to talk about her situation. She shared with me that her children had recently been taken from her while she was going through divorce proceedings with a former abuser. When the spectre of intimate partner violence was raised, the judge interrupted and said it was parental alienation. What ended up happening was that she lost, entirely, the custody of her children. What is really important here is recognizing that this is a phenomenon that is growing in Canada. When I spoke to my constituent about this, I was shocked because I thought the courts were there to protect people from these kinds of things. If someone is a survivor of domestic violence with the courage to leave, to speak up and to try to protect themselves and their children, the system is supposed to be there to support them. She thought the same thing. That is why she shared her story. That is why she was trying to leave and protect her children. Instead, she was punished for that. When we spoke about this, she said that she was not alone, and that she could get a call together of women across the country for whom this was happening. A couple of weeks later, I sat in on a Zoom call with over 50 women across the country who shared their stories with me. They talked about how their children had been taken from them by police, how their children were scared, how they were not able to have the kind of protection and support that they thought they were entitled to and they thought they would receive, and that they were in utter disbelief that this was happening. They told me stories like the one that the member for Hamilton Mountain shared of children being taken across the border to receive reunification therapy, that they had no idea where their children were because they were not allowed to have contact with them and how desperate, alone and abandoned they felt by the system that was supposed to be there to protect them. The bill would provide important measures to ensure that the rights of the child, the agency of the child and the well-being of the child are placed at the centre of divorce proceedings. That is something I think all of us, as parents, hope would be the case. I listened to my Conservative colleague's speech. The bill has nothing that is against the institution of marriage. The bill is trying to centre the rights of children in what is often a really awful situation for them, to give them a voice, to give them agency and to protect their well-being. What the bill would do is exactly that. It would clarify that there is no presumption of shared parenting, with each decision based on the best interests of the child. It would prevent the courts from blaming women who are victims of domestic violence for not actively working to improve their children's relationship with their abuser. It would stop the practice of disregarding children's views and preferences under the pretense that they have been manipulated or alienated by a parent. It would prevent judges from issuing orders that restrict parenting time with the parent to whom the child is bonded in order to improve the child's relationship with the other parent, and it would prohibit courts from forcing a child to attend reunification therapy. As my colleague, the hon. member of Parliament for Hamilton Mountain, said, it is not opposed to rebuilding relationships with parents. That is not what the bill is about. It is about ensuring that a child can make active decisions in what is going to happen to them and to their future. That is what we should be focused on in the bill. I understand that the government has a number of amendments it wants to make. What we should be focused on in the House, and I implore and I encourage members from all parties in this, is that when we are studying the bill, we should always think about what the objective is. I hope the bill makes it to committee. The objective is to ensure the rights and the well-being of the children, who find themselves in a place that was not their decision and in a situation that was not of their making but that has a huge ramification and impact on their now and on their future. When we speak to children who have gone through and who have been survivors of reunification therapy, as my colleague said, we find that some of it is fine, but some of it is really worrying. If we think about a child being sent across a border to be in some stranger's apartment and to receive some unprofessional therapy about what they think has happened and what the therapist is telling them has actually happened, we can imagine what that does to them. We can imagine the fear, uncertainty and loneliness they feel. I am asking the House to support the legislation. I think that what all of us want and what we care about is the well-being of the child. That is what we put front and centre here. My colleague spoke about the fact that there is a cottage industry that is building up, a cottage industry that is preying on vulnerable children. The fact that there are judges who have decided that, when they hear a child mention potential abuse, their first instinct is to reverse custody, to take a child away from a parent and put them towards another one, is actually quite mind-boggling. What we want is to have confidence in the courts. The bill would enable that. The bill would give us the confidence to know that the decisions being made about the now and the future of our children in situations beyond their control are being made in their best interest and that they have a voice and a vote in their future. I thank my colleague from Hamilton Mountain for bringing forward this important legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Burlington's mayor, Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, and the Halton elected representatives group, which I am honoured to be part of, for launching the Elect Respect campaign. This initiative began as a conversation among women elected at all levels of government in Burlington, in which we recognized a shared reality of harassment and threats. From those conversations came a commitment to create a safer, more respectful culture in public life. Elect Respect calls on both elected officials and citizens to pledge respectful and inclusive participation in our democracy. It reminds us that debate should be about ideas, not personal attacks, and that integrity and respect must guide our discourse. Sadly, harassment of elected officials has been on the rise. In 2023, the RCMP reported more than 2,600 threats, which is double what was reported the year before. Campaigns like Elect Respect matter because they call on all of us to set a better tone for our colleagues, for our constituents and for the next generation of leaders. I encourage all members of the House to join me in taking—

Mr. Speaker, October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. The month encourages open dialogue to help break the silence surrounding a difficult experience faced by over 1,600 grieving families in Canada each year. I am proud of my colleague from Burnaby North—Seymour for introducing Evan's law, a long-overdue measure to support grieving parents while on parental leave. Evan's law was inspired by the experience of a constituent of mine, whose personal grief can inspire lasting change. When passed, Evan's law would amend the Employment Insurance Act and the Canada Labour Code, ensuring that families would no longer experience additional trauma caused by having to notify Service Canada and file a new claim to continue receiving their benefits. This small change would mean that families would be able to focus on healing from their loss rather than navigating bureaucratic processes. As we observe Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, let us create space for the voices of families who have experienced the heartbreaking loss of an infant.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House to celebrate the Hon. Irwin Cotler, who is in Ottawa to be honoured by the Pearson Centre tonight for his lifetime of service to Canada and his work on human rights and justice. He is a former member of Parliament and cabinet minister, an emeritus professor of law at McGill and an international human rights lawyer, and I am very proud to call him a friend. As minister of justice and attorney general, Irwin enacted same-sex marriage equality laws, appointed two women to the Supreme Court, tackled wrongful convictions and launched anti-racism initiatives. In his so-called retirement, he founded and now actively chairs the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, which advocates for political prisoners, human rights, justice and democracy. He also served as Canada's first special envoy on combatting anti-Semitism. Irwin is today, as he has always been, a powerful advocate for the marginalized and a champion of progress and justice. I speak for all Canadians when I thank Mr. Cotler for his incredible and ongoing service.

Mr. Speaker, as it is the first time I rise in the House in this Parliament, let me begin by thanking the good people of Burlington for electing me to a fourth consecutive term. It is a real privilege to be their voice and stand for them in this place. Speaking of the good people of Burlington, it brings me tremendous pride to highlight Keerthana Srinivasan, a grade 12 student at Aldershot School. Keerthana won first place in Samsung Canada's Solve for Tomorrow contest. Her system analysis and reporting for advanced hardware is an innovative algorithm designed to detect and locate faults in large-scale solar farms, significantly reducing downtime and improving the efficiency of renewable energy systems. Her project is a powerful example of how youth are using their creativity and skills to build a better future for us all. Congratulations to Keerthana and the entire Aldershot School team.

Mr. Speaker, what the Conservative opposition is doing is focusing on us while we are focusing on Canadians. We are focused on ensuring that we are delivering affordability measures for Canadians at a difficult time. We are focused on ensuring that we have a strong relationship with our most important trading partner, the United States. That is what the Liberal government is squarely focused on: Canadians, protecting the Canadian economy and protecting Canadian jobs.

Mr. Speaker, it is such an honour to rise in this place on behalf of the constituents of Burlington. I would like to say to all of my colleagues, despite the fact that this was a rather unusual session of Parliament, it is a pleasure to be able to work with everyone on all sides of the House, mostly. I know everybody is ready to go into the holidays. On behalf of the Liberal members of Parliament, I would like to extend my gratitude to everybody who works in the House of Commons, who serves us so well, stays here on late nights and makes sure we are so well supported. To them and their families, I wish a very happy holidays as well. I would like to wish folks in Burlington and right across the country a very merry Christmas and a very happy Hanukkah to all who are celebrating. I look forward to 2025 and all that the new year has to offer. I want to wish all of my colleagues all of the best for the year ahead. With that, pursuant to order made Wednesday, February 28, 2024, I move: That the House do now adjourn.

Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of respect for the member opposite. However, I think she is speaking from her own experience with the leader of the official opposition, when she said that she was not going to support him and then spent a year in the hinterlands. What I will say is that when it comes to actually doing things that support women, we have done that on this side of the House. Whether it is affordable child care, which is making it possible for hundreds of thousands of women to join the workforce, free contraception or the Canada child benefit, which is helping families pay the bills, what do Conservative members of Parliament do every time? They vote against them. Actions speak louder than words.

Mr. Speaker, as we well know, and as every member in this place knows, just because a Conservative member of Parliament wishes something does not mean that it actually happened. What happened over the past couple of weeks is that the government secured the confidence of the House. The government does enjoy the confidence of the House. That is why we will be presenting the fall economic statement later today, which we look forward to sharing with Canadians.

Mr. Speaker, this is the people's House; in it, we should be debating things that are pertinent to the administration of government. What we hear from the House leader from the Conservative Party of Canada is attacks on Canadians. The person the member is talking about is not a sitting member of Parliament and is not a cabinet minister; it is someone they are attacking simply because they do not share their vision of Canada. Mr. Speaker, every single Canadian deserves better than what we hear from the opposition today.