Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would disagree with the leader of the Green Party in the sense that I posed the question and the Conservatives had an opportunity to answer and defend, or anything of that nature, Annette Ryan. They chose not to do so. The leader of the Green Party is wrong to try to consistently give the false impression to Canadians that there is absolutely nothing wrong with debating concurrence …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the member will find that there were actually Liberal members of Parliament on the committee who expressed their support in great detail. What I can tell the member opposite is that all of the evidence before us today, and previously, clearly demonstrates that there is only one political party that has consistently been there for young people and represented their interests. While the…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I think there are all sorts of opportunities for us to have a good, healthy discussion and debate about the issues facing young people today. I would implore the Bloc or the Conservatives to designate one of their opposition days on just that topic. As opposed to three hours, we could spend a full day talking about young people in Canada. If they care about young people, let us see th…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, those were interesting comments. Obviously, I do not agree with a vast majority of them, but I have a question in regard to the member's focus on acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. I have always been fascinated by that. Ultimately, as I am sure the member is aware, the province plays a more significant role in that whole area than the national government. Has the member had…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that the member does not recognize that there are significant investments in our colleges. I think about Red River College Polytechnic, Manitoba's elite college. It trains literally thousands of individuals in a wide spectrum of skills. It leads our province. There is also the collaborative innovation garage, which is supported in part by the federal government. We h…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I am looking for a clear answer from the member. Can she explain to the House why the Conservative Party has never, ever brought forward an opposition day motion to deal with supporting the young people of Canada to the degree in which this particular report deals with that issue? They will possibly make light of the issue, but they have never focused attention on it before. Why is to…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I will pick up on the word “game”. The government and the Prime Minister do not take the issue of the youth of our country and play it as a game, unlike the Conservative Party does. We are supposed to be debating and having an actual vote on the independent Parliamentary Budget Officer. That is what was going to be happening as part of the agenda for today, followed by Bill C-10. When…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, a reality check is that the federal government continues to support students. It supports postgraduate facilities, both colleges and universities. It continues to support workforce enhancements through industries. It continues to support entrepreneur youth. It continues to support, in many different ways, the young people of Canada. This is something that is not a one-day flash for th…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada does a wide variety of things to support young people. Earlier this morning, just a few hours ago, I was on the floor of the House of Commons with Darion and Brett Ducharme, two outstanding individuals, constituents of mine, who have benefited through the Futurpreneur Canada program. This program is there to provide mentorship and support with finances. These …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, as I have clearly indicated, as a government, we have been very much focused, not only on one day, but every day of the year, on being there for young people. Yesterday, as has been already talked about, we had the major announcement that the youth summer jobs program is opening up. There are 100,000 young people who will benefit, potentially, under that program in itself. There are m…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote, please.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I believe there is unanimous consent to call it 5:43 p.m., so we can begin Private Members' Business.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, just to respond quickly to the member's last comments, I can assure him that whether it is the Prime Minister or members on the government benches, we will not play games with indigenous people. Indigenous people are in fact a nation we are obligated to work with. The legislation that is being proposed, Bill C-10, to establish the commissioner for modern treaty implementation, is some…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I know my colleague and friend has been a very strong advocate with regard to the whole truth and reconciliation file, and he understands and appreciates the many different aspects in the north, especially when it comes to the future potential of the north. There is that obligation that we have as a nation. I am wondering if he could just provide his thoughts in regard to truth and re…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the legislation is very straightforward. I think there is a general feeling among the different communities, in particular the indigenous communities, from what I understand, that there is a true value in modern-day treaty implementation agreements and in having a commissioner who is truly independent and reports back to Parliament. There would be checks and balances in place to ensur…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to start off by complimenting the member for Nunavut. Over the years, I found her to be exceptionally passionate with a caring heart in dealing with issues in an apolitical fashion. Her contributions to Parliament have been most impressive. I am looking forward to working with her on issues of such importance. Northern Canada plays such a critical role to the future prosperity …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is somewhat disheartening that the Conservative Party has taken the position of deleting the entire bill, showing its opposition to something that would be really important in Canadian society. Having a commissioner for modern treaty implementation would be a positive thing. I genuinely believe that the general feeling among indigenous leaders and beyond is supportive, recognizing …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I apologize for the interruption. There have been discussions among the parties, and if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move: That motion no. 1 in relation to the report stage of Bill C-10, an Act respecting the commissioner for Modern Treaty Implementation, be deemed negatived on division, and that the motion for the concurrence at r…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to be back and be able to provide some comments on a very important piece of private member's legislation. I want to start by complimenting the member for Fleetwood—Port Kells for recognizing just how important it is to be there for constituents in a very real and tangible way. I appreciate that it is not about just his constituents. In fact, this is something that wo…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, in terms of lawful access, this Prime Minister and the government brought forward the whole debate on lawful access back in June, shortly after the federal election last year. It is a little frustrating to see the resistance that we are getting from the Conservative Party with regard to lawful access, given that law enforcement officers across the nation want to see lawful access impl…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. Since June of last year, the government, in one form or another, has been explaining, and asking for, lawful access. Canada is the only country in the Five Eyes that does not have lawful access. The Conservative Party made a commitment to defeat and kill Bill C-2, which had lawful access. Therefore, we have brought forward Bill C-22. There have been a number of h…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the secretary of state's comments, and I thank him for coming to Winnipeg North to deal with the issue of extortion. Bill C-22 would deal with it in a significant way. Could he provide further comment on that specific issue?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, to be very clear, the government is not looking for a rubber stamp from the Conservative Party. What we are looking for is a Conservative opposition that at least acknowledges it has a role that allows legislation to go to committee so we can make the changes, if it wants to see changes take place. We have been talking about lawful access for months now, virtually since June. The issu…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the time that the member opposite has put on the NSICOP committee. No doubt, it gives him a fair amount of insight. I also appreciate the members' emphasis on the standing committee. Ultimately, it would be wonderful to be able to see Bill C-22 get to that committee stage. This way, there would be no rush per se, as we could go into the details and look at ways it could b…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of things that I could say with regard to the comments made by the member opposite, but suffice it to say that Canada elected a new Prime Minister under a year ago. We have a legislative agenda. Part of that means working with parliamentarians on all sides of the House. Whether it is the Prime Minister or the Liberal government, and whether it is a minority government …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, do members know what is most amazing? The member opposite sat in the chamber when Stephen Harper was the prime minister. With Stephen Harper, the Conservatives would stand in their place, introduce a bill and then move closure immediately after. There were well over 100 closure motions in some form or another. How dare the member try to compare the two when we have a government that c…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to recognize that the legislation would protect the interests and the privacy of Canadians, and it would complement many aspects of other legislation we have, including things such as the Charter of Rights. It is important to recognize that Canada is the only Five Eyes country that does not have lawful access. Lawful access, in turn, would protect Canadians' na…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I do believe there are checks and balances. The government is looking at the importance of lawful access and sees the benefits, in terms of protecting the national interest and national security around things like terrorism. It also deals with child exploitation, sexual exploitation and issues like extortion. All of these are critically important public issues. It also provides the ch…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand at this time.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
[For text of questions and responses, see Written Questions website]
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I disagree wholeheartedly with the member. We had an election and a new Prime Minister less than a year ago. Literally weeks after that, we introduced Bill C-2, which brought to the House lawful access. Canada is the only country of the Five Eyes that does not have lawful access. It has been a priority for the government. We have been trying to push it through, just like we did with t…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I will stay away from Conservative conspiracy theories for the moment and focus instead on the principle of the legislation, which would bring lawful access to Canada. Canada would not be alone. In fact we are the only Five Eyes nation that does not have lawful access. The concerns of privacy would in fact be dealt with in the legislation. I am glad the Conservatives are going to allo…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I really want to emphasize that what the member is talking about is the need to modernize the law. When we look at what has been taking place over the last period of time, we have witnessed issues such as national security, terrorism, child sexual exploitation and repeat violent crimes. For me personally, another big issue has been extortion. All of those crimes are taking place. Law …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I like the comment the member made, that it is not about choosing between public safety and personal privacy. The legislation covers both. Can the member provide her thoughts on why it was important for the legislation to cover both?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am more encouraged this afternoon than I was this morning. We get this feeling that the legislation will, in fact, be going to committee. I think that is a positive. We have had many hours of debate on it. I think some of the Conservatives have at least acknowledged that there is a potential need for lawful access. There are some serious crimes that are taking place in our communiti…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to reinforce what the member alluded to, which is that, within the last year, the Prime Minister, the government and Liberal members of Parliament have brought forward a suite of legislation to deal with combatting crime. One would think that all members of the House would see the value of that. This is what Canadians want us to do. Bill C-22 would deal with very serious issues…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, as we get closer to the possible ending of the debate on Bill C-22, it is important to amplify the fact that the legislation would protect personal privacy. Within the legislation, there are checkmarks to do that. Through the legislation, we would also be protecting the public's interest on the issue of safety in a number of different areas. The legislation would do both. I am encoura…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, there was a lot in that speech. It was not necessarily related to Bill C-22, but there was definitely a lot in terms of conspiracy theories. Let me reassure the member. Here is a reality check. The Prime Minister and the government are focusing on building Canada strong for all. There are record amounts, over $70 billion, of foreign investment because of initiatives that the governmen…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, in a word, wow. We can talk about conspiracy theories. We can talk about misinformation. When we want to talk about safety in our communities, we have a new Prime Minister from less than a year ago, as well as a new government. Bill C-9 deals with hate propaganda. Bill C-14 deals with bail reform. Bill C-16 actually restores mandatory minimums. We have Bill C-22 that deals with sensit…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am grateful that we are seeing the legislation go to committee. I disagree with much of what the member opposite has said. Within this legislation, the public security and safety issues are being addressed, and privacy concerns are also addressed. We can do both in one piece of legislation. Bill C-22 amplifies both of those. Most importantly, it would protect real Canadians in our c…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am again encouraged by the Bloc recognizing that there is value to having lawful access. I did not know about the Province of Quebec. I will have to look into that aspect. I would like to think they would be complementary of each other, but I do not know. I believe it is important for the bill to go to committee. The member raises a number of concerns he has with the ministry. If th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, we would like it to carry on division.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I suspect that if you were to canvass the House, you would find unanimous consent to call it 6:30 p.m. at this time so we could begin the late show.
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, there is no doubt that the member has brought forward substantive legislation, and because of the processing of legislation for private members' hour, we are actually at a point where, whether it is after this hour or after one more hour of debate, we will actually have a vote on this substantial piece of legislation. First, I would recognize the member bringing forward the legislatio…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to be able to rise today and address a very important, substantive piece of legislation. I look at it with a holistic approach wherein we have witnessed over the last 10 months, since Canadians elected a new Prime Minister and a new government, that the Prime Minister has made it very clear that we wanted to make the whole crime file a part of that first-year agenda g…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the Secretary of State for Combatting Crime came to Winnipeg and met with some interested individual community members where we talked about the issue of extortion. We also then met with the Winnipeg chief of police and members of the Winnipeg Police Association. All of them seemed to be of the opinion that we needed to get lawful access passed, and extortion was the issue that was co…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, within the legislation we will find substantive aspects that would protect the privacy of Canadians. It was interesting when the member made reference to phone books. I remember the phone books quite well. In fact, the Who Called? book was based on addresses. One could go into an area with a list of addresses followed by a phone number and find out who was in a home. We have advanced …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to go back to my original question that I asked the member because I think it is important. The member and the Conservatives have now had a couple of weeks to look at the legislation itself, but a lot of it originates out of Bill C-2. They have had the opportunity to really get a good understanding of the direction the government is going on lawful access. Can we expect the Con…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, in his comments, the member made me reflect on some of the debate we had on Bill C-9. One of the issues we had when dealing with the hate legislation was the fact that the official opposition, through social media and emails, providing information that was definitely misleading, which ultimately took away from the true value of Bill C-9. When we talk about this particular bill on lawf…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's answer to my first question. This one is more dealing with the issue of process. Given the very nature of how we have been trying to get lawful access as part of our Criminal Code, it is important for this government to respond and provide the necessary legislation in the form of a tool that can be used by law enforcement agencies across the country and CSI…
Read full speech →