Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know and we know that borders are important. It is in America's interest to protect them. It is in Canadians' interest to protect them. That is why we are working together on this issue. I have had conversations with Premier Legault, and just this morning, I spoke with Minister Biron, Quebec's international relations minister. I have also had the opportunity to speak with se…
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Mr. Speaker, there is no relationship in the world more important than the one between Canada and the United States. The reason we want to keep investing in this relationship is that we know Canadians want us to protect their interests. That is why the border is so important to us, and that is why border security is so important to us, as it is to the Americans. In the past few days, I have been v…
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Mr. Speaker, we know very well that we need to protect the border. That is why we signed a safe third country agreement with the Biden administration. That is why we will, of course, come to an understanding with the incoming U.S. administration. It is in Canadians' best interest. I might also point out that our government is the one that has experience dealing with the Trump administration. Inste…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague's question is very important. Of course, we are very aware of Mr. Lavery's case. I cannot give more information due to confidentiality issues, but what I would like to suggest to the member that I work with him to make sure that Mr. Lavery comes home. We will take every measure to bring him home.
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Mr. Speaker, I just went to the OGGO committee, and I answered all the members' questions for an hour. We have been talking about this issue. First and foremost, we have had good value for money in this transaction as $7 million will be refunded. Second, all the processes were, of course, followed. Finally, we will not fall into the character assassination he is doing about an important consul. No…
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Mr. Speaker, apparently Mr. Clark was good enough for the Conservatives when he was moderating their leadership race, but that is another issue. What I want to say today is, as Canadians are looking down south to see what is going on and to take note of the will of the American people, we will be investing in the relationship between Canada and the U.S., contrary to what the Conservatives want to …
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Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of time for the member opposite because she used to be the consul in Dallas, and she knows how important it is to be investing in her diplomatic network in the U.S. Of course, we will continue to invest across our continents and across the U.S. because, if there is one country in the world that knows about the Americans and the U.S., it is Canada.
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Mr. Speaker, of course I will. As I mentioned, since the beginning, we have had three priorities: first, to seek the truth; second, to make sure we protect Canadians; and third, to defend Canada's sovereignty. Based on information provided by the RCMP, we asked India to lift the diplomatic immunity on six of their diplomats. Unfortunately, India refused. Therefore, since Canadians' safety was at r…
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Mr. Speaker, the situation in Gaza is absolutely catastrophic. Too many innocent children, women and people have died. That is why we need the violence to stop. We need a ceasefire that is supported by the UN Security Council, including the U.S. We need hostages to come back home. Their families need to be able to see them and to love them. In the end, we need more humanitarian aid going into Gaza…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada is a country that values freedom from oppression, not freedom to oppress others. The rights of women and girls, including the right to choose, is put in danger by the far right, including some members of the Conservative opposition. A Liberal government will always support and protect women's and girls' rights here at home and around the world. Along with Germany, Australia and…
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Mr. Speaker, if there is one thing the member and I will be able to agree on today, it is that we both condemn what happened yesterday on the streets of Vancouver. That is why we will always condemn any form of anti-Semitism. I am convinced that everybody in this House will condemn any form of anti-Semitism.
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Mr. Speaker, Judih Weinstein, Vivian Silver, Ben Mizrachi, Netta Epstein, Shir Georgy, Alexandre Look, Adi Vital-Kaploun, Tiferet Lapidot, may their memories be a blessing. It was my honour to have met with their families here at home and in Israel. On the anniversary of Hamas's horrific attacks, my promise to their loved ones is the following: Year after year, Canadians will honour their memories…
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Mr. Speaker, if there is a day that we should not play politics about people's lives being taken or people being killed, it is today. We all in this House, I hope, are against any form of anti-Semitism or any form of discrimination. I really hope that my colleague in front will apologize.
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Mr. Speaker, we have all seen the attacks by Iran against Israel today, and of course we condemn them unequivocally. These attacks from Iran will only serve to further escalate the situation in the region. That is why I have been in contact with my Israeli counterpart this morning. I have been in contact with many G7 foreign ministers, as well as Arab countries' foreign ministers. This is a very d…
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Mr. Speaker, I have said many times in the House that the situation in Gaza is catastrophic. Too many children and too many women have died. That is why the violence must stop. That is why we need a ceasefire now. That is why hostages must be released. That is why civilians must be protected. That is why humanitarian aid needs to get into Gaza. We need to make sure that both parties support the Bi…
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Mr. Speaker, the situation in Gaza is absolutely catastrophic. That is why we need the violence to stop. We need an immediate ceasefire. That is why Canada fully supports the proposal by the President of the United States. We need to take a chance on peace. Along with our allies, we are following what my colleague just mentioned very closely, because our position has been clear when it comes to ar…
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Mr. Speaker, even in times of war, there are rules. The images coming out of Rafah are horrific and heartbreaking. Our position has been clear on Rafah. We have been repeating our position for weeks. Palestinian civilians do not have any safe space to go. The killing of innocent civilians is completely unacceptable, and the decisions of the International Court of Justice are binding. The level of …
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Mr. Speaker, even in times of war, there are rules. The images coming out of Rafah are horrific and heartbreaking. Our position on Rafah is clear, and we have been repeating it for several weeks now. Palestinian civilians have nowhere to go. The killing of innocent civilians is completely unacceptable. The decisions of the International Court of Justice are binding. The level of civilian suffering…
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Mr. Speaker, we will take absolutely no lessons from the Bloc Québécois. We know that the Bloc Québécois's objective will always be to prove that sovereignty alone will work for Quebeckers. Quebeckers are not buying it. Quebeckers know that having a strong government, a government that is prepared to recognize, for the first time in history, the decline of French in Quebec and across the country, …
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Mr. Speaker, Canada will always be there to support the international Francophonie. In fact, Canada is one of the co-founders of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie. I would like to remind my colleague that we are not talking about the association des parlementaires, but about the Assemblée des parlementaires de la Francophonie. Under the circumstances, we will not only continue to …
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Mr. Speaker, to all women in the House, to all women in this country, to all women in the world, the Liberal government will forever be there to support their right to choose. No government, no politician, no judge, no one should take that right away from women. Members should make no mistake: The Conservative leader and his members are trying to politicize women's bodies, and they are also willin…
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Mr. Speaker, our colleagues have asked this question a number of times and it has been answered. What we can say, however, is that the Leader of the Opposition won his leadership race by ensuring that he had the votes of Maxime Bernier and his far-right element, as well as the support of members of the anti-abortion movement. The reality now is that he is delivering for them. He refuses to denounc…
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Mr. Speaker, we will not be drawn into a fight about the French language. We in the Liberal government have been clear for a very long time. We will be there to protect the French fact in Quebec and across the country. Not only will we do so here in Canada in the context of our duties as a government, contrary to what the Conservatives will say, but we are also doing this around the world. We can …
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Mr. Speaker, Canada unequivocally condemns the attacks by Iran against Israel. This was unprecedented. We support Israel and its people. This attack only serves to destabilize the region and to further escalate in the region. It is completely unacceptable. That is why I have been in contact with my Israeli counterpart. I have also been in contact with many actors in the region. We will continue to…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her important question. Ukraine is Europe's front line. The Ukrainians have been fighting for our freedom and, of course, for their own. We know that Putin does not have a red line. If he wins in Ukraine, he will keep going. That is why we must support Ukraine. It is about our security and global security. That is why we concluded a new $3-billion agre…
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Mr. Speaker, first and foremost I would like to say that I have talked to the mother of Mansour Shouman many times, as he was obviously struggling in Gaza, and we made sure that he could come safely back home, working with the Minister of Immigration on this very issue. Second, on the question of Israel, Hamas and the war, of course we know that the situation in Gaza is completely catastrophic and…
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), and in accordance with the policy on the tabling of treaties in Parliament, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaties entitled “Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of the Republic of Finland”, done at Brussels on July 5, 2022, and “Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of the Kingdom of Sw…
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Mr. Speaker, I welcome debate during this pivotal moment for the region and the world. I rise having just returned from visiting the Middle East, where I met with my counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the U.A.E., Israel and also the Palestinian authority. Of course, the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and the path toward peace was at the top of our agenda. These conversations were not always easy. W…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her ongoing work. We do not always see eye to eye, but I know we can work together. When it comes to what is happening in the Middle East, of course, we are in close contact with different U.S. officials. I am in contact with my colleague, Tony Blinken, and I have also been in contact with many people in the White House. It is important that we get to a h…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said to my colleague from the NDP and I also say to my colleague from the Conservatives, of course, I appreciate working with the member; although, we do not always see eye to eye, but I very much respect his input. When it comes to our position, it has been clear. It is a position that many G7 foreign ministers have been expressing across the world, which is that we need a hosta…
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Mr. Speaker, I am sorry, but to my colleagues who are shouting, I would like to know whether they are in favour of a ceasefire or not, when it comes to Gaza.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to note that I did not get an answer from the Conservatives, and I am looking forward to getting one on the question of whether they are in favour of a humanitarian ceasefire or not.
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Mr. Speaker, I am getting information that they are not. That being said, when it comes to Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and dehumanization, we have to do a better job in this country, and that is the reality. At this point, a lot of people want us to condemn one side and not the other. We have to condemn both sides, and we have to help both sides to eventually get to an understanding that Israelis …
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Mr. Speaker, I have great affection for my colleague. I want to reiterate that to her. I thank her for her work and her respect. I know that she is a great advocate for peace and solidarity, especially in times of crisis. I want to thank her for all her work. The government is very sensitive to this motion before Parliament. This motion is not perfect, but it is important. It seeks to offer a solu…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague that, of course, we always stand up for justice and peace in this world. That is our foreign policy. That is what we do every day. Of course, when it comes to the Israel-Hamas issue, we believe in a two-state solution. We believe that we are, after this war, closer than ever to a two-state solution. Why? It is because, coming back from the region, w…
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Mr. Speaker, I agree with my hon. colleague that the violence must stop. Hostages must be released and humanitarian aid must go into Gaza. We need to make sure that Israeli and Palestinian civilians are protected, and that is the position of the government. We will be there to make sure there is long-term peace in the region and, of course, to make sure the Jewish community, the Muslim community a…
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Mr. Speaker, of course, our position is clear. The hostages must be released. More humanitarian aid must reach Gaza, and we need to ensure that there is more peace and stability in the region. That is why I was in the region last week. That is why the Government of Canada and Canada will be there to help with any kind of future solution that, of course, will involve a two-state solution, the recog…
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Mr. Speaker, yes, I did. I will never shy away from having difficult conversations, maybe with the Israeli government or maybe with the Palestinian authority. We need to make sure that we will continue to put pressure on Hamas, which is a terrorist organization, to release hostages. We support the discussions that are happening with Qatar, Egypt, the U.S. and, of course, Israel, to make sure the h…
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Mr. Speaker, we believe in peace and stability in the region, and it starts with the release of all hostages. We need to make sure that humanitarian aid gets into Gaza. Of course, we need to get to a humanitarian ceasefire, which will bring long and lasting peace to Israel, and also support a two-state solution and the creation of a Palestinian state for Palestinians. For too long Israelis and Pal…
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Mr. Speaker, the stories coming out of Gaza are extremely preoccupying. This is catastrophic. I would call it a nightmare scenario. At all times, international humanitarian law must be respected; both parties must respect the ICJ ruling. We need to do more to make sure that humanitarian aid is going into Gaza. At all times, civilians must be protected.
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Mr. Speaker, it is important to make sure we understand what we are talking about here. There is a wide range of items that require an export permit. When we look at the permits to Israel in particular, let me be clear: I have not received and therefore have not approved any export permits for weapons to Israel since October 7, 2023, and any permits issued since October 7 were essentially non-leth…
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Mr. Speaker, this feminist government has been working hard for eight years to protect women, especially vulnerable women. That is why we have made it a priority throughout our mandate. Whether it was before COVID-19, during COVID-19 and now, that has always been the case. The Liberal government has won three elections on our firearms policies, and the Conservatives have voted against those polici…
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Mr. Speaker, I just got back from Ukraine, where thousands of Ukrainian children have been abducted and brought to Russia, far from their families. This is terribly sad. That is why Canada and Ukraine have launched the international coalition for the return of Ukrainian children. We are going to work through our diplomatic network to exert pressure on various countries and on the Kremlin. Every ch…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for having done so much work last week, voting for 30 hours in support of the work that we are doing together. Meanwhile, I completely understand how dire the situation in Gaza is. It is one of the worst places in the world to live right now. The Minister of Immigration and I are working actively to find a very compassionate approach when it comes to…
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Mr. Speaker, we unequivocally condemn the terrorist attacks that happened on October 7 against innocent Israeli civilians, as we, of course, think that it is completely unacceptable that so many women and children, civilians, in Gaza have died in the context of this crisis. The cycle of violence will not ensure Israel's long-term security, and the price of justice cannot be the suffering of Palest…
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Mr. Speaker, I agree that Gaza is one of the worst places to live in the world right now. We are very preoccupied by the fact that too many children and too many women have lost their lives. I met with many humanitarian groups earlier today to share my concern and to hear their thoughts on how we can make sure that Palestinian civilians are protected. Meanwhile, I must say that we are extremely ha…
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Mr. Speaker, of course, we condemn the October 7 terrorist attack by Hamas. We are extremely preoccupied with what is happening in Gaza. I have said it many times. It is one of the worst places, if not the worst place, to live in the world, and too many women and children have died. That is why we welcome the humanitarian pause that will be happening, starting tomorrow, that has been agreed to bet…
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Mr. Speaker, Ukrainians are currently fighting for their freedom and ours on the battlefields of Ukraine. We have all seen them. I saw them in Ukraine. They were strong, courageous and ready to make the ultimate sacrifice. They approached us and asked us to negotiate a free trade agreement. We are the first G7 country to sign such an agreement with them. Voting against that free trade agreement, a…
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Mr. Speaker, we saw horrific scenes on October 7, when Hamas attacked innocent Israelis. Of course, we also know Gaza is one of the worst places on earth to live in right now, so we need to make sure all civilians are protected. We need to make sure as well that humanitarian aid can be sent to Gaza. We are seeing right now there are negotiations happening between Israel and Hamas, brokered by Qata…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his important question. I actually just got back from Armenia, where we opened a Canadian embassy for the first time. I think that was worth doing. It is good news for everyone, even the opposition. I also want to say that I joined the EU mission that monitors the border to ensure greater stability and security in the South Caucasus region. That …
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