Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to start off by commenting on a question I posed to the minister who introduced the legislation. In my question, I talked about how the Secretary of State for Combatting Crime came to Winnipeg, and we met with some interested citizens with regard to lawful access and dealing with the issue of extortion. We then met with the Winnipeg police chief and the Winnipeg Police Associat…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate, from all sides of the House, the congratulatory comments in regards to the birth of my fourth grandson just last Wednesday. He is a healthy baby boy. The oldest grandson is Benjamin, then Andrew, Hudson and now Rhys. I cannot envision a situation where we would be using the notwithstanding clause. One should never say never, I guess, but I cannot envision it.
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Mr. Speaker, as I pointed out, when I asked the Minister of Justice earlier today about the Winnipeg police, the chief of police and a particular group of individuals I met with, his response was that it is not only in Winnipeg. There are community-interest stakeholders throughout the country who are genuinely interested. They are following this issue and want to see lawful access become a part of…
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Mr. Speaker, law enforcement and Canadians as a whole wanted bail reform legislation. I remember, just last fall, when the Conservative Party of Canada was obstructing it and refused to allow it to pass. I literally begged and pleaded with the Conservatives here in this very spot to allow bail reform legislation to pass before the end of last year. At the end of the day, I think we want to see mor…
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Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate that I had the opportunity to meet with my colleague in Brampton, where we had a discussion about extortion. I also met with representatives from Peel Regional Police. At the time, it was in regard to Bill C-2, because Bill C-2 also included lawful access, which is an effective tool. Members do not have to believe me. They should believe what our law enforcement ag…
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Mr. Speaker, the problem is that this is just not true. We have a suite of legislation dealing with the issue of crime. I make reference to lawful access, number one, in Bill C-2, which dealt with border security. Also, there is Bill C-9, on hate propaganda; Bill C-14, which is bail reform legislation; and Bill C-16, which would restore things like mandatory minimum sentences. Bill C-12 is another…
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Mr. Speaker, one of the things I have recognized in my parliamentary career is the importance of things such as judicial independence, the respect of the rule of law and understanding how important our Charter of Rights is. I have never to date seen a situation where I could support the use of the notwithstanding clause. It terrifies me at times when we hear the Conservative Party say that it woul…
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Mr. Speaker, over 4,500 people from across Canada came to beautiful Montreal on Thursday and Friday, where we were able to witness a very common thread, the thread being building Canada strong. Building Canada strong means looking at diversifying our economy. It means building Canada's infrastructure. That includes big projects, by the way. It means growing export markets. It means buying Canadian…
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(a), I have the honour of tabling, in both official languages, the government's responses to eight petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.
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Madam Speaker, when we think of the Canada pension plan or the old age supplement programs, they are of critical importance. No one in Canada would even question that aspect. The other aspect that I think needs to be raised in this whole process is how important it is that we modernize. We have to think of how times have changed and how we need to meet the challenge of that change. The question I …
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Madam Speaker, it is interesting that the member refers to the Phoenix issue. It was during the Phoenix conversion that Stephen Harper and the current leader changed, released or fired 400-plus public servants dealing with human resources. I can tell the member opposite that when they left and turned on the switch to the conversion to the new system, I received numerous calls in regard to the Phoe…
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Madam Speaker, first, I take some offence when the member tries to give the false impression that I do not support or am not concerned about seniors. I spend a great deal of my time and effort defending and advocating for seniors, and every week, I address many different issues that seniors face today. When I highlighted the fact that there was not one call or one senior who approached me from Win…
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Madam Speaker, I totally disagree with the need for a public inquiry. I do not understand why Bloc members feel we cannot have a more effective standing committee, potentially, dealing with the concerns the member is raising today. At the end of the day, they want to spend x millions of dollars on a public inquiry, when we have a standing committee made up of members of Parliament who are already …
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Madam Speaker, I was in opposition for many, many years. For most of my political career, I have been in opposition, and I can tell members that a lot depends on the questions we are looking at and what is taking place in the committee itself. If the member is genuine about working co-operatively, I question why he would be demanding a public inquiry. It seems to me, and I reflect on the last numb…
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Madam Speaker, I acknowledge and appreciate that the member has indicated that maybe the public inquiry is not necessary and that there are other alternatives. That is what the member has implied. I respect that. At the end of the day, hopefully we can build a consensus that this modernization, which would be the largest of its kind ever in the history of Canada, needs to be afforded the opportuni…
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Madam Speaker, we talk about the conclusion of the program in four to five years, when it would be fully implemented. Noting that, I would talk to any senior in Canada about the importance of making sure that, as we implement the program, it would be done in such a way that it would have a marginal negative impact on any senior and on anyone who is unemployed. It is not something for which we just…
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Madam Speaker, the member said that we could have done better. It would be no surprise to the member that, at the end of the day, I think that the principle of doing better could apply universally to any provincial or federal government, not just now, but also historically. We can always do better. That is one of the reasons why I would ultimately argue that there is a potential role for oppositio…
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Madam Speaker, the member started her speech by talking about a situation in which a young lady visited her constituency office in tears. I would ultimately argue that the reason this modernization is so critically important is the need to provide the service not only for today, but for future generations. The service should be available for people who collect employment insurance, old age supplem…
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Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand at this time.
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Mr. Speaker, it is interesting to have Bill C-12 back before us. It is an important piece of legislation. Maybe the best way to start off is to talk about how, just under a year ago, we had an election. Canadians elected a new prime minister and a new government. Over 60, maybe even 70, new Liberal MPs were elected for the very first time. Through the election, the Prime Minister and the Liberal P…
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Mr. Speaker, I disagree wholeheartedly with the article the member makes reference to and the character assassination we are getting from the opposition toward the Minister of Immigration. I do not believe they are being fair with regard to the situation Canada is in, because of a number of factors. Last year, we had an election. We now have a Prime Minister who has made a commitment to Canadians …
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Mr. Speaker, the government has been aggressively pursuing this, making sure that we stabilize the immigration file, and it is having success. The member is trying to give the impression that this might be the first time this has happened, but she should look back to when she and her colleague, the immigration critic, were in the Conservative government caucus. Do members remember some of the issu…
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Mr. Speaker, what we are seeing today is a reflection of the need because of issues that stem back to 2014. The biggest change we have seen is an adjustment in the total number of immigrants coming into Canada. At the same time, we are looking at ways we can facilitate a reduction in the extension of temporary visas for people who are here and do not have provincial support. For example, if someon…
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Mr. Speaker, both the Minister of Immigration and the Secretary of State for Combatting Crime have both played a very important role in the creation of the legislation and they have contributed immensely, whether in caucus, on the floor of the House or in communities by meeting and working with the different stakeholders out there. This is good, sound legislation. It could have been better if it h…
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Mr. Speaker, I do not believe the criticism is justified to this degree, wherein Bloc members are calling for resignations and so forth. We have a very competent and able minister who has been able to deliver on what the Prime Minister said in the election platform in terms of stabilizing immigration. She is doing just that.
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Mr. Speaker, as the member knows, Bill C-12 came out of Bill C-2. There are aspects of Bill C-2 that were not incorporated into Bill C-12. We have had a lot of debate on Bill C-12. I am interested in the Bloc's position, particularly on the issue of lawful access, which is not included in Bill C-12 but was in Bill C-2. Does the member feel comfortable enough to provide his thoughts on whether or n…
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Mr. Speaker, for clarification purposes, I am going to ask about individuals who came to Canada on a temporary visa and have been in Canada for 11 months. What is the Bloc party's position on someone who has been here for 11 months and came to Canada on a visiting visa? Does he believe in any way that they should be able to claim refugee status?
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Mr. Speaker, we ask that it be carried on division.
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Mr. Speaker, I would ask that it be carried on division, please. (Motion agreed to)
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Mr. Speaker, I think it is important to recognize that cybersecurity continues to be a growing concern, not only here in Canada but also around the world. When we think of it in terms of Canada and the impact that it could have on our communities, if we do not modernize or have proper legislation such as this, the consequences could be very severe. I think it is important that we bring forward thi…
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Mr. Speaker, the government is very much concerned about the security of Canadians and the security of commerce. Cyber-threats are very real. They are tangible. They are happening. The government needs to respond. That is exactly what the legislation does. Where I disagree is in this: There might be some who have a tinfoil hat mentality, in which they try to give the false impression that the gove…
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(a), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 10 petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.
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Mr. Speaker, if the government's responses to Questions Nos. 840, 841, 842, 843, 844 and 845 could be made orders for return, these returns would be tabled in an electronic format immediately.
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Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all remaining questions be allowed to stand.
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Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all notices of motions for the production of papers be allowed to stand.
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Mr. Speaker, I am wondering if the parliamentary secretary could provide her thoughts on the damage that is caused when we have the official opposition spreading misinformation to the degree they have on Bill C-9. I think of the individuals who attend our gurdwaras, mosques, temples and so forth. The impact, I would suggest, is that it creates fear and does more damage than good. I wonder if the m…
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Mr. Speaker, I too will stand up for religious freedom. I do that all the time. I am going to be voting in favour of the legislation, because the Charter of Rights guarantees every Canadian the right to freedom of religion. It is in our Constitution. There is nothing happening that would take away the religious rights of individual Canadians that is not there today. There is a great deal of misinf…
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Mr. Speaker, it is an interesting amendment. I am not going to be supporting the amendment, obviously, because, yet again, it is another attempt by the Conservative Party of Canada to filibuster. The Conservatives talk about limiting speech. Get serious. This has been on the table and has had hours of debate, whether in committee or in the chamber. Let us be very clear. The Conservative Party does…
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Mr. Speaker, I have had the opportunity to express what I believe is the motivating factor for the Conservative Party in dealing with Bill C-9. Members of the Conservative Party are using a fear factor to generate money for their political party and to generate support. However, it is all based on social media, misinformation and emails, both to build a data bank and to raise money based on disinf…
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Mr. Speaker, we request a recorded vote, please.
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Mr. Speaker, of course we want to see the tariffs reduced. Who does not? A Conservative member of Parliament from Oshawa goes to the States, meets with the President and the Vice-President and no doubt talks about tariffs or whatever. Who knows? Then he comes back and says that Canadians are having a hissy fit. His leader went down to the U.S. Did he talk to the President and the Vice-President ab…
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Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada understands the importance of the automobile industry to the entire country. We appreciate the efforts and the work of the best workers in the world. There have been negotiations from day one with President Trump in dealing with the tariffs. In many ways, Canada has been leading the world in dealing with the administration of the United States. My question to …
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Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand, please.
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Mr. Speaker, going over the Conservative motion, one cannot help but conclude that the Conservatives do not take into consideration the whole concept of electric vehicles, whether they are hybrids or purely electric. It is really unfortunate that the official opposition is failing to recognize an important aspect of the industry. I am wondering if my friend from the Bloc can provide his thoughts o…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate many of the comments that my colleague has put on the record. It is interesting, as it seems that the Conservative Party believes that all they have to do is just click their heels and, poof, the tariffs would be gone. What silliness. At the end of the day, we have a government that has been, from day one, working and doing what it can to deal with the tariff issue. Unlik…
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Mr. Speaker, from his seat, the member says we do not have to export the canola to China; rather, we will just convert the canola into biofuels. I wonder if the farmers in the Prairies would agree with that assessment. Let me give him some advice. They would not agree with that assessment. In the Conservative plan, they say there is no problem. They will just get rid of the tariffs. Members will r…
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Mr. Speaker, in order to accelerate investment in Canada's automobile manufacturing industry, the government is investing $3 billion to ensure that we can continue to see some growth in that area. My question for the member is this: Does the Conservative Party support that more than $3-billion investment?
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Mr. Speaker, could the member indicate whether or not she supports the Government of Canada's countertariffs on auto imports coming from the United States, where they are warranted? Does the Conservative Party support those countertariffs?
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Mr. Speaker, back in the 1960s, it was actually Lester Pearson who came up with the auto pact agreement, and it was the right agreement for the time. It is going to take a prime minister such as the one we have to meet the challenges of today's automobile industry, because the industry has changed. As the member has pointed out, back in the day, we had American Motors, Chrysler, GM and Ford. Today…
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Mr. Speaker, it is interesting how the Conservatives came up with this plan, which I would ultimately argue, is not realistic. The Liberal plan talks about putting into action literally $3 billion to accelerate investment in Canada's auto manufacturing industry. I have listened to the Conservatives, and I pose this question: Does the Conservative Party of Canada support that initiative? Does it su…
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