Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is great to be back in the House. I really missed it over the summer. I would like to point out to the members opposite that just last spring, the member who posed the question ran on an election platform whose plan of action for the first 100 days in office did not include tabling a budget. How surprising it is that we have an opposition criticizing us for the things that it does …
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Mr. Speaker, budget 2025 will be the next step in our plan to catalyze investment and build a new Canadian economy, one that creates higher-paying careers, raises incomes and can withstand future shocks, which are ever increasing with climate change and the many global instabilities we see. We are laser-focused on building the strongest economy in the G7. This fall, we will deliver a comprehensive…
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Mr. Speaker, to be clear, the Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that Canadians live in safe communities, free from the poison of toxic drugs. We are also committed to addressing bail reform issues that will help ensure that individuals are not out on bail. The Government of Canada has already introduced laws to strengthen our borders and address illegal drug activity, and it has commit…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 2023-24 departmental results reports for Finance Canada, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada and the Office of the Auditor General.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canadian steel and aluminum are going to help build the strongest economy in the G7. While we continue to aim for a negotiated agreement with the United States, we are taking strong action to respond to the illegal and unjustified American tariffs to protect the integrity of our sectors. Yesterday we announced targeted measures, including adjusted countertariffs, new tariff rate quota…
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Mr. Speaker, when we exploit people's hardship and vulnerability for political gain, when we base our political hopes on the failure of the economy and when we dismiss the potential of Canadian innovation to solve the challenges that we face, as Conservatives do every day in this House, we are not just betting against our government; we are betting against Canadians. On this side of the House, we …
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 2024-25 annual report of the Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson, entitled “Clearing the Path”.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to honour the life of former Whitby mayor Des Newman, who passed away last week. On behalf of the people of Whitby, I want to pay tribute to a man whose love for his community was evident in everything he did. Des was a builder, not just of roads and rec centres but of relationships, trust and community spirit. He helped bring people together, helped br…
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Mr. Speaker, at a time when Canadians are struggling and when we are fighting a trade war with one of our greatest allies traditionally, we have offered 22 million Canadians an income tax cut that is going to put more money in their pockets. What did the Conservatives do? We are glad that for once they voted for a tax cut, which is fantastic. We know they have a history of complaining in this Hous…
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Mr. Speaker, our government received a strong mandate from the Canadian people to build Canada strong. What have we done? In just four weeks, we have cut taxes for 22 million Canadians, we have helped secure our borders, we are breaking down internal trade barriers, we are fast-tracking major nation-building projects and we have strengthened our ability to defend ourselves. That, to me, is strong …
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Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure to be here tonight at 11:30 to answer the member's question, and it was great to see us all vote together in this chamber to pass the main estimates tonight. I note that the members opposite have supported a number of pieces of legislation in this House just this week. It is great to see us working together on behalf of Canadians. It is also great to be back in …
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Mr. Speaker, it is great to rise again to rebut the remarks of the member opposite. Our government has worked tirelessly for 10 years to help Canadians afford a home, but also to increase supply. We have done all kinds of work. We have decreased mortgage insurance. We have waived GST on new rental construction. We have helped with the national housing strategy and the rapid housing initiative to b…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, as always, I know my colleague asks good questions. We often disagree at committee, and I know we can disagree in this House. That is part of what it means to be a democracy. We are not short-circuiting democracy. This legislation has been tabled in this House. We are debating it today. We have debated it on other days. It will be referred to committee. That is my understanding. The p…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question and his reference to something that is a core commitment for me, which is to build a sustainable economy in Canada. I think this bill tries to strike a balance between where we are at as a country, having to move much faster, and also trying to balance that with protecting what we hold as core values on this side, which is to protect our envir…
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Mr. Speaker, that is a very good question. I am glad the member asked it. My understanding is that the major projects office would have a list that is developed in consultation with provinces and territories. Obviously, that list is not necessarily formulated yet, because I am not sure that all of the major projects have been vetted or evaluated due to the five-point criteria I mentioned in my spe…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada has so much to offer the world. It really does. I know that the members opposite tend to focus on pipelines and conventional energy, but Canada has so many advantages around the world. Our agricultural industry is a source of pride for us. Our critical mineral and mining industry is very much a source of pride for us. Quebec and many other parts of the country have a strength i…
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Mr. Speaker, it is great to receive a question from my hon. colleague, with whom I have served on multiple committees. I look forward to collaborating with him further. He always asks really good questions. We are having a rigorous debate on this piece of legislation. I think it is a very important piece of legislation, and it is time-sensitive, given the threats to our economic security. Canada a…
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Madam Speaker, I hear applause starting already. I would hope they would wait until the end of my speech, but I appreciate it nonetheless. It is a privilege to rise to participate in this important debate on a landmark piece of legislation, Bill C-5. Our government has a nation-building mandate and a bold and ambitious plan for Canada's future. Our core mission is to build the strongest economy in…
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Mr. Speaker, there is a lot in that question, and I thank the hon. member, for whom I have the utmost respect, for asking it. I have served on committees with the member, and she is always insightful. There are many benefits in this legislation. Obviously, increased labour mobility is key, but so are all kinds of cost benefits and the possibility of boosting productivity and decreasing prices for …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we thank the Auditor General for her work. Obviously, we can all agree in the House that misconduct of any kind in our procurement processes is completely unacceptable. It is notable that we have terminated all contracts and suspended security clearance for GC Strategies. An investigation and assessment were undertaken, and GC Strategies was deemed ineligible for receiving government …
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Mr. Speaker, I am happy to repeat for my colleagues again that GC Strategies has been deemed ineligible by the office of supplier integrity and compliance to enter into any contracts with the federal government. The matter has been referred to the RCMP. Legal action is under way.
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Mr. Speaker, of course, misconduct in our procurement process, at any moment, is completely unacceptable. That is exactly why our government has acted on this matter. We have done so responsibly. We have ensured the integrity of the system. We have ensured this company can no longer do any business with the federal government for seven years. The matter has been referred to the RCMP and legal acti…
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Mr. Speaker, we agree, as I have said, that the integrity of our procurement process is of the utmost importance to Canadians. That is exactly why we have deemed this company ineligible to enter into contracts for the next seven years. We have referred the matter to the RCMP. Legal action is ongoing.
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Mr. Speaker, it is great to rise again and answer this question. Obviously, I have done so numerous times in this question period, and I am happy to do so continuously for the remaining time that we have together today. GC Strategies is no longer able to enter into government contracts for up to seven years. That is an investigation that we triggered. The matter has been referred to the RCMP and l…
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Mr. Speaker, misconduct of any kind in our procurement process is completely unacceptable. This is why we are making changes to ensure the integrity of our system. We have made sure GC Strategies has been terminated from all contracts and that its security clearance has been suspended. The investigation of OSIC has deemed it ineligible for any federal government contracts for seven years. The matt…
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Mr. Speaker, we can all agree in this House that the integrity of our procurement processes is of utmost importance. Certainly, taxpayers are owed some answers. This company has been referred to the RCMP, and legal action is under way. We have also ensured that it can no longer enter into any contracts with the federal government for seven years.
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Mr. Speaker, misconduct of any kind in our procurement process is completely unacceptable. We agree with the members opposite. That is exactly why we have acted on this matter. We have conducted an investigation and assessment. The company in question has been deemed ineligible for any federal government contracts for seven years. The matter has been referred to the RCMP for legal action.
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Mr. Speaker, I know that all of us can agree in the House that misconduct of any kind in our procurement process is completely unacceptable. That is why our government has acted on this matter. An investigation was undertaken by OSIC. The company in question has been deemed ineligible for receiving any federal government contracts for seven years, and the matter has been referred to the RCMP. Lega…
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Mr. Speaker, I am more than happy to repeat this as many times as the members opposite would like me to. Our government has taken a firm stance on this matter and has said that any misconduct of any kind within our procurement processes is completely unacceptable. We have made improvements to the integrity of the system, based on the Auditor General's report and recommendations. We have made sure …
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Mr. Speaker, I know that all of us in the House can agree on one thing, which is that the integrity of our procurement processes is of utmost importance. It is taxpayers' money that is in question, and we take that matter very seriously. We have conducted an investigation through the office of supplier integrity and compliance. They deemed GC Strategies to be ineligible to receive any federal gove…
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Mr. Speaker, misconduct of any kind in our procurement process is completely unacceptable. That is exactly why we have acted on this matter and ensured there is an investigation. The company in question is no longer eligible to enter into contracts with the federal government. The matter has been referred to the RCMP. Legal action is ongoing.
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Mr. Speaker, I think we all know who brought it home in the last election; it was every member on this side of the House. Why did Canadians vote for this Liberal government? It is because they know we are compassionate and we care about the affordability challenges that they are facing. We have a plan to create good jobs, build a stronger economy and make life more affordable. What do Conservative…
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Madam Speaker, with deep respect to my colleague on the opposition benches, I understand very well the argument the Bloc is trying to make, and I do not agree with the argument. Quebec and the Bloc need to realize that Quebec opted out of the federal backstop when it created its own carbon pricing system at the provincial level. That means that it never contributed fuel charge payments to the fede…
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Madam Speaker, as we have made clear in the course of the debate on Bill C-4, most of the benefits of the tax cut would go to hard-working Canadians. That is because the bulk of its tax relief would go to those Canadians with incomes in the lowest two tax brackets, which includes those with taxable incomes under $114,750 in 2025. Within that group of hard-working Canadians, nearly half of the tax …
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Madam Speaker, it is true that we are discussing Bill C-4, which would repeal the consumer carbon tax. I am also referencing a middle-class tax cut that has benefits for Quebec, which is the subject of today's opposition day motion, and that middle-class tax cut would have a positive effect for Quebecers all across the province of Quebec. We would be able to deliver these tax savings to Canadians …
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Madam Speaker, while I appreciate the member opposite's passion, I still respectfully disagree with her argument. I think it is a deeply flawed argument. The Bloc asks us every day in this House, and in every committee meeting that I have ever been in, to respect Quebec's autonomy. Quebeckers did not pay federal fuel charges to the federal government, because they opted out of the system that woul…
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Madam Speaker, it is interesting to note that, for two years in the House, the Conservative Party of Canada and its members claimed the consumer carbon price was the only cause, and did not allow for any other factors, of food price inflation. We have now removed the consumer carbon tax, and food prices are still going up, but the Conservatives are still making the same argument, which does not ma…
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Madam Speaker, it is good to see you in the Speaker's chair. I am thankful for the opportunity to take part in today's debate. As hon. members are aware, one of the things the Prime Minister did upon assuming his responsibilities was to introduce regulations ceasing the application of the federal consumer fuel charge, effective April 1 of this year. As we also know, one of the first things our gov…
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Mr. Speaker, as usual, my colleague poses excellent questions in this House. I very much appreciate his pointing to the fact that we need a dual-pronged strategy to address the housing challenges in this country. Obviously, we can do things to help young families and new homeowners get into the housing market. If that is all we do, I think that our strategy would be lacking. In fact, we need to in…
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Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the question. It gives me the opportunity to point out that if there is any disingenuousness felt, it is on this side of the House with having witnessed time and again the Conservatives stand up and vote against affordability measures that will save Canadians literally thousands of dollars. In this case, we encourage them to support our income tax cut and waiving GST…
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Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise and participate in today's debate, and hopefully make some contributions to the discussion this afternoon. I think we can all agree that on the tail of the last election, where our government presented a fully costed platform to Canadians, we were returned to this side of the House, under new leadership, granted, but it is not as if Canadians had no …
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Mr. Speaker, I wish my French-language speaking skills were a bit better, and I am working on that to answer in French in the future. I do want to say that Parliament is in session. We are debating key pieces of legislation that would enhance our economy and make life more affordable. We have advanced, in just 11 sitting days, three or four major pieces of legislation and the ways and means motion…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to say that the hon. member for Mirabel collaborated quite well with me on numerous standing committees that we served on in the last Parliament. This is truly an area that I feel passionate about and have done a lot of work in. I believe strongly that our environmental policies from the past have a lot of credibility. We are pivoting and ensuring that we can build a s…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend from Kings—Hants. I very much appreciate the question. He is right: I have done a lot of work in the sustainable finance space. I was happy to see, in our platform, a commitment to expedite taxonomy for sustainable finance in this country, which underpins financial products, eliminates greenwashing and increases credibility and competitiveness in the Ca…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, our government did a poor job of selling Canadians on the truth, which was that the carbon tax was the most cost-effective measure for reducing emissions.
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, it is great to be back in this honourable House to serve the people of Whitby. I have been elected for the third time, and it is a great honour to be back in this chamber representing my community once again. We have begun the 45th Parliament at a time of real challenge and great promise for our nation. Around the world, alliances are shifting, economies are evolving, and uncertainty …
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Mr. Speaker, it is great to be back in the House with the member opposite asking good faith questions about an issue that is very important, which is how we support both our veterans and our armed forces members, who deserve our greatest respect and greatest support. In the platform, we have committed to building more housing, offering more supports to our veterans and armed forces members. More d…
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Mr. Speaker, of course the member opposite is heckling me, which is fine. Our government acknowledged that this had become a divisive issue for Canadians. We eliminated the consumer carbon tax because we really think that we can find a way to reduce our emissions that will put less burden on the average consumer.
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I know that members opposite have talked a lot about controlled burns and ways to manage forests and ensure that forest fires do not become wild or uncontrolled. I wonder if the member opposite knows that forest management plans are a jurisdiction of the province. I wonder whether he will acknowledge in this House that private forestry companies must operate under licence and timber s…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Davenport, who is one of my favourite colleagues. It is great to be in the House tonight with such a thoughtful and empathetic member of Parliament, as she always shows herself to be. She gave a very thoughtful speech that I know she worked very hard on. It is unfortunate that someone is not present, the leader of the official opposition. He was the memb…
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