Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, New Democrats have raised the alarm on surveillance pricing, an invasive and unfair scheme that gouges Canadians. We called on the Liberals to follow the Manitoba NDP government, which moved swiftly to ban this insidious practice. Instead, the government tabled legislation that not only fails to address this issue, but does not even mention it. I guess AI for everyone really means eve…
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Mr. Speaker, New Democrats have been advocating for a Filipino cultural centre in metro Vancouver for many years. Our persistence resulted in the federal budget committing to fund this much-needed community resource. After the Lapu-Lapu tragedy, this centre is needed now more than ever. The Filipino Canadian community contributes so much to our country. It deserves a place to call home. When will …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark Philippine Independence Day and to celebrate Filipino Heritage Month across Canada. I was honoured to join many friends in the Filipino Canadian community for the annual flag raising ceremony at Filipino Plaza in the heart of Vancouver Kingsway. It was a proud celebration of bayanihan, representing unity, co-operation and selfless aid. I give many thanks to the Un…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the hon. member from Milton East—Halton Hills South. I think we all know that fraud in Canada is a growing problem. Stories are now appearing in the media virtually every week. Data from the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre shows that Canadians lost $638 million to fraud in 2024. Reported losses to the CAFC since 2021 have now surpassed $2 billion. The rate …
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, my heart goes out to those employees, and I agree with my hon. colleague that the SME sector is critical to Canada's growth. What I would say is that Quebec is leading the country in advocating changes to the way banks are held responsible for these fraud situations, so I think we should study the Quebec example and apply those very valid mechanisms at the federal level …
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Yes, Mr. Speaker, this is going to take a multi-jurisdictional approach. The member is quite right that the provinces have a role to play, but the federal government regulates banks and the banking sector. One of my children has a disability, and every January or February I make a contribution to her RDSP. When I do that, because I have made only one contribution a year, I have to answer about 20 …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-284, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (replacement workers). Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce legislation to close a loophole in the Canada Labour Code that allows employers to use outside managers as replacement workers during strikes and lockouts. I thank the member for Courtenay—Alberni for seconding the bill. In the last Parliament, the NDP secur…
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague is right. The problem is staggering. If the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre said that Canadians lost $638 million to fraud in 2024, and only 5% to 10% is being reported, we are talking about $6 billion to $12 billion a year being lost to fraud in this country. I know we cannot stop it entirely, but what we can and should be doing is taking measures. The government should …
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Mr. Speaker, the NDP agrees to apply the vote, with the NDP voting in favour.
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Mr. Speaker, the government's AI strategy is leaving Canadians dangerously exposed. While this technology can produce benefits, it urgently needs effective regulation and strong guardrails. We know AI is driving mass surveillance, facilitating fraud and threatening jobs. It uses huge amounts of water and energy, and children are being targeted. These are real threats, yet the Liberals sprinted thr…
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Mr. Speaker, New Democrats agree to apply the vote from the previous vote, with New Democrat members voting no.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, New Democrats agree to apply the vote from the previous vote, with New Democrats voting no.
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Mr. Speaker, New Democrats agree to apply the vote with New Democrat members voting yes.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
moved for leave to introduce Bill C‑278, An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act. Mr. Speaker, I rise to introduce legislation to address floor crossing, with thanks to the hon. member for Vancouver East for seconding. It is elementary that, in a democracy, elections are the primary opportunity for voters to express their democratic choice. When parliamentarians cross the floor to join a diff…
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Mr. Speaker, the second petition is signed by over 30,000 Canadians who point out that the Canadian Charter of Rights exists to protect individuals and minority communities from discriminatory laws. The petitioners are concerned about recent legislation enacted by the Government of Alberta and the Government of Saskatchewan that, in their view, restricts the rights, dignity and safety of transgend…
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Mr. Speaker, it is a genuine privilege to pay tribute to the hon. member for North Vancouver—Capilano on behalf of Canada's New Democrats and to wish him well in his upcoming post as Canada's ambassador to the European Union. I was told I had a minute and a half to say what needed to be said. I find myself with a little bit more time, so I am going to use that time because there is much that can b…
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Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today. The first is from the good people of Vancouver Kingsway. Over 600 residents signed a petition pointing out that the military strikes on Iran have caused significant civilian casualties and widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, water systems and heritage sites. They point out that the war threatens irreve…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, there is not a whole lot I can get in at this point with three minutes, but I will say that I am proud to rise as the labour critic for the NDP and to speak to the bill. Prior to being elected, I spent 16 years working as the director of legal resources for the Teamsters Local No. 31. In that time period, I did not just walk picket lines, as my hon. colleague, the parliamentary secr…
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Mr. Chair, the government plans to spend 5% of Canada's GDP on defence by 2035. That is a greater share of our economy than the U.S. currently spends on its military. The PBO estimates that meeting this target will require $159 billion a year in core defence spending. How does the government intend to pay for this dramatic increase?
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Mr. Chair, Liberals are planning to sell off Canada's ports and airports. When the U.K. privatized Heathrow, costs skyrocketed and service declined. Today, the governments of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and China control major stakes in that airport. Has the government conducted a full national security review of the risks posed by foreign and state-linked entities acquiring ownership of Canada's strategi…
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Mr. Chair, the government is slashing $60 billion across federal departments and programs. With over $2 billion in cuts to indigenous programs alone, what impact will these reductions have on communities already facing significant infrastructure and service gaps?
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Mr. Speaker, I agree with my hon. colleague that there will be corporate taxes generated on the additional corporate profits that are made. However, when we are talking about a windfall like this, an extra $60 billion of unanticipated revenue, a case can be made that an excess profits tax is appropriate, especially when that profit was not made because of extra investment by the oil and gas indust…
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Mr. Chair, can the minister confirm if the Liberals are planning to eliminate pharmacare entirely when the current agreements expire in 2029?
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Mr. Speaker, I am so glad my friend gave me a chance to talk about the fantastic job that Premier Wab Kinew is doing in Manitoba. I was in Manitoba just last week, in the provincial legislature. I was attending the Canadian Labour Congress convention. The types of policies and measures that the Kinew government is bringing in, as a New Democrat government in Manitoba, would be very instructive for…
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Mr. Chair, in the last election the Liberals pledged to double Canada's rate of residential construction to 500,000 homes per year over the next decade, but according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, the government will produce only 26,000 homes by 2030 through its flagship Build Canada Homes. Can the Minister explain this massive gap between what was promised and what is being delivered with …
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Mr. Chair, federal civil servants working partly from home are being forced to return full-time to an office, even where there is no place to put them. There is no compelling reason to work from an office. It will negatively affect their quality of life and productivity, and it will cost the government more money. Why are Liberals pursuing a policy that is so irrational?
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Mr. Chair, oil companies are set to make some $90 billion in profits this year as a result of the attack on Iran. Why will the government not tax those excess profits?
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Mr. Chair, does the minister expect that service quality will be improved by privatizing Canada's airports?
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to follow my hon. colleague from Saanich—Gulf Islands. I will be picking up some of the same themes she articulated so well. There are a few things about this motion that I want to agree with and thank my Conservative colleagues for pointing out. First of all, across this country, people are being stretched to the breaking point, and this motion is predicated on that a…
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Mr. Chair, does the minister expect that introducing a profit element will lead to lower airport fees in Canada?
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Mr. Chair, the government claimed that suspending the gas tax would save Canadians 10¢ a litre. When the suspension came into effect, the national average gas price was $1.69 a litre. Today, it is $1.83 a litre, and $2 a litre in Vancouver. Does the minister believe that oil companies are pocketing at least some portion of the tax cut?
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Mr. Chair, I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands. Federal civil servants working partly from home are being—
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Mr. Chair, the Prime Minister made a campaign promise to protect pharmacare and sign agreements with all outstanding provinces and territories, yet the government has refused to sign any new agreements or allocate funding to cover all Canadians. Can the minister explain to the millions of people who cannot afford their medication why this promise has been broken?
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Mr. Chair, why are the Liberals allowing companies to use surveillance pricing to harvest Canadians' personal data in order to charge them higher prices, instead of banning this new form of price gouging in an affordability crisis?
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Mr. Speaker, New Democrats said at the time that the Liberal government had proposed this measure without any kind of cap or measure to prevent oil companies from taking a portion of that 10¢ and just hiking their price. The Liberals did nothing. Of course it had a predictable unfortunate result. New Democrats have been calling for real measures that would actually help Canadians at the pump. Brin…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' privatization agenda is disturbing and dangerous. They are planning to sell off Canada's ports and airports, strategic assets that will end up in the hands of foreign buyers, compromising our security. When Heathrow was privatized in the U.K., it resulted in Saudi Arabia, Qatar and China controlling major stakes in that airport. Passengers paid more and services declined…
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Mr. Speaker, legal experts just confirmed what New Democrats have been warning for months: Alberta's private health care law violates the Canada Health Act. Danielle Smith's two-tier scheme lets wealthy patients pay to jump the line, while everyone else waits longer. This breaks a core principle of public health care: access must be based on need, not ability to pay. Upholding this value is the fe…
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Mr. Speaker, New Democrats agree to apply the vote from the previous vote, with New Democrats voting no.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, New Democrats agree to apply the vote, with New Democrats voting yes.
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Mr. Speaker, New Democrats agree to apply the vote, with New Democrats voting no.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the New Democrats agree to apply the vote from the previous vote, with New Democrats voting yes.
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Mr. Speaker, New Democrats agree to apply the vote, with New Democrats voting yes.
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Mr. Speaker, New Democrats agree to apply the vote, with New Democrats voting no.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, New Democrats agree to apply the vote, with New Democrats voting no.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to respond to the 2026 spring economic update on behalf of Canada's New Democrats and our new leader, Avi Lewis. At the outset, I want to acknowledge that this update includes some positive measures that New Democrats agree with and some, indeed, that we have long advocated for, including supporting apprenticeships in the skilled trades, delivering the Canada groceries an…
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Mr. Speaker, this gives me an opportunity to thank my hon. colleague from Edmonton Strathcona, who has been such a powerful voice for equity and for defending things such as public health care, which is under great threat from the Conservatives in Alberta. We can actually see what would happen if the federal Conservatives were to ever get power in this place. We can see what they would do by looki…
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Mr. Speaker, this gives me a chance to correct the record and to agree with my hon. colleague, the leader of the Green Party. Yes, the Green Party is a staunch advocate for public pharmacare. I want to thank her and her party for that principled position. Pharmacare is not just a moral imperative. We New Democrats believe that every Canadian should be able to get the medicine they need when they n…
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague talks about what the NDP did last Parliament. I think we stand in this place, and in our communities, with great pride. With the caucus of 2025, we brought in dental care to nine million Canadians. In the House, the NDP brought pharmacare to over 10 million Canadians and established the first public delivery of diabetes and contraceptive medications. There are people…
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Mr. Speaker, in the last election, the Prime Minister promised to protect pharmacare and sign agreements with all provinces and territories as quickly as possible. Despite those clear commitments, his government has failed to sign a single agreement. This week, P.E.I.'s health minister revealed the Liberals' plan to scrap pharmacare entirely when current deals expire. Will the government provide f…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are being crushed by the cost of living, and now gas prices are skyrocketing, but not everyone is suffering. Oil companies will rake in an extra $90 billion this year from Donald Trump's illegal war on Iran. What is the Liberal response? It is a tax cut that oil companies will simply pocket by raising prices. Instead of handing more money to oil giants, why does the governme…
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