Private Members' Business
moved that Bill C-241, an Act to amend the Income Tax Act (deduction of travel expenses for tradespersons), be read the second time and referred to a committee. Madam Speaker, I will start by saying what an absolute honour this is. I am feeling completely privileged beyond belief. This is kind of mind-boggling, because while it is one thing to get to the House, it is another thing to be fortunate …
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, it is ironic that the member brings that up, because it has been brought up to me a number of times in my discussions here over the last couple of years, and that has been asked for. The truth of the matter is that, although I am a person who loves to ask for the world, I was trying to keep it simple to get something passed to help tradespeople out. By all means, when the bill goes …
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague. There was no question, but it certainly sounds as if there is at least an appetite and potentially a flavour to move the bill forward, and that means a lot.
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, on the second anniversary of the pandemic, workers across Canada are getting a nasty surprise from their government. Eligible workers are finding out that those who went back to work anytime before the end of the CERB program are now expected to pay back the $2,000 lump sum. As members know, Conservatives strongly supported the CERB in principle. In practice, however, the CERB disince…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I congratulate my hon. colleague, the member for Windsor West, for Bill C-248, his private member's bill. He spoke specifically to a road map. We have Malden Road and we have Matchette Road, two major arteries from LaSalle, which is in my riding, through to Windsor in the hon. member's riding. In principle I agree with this bill. Would the member please suggest and/or agree with me …
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, as Ukraine continues to be besieged and mothers and children flee to safety in other countries, it would be easy to suggest that they are alone. They are not. Canadians have always been passionate and compassionate when others desperately need their help. Now is no different. Chris Profota from Weatherby Canada and the Canadian Shooting Arms and Ammunition Association have gracefully …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, if I were a senior member of the NDP, such as the MP for Windsor West, I would be ashamed that my leader threw the local police under the bus, as he did in the House last Thursday. I would be doubly ashamed if my leader whipped my vote on the Emergencies Act. Once again, the NDP are poised to prop up the Prime Minister so as to not hold the Prime Minister to account. The very fact t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, diapers, baby food, groceries, fresh produce and manufacturing in our auto sector are all at risk. The Essex-Windsor border brings the necessities of life to Canadians. It can also bring our country to its knees. We must have open, honest dialogue with Canadians. My bags are packed. Will the Prime Minister commit right now to fly with me to Windsor and then to Washington to give Canad…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, Canadians across the country are saying, “Enough is enough”. Every day new protests spring up here in Canada and around the globe. Today, we are facing the fourth day of a blockade at the Windsor-Detroit bridge, the busiest border crossing in North America. About $450 million in goods cross the border every day. A prolonged closure will continue to cripple our economy. We need the Win…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-241, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (deduction of travel expenses for tradespersons). Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in this chamber today to introduce my bill, an act to amend the Income Tax Act, to allow a deduction of travel expenses for tradespersons. By 2025, Canada will need an additional 350,000 tradespeople to fill this void. I look forward to …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, having been born in Regina, I consider myself an honorary Saskatchewatonian. In my riding of Essex, Line 5 is very much threatened, and about the only way we are going to get new oil, if we do not have a pipeline, is going to be on rail cars and/or transport trucks, which will be a massive issue. The member spoke about getting grain up for the local farmers, and the member from across…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, through you to the member for Whitby, the Speech from the Throne addressed the fact that the dairy industry would receive compensation as it was very much affected by the CUSMA deal. Can the member update the House as to when our dairy industry can expect a fixed date from the government, along with the amount it can expect when the budget comes down?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the economic impact of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test requirement for fully vaccinated travellers on the tourism industry in Southwestern Ontario: (a) what was the number of foreign international travellers who arrived at the land border crossings in Southwestern Ontario, broken down by month since the border opened for non-essential arrivals on August 9, 2021; (b) what is…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, I rise today on a matter of great concern involving workers in my region. I thank the workers and Unifor representatives for alerting me to a brewing EI crisis. This crisis has many faces. It impacts expectant moms, who have had to use their regular EI at the expense of their maternity benefits. One mom was eligible for only one week of maternity benefits, one week of what should ha…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I have a really easy question. Earlier in the member's intervention he mentioned he went to university and he thought a lot about economics. I am sure the Hansard will reflect that statement. With regard to monetary policy, would the member agree that monetary policy is very important for the recovery of our country, or would he agree with the Prime Minister that monetary policy is …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, that is a dynamite question. Just yesterday WECHU, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, and I believe this to be true, was the first in Canada to come down with more restrictions for Windsor and Essex, which is a very sad thing. The Erie Shores HealthCare I was speaking of earlier is actually pleading with people to go to a different area to get care if they can do so. It is brimming…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague nailed it. It is exactly what I am talking about. I congratulate my colleague on the fantastic outreach he does, not only in Canada, but also across the world. I thank the member for that. Absolutely, if there was ever a time for unity, a time to rally the troops, or a time to pull together and stop the divisiveness, now is the time. That is our responsibility. It is…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, it kind of goes like this: If there had not been a $600-million election, which nobody wanted, we would be in committee discussing these things, and we would be moving this agenda forward. Unfortunately, that has not happened. I would strongly suggest we get back to committee, back to the business of the House. Then we could perhaps address many of the things my…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would ask that the House allow me to share my time with the hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable. I also congratulate you on your appointment as Deputy Speaker. I think it is fantastic, and I think that you are doing a fantastic job. We are here, and some of us have already spoken in the House, but some have not had the chance to yet. This is my maiden speech of the 44th Parliament, an…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I agree that everyone needs help. The budget should be helping everyone; nobody should be left behind. Be it seniors, young adults, our youth or people with disabilities, everyone should be helped, especially, and hopefully, at the end of a pandemic. Yes, we need to look from 100,000 feet down and ensure that everybody is duly taken care of.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is so important for the federal government to work with individual provinces, with their leaders and, quite frankly, with their governments. Everyone has to come to the table. It is important that everyone has a voice at the table and whatever works best between the federal government and each specific province is a direction about which we certainly need to talk.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, they are directly related. I do appreciate the fact that he brought up tourism. Tourism in my riding of Essex has been devastated beyond belief. One hand will feed the other, but we must have tourism to drive that back up and to drive down the deficit.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, as I represent a border community, I hear daily from families and business owners who need to cross the border. This requires a 14-day quarantine, a three-day lockdown and substandard fare, all at their own expense. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister enjoys 12 hours in a posh hotel of his choosing at the taxpayers' expense. There is one set of rules for regular Canadians and another for hi…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the House today to speak to Bill C-30. I want to thank the member for Edmonton Centre for his incredibly compelling speech, and he did a fabulous job. As well, to follow up on his comments, all the best to you, Mr. Speaker, in the future. As I was walking up to the House today, I was given to thought. I thought about my family, my staff, my friends and the p…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola. His constituency name is not as easy as Essex, but it is a heck of a great name. The hon. member spoke of putting teeth into bills and teeth into reports, and of Conservatives fighting for great fresh ideas. Could the member give us an example of what he and Conservatives would have liked to see in the report an…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, there are other people who know about the taking money out of this pocket and putting it into that one. It is everyday taxpayers. It is the young 20 or 21-year-old man and woman who pays taxes and wonders what is left in their bank account at the end of the day. As I mentioned in my speech, 54,000 jobs directly related to manufacturing in Windsor-Essex are comin…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition calling on the House to address concerns related to the broad definition applied to conversion therapy in Bill C-6. The petitioners' concerns relate not to the intent of Bill C-6, which they strongly support, but rather to the chilling effect the broad definition contained in Bill C-6 may have on counsel from parents and teachers, as well as professi…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, at the outset of the pandemic, Canadians facing hardships were promised the support they needed. Today, I stand with the MP for Kildonan—St. Paul to bring attention to a maternity benefit issue that needs urgent action. Many mothers have lost their jobs during the pandemic. Those still working have reduced hours and may not qualify. Some Chrysler workers from my riding may face layo…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, weeks ago, Michigan generously offered its surplus vaccines to residents in Windsor-Essex. Thousands of vaccines are being tossed daily by the city of Detroit, and despite repeated appeals by local officials, the Liberal government has taken no action. Only 4% of Canadians are fully vaccinated. Among those waiting are hundreds of thousands of local residents. Enough with the excuses, …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition on behalf of Canada's 12,000 travel advisers. They earn through commissions only and can wait up to 11 months to receive their pay after booking a trip for a client. It has been over a year since these 12,000 Canadian travel advisers have earned any commissions, because of COVID travel restrictions. With no plan in sight to reopen or lift these restriction…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the government’s failure to secure our borders has yet another casualty. Fourteen months ago, the Canada-U.S. border was closed on land, sea and air. While Canadian charter boats are moored at dock, American charter boats are being issued work permits by the government. There was a recent sting by the RCMP, but generally, enforcement of our sea border has been lax. When will the Minis…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, today I rise in the House to speak to this important motion introduced by my colleague and friend, the MP for Edmonton Manning. I stand in support of Canada's oil and gas sector. I stand on behalf of families in my riding of Essex and the many workers in the energy sector across Windsor and Essex, whose jobs are in jeopardy because of Governor Whitmer's intended closure of the Line …
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, as members know, the single-event sports betting bill, Bill C-218, is currently before the Senate. I value the vital role our senators play in reviewing bills passed by the House and rise today on behalf of the tourism sector and its workers to appeal to senators to pass this legislation quickly. This bill received all-party support in the House, which is quite an achievement. The tou…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to rise in the House and present this petition regarding the dire financial circumstances facing over 12,000 independent travel advisers across Canada. Over 12,000 Canadians have been forced into near bankruptcy, slipping through the massive cracks of the government's inept COVID response. These travel advisers have been left to languish, excluded from all…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, through you to my hon. colleague, something I have been talking about and worrying about is how someone in the next generation is going to be able to start a family, have a car and afford a house. What could have been done differently in this budget to look to the future, for people to start families and look toward a new Canada?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to present a petition on behalf of 24,000 travel advisers across Canada. The federal government has recently announced funding for Air Canada and Air Transat. One of the conditions is to refund their passengers for cancelled flights. Meanwhile travel advisers, without any income or any government support for over a year, are facing commission clawbacks. The petitioners ar…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, Judy is a travel adviser in my riding, one of 12,000 across Canada. Today, I tell their story in her words. “Imagine building a Travel Business for over 25 years, building relationships with your clients, year after year planning amazing trips and great memories. Now imagine…the world shuts its doors, you are busy getting frantic clients back home, processing hundreds of cancellations…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to table a petition today signed by local business owners and their workers. The petitioners wish to bring to the attention of the House the urgent need for clarity and consistency at our borders. In 2020, this industry was deemed essential by the Ontario government, yet at the border they face many obstacles resulting in lost contracts and jobs. The petitioners are as…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I have been intrigued tonight, and I loved the discussion between the hon. member and the member for Windsor West. After a question I asked yesterday of the public safety minister, CBSA officers in Windsor are finally getting vaccines today. That is a great thing. There has been a lot of discussion around manufacturing. Will the member please have a discussion with the public safety m…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, recently I spoke with the CBSA union president and he advised me that 540 border agents and staff at the Windsor-Detroit border did not have access to vaccines. This jeopardizes the health of those front-line workers. Further, an outbreak could shut down the busiest border crossing in North America and threaten our already fragile supply chain, another glaring example of the Liberals'…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, the manufacturing sector in Canada and the U.S. has the best COVID protocols in place. They cannot afford to interrupt their supply chain and the flow of goods any longer. The government says it wants to “build back better”. To these business owners and their workers, it feels more like “build back never”. Enough inaction. When is the government going to give clear and concise direc…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I find this kind of interesting. Bill C-21 potentially throws airsoft firearms owners and paintball gun owners in jail, while Bill C-22 literally allows criminals and gangs to run free, those same gangs that do drive-by shootings. Bill C-22 eliminates mandatory prison time for those who commit armed robbery. Can the member confirm that he supports the elimination of mandatory prison…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, Essex-Windsor has one of the largest advanced manufacturing hubs in Canada, with over $3.3 billion in GDP and 1,000-plus manufacturers creating thousands of high-paying jobs. This does not include those servicing these businesses, its supply chain and those who export their services to the U.S., accounting for another $1 billion in GDP. When will the government end punitive measures…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, the Amherstburg Freedom Museum is in my riding in the town of Amherstburg. The museum tells the story of Black slaves seeking refuge in Canada via the Underground Railway: pioneers who built homes, businesses, schools and churches in Essex County. It is the first Black national historic site in Canada, founded in 1966 by Melvin Simpson, and showcases this community's vital role in the…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, a commercial driver in my riding has a job pending, but his FAST card has expired. All requirements were met, except for an in-person interview. The problem is that the FAST support service office is closed due to the pandemic. What does this mean for renewals? Windsor-Essex is the busiest border crossing in North America. Failures in processing FAST cards mean jobs lost and delays at…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madame Speaker, my question is for the Minister of National Revenue. The government has left parents in my riding in a Catch-22. Home with their children, they applied for EI. Their claims were denied. They were advised to apply for the Canada recovery caregiving benefit, but those applications were also denied due to their having open EI claims. Proof has been provided to CRA, but its database is…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, a long time ago someone said to me that it is only a good deal if it is a good deal on both sides. That is business 101. I agree that there need to be concessions on both sides. I totally agree that our countries need to be aligned every step of the way. However, it is also vital that Canada gets its fair share and that Canada comes out as a leader at the end of the COVID-19 pandemi…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the answer is very simply yes.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, with regard to supporting workers, another thing I did not have time to speak to specifically was that through this committee, this turns the page on the negative. The quicker we can do that, the quicker, hopefully, we can deal with the mental health of not only our families but our workers. It is absolutely vital that we get them back to work, that we get food on the tables of all …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I very much appreciate this opportunity to speak to this very important motion, but first I would like to say that I will split my time with the hon. member for Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill. I want to begin with a story. The reason I am starting with a story is that this is possibility thinking. This is possibility thinking 101 about what can be done when we bring all parties tog…
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