Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister declared “Canada is back” when he was first elected. The problem is this: One can say anything they want, but at the end of the day it is their actions that people will judge. People look at actions and they look at integrity. We have a Prime Minister that, with respect, has not displayed a great deal of integrity, whether it comes to ethical breaches or it comes …
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Madam Speaker, I will be very clear. When we talk about the legislation, has the threshold been met? Simply saying, “Do you view it this way colloquially?” is not the question that is before the House. The question that is before the House is whether the threshold has been met. With respect, I do not believe it has been because I do not view this as the act of last resort.
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Mr. Speaker, the hon. member spoke at length about the negative aspects of what is occurring in Ottawa. Unfortunately, the act we are debating today is not based only on the negative aspects. It has a critical threshold. He talked about what people and businesses have experienced. We need to put all that aside and focus on what can be done about this. People can be arrested and vehicles can be sei…
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Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the people of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. It is interesting that the hon. leader of the NDP has spoken about the division of the government, yet he has consistently propped up the government that has chosen to divide. He spoke about the fact that the Emergencies Act should not touch on Quebec, yet he is supporting legislation that theoretica…
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Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the citizens of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. I would be remiss if I did not wish my wife Odette, my better half, a very happy Valentine's Day. To get to the more germane issue and the minister's speech, about five weeks ago, I took the minister to have stated that vaccinations should be considered mandatory by some provinces. I want to ask wh…
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Madam Speaker, I would agree with my hon. colleague. It certainly strains credulity when one considers that it was known for so long that this was an issue. Moreover, we had a Prime Minister who called nothing but a vanity election and then waited for months to reconvene Parliament. I echo the member's sentiments, and understand her sentiments questioning the need to ram this through. She spoke ab…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Veterans Affairs Canada is set to cut hundreds of disability benefits adjudicators in March. These adjudicators were hired to deal with the massive backlog at Veterans Affairs. I asked the hon. minister what would happen when these people were cut, with respect to the backlog. His answer was that the backlog would increase 50% in just nine months. Will the minister commit to rescindin…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, with respect, I do not believe my question had anything to do with unspent funds. I did not ask the hon. parliamentary secretary anything about unspent funds. I asked about backlog numbers. I am not sure why we are getting a prepared answer, when I did not ask that question.
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Madam Speaker, the member may say I asked for it previously. I am talking about right here and right now. It is incumbent on the parliamentary secretary, with respect, to answer the question I actually put forward to the government. I am going to ask very specific questions, and I would invite the hon. parliamentary secretary to deviate from the prepared remarks, because we saw where that got us t…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the people of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. Veterans and their families are being left behind by the Liberal government. When they rise in the House on this issue, representatives of the government are quick to state that they have made historic investments and done more than any government has done to invest in veterans. With the greatest o…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the residents of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, especially on a topic as important as this one. I will be direct. I would love to see an end to what is going on outside, a peaceful end, and that end begins with the Prime Minister. COVID has been a difficult situation for everybody. Obviously, everybody in the House denounces any violence and …
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Madam Speaker, I feel that is what I am doing right now. I am discussing all Canadians, not just some Canadians. I implore a peaceful resolution to what is happening right now, but when we talk about democracy and a peaceful resolution, we are about two weeks in now. Where has the Prime Minister been the last two weeks? That is really the big question, but let us not focus just on where he has bee…
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Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his helpful remarks and for his comments. At this point, I feel a lot of what we can do has really been exhausted. If I can put it bluntly, the ball is in the Prime Minister's court. He is the head of state of Canada. I endorse what the Leader of the Opposition has suggested, which is a meeting between the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, t…
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Madam Speaker, I am not sure what particular legislation she is referring to, so it is very difficult for me to answer a question about general legislation. As Conservatives, and like all people in this House, we want what is best for Canadians, and I am prepared to fight for that, as are all Conservatives.
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise on behalf of the residents of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo on this important topic. The hon. parliamentary secretary made two points that I wish to follow up on with him. They are both relatively brief. The first is that he said we should work together. I note that the leader of the official opposition tonight sent a letter to the Prime Minister and all party lea…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, veterans benefits should adjust with inflation, yet veterans benefits have increased only 2.7% when inflation has increased by 4.8%. This may not seem like a lot to Laurentian elites, but to veterans who are trying to feed their families, every single penny counts amid ballooning inflation. Will the Minister of Veterans Affairs commit to ending this discriminatory policy so veterans c…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to complaints from veterans that Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) area and regional offices have been closed to in person visits, assistance, and assessments since the COVID-19 pandemic began: (a) which VAC regional offices are currently open to in person visits from veterans; (b) what is the timeline for when each VAC regional office currently not open to in person visits will reopen to …
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With regard to caseworkers at Veterans Affairs Canada, since January 1, 2020: (a) how many caseworkers have (i) reported that their job has had a negative impact on their mental health, (ii) taken leave or days off related to stress or mental health concerns; (b) what has been the turnover rate for caseworkers, broken down by month; (c) what specific action has the ministry done to support the men…
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With regard to the impact of inflation on the Market Basket Measure (MBM) and the poverty line: (a) what is the current, or latest, MBM for the reference family and various poverty lines in each of the MBM geographic areas in British Columbia; (b) what was the 2018-base MBM for the reference family and various poverty lines in each geographic area in (a); (c) what percentage of individuals living …
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With regard to the backlog of cases at Veterans Affairs Canada: (a) what is the number of backlog applications for disability benefits as of December 8, 2021; (b) what is the current backlog in terms of time between when an application for benefits is made and the veteran finally receives the benefits; (c) what specific steps have been taken to address the backlog, and when was each step implement…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I watched with horror on Saturday when a very few protesters disrespected and desecrated the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I condemn these actions unequivocally. The people who did this missed a clear point, which is that the unknown soldier, and all of those who served this country, served so we could have the very freedoms we enjoy today, such as the right to peaceful assembly and th…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Veterans Affairs Canada is cutting case workers in March, despite veterans and their families waiting up to two years for the benefits to which they are entitled. Last year alone, the department left over $635 million unspent. This is not helping veterans. When will the government take action and address the veterans' care crisis?
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise in the House today on behalf of the citizens of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. Veterans and their families feel left behind by the government, to say the least. The veterans ombudsman, veterans advocacy groups and caseworkers from Veterans Affairs Canada have all come forward ringing alarm bells about the failures of the government when it comes to veterans. What …
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Mr. Speaker, I commend and congratulate the hon. parliamentary secretary on his appointment. I had some remarks prepared, but I want to address some of the parliamentary secretary's comments. The parliamentary secretary said that people had been hired. However, the information in my office is that many of the people who have been hired will not be retained past March 2022. Could the hon. parliamen…
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Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the citizens of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. My question is a narrow one. The mandatory minimum penalties sought to be repealed includes section 95 of the Criminal Code, which is one of the most serious firearms offences, because it is an unlicensed individual possessing a restricted or prohibited firearm. The Nur decision from the Supreme …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, before I commence my remarks, I was informed of some sad news, and that is the passing of Ken Greenall of 100 Mile House in my riding. I wish to pass my condolences on to his family. May eternal light shine upon him. On behalf of the people of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, I rise to recognize the extraordinary career of sportscaster Earl Seitz of Kamloops. Earl began his broadcasting car…
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Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the citizens of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. I was struck by the hon. parliamentary secretary's comments when he said that sentences are getting stiffer. I would first ask him what empirical evidence he has to back up that proposition. In my experience as somebody who worked in the correctional system in penitentiaries, and in the community…
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Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the citizens of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. One thing that seemed to be missing from my colleague's eloquent words was victims. Frequently victims are racialized people, disproportionately, in fact, and that has to be stated when we are discussing this. I also thought I heard my hon. colleague say that he was in favour of repealing all man…
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Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the residents of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. The hon. member for Kingston and the Islands said that the Conservatives essentially want to lock people up and throw away the key. I would respectfully depart from that analysis and say we are seeking sentences that promote a just sanction, which is right in the Criminal Code. That was my first p…
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Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the citizens of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. My hon. colleague noted the necessity for a balanced approach. The hon. parliamentary secretary mentioned the term “systemic racism”. My question is a general one. If the issue is one of systemic racism, why are we repealing all mandatory minimums? Why would the government not simply put what we …
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Madam Speaker, the parliamentary secretary said that one of the targets of this legislation is not targeting a marginalized offender who perhaps shoots a firearm at a residence that he or she does not know to be occupied. First, I am not sure why anybody would be doing target practice in such a scenario on a residence. Second, section 244 of the Criminal Code deals with discharging a firearm with …
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Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the citizens of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. My questions for the hon. minister are twofold. First, did the hon. minister implore the Prime Minister to bring back Parliament earlier than two months after the election, given the necessity, in his view and in his mind, to bring this legislation forward as quickly as possible? Second, does the…
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Madam Speaker, I live in a riding where there is a significant doctor shortage, but it is nowhere near the shortage that my colleague from Nunavut mentioned. With that, I support anything that is going to get more people into health care facilities. I am open to discussing this at committee so we can dive into it more. Hopefully, we can all come to a consensus so there can be more doctors and nurs…
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Madam Speaker, a part of our Conservative platform was actually an increase in health transfers. As my colleague for Langley—Aldergrove pointed out, this is a jurisdictional issue, health care is provided by the provinces, and the federal government does provide funding for that. As set out in our platform in the most recent election, we were all for increasing health transfers to the provinces gi…
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Madam Speaker, Canada relies on infrastructure. At this point, what is before the House is the protection of health care workers. I certainly would be in favour of looking at legislation that protects any critical infrastructure, not just pipelines. Infrastructure is just as critical to Canadians as health care is, so I am in favour of any legislation that extends protection to our system function…
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Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure and an honour to speak while you are in the chair. I congratulate you on your appearance before the House. In short, I support the bill going through second reading and moving on to committee. Like my colleague for Langley—Aldergrove, after a few brief comments I will focus on the proposed Criminal Code amendments. Canada's Conservatives, and our recent platform on …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, a former case manager came forward from Veterans Affairs two weeks ago, alleging the department “had overwhelming caseloads and a lack of support, and is a toxic work environment.” Last week, the union representing Veterans Affairs staff put out a statement saying that case managers were near a breaking point. Was the minister aware of the problems within his own department? If he was…
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Mr. Chair, the hon. member spoke at length about defending Canada and how her party, the government, was going to defend Canadian values when it came to trade and when it came to softwood lumber. She talked about defending it, but with respect, this is essentially a WHL team playing against an NHL team when it comes to defending. Just because the government wishes to defend Canadian values does no…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, my heartfelt congratulations on your appointments. Weykt. It is a profound honour to rise in this honourable House for the first time and to be surrounded by colleagues. I look forward to what we can all get done. While at the end of the day we may agree to disagree on certain things, I look forward to working with everybody in the House for the betterment of all Canadians. My paren…
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Mr. Speaker, I personally look at just about everything and where it is made before I purchase it. I went to great lengths to find boots that were made in Canada. On the question of trade and on the question that the hon. member asked, the Conservative government was one that brought in, I believe, over 40 trade agreements. The problem we have is that our greatest trading partner is not listening …
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Mr. Speaker, the first thing that we need to address is our relationship with the United States. Unfortunately, we have allowed that relationship to wither away. As a Conservative, I implore our Prime Minister to immediately address this and to let President Biden know that we need the tariffs to be removed. Free trade is the best avenue.
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I had occasion to prosecute a recent offence involving a missing woman, somebody who had been missing for 19 years, so this is a matter that strikes close to my heart. I believe that justice should be sought in all circumstances when it comes to any missing and murdered indigenous woman and any missing woman, period. I will note for the benefit of this House that it was the Conservati…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, when I was growing up, forestry fed my family. Forestry remains vital to the people of Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo. Six days after the Prime Minister visited Washington, D.C., the United States doubled tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber. This incident demonstrates what we have learned over the past six years: The Prime Minister has no influence over our largest trading partner. He is n…
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