Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. This is not debate. The citizenship law, as the member is referring to, does not apply to Canadian Forces members.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, petitioners in my riding want to remind the government that it pledged $5 billion in the 2021 fall economic statement to help British Columbia recover from unprecedented disasters. To date, only 40% of that funding has been delivered. On behalf of petitioners, I will remind the House that the port of Vancouver was cut off from the rest of Canada. Every major road connecting British Co…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, congratulations for all the wrong reasons. Canada is now a world leader in high taxes. Ranked behind only Chile and Denmark, we now have the third highest capital gains tax rate in the world. In the midst of a productivity crisis, how can the Minister of Small Business support a tax hike that will kill jobs and decimate our entrepreneurs?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, a key problem with Bill C-65 is that clauses 40 and 41 would amend sections 269 and 279 of the Elections Canada Act to allow voters to write in the name of a political party rather than a candidate. Does the member opposite agree that this is a dereliction of our historical practice of electing individual members to the House of Commons and not political parties?
Read full speech →Government Orders
With regard to government patronage, contracts and funding provided to the individuals who signed the document entitled "An Open Letter from Economists on Canadian Carbon Pricing": (a) which of the individuals who signed the document have received government contracts since November 4, 2015; (b) what are the details of all contracts in (a), including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) vendor, (iii) amo…
Read full speech →Government Orders
With regard to the trip to Washington, D.C. by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry on April 27 and 28, 2024: (a) what was the minister's detailed itinerary on the trip; and (b) what are the details of each meeting attended by the minister on the trip, including the (i) date, (ii) time, (iii) purpose, (iv) list of attendees?
Read full speech →Government Orders
With regard to the government's decision to decrease the amount of the carbon pricing revenues rebated for small businesses from 7% to 5%: (a) why is the government decreasing the percentages; and (b) on what date will the decrease take effect?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, today I rise on behalf of correctional officers in the Pacific region who are calling for an end to the needle exchange program put in place by the Liberal government. Correctional officers are calling for an effective strategy to stop drones from dropping drugs onto prison grounds. We need a drone dereliction strategy.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, at a time when food insecurity is skyrocketing and millions are lining up at food banks, the government is bringing forward a punishing capital gains tax hike that would disproportionately affect family farms and small business. According to the Grain Growers of Canada, it will amount to a 30% increase on what farmers have to pay Ottawa when they pass on their family business to their…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, the Liberal minister responsible for legal hard drugs is misleading Canadians. The government is claiming that the so-called safe supply program is working, but the facts say otherwise. In Abbotsford alone, the number of overdoses between 2013 and 2022 went up by 820%, meaning that Abbotsford has seen a near 1,000% increase in overdoses over the last 10 years. The minister should al…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I am not looking for a clip. I am addressing the incredibly challenging situation that we find in British Columbia today. My question for the member for Sherbrooke is this: If given the chance, would she legalize hard drugs as her government did in British Columbia? Given the chance, would she adopt a policy that has led, statistically, to record overdose deaths of children from har…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the member's remarks on the corruption we are seeing in the Liberal government, which is displayed in the Auditor General's report. I will note, as seen on page 14 of the Auditor General's report, that there were 90 cases where, according to the foundation's own records, conflict of interest policies were not followed. How do we get rid of corruption in Parliament and i…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, in respect to the workers at play here, it was the former Conservative government that brought in stronger enforcement for whistle-blowers. We need to protect members of the public service who see an injustice and are willing to stand up for Canadian taxpayers. In this case, we really did see that. While we did see a level of incompetence and disregard for public money at Industry C…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the debate today is not about pipelines, although I am very pleased to see the Kinder Morgan pipeline completed. That is going to do a lot of good for the Canadian taxpayers. I am glad that project is finished. However, what we are talking about here today is a very serious issue, an Auditor General's report that clearly outlines cases of a conflict of interest. It says the Liberal …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes. Sustainable Technology Development Canada was launched in 2001 to support businesses to innovate and create new sustainable technologies. For more than a decade, and under both Liberal and Conservative governments, SDTC had a few problems, but nothing major, until the current Prime Min…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, in terms of the first part of the member's question, the big scandal here is that the government has let down small businesses and the innovative sector in Canada. The government has discredited start-ups in this country that legitimately rely on SDTC to bring their technologies to market and commercialize new and innovative technologies that will protect the government. Today we se…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, on May 9, I rose in this chamber to ask the Minister of Finance when the Liberal government would stop sitting on the $2.5 billion in promised carbon tax rebates while business insolvencies skyrocket and small businesses suffer under higher taxes and inflation. Indeed, this promise was originally made in 2019. In the budget, I will admit, the government did announce that carbon tax re…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, petitioners in my riding are calling on the Government of Canada to provide additional funds to support the construction of the Lets'emot Regional Aquatic Centre in Agassiz. The name “Lets'emot” means “one heart, one mind” in the Halq’eme’ylem language. Residents of the District of Kent, Harrison Hot Springs, Seabird Island, the Cheam, Stó:lo, Sts'ailes, Sq'éwlets, Skawahlook, Popkum …
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I will point out that, with respect to the carbon tax rebate, that money was collected from small business owners and redistributed back to small business owners. It is, in fact, not an investment. It is a wealth distribution scheme put forward by the government. It is not the Conservative Party of Canada, the loyal opposition, but Bank of Canada officials who outlined that we have a …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, the debate tonight is on excess profits. Would my colleague from Milton be able to define what exactly would be an excess profit? For example, what would be an appropriate margin of profit for a grocery company that he has referred to this evening?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to table a petition on behalf of correctional officers, who are calling for the Government of Canada to cease the prison needle exchange and to stop the proliferation of hard drugs in our federal institutions. Correctional officers are calling for enhanced safety measures and policies, such as a drone dereliction strategy, to stop illegal drugs from entering our prisons …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, what would the minister say to parents who do not want to take their kids to parks, playgrounds or the beach for fear of exposure to dirty needles?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, does the minister agree it is important to put up warning signs on beaches for fear of exposure?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, does the minister's decision account for the open and brazen use of drugs on B.C.'s public transit system?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, I will take that as a “no”. When the minister decided to rescind the open drug use policy, was it because she heard, like me, that children were being exposed to hard drugs at schools and in parks?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, as a father of three, I empathize with many parents who worry about drugs. For instance, the Abbotsford Soccer Association decried, in an open letter, several safety issues related to drug paraphernalia, overdoses, vandalism and even rape at public fields. Does the minister agree it is unacceptable for parents and coaches to have to sweep soccer fields for drug paraphernalia before th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, what action should parents take when they are exposed to drug paraphernalia at playgrounds and fields? Has the minister provided Canadians with a tool kit to deal with such situations?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, given that drug toxicity is the leading cause of death for children between the ages of 10 and 18, should schoolteachers and parents be trained on how to deal with overdoses?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, at the Mission legion, veterans clean up needles and confront crack smoking daily. Do veterans and legion volunteers need to be trained on overdose scenarios and public safety to keep their property safe and protect life?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, before decriminalization was implemented in B.C., did Health Canada conduct any studies on the impact of public drug use on children? If so, can the minister please provide such information to the House?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, B.C. businesses across the province have reported deteriorating public safety. The Surrey Board of Trade called it a “crime tax”. Does the minister agree with the Surrey Board of Trade that decriminalization is effectively a crime tax on small businesses?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Chair, I would encourage the minister to visit the Abbotsford Soccer Association and address the fear that parents have due to the loss of public order caused by the government's policy. Will the minister meet with the Abbotsford Soccer Association?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, when Bill C-69 was in the House a few Parliaments ago, the Mining Association of Canada came out very strongly in favour of the bill. I questioned the Mining Association of Canada in advance of the 2019 election as to why it would support this legislation. It has since rescinded its support for the approach taken by the NDP-Liberal government. It did that primarily because what the …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, my ears are burning with nonsense. Let me recount a story from British Columbia. One of the first decisions of the NDP-Liberal government was to approve LNG in Canada. Why did the government rush to approve LNG off the coast of British Columbia? It was because it would not be subject to the constitutional discrepancies in the bill before us today. Bill C-69 effectively shut down res…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, what does a powerful paycheque mean? It means that more of the money one earns stays in one's pocket and not in the hands of Ottawa. There is not a single Canadian who does not agree with that. That is what the Conservatives are set on doing by winning the next federal election.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, after nine years of the Prime Minister, life is unaffordable. With energy bills through the roof, Canadians are struggling to afford to heat their homes and keep the lights on. Not only has the carbon tax driven up the cost of energy, but the government has launched a war on Canada's natural resources and energy sectors. Bill C-69, which was deemed largely unconstitutional by the Su…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, the Government of Canada granted an exemption under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to decriminalize the personal possession of illicit drugs in the province of British Columbia for three years. After one year of decriminalization, B.C. has experienced a record-breaking 2,511 unregulated drug deaths, which is higher than all other causes of death combined. Under this exempti…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, nine years of the same failed policies from this government have resulted in small businesses getting pushed to the brink of collapse and many are shutting their doors altogether. According to the superintendent of bankruptcy, business insolvencies in the year ending March 31 increased 56.7% year over year. The Business Development Bank of Canada reported last year that we now have …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, two weeks ago, I was on a Mission BC & Neighbours Facebook site in the community of Mission, with about 25,000 community members. There was a mother on there who asked if it was just her who could not get by with $350 a week for groceries any more. All we have to do to see the impacts of inflation is to look at the cost of food, specifically beef, and fresh fruit and vegetables. Unf…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie failed to mention the broken promise of the NDP-Liberal government, and that was to provide a national pharmacare program. It did not provide a national pharmacare program, even though it said it was going to do it in the last election platform for the NDP. With respect to dental care, I will note representatives from the B.C. Dental Associat…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, last November, many people in the Fraser Valley, Abbotsford and Surrey were disturbed by stories on the front pages of our local newspapers. We recounted letters sent to local businesses, extortion letters. The letters read: Read carefully do not think this is a fake letter!! We are Indian gang members, we want our share from your businesses like protection money. As you seen on new…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would like to correct the member for Kingston and the Islands. The target from the Bank of Canada is in fact 2%.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I agree with my Bloc Québécois colleague. The federal government must do a better job of protecting our Constitution. Our party, the Conservative Party, wants a policy of open federalism.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, as a member of the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology, I was dismayed by the lack of transparency by the government. In the last number of months, over $50 billion has been announced in different EV subsidy contracts. As a member of that committee, I was given only two hours, along with the other committee members, to really scrutinize what the government was committing C…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, to respond quickly to the last speech, the member for Windsor—Tecumseh made many comparisons between the Conservatives and the Liberals. One key thing the Conservatives want to do is fix the budget. That is because the Liberals love to take. They love to increase taxes. They say, “Work hard. We're going to take more of your money and then we're going to mismanage it and not tell you…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the basis of that question is completely false. Under former prime minister Stephen Harper, health care funding to the provinces increased on an incremental basis. We never reduced funding for health care. We provided for the demands of the provinces and territories at that time.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, as I outlined in my speech, the crisis we are facing is not limited just to British Columbia. I think the real question the member for Nanaimo—Ladysmith needs to consider is why her ideologically extreme premier, Mr. Eby, has done a 180 on the policy. That goes to the very point I made in my speech, which is that parents do not want drug addiction normalized in our communities. Parent…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I wish the member for Kitchener Centre would follow my social media a little more closely. I have met with dozens of parents who have lost their kids to the overdose crisis. In fact in the last year I met with a mother whose son had overdosed while at a treatment home because open drug use was allowed there. That mother lost her child. Afterwards, on the one-year anniversary of his de…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois member did not listen to my speech today. I said it was a problem. The 2009 report that I mentioned states that the government has to start treating drug addiction like other chronic diseases.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, during my speech, I referenced Dr. Reyes-Smith and her attempt to provide the wraparound services that she felt her patients needed. I will note that she was one of the authors of the 2009 report I referenced as well. Dr. Reyes-Smith is a small business corporation, like every other doctor in the province of B.C. When doctors face their ability to operate, they have to work within a f…
Read full speech →