Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I know that member gets really hot under the collar when people remind him that he has supported every Liberal budget since 2015. When Bill Morneau was the finance minister, I criticized him for allowing our debt to rise over $1 trillion. This member said nothing then. We went past $2 trillion, and we are now working our way to $2.5 trillion under the current government, but he is sti…
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Mr. Speaker, that is an excellent question. I believe that this year, we are at about $52 billion a year just to cover the debt management program. I remember raising the same questions and concerns with Bill Morneau when he was the minister of finance, when we had just over $1 trillion in debt. Now we are over $2 trillion in just a short period of time, less than 10 years later. We are right to b…
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Mr. Speaker, with both the Liberal Party and the Bloc saying Stephen Harper this and Stephen Harper that, I think they have lost the plot. We just had an election in which the Prime Minister looked Canadians in the eye hundreds of times, even voters in this gentleman's province of Quebec. The Prime Minister promised the people of the beautiful province of Quebec and across the country that he woul…
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Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to join the debate in this place on behalf of the good people of Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna. This particular debate is noteworthy, and I will explain why. After 10 years of Liberal budgets under Justin Trudeau, this is the first budget under what the Prime Minister and his cabinet like to call the new Liberal government. Really, who could blame them? We a…
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Mr. Speaker, my fellow colleague from British Columbia is an excellent addition to this place. I remember criticizing Bill Morneau when he was the minister of finance and they crossed the threshold of $1 trillion in debt. Fast-forward to several ministers since then, and we are now approaching well over $2 trillion. Is the member concerned about the fact that the Prime Minister said he would spend…
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Mr. Speaker, I note the arrogance of that answer. He has not spoken to my constituents like I have on this issue. Right now, the only thing that is crossing provincial borders is this Prime Minister's indecision. A pizza shop is more productive than the Prime Minister because at least it knows what business it is in and knows it needs to deliver in a competitive marketplace. Subsection 92(10) is c…
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Mr. Speaker, on a pipeline to the Pacific, the Prime Minister finds himself in a dilemma of his own making. He, his ministers and his MPs say one thing in British Columbia and another in Alberta, and now he is perched squarely on the fence. Under subsection 92(10) of the Constitution, the decision is his government's alone, so will he side with the national interest to build a new pipeline, or wil…
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Mr. Chair, I just want to say that the member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford told me that Chemainus is curtailed, not closed, so I wish to clarify the record. However, I would like the member to clarify the record. She talked about significant wins. Has she spoken to anyone who works in softwood lumber, or is this a speech that has been given to her so she can mouth the words? For people in areas l…
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Mr. Chair, as the opposition critic for transportation, I was quite intrigued to actually hear a Liberal talk about transportation. However, this is a take-note debate on softwood lumber, and that had only maybe a touchpoint on it. I would suggest that if the member is really serious about seeing improvements to the Trans-Canada Highway, then it is provincial, and unless it is on indigenous reserv…
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Mr. Chair, after 10 years of Liberal failure to secure a softwood lumber deal, the member says tonight that the Liberals have made significant wins. However, tariffs have tripled to 45%, costing Canadian producers over $10 billion. There are closed mills in communities like Houston, Vanderhoof, Port Alberni, Chemainus, Merritt and Grand Forks. Will the member admit that Liberals look as though the…
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Mr. Speaker, I am from B.C., and David Eby has taken us off a fiscal cliff simply because the province said the exact same things and was downgraded. Now Canadians are paying nearly 50% more on their credit cards than in 2015, while the Prime Minister maxes out the taxpayers' credit card. The Parliamentary Budget Office says the government broke its own debt-to-GDP promise, and Fitch is warning of…
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Mr. Speaker, the Parliamentary Budget Officer says that the Prime Minister abandoned his own fiscal anchor, the one he claimed was key to preserving Canada's AAA credit rating and keeping borrowing costs low. Fitch warns, “federal finances run a high risk of further deterioration.” Is the Prime Minister breaking his own fiscal promises because he is incompetent or because he just does not care abo…
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Mr. Speaker, Keith Thom lived his life with purpose. He left a lasting legacy in Peachland and for all of us who knew him. Known to many as Papa Thom, he could light up a room, whether it was through music or a smile. As a dedicated municipal councillor and deputy mayor, Keith embodied kindness and service. He raised thousands for food banks during the pandemic and honoured our veterans, including…
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Mr. Speaker, this is called the House of Commons for a reason. It was created to serve the common people, not jet-setting elites, yet the Prime Minister did not get the memo. How else do we explain a leader who spends more time in the air than in this chamber? He even puts Justin Trudeau to shame. In 2022, the then prime minister flew just over 127,000 kilometres in 10 months, or roughly three tim…
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Mr. Speaker, this is called the House of Commons for a reason. It was created to serve the common people, not jet-setting elites, yet the Prime Minister did not get the memo. How else do we explain a leader who spends more time in the air than in this chamber? He even puts Justin Trudeau to shame. In 2022, Prime Minister Trudeau flew over 127,000 kilometres in 10 months, or roughly three times aro…
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Mr. Speaker, Bill C-14 would still allow judges to release offenders and would still direct courts to apply the least onerous conditions if release is granted. It is the same loophole the member mentioned that let Bailey McCourt's killer walk free in Kelowna just hours after he was convicted of choking her. Why would the Liberals preserve a culture of automatic release when public safety should be…
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Mr. Speaker, after 10 years of the Liberals, insiders have never had it so good. Canadians, including 700,000 children, made 2.2 million food bank visits last year. Seniors are living in cars because rent has doubled. Meanwhile, the government gave $1 billion to buy boats from Beijing, offshoring Canadian steel and shipbuilding jobs, while executives at the Canada Infrastructure Bank pocketed fat …
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Mr. Speaker, I did not expect the minister to ask me to walk down the aisle with him. Canadians made 2.2 million food bank visits last year, and seniors are sleeping in cars because rent has doubled. However, the Liberal government sent a billion taxpayer dollars to buy boats from Beijing and handed out eye-popping bonuses at the Canada Infrastructure Bank. Why is the Prime Minister using taxpayer…
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Mr. Speaker, the controversial $1-billion loan to BC Ferries continues to take on water thanks to a CHEK News exclusive that shreds the bogus talking point that these ferries could not be built in Canada. We know that BC Ferries was presented a report that showed that Canadian shipyards could build these new vessels, creating thousands of jobs, billions in economic growth and pride in Canada's cra…
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Mr. Speaker, they are cutting cheques to China. The Liberals can pretend that this was all BC Ferries' sole decision, but it was the government that created the Canada Infrastructure Bank, filled it with billions of taxpayer dollars and allowed the loan to go forward with no questions asked. Conservatives believe the loan should be cancelled, because if Canadian shipyards, Canadian steelworkers an…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada is breaking records with the fastest-shrinking economy in the G7 and the second-highest unemployment. If failure was an Olympic sport, the government would own the podium. The Prime Minister came to West Kelowna, held a press conference and promised to negotiate a win on softwood lumber. He even said Canada would “write our own story”. Well, his story so far is that tariffs hav…
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Madam Speaker, it is an absolute honour to rise in this chamber to talk about a very serious matter: those who are and are not addressed in the bill before us, Bill C-8. Let me hearken back to a previous parliament when I had my first opportunity to work with the splendid member for Parkland. We were both on the industry committee, and during our time on that committee, Ottawa had a tornado incide…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her very kind comment. My mother used to say that I had a face made for radio. It is important to discuss how best to improve the government's approach, even if the government does not want to hear it. Like the hon. member, I too hope that this bill will be improved.
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Madam Speaker, the Liberals tabled Bill C-26 two years before doing anything with it. This is the very first day that we actually have the ability to discuss Bill C-8, but the government does not like to hear that it is being held accountable. I know that we can improve the legislation, and my constituents have views on it. I would hope the deputy House leader would actually listen and encourage, …
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Madam Speaker, let us bear in mind that there was an election. There are a lot of new faces here. Many are not just new; they represent different parties than in the previous parliament. They deserve the benefit of being able to consult their constituents and bring forward ideas. It seems to me that those here today speaking from the Liberal Party are very frustrated that new members of Parliament…
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Madam Speaker, when Highway 97 shuts down because of landslides, wildfires or serious accidents, Okanagan residents, including cancer patients and essential workers, are stranded. Many are forced onto dangerous, poorly marked forest roads, like FSR 201. The Harper-Campbell governments' successful four-laning between Summerland and Peachland now requires $24 million in stabilization work. As a fund…
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Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order about relevance. We know the member is new to this place and does not know the difference between Private Members' Business and public bills. Maybe you could educate him on that and, while doing that, ask him to turn the volume down.
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for Kamloops—Thompson—Nicola for such a serious speech. I know he is a serious MP and will be working on these issues at the public safety committee on behalf of his constituents. Speaking of his constituents, I had the pleasure of representing many of them in the Nicola Valley, and I wanted to take this opportunity to ask the member how they are doing, an…
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Madam Speaker, I rise today to table a petition urging the government to criminalize coercive abuse through the reintroduction of former Bill C-332. The bill, which has already undergone rigorous legal and procedural review, offers a clear and focused approach to addressing intimate partner violence by specifically targeting coercive control. Families have lived with the devastating impacts of coe…
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Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to stand on behalf of the petitioners for petition e-6572, which is in regard to the Penticton Shooting Sports Association. The petitioners want people to know that the Penticton Shooting Sports Association, which is located on land managed by the Government of Canada, provides essential training facilities for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, other law enforcement a…
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Mr. Speaker, The Globe and Mail has revealed that the former minister of transport was warned in May about BC Ferries buying ships from a Chinese state-owned shipyard, six weeks before the public was told, yet the minister claimed surprise in this House. I am going to give the new minister the opportunity to break tradition with his predecessor and tell us the truth. Did she mislead Parliament, ye…
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Mr. Speaker, it is unbelievable. With so many steel and shipbuilding jobs at stake, it is beyond belief that the former minister refused to push back and demand that these boats be made in Canada. Canadian unions and shipyards deserve a federal government and provincial governments that believe in them, listen to them and, most importantly, stand up for them. When BC Ferries first flagged the deal…
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With regard to government buildings obtaining Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification and broken down by department, agency, Crown corporation, or other government entity: (a) what was the total expenditure related to obtaining or maintaining Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification, broken down by year, for each of the last five years; (b) what is the breakd…
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With regard to Air Passenger Protection Regulations complaints filed with the Canada Transportation Agency: (a) what is (i) the number of complaints, (ii) the length of the current backlog of complaints; (b) for current outstanding complaints, what is the breakdown by airline; and (c) in the last two years, in cases where the Canadian Transportation Agency has made a ruling, how many and what perc…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised that he would be elbows up and buy Canadian. He broke that promise when he rewarded the Communist Chinese government a billion-dollar loan to buy ferries for B.C. as it tariffs our seafood and ag producers. That is not elbows up. It is another Liberal broken promise, another Liberal bait and switch, because the Prime Minister is just another Liberal. Newly …
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With regard to the $5 billion in funding through the Disaster Financial Assistance Arrangements to British Columbia, committed in the 2021 Fall Economic Statement, in response to extreme weather events: (a) how much of this commitment has been delivered to British Columbia to date, in total, and broken down by specific project funded; (b) when will the outstanding amount be delivered; and (c) what…
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Mr. Speaker, David Eby, the Premier of British Columbia, has doubled down and made the plan for BC Ferries to purchase four new vessels from a Chinese state-owned enterprise his own. The Minister of Transport has said she will give BC Ferries $36 million this year. Will the minister commit today that she will personally guarantee that not one cent of this transfer will go to the Chinese shipyard? …
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Mr. Speaker, on another point of order, I would ask the Minister of Transport to table her letter to David Eby that she referred to in question period today, out of respect for transparency.
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Mr. Speaker, she is just going to write a cheque to them with no conditions. During the election, the Liberals were all elbows up and talking about team Canada in the face of unjustified American tariffs on steel and aluminum, and I thought it was bad enough that the government has been elbows down since the election on protecting Canadian jobs. Now, does the government not see that by going along…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, who sits on the transport committee with me, for his speech today. The government likes to talk about one national economy, yet we see in the second half of Bill C-5, and the Prime Minister has said publicly, that provincial premiers are going to have a veto. That means 13 different economies by its very nature. Could the member expound upon whether…
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Mr. Speaker, the previous Liberal member gave a bit of the nickel tour, and I will give the copper tour, or a penny tour. In my old riding of Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, there were two copper pit mines, one just outside Princeton and one outside Logan Lake, and both companies at the time wanted to expand their operations, but they were actually concerned that they would be subject to Bill…
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Madam Speaker, it is always a great honour to rise in this place and speak on behalf of the good people of Okanagan Lake West—South Kelowna. I will be splitting my time with the hon. member of Parliament for Mirabel. For the record, Bill C-5 is not perfect and, with respect, there are a few concerns I must point out. Let me start with the glaringly obvious. This bill is dubbed as the “one Canadian…
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Let me commend you, Madam Speaker, on making that particular loud Liberal voice quiet. I respect your authority and our colleagues here. What I would simply say is this. We came here after a hard-fought election to get things done. I may not necessarily agree with everything in Bill C-5, but I do recognize that the regulatory environment the previous government created had grown unwieldy and out o…
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Mr. Speaker, I certainly appreciate the member's tone tonight. During the last 10 years, we have seen the Trudeau government bring in policy after policy: Bill C-69, Bill C-48, the energy cap proposal and, on top of that, the energy regulations. We said at the time that the Liberals are making it difficult for private capital to form in the country for these big projects because of uncertainty. Th…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to specifically point out that I believe that the member for Kenora—Kiiwetinoong was saying that the previous Trudeau government had failed, over 10 years, to create a regulatory environment where private sector capital could form and come together to build big projects, whether they be mines or other forms of infrastructure we need to be successful in our economy. Bill C…
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Madam Speaker, this is the arrogance that comes from that other side. They cannot accept a yes. There was an election. I argued that the Liberals had done such a poor job under Justin Trudeau that they actually wrecked our regulatory environment so that private capital formation was impossible in this country. Now, with this Bill C-5 coming forward, this Liberal government is admitting it was a co…
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Madam Speaker, I will say it once again for my Quebec colleague. It is because the Bloc, the NDP and the Green Party agitated against the Harper government's reworking of our environmental system to get private sector formations and important infrastructure built. They used it politically to win elections. That is something they chose back then. By putting forward Bill C-5, the government, under t…
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Mr. Speaker, the member opposite talked about consensus. When I read Bill C-5 and then I see what the Prime Minister has said publicly, that each provincial premier will be able to have an effective veto, that to me does not say one national economy. It actually enshrines 13 different economies, based on the preferences of each premier. Can the member opposite simply comment on the consensus part …
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Mr. Speaker, I certainly appreciate the Minister of Transport's speech here today. First of all, she did mention interprovincial trucking, yet the bill has nothing to do with interprovincial trucking. I would like the minister to account for whether or not she is prepared to show some leadership in that area. More than that, the minister has talked about consensus. Essentially, the Prime Minister …
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my Bloc Québécois colleague for his speech. The last Liberal questioner raised the issue of first nations consultations and made it sound like the Liberal government has that all covered. It has decided to appoint an advisory board. Does the member share my wonder as to why the government makes no legal reference to this advisory committee or panel in Bill C-5, in legisla…
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