Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are suffering under the NDP-Liberal coalition that has doubled housing costs, doubled the debt, doubled food bank use and doubled gun crime. Food prices in Canada have skyrocketed 36% faster than in the United States due to the Prime Minister's carbon tax on farmers and truckers. Despite promising to stand up to the Prime Minister, the NDP leader and his obedient caucus have…
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Mr. Speaker, the NDP leader once declared that Liberals were “too weak, too selfish, and too beholden to corporate interests to fight for people.” However, today, he is singing a different tune, backing a plan to quadruple the carbon tax to 61¢ a litre. With food bank visits hitting two million in a single month and a quarter of Canadians living in poverty, how many more Canadians need to choose b…
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Mr. Speaker, we cannot make this up. The Liberals are saying a PlayStation 5 is an essential good. With 30% of food banks running out of food, and 35% of Canadians feeling worse off financially, the government's appetite for higher carbon taxes seems to be the only thing that is well fed. Now, is the Prime Minister so desperate to cling to power that he is resorting to tax tricks, sending people p…
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Madam Speaker, common-sense Conservatives ask for a recorded division.
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I greatly regret interrupting the proceedings, but I think that if you look for quorum, you will find that we do not have it. We should take care of that.
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I certainly appreciate the member's speech today. I wanted to talk about the ineligible companies that received monies from SDTC despite the Auditor General saying they were not even eligible to receive the monies in the first place. In my riding, there were constituents who either were paid too much CERB or were found to be ineligible, after the fact, for CERB. They had to pay it b…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, my constituents have told me in no uncertain terms that they want a carbon tax election. There is only one person left who prevents that by keeping this Prime Minister in power, and that person is the leader of the NDP. That is the same leader of the NDP who made a big stunt when he told Canadians he had ripped up his coalition deal with the Liberals. It was a perfectly timed scam on …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, the member's question touches on a number of things. The commitment to a rule of law means it is not up to the judgment of the men and women who are in positions of authority to ultimately decide whether a case is right or it is wrong. That is decided by laws, as they are laid out. In this place, the government serves the House of Commons, and when a majority of the House of Commons a…
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Mr. Speaker, it is truly a privilege to stand here on behalf of the wonderful people of Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola. When we talk about privilege, we must remember that our work here representing our constituents is an honour, not an entitlement. Privilege is something that we as parliamentarians have inherited through the centuries to ensure that we can speak and exercise our roles as gra…
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Mr. Speaker, this gives me an opportunity to rail a little bit about the Trudeau Sr.'s use of the charter to essentially Americanize our system and to remove some of the supremacy of Parliament. I do not believe the trust that was given to those members of Parliament at that time was honoured because, essentially, the supremacy of Parliament when it comes to certain elements of law-making is no lo…
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Mr. Speaker, in a free and open society, people only make decisions if they know there is certainty. How do we know that when we get out of bed in the morning we are not going to get run over? We trust that the system is going to operate as it should. This is one of the reasons we have representative democracy, where we are not all voting on an app, like perhaps some jurisdictions do. In places li…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, it is an excellent point, because the Auditor General has publicly said that their office has asked for more funding because under the Liberal government, spending has gone up by unbelievable amounts and has effectively doubled our debt. Canadians may not feel that they are getting better results for it, but more money has sloshed through the system through Parliament, and the Auditor…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and the CBSA Assessment and Revenue Management (CARM) digital initiative: (a) what are the start and end dates of the cutover period during which there will be no activity related to the processing of accounting for imported goods or processing of refunds of duties and taxes; (b) what are importers supposed to do during this period; (c) what …
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I would like to tell the member of Parliament for Chilliwack—Hope that the Auditor General actually found that a number of ineligible firms received money from SDTC. That was a big issue. I know that, when people in my riding of Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola were found to be ineligible for CERB payments, they had to pay that money back to the CRA. Does the member for Chilliwack—…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member of Parliament for Courtenay—Alberni mentioned corporations not operating with Canadians in mind. I raised, in my intervention previously, how the Liberals, through their process, gave funds, through SDTC, to companies that were not eligible to receive it. My constituents who were found to be ineligible for CERB had to pay it back. Does this member believe that they sho…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the good people of Central Okanagan. I present a petition today in regard to Canadians who are concerned about the Communist government in Beijing and its targeting of the people of the Falun Gong community, specifically for human forced organ harvesting, which is an incredibly disgusting practice. I think that, as Canadians, we would all a…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the Canada Revenue Agency: (a) for the Income Tax Act, what was the total number of notices of objection filed from January 1 until August 31, 2024; (b) of the objections in (a), how many were determined in favour of the tax payer; (c) under the Income Tax Act, what seven sections received the most notices of objection from January 1 to August 31, 2024; (d) for the Excise Tax Act or…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberals, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up and time is up. The former minister of immigration and MP for Central Nova has been responsible for the population growth of 200% in the past several years. Worse, he saw international students living in homeless shelters and cramped quarters while ignoring departmental warnings that immigration levels were …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, after another week of a paralyzed Parliament, a $400-million Liberal scandal is proof that the NDP-Liberal government is not worth the cost, crime and corruption. You have ruled that the NDP-Liberal government has violated a House of Commons order to turn over evidence to the RCMP for a criminal investigation into this scandal. The government's refusal to respect your ruling has paral…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, first of all, when the member ran to become the leader of the NDP, I do not recall any announcement or Tweet saying that he would not take up residence in Stornoway. I also never saw him do that with his previous leader, Thomas Mulcair, who was at one point looking to be prime minister. Let us dispose of this: The only security clearance a prime minister needs is to become the leader …
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Madam Speaker, I certainly appreciate the intervention from the member from Quebec. Anyone who says they agree with me in a public is a brave person. I referred earlier to the difference between the public interest and the public trust. I believe this motion is on the public trust, because Parliament has its fundamental role of accountability and the government has its role to be accountable. That…
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Madam Speaker, it is always an honour to rise in this space to speak to the issues that are important to the good people of Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola. I was speaking with a constituent in the Nicola Valley, who raised an issue with me about how they were starting to feel about the fact that after the next election there will be changes to our riding boundaries; the Nicola Valley will be …
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Madam Speaker, someone just said “corrupt”. It could be, but if the Liberals will not come forward to tell otherwise, to show their work and to show the RCMP that they have dealt with the House order, then we are left to wonder. That is on them; it is not on us as members. I know we have had many days of debate on this, and it is unfortunate because there are lots of things we could be debating, l…
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Madam Speaker, you put the right kind of pressure on all of us. I would hope that the member would only rise if there was the occasion of a real point of order. As I said, we have been debating this so long we may have forgotten why we are having this debate. We must not forget we are talking about over 180 conflicts of interest involving $330 million. I know other members have said it is more tha…
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Madam Speaker, let us bear in mind the facts. The minister responsible knew about this for 40 months and did not say anything. It was only when this became public that Liberals started taking action. If the government was really serious about taking action and making this whole process accountable, why does it continue to stonewall the chamber on all of its other business because it will not give …
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Madam Speaker, I do not know if the member has just been here too long, but he has become cynical. He reminds me of Don Quixote. Don Quixote had all the right intentions, but because he could not perceive reality properly, he strode off at windmills, just to prove the point that he was a knight. Sometimes, the cowboy should go off into the sunset. I would suggest this member from Ontario do that.
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for North Okanagan—Shuswap for his intervention. As a fellow British Columbian, it is always good to see someone from B.C. in this chamber. The question is simple. The government says that there are charter issues around privacy with giving the RCMP documents that they have withheld from this production order that was voted on and passed by the House of Commons. I…
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Madam Speaker, there will be a lot of discussion about Liberal accountability in the next election. As my colleague said, the problem right now is that the Liberals are not providing the information that is required of them. The government has no respect for Parliament. We need to stand firm on our decision to force this government to be accountable. We will press, not just because the order deman…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, after nine years of this NDP-Liberal government, we know that taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up and time is up. David Eby has flip-flopped on the carbon tax in time for his provincial election. This means that both parties contending for government want to axe the tax before winter. Just as it has with so many provinces, the NDP-Liberal government will simply impose a federal ca…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I like that the minister dumped on David Eby, but they just do not get how much more expensive everything in British Columbia has become under David Eby and this NDP-Liberal government. Food is up 29%. Transportation is up 23%. Natural gas is up 49%. Gasoline is up 45%. Rented homes are up 23%. Owned homes are up 29%. British Columbians need a change. If it is truly the people's time,…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I will remind the member that in 2015, when the then third party leader presented his complete platform, it was during the election campaign, at a press conference where he could not debate with other parliamentarians. We have been putting out exactly the direction that we believe the government should be going in. The member talks about building homes. In my own home province, Kelo…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is always an honour to rise in this place and join in debate on behalf of the good people of Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola. I particularly appreciated the speech by the MP for Mégantic—L'Érable. He made many good points that I hope to follow up on. Our motion today is a serious one: That, given that, after nine years, the government has doubled housing costs, taxed food, pu…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the member is making the point that her leader made: It is the people's time. Her leader rips up an agreement and says how terrible the Liberal government was, as she also does here, but when it comes time to put rubber to the road, they stand with the Liberal government and the Liberal Prime Minister. My constituents have asked that we get them off the track the government has put …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I am very happy you have put your foot down on this. It is clear that there is a vexatious use of the Standing Orders here to interrupt what should be a legitimate debate on a non-confidence motion. I hope the Speaker will continue to punish those who are utilizing the opportunity to come to their feet and to use a standing order to cast an allegation against another member. Madam S…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I appreciate that my fellow British Columbian came to this place to debate a very serious issue. However, I have to say that, hearing the cartoon talking points coming out of the Liberal Party, it has totally lost all reality. I am just going to address one small sliver here. The Leader of the Canada's Conservative Party has publicly responded to the Supreme Court's decision that so…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I request a recorded division, please.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, this is the most centralizing government in Canadian history. Bill C-11 has given more power to the CRTC over what is considered to be Canadian. That also includes content from Quebeckers. The member has essentially voted to give more power to Ottawa, to the bureaucracy, over people's online expression. The Prime Minister has doubled the Canadian debt. That means Quebeckers will hav…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure and an honour to rise on behalf of the good people of Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, and I am very proud to be sharing this time with the previous member. The Standing Committee on Finance has a very important job. In fact, it is a rare committee because, in our Standing Orders, it actually says that the finance committee must travel and hear widely fro…
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Madam Speaker, I will give the member a practical example. My understanding is that, in the Similkameen and in Penticton proper, there have not been any sign-ups for a dentist. Maybe there has been one now, but the NDP is touting this program as being widely available and accessible to people. I have had people in Kelowna tell me they have tried to go to a different dentist, but the new dentist re…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I support a policy where the government is collecting the right amount of taxes. For example, the member, at finance committee, raised legitimate questions about the so-called luxury tax, a tax on workers. We actually had industry come and say the tax will harm industry and will push business to the United States and other places. That is a policy I 100% agree with the Bloc Québécoi…
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Madam Speaker, we do not agree with the government's agenda. It is called a democracy when people can disagree. I would also disagree with the whole statement that the government thinks it has the right issues today. My constituents are talking about unaffordability and being able to pay their bills. They want to see us axe the tax. They also want to hear us talk about housing. It is politicians w…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberals, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up and time is up. Why is that? Two years ago, when the NDP leader could not beat the Liberal Prime Minister, he joined him. Their cozy coalition has led to higher taxes, higher food prices and skyrocketing crime. Recently, the NDP leader said he was ending the partnership, but it was all a charade. He said t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, it is always an honour to rise on behalf of the good people of Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola. Rents are up, unemployment is up, food bank usage is up and time is up. Who tells us this? The Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, which I have sat on in previous Parliaments, does. In its study on the housi…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, as always, it is an honour to rise on behalf of the good people of Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola to speak about a topic on which I know there are a range of views. In a democracy, we can disagree, but I would say that everyone who has spoken tonight believes in helping Canadians, particularly those living in poverty. I spoke earlier today about how part of being Canadian is tr…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, imagine living in a rural community like Merritt or Princeton, British Columbia. People work hard, pay their taxes, but see little return from Ottawa. In 2021, these communities were devastated by massive floods. The Prime Minister told them that he had their backs: ministers visit, telling them to hang tight for their new disaster mitigation adaptation fund; the municipalities apply,…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I believe that the member also served as municipal councillor at one particular point, and I want to let her know that while there are gatekeepers, I am sure she was mindful, when she made her votes at Victoria council, of young people and their opportunities. However, first of all, the Harper government worked with the Campbell government at the time, and instead of having duelling…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, as a former municipal councillor for the great community of Penticton, I learned that under the Local Government Act, yes, municipalities are authorized to create development cost charges to capture some of the costs for building new. However, let us be remindful of two things. First of all, when a development cost charge is added, without explaining what can be charged and what sho…
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With regard to the testimony from the Information Commissioner on May 16, 2024, at the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in which she said that "We are now looking at a total funding shortfall of $700,000 which represents a reduction in my budget of approximately 5%": why did the government make this reduction to the Information Commissioner's budget?
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With regard to the government's Disaster Mitigation Adaptation Fund applications and the statements made by the Mayor of Merritt, Michael Goetz, and the Mayor of Princeton, Spencer Coyne, both in British Columbia, that their municipalities' applications for funding under this program were denied by the government without explanation: (a) why was Merritt’s application denied; (b) why was Princeton’…
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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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