Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as members of Parliament we have a responsibility to help build an economy where everyone has the opportunity to find success. While some Conservatives continue to dismiss diversity, equity and inclusion, the government knows that empowering under-represented entrepreneurs strengthens communities and helps build a stronger Canada. As we mark the beginning of Black History Month, can t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, entitled “Protecting Canada's poultry industry: for a better control of spent fowl imports into Canada”.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, there is no question that if we speak to Canadians, to folks in Scarborough—Woburn, that they will tell us violence and crime are changing constantly. Bill C-16 is about realigning our realities today to take on the challenges that we have when it comes to crime and violence. For some reason, it seems the Conservatives want to delay and hold up these types of bills that I would say th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, there is no question that crime and violence are changing all the time with the introduction of technology. We know that this bill embeds pieces around deepfakes and different online protections. Has the member had conversations with people in her community about any of the provisions within this bill, and what were those conversations like?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
moved that Bill S-201, An Act respecting a national framework on sickle cell disease be read the first time. Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise to introduce Bill S-201, the national framework on sickle cell disease act. Sickle cell disease is one of the most common genetic conditions in the world, yet it remains largely invisible in our health care system. Here in Canada, thousands of people, disp…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I support the MOU. I believe we need to build partnerships in order to move forward on major projects. With regard to indigenous communities, do you think they should have a say when it comes to the future of pipelines in this country?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the distinct honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, entitled “Unleashing the Potential of the Canadian Agriculture and Agri-Food Sector through Regulatory Reform”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report. We know that …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the member did mention health care workers, and the tax credit's being applied to personal support workers. It is something I have advocated for. I would like to just find out from the member why he thought this was important and what kind of changes it will bring. I know the Conservatives brought this up as an issue. Why would they vote against something like this?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canadians and the great people of Scarborough—Woburn voted for a government to build more homes, and they are looking to their new federal government to lead with real solutions. Could the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure update the House on what concrete steps the government is taking to accelerate the building of affordable homes here in Ontario?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I was not at the committee when these issues were being deliberated on, but I am happy to hear that the Bloc Québécois is participating in the democratic process and making suggestions in the committee process for consideration. Some amendments will be passed and some will not, but I thank the member for his contribution to the strengthening of this bill.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite must be reading something he was given by his whip, because I never talked about somebody being deployed and then coming back here. What I did talk about was that the bill would extend automatic citizenship to anyone who was born abroad to Canadian parents before the legislation came into force.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the hon. member talked a lot about Canadian values and what our Canadian identity is. I am a big supporter of diversity in this country. I am a big supporter of equality and, of course, building an inclusive society. Does the member agree that those three elements are part of the Canadian identity, and are they things he personally supports?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Davenport, a great member of Parliament. It is an honour to stand in the House of Commons today on behalf of the people of Scarborough—Woburn to talk about this important issue, Bill C-3, an act to amend the Citizenship Act. To me, this is a very simple piece of legislation that would extend automatic citizenship to anyone who was bor…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member's grandchild was not afforded Canadian citizenship after he has contributed so much to Parliament, it would be a real shame.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, the member has to go back and check the notes he was provided. It sounds like his question was not very precise and to the point and does not reflect the proposed legislation.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, that was a very informative speech. Can the member speak a bit more about the consequences of implementing a new law and the impact the Ontario Superior Court ruling would have on that decision if the law was not implemented?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, listening to Conservatives in the House today is like going back in time to the 1990s, when Republicans were talking about “three strikes and you're out”, which does not work. What Conservatives are proposing does not work. That is why we have come up with a piece of legislation that is right for this moment. It is interesting that the Conservatives say this bill copies Conservative…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, Bill C-238 looks at putting first responders, victims and communities at the forefront of justice and repair. I would like to ask the member to take a minute to explain the balance between justice and punishment, and repair.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would like to ask the member opposite if he will be supporting this bill that really would reform the justice act to put in place harsher sentences when it comes to bail reform. I also want to know if the Conservatives will help pass the legislation.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, near the end of the minister's speech, she talked a lot about families she is connected to and has spoken to personally. Maybe she could share some of those stories of the families that would benefit from this change in legislation with the House.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, there is some big news coming from Scarborough. Our government is investing billions into Scarborough transit. The Scarborough subway station will extend line 2 from Kennedy Station to Sheppard Avenue, stopping at McCowan Road and the Scarborough Town Centre. This will cut travel times and connect residents to jobs, schools and services. This is one of the largest transit investments …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, we are here talking about how to make Canada, our country, safer. We are talking about issues that matter to Canadians. Canadians are watching. There are many people in this room watching today, and people are watching online. It is important for MPs to set a tone in the House to ensure that, at the end of the day, we move forward in the right direction. The Leader of the Opposition h…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present, in both official languages, one report of the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association for the following activity: the bilateral mission to the Republic of Senegal and the Republic of Cabo Verde, held in Dakar, Senegal, and Cabo Verde from March 16 to 21, 2025.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, this morning I was watching the news; a bunch of reporters were asking Conservatives, as they were coming into the House, what they thought about the Conservative leader's comments on the RCMP. If we are going to build strong borders, we need to make sure that we have good relationships with our top officials in law enforcement.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the member spoke about Conservatives not being fooled and then went on to talk about how the Leader of the Opposition is the right person to take leadership in this country and move it in the right direction. However, the Leader of the Opposition clearly stated that he had no trust in the RCMP, and he basically insulted our protective services across this country, which do a lot of wo…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, maybe they were busy this morning, and they could not stop because they had to get into the House. Does the member believe it is important for us to have a strong and respectful relationship with the RCMP, and does he agree with the Conservative leader's comments?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the very foundation of the protective services at our borders in this country is based on our relationship with the men and women at the front line who are providing the service to protect Canadians. The Leader of the Opposition recently showed massive disrespect toward the RCMP as an institution. I want to give the member opposite the opportunity to clarify his party's position on …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, this morning when I turned on the television, there were a bunch of Conservatives coming into the building, and everyone was moving so quickly. I thought, “Is a race going on, a marathon?” No, the Conservatives were trying to avoid the media, because their leader has doubled down on the statement that he does not have confidence in the RCMP's leadership. To me, that sends a very negat…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the immigration system is an important aspect of building a strong country. I am an immigrant. I came here from the U.K. when I was four years old, almost five years old. I would like to ask the member, why is building a strong immigration system so essential in this country?
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Mr. Speaker, in my community of Scarborough—Woburn, border protection is an important aspect. I am quite happy that the government has looked for ways to enhance our border security. Has the hon. member had conversations in his community about border security? What does the bill mean for the people he represents in his riding?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I know there are going to be some enhancements to border security and additional RCMP officers. For the member's province, I am sure this would have a very positive impact. I know that, for Ontario, it would be quite good. Could the hon. member talk about some of those enhancements, like the new police officers, and how he thinks they would impact border security in Canada?
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Mr. Speaker, this country has been built by immigrants. Outside the indigenous community, we are all from immigrants at some point in time. Immigration is part of our past; it is part of who we are today, and it will be a big part of who we are in the future. I know that constituents in Pickering—Brooklin share many different immigration stories. How important is it to get the immigration file rig…
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member talked a bit about some of the pieces that will have an impact on businesses and our border and will enhance our system overall, with more compliance issues. Would the member care to expand on some of those pieces that will be important for building a stronger border and immigration system in Canada?
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government takes our borders quite seriously, especially strategic borders like Niagara and others in Ontario. There is the largest infrastructure project to build a great bridge out in Windsor. There is investment in these regions because we know it is part of our economic trade and development, and it connects us to our largest trade partner. However, I want to talk abou…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the member brought up several concerns about asylum seekers. Some pretty substantial changes are being proposed in this bill in order to strengthen our asylum processing system. Is the member prepared to join Canadians in supporting a bill that would bring more integrity to the asylum system here in Canada, yes or no?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to re-approach the question asked by one of the members on this side. We think the first line of defence for mitigating crime in this country is building a relationship with law enforcement. The Leader of the Opposition clearly showed huge disrespect towards some of the top RCMP and police officials in this country. Does the member opposite think that in order for us to move fo…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the member said this was a historical moment, and it is a historical moment. That is one of the most positive speeches I have heard from the opposition in a long time, with a constructive approach to building good government policies and strengthening bills. He talked about the police being effective. He talked about being very supportive of many of the measures. It is a huge contrast…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I congratulate the member. I want to find out if the member is going to be supporting our initiative to lower income taxes for Canadians.
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, as members and a new government come forward, we all have to work together to find solutions so that we can help build a stronger country for all Canadians.
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member on his recent election. I do not know if the member read the actual throne speech, but I would advise the member to take a look through it, because there are a lot of concepts and ideas. Some are traditional ideas that Liberals hold as values, but we do talk about lowering taxes. We talk about removing GST from homes and apartments. I am hoping that the membe…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak today. I will be sharing my time with the member for Willowdale. First, I would like to congratulate all members of the House. As they say, there is not a bad seat in the House of Commons, so congratulations. We have a lot of work to do. Welcome to the 45th session of Parliament. I just reminded myself that throughout our political careers, we sho…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, when we look at history and the position of Liberals across the country and among members of Parliament, there is no question that, in the House, we have been at the forefront of looking for ways to mitigate climate change. We, as a country, are looking for different ways to do it, but I would say that all people in the House agree that we need to keep our country clean, and we need t…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, as Canadians, we need to rethink how we approach trade. I meet with people who are promoting Africa and the African diaspora within the Americas. We have to look for alternative ways to build trade. In the Americas alone, there are 220 million people of African descent. Throughout the Caribbean and throughout America, there are chambers of commerce. We need to tap into those networks …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, this is astonishing. I do not think folks on the other side have read the throne speech, because it is full of different solutions, ideas and themes, but what a throne speech really does is set the tone for the direction in which a government is going. I would be happy to talk about some of those—
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, last week we found out the Conservative leader was silencing his members from supporting any federal funding for housing in their communities. It must have been very difficult for Conservatives to oppose funding for much-needed housing projects in the communities that sent them here to advocate for housing, not to do the opposite. Imagine how difficult it must have been for the member…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, October 6 marks the electrical injury day of recognition, an initiative led by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, the Canadian Electrical Contractors Association, the National Electrical Trade Council and other industry groups. The day is dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of electric shock injuries, which can have long-term health effects with no cure.…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, a lot of the debate today was based on climate change and its impact on agriculture. In 2024, the Conservative Party voted to reject a call to actually recognize climate change in Canada. In Ontario, 70,000 people work within the agriculture sector. It is a $60-billion sector. It is important to make sure we preserve and keep the integrity of the land and the weather conditions in o…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the two following reports of the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association: the report respecting its participation at the bilateral mission to Cameroon, Yaoundé, Cameroon, from November 13 to 17, 2023; and the report respecting its participation at the observation mission on the mar…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to stand in the House of Commons on behalf of the great people of Don Valley East to speak to a very important bill, Bill C-65, the electoral participation act. The chief government whip talked about a noble pursuit to actually look at legislation and look for ways to increase participation, which is essentially what the bill is attempting to do. As members of Parli…
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