Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, recently Manitobans were shocked and saddened by the sudden passing of Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs' Grand Chief Cathy Merrick. Grand Chief Merrick was more than a leader; she was a beacon of strength, wisdom and compassion. Her dedication to the AMC was not merely a role she undertook but also a calling she embraced with unwavering commitment. Her leadership was characterized by a dee…
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If the House gives its consent, I move that the 67th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House earlier this day, be concurred in.
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 67th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership of committees of the House. If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the 67th report later this day.
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Mr. Speaker, as we approach National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, indigenous and non-indigenous people from across Canada will engage in meaningful celebrations. At the same time, we will undertake important reflections on our past and on the path that we are on to secure a better future. Manitoba is home to Canada's largest indigenous population. Alongside our provincial colleagues, we have…
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Mr. Speaker, recently we celebrated Asian Heritage Month, a time when we honour the historic and profound contributions of Asian Canadians, who have shaped our nation. Growing up, I was fortunate to have a true Canadian hero, Art Miki, as my next-door neighbour. In 1988, Art successfully lobbied and worked alongside Prime Minister Brian Mulroney to have Canada officially apologize to and compensat…
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Mr. Speaker, Winnipeg's downtown is full of historical buildings. One of our most iconic is the old Hudson's Bay building located at the corner of Portage Avenue and Memorial Boulevard. It holds a storied history for Winnipeggers. A vibrant downtown is vital for a strong economy. Over the past few months, our government has been working closely in collaboration with local first nations to revitali…
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Mr. Speaker, one of the things that we did hear on the study on food price stabilization that was undertaken at the agriculture and agri-food committee was that it was not entirely clear where some of the profits were being derived from. The margins on food, we heard, were not all that large, but a lot of the profits came from some non-food-related items. For example, that could be things like pha…
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Mr. Speaker, I very much enjoyed working alongside my colleague on the agriculture committee. I have talked on numerous occasions in the House about my past career as an educator, both as a teacher and as a school principal. I am so proud that the government is following through on its commitment to establish a national school food program. This is going to be an immensely important policy in term…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne. It is always a pleasure to have the opportunity to rise on behalf of those I represent in Winnipeg South Centre, and it is an honour to have the opportunity to rise today, for a couple of reasons. One, of course, is that this is a very important conversation taking place in the country right now, and there have b…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague across the way. He was quite useful in helping bring a number of important matters to my attention and the attention of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, when I was a member. As I mentioned in my remarks, there are a variety of things that contribute to the cost of food production in this country. However, I think it is also i…
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Mr. Speaker, is it always an honour to rise in this House. I want to start on a personal level. I was always so proud to grow up with my mother as a family physician, who continues to practice medicine in Winnipeg. In the past number of years, she has moved into working with people battling addictions. Much of my understanding of the health care system and how we care for people in our society has…
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Mr. Speaker, as a fellow Manitoban, it would be impolite of me to not also wish Cailey a happy birthday. To my hon. colleague's wife, I hope it is a fun day together tomorrow. There are tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of Canadians across the country who do not have access to the medication they need. I appreciate that, in some instances, there are provincial health plans or private plans …
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Mr. Speaker, that is exactly the point. When we use the word “universal”, it is to ensure we do not have this kind of hodgepodge patchwork health care system across provinces, but that any Canadian, wherever they live in the country, is able to access these medicines when they need it. I mentioned in my remarks that I worked with a lot of first nations kids in northern Manitoba in particular. Beca…
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Mr. Speaker, with an energy grid that is 97% clean, a strong manufacturing and agricultural sector and a diverse population, Manitoba is a key economic driver for Canada. In order to help realize our potential, we rely on the strengths of PrairiesCan, our regional development agency. Some members of the opposition have suggested that investments in PrairiesCan are not worthwhile. Could the Ministe…
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Mr. Speaker, Dr. Ian C. P. Smith was a tireless and passionate public servant for over 40 years. We lost this cherished member of Winnipeg's community recently. Throughout the course of his distinguished career, Dr. Smith received numerous accolades for his hard work, including the Manitoba Order of the Buffalo Hunt, the Outstanding Achievement Award of Public Service of Canada, and both the Queen…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 65th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership of committees of the House. If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the 65th report later this day.
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Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the 65th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House earlier this day, be concurred in.
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Mr. Speaker, I was having technical difficulties earlier this afternoon during the vote on Bill C-351. I am asking for the unanimous consent of the House for my vote on the bill to be recorded as a nay.
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Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to commemorate the 140th anniversary of U.S. diplomatic presence in Winnipeg, a testament to the deep, enduring bonds between Canada and the United States. Since the appointment of the first U.S. consul in 1869, our ties have only grown stronger, underscored by the consulate's reopening in 2001. This event was marked by then U.S. ambassador Gordon Giffin and then Manitob…
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Mr. Speaker, when I knocked on doors this past summer, there were many days that saw smoke-filled air that prevented kids from going outside, far above normal temperatures that posed life-threatening conditions for vulnerable seniors, droughts that caused cracks in home foundations and anxiety about the future as the realities of climate change confront us in new and undeniable ways. Canadians wan…
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Mr. Speaker, today marks World Parkinson's Day. In Canada alone, more than 100,000 people live with the disease, and there are hundreds of thousands more Canadians who are friends, family and caregivers of those living with Parkinson's. They are deeply impacted, too. Recently, my own family suffered a great loss with the passing of my uncle Robert, my dad's brother, following a 20-year courageous …
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Mr. Speaker, our government has been unwavering in its support for our ally, Ukraine. With the values of all democracies threatened by Russia's illegal invasion, we have been there every step of the way, doing our part to ensure a Ukrainian victory. My riding of Winnipeg South Centre is home to thousands of Canadians of Ukrainian descent, and in recent months we have welcomed thousands more who ar…
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Madam Speaker, Africa is home to five of the top 10 fastest-growing economies in the world. I am proud of our government's investments to help businesses in my riding and across Canada reach new markets, including Africa. Earlier this year, the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business hosted the second Canada-Africa Business Conference in Kenya. Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Intern…
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Mr. Speaker, a few times in the House, in response to comments colleagues across the way have made vis-à-vis the relationship between a price on pollution and food prices, I have raised that we have very clear data, including from the OECD, that tells us that Canada has the second-lowest inflation rate for food prices in the G7. That is on par with the United States, a jurisdiction that does not h…
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Madam Speaker, that would probably be a question for the minister. As I mentioned a few minutes ago, Quebec has an outstanding model. We have learned a lot of positive lessons about creating a national system based on what Quebec has put in place. Unfortunately, that is not a question I can answer on behalf of the government. It would probably be better to ask the minister.
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Madam Speaker, since we are talking about young people and the important investments the governments have made, I was quite pleased to hear the member reference that he thought that an income-tested CCB program is having a positive impact on young people and their families in this country. I will note that it was of course Prime Minister Harper's government over a number of years that did not inco…
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Surrey Centre. I appreciate, as always, the opportunity to rise in the House on behalf of my constituents in Winnipeg South Centre. It is timely that I have the opportunity to talk about this bill because just last week, during our constituency week, I visited Splash Early Learning Centre in my riding. It was a wonderful opportunity for …
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the question from my colleague across the way. I will answer it in two parts. The first is that we are. Part of the money that is being invested into the provincial deals we have signed is to make sure that we have an increase in the number of spaces, that we subsidize wages, and that we look at partnerships with colleges and universities so there are more spaces. To th…
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Madam Speaker, sometimes when we hear the same song over and over again, it is nice to hear a remake of it. I really appreciate that my colleague from the NDP provided some new lyrics to the song we have been hearing frequently here in the House of Commons. It has got a nice ring to it. In terms of why the Conservatives are choosing to vote against this legislation, I think it is probably because …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, indigenous tourism has the power to create jobs, transform the tourism industry and advance reconciliation. It is worth over $1.2 billion and supports more than 30,000 jobs across the country. Last November, the Minister of Tourism announced the creation of the micro and small business stream of the indigenous tourism fund. Can the minister tell us how our government is supporting the…
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Madam Speaker, I am very sorry to interrupt the current affairs of the chamber. I am back again, this time with a tie and jacket on as per House rules. I tried to tell you before, when I was not dressed appropriately, that I had a technical issue on the last vote being held today, which was on Bill C-273, and my intention is to vote in favour. Therefore, I am asking for unanimous consent from the …
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Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. My apologies for interrupting the business of the House. I am in Winnipeg, and I had some technical issues, which prevented me from voting—
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Madam Speaker, I very much enjoyed sitting on committee with the member for Nunavut thus far. It has been a collaborative and rewarding experience. I am wondering if she can speak a bit further to the importance of this being indigenous-led and to the importance of this being an opportunity for indigenous peoples who have, for so long in our country, through a variety of different mechanisms, been…
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Mr. Speaker, I have a lot of respect for my colleague across the way. I have enjoyed my time in committee with him. I am a little disappointed that his speech was verbatim from what appears to be a Conservative staffer, because there were a few things written in there that he may want to reflect on. If I understood correctly, there was reference to aggressive questioning at committee by members on…
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, after months of debate in this House, albeit without the support of a single member of the Conservative Party, we voted to advance the new Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. President Zelenskyy and the thousands of Canadian Ukrainians I represent in my riding of Winnipeg South Centre expect our government to be there for them, and we have been every step of the way. Can t…
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Madam Speaker, I want to be careful because the last time I said I spoke to farmers who were not opposed to the carbon tax, my colleague told me they were not real farmers. I am not sure who gets to decide who is a real farmer and who is not. When I did have a conversation with those farmers, they told me very clearly that they had concerns about climate change and they had concerns about the impa…
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Mr. Speaker, today, members of the chamber will have the opportunity, yet again, to advance the modernized Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. February 24 will mark two years since Russia's brutal, inhumane and cruel invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainians both at home and across the Canadian diaspora have demonstrated an unwavering and inspiring will to persevere. I have seen this tenacity first-hand in…
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Madam Speaker, I do not believe I have had the opportunity to interact with my colleague. I appreciate this as the first opportunity to do so. I am not sure I actually heard a question in there. I will very briefly—
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Madam Speaker, I sit on the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food with my colleague, and I have appreciated his collegiality and the degree of collaboration we have been able to find on our shared values. As a relatively new member of Parliament, I always enjoy the opportunity to meet new people from across the country with shared interests. This is a timely conversation for us to have, …
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Madam Speaker, I have a couple of things to say. I would welcome anybody to review the testimony that was given today, and perhaps there will be a different interpretation of what was said. The point of a price on pollution is to make sure that it is not free to pollute. However, they cannot then say that it will come out in the wash. Every single day we hear members of the opposition saying that …
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Madam Speaker, I just want to quickly say that people in downtown Winnipeg, which my riding is not actually located in, are paying attention to these issues. It is an issue that is a matter of great significance to Canadians across the country. In fact, the number one issue that I heard at the door when I talk to people, if it was not the health care system that the Conservative government in Mani…
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Madam Speaker, I am certainly enjoying the spirit of the debate. I will try to decrease the volume so that if I repeat something I have said, I do not get accused of saying it louder and louder. We know that eight out of 10 Canadians are better off because they are getting more money back than it is costing them when they are faced with an increase as a result of the price on pollution. It is inte…
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Madam Speaker, part of me wishes that actually the member got louder and louder; he was speaking so gently and so nicely. I hope he will speak up in the response. I also just wanted to very quickly say that he is actually my member of Parliament at our family cottage that has been in the family for a long time. I believe that my aunt was a teacher of his in Kenora. I can see that some of her wonde…
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Madam Speaker, I see that we are surrounded by folks who are about to be riveted by the exchange, and I do not want to delay too long the late show, which I know is about to take place between my two colleagues. I would just like to ask my hon. colleague from Regina if he could comment on the shift in economic policy we are seeing in places such as the European Union, where they are beginning to i…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today to present my first petition on behalf of constituents in my riding of Winnipeg South Centre. The petitioners are asking for the House to swiftly adopt Bill C-57, the renewed Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. It is timely that the petition is being presented shortly after members opposite voted to disallow the bill from moving forward.
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Mr. Speaker, I withdraw them and apologize. I draw the attention of the House to a remark I made earlier in the statement, which is that it is my first petition. I am learning the rules as we go. I want to thank the constituents of Winnipeg South Centre who have put this petition forward. I represent one of the largest Ukrainian populations in Canada and am grateful they have chosen, alongside oth…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, this past weekend marked the 108th anniversary of a historic milestone in our nation's journey towards equality. It was on January 28, 1916, that my home province of Manitoba blazed a trail by granting women the right to vote; it was the first province in Canada to do so. This decision was the result of years' worth of brave and courageous actions by women across Canada, marking a tur…
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Mr. Speaker, indigenous people living in urban, rural and northern areas face unique challenges accessing adequate housing and do not qualify for support that is provided to indigenous people living on reserve. Through budgets 2022 and 2023, the government has committed to the codevelopment of a dedicated urban, rural and northern indigenous housing strategy to address these gaps. Just last week, …
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Mr. Speaker, today marks one year since the death of my father, Jim Carr. My dad had a deep respect for our institutions. He believed in the possibility borne from civil, yet rigorous debate; hard work; and confidence in what we can accomplish when working together. His morals and values were guided by a faith in people. The proudest of his accomplishments was the last one: In his final days, he s…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. As we just passed midnight, I was hoping we could take a moment, in a non-partisan way, to thank the clerks, the pages, and the guards, all those who are providing us comfort and security. It is important that we, as a chamber, recognize them.
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