Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for the important points he is making. On his first point, I want to assure him that through the disaster financial assistance arrangements, we are working very closely with the Government of British Columbia. We have received an initial assessment from it, and our officials are now reviewing that assessment for supports that would be available. I agree wi…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is right. I, along with the member for Ottawa—Vanier, am in the heart of this crisis. As I mentioned, the community's suffering is unbearable. I am starting to run out of words to explain it. That is why, as soon as this crisis is over, we need to start engaging and thinking about the future. We need to think of how to prevent things like that by ensuring that we c…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak on this very important issue in this very important debate. As members know, I represent the riding of Ottawa Centre. The House of Commons, where most members are sitting as I sit in my home, is located in Ottawa Centre. What we are seeing outside and what we have been talking about for the last 11 days is happening right in the heart of my c…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I will address the second question first. I think the member opposite knows quite well that, in our system of democracy, politicians do not tell police officials how to enforce the law. There is a very important, significant and healthy distinction and differentiation between the two. I had the honour of serving as the solicitor general of Ontario. I very much know that we cannot tell…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I think the member opposite is trying to say that somehow this is a political problem. We are living through a pandemic. We have a health care challenge at the moment. This is a global pandemic. Canada is not alone in fighting this pandemic. This is happening across the world. I do not understand the suggestion that the way to deal with the protests outside is to hold daily press conf…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I agree with the hon. member on the point that Canadians have made a lot of sacrifices. They are following the public health guidelines. They are getting vaccinated. They are wearing masks. They are socially distancing themselves. It is amazing. I have two young children. It is amazing to see the kinds of habits our kids have developed. They are good habits for good hygiene, as a resu…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to speak about what has been going on in my community of Ottawa Centre. Residents are feeling terrorized by the protests, which have been going on for seven days now. Members of my community are being harassed, being subjected to hurtful and racist symbols, and the incessant honking is unbearable. Our parking lots are being used as urinals. Fireworks are bein…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the member opposite talking about some of the concerns of his constituents, and I want to take this opportunity to talk about some of the concerns that my constituents are facing right now daily because of the unpeaceful, unlawful protest that is taking place. For example, I just received an email from a gentleman who wrote: My wife and I live about 10 blocks west of Pa…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, Bill C-8 deals with many of the pandemic issues. The member just talked about housing, and I want to put on the record a statement that was just issued by Cornerstone Housing for Women, which is located in my riding of Ottawa Centre, in which it said: These last six days have been extremely stressful for people experiencing homelessness and frontline staff working to support them in…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I stand again with a very heavy heart, as I did a few days ago, to speak on behalf of my constituents, who are going through an incredibly terrible time right now because of the unpeaceful protests that are taking place on the residential streets of downtown Ottawa. I have to say that I was so disappointed to see the Conservative members standing outside and cheering these protester…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I rise on the same point of order. I want to thank the member for supporting me. I will not be silenced when amplifying the voices of my community in this House.
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon for allowing me to provide a more fulsome response on this very important issue. The recent flooding in British Columbia was a nearly unprecedented disaster for the people of the Lower Mainland. It devastated local communities, including those my hon. colleague represents. We must also not forget that this is but the latest wea…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I again want to thank the member for his advocacy on behalf of his constituents. This is obviously an unprecedented circumstance, but I want to make it very clear that the government will be there for the people of British Columbia. We will work with British Columbians and the Government of British Columbia to ensure they have all the necessary supports to rebuild after this disaster,…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I was listening intently to the member opposite, and I really cannot believe what my ears were hearing, this vehement defence of the failed Harper, so-called “tough on crime” policies that have failed Canada over the years. They have resulted in nothing but over-incarceration of indigenous people and Black Canadians for offences that are not serious in nature. This is a defence of pol…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the member has read the bill and knows that serious violent crimes are not included in our removal of mandatory minimum sentences. What is interesting here is that the Conservatives, in their opposition, are the ones who continue to create this straw man argument that somehow, by taking away mandatory minimums, we would be weakening the criminal justice system. No two offences are a…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I was not advocating at all that everybody be released into the community. I think we have to look at the circumstances of individuals. I encourage and invite members to go visit jails in their local communities. The reason our jails are not fulfilling the purpose they are supposed to is that we have filled them up beyond capacity. We have put people in them who may have mental heal…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is a very valid point the member opposite is making. As I said in my remarks, this is a first and important step forward, but there is far more work that needs to be done. I agree with the member, and I support her and look forward to working with her. When it comes to the entire implementation of the calls to action in the report by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise to discuss Bill C-5. It proposes important reforms to reduce the over-incarceration of indigenous people, Black Canadians and members of marginalized communities. I am going to spend my time primarily talking about conditional sentence orders. I would like to bring to this conversation today my experience as the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Serv…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the member's support, with a caveat, for this bill. I agree with him that, and I think we all know, mental health and addiction issues are health issues and as such we need to treat them in that manner. However, there is a fair bit of debate as to what those next steps would look like. We know that decriminalization of simple possession of drugs is one path forward, but…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the Minister of Justice along with the Minister of Labour for bringing forward this very important piece of legislation. I think a lot of us can recount horrible incidences that we saw during the peak period of vaccination, when our hospitals that are so critical for the health and well-being of our communities were being picketed by individuals who were just trying to…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I wish it had ended yesterday, but we have a lot of work to do because we are trying to address a huge backlog that was left from some time ago when all three levels of governments did not work together to address this really important issue. As I mentioned, I worked at the provincial level, and we were just working alone in Ontario with the municipality. The federal government was un…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, yes, as an immigrant living in Ontario I had to first work on my English, but I am absolutely committed to learning French. It is very important for me to learn and speak this language. I also work in French with my colleagues across the way. Seniors were really impacted by this pandemic. We saw the unfortunate loss of life in long-term care homes, and that is unacceptable. We have to…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I share the member's passion to fight homelessness. I am sure all of us in our respective communities have very important projects that could be supported, so that we can help those who are marginalized. I am very excited that finally we have a federal government that has put forward a national housing strategy. I was a member of the provincial government at a time when the federal go…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Milton. Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for giving me an opportunity to speak on the throne speech. I will start by thanking the residents of Ottawa Centre for giving me this incredible honour and opportunity to serve them in this House. I welcome all the members to my riding of Ottawa Centre as well. We feel quite privileged, as we are often refe…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate my friend from Carleton on his remarks today. It felt like I was hearing a leadership speech from him. I have had the chance to work with him for many years. He talked about family; there was a little humour and a lot of French. This is a good practice ground for him. He is doing quite well. The member often talks about the economy, and rightly so. It is a ver…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I want to use my first statement in the House to acknowledge that my children and I have the honour to live on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. It is our collective responsibility to work closely with indigenous peoples in our communities and advance reconciliation. We have a responsibility to work with indigenous partners toward reconciliation. Whether their …
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