Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are promising massive profits to resource extraction companies by fast-tracking projects on indigenous lands while investing nothing in community safety. Violence against indigenous women and girls, including sexual assault, trafficking and child sexual exploitation, spikes around man camps. This is a reality that was confirmed in the National Inquiry into Missing and Mur…
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Mr. Speaker, I have heard a lot of talk about pipelines, certainly from the Liberals talking about working with first nations. However, after the fact, they are not consulting with first nations. We have seen that again today. I know the Conservative side is asking the Prime Minister to work directly with provinces to push pipelines through, without the free, prior and informed consent of indigeno…
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Mr. Speaker, just to clarify, the word “pharmacare” is mentioned only once in the budget. There are no other commitments. I want to be clear: This is an austerity budget. Do members know who is benefiting from the budget? It is the corporations, from all the incentives that are being given to them. They just have to look at the last pages of the budget. Getting rid of the luxury tax on yachts and …
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Mr. Speaker, we know that, in this country, we have elected a banker for a Prime Minister. His only focus seems to be on dollar figures and not the people in Winnipeg Centre who are struggling to find housing right now; not the people in Winnipeg Centre who are struggling with mental health and addictions; and not the people in Winnipeg Centre who are trying to flee to safety, needing safe places …
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Mr. Speaker, I want to be really clear. The NDP could not stay quiet and support a budget that supports corporations and corporate greed. At the same time, we heard people from our ridings and people across Canada who were very clear: They did not want an election during the holiday season. We listened to those voices, unlike other political parties, because this is not the NDP's budget; this is t…
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Mr. Speaker, I am really happy to have an opportunity to rise today to discuss Bill C-15, the budget implementation act, particularly around deep concerns that have been raised on the complete void of a gender-based analysis in the budget, including for projects of national interest. The budget, for example, does not contain one single mention of murdered and missing indigenous women and girls, in…
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-254, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (promotion of hatred against Indigenous peoples). Madam Speaker, today I am deeply honoured to table my private member's bill, an act to amend the Criminal Code with respect to promotion of hatred against indigenous peoples, to end residential school denialism. I would like to thank the hon. member for Vancouver East for se…
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Madam Speaker, it is alarming to hear the Prime Minister talk about sacrifice in the budget when, year after year, his government has sacrificed the safety of indigenous women and girls, ignoring the crisis of our murdered and disappeared loved ones. Now the Liberals push resource projects despite clear evidence that boom-town man camps fuel gender-based violence. Will the government finally put i…
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With regard to the consultation process in the government's preparation of Bill C-5, An Act to enact the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and the Building Canada Act: (a) which Indigenous rights holders were consulted about Bill C-5 prior to it being introduced in the House of Commons; (b) how much time were these rights holders provided to share their concerns about Bill C-5 with the …
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With regard to the government’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Fund, broken down by fiscal year since the program was initiated: (a) how much of the total funding allocated to this fund has been committed to date; (b) which organizations have applied for this funding and were refused; (c) which funding recipients received a reduction in funding year-over-year; and (d) what were the evaluation crit…
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With regard to requests made by First Nations in Manitoba to the government over the past five calendar years: (a) which First Nations have made requests to Indigenous Services Canada for fire prevention and fire fighting resources, including, funding for (i) personnel, (ii) training, (iii) direct training, (iv) protective gear, (v) water pumps, (vi) hoses, (vii) vehicles, (viii) hand tools and po…
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With regard to the consultative process for Bill C-2, An Act respecting certain measures relating to the security of the border between Canada and the United States and respecting other related security measures: (a) what meetings or correspondence did the ministers and staff responsible for the preparation of Bill C-2 undertake with (i) women and gender equality organizations, (ii) migrant and re…
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Mr. Speaker, the Nishnawbe Aski Nation, or NAN, has declared a state of emergency amid rising violence, trafficking and gang crime, yet the federal government has not paid its share to ensure adequate policing. Liberals rush to exploit the Ring of Fire in NAN territory for so-called national interest but stay silent as its communities face danger. Is the safety of indigenous people not of national…
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Mr. Speaker, this was court ordered. Why is it dangerous for parliamentarians to not only not uphold court orders, but also do it in a manner that violates our Constitution, which is, in fact, the rule of law?
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Vancouver East for her absolutely brilliant motions today. One of the concerns I have had is that since the new government took power, I continue to see members' trying to pass bills in the House that would violate human rights and would actually violate the Constitution. Why are we participating in this dangerous, slippery slope by not uphold…
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Mr. Speaker, not only is the Prime Minister planning to cut Women and Gender Equality Canada by as much as 81%, but the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives just revealed that 59% of planned job cuts to the public service will impact women. If the Prime Minister wants to regain the trust of women after forcing flight attendants back to unpaid work at Air Canada, why does he not stop these devas…
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Madam Speaker, I rise today quite disturbed and deeply disappointed that despite the widespread criticism of Bill C-2 from civil liberties groups, migrant groups, experts and human rights advocates, the Liberals are attempting to repackage pretty much the same bill under a new title, Bill C-12, which has so many of the same alarming and unacceptable abuses of international law and charter rights. …
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Madam Speaker, we know that much of what is happening in the States with attacks on immigrants and attacks on asylum seekers is primarily impacting people of colour in cities across the United States. I do not want Canada to appease the kind of racist, dogmatic, fascist behaviour that we are seeing south of the border. Just as in the case of the unconstitutional Bill C-5, Bill C-12 would create po…
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's very thoughtful question. I support the more than 300 civil liberties organizations that are saying we need to get rid of the bill. I am ashamed, as a member of Parliament and as a legislator, that we are being forced to vote on a bill that is in direct violation of the rule of law and is in direct violation of conventions we have signed on to. We need to…
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Madam Speaker, we are targeting the wrong people with the bill, quite frankly. When Trump accused Canada of being a key exporter of fentanyl across the border, that was a bunch of hooey. We talk about workers, and the bill would impact migrant workers. We know that the most exploited workers are migrant workers. Migrant workers are protected under international law. The bill would violate the righ…
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Madam Speaker, certainly that is irresponsible of a leader, but the Liberals are abusing their powers as government to violate international law and give cabinet and the Prime Minister unprecedented amounts of power. With all due respect to the member across the way, he needs to clean up his own backyard in addition to commenting on others.
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Mr. Speaker, Trump is pushing for Stellantis to ship 3,000 jobs from Canada to the United States. Today, GM announced it is closing another plant in Ingersoll. That is another 1,000 jobs, making clear what we have known from the start, that Trump is set on destroying the Canadian economy. However, the Prime Minister continues to flatter Trump, calling him a “modern man”, a world-class leader. Trum…
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Mr. Speaker, today I honour the late elder Stan LaPierre, whose radiant smile and gentle, wise spirit were gifts to all who knew him. His compassion knew no bounds. His love poured freely into the lives of others, especially through his tireless care and love for families of murdered and disappeared women, girls and gender-diverse people, as well as survivors of violence. I will always remember th…
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Mr. Speaker, I often hear members of parties in the House say that they support workers. In fact, I have heard a lot about workers today, yet when I tabled my bill to protect the right to strike in collective bargaining, it was crickets from the Liberals and Conservatives. Words are one thing but action is another. If the Liberal government really respects workers, will it protect their rights by …
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-247, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code. Mr. Speaker, today I am so proud to table my bill to stop governments from abusing section 107 of the Canada Labour Code to force workers back to work. Whether it is Air Canada, Canada Post, the railways or the ports, the message is always the same: When big corporations complain, the government caves. This is a direc…
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Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to rise today to table a petition on behalf of my constituents to halt the closing of the Royal Bank of Canada at the corner of Sargent and Sherbrook in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Unfortunately, in recent years, Winnipeg Centre has witnessed the departure of several bank branches in our neighbourhood. This has been very stressful for our community, which is home to diverse popu…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals continue to punish workers for exercising their charter right to fight for fair wages and safe working conditions by abusing section 107 of the Canada Labour Code and forcing workers back to work. This undermines collective bargaining and the right to strike. From Air Canada to Canada Post and from railways to ports, the Liberals side with big corporate executives. If the…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government is siding with Canada Post executives to help privatize the postal service. What does that mean? It means cuts to services for seniors, the disability community and rural areas, as well as attacks on well-paying union jobs. Today, postal workers said no more, rallying on Parliament Hill to tell the Prime Minister to make no more cuts to Canada Post. Why does the…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During question period, the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs provided information about section 35 of the Constitution. The bill actually does not respect section 35 and is in violation of indigenous—
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague spoke about the connections between increased prices on food and the climate crisis, yet the Liberal government will not meet its climate targets by 2030. We know now, in terms of public criticism, that the government has no climate plan. If Liberals are serious about tackling the food crisis, why is my colleague's government not serious about putting in place a clim…
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Mr. Speaker, too often governments choose expediency over principle, chasing short-term wins instead of building a just, sustainable future. People and the planet pay the price, as with Canada recognizing Palestine as a state but refusing to use its power to stop the genocide or even allow the entrance of Palestinian Canadians back into the country. They are human beings. They matter. I remember w…
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Mr. Speaker, I am so proud to rise today to table petition e-6488 to demand that the Government of Canada appoint a disability commissioner to hold the government accountable when the human rights of persons with disabilities are violated. People with disabilities make up one in four Canadians, and their rights are affirmed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Human Rights Act and i…
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Mr. Speaker, this weekend, thousands of people across Canada joined the Draw the Line protest to send the Prime Minister a very clear message: Enough is enough. Why? It is because the Prime Minister and cabinet are pushing through legislation and measures violating the rights of workers, violating the rights of indigenous people and violating the rights of migrants, while undermining gender equali…
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Mr. Speaker, it is about that, but also, I cannot hear because there are members in the House chit-chatting. I am wondering if they could take it to the lobby so we can hear the debate.
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Mr. Speaker, I have to say, it is highly disturbing that I am again obliged to call out the government's glaring violations of Canada's Constitution, including international covenants to which Canada is a signatory, in Bill C-2, the so-called strong borders act. This is the second occasion where the Liberals have presented a piece of legislation that would provide government with sweeping executiv…
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Mr. Speaker, does my hon. colleague believe the bill violates the Canadian Constitution and violates sections of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, yes or no?
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Mr. Speaker, absolutely, we saw that with Bill C-5, certainly. With Bill C-2, they are not really getting members up to speak. This is a far-reaching bill. This is an omnibus bill that is over 132 pages. Where are the Liberals? The same people are here talking about the bill. We are talking about a bill that violates civil liberties, constitutional rights and international law. Yes, migrants and a…
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Mr. Speaker, I would say to my hon. colleagues, friends and everyone across Canada that I know, when we hear the name Ken Dryden, as we have heard today, the first image for many is of a towering figure in the net, calm, steady, unshakable, leading the Montreal Canadiens to six Stanley Cups and earning his place in the Hockey Hall of Fame. However, Ken Dryden's greatest legacy is not measured in w…
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Mr. Speaker, we know, even from what has happened in the States, that tough-on-crime approaches to drugs do not work. We have seen that. What our community organizations are calling for on the front lines of this issue is to deal with the toxic drug supply. We have a record number of overdoses in our community. I am not into political responses that have resulted in people dying in the streets tha…
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Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member should join the Conservative Party. That is a lot of sound bites. The reality is that what the NDP opposes is the violation of constitutional rights, the violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and the putting forward of a bill that impacts particularly women fleeing violence without a gender-based lens. This has been highly criticized by over 122 lawye…
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Mr. Speaker, I will not retract the word, calling the government “colonial”. I will not.
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Mr. Speaker, the member for Winnipeg North just asked me a question. He represented, up until recently, a part of Winnipeg with the highest number of kids in care. Indigenous people are very supportive of building a strong economy. Indigenous leaders, in fact, have said we are not against it. What we are against is the violation of our constitutionally enshrined rights. This is going to put us dec…
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Mr. Speaker, I find it quite colonial with the member for Winnipeg North, particularly because indigenous peoples and nations from across this country have been very clear that the government has not fulfilled its duty of free, prior and informed consent. Organizations including AFN, ITK, NAN and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs have come forward and called out the government. They have not received—
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Mr. Speaker, there seems to be a misunderstanding about what nation building is. In fact, this bill has been called a fast track to the Supreme Court, meaning no building of the economy and no new jobs. I am wondering why the Conservatives are supporting a bill that is going to spend more time holding up projects in the courts than getting things done on the ground.
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Mr. Speaker, over the last short while, because, of course, we were given very little time, I have expressed very serious concerns about Bill C-5 as it relates to the constitutional rights of indigenous peoples, the protection of our environment, and workers' rights. I would like to thank my very brilliant colleague, the member for Vancouver East, for helping us split the bill to ensure that the L…
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Mr. Speaker, thank goodness for the member for Vancouver East for splitting the bill. The NDP does support removing interprovincial trade barriers and will be voting in favour of that part of the bill. What we will not vote in favour of is violating constitutional rights, violating the section 35 rights of indigenous people, violating section 35(3) constitutional obligations, violating UNDRIP, vio…
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I said his words were, his approach, and I—
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Mr. Speaker, indigenous rights holders and civil society groups have been clear: Bill C-5 would violate constitutional rights, escalate the climate crisis and endanger workers' health and safety , but the Liberals and Conservatives are teaming up to pass the bill without proper consultations. The AFN, the ITK and NAN have indicated that it is an ungracious invitation to the Supreme Court. This wil…
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Mr. Speaker, Bill C-5 violates constitutional obligations, eradicates environmental protections, compromises workers' health and safety, and fails to hold corporations accountable in cases where violence is inflicted on indigenous women and girls, which is one of the calls for justice from the national inquiry. We thought Pierre Poilievre lost his seat, but it seems like he is leading the Liberal …
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Mr. Chair, to the Minister of Resources, has Bill C-5 been subjected to a charter challenge test, as required by the Department of Justice Act, section 4.2?
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