Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the premier of the province, the mayor of Abbotsford and the police chief of Abbotsford have all said to please go across party lines to get Bill C-2, Bill C-12 and Bill C-14 passed. I used to think that maybe it is obstruction that Conservatives are doing, but I really think they do not even read the bills. If they read the bills, they would know that it would be very impactful to pa…
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Mr. Speaker, when I speak to the police chief in that jurisdiction, when I speak to the mayor in that jurisdiction and when I speak to the premier of that province, they ask, can I get the Conservatives to pass Bill C-2? Can I get lawful access passed? Can I get them to pass the bills in the House? They do not want this obstruction. I urge the Conservatives to support all this legislation so we ca…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I was able to go to Winnipeg to speak to people who have been victims of extortion or who are getting threats. Let me be clear that, if Bill C-2 had passed, if we had legislation on lawful access, we would not have police and prosecution departments working four to six months to get production orders to find out the source of a threatening call. If we were prioritizing that rather tha…
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Mr. Speaker, I think the delays, in the criminal aspect, have zero weight, because immediately upon the suspicion that someone is involved in criminal activity, the asylum proceedings suspend. The CBSA will not pursue those. The CBSA goes through the claimant's criminal actions, so it does not affect it. When it comes to anybody who has been living over a year in Canada, under the new bill, if it …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak about a matter that is of deep and pressing concern to my constituents in Surrey Centre, as well as to those living in the Lower Mainland region in my home province. The government's first priority is to protect Canadians and their communities. We are deeply concerned about the reports of people in B.C, in Ontario and across Canada who have been t…
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Mr. Speaker, I find it pretty amazing that legislators on the other side do not know the legislation that is already here. Nobody can claim asylum when they are charged. It gets suspended. They go to trial, they get sentenced and they get deported. They cannot claim asylum when they are charged. That was the law even before the legislation before the House, which is going to make it more restricti…
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Mr. Speaker, we need to pass Bill C-2 immediately so that we can give the tools to our law enforcement to catch the extortionists, who are violating our homes and our communities. I urge, on a non-partisan basis, all parties to please enforce this and pass this bill.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the funny thing is that, in modernizing our legal system, most of the legislation we have had to deal with is because of the violations of the previous government. The Supreme Court gave ruling after ruling saying that all the legislation the Conservatives passed was invalid, was not just and does not comply with our charter. Over the last 10 years, we have been fixing all the Conserv…
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Mr. Speaker, addressing the roots of conflict and instability abroad helps reduce the risks Canadians face here at home. Investing in development helps build stronger allies, new trading partners and new markets for Canadian businesses. Our government is making generational investments to strengthen the Canadian economy, help Canadians get ahead and build a more resilient future for our country. O…
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Mr. Speaker, this year's theme for International Development Week is “prosperity through partnership”. Canadians are strong when we work together and work with others. While our development efforts are grounded in fighting poverty and advancing inclusive growth, they can also lay the groundwork for long-term mutual prosperity. I saw this myself in Indonesia, where decades of development co-operati…
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Mr. Speaker, our hearts are with those affected by the devastating floods in Sri Lanka, which has declared a state of emergency. In times of crisis, Canadians step up. To support an urgent and immediate response, Canada is providing an initial $1 million in humanitarian aid to help the Red Cross, the Humanitarian Coalition and other partners deliver life-saving relief. This means emergency shelter…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Honoré-Mercier. I appreciate the opportunity to rise to speak about this essential piece of legislation that would advance our government's plan to build Canada strong. We are living through a moment of profound global change. The systems that have long underpinned our prosperity are being challenged, and Canadians are feeling the effects …
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Mr. Speaker, I was fortunate to go to the World Bank meetings in Washington recently. If we compare Canada to the rest of the world, whether it is our G7 partners, the OECD or other like-minded countries, there is no country with a better financial track record than Canada's. We are one of only two countries in the world that have a AAA credit history with Moody's and S&P Global. We were mentioned…
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Mr. Speaker, almost $2 billion a day goes back and forth between the U.S. and Canada. It is a robust economic agreement we have. Our goal is to take it beyond that and double our international trade so we are less reliant on the U.S. That will be our focus for the future.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is leading the charge with cabinet ministers and taking a team Canada approach with all these countries to expand our trade opportunities. This is to make the products that Canada needs to give to the rest of the world, and those that Canada needs to ensure we have sufficient, safe and reliable supply chains and have the ingredients to help build an affordable and i…
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Mr. Speaker, we are investing heavily in clean hydro and electricity. We are investing heavily in critical minerals, which are the lifeline of batteries and EVs and the future of this country and the planet. These are the types of lifetime investments we are doing to enable Canada not only to be a leader in our legislation to curb emissions, control emissions and bring us to a net-zero climate, bu…
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Mr. Speaker, for far too long, we have been reliant almost exclusively on one market, which is the United States. It has been a wake-up call. However, Canada has been very fortunate. In the last 10 years, we have done numerous trade deals, like the CPTPP, CETA with Europe, and those with several South American countries. We are the only G7 country with a free trade deal with every G7 country. In m…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 83(1), on behalf of the Minister of Finance and National Revenue, I would like to table, in both official languages, a notice of a ways and means motion to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on November 4, 2025, and other measures. Pursuant to Standing Order 83(2), I ask that an order of the day be designated for consideration …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2) and consistent with the policy on the tabling of treaties in Parliament, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaty entitled “Amendments to the Agreement Establishing the African Development Fund”, adopted by the Board of Governors of the African Development Fund on May 23, 2023.
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Madam Speaker, this concept of restraint came from a Supreme Court ruling in 2017 showing why it should be done. What I have seen is that the concept of restraint has not been equally implemented across Canada. Take, for example, the extortion cases I have seen. I have met victims of extortion in Ontario and Alberta as well as British Columbia. The same bail provisions via the Criminal Code are im…
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Madam Speaker, it is imperative that all three levels do. We have to remember that, in Canada, it is the local, municipally governed police or the RCMP in that jurisdiction that have to do the investigation and catch the culprits. It is the provinces that have to press the charges and control the prosecution. They must make their efforts and we must make the laws. We are doing our part. We ask tha…
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Madam Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House today to speak in support of Bill C-14, the bail and sentencing reform act. This legislation represents a significant effort to strengthen public safety and ensure that Canada's justice system works as it should: firm, fair and focused on protecting people. In my riding of Surrey Centre, we have seen first-hand how crime can shake a community's sen…
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Madam Speaker, I share a lot of the same concerns as my hon. colleague, whose riding is adjacent to mine. Yes, there is a lot of concern among business owners and families, but the bill that the member opposite is speaking about was more about slogans. It was not charter-compliant and did not have the consultation of the provinces and territories, the attorneys general, the solicitors general, the…
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Mr. Speaker, hurricane Melissa has left heartbreaking devastation in its wake. We stand with the people of the Caribbean in this moment of crisis. Last week, we announced $7 million in emergency relief, allowing partners to scale up the delivery of food, water, health services and other essential aid. This builds on long-standing work to strengthen disaster preparedness in the Caribbean and suppor…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada has built a strong and enduring reputation as a trusted partner in international development. For over 50 years, we have fought poverty, hunger and disease, and we have been a consistent champion for human rights, dignity and equality. At the UN General Assembly, one thing that stood out loud and clear was the deep trust our allies and partners place in our country as one that …
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Mr. Speaker, our new government commits to keeping our commitments to humanitarian aid and global development on a sustainable level despite other countries cutting back. Our country and our great Government of Canada will continue to help those who are much in need, those who have been displaced and those who need help in times of dire straits.
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Mr. Speaker, supporting small and medium-sized Canadian organizations is a top priority for our new government. Organizations such as Cooperation Canada, Nutrition International and the Humanitarian Coalition are just some of those bringing Canadian expertise to the communities that need it most. With tens of thousands of Canadians working in this sector, these efforts create jobs at home and buil…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada is deeply concerned about the renewed escalation in Gaza. These attacks put the lives of countless civilians in danger. We urge both parties to remain committed to ceasefires and stop the preventable loss of countless lives. Essentials like food, electricity, fuel and medical supplies must never be used as political tools. We call for their immediate and unimpeded flow into the…
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Mr. Speaker, I ask for unanimous consent to have, in the second vote, my nay changed to yea.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, this summer, millions of Canadians cheered on team Canada at the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. Paralympic swimmer Sebastian Massabie smashed the world record and brought the gold home to Surrey. Canadian athletes give it their all to represent our country, so budget 2024 boosts our support for them with more pay for our athletes as they train to represent team Canada. Unfortunat…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, last week, I was proud to announce funding to two excellent organizations in Surrey that are helping our veterans. BC/Yukon Legion Foundation and the Legion Veterans Village received $9 million to help our veterans who are facing homelessness with access to housing and wraparound services. While the opposition talks about program cuts, our government is there for our veterans and th…
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Madam Speaker, we are giving tax relief to those who need it the most: Canadian workers, Canadian families and Canadian seniors. We will continue to do that. With respect to more economic growth, I think sales will go up. People will be able to spend a bit more, and we will probably see the government coffers having a little more revenue at the end of the day as well.
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for London North Centre. I am thankful for the opportunity today to debate Bill C-78. The past few years have been challenging. It feels like the price of everything has gone up, thanks to global inflation and the need for central banks all over the world to raise interest rates in response to the after-effects of a once-in-a-generation glob…
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Madam Speaker, I think my hon. colleague has not read the bill. The bill is just about a GST tax relief, which would happen from December 14 to February 15. It would immediately give from 5% to 12% relief, depending on the province. That is, consumers will pay less when they go to the till, so the relief would be immediate. It will carry forward into the new year, but there is nothing about the ne…
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Madam Speaker, I think the member uses very crass language in calling those people, who take their families out for dinner at Christmas, imbeciles. I think that is a very inappropriate word for parents who buy their children books. I think that is a very inappropriate word to call those parents who buy their kids puzzles or children's toys, or who might have a beer or two, or a glass of wine, duri…
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Madam Speaker, I think the Liberal government has always had a two-pronged approach to grow the economy and increase the pie. If we grow the economy and increase our GDP growth, then of course we want to give relief to the tax base as much as possible and wherever it is possible. That is why we have targeted relief when it comes to pharmacare, dental care and child care. We will continue to work t…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I recall that very vividly. It was no small failure. Capitulating after winning victory after victory in the softwood lumber industry has set a very bad precedent since then. I commend our trade ministers for holding their feet to the Americans, winning case after case and not capitulating. What the member said is no different from what Prime Minister Harper said when we were renego…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with my good friend, the member for Vancouver Granville. There should be no doubt that the Government of Canada places the highest priority on strengthening our trading relations with the United States. For a place like Surrey Centre, this is in no way undiminished, as we are a border city and a port city. Trade is of vital importance. These are indeed uniq…
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Madam Speaker, that is the approach the government has been taking. The Prime Minister is meeting with all the premiers of the country to find a proper strategy. My speech did not actually target anybody from the opposition in that regard. I answered a question just before from my colleague as to the approach that the Conservative Party took versus the Liberal government of this tenure. We need an…
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Mr. Speaker, we are not going to take any lessons from the Conservatives. They shut down nine Veterans Affairs offices. We opened nine, plus another one in my hometown of Surrey Centre. They laid off 1,000 Veterans Affairs officers who were there to help veterans get the services they need. We reinstated those services. We have created services to help those veterans get what they need, and we wil…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, veterans often see music as a profound way to express themselves and heal from the impacts of military service. That is why, last year, Veterans Affairs Canada hosted its first-ever Veterans' Open Mic night. This event brought together veterans, family members, active service members and music lovers. It was so successful that the idea expanded, with events happening across the countr…
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Mr. Speaker, we all admire the sacrifice and service that veterans have given for us. I think that question was quite out of line. However, as it is Veterans' Week, it does deserve to remember and commend all the veterans who sacrificed their lives, given back for our freedoms and protected the democratic processes that we have today. We will always remember them not only on Veterans Week but ever…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, last week, we learned that the Conservative leader will reverse Canada's housing progress and cut programs that are building more homes faster in Surrey and across the country. It is not just his own MPs who disagree with his reckless housing cuts. Mayors across the country, including former Conservative MPs, are sounding the alarm over the cuts. The housing accelerator fund invests i…
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Mr. Speaker, I think the committee on veterans affairs is currently studying this matter. We are waiting for its report. I can assure colleagues that the government will respond to that forthwith. The Persian Gulf War veterans have done a great service for this country, and we all deserve to see the response to this report. I assure colleagues that the government will respond accordingly.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, 1984 is a year ingrained in the psyche of Sikhs across the world. Forty years ago this week, Sikhs were hunted across India by government-orchestrated mobs in a week-long genocidal campaign of violence. The streets of Delhi saw Sikh families being identified by the use of voter lists, resulting in families being burned alive and women facing horrific forms of violence. The world saw I…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security heard from top national security and law enforcement officials on the extent of the Indian government's interference in Canada, including serious criminal activities, extortion and the murders of Canadian citizens. Canadians from across the country are shaken and scared of this blatant attack on our democracy and …
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, this is a very concerning question. In my friend's riding of Surrey—Newton, there is a very prominent Hindu temple. The Vedic Hindu Cultural Society Surrey wrote a letter to the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada asking him to not send the Conservative MPs for Edmonton Mill Woods and Calgary Forest Lawn to its temple because of their ideological difference, but to instead send…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I think my hon. colleague is probably fairly accurate in that. I think there is a grave concern about that, but obviously the leader of the Conservative Party will not look at it. As my colleague from Kingston and the Islands stated earlier, it is very strange that the leader of His Majesty's opposition, of the Conservative Party, has not made any statements on his Twitter account, an…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
I never said anything about that.
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, the member opposite said that the leader of the Conservative Party, in relation to these particular, very serious allegations by the RCMP, said the Prime Minister is pitting Canadians against Canadians. I would like to know which Canadians have been pitted against which other Canadians, with regard to homicides and transnational aggression against Sikh Canadians here in Canada.
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