Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, personal attacks speak for themselves. I have great respect, in fact, for the member. We have had the pleasure of working together on the House of Commons committee responsible for immigration. He understands that, fundamentally, immigration has played a very important role in the history of this country, and that needs to continue. He also understands, as our side does, that transfor…
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Mr. Speaker, the member will be aware of the landmark 2013 Supreme Court decision, the Pham decision. That decision makes very clear that when it comes to assessing the criminal actions of individuals, whether they are foreign nationals or Canadians, public safety always takes precedence. If the individual has concerns with the decision of the court, that decision is a court decision. It is not a …
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Mr. Speaker, if the Conservatives want to talk about past policy, that is their prerogative. What we are focused on, from start to finish, is making sure that this country's present, and especially its future, is on a sustainable footing; that we build this country up; that we focus on the economy; and that we look to the immigration system as one way to make that happen. I will absolutely defend …
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Mr. Speaker, I have already gone over the achievements of the government on the immigration file. We will continue that work. Furthermore, Conservatives have a tendency, unfortunately, to count permits and not people. They will count the original permit that is issued and then the renewal, so a double counting often happens. As far as creative math is concerned, we will put that aside. Conservativ…
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Mr. Speaker, personal attacks again speak for themselves. I am honoured to work with every single member of caucus who time and again devotes themselves to their constituency. As far as London or any Canadian community is concerned, we continue to see immigration as a fundamental building block in this country. Of course, transformations and policy are needed. That is exactly what we are devoted t…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague is very well read. He will look at the recent reports of the International Monetary Fund, which has made clear that Canada stands as an example for the G7, and in fact for the entire OECD and beyond. What we have now is an opportunity to engage in serious policy to build up this country. I mentioned yesterday's investments in Canada's north. We have investments in Canada'…
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Mr. Speaker, obviously the jobs data that came out this morning is unfortunate, but the Conservatives can fixate on month-to-month data. They never mention, or their script never recites, anything on long-term trends. What did we see just a few days ago? It was a very clear announcement in Bloomberg. My colleague can go look at it. The largest amount of foreign investment that Canada has seen sinc…
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Mr. Speaker, members talk about the auto sector. What about the workers? What about a vision for this country? What about a plan? We have exactly that. They say they stand for working people. We have an opportunity now to rally around those working people with a serious approach to governance and policy. It is exactly what we are doing every single day. They quote unions in this House. We have the…
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Mr. Speaker, the member talks about seniors who are struggling in his community. They are struggling in my community, too. We have to acknowledge that. At the same time, what do we do to help those seniors? We put forward a serious plan for the future, an opportunities agenda, which is focused on getting our resources to market and building up the infrastructure to do it. That is how we build an o…
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Mr. Speaker, while the apparent new trade critic or maybe foreign affairs critic from Bowmanville—Oshawa North talks about a hissy-fit doctrine with the Conservative Party, what is this government doing under the Prime Minister's leadership? It is forging new trade relationships and forging new investment opportunities. We see the results in terms of foreign direct investment in a nation-building …
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Mr. Speaker, the member talks about posturing and pretending. I hate to do this. Do I have to remind him, though, about just a few weeks ago? He is very big on labour issues, apparently. He made a whole thing in here about CAMI in Ingersoll and did not even talk to the union in question. He failed to talk to their members. He failed to talk to their leadership. He made this whole point about sever…
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Mr. Speaker, there are children living in poverty in this country, and we have an opportunity to fight for them. The government supports the Canada child benefit because it goes to six million kids. There are 3.5 million families that get the Canada child benefit, but the Conservatives have never supported it. We support child care. They do not. What about pharmacare, the beginnings of it? That he…
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Mr. Speaker, in her short time as a member of Parliament, the member is making outstanding contributions on the Standing Committee on Public Accounts. She is doing great work in the constituency, she brings great experience as a former town councillor, and importantly, as a lawyer, she stood up for women who had been abused in domestic relationships. The member points to Bill C-15. Of course, its …
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Mr. Speaker, it is always interesting that when the Conservatives cite reports, they cite only part of the report. Of course it is unfortunate that we saw a contraction of 0.6% in real GDP, but what else does the report say? It says that consumer demand is up. It says that domestic business investment is up. As my colleague is very well read, I am sure he read in Bloomberg yesterday that, beyond t…
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Mr. Speaker, it is quite something to hear the Conservatives talk about household debt and the real concerns of middle-income and low-income Canadians but, at the same time call for, over the years, and I think it is still their position, the Canada child benefit to be eliminated and say that the school food program has no place in Canada. They do not want child care for kids. The list goes on and…
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Mr. Speaker, the debt and deficit are fiscally sustainable. The IMF has testified to that fact, and the Bank of Canada has testified to that fact. We continue to put in measures, of course, to build up the economy, and an opportunities agenda is exactly what this country needs right now. We have seen the government moving ahead to ensure that the resources of this country get to market, to build u…
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Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that the Conservatives never tell us what they would cut. If they want to pursue this line of questioning, it is logical that they would go to another issue. Would they cut the Canada child benefit? They would. Would they cut child care? They certainly would. Would they cut pharmacare? They certainly would do that. Would they cut the school food program, which we wan…
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Mr. Speaker, the member represents an area I know very well, just down the road from the constituency I have had the honour of representing for a decade. I have friends and family there. These are very real issues, to be fair, that he raises. Food is expensive; we know that. We go to the grocery store and see those prices, particularly when it comes to meat and vegetables. I genuinely wonder, thou…
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Mr. Speaker, I am more than happy to have a further conversation over coffee, tea or whatever the member wishes to have. He and I have worked together for over a decade now, so that is quite fine. It might be a bit too late with respect to the budget and an upcoming vote. Regardless, as I said before, he is interested in matters of education and those that pertain directly to youth. However, I did…
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Mr. Speaker, I am smiling because I made a genuine good-faith effort to put it back to the member as to what general solutions could be put forward. He is well read and knows very well that there has been no credible evidence that says the Conservative talking points, and that is exactly what they are, would do anything to alleviate food prices at the grocery store for Canadians. Canada has import…
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Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour to address youth issues. I welcome the comments of my colleague. I will disagree with a number of points that he has raised, naturally, but I do not discount his passion on these issues. I know he has been a member for a long time, and he has made it his focus in the past few months, as I understand it, to take up the issue of youth. The member began with a poin…
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Mr. Speaker, in the short time the member has served as an MP, she has made an outstanding contribution, particularly regarding economic issues. She is, after all, a tech entrepreneur at not one but two companies. She understands the importance of putting in place a foundation for the Canadian economy. Bill C-19 did receive royal assent, and 12 million Canadians will benefit. We can go a step furt…
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member is a new member. I want to commend him. He has been very active in the community. It has been good to get to know him and to work with him. I know he cares also, of course, about home ownership. He met with the London Home Builders' Association recently. What it has shared is exactly what I said earlier, that regulatory red tape at the municipal level stands as the lar…
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Mr. Speaker, the member's question gives me the opportunity to say that Bill C-19 has received royal assent. It shows what we can do when we work together in the House of Commons. This is the groceries and essentials benefit, which will provide up to $1,900 for a family of four in what is, certainly, a difficult time for this country. I also urge the member to look past politics and to work with a…
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Mr. Speaker, I was at the federal finance committee yesterday with the hon. member. He knows how the answer was put forward by Mr. Cory of the Infrastructure Bank. There is no deal with Lion Electric. What happened with Lion in terms of the bankruptcy obviously is regrettable, certainly, but the buses that were intended to be procured are on the road under the operation of another company. The com…
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Mr. Speaker, the government has taken a step in that direction. The GST measure is known to the member, and it is awaiting royal assent. With respect to getting home ownership going in this country, I agree. We need to collectively do more to push that. This is something the Canadian Home Builders' Association, in particular, has emphasized. They have also emphasized the need to attack regulatory …
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Mr. Speaker, I know the member's community. I know his riding very well. Its residents expect better than his hurling insults. That is not a way to get things done in the House of Commons. The member talks about the London Home Builders' Association. That is good. We met this week as well. They talked about, among other things, the housing accelerator fund, which in St. Thomas alone is leading to …
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Mr. Speaker, the industry minister and the Prime Minister, along with every minister and this entire caucus, are devoted to ensuring the well-being and future of the Canadian auto sector and its workers. I invite Conservatives to support the government in continuing to ensure that measures are put in place to ensure the future well-being of that sector.
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Mr. Speaker, I have known my colleague for a long time. He does have passion, I will grant him that, but sometimes that passion leads him to act a bit too quickly. He forgot to talk to unions. Earlier this week, he and other Conservatives raised the situation of workers at CAMI in Ingersoll. They were talking about the withholding of severance. What he forgot to do was actually talk to Unifor. Loc…
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Madam Speaker, with great respect to my colleague, he knows that there has not been a shred of credible evidence to suggest that the industrial carbon tax is primarily responsible, or remotely responsible, for the increases in prices that people are seeing at the grocery store. His point, though, on increasing competition in the grocery sector is well taken. I agree that we need greater competitio…
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Madam Speaker, first of all, I know the member, not terribly well, but well enough to say that I respect him very much. I know how hard he has worked to become a member of Parliament, and I know the riding he represents, which is very close to my community of London. I would simply say a few things. I acknowledge what he is saying, at least on the individual side. For constituents in his riding, i…
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Mr. Speaker, 134,000 jobs were created in the past year. Wages have been outpacing inflation for almost three years, with a rate of inflation that is well within the Bank of Canada's guidelines at 2.4%. However, we will not rest on that. We cannot, because the aim now must always be to secure Canada's future. Budget 2025 puts a foundation for that in place. Will the Conservatives join us and put t…
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Mr. Speaker, almost 240 agreements have been signed between the federal government and various municipalities, large and small, for the housing accelerator fund. They want to talk about getting things done and anti-development. The facts do not line up with that narrative. The reality is that we need to build more: duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes. That is the kind of vision being put in place t…
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Mr. Speaker, I know the member, and I know he cares about those workers, as do we. The CAMI plant in Ingersoll is a half-hour from my house. I regularly speak to Mayor Brian Petrie, who is doing an excellent job in very trying circumstances. I know the business owners who rely on the presence of the plant. I know the leaders and the staff of the social agencies that are responding to the crisis on…
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Madam Speaker, for generations, the people of London, Ontario, have counted on The London Free Press, our daily paper, to capture their hopes, their aspirations, their cares, their concerns and their worries for the future. This is true of its journalists, and it is true of its photographers. Derek Ruttan was an extraordinary talent. He passed away at the age of 60 in late January. He will be reme…
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Madam Speaker, total employment is up, in fact, by 134,000 jobs over the past year. Most of those jobs are in the private sector. We see a rate of inflation of 2.4%, which is well within the Bank of Canada's guideline, and also an unemployment rate that is now down to 6.5%, but we do not rest on that. There is anxiety in Canada, but there is also resilience that defines this country and defines it…
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Madam Speaker, our colleague served his community as mayor. He is now fighting for his constituents in the House of Commons. We have an opportunity to come together and do the very same for all our constituents. What will the Conservatives do? Will they get behind budget 2025? It is a landmark budget that invests in housing, in defence, and in infrastructure to build this country up and put in pla…
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Madam Speaker, unemployment is down to 6.5%. Inflation is within the Bank of Canada guidelines. We have a AAA credit rating and record foreign direct investment. In fact, we are building up the country for the success of current and future generations. I am going to go off the script for a moment. He is on it, and the previous member was on it. They both care about defence. I know that about these…
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Madam Speaker, we have gone back to the script. We have an opportunity. If Conservative members do not want to listen to Liberals, as I advised just a few days ago in question period, they can listen to their former leader. Former prime minister Harper made it clear that we have an opportunity to rise above partisanship now. At a moment of crisis and at a moment of rupture, to use that appropriate…
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Madam Speaker, the Conservative call for focusing on taxes in this particular instance is out of place. No serious analysis has given any credibility to what the Conservatives have put forward on the issue of food inflation. I shared earlier this week, as we all know and the Bank of Canada recently affirmed, that climate change is a key factor, and the key factor when it comes to the increase in p…
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Madam Speaker, Canadians are looking for hope, but they are also looking for people to work together in the House of Commons to support them at this time, in the short term and in the long term. In the short term, what this means is, and we saw it, in fact, the spirit of collaboration that helped to bring about Bill C-19. Bill C-19, of course, is the Canada groceries and essentials benefit that wi…
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Madam Speaker, I was intrigued when I heard “team Canada approach”. I agree that we need a team Canada approach. I think we should focus on serious solutions, and there are solutions for the short term and the long term. The groceries and essentials benefit that they collaborated on, thankfully, is just one short-term measure. I agree that it is not a magic bullet. It is certainly not that. What d…
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Madam Speaker, that is interesting. I am tempted to talk about the Conservative record on health care. I will not because, as I say, I think we need to embrace these issues.
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Madam Speaker, it is a touchy subject for the Conservatives. We need to embrace these issues wherever possible with a lack of partisanship and be serious about the issues of the day. Yes, there is debt and deficit in this country, as there is in every democracy, but again, we can look to the International Monetary Fund. If it is not the IMF that the members want to look to, they can look at the Wo…
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Mr. Speaker, I call on Conservatives, yes, to work with us. We can work together for the betterment of this country. What did we see yesterday? If the Conservatives do not want to listen to Liberals, that is fine. They should listen to Prime Minister Harper, who called on us in a moment of crisis, a moment of rupture for this country, to do what is right for Canada. We have an opportunity. We saw …
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives have mentioned beef. They have mentioned coffee, fruits and vegetables. The Bank of Canada has affirmed what we already know; it made clear that import costs are crucial when it comes to food inflation. Which kind of import costs in particular is this? It is climate change, dramatic weather events around the world and domestically. It is obvious; when we have more fl…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague is an experienced member, and I know how much he cares about the economy and his community. Of course he is immersed in these issues, as we all are. To reassure him, I would point to the December 5 statement issued by the International Monetary Fund. The IMF, one of the most respected multilateral organizations in the world, said a great deal about Canada's current fisc…
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to address the House on this very important matter. I will say at the outset that I will be splitting my time with the member for Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River. This is an important debate. My colleagues might be surprised across the way, but I want to thank them for raising it. Though it is interesting how they politicize it, this is exactly the type of issue th…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague represents the area of what was once called London North Centre, north of Fanshawe Park Road, and I look forward to continuing to work with her. Her point about manufacturing and businesses is interesting. The member said that she hears time and again about the industrial carbon tax issue. I would welcome her to present a single letter from a business that mentions this p…
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