Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it is with heavy hearts that we mourn the passing of Miguel Domingos. A cherished leader and musician, he was a pillar of the Portuguese community. Miguel was a maestro of his beloved Banda do Sagrado Coração de Jesus of Toronto for decades and the conductor of the Banda do Senhor Santo Cristo. In their words, he stood at the helm of these marching bands, guiding their musicians with …
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Davenport. It is both a privilege and a responsibility to rise in the House today to discuss a matter that affects not only the Canadian Armed Forces, but the very fabric of our democracy: Bill C-11, the military justice system modernization act. As chair of the national defence committee, I am acutely aware of the critical work being done…
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Mr. Speaker, having visited Latvia and Estonia, having gone to our bases in the U.K. and having been recently in Petawawa during military exercises, I was able to meet and talk first-hand with some of the soldiers and men and women on the front lines. Believe me, the soldiers, officers and leaders want discipline, but they want fairness and transparency and for their troops to be cared for. They r…
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Mr. Speaker, that is a very important question. I do not understand why you seem apprehensive. There is no more time to waste. Let us support Bill C-11 now.
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Mr. Speaker, a lot of filibustering was happening in the previous session, a lot of delays, a lot of activity that obstructed government from doing its job. The member opposite is now talking about some partisan issues, recognizing full well that he himself wanted an election, and he lost because people supported the Liberal Party going forward and they are supporting our actions to support our mi…
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Mr. Speaker, I wish to reflect on the very nature of why this bill is important. As noted, there have been expert independent recommendations made by two justices recognizing its importance. One of the major priorities is the civilian enablement of the justice system to have more independence and protection for our armed forces and the individuals involved. All of us agree with that. I believe the…
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Mr. Speaker, it was important that the leader of the Liberal Party, as all of us did during the election, recognized some of the concerns that our constituents have with crime, but make no mistake that they had concerns with crime for many years prior, even during the time the Conservatives were in power. Our leader took the time and had the consideration to listen, make commitments and put forwar…
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Mr. Speaker, it is interesting. The Charter of Rights protects the very individual asking that question. The judicial system is there to protect individuals. If someone is a criminal, and they have committed a violent crime, they have to face the consequences by law, but the right is there to protect the victims too. We will always fight to have a fair judicial system and to ensure that criminals …
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Absolutely, I do. Mr. Speaker, I take offence to the very nature of that notion. The fact that individuals are suggesting any member of this Parliament would prefer not to put a criminal in jail is offensive in its own right. There are laws that are in place. There are laws that have been in place all along. We have to enforce the law. These changes were not the result of partisan initiatives. The…
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Mr. Speaker, I am a proud representative of Mississauga—Lakeshore, and I will be sharing my time with the member for Calgary Signal Hill. As I rise to debate the opposition motion before us, I want to talk particularly about its narrative and the appropriate steps moving forward. My community, like many communities, is concerned. We have a number of town halls. We have talk groups. We have ongoing…
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Mr. Speaker, there we go. The member opposite is making a personal attack over the fact that I balanced the books in Ontario, which did not happen under the Conservatives in the last go-around. We will continue to fight for Canadians. We will continue to fight for public safety. I will not be addressing rhetoric like that. It only causes concern and enables the heightening of people's hate, which …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, that is another great question. We need a coordinated effort. We need to ensure that the federal government and provincial jurisdictions, which act on the law and are supposed to enforce laws, deal with matters like court delays, the collection of bail data, the funding and resources necessary, and even the justice platform by the BQ. We will continue to work in collaboration with the…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following two reports of the Standing Committee on National Defence. The first report is entitled “Gaps to Fill: Housing and Other Needed Supports for Canadian Armed Forces Members and Their Families”, and the second report is entitled “Rebuilding Trust: Transparency and Accountability in the Department of National Defence …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, earlier this week, Peel police announced the outcome of project outsource, an 11-month project that has led to multiple arrests connected with extortions, shootings and fraud. This affects my community and others. Can the Secretary of State for Combatting Crime speak to the actions the government is taking to crack down on organized crime, protect our streets and keep Canadians safe?
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, Conservatives pretend that they want to lower taxes, but when push comes to shove, they vote against it. Starting December 14, many items would be tax-free, and Canadians would be able to keep more of their money in their pockets, but not if the grinch in the Conservative bench has his way. Today, with Christmas around the corner, many people are looking forward to the spirit of givin…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, what is clear is the company in question was not listed as an indigenous company. What is clear is that the company never received a contract as an indigenous company. We have taken many steps going forward to provide for modernization of procurement, transparency and openness. We are working toward supporting Canadians and supporting the indigenous community that require our support,…
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the concerns that we all have about ensuring that we can maintain transparency and have adequate procurement processes in place, which we do. We have initiated a number of practices and have worked closely with the Auditor General and the procurement officer to ensure that all of the processes are adhered to. I recognize that the member opposite is always looking for cl…
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Madam Speaker, the company in question has never received contracts as an indigenous business and has never been listed on the indigenous business directory. However, unlike the Conservatives, we will continue to work and partner with indigenous people so they have economic reconciliation.
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Madam Speaker, let me reiterate. The company in question never received a contract as an indigenous business. The company was never on the indigenous business directory. We continue to work very closely with indigenous partners to ensure their success. We will do so even without the Conservatives, who are blocking and obstructing the very necessity of working closely with indigenous people so they…
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Madam Speaker, let us be clear: It is completely unacceptable that there are any fraudulent billings. It is completely unacceptable for anyone in the public to try to abuse the system of working with government. That is why we have taken the necessary steps to protect Canadians and taxpayers by putting proper processes in place. We will continue to fight, and we will always support Canadians and s…
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Mr. Speaker, we are making every effort to ensure that indigenous people are properly associated with the contracts that are procured. That is why we have established the very motion that is going forward. Members opposite want to criticize and be critical of the program, but it is essential to ensure that indigenous people have the ability to gain economic success and integration so that they too…
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Mr. Speaker, the article makes it very clear that the association being referenced here did not get a contract. It was not listed on the indigenous list, and we take the appropriate steps in a procurement to ensure that does not happen.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the member opposite is referring to an article that came out today, and I can assure everyone in the House and those watching that the article confirms that the company in question has never received any contracts as an indigenous business and has never been listed on the Indigenous Business Directory. Our focus is on building up indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs through procure…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the Translation Bureau, or the bureau, is continuing to meet its clients on a regular basis to review priorities, discuss processes and optimize resource allocation. It is also continuing with its efforts to foster the next generation of interpreters and enhance its interpretation capacity. These efforts enabled the bureau to cover all interpreted events for cabinet and cabinet commit…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, with respect to part (a) of the question, to date, $79,465,823.04, including taxes, has been spent on the new system. With respect to part (b), seven vendors submitted bids to participate in the invitation to qualify process that closed in October 2018, including Canada Workday ULC, Ceridian Canada Ltd. (Dayforce), Freebalance Inc., Infor (Canada) Ltd, Oracle, Saba Software Inc., and …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, as the Canadian Surface Combatant project, the CSC project, is currently in definition phase, the design of ships is not finalized and, consequently, construction has not commenced. As such, Public Services and Procurement Canada, PSPC, is not yet able to provide the percentage of all materials and equipment planned to be of Canadian manufacturing and origin. The selection of equipmen…
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to Canada Post's climate action targets, Canada Post is a Crown Corporation that operates at arm’s length from the Government and has the mandate to be financially self-sustaining in a highly competitive sector that includes global companies like Amazon, FedEx and UPS. Canada Post has a unique and long-standing mandate that requires the national postal service to be funded…
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), Public Services and Procurement Canada, or PSPC, compensation officers tested the mPersona tool as part of their assigned duties to determine whether it could speed up payroll processing. PSPC employees received their regular salaries during the testing, and did not receive additional payments. With regard to (b), the source code for the mPersona application is ope…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the work done by the Auditor General. We thank her for her recommendations. We are all concerned about ensuring that there be transparency, accountability and integrity in all the work we do. There have been recommendations made by the Auditor General, the ombudsman and a number of others that reinforce concerns the government shares, which is why this review was initiate…
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Madam Speaker, the member opposite does bring forward something very interesting. Canada and the province of Ontario, as an example, were part of the Western Climate Initiative throughout California and Quebec, along with other provinces and other states in the United States, to provide for industry-wide industrial pricing on carbon. It exempted that province, as well as Quebec, from the backstop,…
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Madam Speaker, in keeping with today's theme, I would like to focus my remarks on our efforts to tackle food insecurity to ensure real and lasting change. The solutions for food security rests on a strong policy. That is why, from day one, we committed to a food policy for Canada, the first for our nation. The food policy for Canada launched in 2019 after lengthy and inclusive consultations, which…
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Madam Speaker, as I said in my speech, the issue is much more than just the end-user or, in this case, the retailer. The supply chain must be addressed, and the farmers and the consumers must be protected. A more holistic policy throughout the system is necessary to achieve sustainable, long-term results. I am talking about beyond election-cycle politics here. I am talking about the sustainability…
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the concerns, and we are all worried about the input costs in the supply chain. However, we are also recognizing government supports in the rebates and the return of that pricing to our suppliers. They are competing in the international market, which is pricing carbon; if we do not do it at home, they are going to be charged as they go forward. The Government of Canada …
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Madam Speaker, it is essential to have the Competition Act in place; the motion by the NDP talks about an oligopoly, in essence, in Canada's retail sector. Just as we have in banking, we have to take some measures to protect the consumers in those endeavours. The Competition Act and the Competition Bureau enable us to assess some of the activities that are involved in regard to that system. While …
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Madam Speaker, yes, there are regional disparities across Canada. We are a diverse country, and we have greater concerns in the far north and in remote communities. If we were not enabling some of the investments we are making, it would be even more difficult to achieve this in those remote communities. However, part of the strategy is also to make those communities sustainable by providing invest…
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Madam Speaker, now we are talking about trade on a broad scale. We are talking about international trade. That is an important question because agri-food processing is an essential trade element for Canada, as is our trade in all of the mineral deposits and every other aspect. It is important to provide value-added trade for Canada in the processing sector. Therefore, we are looking at ways to pro…
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Madam Speaker, it is an important program to provide for consumers and those most in need to provide affordability, something the Conservative government feels is not necessary to do, and that is very unfortunate.
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak to the growing problem of auto theft in Canada. Our government has remained steadfast in its commitment to effectively combat auto theft. We have taken deliberate, effective and swift action, including by organizing the national auto theft summit, where we brought together partners and stakeholders from across government, industry and law enforcem…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question from the member opposite because he speaks to a very relevant issue that is affecting Canadians all across Canada, not just in his community but everywhere. We are working closely with Canada Post to ensure that we change its ways so that we can improve delivery across the country. It is a serious issue; we recognize that. We are having deliberations over it.…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the minister for his leadership and his engagement on this critically important file, as well as working alongside other levels of government, collaborating with all who share the same concern to combat it. The minister is doing a fine job. I also want to ask about the indigenous community and the issue of reconciliation, specifically around Bill S-13. Could the …
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Mr. Speaker, protecting our Constitution is critical, and I hope all in this House share that same concern. Could the minister elaborate or give us a sense of what it was previously? Did the former Conservative government have the same engagement with the indigenous community in order to make things right, in order to collaborate and promote their engagement in our society and their prosperity?
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Mr. Speaker, this is my last question: Can the minister reaffirm to the House how important it is to protect safety in our communities, how it is important to fight crime, and how it is important that other provincial jurisdictions also have a responsibility, especially in regard to bail?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in response to (a) to (c) and (e) to (g), Canada Post is a Crown corporation that operates at arm’s length from the government and has a mandate to be financially self-sustaining in a highly competitive sector that includes global companies like Amazon, FedEx and UPS. The requested information is commercially sensitive and treated as confidential. In response to (d), Canada Post Corpo…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, Canada Post Corporation is a Crown corporation that operates at arm’s length from the government, and its operations are funded by the revenue generated by the sale of its products and services, not taxpayer dollars. The requested information is commercially sensitive and has always been treated as confidential.
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 100th anniversary of Port Credit Secondary School. As one of the oldest educational institutions in Ontario, the school has a rich history. It has survived the Great Depression, the Second World War, a devastating fire and even a visit from our friend, Prime Minister Chrétien. The school's alumni have gone on to successful careers, raising families and making s…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, with regard to parts (a) and (b) of the question, PSPC does not have a specific contracting or accounting code for “staff augmentation contracts”. Further, many of the 635 companies that are qualified for government contracting under the professional services contracting supply arrangement are also qualified for government contracting under other procurement instruments, i.e., supply …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, the member from British Columbia is also a member of the standing committee. I believe that he shares the same concerns that I do. Mr. Firth has already issued a statement today outlining his responses. The extent to which we would hear anything more when he appears at the bar before the House, we would soon see. However, we must take that extra step and I support the motion as a re…
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Madam Speaker, I would let my colleague know that we on this side of the House care deeply about the very issues that are presented before the committee. We care very deeply for the fact that certain questions were not revealed. Notwithstanding that Mr. Firth decided to do so in camera, which was denied to him, and he made reference to that, we do support that he appear before the House to answer …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, you have outlined a situation that has concerned all of us on committee—
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I thank the members opposite who have deliberated over this very issue. The issue of integrity is at the crux of what we are talking about today. I appreciate the opportunity to respond to the motion put before the House. I share the disappointment and frustrations expressed by parliamentarians and Canadians with respect to the allegations of wrongdoing in certain federal contractin…
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