Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to pay tribute to a dear friend and a pillar of the Montreal community who passed away recently. François L'Heureux was a highly respected lawyer and a well-known, passionate activist in our great Quebec nation. François was a very caring husband to his beloved wife, Marie, as well as a devoted father to his sons, Philippe and Marc, who are both living with a…
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Mr. Speaker, the situation in Afghanistan is dire. For the year 2022, the United Nations estimates that 24 million people inside Afghanistan require humanitarian assistance. This represents half of the population. The rise to power of the Taliban has made the humanitarian crisis much more important, especially for women and girls who are the primary victims of this situation. Can the Minister of I…
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Mr. Speaker, the new bill to modernize the Official Languages Act would not have been possible without the participation and passion of a great many Canadians. From individual meetings to national symposia, to hearings in the House of Commons or other places, to the countless letters and phone calls, we are deeply grateful for this incredible participation. Can the President of the Treasury Board …
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Madam Speaker, I would like to ask my colleague if he owns a business in the downtown Ottawa area. What would he think if, for three weeks, he could not open, he could not pay his rent and he had to tell his employees that they would lose their jobs? In addition, what does he think about closing bridges that are a vital path for the commercial trade between us and the United States? What does he t…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 34th anniversary of the Sumgait pogrom, which took place in February, 1988, when a large number of Armenians were subjected to mass killings and persecution by Azerbaijani forces as a result of their aspiration to live freely and with dignity. Many residents of Laval—Les Îles remember these horrific acts and are disheartened that the same politics of hate…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mark Sri Lanka's 74th Independence Day, a day filled with enormous pain and anguish for Tamil people on the island. Victims of history, the Tamil people hailing from the north and east of the island have lived as second-class citizens. They have been denied education, employment and even the freedom to practise their faith. Although Sri Lanka is currently experiencing …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my family, my team, all of the volunteers and the people of Laval—Les Îles, who entrusted me to represent them in the House of Commons for a third time. I thank them for putting their faith in me. I also want to congratulate my colleagues who were re‑elected and those who were elected for the first time. I am very happy to be here in person to work with my peers …
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her speech, and I would like to wish the other member a happy birthday. We all know that COVID‑19 is a very contagious disease. All the peer-reviewed scientific studies show that the risk of death in vaccinated individuals is practically 0%. My question for my colleague is this: If a person decides not to get vaccinated and risk their own life, that may be t…
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Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to rise in the House to talk about the crucial role of His Excellency Bishop Ibrahim Ibrahim, the eparch of the Melkite Catholic Church of Canada, consecrated by Pope John Paul II to serve members of his community across Canada. As leader of his diocese for 18 years, he has worked tirelessly and with respectful openness to build bridges among all men and women of goo…
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Madam Speaker, Tuesday, May 18, 2021, marked the 12th anniversary of the Mullivaikkal genocide and the end of the armed conflict in Sri Lanka. Over 70,000 innocent Tamil civilians were killed, three million were detained and a countless number went missing. My thoughts and prayers go to the families and friends of the victims of the Tamil genocide and survivors who experienced unimaginable trauma.…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I doubt anyone realizes just how proud I am to be a Canadian MP from Quebec. I can tell my colleague that the government is giving the Province of Quebec all the tools and funding it needs to advance. We just announced a high-speed Internet access project. Here in my riding, we announced several million dollars to build affordable housing units…
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Madam Speaker, we are in an unprecedented situation. We are facing a terrible pandemic. Concerning the spending, can we ask parents how much money they would pay to save the life of their child at the hospital? Can we ask a firefighter why they used too much water to put out a fire and save the country? We are investing in this country because we would like every single Canadian family to have bre…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to share my time with the member for Oakville North—Burlington. It is a privilege for me to rise in support of budget 2021, “A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth and Resilience”. I would like to use my time to highlight how the budget will invest in Canadian youth, which is an issue that matters very much to me. This budget will help young Canadians recover from the COVID-1…
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Madam Speaker, no previous government has given students the help this government has. We are supporting students. We are supporting post-secondary students. We are supporting students who are children. We created a child benefits program to support students who have to stay home to take care of seniors. We have been there for students, and we will continue to be because we in this government beli…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. When I asked my question to the minister, accidentally a microphone was open and the answer of the minister was not heard properly. Is it possible to allow me, please, to re-ask the question to the hon. minister in order that everyone can hear the question properly?
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Mr. Speaker, the government knows that it is extremely important to strengthen our relations with Canada’s allies and are committed to expanding Canada's global trade ties. The Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade recently led a virtual trade mission to France. Could the minister talk more about the importance of empowering Canadian businesses to diversify and expan…
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Mr. Speaker, this government knows that it is extremely important to strengthen our relations with Canada's allies and is committed to expanding Canada's global trade ties. The Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade recently led a virtual trade mission to France. Could the minister talk more about the importance of empowering Canadian businesses to diversify and expan…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the efforts that our government makes every day to improve the lives of Canadians and ensure their well-being. Despite this unprecedented difficult time, our government continues to tirelessly serve Canadians and protect their lives. I would like to thank the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities for announcing a $6.6-million investment to help build t…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, 33 years ago, innocent Armenian men, women and children lost their lives in the tragic events at Sumgait, Azerbaijan. Many residents of my riding, Laval—Les Îles, remember these events and the horrific impact they had on Armenians in the region and around the world. The Sumgait pogrom was a response by nationalist forces in Baku to suppress Armenians' rightful demands to live freely i…
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Mr. Speaker, in 1976, I was welcomed to Canada by a pioneering member of the Lebanese community, Georges El Khoury. We lost Mr. El Khoury three weeks ago. He was a noble and generous person who gave so much to Canadians of Lebanese origin and contributed to the growth of jobs and investment with the Middle East as well as to the education of many young people. He helped everyone who needed help re…
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Mr. Speaker, we have taken action to protect and support Canadians from the very beginning of this crisis. We have secured the most COVID-19 vaccines per capita and the most diverse portfolio of any country in the world. Vaccines have arrived in Canada, and additional deliveries have been confirmed for February and March. Could the Prime Minister update the House on our efforts to ensure vaccine d…
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