Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, petitioners in my riding of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford are concerned on behalf of small businesses, including convenience stores, and ask the government to remove the restrictions on the sale of nicotine pouches. Many adult Canadians make use of nicotine pouches to help them quit tobacco-smoking by relieving cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Only allowing pharmacies to sell the produc…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member for Spadina—Harbourfront on her first remarks in this House of Commons. We share one thing in common: We are both former parliamentary interns. I welcome her to the House of Commons. I would encourage her to use her voice in this chamber. The Liberal Party has a tradition of allowing the member for Winnipeg North to disproportionately take up all the time. Th…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, to the member for Victoria, congratulations on your first speech in the House of Commons. As a fellow British Columbian—
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member for Prescott—Russell—Cumberland on her maiden speech in the House of Commons. During the election, there was much consensus on the fact that Canada needs to build. We need to build energy infrastructure. We need to build more homes. We need to do a lot more than we have seen in the last 10 years. However, the Liberal candidate in my riding spoke about Liberal…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, small businesses are struggling with the complexity and obscurity of the customs notice. For a government program that was designed to help businesses, the CBSA is causing turmoil, costing time and money for many in manufacturing and its supply chains. On May 20, the department quietly issued an updated notice on its interpretation of the scope, narrowing the order. Why, in this time …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, through you, I congratulate the member for Victoria. As the member knows, my riding of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford suffered one of the most devastating natural disasters in the history of Canada. Our major roadways were washed out. Sumas Prairie, the breadbasket of British Columbia, was flooded. It was turmoil. Since that natural disaster, the federal government has not come forward wi…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I thank the good people of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford for re-electing me to the House. Today, I present a petition on behalf of constituents in my riding who are concerned about the transition from military to civilian life. The petitioners are calling upon the Government of Canada to drastically reduce red tape for our veterans and to improve the process of going from military life t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the second petition is on natural health products. Petitioners in Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon are calling upon the Government of Canada to reverse its attack on natural health products, which will decimate small businesses and a billion-dollar industry in Canada. Again, it is a policy that will hurt workers and businesses alike.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in the third petition, petitioners are calling for further support for the Lets'emot Regional Recreation & Aquatic Centre, which brings together indigenous communities and the District of Kent to provide adequate recreational facilities in the District of Kent.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I am presenting three petitions today. The first one is on the prison needle exchange program. Constituents in Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon are against the government's providing needles so inmates can do illegal drugs. That is not safe and it is not good for correctional officers. It is not good for inmates. Petitioners are calling for that government policy to end.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, the NDP-Liberal government has passed a number of bills that have led to more violence against women. How can the member support measures that have measurably decreased the quality of life of women and their safety in Canada since they signed their confidence and supply agreement with the Liberal government?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the exceptional roles and responsibilities Canada's military members undertake while in service can lead to physical and mental health difficulties. Adjusting to civilian life can be challenging for many of our military veterans, and this adjustment can impact their physical and mental health. The process for veterans and their family members to obtain Veterans Affairs Canada benefits…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, today the Auditor General released a bombshell report on the Canada emergency business account. It highlights serious inefficiencies, a lack of government oversight and $3.5 billion in losses to ineligible recipients. How did we get here? The report outlined that the third party program administrator, Accenture, set its own pricing, wrote its own contracts, ran procurement and receive…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I think the member for London North Centre and I can agree on one thing: Zoning reform is indeed needed across Canada. It was under the previous election platform from the Conservative Party that zoning measures were introduced as a means to spur more development. The Liberals in fact copied our plan. The premier of British Columbia implemented similar policies and actually targeted m…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, I asked the Minister of Housing if he would join Conservatives in axing the federal GST on housing so more Canadians could finally buy a home. Axing the federal GST would spark 30,000 new developments across the country per year. This tax cut would save $40,000, or $2,200 a year in mortgage payments on an $800,000 house. Unfortunately, the Minister of Housing refuses …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, first, with respect to the concurrence report that we are debating today, will the member for Winnipeg North please apologize to all Canadians of indigenous ancestry for the horrible actions of the former cabinet minister, the member for Edmonton Centre? Second, will the member apologize to all the women he has silenced in the House of Commons by taking up all the time in Government…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, because the NDP-Liberals are trying to fool Canadians with a two-month tax trick, small businesses are being forced, and are scrambling, to reprogram their point-of-sale machines and to find the time and money to pay for these changes. It is a shame the Minister of Small Business knew and did not care that this tax trick would hurt the very businesses she purports to help. We all know…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, because the NDP-Liberals are trying to fool Canadians with this tax trick, small business owners are forced to reprogram their point-of-sales machines and to find the time and money to pay for these changes. They are very much scrambling to do so. It is a shame that the minister did not care to think about the impact this change would have on the small business owners the government…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, the NDP members are a bunch of sellouts. Despite the leader of the NDP's media stunt where he ripped up the coalition deal and said, “the Liberals are too weak, too selfish and too beholden to corporate interests to fight for people,” he continues to prop up the Prime Minister and his failed caucus. The leader of the NDP voted for the carbon tax over 24 times, pushing Canadians to foo…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the carbon tax revenues collected from small businesses since 2019 and the over $2.5 billion in fuel charge rebates owed to small businesses: (a) what is the average processing time for the Canada Carbon Rebate for Small Businesses as announced in budget 2024; (b) when can businesses who filed their 2023 taxes before the deadline of July 15, 2024, expect their rebate; and (c) how ma…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the first petition I am presenting today is on extreme intoxication as a legal defence. Amendments were made to the Criminal Code on June 23, 2022, allowing for “extreme intoxication as a defence for violent [crimes] like assault and sexual assault, even where a reasonable person would not have foreseen the risk of a violent loss of control.” The National Inquiry into Missing and Murd…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the second petition I would like to present today is in response to Health Canada's changing rules related to natural health products. Health Canada recently proposed new and significant fees to import, manufacture and sell NHPs, along with new labelling laws. This means that consumer prices will rise and consumer choice will decline. Many Canadians rely on NHPs, which include basic, …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. The fourth party, the New Democratic Party, has missed 26—
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in October, I asked the Minister of Industry and the Minister of Small Business why it was okay for Liberals to enrich their friends through Sustainable Development Technology Canada while small businesses are struggling. SDTC was established in 2001 and it operated with few issues under both previous Liberal and Conservative governments until the Prime Minister took office. Earlier t…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I understand that in every Liberal budget, there seems to be a line item for every issue facing our country. However, the Liberal approach fails to address the broader economic conditions that government programs, on a one-off basis, cannot address. We need a government right now that is going to address the overall productivity of the Canadian economy and the overall state of our eco…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after nine years of NDP-Liberals, they are simply not worth the cost of housing. There are encampments all over the city of Abbotsford, including the beloved cenotaph. Young people are feeling hopeless, knowing even with a good salary, they will not be able to afford a new house. Conservatives understand that and that is why we have proposed a federal GST cut on new homes, a tax cut t…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, rent is down in the last year, but it is still up over 50% over the last nine years. We could look at rent, but if we look at the overall cost of living, food bank usage is soaring, mortgage costs are up, and the costs of purchasing general goods and buying groceries are up. Everything costs more because of the policies of the government that the member supports, and 7% is not enoug…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to rise on a question of privilege that has taken our country by storm over the last number of months. No matter what the Liberals say, no matter what argument they throw at Canadians, it comes down to one very simple fact: The Conservative Party of Canada will not relent in our protection of the Constitution and the powers granted to the House by the people of Can…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, the hon. member for Winnipeg North has forgotten my quote from page 239 of Parliamentary Privilege in Canada: Disobedience to rules or orders represents an affront to the dignity of the House, and accordingly the House could take action, not simply for satisfaction but to ensure that the House of Commons is held in the respect necessary for its authority to be vindicated. That is wh…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I wish the member for Winnipeg North would review the Speaker's ruling where he found a prima facie case of privilege. Had the government and cabinet listened to the orders of Parliament months ago, we could have either been into a carbon tax election today or gotten to the bottom of their very corruption.
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I was on the industry committee, so I heard the testimony of Annette Verschuren. She refused to answer any basic questions. I also heard the testimony of former industry minister Mr. Bains, who, I believe, now works for Rogers Communications. They were indifferent about the cost of living crisis that is impacting Canada. The government seems to only care about one thing: protecting …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I have to say that on an MP's salary, you might have a hard time affording a mortgage in the community I live in today. When we talk about the $8-billion budget overrun, according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, people in Abbotsford say, “We produce a large portion of all the chicken, eggs, dairy, fruit and vegetables that are consumed in British Columbia. They are grown down t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, correctional officers in my riding are calling upon the Government of Canada to eradicate the prison needle exchange and all other programs and policies that turn a blind eye to the rampant drug use in federal institutions in our country. Inmates in federal institutions are often there for drug-related crimes. It does not make sense for the government to turn a blind eye to these cr…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the National Trade Corridors Fund (NTCF): (a) under the “National Call to Address Capacity Constraints” first call for proposals in July 2017, how many projects were approved for British Columbia; (b) under the “Continuous call for Trade Diversification” launched on January 15, 2019, how many projects were approved for British Columbia; (c) under the “Increasing the Fluidity of Cana…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour to stand up on behalf of British Columbians and, in fact, all Canadians, when tackling the important issue of housing. Right before I came into this chamber, as I prepared my notes for this speech, one of the interns in my office said the Liberal government's approach to housing sort of reminded them of a famous quote by former United States President Ronald Rea…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, there are some key things the Conservative Party must do to see more homes built in Canada. First and foremost, we must do what economist Mike Moffatt said is the single-biggest thing we can do for middle-class homes, which is to incentivize more construction through the elimination of the GST on homes under a million dollars. Second, we must ensure there is densification around trans…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear that many of my Conservative colleagues and I are blessed to go to Diwali celebrations all across Canada. The statement made by the member opposite is misdirected. Conservatives celebrate Diwali, and I celebrate that part of Canadian heritage with thousands of my constituents, who use the opportunity to ensure that light conquers darkness.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I do not have an exact number on immigration at hand, but as the member for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, I believe that immigration should be tied to Canada's ability to integrate newcomers. It should be tied to our ability to have hospitals that can serve our population and schools that can serve our population. Immigration needs to be done in a responsible way. What is so scary is…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to budget 2024 which stated that the changes to capital gains taxes would increase federal revenues by $19.4 billion over five years starting in 2024-25: (a) how did the government arrive at this figure; and (b) what data sources were used?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, a few years ago I sat beside a new veteran on a flight to Ottawa. During the flight, she shared with me both the rewards and challenges of being a member of the Royal Canadian Navy. I had an opportunity to reconnect with this brave veteran a few weeks ago, and I was upset to hear that she is still working to obtain the services she is entitled to. As we approach Remembrance Day, it is…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to changes in capital gains taxes as announced in budget 2024: after removing capital gains income from the calculation of total personal income, what is the share of capital gains tax revenue collected from those earning (i) equal or less than $50,000, (ii) between $50,001 and $100,000, (iii) between $100,001 and $150,000, (iv) over $150,000?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the second petition I would like to present today is on behalf of Falun Gong practitioners in Canada. Petitioners are calling for the Government of Canada to pass a resolution to establish measures to stop the Chinese Communist regime from systematically imprisoning practitioners.
Read full speech →Concurrence in Committee Reports
Madam Speaker, we all are aware that, when a privilege motion comes before the House of Commons and the Speaker of the House of Commons rules that there has been a breach of Parliament's powers, no other business can come before the House of Commons. If, indeed, the member was so concerned about the passage of Bill C-63 through the House of Commons, the government would do what Canadians want and …
Read full speech →Concurrence in Committee Reports
Madam Speaker, that is exactly it. We have to look very closely at Bill C-27 to update Canada's privacy laws to account for the revolutionary technological advancements that are taking place before our eyes today. Make no mistake, the period that we are living in right now and the technological advancements that were clearly articulated to the industry committee here in Parliament are equivalent t…
Read full speech →Concurrence in Committee Reports
Madam Speaker, in a rapidly evolving technological environment, it is important, more than ever, that we ensure children are protected. The report tabled by the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, entitled “Facial Recognition Technology and the Growing Power of Artificial Intelligence”, looks at the benefits and risks of facial recognition and use in specific contexts,…
Read full speech →Concurrence in Committee Reports
Madam Speaker, let me begin by acknowledging that I agree that racialized people, especially vulnerable children and women, are impacted by artificial intelligence the most. That is a fact; I believe that. The best way to protect these people is not to amend the human rights report, as per the committee's recommendation, but to enshrine the protections in Bill C-27, which is at committee right now…
Read full speech →Concurrence in Committee Reports
Madam Speaker, in fact, the member for Calgary Nose Hill, who just spoke, has a private member's bill that is before the House as well, Bill C-412 which would do a better job of amending the Criminal Code to go after child predators. What the Liberals are trying to do in Bill C-63 is create a new bureaucracy that would not be accountable to Canadians. From what we have seen with Bill C-27, I do no…
Read full speech →Concurrence in Committee Reports
Madam Speaker, I think it begins with putting in law the best interests of children. That is a significant part because it assumes that the interests of children will always supersede commercial interests. I think that needs to be at the forefront of legislation regulating the use of technology and our datasets in Canada. Children always have to come first and technology second.
Read full speech →Concurrence in Committee Reports
Madam Speaker, I would agree with my colleague from Calgary Nose Hill that indeed we need an election right now. With regard to the attempt by the government to update our laws with respect to personal privacy and its application with all forms of technology, the government has been very irresponsible with respect to the legislation in its attempt to update our laws. In fact, this is about the thi…
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