Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I am rising on a point of order. I am quite concerned about the fact that we are not allowed to lie or mislead in this House and that we are not allowed to call it out when it does happen. I would request that the minister apologize for his comments with regard to two young, newer members of Parliament who did a high five at the back of the House at an untimely point. He is using th…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate and support early childhood education and day care programs for those who want them, especially those who are most vulnerable as single or low-income parents who need or want to work and deserve to have quality day care spaces designed and available for them. However, choice in child care is a high priority for mothers and fathers in my riding, including the options of us…
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Canadian Heritage claims Bill C-10 is only about regulating web giants and protecting the interests of Canadian artists and musicians. If that is not fake news, then the response Canadians are demanding from him is simple. He should apologize and restore the full clause protecting their right to freedom of expression in the public square of social media. Constituents i…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the second petition calls upon the House of Commons to pass a Criminal Code prohibition of sex-selective abortion. It is in response to Bill C-233. This is legal in Canada. It is antithetical to our commitment to human rights and equality between men and women. Many polls show that the vast majority of Canadians want to see this in our laws, and Canadian health care professionals are …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to go in a bit of a different direction. I really appreciate everything my colleague has mentioned regarding the shortfalls. The Prime Minister's mandate letter to the Minister of Finance instructed her to not create any additional structural debt, and yet the flagship of this budget is a national day care program that would do just that. From the minister's speech, it se…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present two petitions this morning. The first petition is in regard to Bill C-6 as well. There is great concern from the petitioners that the definition does need to be corrected. If it was, they would certainly support the bill. Their concern is around the way it basically overrides the choices of LGBTQ2 Canadians concerning sexuality and gender by prohibiting access …
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Mr. Speaker, the member indicates that this takes a high level of engagement with governments and stakeholders and that everything will be retroactive, as if somehow that will make up for the lack of proper oversight here. It should not have taken years for the Liberals to finally decide to work on this. They are now putting our workers in such precarious circumstances. What groups, stakeholders a…
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Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate the response of my colleague to the last two questions presented to him. I certainly agree. I would like to bring it up again that the fact that the government would ask for another two years just floors me. We so often find it in front of us with legislation that now has to be passed due to incompetence. Would the member care to comment?
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have addressed the deep lack of confidence our serving members, veterans and Canadians have in the Liberal government's ability to deal with the military sexual trauma pandemic taking place within our military. In this House, I called upon the Prime Minister to extend the deadline for the CAF-DND sexual misconduct class action, currently scheduled to close on November 25. That is to…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak this evening on behalf of women and men who have been victimized by sexual misconduct in the military. Each case of sexual misconduct is significant, and addressing this issue and the systemic causes behind it must be a top priority for the government. Our women and men in uniform, as well as our veterans, entered into our military with the highes…
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With regard to contracts signed by the government with the Bluesky Strategy Group or its principals, since December 1, 2019: for each contract, what are the details, including the (i) value, (ii) description of the service provided, (iii) date and duration, (iv) internal tracking or file number, (v) whether it was sole sourced?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, our veterans and members of the Canadian Armed Forces have put their lives on the line for Canada. Those who have experienced sexual trauma while in the military should not have to fight their government for compensation. The CAF-DND sexual misconduct class action settlement is scheduled to close on November 25. For too many, the claim process is so painful that the deadline will li…
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Madam Speaker, I have two petitions to present today. The first is in regard to Bill C-6, which is before the House being debated now. These individuals indicate that the definition needs to be fixed. It should state only to ban coercive, degrading practices that are designed to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. They indicate that as it is now, it expressly allows counsellin…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, my second petition is in regard to Bill C-233, the sex-selective abortion act, calling on the Parliament of Canada to pass an amendment to the Criminal Code prohibiting sex-selective abortion, on the basis that the majority of Canadians believe that it should be illegal to have an abortion if the family does not want the child to be a certain sex: i.e., 16% of Canadians would not ag…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, do you ever have a moment when you say to yourself, “I cannot believe I am here in this place, sitting in this chair, presiding over the House of Commons in the Government of Canada”? When I first took my seat as the member of Parliament for Yorkton—Melville, there was rarely a day that went by when I did not marvel at the sight of Centre Block as I was quickly walking up that hill to…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about day care. I appreciate support for early childhood education and day care programs for those who wish to have it and those who are most vulnerable, single and low-income parents who need or want to work and deserve to have quality day care spaces that are designed and available specifically for them. Under the government's plan, will all working parents be require…
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With regard to the Office of Human Rights, Freedoms and Inclusion (OHRFI): (a) in the last five years, what programs in other countries have been funded by the OHRFI related specifically to the advancement of religious freedom or the protection of the rights of religious minorities; (b) what has been the impact of each of these programs; (c) how does the government measure the impact of these prog…
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Madam Speaker, I have two petitions to present to the House today. The first petition brings to the attention of the House that conversion therapy has historically referred to coercive, degrading actions that seek to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity which are wrong and should be banned. Bill C-6 defines conversion therapy as “a practice, treatment or service designed to chan…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I really appreciate what my colleague has put forward this evening. The truth of the matter is that we are very concerned about the environment on this side of the floor. That is why we encourage the use of our oil and gas industry, rather than what is being shipped up our east coast, which is so unethical and so unclean. If we are truly concerned about moving forward with the envir…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague mentioned that there was nothing in the budget in regard to oil and gas. However, I have a comment from Amanda Lang on Power Play last night, on which I would like his response. She said, “I will say this Evan, and this is kind of like one of those more boring line items, but it's important especially for resource industry companies, and that is there is a form of a corpo…
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Mr. Speaker, I noticed when the budget was presented that revenue was not indicated in this budget as coming from tax increases. I believe the expectation of the government is that the programs it is implementing are going to stimulate the economy, and that growth is where the funding is going to come from to pay for what it is doing. However, as the member mentioned, child care is its big budget …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, my second petition is in regard to the ongoing campaign against the Uighur people by the Chinese Communist Party. It involves such things as forced sterilizations and abortions for birth suppression, subjecting them to political and anti-religious indoctrination, arbitrary detention, separation of children from families, invasive surveillance, destruction of cultural sites, forced l…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to present two petitions today. First, I want to thank Sukhwinder Singh, the national director for United Sikhs Canada, for bringing this one to my attention. It is an e-petition and I am very pleased to sponsor it in the House. The petitioners call on the House of Commons in Parliament assembled to pass a Criminal Code prohibition of sex-selective abortion. They indica…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I also want to present a petition brought to my attention in regard to Bill C-6. I will not read through all of the concerns, but I will highlight specifically two of today. The petitioners say that Bill C-6 expressly allows counselling, medical and surgical efforts to change a child's gender, but prohibits support for a child seeking to detransition to his or her cisgender. The bil…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Peace River—Westlock. I am really pleased to be working and building relationships with the people of the Cote, Keeseekoose, The Key, Fishing Lake and Yellow Quill First Nations and the Métis Nation Saskatchewan in the riding of Yorkton—Melville on Treaty No. 4 and Treaty No. 5 lands. I am also very pleased to speak today on Bill C-15, an …
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Mr. Speaker, the point that I am making is that there has not been due diligence done. My comments are not coming from me. They are coming from the indigenous communities around us that are saying this is not clear enough. The government seems to want to take the approach that it takes on so many things: It makes big announcements, it makes big decisions, it implements them, but then all things br…
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Mr. Speaker, what the member said is very important to recognize. He said my examples brought forward in the House today are individuals and organizations who do not feel comfortable with this legislation going forward because they do not feel it has had the due diligence done to explain in every way possible the accountabilities, and that I am selectively choosing those individuals and organizati…
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Mr. Speaker, the stakeholders who were involved in moving forward and purchasing the TMX did not get that opportunity. There are all kinds of examples of situations, such as with the Wet'suwet'en, where there is not enough clarity, and that clarity has not been provided according to various indigenous groups across the nation. If we want to move ahead as quickly and efficiently as possible to make…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
moved that Bill C-233, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (sex-selective abortion), be read the second time and referred to a committee. Madam Speaker, one of my responsibilities I have greatly enjoyed and look forward to again is attending many of the trade shows throughout my riding of Yorkton—Melville. They are an incredible way to connect with hard-working Canadians. I always bring along petiti…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I do not totally remember what the member's question was after all of that, but I will say this. It is really important that we recognize that the Canadian Medical Association did major studies in 2012 and 2016 with ethnic researchers involved and with the ethnic community involved, and they indicated that this is a growing problem in Canada that needs to be addressed. Of course, it…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, the truth of the matter is that every one of those recommendations, as far as percentages of Canadians go, is accurate. The same poll the member is referring to also indicated that the majority of Canadians want to continue to have access to abortion. That is the truth. However, it also asked the question very specifically on certain issues, whether this narrow concern should be leg…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, in my party, we have the freedom on private members' bills to bring forward whatever is important to us as individual members of Parliament, something that I do not think is available on the other side of the floor. We also have the freedom to vote our conscience. I respect that choice in my leader, as he respects mine. I would say this to the individual who is indicating that this …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to present a petition today signed by 440 individuals who are calling upon the government to pass a Criminal Code prohibition of sex-selective abortion. Their rationale is that sex-selection abortion is legal in Canada as Canada has absolutely no restrictions on abortion. We are the only democratic country that does not. The only other is North Korea. Sex-selective a…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, it has been five years since our Conservative government implemented the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights. For over a year, victims and their families have been calling on Parliament to examine the strengths and shortcomings of the bill, as a five-year review was written into the legislation. Six years have passed without action. From expanding assisted death to targeting law-abiding…
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Madam Chair, I appreciate the opportunity this evening, even if it is just a very few minutes, to express my heartfelt sympathies and concern for the families of those who have lost their lives in these past months, specifically as they relate to this conversation and this take-note debate tonight. These are heinous crimes and deserve the full weight of the law applied to them. We truly do mourn e…
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Madam Chair, I feel very free in my own body. I am very proud of who I am as a woman. Part of being in that state requires people to come the realization that they have incredible inherent value regardless of other people and that they choose to make themselves the best self that they can be. I am very proud of my relationship with my husband. I married my best friend. I would encourage young peop…
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Madam Chair, that question resonates a great deal with me. Being a pastor's wife, we deal a great deal with a lot of the hurts that people experience in their lives, and life is full of those. I do not know if this is a government responsibility actually. I am on the veterans affairs committee, and VAC has its role, but veterans helping veterans is where it is at. We need to be investing in relati…
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With regard to the directives outlined in the Supplementary mandate letter of January 15, 2021, addressed to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence and signed by the Prime Minister: (a) what are the specific programs and services that will be reviewed to ensure veterans, their families, and their primary caregivers receive the best possible mental health suppor…
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Madam Speaker, the member has indicated that speaking to this legislation is worth the effort. I am pleased that he spent a portion of his time on this issue. I agree with him that COVID is a huge issue and we need to be there for Canadians. Mental wellness is at an all-time low in Canada, so my question for him is this. If the legislation is worth the effort, why was there no effort on the side o…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, last night, Canadians watched on The Fifth Estate as Jessica Miller revealed her experiences of sexual abuse by a superior while at sea. Under the guise of Operation Honour, she hoped for justice. Instead, like so many others, her perpetrator received a code of conduct discipline violation, no criminal charges and a move to a posting of his choice. The minister sat on his hands for …
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Madam Speaker, the government agreed to a motion to bring in a framework for palliative care across this country and has done nothing. We cannot compare palliative care to assisted suicide when it does not exist to the extent it should in this country. If he wants to talk about money, I assure him that the government has been printing it faster than it can spend it and in these circumstances has n…
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Madam Speaker, I really appreciate that question, because the truth of the matter is that there is not a focus in the Liberal government on valuing life. There is not a focus on valuing children, on valuing families, on valuing our elderly or on valuing our veterans. There is no question that the amendment we brought forward today is the only way to fix this legislation. Mental illness should not …
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Madam Speaker, no, I am not interested in responding to the Truchon case, because we are long past that. We are at the place where the government has decided it is more than happy to go along with what the Senate has put forward and to give people with mental illness, on its own, the ability to choose assisted suicide. That is not in the best interests of Canadians. It is not in the best interests…
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Madam Speaker, my question is this: Why does that side of the floor not even show up to debate, if this is so important? Where is their proof? This issue has been debated in the past for what it was, and now it is something entirely different. We passed four different pieces of legislation in this House in just this week alone, so I will not take this from the member when the Minister of Justice, …
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Madam Speaker, as I begin my speech today, I am grieved to the core of my heart by the amendments from the other place that reveal an even greater lack of compassion for the most vulnerable in our society through expansion of Bill C-7 to those with mental illness. These amendments go well beyond what the House voted on last year and go well beyond the Truchon decision itself. The Senate-Liberal Bi…
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Madam Speaker, I have four questions on the 15-member outside advisory board: Have those participants already been approached? What is the time frame of serving on that advisory board for organizations and/or individuals? Who is the advisory board accountable to within Parliament? What is the role it is playing in requiring the Minister of Environment to table plans? I would appreciate having a fa…
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Madam Speaker, I noticed that the member said there is not a whole lot to this. It is full of good intentions, but it is just a map with an end goal and no route described. He would possibly agree with me on this point: Why would there need to be anything if this is being put in the hands of an outside advisory board that already has been established without any input and before even coming before…
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Madam Speaker, I have a question regarding the comment about the 15-member advisory board. It would be outside of our government, and I am wondering what exactly that entails. How long would these individuals sit on it? Has the government already chosen people to serve in this method? What responsibilities are there with regard to the Minister of Environment and the board? Is there accountability …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, my second petition will briefer. It is in regard to sex-selective abortion in Canada. There are no laws on this and it is antithetical to our commitment to equality between men and women. The petitioners call on the House of Commons to pass a Criminal Code prohibition of sex-selective abortion.
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Madam Speaker, I am really pleased to stand today to present these petitions on behalf of Canadians. The first one is on behalf of Canadians as a whole, but also the Ethiopian community. Ethiopia has experienced alarming bouts of unrest and violence in the last year. Conflict has engulfed the Tigray region, leading to egregious human rights abuses and a humanitarian crisis. Whereas humanitarian ac…
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