Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I hope I am audible with the microphones here. I know my voice is gone. I do not have COVID. I tested negative, but I am here to speak to the motion the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan brought forth. This is an important debate and, I would suggest, a preview of what we will be seeing on Wednesday and in December when we will be discussing my own motion, which is Motion No.…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for that important observation, that Uighur people are right now suffering a genocide and that we need to act as soon as possible to help people. The sad reality is that we cannot go into China to stop it. We need to continue to work with the international community and call for unfettered access, because it is only with unfettered access that…
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Mr. Speaker, lawyers say we cannot put ourselves in the mind of somebody else, so I cannot put myself in the mind of anyone else; I can just control what I do. I had a slot in the lottery that allowed me to put forth any piece of legislation or motion, and of all the things I am working on, I chose this one issue, because I knew that through this I could have a positive impact, that we could have …
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Mr. Speaker, as politicians we know that everything is movable and nothing is determined in advance. That is why I make the clear call for us to unite together in order to make the possible happen. Thus, I will keep it very simple and to that single point. That is my firm opinion. If we ask for it and call for it, it is possible, so let us make it happen.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, on October 1, people around the world demonstrated in solidarity with Iranian women. These people have been rising up since the tragic death of Mahsa Amini. In Montreal, I joined thousands on the streets who called for freedom and justice. Mahsa Amini was a vibrant 22-year-old Iranian woman. She was arrested by Iran's morality police and died a short while after, while in custody. Acc…
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Mr. Speaker, according to the United Nations, the world is going through a global food crisis caused by war, climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic. Canada, with its international partners like the World Food Programme, has worked tirelessly to combat food insecurity. Mr. David Beasley, the executive director of the World Food Programme, has been championing this cause during his ongoing visit t…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to sound the alarm on the critical situation of the Uighurs and other Turkic peoples in Xinjiang, China. Today, the National Council of Canadian Muslims and the Canadian Uighur community have organized a Uighur advocacy day on the Hill. In February 2021, this House recognized the Uighur genocide. Currently, over one million are living this nightmare. Recently, in August, …
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to an important leader and friend who will soon be leaving our community. Rabbi Mark Fishman has served as Beth Tikvah's rabbi since 2013. Our synagogue in Dollard is home to one of the most vibrant Jewish communities in Canada, a community I am honoured to serve. Whether he was organizing family fun programs, such as the Purim carnival, bringing the synago…
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Mr. Speaker, June is CDKL5 Awareness Month. Amelia is a five-year-old resident in my riding. She is a young girl in Pierrefonds—Dollard who suffers from this rare disease. CDKL5 is a neurodevelopmental condition caused by a rare gene mutation. It also is one of the most common forms of genetic epilepsy among young girls. Amelia lives with this disorder, and it is an honour to talk about her braver…
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Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to talk about an organization that is doing fantastic work on behalf of the Black community in Pierrefonds—Dollard. The West Island Black Community Association, properly known as WIBCA, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this month. This wonderful organization provides a wide array of services to all segments of society while also empowering Montreal's Black …
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Mr. Speaker, last year, in the community of London, Ontario, a heinous Islamophobic attack took the lives of four members of the Afzaal family and left a young son orphaned. Canadian Muslims are no strangers to acts of violence and hate: the Centre culturel islamique de Québec, the IMO mosque in Etobicoke as well as London. Hate and bigotry have no place in Canada. We must all contribute to buildi…
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Mr. Speaker, the 75th World Health Assembly convened last week. It was the first to be held in person since the beginning of the pandemic. This was an excellent opportunity for the delegates, WHO experts, partner agencies and civil society to discuss current priorities and future solutions to issues critical to global public health. Can the Minister of Health tell the House more about this assembl…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to second this bill, and I hope that we can pass this legislation quickly through the House.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, this week, more than 300 million people around the world are celebrating Nowruz. Nowruz, which means “new day”, celebrates the Persian new year and the arrival of spring. During this time, friends and families sit around the haft-seen table and exchange gifts, share food, and reflect on the year that has been and the year to come. Without a doubt, the past two years have been quite ch…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure and an honour to rise in the House to speak in support of Bill C‑232, which would designate the month of April as Arab heritage month. I also want to thank the hon. member for Ottawa South for introducing this bill. I would also like to take a moment, given the context we are in right now with world affairs, to mark and speak about Ukraine. We know that this is a grav…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Cumberland—Colchester for his comments and also I want to extend my condolences for the passing of your friend. I appreciate a lot of what you said. I would like to hear from you in particular around, since we are talking about it, the protest convoy in front of the Hill right now. You did not mention it at all in your address, and I am curious a…
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Mr. Speaker, xin nian kuai le. Sun nien fai lok. Happy New Year. On February 1, Canadians of Chinese and Asian origin will celebrate the lunar new year. In Asian tradition, we are now entering the Year of the Tiger. The tiger is known for its raw power and impressive bravery. This is meant to inspire energy and positivity, qualities we can all embrace as we enter this new year. Since the beginning…
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Mr. Speaker, I sincerely thank the voters and residents of Pierrefonds—Dollard, as well as my volunteers and family for helping to send me back to the House of Commons for the second time. I would also like to take this opportunity to pay homage to a volunteer in my recent campaign. Two weeks ago today, Osama Alsamman passed away at the age of 35 due to complications related to COVID. Osama was a …
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Madam Speaker, I speak to members now from the unceded traditional lands of the Kanien’kéha people, what we know of today as Montreal. What happened to indigenous peoples in residential schools is unconscionable. The bodies of 215 children were found in a Kamloops residential school mass grave. This happened here in the Canada we call home. The residential school policy of “kill the Indian in the …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to wish Eid Mubarak to everyone celebrating Eid al-Fitr in Pierrefonds—Dollard and elsewhere. Eid al-Fitr is a day of celebration after Ramadan, a month of fasting, patience and self-reflection. Normally, Eid is festive, filled with family visits, friends and food. For a second year, this Eid is unique. While many are taking the day off, socializing will have to keep Publ…
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Mr. Speaker, World Immunization Week is celebrated every year in the last week of April. Diseases once feared, like diphtheria, measles, polio and smallpox, are under control and in some places eradicated because of vaccines. However, the COVID pandemic is currently ravaging India through a severe second wave. This serves as a stark reminder of the importance of immunization through vaccination. W…
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Madam Speaker, the REM station at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport has been under construction for some time. Could the Minister of Transport update the House on this project and explain how this is an essential investment that will benefit the entire Montreal area?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Saint-Jean for sharing her time with me. I would also like to pick up on what the member said. I am speaking as a parliamentarian who has heard a lot of the testimony from concentration camp survivors, from experts, from former ministers of government, and from diplomats. I am also speaking as a deeply concerned citizen and a humanitarian and somebody who has a …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I always like to take the hopeful and optimistic look. I would like to believe that everything we are doing here, this conversation included, is nudging things in the right direction. I think the decision of Parliament with respect to the motion at hand is an open question, so I do not want to speculate about what the negative impact could be, but I do understand and know that all of …
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Mr. Speaker, I weigh heavily every single action that is taken around this. Members have heard me speak to the findings of the subcommittee, which were unanimous, and all of my Liberal colleagues on the committee did vote for the SDIR findings, so we stand united on that. I stand by the determination that genocide is, in fact, occurring in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, as do so many parliamen…
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Foreign Affairs noted at the beginning of his statement that the China of today is different from the China of not so long ago. The country has changed a lot with respect to its leadership in the last five years, and this statement alone demonstrates that there is a rethink of our engagement. I know for a fact that Canada is doing its utmost best to secure the release …
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Madam Speaker, hatred and extremism often target diverse communities. We must stop anyone who seeks to harm others because of their race, religion or gender. Unfortunately, we continue to see hate manifested in our country. Recently, a Montreal synagogue was vandalized. In my home province of Quebec, we just marked the fourth anniversary of the Quebec City mosque attack. These events remind us of …
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Mr. Speaker, four years ago, a peaceful place of worship was rocked by an act of terror. Ibrahima Barry, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzedine Soufiane, Aboubaker Thabti were fathers and husbands, loved by many. Yesterday, our government announced its intention to make January 29 a national day of remembrance of the Quebec City mosque attack and action against Islamoph…
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