Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I think we and all young Canadians know that the world is changing. For us to be successful in this changing world, we need to ensure that we are investing in Canadians and building our economy. For us to do that, we need to diversify our trade. We need to make sure that we are doing more business with other countries so that we are creating good-paying jobs for those young people who…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak to Bill C-13. Before I commence my comments on this very important bill, I want to advise the House that I will be dividing my time with the member for Kings—Hants. We have earnestly been discussing in this House, at an unprecedented time in our history and since perhaps the end of the Second World War, a tremendous rise in protectionism wh…
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Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to serve with the member on the Standing Committee on International Trade. I think the member is quite aware that there were quite a few complications when it comes to CETA being extended to the United Kingdom, with Brexit and all the politics around that. He is right that CETA is a very good agreement, and I am glad the Canadian government has engaged in CETA. Unfo…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, this is an important bill. As I said, the Prime Minister has made a commitment to the British Prime Minister that we will be moving forward with their accession to this agreement. We feel strongly that it is in the best interest of all Canadian businesses, whether they are based in Quebec or other parts of the country, that this bill be passed and that the United Kingdom, from the C…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, most of our treaty agreements support and benefit small and medium-sized companies. If we look at the Trade Commissioner Service, 75% of the businesses it supports are SMEs. These agreements help businesses in our communities and create good-paying jobs locally.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the member raises a very good point: Just talking about it is not going to make it happen. Since the election, look at the amount of work we have done. We have moved ahead with the accession of the U.K. into the CPTPP, finalized the negotiations with Indonesia and Ecuador, resumed our negotiations with the countries of ASEAN and Mercosur, started negotiations with Thailand, the Phil…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister is focused on making sure that we are creating good-paying jobs for all Canadians. We are investing and building things like they have never been done before. We are making sure that we diversify trade, so we are investing in our ports right in British Columbia so we can export more to other markets, such as the Indo-Pacific. That is the focus of the government. T…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, it was my absolute honour to participate in the Tree of Hope ceremony organized by the Ottawa Aboriginal Coalition. This is an important event that raises awareness about the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. There was a procession beginning at the Ottawa police station, leading to Ottawa City Hall and finishing right here at Parli…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I just want to quickly remind the member that we are here at this moment debating this bill because the bill the Harper government brought into law was found by the courts to be unconstitutional under the charter. They have given the House until November 20 to pass a law to remedy that circumstance. As a result of the illegal law, there are many Canadians who are disenfranchised. Fo…
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Madam Speaker, of course we are continuously working and making sure we find new opportunities for our lumber producers. I know that ministers and many members of Parliament are going to British Columbia to meet many of those forest lumber producers to ensure that we are creating new opportunities, and that is why we are so focused on ensuring that we double our non-U.S. exports in the next decade…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, we live in complicated times, when misinformation and disinformation are threatening the safety and security of our communities. I had the chance to participate in an event hosted by Carleton University, in my riding of Ottawa Centre, with Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss, discussing hate, conspiracy theories and challenges to democracy. It was an important discussion, reminding us of the …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, we will always stand up for Canadian farmers, whether they are beef farmers or farmers who grow wheat. We will make sure that we will get the best deal for them all around the world. That is the work the Prime Minister is doing. He has been in Asia, meeting with various leaders from around the world to make sure we open new markets, new opportunities for Canadians, so we can double …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to remind members that 10 years ago, we were at the height of a refugee crisis during which thousands of people were coming in from Syria. My community in Ottawa Centre responded by stepping up and welcoming many refugees. Out of that anniversary comes the story of Refugee 613, an incredible organization created to help Syrian refugees settle and build …
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate being recognized to speak in support of Motion No. 14, which calls upon the government to strengthen the accountability, effectiveness and mutual benefit of Canada's international development assistance. I want to first thank the member for York South—Weston—Etobicoke for bringing forward this motion. I really appreciate the work he does in his community and the work he h…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, at a time when other countries are stepping back, our government remains committed to international development. We are being deliberate in where and how we invest, focusing on security and economic partnerships that advance mutual interests, deliver benefits for both partners and Canadians and ensure that everyone in this world is prosperous. We understand that poverty, inequality an…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, this government will never let Canadian auto workers down. We will not let any workers down. We will work day and night to make sure that the Canadian auto industry remains one of the best success stories. That is why, as we speak, the Minister of Canada-U.S. relations is down in Washington working hard to negotiate a deal that is right for Canadian workers. That is why the Minister o…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour to rise in the House to debate and discuss some important issues of our time. I really appreciate the concern raised by the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands, whom I respect tremendously, regarding Canada's commitment to international development assistance. This is an important issue that speaks directly to Canada's role in the global community. First, let me emp…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I am sure members opposite and all members of the House are well aware that we are in a major moment of transformation. The economy around the world is changing. This is why we are going to continue to work to get the best deal for Canadians, including Canadian auto workers, through the U.S. However, we are not stopping there. We are also working around the world to create new markets…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, even though the summer is in the rear-view, I want to share how exciting it was. Ottawa Tourism reports that from June to August, our city saw a 5% increase in hotel demand and a 7% jump in visitor spending compared to last year. July and August broke records. That is hundreds of thousands of people choosing to visit Ottawa. What brought them here? It was world-class events like Blues…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I really hope all members had a fantastic summer in their home communities. Mine was no different. I had some quality time with my family, especially my kids. I also had a lot of engagement with my constituents. In particular, I really took the time to listen to my constituents in terms of their views about the upcoming budget that will be tabled soon in the House. I sent a householde…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the following reflects a consolidated response approved on behalf of Global Affairs Canada ministers. With regard to Bill C-202, an act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act regarding supply management, it is the government’s position that the bill, upon receiving royal assent, became a law of Canada. The government is fully aware of the importance of t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, Canada remains deeply alarmed by the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza. An immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages and the resumption of unhindered United Nations-led humanitarian aid must be secured to alleviate this crisis. Canada is committed to supporting efforts to advance progress towards the two-state solution, the only pathway to enduring peace and security for Isra…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, Global Affairs Canada delivers international assistance programming aligned with the Feminist International Assistance Policy through a diverse portfolio of bilateral and multilateral projects. These initiatives aim to advance gender equality while achieving sustainable development outcomes across sectors such as health, education, and humanitarian assistance. Furthermore, Global Affa…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, Global Affairs Canada manages an extensive network of 181 missions in 112 countries. Global Affairs Canada undertook an extensive preliminary search in order to determine the amount of information that would fall within the scope of these questions and the amount of time that would be required to prepare a comprehensive response. The department does not use object codes related to "cl…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the annual report of the 2023-24 Canada account, as prepared by Export Development Canada.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to Bill C-3. I will be splitting my time with the member for London West. I stand here proudly as the member for Ottawa Centre and somebody who has gone through the immigration process, somebody who is a very proud Canadian, somebody who has taken the oath of citizenship and actually has participated in hundreds of citizenship ceremonie…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would also advise the member opposite to use his words carefully and not fall into the trap of using slogans provided by his House leader or his leader's office, who does not even have a seat here. That is essentially what is happening. I had never heard of the term “mass chain citizenship” until today in this House. Why? It is because somebody in Pierre Poilievre's office came up w…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate the question. It may be a better solution. That is exactly what the committee process is for. We know that bills go to committee and get amended. If Conservative members feel this does not allow for a substantial connection, then let us have that conversation at committee. That is exactly what we should do. I was also responding to what I had heard, that this 1,095…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, let me get to the crux of the matter. I am sharing a real-life example of a family that has been impacted by an unconstitutional law the Harper government brought in. I have a good friend, somebody I have known for a long time and somebody I have been trying to help, whose parents immigrated to Canada, became Canadian citizens, worked hard in this country in pursuit of their professio…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, that is a good question. In my view, I wish we had solved this problem before. Even when I was not a member of this House, I advocated on this issue. As I mentioned, I ran an organization called the Institute for Canadian Citizenship. This is one of the policy ideas we worked on. Perhaps we could have done it, but the moment is here. It was delayed before, in the previous Parliament, …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are rattled by me right now because I am trying to talk substantively about the bill. They would rather debate things that are fictional in nature, so they will raise a point of order that is not a point of order. Fine, that is fair enough. I will go back. I have limited time, Mr. Speaker—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, this is precisely the point I was making. I thank the member for Winnipeg North for raising this point. Conservatives were trying to create two tiers of citizenship, one for those of us who are born here and one for those who have been naturalized. Somehow there are different rules for those two categories of people. Well, guess what the courts have told us: That is not constitutional…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a), as Canada’s federal pesticide regulator, Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency, PMRA, published the information note, “Vertical farming and pest control products” on May 1, 2024, in order to ensure the health and safety of Canadians and the environment. Due to rising confusion within the user industry surrounding whether they could use pesticides l…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it has been one year since the Liberal government launched the Canada dental care plan. The results are nothing short of remarkable. In just 12 months, three million Canadians have been approved for coverage, and over 1.2 million people have access to affordable dental care in all our communities across Canada. That is 1.2 million brighter smiles, 1.2 million healthier families and 1.…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today, on Human Rights Day, I am pleased to recognize the important work of the Scholars at Risk at Carleton University, the University of Ottawa and around the country. This is a vital initiative that champions academic freedom, human rights and the protection of scholars facing threats worldwide. This program provides a safe haven at Canadian universities for hundreds of academics f…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I will say that we have a big challenge right now in terms of building housing across this country, and we need all three orders of government working together. The hon. member is absolutely right, of course. Rules around how housing is built, the actual housing, are a provincial and municipal issue, but we are working with provincial and municipal governments to create those incent…
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Mr. Speaker, the member for Kingston and the Islands is absolutely right, and he cited Kingston as an example. I can cite Ottawa as an example. In fact, the Leader of the Opposition, the member for Carleton, and I share the same city as home. I wonder whether he has spoken with our mayor, Mark Sutcliffe, about this issue and what the mayor's response would be. A very small part of the money that w…
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Madam Speaker, I enjoy working with the member opposite, and I appreciate his public service. There are a lot of examples, and I can take him on a tour of my riding one of these weekends, if he likes. I mentioned Gladstone Village, which is right at Somerset and Preston. We can see that the cranes are up. That affordable housing is being build because of the housing accelerator fund. We can go to …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I am glad we are having a debate on a substantive motion, and I will talk a little more about it. I will be splitting my time on this important issue with the hon. member for Kings—Hants. I am glad we are having a debate on the substantive issue of how we build more homes in Canada. We have that challenge because of the fact that Canada is growing in size. We are at 40 million peopl…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, as the member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, the revitalization of downtown Ottawa is a big priority for me. The pandemic and the occupation of downtown Ottawa has taken a significant toll on the core of our city. That is why I worked with businesses and the community to establish a downtown Ottawa revitalization task force, which has produced a lot of recommendations for all thre…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, Health Canada undertook a preliminary search in order to determine the amount of information that would fall within the scope of the question. Health Canada concluded that without a list of products that contain lipid nanoparticles, or LNPs, Health Canada is unable to search and validate the information requested.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canadians deserve good public health care across the country. That is why we, as a government, support a publicly funded health care system. That is why we are making unprecedented investments in our health care system, $200 billion over 10 years, across the country, to every province and territory, with the sole purpose of ensuring that primary health care is available to all Canadia…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a), $45,477,174.55 was spent. All advertising costs reported include agency of record, AOR, and ad tech fees. Costs do not include HST, to align with the advertising costs reported in the Annual Report on Government of Canada Advertising Activities. Total costs reported include media placement costs that were submitted for the Government of Canada annual advertisi…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to remember Robert Smythe, a true pillar of Centretown who passed away on November 15. For over 50 years, Robert dedicated his life to preserving the character and history of our community. As the founding editor of the Centretown BUZZ, Robert captured the stories and struggles of our neighbourhood with passion and care. He shared downtown Ottawa's history and architectur…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, with regard to parts (a) to (j), as part of the standard regulatory process for drugs and vaccines, when a new drug or vaccine is authorized by Health Canada, a drug identification number, DIN, is issued. The product DIN is a unique number that identifies the following product characteristics: manufacturer, product name, active ingredients, strengths of active ingredients, pharmaceuti…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, today, on the eve of Remembrance Day, I rise to pay tribute to Canada's past and present veterans, who have sacrificed so much. Across our great country, we pause to reflect on the extraordinary courage, commitment and selflessness of the men and women who have served and continue to serve to protect our freedom and democracy. Today, we also mark Indigenous Veterans Day. We recogniz…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, I am thrilled to recognize the Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation, also known as CCOC, as it celebrates a phenomenal milestone: 50 years of transforming lives and building communities. CCOC owns and manages over 50 properties that provide nearly 1,600 affordable homes, primarily in the heart of Ottawa Centre. Its mission is to foster diverse, inclusive and sustainable communitie…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in response to (a), with regard to the Public Health Agency of Canada’s, PHAC, work to prepare its Canadian child welfare information system, CCWIS, report, PHAC collaborates with provinces and territories, other federal departments, and indigenous organizations to support work on the CCWIS. The development of the 2023/2024 report involved collaboration, input, and/or consultation wit…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in response to parts (a) to (c) of the question, the health and safety of Canadians are the utmost priority for Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada, or PHAC. Health Canada has a rigorous scientific review system in place to ensure vaccines are safe and effective in preventing the diseases they target. Before a vaccine can be approved for sale in Canada, it undergoes a…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, with regard to parts (a) to (z), the health and safety of Canadians are the utmost priority for Health Canada. Health Canada has a rigorous scientific review system in place to ensure vaccines are safe and effective in preventing the diseases they target. More information on these standards and how Health Canada regulates vaccines for human use in Canada can be found at https://www.ca…
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