Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is Canada's first-ever NDP-Liberal government budget, and the stakes have never been higher for my generation. Many of us cannot afford a house. We cannot afford groceries. We cannot afford to fill our tanks with gas. We know dental care is not going to solve it. Pharmacare is not going to solve it. Child care is not going to solve it. Spending more money is not going to solv…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, with the first NDP-Liberal budget in history coming in a few days, it is important to take stock of the world the millennial generation is inheriting. Half of us will never be able to buy a home, despite Canada being the second-largest land mass on earth. There is plenty of land to build houses. Why is it getting less and less affordable to do so? Around $300 might buy someone four sm…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we really do not appreciate the arrogant tone coming from the housing minister day after day, especially since after six years of this government, housing prices have effectively doubled. Half of my generation will never be able to afford a home as a result of its failed policies. A little humility would be welcomed from the Minister of Housing. When will the government abandon its fa…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for his speech. I particularly appreciated his remarks on critical minerals and the importance of developing them in Canada. I want to get the member's thoughts on whether he feels it is important to use national defence spending to upgrade our early North Warning System, in particular expanding it to include coastal surveillance, maritime a…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to get my colleague's thoughts on the concerns being raised by YouTube and Michael Geist, foremost expert in Canada on the Internet and e-commerce, concerning the threat that Bill C-11 would be forcing streaming platforms to push Canadian content. It sounds great, but as a consequence it may actually downgrade that content abroad, which I think would be very concerning to our o…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to statistics held by the RCMP in relation to firearms: (a) what definition does the RCMP use to determine if a firearm is domestically sourced or foreign sourced; (b) is the definition in (a) universally used by other police jurisdictions in Canada that trace the origins of firearms; (c) does the designation of a firearm as domestically sourced (i) include firearms that entered Canada…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives of course support every effort to aid Ukraine in its battle against the Russian invasion. Given Canada's very vocal support internationally and given the threats issued by Putin and the Russian regime to punish those who try to stop them, Canada must be prepared for a worst-case scenario. This is the government's paramount responsibility. What meetings has the defenc…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Russia has 40 nuclear-powered weaponized icebreakers. Does the House want to know how many Canada has? It is zero. Russia has 18 military bases near Canada's Arctic border, whereas we are struggling to get one naval base up and running. Yesterday, Russia's foreign affairs minister said that a third world war will be “nuclear and devastating”. These remarks are deeply concerning and pr…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Conservatives strongly support every effort to aid Ukraine in its battle against the Russian invasion. That being said, Putin has warned those who defend Ukraine, saying, “Whoever would try to stop us...should know that Russia’s response will be immediate and lead you to such consequences [as] you have never faced in your history.” Is Canada prepared if Putin follows through on his th…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I asked about Canada's emergency preparedness. This is a very serious matter. Putin has publicly directed an alert of Russia's nuclear forces. Canada's national security and public safety must be the paramount priority for the Prime Minister. Canadians have every right to know what our emergency preparedness plan is should Russia launch, for example, a major cyber-attack or move in on…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, the hon. member and I worked together on the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. I very much support seeing the government put more resources into ensuring we have a visa-free regime with which we can bring Ukrainians to Canada to be reunited with their families, to be reunited with Canadians and to bring them to safety. That is something we can move forward with immedi…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, it is really great to see the very civil discourse tonight. This is probably the most civil I have seen any debate in the House in my few years as a parliamentarian. I thank the hon. member for those efforts. I would like to ask the member what his thoughts are on Europe's dependence on Russia for gas. What does he feel the impact of that is on Europeans and their ability to support U…
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Madam Chair, what I think is not viable is having Europe dependent on Russian gas and having our country's own sovereignty and security at the whim of 40 nuclear-powered weaponized icebreakers. I do not really care about the cost. We need to ensure that the security of Canada is first and foremost the priority of the federal government.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, one of the things we can do immediately is move to remove Russia from the G20 and from other international organizations. They have no place, having violated the international order, on those international bodies. Again, I mentioned that we can expand our pipeline capacity to ensure we are offsetting the European dependence on Russian gas. We have gas, if only we could get it to tidew…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, I will be splitting my time with the member for Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley. I rise today on a very serious issue, the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We know that Russia's attack is the most serious threat to rules-based international order since the Second World War. Since 1945, we have not faced something like this. It really threatens the longest period of relative pe…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the blockades have ended. Downtown Ottawa has been cleared. If there was ever a national emergency, which remains in doubt, it is over. There is no need for the Emergencies Act vote tonight. It would seem then that this vote tonight is about far more than the blockades and the protesters in downtown Ottawa. It would seem it is only about power, about the government having the power an…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask my hon. colleague what his thoughts are on the government strong-arming his backbench who do not want to vote for this tonight, and perhaps strong-arming the NDP, whose members have sort of been waffling on whether they are going to vote for it or not. The Prime Minister has made this a non-confidence vote today. If it fails, there may very well be an election. I w…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague from Manitoba. I have a lot of respect for her and her advocacy. Although the member did not quite get to her question, I know that members of the House, particularly NDP members, Liberals, and the Greens for sure, have gone to protests. Actually, the leader of the Green Party was arrested for blockading a road to a pipeline construction site four years ago, …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague. I would like to also thank the Bloc Québécois for standing strong and voting against this abuse of democracy today. This is a really good point that we need constituents at home to hear. The Prime Minister today decided that this vote is going to be a confidence vote. If members do not vote in favour of his motion, he is going to call an election. That is hi…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, yes, I was briefed last week. What is interesting is that when the department officials say one thing and the Deputy Prime Minister of Canada says another, I'm not quite sure whom to believe. Were the department officials mistaken or was it the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Canada who was withholding that information? I honestly was not sure. I am really glad she came …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Thank you very much, Madam Speaker. The blockades had been cleared. The Liberals did not need the emergency powers for that. When it comes to Ottawa, the police have also cleared that out. However, we consistently hear ministers and members from the other side say that they need these emergency powers to end the unlawful blockades in Ottawa. That is what we keep hearing and yet, when we look at th…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I rise today, which is a very serious, historic day in our country. We are literally making history today by debating the government's ability to invoke the Emergencies Act. It is a critical vote. Twelve people will decide history today. As we know, the Liberals have a minority government, so they need 12 votes and only 12 votes to decide the future of this country and the precedent…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, in 1970, Tommy Douglas took a stand against government overreach when he courageously opposed the use of the War Measures Act by Pierre Elliott Trudeau, yet where is that courageous and historical NDP today? New Democrats are standing up for the son of Pierre Trudeau, giving him extraordinary powers to freeze bank accounts of political dissidents without due process. When the Liberals…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal member for Beaches—East York said today in the House, “I am not convinced that the emergency measures should [extend] beyond today. I would vote accordingly, but...it is now a confidence vote”. It would seem that the Prime Minister is strong-arming his back bench and the NDP to vote in his favour by threatening an election. Is that not true?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I served on committee with the hon. member, and I appreciate that Bloc members are supporting our motion. I understand that they do not think it is perfect, but they understand the value in having a path forward, a peaceful resolution out of this and a plan for Canadians who are at the end of their rope. That is what we want to see. That is what we are asking for. Our motion is more t…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the seriousness of the situation that Canada as a whole is facing. This nation is facing a crisis that continues to escalate, and I am very glad that we are having a democratic debate in the House on the path forward. Over the last couple of weeks, Conservatives have begun to speak out for the citizens who have been suffering in silence for the last two …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would encourage the member to read the motion. We have actually quoted public health experts in Canada. As our leader has pointed out, Dr. Tam, Dr. Hinshaw, Dr. Moore and many of the top public health doctors in this country have said that it is time to re-evaluate these harsh measures, the lockdowns and mandates. It is time now. Everything is about timing. Politics is about timing.…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the hypocrisy I am seeing is a Prime Minister who yesterday said, “Canada has never been as strong and together as we are now.” Does the Prime Minister not own a television? Does he not drive by what is going on in our nation's capital? That is hypocrisy. A man who, for years, said that diversity is our strength and who has now won votes off dividing Canadians, on their health choices…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Mégantic—L'Érable. I am very glad to be speaking about this pressing issue that really has Canadians glued to their television sets. The convoy has been all over Ottawa and across every major city in Canada. We have even seen it spread to other countries around the world. I am very glad that after two long years of division on COVID that…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question from the member who laughed when I said that members of Parliament in the House have extraordinary privilege. We have been able to keep our jobs. I am very proud of our leader for stepping forward today and putting forward a call to action of the Prime Minister. She asked him today if he will meet with members of the other parties. Will they get together, sit…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, the member's question is incumbent upon all members of Parliament to stand up against violence, bullying and divisive rhetoric. I have seen that repeatedly. I have done that repeatedly particularly when again we see a Prime Minister of this country who for over a year and a half said that vaccines for all those who want them and then within days of called a $600 million unnecessary el…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I believe the NDP leader to be a compassionate man. I also believe that the NDP, with vigilance, fights for the marginalized. That is why I am bit surprised and would like his comments. His party must be hearing about the damage that has been done to children and seniors in isolation and about job losses. The NDP is traditionally the party standing up for workers. We have seen workers…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The member who just spoke said blatantly on the record tonight that members on this side are conspiracy theorists. That is a pretty significant claim. We are here representing Canadians. He is calling what we have said conspiracy theories. Can he point to one example of our being conspiracy theorists?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, do we remember the Liberals' election promise from 2015, “real change for the middle class”? It was a winning election slogan for them. To give credit where it is due, things have certainly changed for the middle class. Those looking to break into the housing market, for example, have seen the average home price in 2015 of $430,000 go to now over $798,000. As a result, most young peop…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, with all that Liberal spending, we have only seen housing prices in Canada become the most expensive in the world. Maybe that is what is influencing it. Just as housing has become unaffordable since that fateful 2015 election, so have basic necessities. Milk is up 12%, eggs are up 14%, and baby food has seen an astounding 79% increase since the current Prime Minister took government. …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I congratulate the member on her first election. Absolutely, I do. As I mentioned in my speech, we need more investment in health care and we need transformative change. We need to be looking at best practices around the world. We are seeing other countries with far better surge capacity than we have in Canada. As I said, this is not the last pandemic and this is not the last wave. …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I have enjoyed working with the member. We are setting some really important issues right now. Over the last two years, particularly since the Prime Minister called the unnecessary $600-million election that further divided Canadians, I have been concerned, as I am sure he has been as well, about the hatred from all sides. There is not nearly enough communication. I think it was a r…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I ran to be an MP because I love Canada. I love our country. My ancestors fled tyranny and war-torn eastern Europe over 130 years ago to come to the Canadian prairies for the freedom and opportunity it represented. Their hard work and sacrifice created a better life for all of those who followed, including me. I am motivated every day to honour them, to do right by them and my const…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I certainly support investments in health care, and greater investments seem to be needed. However, there is one point I want to make. I believe I read that Canada has one of the most expensive health care systems per capita in the world. Why are we spending so much and getting so little? Why are people waiting eight, 10, 12 or 14 hours in an ER? Why are they waiting years, in norma…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to fully vaccinated travelers being forced to quarantine due to issues with the ArriveCAN application, including not pre-registering on app: (a) how many such individuals returning from the United States by land were required to quarantine between (i) November 22, 2021 and November 29, 2021, (ii) November 30, 2021, and December 7, 2021, (iii) since December 7, 2021; (b) were the travel…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the government's hotel quarantine being run by a third party at the Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel and Suites for certain returning international travellers: (a) what company or organization is the third party running the quarantine operation; (b) how much is the company or organization being paid to run the hotel quarantine; (c) how much was this Hilton Toronto Airport and Suites pai…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the impact of inflation on the Market Basket Measure (MBM) and the poverty line: (a) what is the current, or latest, MBM for the reference family and various poverty lines in each of the MBM geographic areas in Manitoba; (b) what was the "2018-base MBM" for the reference family and various poverty lines in each geographic area in (a); (c) what percentage of individuals living in eac…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the rising cost of living is hitting Manitoba families hard. This year alone, gas prices for home heating went up 30%, fuel for our cars went up a staggering 40%, the average national home price, as we found out today, is now three-quarters of a million dollars and next year Canadian families will be paying an additional $1,000 on their annual grocery bills. None of this was really ad…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister can make all the excuses he wants, but the fact remains that he has spent more money than all of his predecessors combined, yet his record is declining investment and competitiveness, a lacklustre economic growth record, record inflation and housing prices that are taking away the dreams from half of Canada's young people, who may never own a home. To top it off, th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, I would beg to differ. Dr. Gooderham is a physician and vaccine advocate in Peterborough. She has a wait list of over one year for critical medical appointments. She has been stuck in quarantine and is having to reschedule so many appointments for patients in critical need. Does the minister believe that unintended consequences in this regard are not important?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, I think our intent is to ensure that Canadians are treated with dignity and respect. Does the minister think he is doing a good job of that?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, I would like to hear from the health minister regarding the Public Health Agency of Canada spending a billion dollars on the funding for border and travel measures, and isolation. How much was spent on providing nutritious meals to Canadians?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, I ask because we are seeing a lot of significant events happening at quarantine hotels. A celiac woman from Edmonton went 40 hours without food. Does the minister believe the money was well spent on this nutritious food for those with extreme dietary needs?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, can the minister say how much was spent on providing Canadians with clothing, since they did not have their luggage?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, I very much look forward to the time when Conservatives are in government. I cannot answer his question.
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