Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe the member makes reference to the RCMP, but does not concede the fact that her leader, the Leader of the Opposition, the leader of the Conservative Party, and this is a quote from the Winnipeg Free Press, called the leadership of the RCMP “despicable”. It is disgraceful to have the leader of the official opposition making that sort of a statement. He owes Canadians an…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the fentanyl scourge that is taking place in North America is very serious for downtowns throughout North America, and I think that it is important that we recognize that, as a governing body, we should be doing whatever we can. We are securing borders, which will help. We attempted, though Bill C-2, to be able to deal with fentanyl being distributed through the mail, which the Conser…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, one of the things we have had a great deal of discussion about in the chamber is the RCMP. The leader of the official opposition made a profoundly derogatory statement about the RCMP, saying that its management is “despicable”. I am wondering whether the member opposite supports her leader's comments or whether she believes, as do a vast majority of Canadians, that the RCMP is an inst…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the government were elected just a number of months ago. During the election campaign, there was a commitment made by the Prime Minister, saying that we are going to secure Canada's borders and we are going to look at stabilizing our immigration. Bill C-12 would do just that. It is a significant step. There are also other measures, such as increasing the number …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I ask that it pass on division.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I suspect that if you were to canvass the House at this time, you would find unanimous consent to call it 5:30 p.m. so we can begin private members' hour.
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, if the member wants to talk about the bail issue, there is Bill C-14. This is a private member's bill, and the member who put it forward put a great deal of effort and time into it. There are only two hours of debate. I would ask—
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to present a petition regarding health care. The backbone of our health care system is our nurses, and nurses are very much concerned about everything from credential recognition to the workloads they have and the whole issue of recruitment. They would like to see more of the provincial and federal governments working in co-operation for the betterment of our n…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand at this time, please.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all notices of motions for the production of papers be allowed to stand at this time, please.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the comments my colleague and friend has put on the record in regard to Bill C-12. One of the issues I raised yesterday is the way in which the Prime Minister or the government as a whole is dealing with the issue of securing our borders; it is a lot more than just bringing forward legislation. We have witnessed the government materialize, in terms of budgetary purposes…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, we know asylum has been an issue previously, such as in 2010 and 2011, when there were large numbers that required an adjustment to the system, and we had to make changes to the asylum system. What we have witnessed, whether it is through the pandemic or the international students issue, is that there is a need for change to be made. Bill C-12 would do just that, and I am wondering …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, we see the extremes. We have the leader of the Conservative Party, who, in essence, wants everyone to leave. Then we have the NDP members. I do not think they fully understand what the situation or the reality is on the ground level. I really and truly believe that. The New Democrats try to give a false impression that there is no need for us to modify or make changes to the system …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I guess, if we are throwing insults, she is behaving like a Communist. They are so far to the left. Does the member understand that we have a 7% factor to a 5% factor in terms of temporary permits? Does she believe that Canada should be moving toward that 5%? The Prime Minister and the government do believe that we should be leaning toward 5% on temporary permits. Does she support t…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, someone saying something does not necessarily mean it is a reflection of reality. Let me give a specific example. This member and other Conservatives have consistently been saying “injection sites” and been critical of the federal government. To be very clear, the injection sites are the provinces' responsibility, and they are the ones that ultimately give consent as to where those …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, as members can see, the member opposite is getting excited about November 4. There will be a lot of wonderful things for Canadians in the budget. He will find that it will be a reflection of what Canadians have been telling this government for months now. The new Prime Minister has made it very clear, whether on asylum, temporary permits or permanent residents, that we want to stabi…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, those are interesting comments. When the leader of the Conservative Party sat around the Harper cabinet inside the Conservative caucus, they passed laws that did not meet the charter challenge. We had the superior courts actually rule them out of order. Now the member makes accusations about the current Liberal government or the past Liberal government. Can he cite any legislation tha…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand, please.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's thoughts and expressions on the whole asylum issue. I think it is worthy of note that, whether it is with respect to the asylum issues in 2012 or those today, there is a time when we need to look at ways we can improve upon the system, and that is exactly what the legislation would do. It recognizes the need for change because of things that have taken plac…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the member would apply the same principles to 2012, when the leader of the Conservative Party was around the caucus table and thousands of Hungarians were coming into Canada, 95% of whom did not have legitimate asylum claims. In fact, that is what led the Conservatives to reform the system back then. Fast-forward to today, when we have things such as the pandemic and the i…
Read full speech →Government Orders
What would you do differently?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the candid answer. Let me give the member a real challenge. The leader of the Conservative Party attacked the RCMP last week. What he said was despicable. If we reflect on the institution of the RCMP, it is world-class and recognized around the world, yet the leader of the official opposition said the things he said, disrespecting the RCMP. We even have Conservatives chal…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate how the Bloc's approach to Bill C-12 very much recognizes the need for the change. I think, as immigration has generally flowed over the last number of years, at times we need to make a change. I know that the Province of Manitoba did what it could to assist the Province of Quebec with some of the asylum claims. When we look at the legislation as a whole, and I posed a re…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would like to follow up on some comments made by a Conservative who spoke previously. Before I do that, let me share a quote from a Winnipeg Free Press article referring to the leader of the Conservative Party's calling the leadership of the RCMP “despicable”. I believe that the leader of the Conservative Party needs to apologize to Canadians for the reputational harm that has been …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, our new Prime Minister made a commitment to Canadians to secure the border and take certain actions to ensure that we stabilize immigration-related issues. I see the legislation as being very positive and encouraging. Bill C-12 will hopefully garner the support necessary to ultimately get through. It is important to Canadians. This does not mean we give up on Bill C-2. As an example, …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the Green Party, through its leader, has indicated that it will not be supporting Bill C-12. I wonder if the member could provide her thoughts on the Prime Minister's commitment to building on our border control and RCMP with 1,000 personnel in each area. Does she believe that is a positive thing?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, when the member was reading some statistics, I did a quick search on Stats Canada to find out some information on crime issues. I found it interesting. This is from Stats Canada. The crime severity index is down 4.1%. The police-reported crime rate per 100,000 population is down by 3.6%. The violent crime severity index is down by 1%. The youth crime rate per 100,000 is down by 4.2%. …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, coming out of question period, one issue that constantly comes up is the lack of respect coming from the leader of the Conservative Party toward Canada's RCMP. This is a very serious issue. The leader owes Canadians an apology for his comments, which are despicable, toward our mounted police. Earlier today, the member for Bow River piled on by saying “management weakness”, referring t…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, speaking of moral obligations, I believe there is a moral obligation for the leader of the Conservative Party to apologize to Canadians for the comments he made last week. I cannot understand how the Conservatives not only refuse to address the issue, but refuse, at the very least, to recognize that what was said was wrong. The RCMP is an institution in Canada that is respected worldw…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the many comments the minister has actually put on the record. I truly believe that the immigration department, with the new Prime Minister, has put a lot of emphasis on stabilizing immigration here in Canada. When I think of asylum seekers, I go back to the days when I was the critic for immigration, when we had issues with Hungary, the number of Hungarians coming over, …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am wondering whether my colleague could provide his thoughts on how the Prime Minister and the Liberal caucus are taking a holistic approach on the issue. Today we are talking about Bill C-12, which would do wonders in securing Canada's borders, but at the same time we are making tangible commitments. The member just referred to an announcement of additional RCMP officers and Canada…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, bail reform legislation is on its way, and I look forward to the Conservatives' response to it. The question I have for the member is about asylum seekers. Back when Jason Kenney was the minister of immigration, the number was 60,000 and it was reduced to 10,000. They recognized the need for change and brought in legislation. There have been demands for changes to this and we are brin…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments my colleague put on the record. I would like him to expand on the importance of Bill C-12 in the sense that it is part of the overall package of what our new Prime Minister and this government has proposed. During the last federal election, there was a commitment by the Prime Minister to secure Canada's borders. This is a very important aspect of fulfilling a…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, when I look at Bill C-12, as I have mentioned previously, I see it as a very important commitment that the Prime Minister made to Canadians, which was to secure our border and make sure that we have an increase in personnel, with 1,000 new border patrol officers and 1,000 new RCMP officers. This will have real and tangible results. I am wondering if the member opposite could provide h…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, to be very clear, provinces and municipalities dictate where the safe sites go. To try to blame Ottawa for something that is not within its jurisdiction is irresponsible. Does the member not have any confidence in the municipalities and the province he represents? Does he believe the province should not be responsible for safe sites, along with municipalities?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I can say that real leadership does not come from a Conservative leader who insults the RCMP as an institution. That is despicable, yet we still have not heard him apologize to Canadians for making what I would classify as a stupid statement. Having said that, my question for the member is with respect to fentanyl. Conservatives talk about wanting the government to do more on the fent…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the member was requesting some information, and I would be happy to table a document with unanimous consent—
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, when I think of this private member's bill, the first thing that comes to mind is that we have literally dozens, if not hundreds of treaties that have been brought in. Since I was first elected, there have been probably 400-plus treaties. I contrast what the member is asking for with the sorts of procedures we have had over the years. For example, on trade agreements, we have opport…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, interestingly enough, the member was part of a government that made cutbacks to Canada border control. If we contrast that to Canada's current Prime Minister, not only are we committed to bringing forward legislation that would help in securing our borders, but the Prime Minister and the government have also made it very clear that we are going to provide financial resources. A good e…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, let me start off by recognizing that I do not believe that there is a member of Parliament in the House who does not appreciate our need, as parliamentarians, to look at what happens to victims of intimate partner violence. It is a very serious issue. I believe that every member of Parliament, and it does not matter which political entity they are a part of, wants to do what they ca…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, the point is that the member is trying to raise this as an important issue, and let there be no doubt that intimate partner violence is an important issue—
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I wonder if the member could provide his comments on what sort of consultation was done prior to his introducing the bill. All Canadians are concerned about the issue. The concern I have is that this is just another American-style type of legislation being proposed without consultations having been done with Canadians, in particular, women's shelters and other stakeholders. Can the …
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, the second part of what the member was asking for was to depoliticize it. This government has taken apolitical action, and we have seen nothing but political reaction coming from the Conservatives, day in and day out. In fact, in the example I was providing, the member used a false pretense on social media in order to generate negative feelings toward the legislation or toward me pe…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to talk about the minister's role with regard to the RCMP. The RCMP is recognized worldwide as a first-class law enforcement security agency. Let there be absolutely no doubt about the degree to which it is apolitical. The leader of the official opposition is calling into question the leadership of the RCMP. That has to cause concern among Canadians i…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the Conservatives try to give the impression that whether someone is a letter carrier or a mail organizer for Canada Post, they are going to start opening the letters of Canadians. I find that amazing. I am going to sidestep that particular issue because we see a more serious issue from over the last number of days. The leader of the Conservative Party made very serious statements a…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I find it a bit surprising that the Conservatives, while in opposition, are really concerned about constitutional issues and the charter when it comes to the government bringing in laws, because they sure were not concerned before. When the member sat around with the Harper government, they were not at all concerned about these issues. Court rulings have demonstrated that the governme…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I appreciate many of the comments that the member put on the record this morning. A lot of the questions she poses are no doubt concerns that people will have going forward, as we debate the legislation. Ultimately, my question for the member is with respect to a standing committee. The Bloc seems to support the principles of Bill C-12. Is there anything specific in the legislation …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, as I indicated in my question, I appreciate many of the comments the member from the Bloc party has raised here this afternoon. I think this is very much a responsible approach to deal with the legislation that we have before us. I can assure the member that many of the concerns and questions she has raised will no doubt be talked about extensively during the committee process. Hope…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it was posed to the minister earlier, based on a report, that we look at expanding the number of weeks in the training of RCMP officers. I believe there is room for discussion in regard to the whole issue of training. For example, when I listened to the question earlier, I was sitting with one of my colleagues and I thought to myself, and shared that thought, that it would be valuab…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, if I were to encapsulate it, I would suggest to my friend and colleague, who posed a very good question, that it does two things. It complements budgetary allocations in a very real way because it puts in significant changes in law to ensure that there is more information sharing, as an example. It is also complemented in terms of the significant budgetary measures that we are takin…
Read full speech →