Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all notices of motions for the production of papers also be allowed to stand at this time.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, we will carry on division.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it would be for another day how I do not believe that 100% of the Conservative caucus, and the stuff they put on social media, is what I would classify as immigrant friendly. Let us just leave it at that. The issue that we have before us today is a substantive piece of legislation that is going to make our communities and our country safer. We have had, through this government, a nu…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the member alluded to things in Bill C-2 compared to Bill C-12. One of the issues in Bill C-2 was that of lawful access. When we think of lawful access, I think it is important to note that Canada is the only one of the Five Eyes nations that does not have formal lawful access legislation, and I would ultimately argue that there is a need. Is the leader of the Green Party saying tha…
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Madam Speaker, I think I will take advantage of the member's goodwill. There has been a great deal of co-operation, in terms of getting Bill C-12 through the system. Especially in the last number of years, I have been looking for ways the House could update, modernize or potentially have legislation go through a certain process. I would be interested in her viewpoint. I always thought that with a …
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Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to be able to rise to speak to very important legislation. It is legislation that Canadians want and have been asking for. In fact, before I get under way with the specifics, I want to take a holistic approach in terms of what the Prime Minister and every Liberal member of Parliament have been very proactive on since the last election. We have a Prime Minister who m…
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Madam Speaker, I will speak as a parliamentarian first and foremost. We will find in Hansard that, when I was in opposition, at times I said that time allocation is sometimes a necessary tool in order to get legislation through. I say that only because I genuinely believe that it is time Canada modernized its rules, to enable the programming of government legislation. I do not want to put limits i…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, there is a high level of professionalism within our Canada Border Services Agency. A great deal of training goes into that, which will continue. Where there are ports of entry or exit, there would be an obligation for those entities to ensure that we have the proper space and to actually have the proper tools, whatever those tools may be, to ensure that we can enforce and protect th…
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Madam Speaker, I suspect if you were to canvass—
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Madam Speaker, I do not want people to think I am going insane, or anything of that nature. That is what I was going to ask for.
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I really do appreciate the member's bringing forward this legislation. I want to put it back into the context of education. I believe that education expanding on the diversity Canada has to offer is one of the ways we promote things such as multiculturalism, anti-racism and so forth. Having a heritage month celebrating Arab Canadians in the month of April could be used as a way to sha…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, let us be very clear on this point: The Conservative Party, while in government, built zero inches of pipeline to tidewater. That is the reality. Fast-forward to today. We have the Province of Alberta signing a memorandum of understanding with the federal government that is supported by a number of premiers, and we have the Conservatives cherry-picking to try to sow division among Can…
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Madam Speaker, the Bloc is a separatist party. Its members love it when there is conflict in the nation. They have demonstrated that on numerous occasions. We have a memorandum of understanding that clearly shows how well federalism works. Not only is it good for the environment, but it is good for the economy. It shows the degree to which the federal government continues to work in supporting Can…
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Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Members have to make reference to the Prime Minister by his title as opposed to by his name.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is truly amazing. We can think about it in this sense: The Conservative leader sat in government for 10 years, and not one inch of pipeline was ever built to tidewater, not one inch. Now that the Conservatives are in opposition, they feel they can just bang their heels together and it will just appear overnight. We have an agreement, an MOU, signed with the Province of Alberta, w…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, let me start off by making very clear, for those who are following the debate, what we are witnessing again today from the official opposition. The starting point has to be that the Conservative Party of Canada, which has moved to the far right with the leader of the Conservative Party, has made the determination that it is better to be an opposition that solely focuses on the best …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, there is irony in that. We need to recognize that out of the entire North American continent, it was the Province of Alberta that led the way in terms of the first price on pollution, a carbon tax. It was the Premier of Alberta who signed the MOU, recognizing the value of a carbon tax. That is why I started off by saying how far right the Conservative Party of today is. I think they s…
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Mr. Speaker, now they are complaining that we did it. It is amazing. It really and truly is amazing. Their record is zero, not an inch. Fast-forward to today, when we have a Prime Minister who understands the value of it and who is working and making sure that we can proceed. What does the opposition have to say? I am going to go back to the political games that the Conservative Party plays day af…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I did not ask the member to ask that question, but I have a simple answer: No, I do not. Members can look at what has been accomplished since the last federal election, whether it is the budget implementation bill and the many initiatives that are in it to support Canadians, our infrastructure, our military and so much more, or building Canada strong by looking at ways in which we can…
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Mr. Speaker, the member and I had an exchange a little earlier today. As I indicated to him then, we have to look at this through a different perspective. He agreed that the Bloc party is a separatist party. What this agreement shows very clearly is that federalism works and that all of Canada benefits by this MOU. Pipelines, the lumber industry, the steel industry and the aluminum industry are al…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting. First, I would point out that when the hon. member's leader sat in government for 10 long years, there was not one inch of pipeline to tidewater. The question I have for the member is very simple. We have the Premier of Alberta, who signed the MOU. I would ask that the member pay really close attention to this. The Premier of Alberta signed the MOU, and other Conser…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, what four pipelines is she talking about?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, to be very clear, the memorandum of understanding is good for the environment, good for the economy and good for Canadian unity, and it demonstrates that federalism works well. The member made reference to TMX, which was negotiated with an NDP premier. Today we have a memorandum of understanding with a Progressive Conservative premier. At the end of the day, when a party is in power, …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, contrary to what the member might believe, the Conservative never built an inch of pipeline to the Pacific Ocean, not one inch. The question for the member is very clear. The Premier of Alberta and the Prime Minister of Canada signed an MOU. Why will the Conservative Party not support the MOU?
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is an interesting proposition the member has just put across the floor. I read his question. Traditionally, Conservatives like to downplay Canada. The member talked about being discouraged because of Canada's middle class, and he tried to imply that the government has not been doing a good job. That is a common theme; the Conservatives like to say to Canadians that Canada is broken…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, when I was talking about potshots, I was reflecting on the question the member had asked and the way in which the Conservatives continue to downplay Canada as a nation. We can just take a look at the questions he just finished asking. He again takes shots in regard to the Prime Minister because of the deficit, but what he does not tell us is that we can look at Canada as a nation and …
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I do have a lot to say on this particular issue, but let us be very clear at the onset. It is important to recognize that when we talk about ethical standards, if I can put it that way, Canada has some of the most, if not the most, stringent rules in place, which have been in place now for quite a while. When we think of the current Prime Minister, look at it from this perspective. He…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is someone who was appointed by Stephen Harper to be the Governor of the Bank of Canada. He was appointed in England to be the governor of the Bank of England. He has been a successful business person within the Canadian economy for many years. He has an incredible track record. That is something we should encourage, to have successful individuals like the Prime Min…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the member that, whether it is the Prime Minister, cabinet or all Liberal members of Parliament, we are very sensitive to what is happening in our communities on the issue of affordability. That is one of the reasons, for example, we have the tax cut, which is going to benefit 22 million people. By the way, the member opposite is voting against that, in regard to the budg…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the member is wrong. We brought in amendments to the Competition Act, for example. With respect to the profits of the grocery companies, the minister responsible called the big five to come to Ottawa. We had standing committee meetings. The government has done its job in advocating on behalf of consumers. In certain areas we have seen a lot of success; in other areas it can be a chall…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, first and foremost, I extend to my friend across the way condolences on the loss of David, as well as a special shout-out to his wife, Caro. I know that this has been a very difficult time. Prior to having this discussion, we had a very short chat regarding the issue. It is admirable that we have substantive legislation before us that would send a very powerful message of caring and w…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, Bill C-15 is a part of the picture of building Canada strong. We talk a great deal about how the Prime Minister and the government are trying to advance the interests of Canadians. We do that every day. Contrast that with the members of the Conservative Party, who want to continue to filibuster legislation and prevent legislation from passing. There are significant changes that coul…
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Madam Speaker, I found that very distasteful. I listened to what the member said. Quite frankly, he wants to feed into some sort of anger and generate anger. There is no corruption. There is a lot of transparency. There is a whole lot of accountability. Maybe Conservative Party members need to look in the mirror because, if they really and truly believe half of what they say, this bill would have …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, as members know, just a number of months ago, Canada elected a new Prime Minister and a new government. When I reflect on what the member actually said, he raised concerns about jobs, but we have seen in excess of 50,000 jobs created in each of the last three months. That is the reality of it. When we talk about productivity, and the Conservatives have been talking a lot about produ…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, there are many aspects of the member's comments that I would challenge him on. The issue for me is the ongoing belief that the Conservatives do not want things to pass in the House. They have convinced themselves that it is the government that does not want things passed, whether it is the budget implementation bill we are talking about today, on which the Conservatives continue to …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is important to recognize that, as a government, whether it is the budget implementation bill or the agenda of expanding trade opportunities for Canada with other trading partners, this is a government, this is a Prime Minister, solely focused on building a strong Canada and making Canada the strongest of the G7 countries. What we need is more of a buy-in from the Conservative Part…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, the Conservative Party of Canada, in particular the leader of the Conservative Party, just does not get it. It is about building Canada strong. The support for Canadians is there in the budget. While every Liberal member of Parliament and the Prime Minister are focused on building Canada strong, Conservative Party members are solely focused on the party's best interest. It is time the…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(a), I have the honour of tabling, in both official languages, the government's responses to nine petitions. These returns will be tabled in electronic format.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is truly amazing to hear Conservative members use a filibuster to try to justify their disappointing actions, which I have witnessed for weeks now. I cannot believe that they are accusing the government of not wanting to see its own legislation pass. Today is a good example of it. When will the Conservatives stop filibustering the budget implementation bill? They have been on it fo…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite might be a new member, but he has been schooled well by the Conservative Party in the sense that I understand he participated in that very filibuster with regard to the hate legislation. I think he brought up something about his dog and that his wife likes cats, or he likes dogs and his wife likes cats. I do not know all the details of it, but the point is that he …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I am wondering if the member would concede the irony we are witnessing today in the House of Commons. Right now, we were supposed to be debating the budget implementation bill, but the Conservatives have made the decision once again to prevent MPs from being able to carry forward on Bill C-15 by bringing forward this concurrence motion. That in itself is another filibuster preventing …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, there is a great deal of irony here. To those individuals who might be following this debate or listening to what has been taking place in Ottawa today, I will say that it is not as pathetic as it was last fall, when we saw the Conservatives virtually shut down the House of Commons with their behaviour. It is not quite as bad as that, but it is getting closer and closer to that point.…
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It was absolutely “no”; there was not one Conservative who agreed. Mr. Speaker, even individuals who were saying yes until I posed the question flip-flopped on the issue, because I called their bluff. It is not about their wanting more time to debate. No, it is about the leader of the Conservative Party and the Conservative Party House leadership team, who really feel compelled to do two things. T…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, there was a time I used to attend committees a lot more than I do now, which is not very much. I can tell the member that a lot of it depends on the sense of co-operation that we see. Nothing prevents someone, whether Bloc, Conservative or Liberal, from approaching the chair and having a positive discussion. I suspect some committees might even be more effective than other committees …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the member who just posed the question has actually stood in the House on more than one occasion and asked for unanimous consent to pass legislation from first reading, second reading, a committee, third reading and right through with zero debate. Can my colleagues imagine the amount of frustration that members of the Liberal caucus have in regard to the bail reform legislation? Just …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the thing I would suggest to the member is that even under majority governments, we need to have programming of legislation. We saw that during the Harper era, too, where we had Stephen Harper's government House leader stand time and time again. He would literally stand, introduce a bill and then follow the reading of that bill with a time allocation motion.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Yes, he did. Members do not have to believe me; they can do a bit of research if they want. The point is, majority or minority, having legislative programming. The House of Commons needs to modernize its rules. Just like, as I am sure my friend would recognize, having the voting app changed the House in a very significant way, I would suggest we need to go the extra mile so we can do even more wor…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, there are many signals that provide Canadians the opportunity to have hope, to look at things in a very positive way. We could talk about the 150,000-plus jobs that have been created in the last three months in a row. There are many things in the budget implementation bill that would have a profoundly positive impact on Canadians as a whole. When I say, “pass it through second reading…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the unfortunate thing is that I am exceptionally opinionated on the issue of health care. I am not going to be provided enough time to be able to expand on what I really feel about health care. Suffice to say, I believe it is a part of our Canadian identity in terms of who we are as a nation. I fully support the Canada Health Act, and even if there are things that we could do to enhan…
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