Parliamentary Speeches
372 speeches by Francis Scarpaleggia — Page 8 of 8
Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I would like to begin with a few questions, especially about Conservatives taking real, practical actions. First of all, why now? Why did the Conservatives not propose this in, say, 2012, when they were drafting and gazetting the waste-water systems effluent regulations? Were they guilty of an oversight at that time? Second, why did the member not introduce his private member's bill…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I am not aware of the exact quote the member is referring to. As far as the Minister of Canadian Heritage is concerned, when there are important announcements such as the budget or major steps when it comes to the environment, the entire Liberal caucus looks after delivering the message. There is nothing extraordinary about that. As members know, many members of cabinet have experti…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the climate change challenge has often been compared to the moon shot of the 1960s. The moon shot involved a redoubling of resolve after a difficult and halting start to the space race in the United States. The moon shot was very much about targeting a seemingly out-of-reach objective on a seemingly impossible timeline: namely, reaching the moon before the end of the decade of the 1…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, first of all, I think it is a very good development that we have a government in the United States that is committed to environmental action. Obviously, it makes things much easier to be working with a like-minded government on a continental basis. In terms of zero-emission vehicles, the member may know, as I know the industry is very important to him and his riding, that the enviro…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the hon. member's views and insight carry a lot of weight in this chamber. As the member knows, the bill will hopefully be passed at second reading and make its way to the environment committee, where amendments will no doubt be tabled and we can have discussion about the points the member has raised. However, it is important to acknowledge that there is much room for expert advice …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, on the CBC website today, I read that the union representing oil and gas workers supports ambitious greenhouse gas emissions targets. I would like to know who the member is speaking on behalf of. Is he speaking on behalf of energy workers or someone else?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the TMX is well on its way. That decision has been made, so it has been dealt with. There are people who work in the oil industry in Alberta and other places. Many are without jobs. They are suffering and that is creating social problems in certain parts of the country. In terms of a profiteering tax, over a number of years the government has brought in measures to reduce home specu…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I have been listening to the official opposition on the budget for the last few days, and it is difficult to ascertain, at least for me, if they are Keynesians or proponents of Reaganomics. They say that they support the emergency measures our government quickly put in place when the pandemic broke, programs that helped so many Canadians, families and businesses, but at the same tim…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the issue of homelessness is a priority for our government. We unveiled a housing policy. Over the years, we have added more money. I think we are now at $70 billion or more. A shelter will also be opening in my riding for youth at risk of homelessness. All I can tell my colleague is that it is a priority for the government. I am certain that the government will meet expectations.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I did not say that inflation is not a problem. What I said was that the current policies are not risking inflation above what really is the target for the Bank of Canada. Yes, house prices are going up, but from what I have read, one of the reasons for this is the new entrants into the market. Those are new families buying homes. As the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, climate change is top of mind for Canadians and for my constituents in Lac-Saint-Louis. We know that we need to do more. I was happy to see the Prime Minister announce our new climate targets today to Canadians and to countries around the world. Could the Minister of Foreign Affairs update us on this important development and on the measures we are taking to combat climate change?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, in listening to the member's speech, and not just his, but the discourse coming from the Conservative Party, I find that things zigzag a bit. We hear, for example, that we should not be running deficits, then they will say it is okay to run a deficit for a while, but they do not tell us for how long and what the ideal deficit should be. Then, when we talk about the benefits that have …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, entitled “The Road Ahead: Encouraging the Production and Purchase of Zero-Emission Vehicles in Canada”. This study, which is extremely relevant in today's context where we are making the transition to a greener economy, was proposed by the me…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, on March 31, McGill University celebrated the 200th anniversary of its founding. This historic institution of higher learning has been central to Canada's intellectual, cultural, political, social and economic development. McGill's greatest strength has always been its people. Trailblazers such as Madeleine Parent, Maude Abbott and Ernest Rutherford have inspired generations of studen…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, the last time I spoke to this bill was in 2020, and I am resuming where I left off at that time. The CPPIB's investments have been consistently drawing above-average rates of return. The fund, combining both the base CPP and additional CPP accounts, achieved 10-year and five-year annualized net real returns of 10.5% and 9.6%, respectively. The CPP fund is now at $556.7 billion and t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development in relation to the supplementary estimates (C) 2020-21.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, over the past year, we have all recognized the importance of being active and getting outside, in accordance with health guidelines, of course. Canadians are starting to think about the kinds of investments that could contribute to a strong and sustainable economic recovery. I was pleased to learn that the federal government will be making a significant investment in what is referre…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, Canada has lost a passionate and tireless advocate for our most vital resource, fresh water. Dr. David Schindler was not only a world-renowned limnologist who, in 1991, won the prestigious Stockholm Water Prize; he was also responsible for fundamental shifts in North American environmental policy through his pioneering field work, most famously at the Experimental Lakes Area, which he…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Madam Speaker, the term “force of nature” does not apply to many people. Wolf Solkin was a force of nature: an extraordinary individual who lived an extraordinary life that intersected with history. Born in the Soviet Union, a child of the Great Depression, a World War II combat officer with the Algonquin Regiment, a social worker, property developer, and hotel manager, Wolf left us this month jus…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, today I have a petition to present in memory of Wyatt Thomas Smith. It is signed by 25 individuals. The petitioners are asking the government to declare the overdose crisis a national public emergency and take steps to end overdose deaths and overdose injuries by collaborating with the provinces and territories to develop a comprehensive pan-Canadian overdose action plan that consider…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canada had its first case of COVID-19 a year ago this week. Since the start of the pandemic, we have acted quickly and effectively to mitigate the spread of the virus. Could the Prime Minister tell Canadians about the border measures that have been taken to keep all Canadians safe?
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, we need the study on this motion because it is time we gave formal and comprehensive attention to the protection and management of our most precious resource, our fresh water. Clearly, this government has begun to do just that. The recent throne speech reiterated the government's commitment to creating a coordinating and research mechanism called the Canada water agency. Consultatio…
Read full speech →