Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, here they go again. The immigration minister has brought a situation under control, a situation in which, last year, Canada's population actually declined. Canada's immigration system is admired, as our country is, the world over. The immigration minister is executing on a clear plan to bring down temporary resident numbers in this country. Shame on the member for picking on Ukrainian…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, that question has been asked several times and answered several times. I wonder if that member, who was growing up dreaming of being in the Parliament of Canada, is now having a reckoning with the fact that he is being handed some question by a 24-year-old in the leader's office and is being required to stand up in the House of Commons and read it. That is what is going on here.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we quite literally just passed a bill, despite the obstruction of the Conservatives, that permits us to reduce the number of asylum seekers in Canada, just as we reduced the temporary population of Canada for the first time ever last year. I would repeat to this member that I work for the people of Canada. He does not work for the Leader of the Opposition. He should stand up and read …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we will, of course, be answering all questions, but I first want to express my profound sadness and that of the entire House of Commons following today's accident at LaGuardia Airport involving an Air Canada Express aircraft. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I want to extend my deepest condolences to the victims' families and loved ones, the injured and their families, and every…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, of course, we will be answering all the questions from the opposition today, but I first want to express my sincere condolences and shock, frankly, as well as that of all members of the House, after the incident that occurred late last evening at LaGuardia Airport involving an Air Canada Express aircraft. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I offer my sincere condolences to the fam…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it is astounding to see the Bloc Québécois try to dodge the real issue of concern to all Quebeckers, certainly to those living in the Outaouais. I am talking about the economic apocalypse that the leader of the Parti Québécois wants to unleash on the Outaouais region. He looked into the camera and said “it is what it is” to the hundreds, if not tens of thousands, of public servants in…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I was proud to be in Sault Ste. Marie not 10 days ago to meet with the United Steelworkers and representatives of Algoma Steel, who are proud to be deploying the most efficient and largest electric arc furnace in North America. They are going to be able to produce steel for our ships, for our homes, for applications all over the country and, surprise, also for a high-speed rail networ…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to creating an energy superpower, Canada is already there. The minister just explained that oil-exporting countries generally do not have reserves. Importing countries are the ones that do. Canada will also be a renewable energy superpower, whether through the sale of uranium or through support for renewable energy and technologies across the country. Canada is and will …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, my colleague, who has also been here for 10 years, also has a record. He has consistently voted against every support measure to protect Canadians from rising costs, including dental care, school food programs and the Canada child benefit. This member has systematically voted against every initiative. He has not approved one single support measure for one single Canadian. When will he…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, judging from recent opinion polling, it is not us who are out of touch with the people of Alberta. It is, in fact, the Liberal government that is delivering on the promise of a memorandum of understanding with the Province of Alberta. It is this government that is making markets, creating revenues and increasing the incomes of canola farmers across Alberta, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the minister has set out the numerous ways in which we have expressed confidence in, support for and the complete backing of our auto workers and auto sector in Canada. Those are the things we can control. Here is one thing the member can control. She should tell her colleague to stop going to Washington and accusing Canadians of putting up a hissy fit in response to unfair, unjust an…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I think we will have to ask CPAC which of the two of us more people tune in to see, because both of us, as the member well knows, tend to be very lovable and appreciated by all Canadians as we talk about the Thursday question. I will say, in response to my hon. friend, that we will be coming back next sitting week to Bill C-9, which I know was a solemn election commitment by his party…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Public Safety has just clarified everything he is doing precisely to ensure that we deny suspected individuals the possibility of remaining in Canada. However, I encourage my colleague to support our Bill C‑9, which is currently before the House. It was part of our election platform and, unless I am mistaken, it was part of theirs as well. We are committed to protectin…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the government has designated that segment of the Iranian community as a terrorist entity. The Minister of Public Safety is taking serious measures to respond to the current situation. However, I want to repeat my question to my hon. colleague. He is committed—as I am, as we all are—to protecting faith communities in Canada, to protecting community centres, Jewish businesses, Muslim b…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the high-speed rail project is inspiring Canadians, inspiring the people of Terrebonne, inspiring entire communities across Quebec and Ontario. It will be a game-changer for the people in those places, who represent 40% of the Canadian population, including the people of Terrebonne. We will complete this project in a respectful way, in compliance with standards and with social licence…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, people in Terrebonne, people across Quebec and Ontario, and even across Canada, are dreaming of this technology. We will make sure we do this right, consulting with landowners, communities, mayors, reeves and farmers. We will respect everyone, and we will end up with the most advanced technology that Canadians can only dream of for now, technology that is the envy of the world and tha…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, in relation to the consideration of Government Business No. 6, I move: That the debate be not further adjourned.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, this has not been a good week for the Conservative Party of Canada. This has been a week when the Conservatives put in question our constitutional, to say nothing of humanitarian, obligation to look after people who are sick or injured on our territory, including children who are fleeing war zones, including in Ukraine, or Syrian refugees or others. It is a shameful thing that the Con…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we had an outdated system that dates back to the 1960s or 1970s. It was a system that made a lot of errors and was unreliable, so the government acted responsibly and undertook a major transformation project. Today, we have a new system that works, that allows people to self-register and that will serve some 7.7 million Canadians. Even today, it is serving Canadians.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, being arrogant would be to keep using a system that made more mistakes than that in just one month. It would have been arrogant to ignore this outdated system, a system that lacked accuracy and that constantly made mistakes. We assumed our responsibilities. We set a budget and we came in under budget to give Canadians a system that will pay dividends and pay amounts accurately. As for…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we note the objection, even opposition, from the Bloc Québécois to the major project that is the high-speed train between Quebec City and Toronto, a project that is eagerly awaited and coveted by all Canadians. We will be diligent about this project. We will show respect for elected officials, respect for farmers, respect for the people who live along the route. This high-speed train …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Alto is mandated to hold consultations on the ground with people and to listen to their ideas, demands and concerns about the entire corridor. That is what Alto did this week, and that is what they did in Mirabel. We will continue to listen, to be sensitive and to champion this great national project. Will the Bloc Québécois do the same?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I sometimes wonder about the premise of questions from the opposition, but in this case, the member for Louis-Saint-Laurent—Akiawenhrahk is well aware of the situation. He knows that this program is within budget. He knows that this program is replacing an outdated system from the 1960s that did not accurately pay OAS recipients. Today, we have a new, updated, modern and open system t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, my colleague opposite is well aware that asylum claims have dropped by a third since this Prime Minister took office. He knows that the number of international students in Canada has also dropped by a third. From July to October 2025, Canada's population fell slightly after several years of growth. This system is sustainable. Canada's immigration system is the envy of the world. It me…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, I cannot think of anyone better or anyone who listens more attentively and regularly to farmers than the current Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. The minister, I know, will be continuing his extremely hard work in representing their interests and reassuring them about the coming planting and growing season on the Prairies. We are going to absolutely lo…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we are proud to serve with this Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. We are proud of our immigration track record. We are proud that she is the first Lebanese woman to hold this position. She has a background in public service that includes serving as a minister and an MP in Nova Scotia and as a minister here. The results speak for themselves: …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are the ones who cannot answer questions on immigration. They have no immigration policy and, after a week of careful consideration, they decided to come back to the House and attack the most vulnerable, specifically refugees and asylum seekers. Just think about this: They want to deny health care to a child who has just arrived in Canada and who was injured during t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the modernization of the government is an ongoing process that is bearing fruit in terms of old age security payments. Today, we are serving more than seven million Canadians with a new, modernized system that has replaced a very outdated 60-year-old system. This project is in the budgets and is part of a much broader modernization of all Government of Canada benefits.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as the member well knows, because this question has already been asked multiple times today and has been answered by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and other colleagues of mine, asylum claims have decreased by a third under this minister. The number of international students in Canada has dropped by a third under this minister. In addition, between July and Octo…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I seek the unanimous consent of the House to adopt the following motion: That, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of the House: (a) Government Orders be extended by six hours today; and (b) in relation to proceedings at report stage of Bill C-15, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on November 4, 2025, later this day, all recorde…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister outlined all of the ways the levels of temporary Canadians, asylum seekers and others are going down, and going down quickly. It is very interesting to us that, after a week away to lick their wounds, the Conservatives returned to Parliament to punch down at some of the most vulnerable people in this world, including, on this most solemn of anniversaries, an amputee…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, failed asylum claimants are not granted asylum and, therefore, cannot stay in Canada. The Conservatives need to stop punching down at the world's most vulnerable people. There are legitimate claimants and legitimate refugees on Canadian soil, including people fleeing the war in Ukraine, the anniversary of which we are marking today. The Conservatives should be ashamed of themselves fo…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I know why my colleague is in the House of Commons: Unfortunately, theatre school did not work out. The fact remains that, as the Prime Minister has said, as ministers have said and as every person responsible for this system has said, we have a technological implementation. This is a massive project to replace outdated systems. It is on budget and it is working. The bugs will be fixe…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, asylum seekers who come to this country who are legitimate ones, those who are found to be—
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the first thing I would say is that the Conservatives call them “bogus” asylum claimants. There are actually a great number, in fact millions, of legitimate asylum claimants all over the world. Our country has distinguished itself over its history as being a welcoming place for legitimate asylum claimants, and we will always be a welcoming place. When people arrive here from war-torn …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, in addition to our humanitarian obligations, in many cases treaty obligations, as Mr. Harper found out when the Supreme Court ordered him to restore health benefits to asylum claimants for their well-being, in our case, we have managed the number of asylum claimants down. We have passed a law in the House to move that number down, and we are about to pass a law to take benefits down f…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I want to assure all Canadians that asylum seekers who come to this country are judged for their legitimacy. If they are found to be legitimate refugees and asylum seekers, as in all compassionate countries and all signatories to international agreements, they are permitted to stay. Those who are not found to have respected those criteria are asked to leave. The government has made ve…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, that is political grandstanding, plain and simple. We made the transition from an outdated system dating back to the 1970s and modernized it. There were no cost overruns. The computer system was updated. Yes, there have been a few cases, cases that the member opposite has been slow to bring up. If the member knows of people who are affected by this situation, he should let us know and…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, over seven million Canadians benefit from the OAS and have never had any problem with the new, modernized system. Obviously, a few glitches are to be expected when transitioning from 60-year-old software to a modern system. There are glitches and we are fixing them. The number of glitches is going down every day. When glitches happen, we encourage people to contact Service Canada or e…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, aside from being entertaining, this question has been asked and answered many times. It is about modernizing the system, and there are no cost overruns. More than seven million Canadians are benefiting from it. It is a success story.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, this question has been asked many times and answered many times, but I will answer it once again. Why are they getting so worked up? The transformation of information technology in government is indeed complicated. However, this is a success story. We were able to replace an outdated system with an updated system that will modernize services and benefits for more than seven million Ca…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I have a couple of points. There is no censorship agenda. We will keep our kids safe, including safe from child pornographers. The convoy was an illegal occupation of the downtown of our capital that people wanted gone. The member supported it with his leader. Shame on them, bringing donuts to people occupying our nation's capital.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties, and if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of the House, Bill C-15, an act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on November 4, 2025, be disposed of as follows: (a) it be an instruction to the Standing Commi…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask for consent to adopt the following motion: that, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of the House, during consideration of Bill C-14 today, the motion for third reading of the bill may be made in the same sitting following the concurrence at report stage of the said bill, and, should third reading of the bill take place on Friday, February 13, 2026…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 56.1, I move: That, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of the House, during consideration of Bill C-14, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and the National Defence Act (bail and sentencing), today, the motion for third reading of the bill may be made in the same sitting following the concurrence at report stag…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I will answer my colleague's question by saying this: The entire nation has obviously been grieving since the horrific events of Tuesday, and nowhere is that grief more deeply felt than in the community of Tumbler Ridge itself. The residents have come together to support each other in this time of indescribable pain, and, obviously, we want to assure them they are not alone. The Minis…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, obviously, seniors need their pensions, and we are working hard to provide pensions to some 7.4 million people in Canada. The two ministers repeat this every day to reassure the public, but the opposition comes back with the same lines every day. If members of Parliament have information, they have already been invited to provide it, and we will help these people. People can also cont…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, foreign interference in our democracy at any level is unacceptable. The government has obviously carefully taken note of the—
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, foreign interference at any level and transnational repression at any level of our democracy are absolutely unacceptable. We have taken careful note of the recommendations of the Hogue commission, and I and my colleagues will be responding more fully in due course. As the member pointed out, we have taken steps to protect Canada from our adversaries and to provide more information to …
Read full speech →Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties, and if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of the House: (a) immediately after the adoption of this motion, the House observe a moment of silence for the tragic events in Tumbler Ridge, B. C.; (b) the Prime Minister, a member of the off…
Read full speech →