Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I welcome my colleague's question and want to congratulate him on being re-elected. He is one of the most precious members of the House of Commons. As the Prime Minister laid out today, we need a tax break for families. We need to make sure we are taking care of Canadians. That is the mandate they gave us. Southwestern Ontario, like the rest of Canada, is an important part of that. I …
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Mr. Speaker, I also want to extend congratulations to my colleague. I have had the opportunity to work with her on a number of issues. I look forward to continuing that collaboration. I also appreciate the member's nod to the short-lived position I was in as minister of democratic institutions. From while I was there, I can confirm for her that our institutions are strong. Our elections went reall…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, we know the Conservative leader had a rough week. While he is busy defending his plan to cut housing funds, Conservative members got an earful from their mayors and their constituents about their leader's reckless plan. We know this because we spent the whole week reading about it in the media. It is no wonder that Conservative MPs are going behind their leader's back to plead for fun…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, my constituents have been working hard to pay their bills as global inflation has driven up the cost of living. The Conservative Party hates it when Canada is actually succeeding, and they continue to gaslight Canadians into thinking our country is broken even though the government has been providing relief to Canadians through dental care, $10-a-day child care, free diabetes medicati…
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Mr. Speaker, the government has clearly indicated that a woman's right to choose is a fundamental right. Eight out of 10 Canadians say that they support access to abortion, and many of them are rightfully concerned that the Conservative leader and his party will not protect this fundamental right. Does the Prime Minister agree that a party that does not vigorously and tirelessly defend a woman's r…
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Mr. Speaker, I am very happy to hear my hon. colleague on the other side talk about London. It is very important to talk about London. My mother, who is a voter, is going to be a new voter in my colleague's riding and I have not heard her mention the member's name once. It is important to talk about the things that Canadians care about. The questions that we are—
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour and a privilege to be here today to speak on behalf of the people who sent me to represent them in the House of Commons, the people of London West. This morning, the leader of the official opposition said that if the Conservatives formed government, they would run things the way they did before, specifically referring to when Harper's Conservatives were in power. That …
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Mr. Speaker, before our government passed the Canadian dental care plan, one out of four Canadians could not afford to go to a dental office. Since we passed the Canadian dental care plan, more than 700,000 Ontarians can now visit a dental care provider. This has allowed dentists to serve over 10,000 people in London West. We clearly know that this is working because 750,000 Canadians have already…
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship introduced Bill C-71. As Canadians, we can never take our rights for granted. We must remain vigilant, especially when the Leader of the Opposition suggests he would use the notwithstanding clause if given the chance. Like the first generation limit introduced by the Conservatives, it is a concrete example of them taking away the r…
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Mr. Speaker, I am so excited and happy to be back in the House of Commons to represent the good people of London West, and to also see my colleagues, who are energized and ready to serve Canadians. I will be sharing my time with my amazing colleague, the member for Markham—Unionville. I am very pleased to have the opportunity to participate in the second reading debate on Bill C‑71, a bill that wo…
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the question from my colleague opposite, who also sits on the same committee as me and has had the opportunity to meet with the families and to hear from them. We have done this study. Maybe he should not have filibustered yesterday when we were trying to pass the motion on lost Canadians. I mentioned earlier that there are still a small number of Canadians who are stil…
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Madam Speaker, I deeply appreciate the opportunity that my Bloc Québécois colleague has given me to continue and to finish expressing my thoughts on this bill, which I consider very important for all Canadians everywhere in Canada. Don Chapman is one of those Canadians who was adversely affected by what the Harper government did and what the Leader of the Opposition continues to support. Even now,…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague on the other side said very well how terrible it has been. It has been really hard to do the work that Canadians sent us to do on our immigration committee, and sometimes it has been in the front of those families that have been harmed by those actions of the Conservatives. Watching them filibuster the work that we want to do has been very difficult. I appreciate the su…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to take the opportunity to say how happy I am to see my colleague come back; he sits on the immigration committee with me. I find it really interesting that he is complaining about the Liberals taking too much time to fix something that the Conservatives broke. This is something that his Harper government, the same government that the current Leader of the Opposition sa…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I rise today to present petition E-4748, which was initiated by a very passionate advocate in my community, Brendon Samuels. The petition calls on the government to urgently take action on the need for native tree stock to fulfill Canada's tree-planting pledge by 2030 to combat climate change. The petition highlights the shortages, rising costs and challenges in tree supply chains t…
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Mr. Speaker, once again, I appreciate the questions from my Bloc Québécois colleague. I want to respond to her comment about the federal government interfering in provincial jurisdictions. I was a municipal councillor well before I came here. The reason why we announced housing measures for the entire country is that the cities and provinces were unable to meet the needs of their own populations. …
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the rich heritage, diversity and resilience of the African continent, ahead of Africa Day on May 25. As a member of this vibrant community, I understand the importance of fostering strong ties between Canada and Africa. Africa Day serves as a reminder of our shared history and the ongoing journey towards unity, progress and prosperity for all African nations,…
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Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to join and participate in today's debate in support of Bill C-69. This legislation would advance many of the government's key priorities in budget 2024, “Fairness for Every Generation”. Budget 2024 is our government's plan to build a Canada that works for every generation, where younger generations can get ahead, where their hard work completely pays off, and where t…
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Mr. Speaker, maybe my colleague was not in the House of Commons today when the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance announced that inflation has been reduced to 2.7%, which is the lowest in three years. There was also some good news last Thursday, that our AAA credit rating was again affirmed by Moody's, with a stable outlook, which keeps Canadians' debt payments low. Maybe he can vote fo…
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Mr. Speaker, I also enjoy working with my NDP colleague on many subjects that connect us. On the subject of disability, it is important to note that, number one, we are investing in housing for all Canadians. Earlier last year, I put forward a motion that was passed and that I think my colleague voted for, which was to support the national housing strategy having a council that would include peopl…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like to seek unanimous consent to have my vote counted. I heard that it was not counted. It was not the previous vote, but the one before.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, my vote was nay.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, as we commemorate the 30th year since the genocide against the Tutsis in 1994, I reflect on the journey of reconciliation, which is a never-ending road. I cannot help but notice that those who have reconciled and live side by side did it because justice prevailed. Today, on behalf of my constituents and survivors who are still grappling with what happened in April 1994, I ask for two …
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Mr. Speaker, today is the International Day of La Francophonie, and I hope that all francophones and francophiles in Canada and around the world have a wonderful day of celebrations. There is plenty to celebrate. If we look at the numbers, La Francophonie comprises 29 countries where French is the official language, including Canada. That means that there are more than 450 million francophones aro…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. In my speech, I talked about plans that we are implementing to continue to offer support. We are working in partnership with every sector, including those that provide services to determine how we can increase our services and make them better. That is what I just said in my speech. We have brought in systems to address this. The government launc…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said in my speech, we are working with partners, territories, provinces and municipalities to make sure that we are targeting key sectors when we are receiving newcomers, especially through the different measures we have. I think the minister said he is trying to figure out a way to proportionately move newcomers across the country, not have them in areas where there is already a…
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to say in this House that immigrants are not to be blamed for any challenges our country faces. The challenges are already embedded here, and when immigrants come they also face challenges similar to those Canadians are facing, so they are not to be blamed for health care issues or housing issues. I appreciate my colleague's question, but I think she knows that he…
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Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to be able to provide my colleagues with information on how the federal government works with its provincial, territorial and municipal partners to welcome and integrate newcomers. We all know that immigration is one of the defining characteristics of Canada. We are a very welcoming country, where newcomers can feel like they are an integral part of a community. We l…
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Mr. Speaker, happy Black History Month. Storytelling is one of the tools used by Black communities to pass down our ancestors' experiences, struggles and successes, and the values that are important and worth keeping. Allow me, then, to share the story of 800 Black families who lived in Strathcona, B.C., in the 1900s, the centre of Black families that was later displaced by the City of Vancouver t…
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Mr. Speaker, last week's 30-hour circus put on by the Conservatives cost Canadian taxpayers nearly $2 million. While I was happy to sit in the House with my colleagues to ensure that the services that Canadians need most were passed and protected, Conservatives spent their night voting against Canadians. Let me tell members one of their most shocking votes against communities such as my riding of …
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Mr. Chair, based on what my colleague said, it sounds like he has a commitment to understanding the importance of supporting indigenous communities across Canada. I want to ask the member opposite this. His leader, when he was in charge of housing, had a $300-million first nations housing program that managed to build only 99 houses. Is there more of a commitment to build more housing for indigeno…
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Madam Chair, it is a privilege for me to speak to our government's commitment to closing the infrastructure gap in first nations, Inuit and Métis communities. Earlier, the Minister of Indigenous Services introduced Bill C-61, an act respecting water, source water, drinking water, waste water and related infrastructure on first nation lands. My riding of London West neighbours and houses members of…
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Madam Chair, I really appreciate that question. We have been talking about homelessness since I entered politics in 2018. It is important that we can continue to build housing across the country to try to reduce homelessness. I think that my colleague who also voted during the 30‑hour marathon at the end of last week, may know that, on this side of the House, we are prepared to continue supporting…
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Madam Chair, I would like to take the opportunity to thank the member opposite for all the work that she does in this House. I have had the pleasure of getting to know her and her community, the work she does and the advocacy she does for her community in this House. I think she has asked a great question. I would like to mention that since this government has been in office, we have increased our…
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Madam Chair, I would like to thank my colleague on the other side for his question and for the co-operation we are able to have from time to time. Respectfully, I think he is not qualified to ask any questions on this issue, given that his party and his leader, when they were in government, built about 99 homes for indigenous communities. I just finished talking about the fact that there is a lot …
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Madam Chair, I want to thank the member opposite for his advocacy and the work he does in this House; it is very important. I also think it is important that we continue to work together. I said in my speech that there is a lot of work left to be done and we continue to do that work together. I am open to continue to work with colleagues across the aisle to make sure that we strengthen our advocac…
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Madam Chair, I am very pleased that my colleague was able to tell us about this concrete example from her community. In my speech earlier, I talked about the responsibilities of the federal, provincial and municipal governments. We must all work together to ensure that more housing is built for indigenous communities across the country. Just as my colleague mentioned an example in her community, I…
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Mr. Chair, I would like to thank the hon. colleague across the aisle, not just for the comments she has made in this debate that we have been having all night, but also for sharing that personal story. It is important that Canadians continue to hear about the impacts of colonization and the impact that the racism that was directed toward indigenous people of this land has had on many communities. …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise in this House to condemn the attacks conducted by Hamas on October 7 and I call on Hamas to release and safely return the Israeli hostages to their loved ones. I condemn the air strike on the Al Ahli Hospital yesterday. What we are witnessing in Gaza is a humanitarian catastrophe. Over one million people have now been displaced, 3,000 have been killed and a third of them are ch…
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Madam Speaker, the member is a neighbour in London, so I assume she would also know that an investment has been made in the city of London of $74 million to add 2,000 extra homes. We are talking about the things that we have done to make sure that Canadians and Londoners are able to afford their lives, to send their kids to day care and to afford dental care. These are all things that work togethe…
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Madam Speaker, I think those are challenges that our government is continuing to consider, and we are working to find solutions. We are talking about how our government can continue to invest to support Canadians across the country. By investing in housing and child care services, we are ensuring that women can participate in the economy and that we can grow our economy and support Canadians acros…
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Davenport. I am thankful for this opportunity to take part in today's conversation and debate. To say Canadians are living in a turbulent world would be an understatement. Right now, it is clear the rising cost of living is one of Canada's most significant economic challenges, and the last three years have been hard. Canadians, like most…
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Madam Speaker, I agree with my colleague that there are many challenges we share as we serve the same city. Just recently, I announced a renovation project in my riding. These are challenges we continue to respond to as a government. On the $74 million that has been invested in the city of London, we can work with the City of London, as colleagues and as MPs, to make sure some of that money also g…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, affordability remains a top priority for Canadians. It remains at the top of Canadians' minds, and it is important that Canadians know that, as a government, we continue not only to listen but to take incremental steps to address their most pressing needs. This summer, I heard from folks in London West that housing remains a top priority. I am happy to say that the Prime Minister was …
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House as our parliamentary work resumes to represent the people of London West. Today I am pleased to speak to the important role that spectrum plays in the Canadian economy and in the daily lives of Canadians. I am pleased to see Bill S-242 draw attention to this important issue, and I look forward to studying this matter. Spectrum is a finite public res…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his excellent presentation. I think he has a brilliant way of expressing himself. It is not that we are proposing new measures. Our situation has been evolving for some time now, in line with the measures that have been brought in to deal with the pandemic and to respond to the crises we are currently facing. We are simply saying that the world has changed, th…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for making those really important comments that actually prove we are not out of the woods. When the World Health Organization said that we are not out of the woods with pandemics, it meant it. As he said, there was just an outbreak in his community. People are still catching COVID. People are still catching diseases through super spreaders. It is no…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to participate in the debate about making hybrid sittings a permanent fixture in our Standing Orders. I will be sharing my time with the member for Guelph. I think we are in an era of growing uncertainty. COVID-19 was not the first global health crisis, and we know it will not be the last. The World Health Organization has warned us that pandemi…
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Mr. Speaker, I am not sure if I heard a question in my colleague's comments. I will say that, when the pandemic happened, I was a city councillor. One of the first things the City did was shut down and declare a state of emergency. It took us time to get to a place where we could actually respond to the most emergent and the hardest situations our city was experiencing. We have now been on the oth…
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Madam Speaker, today I rise to address the House of Commons on a matter of the utmost importance: the protection of our democracy and the institutions that uphold it. Democracies in Canada and around the world are facing a pivotal moment. Malicious foreign-state actors are eager to cast doubt on the strength and integrity of our democratic institutions. Their aim is clear: to erode the trust we ma…
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