Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I have a few points to discuss on the MOU regarding collaboration. The MOU states that the Government of Canada is going to collaborate with British Columbia. Under Bill C-5, the government has granted itself powers to exempt the federal government from following other existing legislation. How is the Minister of Natural Resources going to square that with the anti-energy, anti-priv…
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Mr. Speaker, the second petition I would like to present is on behalf angered parents who are again calling upon the Government of Canada to enforce its agreement with British Columbia and not allow for a safe consumption site across the street from a school track. Parents are calling for the Government of Canada to cease all funding to BC Housing until it comes to its senses and finds a more suit…
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise to present three petitions. The first is on behalf of residents in Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford regarding the gun confiscation program that will cost Canadian taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. They feel it unfairly targets law-abiding firearms owners, and the petitioners note the Parliamentary Budget Officer estimates the cost to compensate firearm owners alone wil…
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Madam Speaker, forgive my cynicism today, but my riding of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford is one of the most trade-exposed regions in all of Canada. We are the breadbasket of British Columbia. We have one of the most diverse economies. Four years ago, we suffered the most disastrous natural disaster caused by climate change in the history of Canada. Where has the Government of Canada been on securing …
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the discourse from the member from the Bloc Québécois, but unfortunately I do not think he really understands British Columbia and what British Columbians want. British Columbians are the most environmentally conscious people in the entire country. That is a statistical fact. We love our rainforests. We love our natural environment. However, the majority of British Colu…
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Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I believe it is under the Standing Orders. This is a misrepresentation of the way Conservatives feel about Canadians. We do not, in fact, believe Canadians are stupid—
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I rise today to respond to my colleague's deeply moving remarks about Bill C-231, the friends of David act. First, I commend him for having the courage to share such a personal story in the House. My colleague's words remind us that behind the statistics are families, communities and broken dreams. The story of the member's son David is not only heartbreaking, it is a call to action…
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Mr. Speaker, there are eight million kids in Canada, and last I counted, the national food program is not even feeding two million of them. While families struggle with soaring grocery bills, small businesses are also being crushed by those same inflationary policies and the loss of the purchasing power of Canadian families. Canada has 100,000 fewer entrepreneurs today than it did in the year 2000…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister told Canadians he should be judged by the prices at the grocery store. Perhaps he should be careful what he wishes for. Grocery prices are climbing, families cannot afford the basics and 85% of Canadians say food costs are their top concern. “Canada's Food Price Report” says that, next year, families will pay $1,000 more for groceries. When will the Liberals cut the…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to table a petition on behalf of residents of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford, who are frightened by the ever-increasing levels of organized violence, extortion, shootings and intimidation across the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland. Daylight shootings, murders and violence underscore a broader public safety crisis. These residents call upon the Government of Canada to reinfor…
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Mr. Speaker, the second petition I would like to present today is on behalf of angered parents who send their kids to Abbotsford Traditional School. The parents are calling upon the Government of Canada to cease all funding to BC Housing until it comes to its senses and stops its plan to put a safe consumption site across the street from the school track. Parents are worried about their children's…
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Madam Speaker, the reason we are here this morning is that the justice committee is asking for the opportunity to hear from Canadians, and to travel to do so. A travel motion before the House of Commons is, in fact, very rare. At the heart of why we need this travel motion is section 319 of the Criminal Code. I would like to ask the member for Winnipeg North if he could clarify, in good faith, the…
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Mr. Speaker, we are here today because we put forward a motion to travel and discuss Bill C-9. At the heart of the request to travel is the agreement between the Liberal Party and the Bloc Québécois on paragraph 319(3)(b) of the Criminal Code, which provides an exemption, “if, in good faith, the person expressed or attempted to establish by an argument an opinion on a religious subject or an opini…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The member is indicating something I did, in fact, not do in the chamber. Let the record stand that I did not speak up when—
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I rise, again, on behalf of angered parents who are concerned about the horrible actions of BC Housing, which is proposing a safe consumption site across from the high school track at Abbotsford Traditional School. The petitioners are calling upon the Government of Canada to enforce its agreement with the Province of British Columbia, which does not allow for hard drugs to be done i…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, what is the consequence of a weak immigration system? It is extortion. What is the consequence of a government that believes that the perpetrators of crime are in fact the victims? It is extortion. What is the consequence of loosening bail conditions and reducing sentencing for violent crimes? It is extortion. We have an extortion problem in Canada because we have a Liberal governme…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I rise today to address Bill C-241, which proposes the creation of a national strategy for flood and drought forecasting. While the intent to improve coordination and data sharing is commendable, the bill risks becoming yet another Ottawa-driven exercise in paperwork rather than delivering real solutions. Canadians have seen first-hand the devastation of floods and droughts, from Ab…
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise on behalf of angry parents with children at Abbotsford Traditional School, who are concerned about BC Housing's policy to establish a “safe” consumption site across from the school track. Parents want to protect the innocence of their children. Hard drugs have no business being close to high schools, and parents are demanding that all funding to BC Housing from the federa…
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today on behalf of the great people of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford. I come from a very entrepreneurial riding. Right now in Canada, small businesses are under real pressure: rising costs, persistent inflation and complex regulations. Across Canada, 30.5% of small business firms with fewer than 20 employees reported lower revenues last year and over 20% worry abo…
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Mr. Speaker, I do not even think $350 million would address the pump issues we are facing on Sumas Prairie. The former prime minister, Mr. Trudeau, made a promise to the people of Abbotsford, and to all regions of British Columbia that suffered the most catastrophic floods four years ago, that the government would have their backs. Yes, we did receive $5 billion in the 2021 fall economic statement…
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Mr. Speaker, with respect to carbon capture and storage, it is one tool among many that can improve Canada's competitiveness in the oil and gas sector. I visited some of the leading technology firms that we have in British Columbia working on this important issue. That said, the primary point of my speech was that this budget missed the key points needed to address the structural reforms in Canada…
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Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to have previously represented many of the regions this member now represents in the Fraser Canyon. Indeed, in 2021, the federal government promised billions of dollars to help rebuild British Columbia. The government talked about the impacts of climate change. We have seen them more specifically than any other region of Canada. Why does the government not believe in cli…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, Conservatives have been very clear in the House that we are generally in support of many of the measures in Bill C-12 and Bill C-14. In respect of Bill C-2 and the Liberal government now tying it to extortion, the reality is that we are in a minority Parliament and the Liberals never work with us. They never addressed some of the charter challenges that will inevitably come from tha…
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Mr. Speaker, there is a correlation between government regulations that limit resource development and extraction in Canada and the number of small businesses. If we ignore the portion of our economy that actually generates wealth and creates income for Canadians, we are going to see a precipitous decline in the number of small businesses. In the Fraser Valley, the heartland of agricultural produc…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Family Services of Greater Vancouver reports record demand for Christmas food hampers and food banks in general. They outline that families working full time, even those in higher income tax brackets, cannot afford the basics. For nine straight months, grocery prices across Canada have risen faster than inflation, yet the government keeps piling on costs, driving food prices even high…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I rise again on behalf of the concerned parents who send their kids to Abbotsford Traditional School. They are rightly concerned about the increase in drug use, and they are rightly concerned about the proposed safe consumption site across the street from the school track. Parents are calling on the federal government to respect the special agreement with British Columbia and not allo…
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise for I believe the fourth or fifth time on behalf of angered parents at Abbotsford Traditional School who are opposed to the safe consumption site proposed by BC Housing across the street from the school track. Parents are calling upon the Government of Canada to enforce its special arrangement with British Columbia, to respect the innocence of children and to cease all fu…
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Mr. Speaker, I am very concerned that the rhetoric from the government is not meeting the economic reality Canada is facing right now. I served with the member on the industry committee. In 2023, he spoke extensively about the critical minerals strategy tied to battery electrification projects in Canada. Those have all fallen apart in recent months. In fact, right now, the Government of Canada is …
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Mr. Speaker, extortion threats in British Columbia are up 481% since 2015. The Liberals voted against our Conservative plan a year ago that would have tackled this crisis with mandatory jail time and removing house arrest as an option for extortion with a firearm. Since their refusal to act, thousands of new extortion cases have exploded across Canada. What do the Liberals have to say to the busin…
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Mr. Speaker, many Liberal speakers have spoken about something very radical for the business community, which we have not seen a plan for yet. It is their commitment to double exports from Canada in a 10-year period. In my estimation, the only way we are going to see that happen is if the Liberals approve another pipeline off the B.C. coast. Would the member agree that a pipeline is necessary for …
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to table a petition on behalf of residents of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford who are concerned with the rising rates of organized violence, extortion, shootings and intimidation across the Lower Mainland of British Columbia. Daylight shootings, murders and other acts of violence highlight a more systemic public safety crisis. The petitioners mourn the tragic death of Darshan …
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Mr. Speaker, the second petition I would like to present today is on behalf of British Columbians who are concerned about human trafficking. They are calling upon the Government of Canada to strengthen the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act to address its shortcomings and put an end to human trafficking in Canada.
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Mr. Speaker, the third petition I would like to present today is on behalf of angered parents who are concerned about the actions of BC Housing and its proposed safe consumption site across the street from Abbotsford Traditional School. The petitioners are calling upon the federal government to enforce the decriminalization policies, the protection of children, that were in that agreement with Bri…
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise on behalf of angered parents with children at Abbotsford Traditional School who are fighting against BC Housing's attempt to put in a safe consumption site across from the school playground and track. Parents demand action from the Government of Canada with respect to the decriminalization experiment in the province of British Columbia, asking it to uphold the rules withi…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals can outline anything in the budget they want, but they are not addressing the problem we have with extortion. There has been a 550% increase in British Columbia. Business owners are especially scared because they are the ones being targeted. Abbotsford police and Surrey police have already put forward a special task force to deal with this growing problem. In the last Par…
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise on behalf of my constituents to present four petitions. The first is on behalf of angered parents at Abbotsford Traditional School. B.C. Housing is proposing a safe consumption site across the street from the school playground. Parents do not want this to happen, and they have called upon the Government of Canada to cease all funding to B.C. Housing until it respects the …
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Mr. Speaker, the third petition I would like to present today is on behalf of gurdwaras and churches in Abbotsford that are calling upon the government to reject recommendations 429 and 430 in the finance committee report last year. Churches and gurdwaras in my riding do incredible work to house the poor, to feed people and to take care of the sick. We want them to continue that good work and not …
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Mr. Speaker, the final petition I am raising today is on behalf of British Columbians who are concerned about the overwhelming increase in human trafficking. We need to strengthen our laws in Canada, and petitioners are calling upon the Government of Canada to mimic legislation in the United States, which would have harsher penalties and capacities to stop the evil people who traffic young people …
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Madam Speaker, the second petition I would like to present today is on behalf of residents in my riding who are concerned that existing flood protection infrastructure, including dikes, levies and drainage systems, is aging and inadequate to withstand current and future flood risks. Effective flood mitigation requires substantial investment in modern, climate-resilient infrastructure. The flooding…
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Madam Speaker, today, I rise to table multiple petitions for the people of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford. My first petition is calling for an alternative location for a supportive housing project planned for Martens Street across from the Abbotsford Traditional School. Throughout this process, there has been a lack of transparency, public input and consideration of alternative locations, and no discl…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, every dollar the Liberal government spends comes out of the pockets of Canadians in the form of higher taxes and inflation. The Prime Minister tells young Canadians to sacrifice, yet Liberal insiders are thriving. Case in point: as Canadians give up on home ownership, the government handed out over $30 million in bonuses to 99% of housing agency executives, averaging $43,000 per bonus…
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Mr. Speaker, there are a few things I would like to point out with respect to the parliamentary secretary's speech. First off, the approach of the government creates an ethical dilemma when citizenship is passed on to the grandchildren of naturalized citizens. There will come a time when Canada has to use its conscription laws. How will a Canadian living in another country be treated versus a Cana…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to speak about Abbotsford, where last week there were three shootings in three days. It is devastating to have another member of our community, Mr. Darshan Sasi, killed. I want to thank the Abbotsford Police Department and our first responders for their quick action, but this should not be the norm. The pressures they face to protect our crime-ridden co…
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Mr. Speaker, I represent one of the most trade-exposed regions in Canada, and Canadian manufacturers are being crushed by the industrial carbon tax and rising inflation. From steel, aerospace and auto parts to food processing, every step in the supply chain is costing more. Manufacturers cannot compete when the cost of everything keeps rising and businesses are burdened with more and more red tape…
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Mr. Speaker, if the industry minister had to be burdened with the paperwork and bills small businesses are facing today, she would act differently in this House. Take the food and beverage industry, for example. It runs on razor-thin margins, and after 10 years of Liberal deficits, food inflation continues to rise, to 4% this year. That is forcing restaurants to charge more and make less. Is the g…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of small businesses, including convenience stores, asking to remove restrictions on the sale of nicotine pouches. Many adult Canadians make use of nicotine pouches to help them quit other tobacco products by relieving cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Only allowing pharmacies to sell the product from behind a counter takes away the freedom …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it is Small Business Week, and I want to take a moment to recognize the incredible role small businesses play in our communities and across the country. These entrepreneurs are the driving force behind innovation, job creation and local economic growth. Small business owners are feeling the pressure, though, from rising costs, excessive red tape, unfair taxes, crime and ongoing econom…
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Madam Speaker, what has become clear during our debate on Bill C-12 over the last number of days is that the measures in this bill respond to long-standing grievances outlined by the Conservatives, mainly on immigration and the open-door policies that Canada suffered under Justin Trudeau. With some of the provisions in this bill, we hope to see some improvements in public confidence about immigrat…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to congratulate the member for Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola on his incredible work and his adopting some of the greatest parts of Canada into his new riding, especially the Fraser Canyon. The member has been working incredibly hard, and he was leading the charge in many respects on getting to Bill C-12. Why did we need to get to Bill C-12? Bill C-2 included provisions that wo…
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