Parliamentary Speeches

Government Orders

One measure? I will give you measures—

Statements By Members

Mr. Speaker, last week the Prime Minister's chief of staff emphasized that there was nothing he had not read or was not briefed on. However, as expected, no explanation was provided for his absence of action. For example, over the last six years, NSICOP reported on the influence of foreign interference and made recommendations to the Prime Minister. Global Affairs identified Beijing campaigns aime…

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, for the past 20 weeks, Canadians have heard over and over again about the help from the Beijing Communists that the Liberal Party has received in multiple elections. Conservatives have asked hundreds of questions in the House, but the Prime Minister has told us much of nothing. We have asked questions at committees, and the Liberal members have done everything they can to delay, distr…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, the evidence is mounting. Every day, we are finding new pieces to the foreign interference puzzle. Just yesterday, new allegations were revealed, which led to the resignation of a long-standing member of the Liberal caucus. We will continue to ask questions until Canadians get a straightforward answer. For the eighth consecutive time, on what date did the Prime Minister first learn of…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, before the commencement of the speech from the member opposite, there was a brief exchange between me and I believe the member opposite for Milton. Under his breath, he called me an “asshole”. Therefore, I would be asking for a full apology and a retraction.

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, now I have heard from the NDP that it is true, so I would like—

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, that is not the truth Canadians expect. Just recently, Global News revealed that two high-level national security reports before and after the 2019 election suggest the Prime Minister's Office was warned about Chinese government officials and the direct funding they were giving to Liberal candidates. However, the Prime Minister continues to express that this information was never shar…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and his loyal Liberal caucus keep trying to distract, divide and cover up their failure to protect Canadians from foreign interference. Canadians deserve to know the truth about Beijing's interference in our elections. We need to learn exactly what the Prime Minister knew and what was done to defend our democracy. Will the Prime Minister finally identify all 11 fede…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry to disappoint my friend, but there is very little my friend says that I agree with, and it should come as no surprise to my friend that I completely disagree with the characterization of his question. The point of the matter is that Katie Telford, as the chief of staff, is not an ordinary staffer. She is a staffer who has been so closely intertwined in everything the Prime …

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I wholeheartedly agree that there are problems with foreign interference by other nations, and this is not exclusive to China. Russia is one of them. However, this particular motion is narrowly defined. We are here to discuss China, not Russia and not any other nation. Insofar as the member's overall goal for a public inquiry goes, this motion is not about a public inquiry. This motio…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Thornhill. It is a privilege to speak in the House on behalf of the good residents of Brantford—Brant on our Conservative motion, which would essentially compel the Prime Minister’s chief of staff to appear as a witness. Canadians have heard numerous media reports on foreign interference in our democratic processes, particularly by …

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, my apologies. Were the Prime Minister and his advisors briefed that China was working to defeat Conservative candidates in 2021 so that a Liberal minority government would be elected? Five, did they know that the former Chinese consulate general in Vancouver bragged in 2021 about helping to defeat two Conservative candidates? The heart of this scandal is not that there has been electo…

Government Orders

Everything that I said in my last 30 seconds, Mr. Speaker, was always through you. The fact is that I turned and looked at NDP members. Unfortunately, I cannot speak to the leader, but, notwithstanding that, the choice is there. Will the New Democrats continue to prop up the government, or will they get to the heart of the scandal and find out what Katie Telford knew?

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I was very clear in my speech. The leader of His Majesty's loyal opposition has always been very clear on this point. We fully support an independent public inquiry that has subpoena power. We would not be in this particular situation if the justice assigned to the public inquiry could subpoena the Prime Minister and Katie Telford. We would not be in this mess. To answer the member's …

Statements By Members

Mr. Speaker, it is an absolute honour to rise in the House today to share some very exciting news: The Hamilton Bulldogs, the OHL 2018 and 2022 champions, are coming to my hometown and will become the Brantford Bulldogs. I stand before members proudly wearing their new jersey to recognize and commend Mayor Kevin Davis, Brantford council and city staff. Their enthusiasm and quick response made this…

Statements By Members

Mr. Speaker, after months of denying the possibility of foreign interference in this country, the Prime Minister finally declared yesterday that there would be an investigation. However, a so-called rapporteur, personally selected by the Prime Minister with secret hearings, secret evidence and secret conclusions all being drawn behind closed doors, is not exactly the open and transparent inquiry t…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Prime Minister, Canadians are living in fear. Under his watch, violent crime is up 32%; gang-related homicide is up 92%; and in Toronto last year, 50% of all shooting deaths were committed by those already on bail. However, just yesterday, the Liberals voted against our Conservative motion to fix the bail system that they destroyed. When will the Prime Ministe…

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, Canadians are out of money. They cannot afford to eat, heat or house themselves. Recently, I received an email from a constituent, a 49-year-old disabled man who lives on $1,100 per month. He states that things have never been easy for him, but have gotten much worse lately. Price gouging, he says, has left him no option but to go without food several days per month…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I wish to inform the House that I will be splitting my time with my colleague, the member for Barrie—Innisfil. It is always a privilege to stand in this House to speak on behalf of my constituents of Brantford—Brant. After eight years, the Prime Minister and his government are solely responsible for our failing justice system. This is pressing and urgent; bail reform is needed now. Fa…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, what is ludicrous is the proposition that the member put forward. We are not talking about Stephen Harper. We are talking about the current Prime Minister and the Liberal government. They have broken everything under the sun in the last eight years and are making our communities less safe. Under former prime minister Harper, we did not have the cry of premiers of every province and te…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, quite frankly, this is not a bill regarding property crime. I hear his comments, and I take them very seriously. When I talk about a multi-faceted approach, this particular motion deals with one aspect alone. This aspect is that serious repeat violent offenders are routinely being released from criminal bail courts from coast to coast to coast, causing havoc in our streets. Property c…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I am glad to hear that the member supports in principle what the Conservative opposition is proposing by way of this motion. I have indicated in the crux of my speech that a multi-faceted approach is required. Ultimately, when we look at the bigger picture, this is a very important first step to address that pressing, urgent need across the country. To answer the member's question dir…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I encourage the Attorney General and Minister of Justice to reread the Supreme Court of Canada decision released last week. I am looking at it right now, and for the record, it is R. v. Hilbach. In a seven-to-two decision, that particular court indicated that the four- and five-year mandatory minimums for robbery with a firearm and robbery with a prohibited firearm were not grossly di…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, almost a year ago, Russia launched an unprovoked war against the people of Ukraine. Every day, the world was shocked by numerous war crimes. Russian armed forces have repeatedly engaged in violent, indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets, including hospitals, schools, residential buildings and shelters. Starting in October, Russia intensified its strikes on Ukraine's energy system …

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, once again, criminals are thanking the Liberal government for its soft-on-crime agenda. This week, a Montreal criminal was convicted of drug trafficking and possession of loaded illegal weapons. Instead of a mandatory minimum sentence in prison, he is serving his sentence in the comfort of his own home. The government is failing Canadians. Crime is skyrocketing, and instead of dealing…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are terrified. Last year we witnessed the largest number of murders in Canadian history. Fifteen Canadians are being murdered every single week. Since the Prime Minister took office, gang-related killings have doubled. Instead of fighting crime with tougher punishments, the Liberals are making it easier for criminals to get back on our streets to reoffend. Will the Liberal g…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, our justice minister is tone deaf. Despite their arbitrary bans and complicated buyback program, gun crime has gone up steadily every year since the Liberals were elected. Gun smugglers, drug traffickers, drive-by shooters and kidnappers can thank the Liberal government, because now they can serve their sentence in the comfort of their own homes. Once again, will the Liberals stop the…

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, every day Canadians cannot help but feel like everything in this country is broken. Since the Liberals took office, we have witnessed a 32% increase in violent crime and a 92% increase in gang-related killings. Just in the last two years, hate crimes have gone up by 73%. Not-for-profit organizations in my community are working overtime as the state of our country had 1.5 million Canad…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. We do not have quorum.

Statements By Members

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals and the NDP coalition placed the financial well-being of Canadians on hold when they chose to vote against our Conservative motion to cancel the carbon tax on home heating. However, the leader of the NDP posted the following: “A cold Canadian Winter is coming. And this year, home heating costs could go up by 50 to 100% for Canadian families.” This is hypocrisy at its fine…

Government Orders

Mr. Speaker, I understand I have five minutes, so I will pick and choose my talking points. I want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to this bill on behalf of the good residents of Brantford—Brant. By way of background, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, has not been significantly updated since it was passed in 1999. Bill S-5 is the first major update since that tim…

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, six years, 10 months and 12 days ago, the Prime Minister received the final report from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The report listed 94 calls to action that have the potential to advance reconciliation, but in almost seven years, no significant positive shifts have happened. Most of the reserves still do not have potable water, indigenous language schools are underfunded…

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, Canadians cannot afford the costly coalition between the Liberal Party and the NDP. While the government acknowledges that there is a housing affordability crisis, it has done nothing to address it. Instead, its massive chaotic spending drives ownership costs to record high levels. Since the beginning of this year, the Bank of Canada's rate hikes have added hundreds of dollars to mort…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, since the Liberals formed government, serious violent crime has substantially increased. Homicides alone are up 30%. This is a direct result of the government's soft-on-crime agenda and lack of empathy toward victims. Now, thanks to Bill C-5, weapons trafficking, robbery with a firearm, drive-by shootings, fentanyl trafficking and kidnapping will no longer be punishable by mandatory s…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to table a petition in support of Bill S-223, a bill that seeks to combat forced organ harvesting and trafficking. It has passed in the House once in its current form and twice in the Senate. It is currently stalled before the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, and the petitioners who signed it are hoping that it will pass soon. For 15 years the families of victims o…

Statements By Members

Mr. Speaker, the new Conservative leader will put people first: their retirement, their paycheques, their homes and their country. The housing crisis overlooked by the government kills any hope for home ownership by youth and newcomers. Thirty-year-olds, who did everything we asked of them, such as getting degrees and working hard, are living in their parents' basements because housing prices have…

Routine Proceedings

Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to be back in the House. I am pleased to present a petition signed by Canadians across this great country who are concerned about the government's values test. Charities and other non-profit organizations should not be discriminated against on the basis of their political views or religious values and should not be subjected to a politicized values test. All Canadia…

Madam Speaker, I want to begin by expressing my deepest condolences to the royal family during this most heart-wrenching time. Her Majesty's sense of duty to Canada, along with her commitment to other members of the Commonwealth, was continually demonstrated through her noble actions. I know I speak for many when I say we are forever grateful for her devotion to this country. “I declare before you…

Routine Proceedings

Madam Speaker, I have a second petition to present. The Kawenní:io/Gawęní:yo immersion school plays a vital role in keeping the Haudenosaunee culture and languages alive at Six Nations of the Grand River, situated in my riding. This school does not have its own building and has had to move five times since 1985. It needs a permanent home. Unfortunately, the current situation makes it challengin…

Routine Proceedings

Madam Speaker, single seniors are getting left behind in our current income tax system. I am honoured to present a petition on behalf of Single Seniors for Tax Fairness, and supported by many Canadians, who raise the glaring point that single seniors do not have the same benefits as senior couples. For instance, single seniors often forfeit the age amount tax credit, and many of their savings are …

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, six years ago, in 2016, the government conducted consultations on reforming the judicial complaints process. After inexcusable delays, we are finally starting to debate Bill C-9, which has the potential to increase confidence in the judicial system. This is long overdue. This bill would replace the process through which the conduct of federally appointed judges is reviewed by the Cana…

Statements By Members

Madam Speaker, the youth in Brantford—Brant are keen, motivated and eager to have a say in the future of our country. Last month, I asked students in my riding to come up with ideas to reduce crime in our community. From increasing community engagement, outreach and resources, to ways to deter incidents of dangerous driving and increasing opportunities for young people, the ideas they came up with…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised Canadians they would expect openness and transparency, but it appears this is not the case with our public safety minister. Words matter. Clarity matters. Repeating extensively inside and outside of the House that law enforcement asked for the act is categorically opposed to the narrative that they asked for the measures contained in the act. How can Canadi…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, again, what we are continually hearing from the NDP and the Greens is very frustrating. They want to change the story and turn the page on what Bill C-5 is all about. Bill C-5, for the last time, is not about simple possession. This is a news release to the House: It is not. I am not going to respond—

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague referenced Bill C-5 and how it would impact the trafficking of very serious drugs like fentanyl, carfentanil, cocaine and crystal meth. Bill C-5 would take away the mandatory minimum penalties, and it would also open up the possibility for conditional sentence considerations and house arrest. Knowing what we know about drug traffickers plying their deadly trade in …

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, today we are debating Bill C-5 at report stage. I am profoundly disappointed as a parliamentarian and deeply ashamed as a former Crown attorney that this seriously flawed, reckless and dangerous bill has made it this far in the process. I left behind a proud and rewarding legal career as a public servant for the Province of Ontario, a career defined by holding criminals accountable …

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I reflect on this often, and I often hear from government members, NDP members and Green members that we Conservative members can all calm down because the bill would keep communities safe. They say we can trust our judges to always do the right thing. However, judges come from various backgrounds, which is why we have a myriad of different judgements from across this country, from …

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, perhaps it was lost in translation, but that particular statement in my speech was a rhetorical question put to the government because that is the type of language the government is using. The focus of my speech was not on those who are struggling with drug addiction. Our entire focus as a Conservative caucus, even in our platform in the last election, is all about taking steps to a…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, it is time to dispel a myth that has been percolating in the House for some time now, particularly from the Liberal government and supported by the NDP. It is this notion that conditional sentences are going to substantially decrease the overincarceration of marginalized offenders, particularly Black Canadians and indigenous offenders. We heard at committee from two police chiefs. O…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, the 83-year-old father of my constituent was deported from Canada because of the government's draconian mandates. He arrived in Canada, and despite being doubly vaccinated, one of the vaccines he had was not approved. He co-operated and got the Pfizer shot. That did not help. After being held three days, he was sent back to Venezuela to return after a two-week quarantine. This involve…