Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, on a cool September day in 1993, my very apolitical grandfather took me excitedly to a campaign office. As we approached the office, he said, “Remember this day; you are helping elect a woman who will show Canada the value that refugees can bring and what we Ismailis will do for Canada.” That campaign office belonged to Mobina Jaffer. While she would not win that election, she would e…
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Mr. Speaker, families like mine chose to come to Canada from places that were difficult and where there were challenges. Canadians are proud of the country we have. Conservatives keep talking this country down, but there are people around the world who would choose to come to this country and who are choosing to come to this country every single day for freedom and for the capacity to be who they …
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Mr. Speaker, our government has been there to support media from across this country from coast to coast to coast, from small communities to large ones. Much of the support for small communities would have been flowing had Conservatives not chosen to obstruct the passage of legislation that would have had money flowing to small community broadcasters across this country. We are going to keep worki…
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Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition, when he was in government, launched a snitch line and launched a full frontal attack against Muslims in this country. What confidence should Muslim Canadians have that, if given the opportunity, the Leader of the Opposition would indeed go after Muslims and attack their rights again?
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Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition voted against funding for Holocaust education and the Holocaust Education Centre in my riding. What confidence does the Attorney General have that the Leader of the Opposition, if given the opportunity, would continue to defund Holocaust education, and what would the consequences of that be?
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Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to rise in the House, particularly at this time and with this august group, and indeed in the presence of wonderful colleagues across the way. The member for Regina—Qu'Appelle and I had the opportunity to speak on a panel yesterday. It was wonderful to see that he is continuing his ongoing masterclass in misinformation in the chamber. It is important for all of us as…
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Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition voted against same-sex marriage. Does the Attorney General have any confidence that, if given the opportunity, the leader of the Conservative Party would use the notwithstanding clause to take that right away from 2SLGBTQI+ Canadians?
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Mr. Speaker, the only way to protect Radio-Canada and the CBC is to support them both. That is what we, on this side of the House, are going to do. The Conservatives, on the other hand, are planning to make cuts. Radio-Canada will be taking money away from the CBC. My question for the members of the Bloc Québécois is whether they will stand with us in supporting Radio-Canada and the CBC or whether…
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Madam Speaker, it is important for me, as a member of Parliament from British Columbia, to rise to speak to this issue. I want to start by talking about the victims of the opioid crisis, and particularly those who have lost their lives to tainted drugs. They are the children of Conservatives, Liberals, New Democrats, Greens and people with no party affiliation. They are family members, pillars of …
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Mr. Speaker, the member opposite raised an important point. Having a strong public broadcaster in the country is what this side of the House is going to do, is what our government has done and is what it will continue to do. The minister is working actively on ensuring that there is a plan forward for the CBC, but what is really important is that on this side of the House, we believe in a CBC, in …
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Mr. Speaker, May 3 commemorated World Press Freedom Day, a day when we celebrate journalists for the work that they do and the risks they take to keep us informed. They pay a high price, with attacks by groups from authoritarian regimes to criminal enterprises. Journalists risk life and limb pursuing truth. This year, the price was high. It was the deadliest year on record, with 115 journalists de…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his tireless work as a member of Parliament for British Columbia and for his advocacy on many of the issues we have worked on together. The budgets that this government has put forward over the last number of years, including this one, make tremendous provisions to take care of our oceans and to take care of our environment. I do not know about othe…
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Mr. Speaker, I remind the hon. member that, when the Conservatives were in power, they chose to reduce the GST as a popular measure rather than think about the financial consequences. While the Conservatives will say that was many years ago, the thing that I would remind the hon. member across is that decisions that were made then to gut housing, to gut health care and to gut all of the things tha…
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member opposite talked a lot about the importance of making wise financial decisions, which I would agree with. As a former business person, I know that is something that we should all care about, so the question I would ask is the following. In this budget we have set aside $2.4 billion for innovation around AI, something the Conservatives' former leader said was an importan…
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Mr. Speaker, there are two things I want to touch on. The first is the important funding that we have put forward for research. Universities across this country need funding for research. They need to keep innovating, and the funding that we would be providing would ensure that our institutions of higher learning are able to do the advanced cutting-edge research that they need to do to make sure t…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table, in both official languages, Canada's official report as part of its fourth universal periodic review, as well as its official response to recommendations received from the United Nations member states. The universal periodic review is a peer-reviewed process before the United Nations Human Rights Council. Through the universal periodic review, the human rights r…
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Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to rise in the House at all times and particularly today to speak to budget 2024. As we are hearing and seeing from our fellow Canadians, budgets are not just numbers. They are commitments to the well-being and prosperity of every Canadian. I want to begin by talking about the impact of this budget on my riding of Vancouver Granville. We all know that Vancouver stand…
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage in relation to Bill C-316, an act to amend the Department of Canadian Heritage Act and the court challenges program. The committee has studied the bill and, pursuant to Standing Order 97.1(1), requests a 30-day extension to consider it.
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Mr. Speaker, I had risen earlier to table a document. The Chair may not have seen me. I would like to seek consent to table the document.
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Mr. Speaker, my riding of Vancouver Granville is a microcosm of Canada. We are diverse in faith and background, and we are united as Canadians. Recently, I attended an interfaith dinner, hosted by the Foundation for a Path Forward and the South Vancouver Neighbourhood House. It left me with a full heart and full of hope for what we can do together. With the theme of “breaking bread and building bo…
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Madam Speaker, seniors are at the heart of our communities. Since we were first elected, seniors have been central to our work in government. In Vancouver Granville, I have established a local seniors council to advise me on their priorities. As part of budget 2024 consultations, the Vancouver Granville Seniors Council shared issues that were important to the members that they would like addressed…
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), and consistent with the policy on the tabling of treaties in Parliament, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaty entitled, “Audiovisual Coproduction Treaty Between the Government of Canada and the Swiss Federal Council”, done at Montreal on November 3, 2023.
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Mr. Speaker, PacifiCan plays a vital role in communities across British Columbia. It partnered with New Relationship Trust to work on the B.C. indigenous clean energy initiative and invest $4 million to support indigenous communities, create good and sustainable jobs, and move toward clean and reliable energy. This investment is also supporting over 100 projects by providing an additional $140 mil…
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Mr. Speaker, from January 1, 2020, to November 21, 2023, CBC/Radio-Canada asked various social media companies to act on content posted on their platforms that violate copyright of their platform community standards. CBC/Radio-Canada records do not contain the complete information required to provide a comprehensive response to this question. An extensive manual search would be required to gather …
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Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee of Canadian Heritage entitled “Job Cuts Announced at CBC/Radio-Canada”.
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2) and consistent with the policy on the tabling of treaties in Parliament, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaty entitled “Convention relating to the distribution of programme-carrying signals transmitted by satellite”, done at Brussels on May 21, 1974.
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Madam Speaker, the constituents of Vancouver Granville, and all British Columbians, believe in the importance of supporting small business and supporting organizations in our communities, and they deserve to know which members of the House stand with them or against them. That is why I am requesting a recorded vote.
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Madam Speaker, we believe in building infrastructure for Canadians and building a strong economy, and that is why we will call for a recorded vote.
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to the Canadian Museum of History, BDO was paid $95,000, with a contract start date of September 2020 and end date of November 2021. The assignment of the work provided by BDO was to conduct a workforce assessment to measure the museum’s overall working environment and capture employees’ sentiments and comfort within the culture of the workplace. The scope of the workforce…
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Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, is a quasi-judicial tribunal that operates at arm’s length. It regulates the broadcasting and telecommunications industries in the public interest. The CRTC makes decisions after broad public consultations and a thorough analysis of the evidence on the public record. Its broadcasting operations are funded throug…
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), the Broadcasting Act requires the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, or CRTC, to regulate online broadcasting entities. As a first step, the CRTC created the registry to obtain some basic contact information about certain larger services operating in Canada, which will further the CRTC’s understanding of the Canadian online broadcasting la…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada's Walk of Fame is a national non-profit charitable organization that inspires Canadians by proudly shining a light on extraordinary Canadian achievers and their successes. This Saturday, Canada's Walk of Fame will celebrate a history-in-the-making 25th anniversary gala. As Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, I look forward to attending this truly inclu…
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Mr. Speaker, gender-based violence perpetuates cycles of fear and trauma, hinders social and economic development and reinforces gender inequality. Women and girls are often the primary victims, but men and non-binary people can also experience this type of violence. Our government is committed to preventing gender-based violence by promoting a responsive justice system and supporting victims, sur…
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Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, CRTC, undertook an extensive preliminary search in order to determine the amount of information that would fall within the scope of the question and the amount of time that would be required to prepare a comprehensive response. The CRTC concluded that producing and validating a comprehensive response to this question wou…
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Mr. Speaker, since January 1, 2020, the National Arts Centre did not make any requests to social media companies to take down, edit, ban, or change in any other way social media content, posts, or accounts.
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Mr. Speaker, from January 1, 2020, to September 27, 2023, CBC/Radio-Canada asked various social media companies to act on content posted on their platforms that violate copyright of their platform community standards. CBC/Radio-Canada records do not contain the complete information required to provide a comprehensive response to this question. An extensive manual search would be required to gather…
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Madam Speaker, simply put, what we have put in place will help the thousands of British Columbians who continue to use home heating oil. It will help them move to heat pumps. The Premier of British Columbia has announced that he will work with us. That is how we will continue the fight against climate change: by working together, not by opposing every single measure like the Conservatives do.
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Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague knows that British Columbia, as a leader against climate change, has been working hard for almost two decades now on its own price on carbon. The plan we have put forward will benefit thousands and thousands of British Columbians who continue to use home heating oil. They will be able to take advantage of what we have put in place. In addition, as was already said,…
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Madam Speaker, this situation is another sad example of what the Online Streaming Act and the Online News Act are meant to address. We understand that it is not easy to reform the media landscape to make it fair, competitive and respectful of all Canadian voices, but we have worked to ensure that markets across Canada, including the francophone market, are supported. Our culture and our democracy …
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Madam Speaker, first, our thoughts are with the more than 500 families who are affected by these job losses. We will be there for them, and we will also be there for the cultural industry and the media. The reality is that this is the reason why we need to continue our work on Bill C‑11. That is why we introduced that bill. The reality is that the Conservatives always oppose measures to protect th…
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Mr. Speaker, it is wonderful to hear the Conservatives quoting the Governor of the Bank of Canada, someone they wanted to fire a few months ago. It is surprising and wonderful, because if we listen to what the Governor of the Bank of Canada said, he said that carbon pricing was contributing 0.15% to inflation and that cutting the carbon tax would have no long-term effect on inflation and no effect…
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Mr. Speaker, 30 years is how long the member of Parliament for Vancouver Centre has served in the chamber. She is the longest-serving female MP, but she is so much more. For all of us who grew up in Vancouver, she is an icon. Her energy, passion, wit and intellect, and, of course, her commitment to being truly fabulous, putting many of us to shame in the process, are second to none. Her dedication…
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Mr. Speaker, our government has made it clear that Hamas is a terrorist organization. We have said that, the Prime Minister has said that, and we will keep saying that, but on this side of the House, we will also keep working for an independent CBC that is well funded to do the good work of providing quality journalism to Canadians. This is, on this side of the House, a priority for us, as it is a…
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Mr. Speaker, our government has been clear. Hamas has been recognized as a terrorist organization and a terrorist group. We have said that repeatedly, and the Prime Minister has said that, but we also believe in an independent CBC. That is what the CBC is. It has been that way under Liberal and Conservative governments. Conservatives may want to meddle in independent journalism. They cannot seem t…
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Mr. Speaker, we all know that life for Canadians is a little tough right now. We will continue to work together to improve the situation. We will continue to work with all the provinces and Quebec to help on various fronts, particularly on the issue of food for children. We will continue to work together to do just that.
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Mr. Speaker, it is unacceptable that there are children in this country, whoever and wherever they may be, who are having trouble getting enough to eat. Everyone must have access to food. There is no denying that we need to keep working with the provinces and we will continue to work closely with them to fix the situation. That is very important to all of us here.
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Mr. Speaker, let us look at the facts, because that is something we do on this side of the House. Inflation is half of what it was last July. We know for a fact that over one million jobs have been created since the pandemic, almost 64,000 jobs in September alone. We know that life is challenging for Canadians, but we also know the steps that are being taken are going to make life more affordable …
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Mr. Speaker, our government is the only party in this House that is prepared to take action. We have called in the CEOs of the largest grocery chains. They have come back with a response. We have worked with the manufacturers, and they are coming back with a response. These responses will result in a direct benefit to Canadians in terms of lower prices, and that work is going to continue. We are g…
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Mr. Speaker, we are working with the industry. We are working with the grocery chains. We have instructed them to lower prices, and they are going to do just that. They have already begun to do so. Canadians will see a difference in the coming days. That is the reality. The Conservatives can say whatever they want and invent whatever facts they want, but the reality is that Canadians' quality of l…
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Mr. Speaker, as my colleague said, we have already started working with the major grocery store chains. They will work with us and prices will drop for Canadians. We also know that the climate action incentive payments will go out to Canadians next week. That is the reality. While we have been working to improve Canadians' quality of life, the Conservatives have done nothing.
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