Routine Proceedings
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Citizenship Act (2025). (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we understand very well on this side of the House that immigration is essential to grow our economy and strengthen our communities. Canadians want a solid and sustainable immigration system that allows Canada and those who come here to succeed. On this side of the House we are working on improving Canada and making it strong.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, international students are vital to Canada. Ask any of our provinces and institutions. Our temporary foreign workers are as well. They are essential to our agricultural sector, to our fishing sector and to many facets of our population. Having said that, we understand, in the new government, that we need a balanced system. For that reason we have lowered the number of permanent reside…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, those figures are inaccurate. That is misinformation. The new government is hard at work to improve our immigration system, and the introduction of Bill C-2 on Tuesday was an example of that. We are taking significant steps to preserve the integrity of our system while also upholding our humanitarian commitments, because we understand that a well-managed immigration system is essentia…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, let me give the member opposite a lesson on immigration numbers, permits and visas. There are many applications and many individuals. We recognize that to balance our immigration and have a good country, we need temporary residents and permanent residents. Some applicants have multiple numbers; therefore I would suggest we look into the numbers a bit more in detail.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that this new government is here to work with Canadians, and the reduction in the permanent and temporary numbers that has been forecasted was forecasted with the understanding that we do need to reduce our numbers to ensure that our infrastructure meets the challenges of today. I would like to remind members that COVID put a lot of strain and stress on all the pro…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, allow me to thank the member for Winnipeg North for not only his passion but also his accuracy in the information that he always presents to us in the House. I definitely do agree with him that this is an excellent piece of legislation, and I urge all colleagues in the House to please support it.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am well aware of the challenges facing asylum seekers. That is why we included in the legislation the one-year rule effective June 25, 2020, to make our systems comprehensive and effective. We work very well with the Province of Quebec in these situations.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I believe we all agree that immigration is key to our economy in Canada and to our communities. As I said in my remarks, the date that was selected for that one-year rule, June 24, 2020, was picked specifically because that is the date that regulations came into effect to track exit data.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Bourassa. I am pleased to rise today to talk about the strong borders act. The legislation before the House would strengthen border protection and border security and ensure integrity in the immigration system, with new authorities to improve how client information is shared with provincial and territorial partners; enforce our laws m…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we take our immigration system very seriously on this side of the aisle, as I know all Canadians do. For that reason, we are strengthening the integrity of our system while maintaining the humanitarian ability that we have in this country. Make no mistake. Canada takes its obligations seriously, and we are strengthening our asylum system to make it more efficient and flexible. We will…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, today is a great day in the country. We introduced a very important bill that is getting us to take steps to strengthen our immigration system and our integrity in the system, while also upholding our humanitarian commitments. As global migration patterns evolve due to conflicts and crisis, Canadians expect a resilient and responsive immigration system, and that is exactly what we are…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question and his work on francophone immigration. Last year, we exceeded our target for francophone immigration outside Quebec. We are committed to ensuring the long-term strength and growth of francophone communities. That is why our new government will set a target of 12% francophone immigration outside Quebec by 2029.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, our government takes the safety of children seriously. That is why we put forward a comprehensive plan to bring Canada into the 21st century and change our online world, making it safer for kids and better for all. The Conservatives are blocking the plan, and they are standing in the way of a better future for our kids online. Parents want the online harms act. Experts want the online…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have been through a lot in the last few years, and they are looking to all levels of government for relief and support. That is something I hear at the doors in Halifax West, and it is the call I bring every day to Ottawa when I represent my constituents, unlike the Conservatives, who have been forbidden to advocate for their communities. Can the Prime Minister give an updat…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 26th report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human rights, entitled “Islamophobia on the Rise: Taking Action, Confronting Hate and Protecting Civil Liberties Together”, and the 27th report, entitled “Heightened Antisemitism in Canada and How to Confront It”.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, Silent night, holiday bright, Mr. Speaker, we did what is right. With inflation still hard to bear, we voted for real relief to show we care. With GST/HST off essential needs, we are helping families to succeed. Silent night, not all is right; the Leader of the Opposition refused this light. The leader who vowed to axe the tax turned his back when time to act. Broken promises, Canadia…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 25th report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights entitled “Supplementary Estimates (B), 2024-25: Vote 1b under Administrative Tribunals Support Service of Canada, Vote 1b under Canadian Human Rights Commission, Vote 1b under Courts Administration Service, Votes 1b and 5b under Department of Justice and Vote…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, creating opportunities for young people is the reason I got into politics more than a decade ago. It is why I appreciate the impact of the Canada summer jobs program back home. Each year, Canada summer jobs provides wage subsidies to non-profits, faith groups, small businesses, universities and municipalities. This lets them keep doing good and grow the economy. The return we get from…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to represent Halifax West, a diverse and growing riding, and I am proud to deliver investments to support the lives of people and improve our neighbourhoods. That includes the $1.7 million in community revitalization fund money that I secured for local infrastructure projects. With that money, my constituents are benefiting from better audio and lighting at the Bella Ros…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, this summer, millions of Canadians tuned in to CBC to cheer on team Canada at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. Canadian athletes pushed limits, set new records and showed us the unifying power of sport. Many trained at the Canadian Sport Institute Atlantic in Halifax West. Canada's athletes give it their all to represent our country, so we are going to keep supporting them w…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, this November, we mark our second annual Lebanese Heritage Month in Canada. As a Lebanese Canadian, I am proud to have sponsored and shepherded the bill into law, and I invite all to celebrate this special occasion. I encourage all Canadians to connect with their local Lebanese communities, attend an event, share a meal, listen to our vibrant music, and experience the pride and passio…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, foreign interference is an issue that is detrimental to our national security and to the safety of Canadians. We now know that agents of the Government of India have targeted Sikh and South Asian Canadians. National security experts, including two former directors of CSIS, have emphasized how important it is for all party leaders to get the security clearance to view and act on intell…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Parliament has passed Bill C‑49. It will create an offshore wind energy sector in my region, bringing jobs, investment and clean energy. Despite this, the Conservatives opposed Bill C‑49 and opposed renewable energy. They chose their ideology over the people of Canada. Can the Minister of Environment and Climate Change explain why we need to seize the economic opportunities of the ene…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I rise tonight with sorrow and pain, and with a heavy heart, to join in this emergency debate and to use my voice. There is a political, social, economic and humanitarian crisis unfolding in Lebanon, my beloved homeland, a place that many thousands of families in my community have ancestral ties to. As we stand here today, many fear that this is the beginning of a full-scale invasio…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, the Lebanese people believe that the road to peace exists in a diplomatic solution. De-escalation and diplomacy will lead to peace. We are losing far too many lives, far too many civilians, and there is far too much destruction. Lebanon has been destroyed and built, even in my lifetime, many times. Lebanon cannot withstand that anymore.
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her very important question. I think that as parliamentarians, we must work together to communicate with citizens here in Canada who have friends or relatives in Lebanon and to give a clear message. I was very happy to hear the minister say that today, 1,200 Canadians left Lebanon safely thanks to Canada's efforts. We also booked 100 seats—
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, my colleague represents Moncton, a city that also has a Lebanese population, and I know she shares the heartache and sorrow her constituents feel at this time. Medication is critically needed at this time, as it always is any time there is fighting and war, but not more so than now. Many people have suffered quite a bit. There are stories of so many people losing their eyes and diff…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Maskwa Aquatic Club on celebrating its 50th anniversary. Nestled in the waters of Kearney Lake in Halifax West, Maskwa is one of Canada's largest, and most committed and accomplished paddling clubs. It is where many in my community learned to swim, took out their first canoe or kayak, got summer work experience or first hiked through Blue Mountain-Birch Co…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition on behalf of Lebanese Canadians and friends of Lebanon. Lebanon is living in difficult times socially, politically and economically. The petitioners note that Lebanon has the largest number of refugees per capita in the world, and with the escalation of war, Lebanon and the Lebanese people are at risk of losing their lives, livelihoods, sovereignty and ind…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, on this day 50 years ago, 32 women across Canada took an oath to become the RCMP's first female officers. They became known as Troop 17. Today we celebrate them and all women who have taken the oath since who selflessly serve in the RCMP to keep Canadians safe. Can the Minister of Public Safety update the House on the efforts made to encourage more women to follow in their footsteps a…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the legislation amending the Canada Elections Act is an important piece of legislation. In fact, it is critical because it seeks to improve access to electoral participation, while also ensuring the continued integrity of our system. It has to go to committee to be studied further because it is essential to our democratic process. Can the member elaborate on that? Can he give us his…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, in my role as chair of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, I have the honour to present, in the both official languages, the 24th report of the committee, regarding the consideration of George Dolhai for appointment as director of public prosecutions.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, I am proud, as the sponsor of the Lebanese Heritage Month Act, to recognize today the first anniversary of the adoption at all stages of the bill into law with unanimous consent. What a delight it was to hoist the Lebanese flag on Parliament Hill last November for the very first time. The pride in the adoption of the law is felt in communities across the country. This is a challengi…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his use of the French language. That was wonderful. We all agree with the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians that the “Special Report on Foreign Interference in Canada's Democratic Processes and Institutions” is a very serious report. Every parliamentarian and, I would recommend, most people involved in anything to do with polit…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, June is graduation season, and today I rise to congratulate all graduates, especially those in my riding of Halifax West. This accomplishment is the result of years of hard work and marks the beginning of a new chapter. For all our graduates, their teachers, parents, extended family and school administrators have been essential to their success. They have supported and believed in the…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to salute, for their big dream and optimistic outlook, the wonderful, passionate CPA High students who make up the Cheetahs for Change. Formed in 2020 with the guidance of their teacher Madame Yelena Smith, the Cheetahs' mission is to build a positive, inclusive culture at their school. They have done this by hosting guest speakers and organizing workshops about mental he…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we have an abundance of talent in Atlantic Canada's colleges and universities. The cutting-edge research and innovation produced in my region strengthen Canada's competitive advantage and drive growth in key industries like manufacturing, clean energy and ocean sustainability. Can the Minister responsible for ACOA tell the House what our government is doing to support researchers and …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, it is a pleasure to rise today in the chamber. I will be providing remarks and using the remainder of my minutes, after my remarks, with some questions for the minister. I am pleased to speak this evening to an important keystone of access to justice, and that is legal aid. There are so many things one can speak on, but I have to limit what I can say here tonight in the minutes I have…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, hate is on the rise in Canada. In fact, at our committee right now, we are studying anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. We could study anti anything these days. I believe there is so much going on in the world that people just want to express their anger, and there is a lot happening. It is alarming, and it is distressing to hear numerous accounts of hatred against people in our public fo…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, I want the minister to speak a little more on this specific topic. I actually received a number of communications in my constituency from parents and grandparents who are very concerned about their children and about the fact that they are so preoccupied these days with online platforms. In fact, my recollection is that the justice minister was at our Standing Committee on Justice and…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 23rd report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights in relation to Bill C‑273, an act to amend the Criminal Code (Corinne's Quest and the protection of children). The committee studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with an amendment.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, in 2015, Canada was on the wrong track. The Canadian government at the time had no climate plan. It was free to pollute and emissions kept going up. Now, because of work done in Nova Scotia and across the country, our emissions have declined by 8%. For the first time ever, we are on track to meet our 2026 climate target, thanks in no small part to pollution pricing and the Canada carb…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, seniors in my riding can count on Chebucto Links for help putting healthy food on their kitchen tables. Every two weeks, its team delivers 10-pound produce bundles directly to seniors' doors for just $5. With new support from the United Way, those bundles are now completely free, and double the number of seniors will receive them. This is great news for residents of Fairview and Clayt…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 22nd report of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights in relation to Bill C-332, an act to amend the Criminal Code with respect to controlling or coercive conduct. The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with amendments.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, epilepsy affects over 300,000 Canadians. Today, I want to applaud advocates like Cassidy Megan, who at age seven was diagnosed and at age 8, in 2008, created the idea of Purple Day, a day that has grown to be internationally recognized to increase epilepsy awareness, dispel myths and let those who have seizures know that they are not alone. I applaud my predecessor, the Hon. Geoff R…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, constituents have reached out to me to raise the plight of their loved ones in Gaza and the heart-wrenching humanitarian crisis unfolding there. They have asked me to advocate on their behalf for the immediate provision of aid, including food, clean water, medication and medical supplies. They are pleading for Canada to use all our influence to support the passage of aid into Gaza for…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the lobster industry is a crucial part of the economy in the Atlantic provinces. Last week, Conservative MPs from Ontario and Alberta saw fit to shockingly attack this industry, the economy of our region and, by definition, the women and men who make the industry thrive. Can the Prime Minister tell fishers from my region why, contrary to the opposition, we will always promote this imp…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, with the high cost of living, it is a struggle for many women to buy menstrual products. This government recognizes this problem and recently launched the menstrual equity fund pilot to provide free menstrual products to those who need them most through Food Banks Canada. During this Sexual and Reproductive Health Week, can the minister provide an update on the progress of the pilot i…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, February 19 is Heritage Day in Nova Scotia, a day I am proud to have played a role in, creating in law, in 2013. This year, we honour Petty Officer William Hall, the first Black person, first Nova Scotian and third Canadian to receive the Victoria Cross for valour and bravery. His heroic actions as a crew member of the HMS Shannon are well documented. I am looking forward to attending…
Read full speech →