Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, if the government's responses to Questions Nos. 358, 359, 360, 361, 362, 363, 364, 365, 366, 367, 368, 369, 370, 371, 372, 373, 374, 375, 376, 377, 378, 379, 380, 381, 382, 383, 384, 385, 386, 387, 388, 389, 390, 391, 392, 393, 394 and 395 could be made orders for returns, these returns would be tabled in an electronic format.
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[For text of questions and responses, see Written Questions website]
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Mr. Speaker, I ask that all remaining questions be allowed to stand.
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Madam Speaker, if we contrast many things we hear from the Conservatives, we have a choice; Canadians have a choice. I hope it will happen sometime in the next couple of years. Having said this, on the one hand, we have a Prime Minister and a Liberal caucus that see the value of investing in Canadians and our infrastructure, and we have seen tangible, positive results. On the other, the Conservati…
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Madam Speaker, it is interesting that the member wants to bring up housing. I did build a house, right from the basement all the way to the top, including the roof shingles. I would be happy to provide the address. At the end of the day, let us take a look at the leader of the Conservative Party. He was the minister responsible for housing. Members will never guess how many homes he built when he …
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Madam Speaker, unfortunately the Conservatives never had that sort of a principle when they were actually in government. Talking about disinformation, I will use this as an example. The speaker who spoke before the member made reference to my using the example of Japan with respect to deficits. I referred to G7 countries like Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom and France, and I talked ab…
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Madam Speaker, the member wants it to be very clear. Let us be very clear that, if there is an election, it will be because the Conservative Party has put their political interests ahead of Canadians' interests. That is what would precipitate an actual election. The member talks about children and affordability. Every member of the Liberal caucus is concerned about the issue of affordability. That…
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Mr. Speaker, in the month of October, 67,000 jobs were created. Of those jobs, 55,000 were in the province of Ontario. We have a Prime Minister and a Liberal caucus focused on building Canada strong. On the other hand, we have the extreme Conservative right. Quite frankly, I think Joe Clark said it best when he said that he never left the party; the party left him. Today's Conservative Party is so…
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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 11 petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The other day the Speaker made a ruling on members standing up to address petitions, saying that they are supposed to be sticking to the essence of the petition. I would just ask that we review the comments for private members' bills and likewise have the Speaker provide guidance on what is expected when a private member's bill is introduced.
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Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure that I table a petition that was circulated by Debbie Johnson, who is a very strong advocate. The petition is asking Parliament to do more for families of victims. She had a personal tragedy with respect to her son Adam, who was murdered. She is hoping that we would see a more collaborative approach to ensuring that there is justice for all, including for her son a…
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Mr. Speaker, if the government's responses to Questions Nos. 349, 350, 351, 352, 353, 354, 355, 356 and 357could be made orders for returns, these returns would be tabled in an electronic format immediately.
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Finally, Mr. Speaker, I ask that all remaining questions be allowed to stand.
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Mr. Speaker, it is important to recognize a nice statistic that came out today. There was an increase of 67,000 people who found a job. In September, I think it was just over 60,000. We have a Prime Minister and a government that are focused on building Canada strong. Could the member provide his thoughts on how important that is for him and his constituents?
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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 three petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.
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Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand.
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Mr. Speaker, I would argue that a false argument is being presented by the side opposite. When we look at how we are investing in Canada with Canadians, we are determined to build the strongest economy in the G7. That is the goal, and we will achieve that goal with the Prime Minister. When we talk about the debt, we should recognize that Canada has the lowest debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7. When we t…
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Mr. Speaker, it is really encouraging that we have the amazing talents of those who sit around the Liberal caucus, including the former finance minister for the Province of Ontario and the former finance minister for the Province of Quebec, who has just spoken. Our Prime Minister was the governor of the Bank of Canada and the governor of the Bank of England. He is an economist. Understanding the e…
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Mr. Speaker, I would challenge the member on how accurate a number of those statements are, but there is a substantial difference between the government and what we are witnessing across the way. We believe that investing in Canada is the way we are going to build a stronger and healthier country. By investing in Canada, we will have better roads, bridges and infrastructure that supports a healthi…
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Mr. Speaker, as my friend and colleague has made reference to, there is so much within the budget to support our seniors. I was really pleased to hear the degree to which the member advocates consistently, whether on women's issues or for seniors. She is very much a powerful advocate, let there be no doubt. I was hoping the member would provide some additional comments as to why it is so important…
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Mr. Speaker, the far-right member spoke about Canada's middle class and compared it to when Stephen Harper was in power. I just did a quick Google search. Interestingly, I found a story that says, “For decades, the United States boasted the honor of having the richest middle-class. However, since 2019, Canada has the wealthiest middle class of any country in the world.” The member talks about the …
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Mr. Speaker, the member really surprised me when he talked earlier about the role he played in Saskatchewan. He talked about the importance of trade. When we think of trade, we could talk about what the Prime Minister has done to date. Let there be no doubt about this. Looking at the last 10 years, we have seen more trade agreements signed than in any government before this one, yet the member tri…
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Mr. Speaker, this budget is all about building Canada strong. The government cares about people. That is why we see the dental program, child care and a national school food program that is going to be there for over 400,000 children. The budget is about building a community. It is investing in Canada. Think of our hospitals, our streets, our bridges and our communities. Our budget is all about in…
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Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(a), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's responses to three petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.
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Madam Speaker, if the government's responses to Questions Nos. 339, 340, 341, 342, 343, 344, 345, 346, 347 and 348 could be made orders for return, these returns would be tabled in an electronic format immediately.
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Madam Speaker, I ask that all remaining questions be allowed to stand.
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Madam Speaker, I would ask that all notices of motions for the production of papers be allowed to stand.
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Madam Speaker, I remember when the leader of the official opposition sat on the government benches and the Conservatives took a multi-billion dollar surplus from Ralph Goodale and turned it into a multi-billion dollar deficit, and that fed through. In real dollars, if we look at the value of the dollar today compared to what it was in the 2009-10 budget, his budget back then had more of a deficit …
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Madam Speaker, to show some contrast between the Conservatives and the Liberals, let me highlight the fact that the leader of the Conservative Party made reference to the national school food program. We have had members of his own caucus who have said that it is an absolutely garbage program, which is so disrespectful. Since I have been a parliamentarian, I have heard about, and this is for over …
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Madam Speaker, I must say I am a bit disappointed. When I think of Quebec, there would be many gains through this budget. We can look at the expansion through capital projects and the expansion, in terms of the GDP, in our military and industries like the aerospace industry in Quebec. The member made reference to expansion at airports. There are all sorts of opportunities in this budget for Quebec…
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Mr. Speaker, I ask that all remaining questions be allowed to stand.
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the hon. parliamentary secretary highlighting the importance of the decision by the Ontario Superior Court. I am wondering if he could provide his thoughts on what would happen if this legislation were not to pass. There is an expectation for November 20. There is a difference between naturalization from a permanent resident into a Canadian citizen, which has a 1,095-day …
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Mr. Speaker, I would suggest that the member get out into the community if she does not quite understand what our Canadian identity is all about. At the end of the day, this legislation would add value. The member talks, and she has put a whole pile of stuff on the record. She talks about, for example, military spending and that we are not doing enough. Her leader actually went to 1%. We are bring…
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Mr. Speaker, I know there is a sense of disappointment within the Bloc in regard to their amendments, and I can understand and appreciate why. I look at it in terms of birthright. There is a difference between birthright and naturalization of citizenship, in other words, from a permanent resident to a citizen. Would the member not agree that principles of democracy here in Canada say that all memb…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to provide some clarity. Let us imagine that I moved to Germany, and my daughter Cindy is born in Germany. If I had Cindy when I was in Germany, in order for her to pass on Canadian citizenship to my potential grandchild, she would have to prove a substantial connection to Canada of 1,095 days. As long as she was able to do that before she has a child, that child, my gran…
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Mr. Speaker, hypothetically, if my daughter Cindy was born in Germany, she would have to have a substantial connection to Canada before she gives birth so that her child, my future potential grandchild, would be deemed a Canadian citizen. That is what the legislation would do.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to amplify the fact that it is really important the legislation pass before November 20, and when I say “pass”, it also has to go through the Senate. It has to receive royal assent. It is absolutely critical. Otherwise, if it does not pass, it puts into question the whole birthright issue of acquiring citizenship. Would my hon. colleague not agree that collectively, as a House,…
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Madam Speaker, shortly, I will be able to provide a lot of details in terms of the content of the bill. However, I want to ask a question specifically with respect to temporary workers. We have the leader of the Conservative Party saying he is going to get rid of the temporary worker program. He is saying we should not be renewing temporary workers. I just heard the member across the way comment o…
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Madam Speaker, can the member give us an indication of whether or not he believes there is birthright for individuals who should be getting their citizenship in certain situations, such as a substantial connection? Does he believe that would justify issuing it for a second generation?
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with a Conservative friend across the way. I will let you guess which one. Let me start by saying there is a need to have some clarity on the issue we are debating so that the individuals who are following the debate are perfectly clear about it. To explain the Conservative position versus the government position, I will give a hypothetical situation, using…
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Madam Speaker, it is true. He should read what the immigration critic said. The default radical right position of the Conservatives is ridiculous. They are saying we should just use the notwithstanding clause. If they do not like what a court says, we should use the notwithstanding clause. The point is that the Conservatives are trying to say that a grandchild would not be deemed a Canadian citize…
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Madam Speaker, through the Department of Citizenship and Immigration, members will find settlement programs. There are agreements between provinces and non-profits for all forms of support for immigrants, because not everyone around the world can speak English or French. Let us take a look at the individuals who came from Ukraine to settle, for example. Members will find that there were private se…
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Madam Speaker, there are many individuals who have contributed to what has been a very lengthy debate over many years. I think of individuals like Don Chapman and others who have been there to support members on all sides of the House in recognizing the need to give citizenship to those entitled to it by birth. The lost Canadians have been at the forefront, pushing the government and, ultimately, …
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Madam Speaker, the member does not recognize the difference between a birthright and someone who is naturalized. In the bill, the member will find the answer.
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Madam Speaker, the reality is that the Conservatives are actually saying no to grandchildren. They are saying no to individuals who are Canadians, who live in Canada, and saying that their grandchildren should not be considered Canadians. That is what they are saying no to. I wonder if the member truly believes that is fair given the ruling of the superior court of Ontario. When we talk about the …
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Madam Speaker, I would be concerned about setting a precedent. When a Speaker indicates that they are going to take something as notice, as a courtesy to the Speaker's chair, members have to provide the Speaker the opportunity to report back to the House. We would not want to see MPs standing up every time the Speaker decides to take something as a notice to express that the Speaker has not yet ru…
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Madam Speaker, there is a lack of understanding of the legislation. The member indicated he made an inquiry and found out there are 1,000 people who are not Canadians in our jails. He says that, somehow, their grandchildren are not going to be able to come to Canada, unless this legislation passes. If someone is a permanent resident who goes to jail for two or more years, they cannot become a Cana…
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Madam Speaker, first and foremost, I would say to the new member that there are plenty of opportunities at the committee stage for amendments to pass, but we have to look at the circumstances surrounding the amendments that were being proposed and supported by two entities of the House. It is the government that is ultimately responsible for getting legislation through. The essence of this legisla…
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