Parliamentary Speeches
812 speeches by Gary Anandasangaree — Page 16 of 17
Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, immigration is so important. I know we are committed to bringing in 40,000 Afghan refugees. We will ensure that immigration is fair. Going forward, we have so many great programs, including a program we introduced recently, which has 250 spaces per year for human rights defenders. It is a very unique program, and Canada has signed on to it. I am hopeful that with the immigration cha…
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Mr. Speaker, Nav Bhatia is best known as the official Raptors superfan. He has not missed a single home game since the inception of the team in 1995. With his endearing love of the sport, Nav created the Nav Bhatia Superfan Foundation, with a goal to unite people of all ages and backgrounds through basketball. He introduced so many racialized children and youth in the GTA to the Raptors. In 2019, …
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Madam Speaker, Islamophobia is real. We see it daily. We have seen the height of it in the last few days and the recognition of it is important, albeit delayed. With respect to addressing systemic racism and Islamophobia, in particular, what can we do together as parliamentarians to elevate the debate on issues of racism and Islamophobia, instead of using them as wedge issues? What do we need to d…
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Madam Speaker, this is important legislation, as is Bill C-12, Bill C-10 and Bill C-6. They contain important value-based measures for Canadians that we need to pass before we rise for the summer.
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Madam Speaker, I want to begin by acknowledging that I am speaking to members from Scarborough—Rouge Park, the traditional lands of many indigenous nations, most recently of the Mississaugas of the Credit. I will be speaking in support of Bill C-30, an act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 19, 2021. Before I go deeper into the budget, I want to reflect on …
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Madam Speaker, I think there is an urgency here, especially with respect to the supports to individuals and small businesses. I know many of the small businesses in my community are struggling. Although we are on the cusp of opening up in phases, they are really behind with respect to rent and other financial needs, so we really need to get this budget implementation act through in the next couple…
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Madam Speaker, when we were developing the anti-racism strategy in 2019, we realized that racism has a different impact on different communities, and anti-Asian racism is one that has historically, whether through the head tax or other forms of indentured labour to bring people of Chinese origin into Canada to work, had a disparate impact on the Asian community. I know language is important and as…
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Madam Speaker, I want to note that the one thing I did not mention is that Bill C-15 passed through the Senate this week, which is the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It has clearly outlined many of the issues that my friend opposite talked about. The declaration offers us guidance regarding how we engage on a nation-to-nation basis with indigenous people. I know th…
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Mr. Speaker, last week, the United Nations reported that since the start of the conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia, over two million people have been internally displaced. Rape and sexual violence have become widespread and systematic. Civilians, human rights defenders, journalists and aid workers have been arbitrarily detained, beaten and killed. Starvation-related deaths have begun and will accelerate…
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Mr. Speaker, I know this is a very difficult conversation for many and I truly appreciate the depth of the member's commitment to the issues. One of the things that Senator Sinclair outlined today in his opening remarks at the INAN committee was the need to make this a non-partisan issue: to depoliticize it and work in collaboration. I am wondering if my friend could offer some suggestions as to h…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to pick up on something my colleague indicated earlier, and this is with respect to the role of the federal government and ensuring the federal government is directed by the wishes of the community. I know she had not come up with a full answer because she was also grappling with it. Perhaps she could give us a bit more clarity on what that needs to look like in terms of …
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Madam Chair, I would like to thank the member for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo for her heartfelt comments and also her strong leadership over the past several days. I want to extend my condolences on behalf of my constituents to hers on this tragic loss and this enormous pain that her community is undergoing. I know the member has been involved in this issue for many years. I would like to ask her ab…
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Mr. Chair, I would like to thank the leader of the Bloc Québécois for his heartfelt comments this evening. I would like to ask him about the TRC recommendations. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission gave us 94 calls to action that attribute specific actions, depending on the level of government and toward different civil society organizations. Would the Bloc support us in ensuring that all thes…
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Mr. Speaker, we are heartbroken by the discovery of the remains of 215 children in Kamloops. This is a horrific tragedy that has once again deepened the wounds of the survivors of residential schools, their families and indigenous people across Canada. We worked with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to develop and maintain the national residential school student death register and …
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Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate that we are heartbroken by the discovery of the remains of the 215 children in Kamloops. This is a horrific tragedy that has once again deepened the wounds of the survivors of residential schools, their families and indigenous people across Canada. We have worked with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to develop and maintain the national residential …
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Mr. Speaker, I certainly share in the grief that my friend for Nunavut has outlined. This is a national tragedy. It is one that our government has been working for the past six years to rectify. We are fully committed to implementing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission calls to action, all 94 of them, but most notably calls to action 72 to 76. We are also investing $33.8 million through budget…
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Mr. Speaker, we are heartbroken at the discovery of the remains of the 215 children in Kamloops. This is a horrific tragedy that has once again deepened the wounds of survivors of residential schools, of their families and of indigenous people across Canada. We have been working with the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation to develop and maintain the national residential schools student d…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the minister for his hard work on Bill C-15 and for getting it to this point. I want to ask him about the amendments made by committee and his comments with respect to going forward. Does he believe they strengthened the bill and is he satisfied with the amendments made at the committee stage?
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Madam Speaker, on May 18, Tamils in Canada and around the world will mark the 12th anniversary of the Mullivaikkal genocide. They will mourn, they will grieve, they will commemorate and they will resolve to never again be witness to such genocide and atrocity in our world. Sadly, this right to commemorate itself is under attack. The Sri Lankan state continues to desecrate memorials and threaten th…
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Madam Speaker, I want to ask my colleague and good friend about the amendments, especially with respect to the addition of the word “racism”. How important was that to complete Bill C-15? I know the parliamentary secretary has done a lot of work on systemic racism, so I would appreciate her comments on that, please.
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Madam Speaker, I noticed that the member hardly spoke about Bill C-15 and UNDRIP. I do want to ask him a question. He was very much involved with the previous government. UNDRIP was accepted by the General Assembly 13 years ago. The previous Conservative government was in power for many of those years. At what point would the Conservative Party accept UNDRIP and develop a plan to implement it or a…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague opposite spoke extensively about resource extraction. Throughout the debate, a number of his colleagues have stood and said the UNDRIP represents a veto and FPIC essentially means a veto. Could the member highlight where in the text of Bill C-15 he finds the term “veto”, and if he could maybe give us more insight into why that misconception is being reiterated by his pa…
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Madam Speaker, I always appreciate my colleague's comments, but I have to express a bit of disappointment in the position she is taking. There has been extensive consultation. With respect to Bill C-262, I was with Romeo Saganash in many communities and on many travels with the INAN committee, where many people came out and talked about his direct engagement. The foundation of Bill C-15 is from Bi…
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Madam Speaker, it has been more than 13 years since the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. It is five years this week since the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations attended the United Nations to announce that Canada was a full supporter, without qualification, of the declaration. She also affirmed Canada's commitmen…
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Madam Speaker, I listened attentively to my friend's comments. I know she has been working diligently over the last several years, not only on Bill C-262, but also on Bill C-15. Much discussion has taken place with respect to FPIC. I would like to get a sense from my friend opposite of her views on it, and whether it constitutes a veto, or whether that is a strategy being used to deflect the real …
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Madam Speaker, UNDRIP was adopted by the UN General Assembly 13 years ago. Shortly after the Liberals formed government in 2015, we endorsed it and agreed to implement it. At what point will the Conservative Party formally say it will adopt UNDRIP, whether by legislation or by other means? At what point will the member's party and leader adopt and accept the terms of UNDRIP?
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my friend, who is also a member of the committee, for his work and contribution to Bill C-15. All I can say is that what is important is that there were extensive consultations in developing Bill C-15. Regarding all the organizations that are mentioned, input was taken, whether at the committee stage or prior to that, and their input reflects what we have. It i…
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Madam Speaker, that is a very important question, because this is a call to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report. This is one of the key elements that is in there in call to action 43, which says that Canada has to implement UNDRIP. It is important for indigenous people, but it is also vitally important for all Canadians because it is a statement to the world that Canada respec…
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Madam Speaker, it has been a pleasure working with my friend from Winnipeg Centre on Bill C-15 and to get it to this point. What I am looking for and I think what the government is looking for and what I think all of us are looking for is passage of Bill C-15 in this Parliament. It is imperative that we move forward on reconciliation as indicated by the call to action 43 of the TRC. In many refere…
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Madam Speaker, I want to share in the member's praise of the former member of Parliament, Romeo Saganash. I know this is a lifetime of work for him and certainly in Parliament this was his primary body of work that all of us across all parties recognize and respect. With respect to the issue of FPIC, what is important to recognize is that in order for development to take place, there is a clearly …
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Madam Speaker, on the first question of veto, the bill would ensure certainty. What is different going forward is that there is a bill, there is a framework and legislation that would ensure that consultation takes place. It is already in Canadian law in many court decisions over the years. The bill would give certainty to those principles. Second, in the sense of resource development with indigen…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to begin by acknowledging that Canada's Parliament is located on the unceded traditional territory of the Algonquin people. I am speaking to members currently from my riding of Scarborough—Rouge Park, the traditional lands of many indigenous nations, most recently of the Mississaugas of the Credit. I would like to acknowledge the work of the Minister of Justice and the …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, during this holy month of Ramadan, I rise today to pay tribute to a trailblazer from Scarborough: the late Danish Memon. Danish was a community builder, a dedicated community leader, entrepreneur and mentor to countless young people in Scarborough and beyond. Sadly, Danish struggled with mental health and ultimately took his own life. Recently, Ahmed Ismail and Ginella Massa, two Scar…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I acknowledge that I am speaking from the unceded territory of the Algonquin people. I wish the member and everyone a happy Earth Day, as it is a historic day in many ways in the issues she highlighted. First and foremost, the Government of Canada is renewing Canada's relationship with indigenous people based on the affirmation of rights, respect, co-operation and partnership. Since…
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Mr. Speaker, no, I do not believe that people will be forced to use the program. It will be available for everyone who needs it.
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Mr. Speaker, let me take this opportunity to say best wishes to you and your wonderful wife Heather in your retirement. Although we sit on opposite sides of the House, I have often been inspired by your humility and integrity. I want to congratulate you and thank you for your service. It has been a pleasure working with you over the last five years. I am speaking today from the unceded lands of th…
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Mr. Speaker, what is important is that the commitment made by the Prime Minister this morning at the Earth summit, on Earth Day I might add, to reduce emissions for between 40% and 45% is a significant and a historical move that will get us closer to net zero by 2050. This is a drastic reduction to our original 2030 target set. This budget will support us getting and meeting our environmental obje…
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Mr. Speaker, I always appreciate my friend's interventions, particularly his advocacy on issues of indigenous communities and businesses. The budget proposes $18 billion in new spending toward indigenous communities. I have been working with many businesses and business associations, along with my fellow Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services. Many supports are available to…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, we share in the vision of the member opposite. Today, in Washington, the Prime Minister committed at the Earth Summit to reduce and to meet our targets set in Paris and exceed it by 2030, and also to meet our 2050 net-zero emission targets. This is a historical day in many ways. I want to reiterate that our government passed key legislation to support indigenous languages, affirming…
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Mr. Speaker, let me just begin by thanking Professor Sákéj Henderson, and my friend from Sydney—Victoria for his enormous leadership within the indigenous caucus and within our government as well. As the member just mentioned, this is the moment for us to capture, this is the moment in which we could reset the relationship. For parties that are not supporting this bill, what does this member have …
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Mr. Speaker, UNDRIP was adopted in 2007. We are 14 years into it in Canada, and we still have not domesticated this law. My friend opposite outlined a number of comments made by people who oppose this particular piece of legislation. She has been very selective in picking those. My question is quite direct. Are there any circumstances under which the Conservative Party would support UNDRIP in any …
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Mr. Speaker, I have a shout-out to your father-in-law, Ian, as well. He should be very proud of all the great work that you have done over the years. I want to thank my friend opposite because I have been able to work with him for the last five years at committee. One of the things we have seen over the last five years, especially travelling with the former MP Romeo Saganash, is the enormous amoun…
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Madam Speaker, the changes to the particular provisions of the criminal justice system are just one aspect of a broader set of measures that our government has introduced over the years, including the Canada child benefit. This has directly taken over 300,000 children out of poverty, which in my opinion is one of the major factors in reducing overall crime. In fact, the social determinants of heal…
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Madam Speaker, the member's interpretation of this bill is incorrect. There are 14 mandatory minimum sentences where the mandatory component would be taken out. It would still leave discretion with our highly qualified judges to make the determination. In terms of sexual offences, they are not included in this bill. As well, any serious offences that are highlighted would continue to have mandator…
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Madam Speaker, I believe these are very important measures to address issues of systemic racism. When I was going across the country to develop the national end to racism strategy, it was evident across the board that mandatory minimum sentences, in particular, had a disproportionate effect on indigenous and Black communities. I believe this is an important step in that direction. Obviously there …
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Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with my good friend, the member for Beaches—East York. I am speaking to members from the traditional lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit in Scarborough—Rouge Park. I want to, first and foremost, thank the Minister of Justice and his team for their hard work in bringing this bill together. I will be speaking in support of Bill C-22. There are three basic…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, insofar as Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada is concerned, the response is as follows. With regard to (a), the Enoch Cree Nation submitted its Yekau Lake Practice Bombing Range specific claim in November 2007, on the basis that the Crown breached both its fiduciary and statutory obligations under the Indian Act in respect of the lease of the former Yekau Lake Bomb…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate Girmalla Persaud, executive director of the Malvern Family Resource Centre and a community builder, on her retirement. Girmalla is a friend, mentor and leader. I have had the honour to work with her for over 20 years, and I have witnessed the transformative work that she has undertaken. Girmalla became the executive director of MFRC 35 years ago, with ju…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, copies of the Yukon Land Claims and Self-Government Agreements Implementation Report 2012-2017, as well as copies of the report of the Implementation Coordinating Committee, Inuvialuit Final Agreement 2016-2017 and 2017-2018.
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Mr. Speaker, I extend my deepest condolences to the family of the individual the member referenced. Our hearts are with the survivors and families of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls and two-spirited and gender-diverse people. In response to the first-ever national public inquiry on the ongoing national tragedy, our government is working with all provincial and territorial governmen…
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