Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to present petition e-6974. I want to recognize my constituent TJ Hagarty from Fernie, British Columbia, for his dedication in bringing forward this important issue. Mr. Hagarty's family experienced a significant hardship when they were unable to transfer their son's medical care to Alberta rather than Vancouver due to limitations of the current system. I am proud to p…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is interesting that one of the highest paved roads in Canada, the Kootenay Pass, has no cell service. It is still, today, one of the most dangerous roads in Canada. However, my question is actually related more to credit cards. So many people are relying on credit cards and the interest payments are becoming unmanageable, so that people cannot even afford to make those payments. …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, that is a really good question, but the answer certainly is twofold. It is Trump with the tariffs, but it is also 10 years of no action. We cannot go 10 years without dealing with the problem and expect everything to go smoothly. The lumber industry has been crying for the last 10 years. It wants a deal. It wants a softwood lumber deal. There is $10 billion in a bank account that it c…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, it is really about innovation and it is about our sawmills moving ahead. For example, one mill is building modular homes and is trying to work with laminate products. It is investing its own money in it, but when it sees there are 45% tariffs down south and how difficult it is, it has a hard time surviving. How does it continue to invest money when it is losing money? I brought up the…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, I want to start off by saying I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Chicoutimi—Le Fjord. I want to thank the great people of Columbia—Kootenay—Southern Rockies for their support. For the last decade, Canada has been locked in the same exhausting, costly and frankly predictable dispute with the United States over softwood lumber. For a decade, it has been Canadian workers,…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, that is for sure a complicated issue, especially after 10 years of the market, the lumber industry, slowing down and losing mills. I do not know how many mills have been lost in B.C., but it has been maybe 10 or 15. Once we lose them, it is really hard to get them back. For British Columbia, I agree that we need to work with the province as well for tenures for our logging, but it als…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I presented petition e-4474 on this matter, with 15,000 signatures from across Canada of individuals who were concerned with the new changes to natural health products. These changes would really impact a lot of our small and medium-sized businesses that provide natural health products. In Columbia—Kootenay—Southern Rockies, we have areas where a lot of people are proactive with the…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, the Supreme Court's decision in this case is devastating: Two men were found with hundreds of images and videos of children, some as young as three years old. One had 317 images, mostly of little girls between three and six. The other had hundreds of videos of children between five and 10. These are not victimless crimes. Every image is a real child hurt, humiliated and forever change…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the member had a very thoughtful and well-researched speech. I wonder if he could tell us why he supposes, for the 120,000 Canadians who were affected by the U.K. pension, the government did not deal with that when it had the opportunity? I have a lot of people in Columbia—Kootenay—Southern Rockies who are in the same boat.
Read full speech →Government Orders
The hon. member for Kenora—Kiiwetinoong has the floor.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Questions and comments, the hon. member for Shefford.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, in Columbia—Kootenay—Southern Rockies, forestry is not just an industry; it is a way of life. From small family-run mills like Huscroft, Kalesnikoff, ATCO, Porcupine and Mardis in the Kootenays to the dedicated men and women working across the southern Rockies, the forest sector is the backbone of our local economy. However, once again, these hard-working Canadians are being left behi…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat: (a) since January 1, 2022, what is the total number of meetings supported by the Secretariat, and for each meeting, what are the details, including, the (i) date of the meeting, (ii) nature or subject of the meeting, (iii) total cost, broken down by type of expense (e.g., travel, accommodation, personnel, venue rental, etc.); (b…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to government employees who were on "other leave with pay" (699) during the 2024-25 fiscal year, and broken down by department, agency, or government entity, and by month: (a) what was the total number of hours or days of "other leave with pay" utilized; (b) what is the total number of public servants who have utilized "other leave with pay"; and (c) what is the total number of employe…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the people in Columbia—Kootenay—Southern Rockies are expecting that this money will be recovered. Obviously, everybody in this House will be voting for this motion. Would you not agree? What do you propose would happen if some people, perhaps on the other side, do not vote in favour of this motion and do not want to recover the money that has been taken?
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, on behalf of my colleagues, past and present, I rise today to pay tribute to the late Jim Gouk, a former member of Parliament who passed away on May 27 after a courageous three-year battle with cancer. Jim was first elected in 1993 as a Reform Party MP for Kootenay West—Revelstoke. He served for 12 years and four elections, later representing British Columbia Southern Interior with th…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, today I rise in the chamber to discuss issues that speak to the heart of Canadian democracy: the responsible use of public funds, the ethical governance of our institutions and the accountability of elected officials. The recent scandal surrounding Sustainable Development Technology Canada, SDTC, is not just about mismanagement; it also represents a betrayal of the trust Canadians p…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, having been involved in riots in the past in my law enforcement career, I can say that what happened in Montreal is certainly an awakening call for Canadians and to how disruptive some of the protests are. Getting back to SDTC, I wonder whether the member can answer the question as to why the government is reluctant to produce the unredacted documents. Is it because, first of all, onl…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I can say that, when I go back to Kootenay—Columbia, when I talk to the people of Kootenay—Columbia, they cannot afford to buy groceries. I am not too sure where that member is shopping or where they are getting their prices. Prices have gone up so much that they cannot afford to buy everything they need. We need to start to do something about that. Right now, we are not doing anyth…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, yes, that is absolutely correct. What we are talking about here is $400 million and 186 ethical violations, yet, from across the road, we are talking about historical issues and things that are not even relevant to the $400 million. If that $400 million was sent to Kootenay—Columbia, we can imagine what we could do with that money, how we could help people. We need to find out where…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, trust is something that has to be earned, and that is not happening in the government today. Trust has to be earned by one's actions. When the government is not accountable and is not giving the unredacted documents that have been asked for regarding the $400 million, that tells Canadians the government does not care. Where are they? Why are they not unredacted? What has happened to…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the NDP-Liberal coalition is back. I am sure members remember when the leader of the NDP said, “the Liberals are too weak, too selfish and too beholden to corporate interests to fight for people.” Today, the NDP leader announced confidence in the Liberals. The NDP-Liberal coalition will continue in quadrupling the carbon tax to 61¢ a litre. All of this is while the Cranbrook Foodbank …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today is National Child Day and also Day on the Hill for Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada. Ronald McDonald House helps families struggling with life's toughest and most unexpected moments: caring for a sick child. Last year its 16 houses and 19 family homes provided comfort and care to over 18,000 families across Canada when their child received treatment. Ronald McDonald House …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after nine years with the NDP-Liberal government, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up and time is up. Police departments are slamming the Liberal-NDP gun policies. Toronto police report shootings are up 45% and gun-related homicides are up 62% compared to the same time period last year. They also report that 85% of guns seized by the police are sourced in the United States. After …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, in debate in the House of Commons today, I would like to take a few moments to highlight why the Conservative Party of Canada is determined to have the matter in the business of the House of Commons, in the chamber, for all Canadians to see and hear. We do not want another committee established. It is House business, and this is where the matter must be debated. It always seems to be …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, SDTC had such a great purpose in promoting innovation in Canada. We have a lot of smart people in Canada who can help us in developing greener solutions in all sorts of industries. If we do not follow the money and cannot find out where the money went, there is no accountability, which is the problem. There is no accountability today, and without accountability, we do not know where t…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, it is interesting that the NDP-Liberal government is ignoring the $400 million that has gone somewhere and the 186 ethical violations. However, we can back up and go to the WE foundation. We can go back to ArriveCAN. Where is the money going? The Liberals are not worried about that. They should provide the documents so we can move forward. We do not need to be standing here discussing…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, we are here today to talk about the $400 million, the 186 ethical violations and SDTC. Let us start with SDTC. Its funding allocation was created to provide funding support to innovative projects that have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and drive sustainability forward. However, being lax in how funding is distributed means we will not meet any of the goals we want t…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I would love to move on today. If the Liberals produce the documents today, we can move on to government business. I am looking forward to that, and I agree that it is time to move on. It is troublesome that $400 million is lost and there are 186 ethical violations, and nobody will produce the documents.
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, the Chair directed the government to produce the documents, unredacted, in this House. That is what we are waiting for.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to travel expenses incurred by the government for travel by a minister’s exempt staff member, that was not disclosed through proactive disclosure, since January 1, 2016: (a) what are the details of all such expenses, including the (i) title of the traveller, (ii) origin, (iii) destination, (iv) date, (v) total expenditures, broken down by type (airfare, accommodation, etc.); (b) why wa…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, today I would like to highlight a group local to Nelson, B.C., the N2 Neighbourhood Network. Heading up this group is Tanya, a local business owner who is passionate about keeping Nelson safe and prosperous for future generations. Although local to Nelson, the N2 Neighbourhood Network has travelled around Kootenay—Columbia and B.C. to listen to business owners and communities alike …
Read full speech →Government Orders
That is debate. We will carry on.
Read full speech →Government Orders
The member for Timmins—James Bay.
Read full speech →Government Orders
There is a point of order from the member for Timmins—James Bay.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, after nine years, the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the hunger and homelessness. The Salvation Army report showed that 75% of Canadians face challenges managing limited financial resources, poverty and food insecurity worse in every corner of the country. Twenty-five per cent of Canadians eat less so their children and other family members can eat. It is staggering. Twenty-s…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I have a community that relies on hospitality and tourism: Revelstoke. It just applied for $50 million in accelerator funding for new housing in a very busy area, but it was told it was too far advanced. It has done too much, and the money will go to communities that are not ready yet. I always tell communities to be shovel-ready. If the funding comes, they should be ready to use it…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I rise to speak to the fall economic statement for the constituents of Kootenay—Columbia and for Canadians. After nine years, the Prime Minister has repeatedly demonstrated a concerning lack of regard for the best interests of Canadians. The pattern is unmistakable and is underscored by a persistent tendency toward overspending that has become all too familiar. Instead of prioritizi…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the member and I have travelled together, and I have a lot of respect for him. With natural gas, I do believe that the government already had some funding to fix the leaky wells. I believe it was in budget 2017, 2018, 2019, somewhere in there. The thing is that there is a lot of money to be made by selling our LNG to places like the EU, which is just a start. If we start doing that an…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the thing about rural Canada is that we have to drive. We have to drive our families to events, whether it is for school events or whether it is for a hockey game, and some of our driving is 300 kilometres, sometimes further. Our seniors have to drive to go to medical appointments, which could be in hospitals that are 200 to 300 kilometres away. Where it gets difficult is with the ris…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, has the member had people coming to his constituency office to say how much better it is than it was nine years ago, or seven, six, five or four years ago? I can honestly say I have not had one person come to my office to say how glad they are and that things are working out. Can you relate what it has been like in your area?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, the forestry industry is significant, especially in Kootenay—Columbia. There are a lot of family-owned saw mills, some owned for five generations. Another problem in British Columbia is access to fibre. I am wondering whether my colleague could give some examples or ways he could see for our mills to get the wood, regardless of the fires. There is wood there, but we cannot seem to get…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, in British Columbia, especially in rural British Columbia, we have a lot of small mills with fifth-generation owners. They understand forestry management. They understand the business, and they have managed to stay in business even during these tough times. It has been eight years since the government had the opportunity to deal with the softwood lumber issue, and nothing has happened. …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I will be splitting my time. There is a critical issue that has been plaguing Canada's economic landscape for decades: The softwood lumber dispute with the United States. This long-standing conflict has added strain on the livelihoods of countless Canadians who depend on the forestry industry. Softwood lumber, a vital component of Canada's forest sector, especially in Kootenay—Columbia,…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, right now, it is demonstrating that eight years has been a long time. It has been over eight years. For the last four years, I have been pushing for the minister to start looking at resolving it, with nothing. It is time now to show leadership. When we were talking earlier about solutions, we need strong leadership so that we can actually start making some headway. Right now, we are not…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I live in the Kootenays, and one of the border crossings is Kingsgate. I see raw logs heading south, because that is the border. I have some sawmills that do laminated processes. They are trying to use all the wood, and they cannot compete with the price in the U.S. because the raw logs are going. That is where we are losing jobs. That is one half. The other half, of course, is the fibr…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, I thank the member for his speech. I recognize that you just got into town and that it has been a busy and hectic day for you. It has been eight years, and I know for myself, personally, in the last four years, I have been asking for updates because it is so important for people in Kootenay—Columbia, for all the workers and for the forestry industry, which is one of my biggest industr…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I totally agree. It is very challenging through the Rocky Mountains, through all our mountain passes, for rail. That is so much different from Europe, for example. We do need to be able to open the door to be more effective and efficient in our cross-border trade with the United States as well. I have one sawmill that has its own train, which can go down into the U.S. right through Deer…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, absolutely. That should have been dealt with on the day we did CUSMA, and we did not do it. We are back to where we will have to do it now, and hopefully, we will get this done in the next short period. Otherwise, we will lose a lot more jobs in the upcoming years.
Read full speech →