Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition that has been signed by over 47,900 Canadians. The signatures come from every province and territory across Canada. The petition concerns individuals who came to Canada under temporary emergency immigration measures, such as the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel and similar programs under which people live and work in Canada on visas.…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition that has been signed by over 2,500 Canadians. The petition concerns ethical issues in public life, specifically the impact of disinformation and misinformation in political communications. The petitioners note concerns about the effects of disinformation on public trust and democratic debate, and they reference findings from Canadian security agencie…
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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 the House: (a) condemn Russia's ongoing, unjustified, full-scale military invasion of Ukraine; (b) call on Russia to cease its hostilities against Ukraine and withdraw to recognized international borders; (c) strongly condemn Russia's deliberate a…
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Mr. Speaker, today marks four years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian people have been outmanned and outgunned, but they have shown tremendous courage in defending their homeland. Unable to win on the battlefield, Russia has resolved to pursue war crimes, including most recently trying to destroy the power grid to freeze millions of Ukrainians into surrender. They will n…
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, entitled “Certificate of Nomination of Kelly Burke to the Position of Commissioner of Official Languages”. The committee recommends the nominee for the position of Commissioner of Official Languages of Canada.
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, what I would say to the member opposite is that today we are debating Ukrainian heritage month, the contributions of Ukrainian Canadians to Canada, what Canada has done to support Ukrainian Canadians and Ukrainian people, and how important it is to pass this bill, at this very time, in a non-partisan fashion, as was done in the other place. I will just say, let us all come together an…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his remarks. I am fortunate to work with him and other colleagues on the Canada-Ukraine Friendship Group. He is a great ally of Ukraine and the Ukrainian cause. I sincerely thank him for his work and his efforts. With respect to his question, I think it is important to celebrate Ukrainian heritage because it is an important part of Canadian multiculturalism. I…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his kind words. I want to say that the work Canada is doing on Ukraine is a result of the work of many members. It is a real team effort. I want to thank him and other colleagues for their support. We would not have gotten here without that. This is a team effort. It is in Ukraine's interest. It is the right thing to do, but it is in our interest. W…
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Mr. Speaker, there are two points I would make. First of all, Canada actually, in the last government, enabled the pumping of much more natural gas to global markets, which ultimately helps ensure the gas gets to Europe and other allies, brings the price down for our European allies and gets the supply up. Second, the Prime Minister signed an agreement with the Premier of Alberta for an MOU for a …
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moved that Bill S-210, An Act respecting Ukrainian Heritage Month, be read the second time and referred to a committee. Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today in the House to speak to Bill S-210, an act respecting Ukrainian heritage month. The legislation, if passed in the House, would designate the month of September as Ukrainian heritage month in Canada. The first Ukrainian immigrants to Canad…
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Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise to speak to this bill. For generations, people around the world have looked at Canada as a champion of human rights, of democratic values and of the international rules-based order. These principles define who we are as Canadians, but they also help keep us safe. They protect our sovereignty and security, and they shape how we engage with the world. Today, as we…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for introducing this bill. My personal view is that it is really important that Canada has a sanctions regime that allows us to not only uphold human rights, but also enforce the international rules-based order. That is not just the right thing for countries around the world to do; it is essential to protecting Canada's security and sovereig…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to commemorate the 92nd anniversary of the famine genocide in Ukraine known as the Holodomor, when Joseph Stalin closed Ukraine's borders and confiscated all food to destroy a Ukrainian population opposed to his rule. At the height of the Holodomor, 19 people per minute, 1,200 per hour and 28,000 per day were dying of famine. The world was silent, and millions died as a result.…
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Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, entitled “Implementation of the Official Languages Act”.
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moved that Bill S-210, An Act respecting Ukrainian Heritage Month, be read the first time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce Bill S-210. If passed, the bill would declare September as Ukrainian heritage month across Canada every year. I would like to thank Senator Kutcher for introducing this bill in the other place and the member for Etobicoke—Lakeshore for cosponsoring it. Since 1891, Ukrai…
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Mr. Speaker, June 13 marks the second annual National Long-Term Care Day in Canada. Whether it is in Etobicoke Centre or across Canada, long-term care plays a vital role in the health and the quality of care of Canadians. In fact, over 200,000 Canadians currently reside in long-term care across Canada. Today is important for a number of reasons: first of all, to remember the importance of long-ter…
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-209, An Act to establish Albanian Heritage Month. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce a bill entitled the Albanian heritage month act. If passed, it would designate the month of November every year as Albanian heritage month across Canada. I would like to thank my colleague from Mississauga East—Cooksville for cosponsoring this bill with me. I hope all memb…
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-203, An Act respecting Ukrainian Heritage Month. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to reintroduce a bill called an act respecting Ukrainian heritage month. If passed, it would declare September of every year Ukrainian heritage month across Canada. I would like to thank the member for Etobicoke—Lakeshore for cosponsoring this bill with me, and I hope that members on all …
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moved that Bill S-276, An Act respecting Ukrainian Heritage Month, be read the first time. I rise today to introduce in the House Bill S-276, an act respecting Ukrainian heritage month. This bill has passed the Senate, and if passed here in the House, the bill would declare September of every year Ukrainian heritage month. I would like to thank the member for Etobicoke—Lakeshore for co-sponsoring …
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Madam Speaker, today marks 1,000 days since Russia began its further invasion of Ukraine. This is much longer than the three days Vladimir Putin thought it would take, but frankly it is 1,000 days too long. It should have never happened, and it would not have happened if the world had stood up to Russia when it invaded Georgia or when it invaded Ukraine in 2014. It would not have lasted this long …
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Mr. Speaker, recently I spoke in the House about the growth of radical far-right movements. They have organized disinformation campaigns, impacted how some people and politicians treat others and led to some politicians not acting in the best interests of Canadians. As the Prime Minister recently said, “we have seen that anti-vax messages during the convoy and during the pandemic were amplified by…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, recently, I spoke in the House about the growth of radical far-right movements. They have organized disinformation campaigns, have impacted how some people and politicians treat others and have led some politicians to act against the best interests of Canadians. Our government has said that Canada will stand with the Ukrainian people until they win. Ukraine must win because its victor…
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Mr. Speaker, in Canada and around the world, we have seen the emergence of radical far-right movements. These movements have had a profound impact on the types of governments that have been elected and on the lives of millions of people around the world, including here in Canada. They have organized disinformation campaigns designed to divide people and undermine confidence in reliable sources of …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I will be sharing my time with the member for Vaughan—Woodbridge. As we speak, the Ukrainian people are risking everything and sacrificing their lives to defend themselves against Russia's genocidal war, and despite being outmanned and outgunned, the Ukrainian people have shown great courage and resolve in defending their homeland and fighting for all of us. Notwithstanding that courage…
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Mr. Chair, I will not apologize for speaking the truth.
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Mr. Chair, I never mentioned anybody's presence or absence. What I talked about was the position of the leader of the Conservative Party. He required his MPs to vote three times against the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement and against military aid for Ukraine. They voted to cut Operation Unifier. They voted against funding for Ukrainian immigrants settling here in Canada. Yesterday I personally…
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Mr. Chair, I think if you check Hansard, you will find that I did not speak about individual members. I said that there is a pro-Putin wing in the Conservative Party, and that is not—
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, what I said was fact. What I said was not in breach of the Speaker's ruling—
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Madam Speaker, Canada and the United States have one of the closest and most important relationships of any two nations in the world, and there are millions of Canadians, including countless constituents of mine, who work at businesses that rely on trade with the United States. Let us be frank: The economy and the quality of life of every single Canadian and every single one of my constituents in …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, February 24 will mark two years since the beginning of Russia's further brutal invasion of Ukraine. Our government has said that Canada “will stand with the Ukrainian people” until they win, and “victory is the only option”. Victory is the only option because Ukraine's victory is vital to Canada's security. If Russia wins, it will not stop at Ukraine. If Russia wins, Europe, the U.S. …
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Mr. Speaker, this week, every MP in the House will have a chance to vote in solidarity with Ukraine by voting in favour of the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. It is important to remember that the Ukrainian people are not just fighting for their own security; they are also fighting for our security, and we need to be fighting for them. Our government has been unequivocal in our support for Ukr…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of my constituents of Etobicoke Centre to present a petition concerning Bill C-57, the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. It was signed by over 60 of my constituents just last week. They are petitioning Parliament, including MPs on all sides, to support the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement and pass it swiftly. The petitioners note that President Volodymyr Z…
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Madam Speaker, it was interesting hearing the member opposite speak. He, like other members of the Conservative Party when they have been speaking to this bill, spoke about nostalgia. They invoke what Diefenbaker did and what Mulroney did in 1991 or whatever the case may be. What do the people on the front lines of Ukraine need right now? They need help today. Most of the people on the front lines…
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Mr. Speaker, January 22 marked the start of Data Privacy Week, which is an important time to discuss how we can strengthen privacy and security for Canadians. Findings from a recent survey by Interac revealed that nearly eight in 10 Canadians believe their data is more exposed than ever, with six in 10 saying they lack the confidence to protect their personal information. The government is taking …
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Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister on our support for Ukraine. Ensuring Ukraine's victory is vital to Canada's security. Ukraine must win, otherwise Europe, the U.S. and Canada will be next in defending ourselves against Russia's aggression. Every Ukrainian fighting today is one less Canadian who will have to fight in the future. Every dollar we spend today means millions of dollar…
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Madam Speaker, our government is unwavering in our support for Ukraine, but there are troubling signs internationally and in this House. This week President Zelenskyy urged American politicians not to succumb to far-right, MAGA-inspired plans to abandon Ukraine. Unfortunately, we are fighting the same fight here in Canada with Conservatives voting against the free trade agreement, voting against O…
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Mr. Speaker, the government has been clear as to where we stand on the war in Ukraine. We understand that the Ukrainian people are not just fighting for their own freedom and survival, but are also fighting for us, and that we need to be fighting for them.
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Mr. Speaker, it is clear where the government stands on Ukraine. We understand that the Ukrainian people are not only fighting for their own freedom and survival, but are also fighting for us, and that we need to be fighting for them. It is also clear where Conservative MPs stand. Their leader has never advocated military, financial or humanitarian support for Ukraine. They voted against the Canad…
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Mr. Speaker, the government has been clear as to where we stand on the war in Ukraine. We know that the Ukrainian people are not only fighting for their own freedom and survival, but are also fighting for us, and that we need to be fighting for them. It is also clear now where Conservative MPs stand. Their leader has never advocated more military, financial or humanitarian support for Ukraine. The…
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Madam Speaker, my Conservative colleague is heckling me as I speak, so clearly he does not support that. We have provided about $2.4 billion in military support that is going to help the Ukrainian Armed Forces on the front line fight against this invasion. There has been over $350 million in humanitarian assistance, $127 million in development assistance, and over $102 million in security and stab…
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Madam Speaker, in his remarks, the member spoke about why all Conservatives oppose the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. He cited two things. First, there is the mention of carbon pricing in it, which, of course, is not a legitimate reason, because Ukraine has already had carbon pricing since 2011 and needs carbon pricing to enter the EU, which it is desperately trying to do. The agreement woul…
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Humber River—Black Creek. As we speak, the Ukrainian people are risking their lives and sacrificing their lives to defend their homeland. Notwithstanding the courage and resolve of the Ukrainian people, the situation in Ukraine is dire. There are millions of refugees inside and outside Ukraine. Russia is committing genocide in Ukraine ev…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for his speech, his comments, and his and his party’s support for the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. I would like to ask him why he thinks this agreement is important for Canada and Ukraine.
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Madam Speaker, I hear the member's points about the process in negotiating free trade agreements and have taken that under advisement and to heart. One of the things he did speak about was that the carbon tax purportedly is the reason the Conservative Party has voted against this agreement and does not support this agreement. I am wondering if he could share with the House and with Canadians what …
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Madam Speaker, it is critical that we continue to work with our allies and encourage them to support Ukraine until it wins. That is a critical step. We have seen some wavering of support among some in the United States. It is important that we buffer that support. Canada can help Ukraine by continuing to send military aid to Ukraine, by continuing to train the Ukrainian armed forces and by continu…
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Madam Speaker, the leader of the Conservative Party has echoed false narratives about the war, suggesting the war does not affect us and does not affect inflation in Canada. He has said that in this House multiple times, which is of course not true. We know that not to be true. The Conservatives specifically challenged spending in our budget and voted to cut Operation Unifier, Canada's training mi…
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Madam Speaker, during this debate and during their consistent opposition to measures that help Ukraine over the last few weeks especially, Conservatives focus on the past, on nostalgia: what Mulroney did, what Diefenbaker did, what somebody did 10 years ago, what somebody did two years ago. What the Ukrainian people need is not nostalgia. They need help. They are fighting for their lives, and they…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of International Trade on the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. I have been speaking with Ukrainian Canadian Congress branches across Canada, and they have been telling me how important this agreement is to both Canada's economy and Ukraine's economy and to Ukraine's rebuild. Now, it has been over a week since the Ukrainian Canadian Congress wrote to …
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Madam Speaker, I rise to present a petition today on behalf of over 550 members in my community of Etobicoke Centre and communities across Canada. The petitioners note the fact that, from 1869 to 1948, over 100,000 British children were sent to Canada from Great Britain. These home children often found themselves in indentured servitude on farms or as domestic labourers. Many faced cruel abuse. To…
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Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister with respect to Bill C-57. This fall, as the Ukrainian people fight to defend themselves against Russia's genocidal invasion, the Canadian government has signed a historic, modernized Canada- Ukraine free trade agreement with the Government of Ukraine. It is important to remember that the Ukrainian people are not just fighting for their own freedo…
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