Parliamentary Speeches
26 speeches by Kristina Tesser Derksen — Page 1 of 1
Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, on December 22, Canada submitted its plan for the long-term reform of first nations child and family services, which has the potential to transform care for our children and to address historic wrongs. Can the Minister of Indigenous Services please speak to the contents of the proposal to the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal?
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for this opportunity to speak to this private member's bill, Bill C-232. While seemingly well-intentioned, this is legislation the government cannot support. Our primary responsibility is to keep Canadians safe. To do this, we rely on laws and policies that are based on what has been proven to work. We know that the effective rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for standing in the House and delivering those remarks with bravery. I know he has done a lot of work at the justice committee as well, so I thank him for that. In his remarks, the member mentioned the amount of time that has been spent at the justice committee debating this particular bill, over 30 hours, I believe he said. He mentioned some of the conten…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am aware of an academic community organization in that member's province called the Balanced Supply of Housing, or BSH, and it works in tandem with the University of British Columbia. BSH has stated that “Build Canada Homes is not a silver bullet, but it may be a turning point. By investing in non-profit, co-op, supportive housing, and by creating the financing and land pathways to …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, I was proud to stand alongside my colleagues on this side of the House to vote in favour of Bill C-15. In addition to unlocking generational investments to help build a strong, modern, resilient Canadian economy, Bill C-15 contains important measures to make life more affordable for Canadians, including measures to advance open banking. Can the parliamentary secreta…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, my colleague mentioned the respect that Canada commands from countries and international organizations around the world. One recent example is from the International Monetary Fund. The IMF highlighted that Canada is a G7 country that has significant fiscal headroom to support economic growth through investment. Can my colleague comment on how this budget leverages Canada's fiscal ca…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, hear ye, hear ye: Mayor Gordon Krantz of the town of Milton is celebrating his 60th year of elected office. First elected as municipal councillor in 1965 and then as mayor when I was just two years old, Mayor Krantz is Canada's longest-serving mayor, having served under 10 prime ministers. Mayor Krantz has guided Milton through four decades of managing growth and modernization. His le…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want to see real results, including new jobs, new opportunities and growth that supports families, businesses and communities like mine in Milton and Georgetown. This past week, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs were in the U.A.E. and South Africa making deals, securing those opportunities and showcasing the best of what Canada has to offer. Could the Mi…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, certainly, our government has plans to invest a great deal in public safety. It is something we all heard a lot about at the doors. We are hiring 1,000 RCMP officers and 1,000 Canada Border Services agents. This will result in a stronger border. This government is serious about supporting our law enforcement men and women, who are keeping us all safe. I hope the opposition will join u…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my background as a municipal councillor has been extremely valuable in this role because I understand how the policies of other orders of government trickle down to municipalities and how they impact folks living in municipalities. We were thrilled to see the investments made in community infrastructure, for example, for building stronger communities. This is so important, because com…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, that is a very timely question. Obviously, trade with what had traditionally been our largest trading partner and closest ally for over 100 years is extremely important. Through no fault of our own, we have found that the United States has changed course and decided to become completely unreliable. As Canadians, we need to control what we can control. While we will keep the option ope…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I respect my colleague's concerns about this. Our Prime Minister and our government have been extremely clear on this point. No project of this nature is going to move forward without the buy-in and informed consent of the indigenous communities and provinces that are impacted.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the good people of Milton East—Halton Hills South to bring reflections on our government's 2025 budget and Bill C-15, the budget implementation act. This is a budget that lays the blueprint to address a new paradigm of economic development, nation-building and generational investment. This is a budget that believes in Canada. This budget is historic, and it c…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank my opposition colleague for highlighting the story of Darian Hailey Henderson-Bellman. Her family lives in my riding, and it is a heartbreakingly tragic story. The member mentioned the burden of reverse onus. Currently, the onus is on the Crown prosecutor to prove that an accused should be denied bail. In Bill C-14, as proposed, reverse onus provisions would shift that onus to…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the good people of Milton East—Halton Hills South to bring reflections on our government's 2025 budget, a budget that lays the blueprint to address a new paradigm of economic development, nation building and generational investment. It is a budget that believes in Canada. This budget is historic, and it comes at a historic time. However, this is also a time o…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, November is Woman Abuse Prevention Month. One in four women in Canada report experiencing intimate partner violence in their lifetime, and alarmingly, those numbers continue to rise. In my community of Milton East—Halton Hills South, Halton Women’s Place provides critical shelter, counselling and support for women experiencing domestic violence. Last weekend, I joined their annual Hop…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I know the member mentioned mandatory minimums. This has been brought up several times this morning. I am sure the member is aware that the Supreme Court struck down several cases based on mandatory minimums and their unconstitutionality. Our new bail and sentencing reform legislation would allow courts to use discretion in individual cases to ensure that criminals are properly puni…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I noted some interesting comments the member made about the government wanting to send Canadians back to the Stone Age and frolic in fields. I am sure the member has heard about our government's revolutionary nation-building projects, which will bring billions of capital and build up innovative industries. How does the member resolve his outlandish comments with our innovative nation-…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the chief government whip mentioned the opposition's habit of revising history a little bit. We are given revisionist histories and things taken out of context. It contributes to misinformation and disinformation among the public. Could my colleague please comment on the damage that does to political discourse?
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, yesterday we honoured Armenia Independence Day. Today, I stand before the House representing the good people of Milton East—Halton Hills South to recall a pivotal moment in Canadian history: the arrival of the so-named Georgetown boys to my riding in the 1920s. They were a group of over 100 orphaned Armenian children rescued from the Armenian genocide and brought to Cedarvale Farm in …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I do want to offer my condolences on the loss of the member's community member. We are all with him. Like many people in this House, I have a legal background. I know that when we encounter contractual disputes there is a clear legal process for parties who violate contracts, for parties who are bad-faith actors in contracts and even for parties who commit fraud. Would my colleague li…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I sat as a municipal councillor, and this was a source of great discussion around the council table. Incidentally, I was on a plane this morning with someone from the development community, and we had a discussion about development charges. It is going to be an ongoing conversation of great importance between federal, provincial and municipal partners. It is also important to keep a…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, it is interesting. The more we speak to our colleagues, the more we find that we have similar histories and stories to share. The contribution of immigrants to this country cannot be underestimated or minimized. Canada, in many ways, is a country of immigrants. In speaking to folks at the doors, sharing these stories and finding other affinities and similarities in our histories, it…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, it is a question that I had posed to me many times during the recount from folks of all political alignments. I have full faith in the work of Elections Canada. There were elections workers who started very early in the morning and were counting very late at night. Ultimately, it is a human process with many checks and balances. I acknowledge that there were concerns with particular…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I congratulate you and all of my colleagues in this House. I also want to thank the clerks, pages, interpreters and security who keep things running so smoothly here. If the House will indulge me, I will take the opportunity to recognize some very important people without whom I would not be here. First, of course, there are the wonderful people of Milton East—Halton Hills South, wh…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today I share the story of the grade 4 and grade 5 classes at Glen Williams Public School in Georgetown, Ontario, and that of their dedicated teachers and parents, who are visiting Ottawa today. These teachers asked their students to craft a letter sharing their vision for the future of Canada. The final product was so inspirational that it garnered national attention and a visit from…
Read full speech →