Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I must admit that, given the challenges we are currently facing, there is a tremendous amount of work to do. We, on this side of the House, are doing that work. We are investing in Canadians and in businesses. I was very proud to visit the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, where business owners told us that we are on the right track and asked us to continue making these investments, be…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak to Bill C-263, an act to establish a national framework for silver alerts. I would like to thank the member for Kildonan—St. Paul for bringing this important matter to the House for debate. The safety of our seniors, especially those living with dementia or other cognitive impairments, is a priority for us all. This is a topic that transcends part…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I have spoken to people in Portage—Lisgar and in Brandon, in my riding of Manitoba. I was at the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce luncheon a few weeks ago, and all of those in the business community there, from all of the sectors, said that major investments are important. They said, “Keep doing what you're doing.” I was really, really proud to support PrairiesCan, the economic develop…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. I have been visiting with people in my riding. I have been going door to door and attending community events. Although people still have concerns about affordability, they see our efforts and tell us we are on the right track. Today, more than 29,600 people in my riding will be better off because of the Canada groceries and essentials benefit. …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today I rise with great pride to recognize an extraordinary group of young girls from my riding of St. Boniface—St. Vital, Team Bison. These five students recently competed in the 2026 Canada-Wide Science Fair in Edmonton. In their fourth consecutive year at the fair, they earned a bronze medal as well as several prestigious awards and scholarships. As someone who believes deeply in t…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today on Red Dress Day, we honour the memory of missing and murdered indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. Across the country, and especially in Manitoba, this tragedy continues to affect families, communities, and entire generations. Every red dress represents a life, a story, and a profound loss. Last fall, I had the honour of attending the announcement of the Manitoba red …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, one year ago, I had the immense privilege of being elected to represent the people of Saint‑Boniface—Saint‑Vital, and it is my honour to do so to this day. Since then, we have advanced concrete priorities: more accessible housing, investments that support our businesses and create good jobs and measures to help families cope with the cost of living. What matters to me more than announ…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, at the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, we have often heard about how important it was to include indigenous people in the drafting of this bill. Can my colleague tell us why that was so important? Can he explain how that process actually worked and explain how drafting the bill in co-operation with indigenous people made it so robust?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I think that what sets the commissioner apart in this situation is the fact that their one and only task will be to monitor treaties. That will create an ongoing dialogue on the monitoring of each treaty. In other cases, people look over a report and move on to the next one. No continuous monitoring is done to ensure that everyone is aware of their responsibilities and that real progr…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, as we have heard, despite the efforts currently in place, there seems to be systemic issues that we are trying to resolve. With the implementation of a specific commissioner tasked solely with educating government departments about the implications of treaties, their implementation and what is needed, that ongoing oversight conversation, development and education across the board woul…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, what we have seen repeatedly through the testimony that we heard was the need for this independent distinctive body that has the knowledge and expertise to oversee the implementation of these modern treaties. Furthermore, the Auditor General is on one review and then on to the next audit and the next audit. An independent commissioner tasked with only looking at modern treaties would …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I believe that Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and all departments in this government are doing the work of implementing these modern treaties to the best of their extent. However, there are numerous modern treaties and risks of even more significant new ones being signed. We need help to do the work effectively.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, kwe kwe, ullukkut, taanshi, bonjour, hello. Before I begin, I want to acknowledge that Canada's Parliament is located on the unceded and unsurrendered traditional territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin people. To understand the opportunity before us today, we need to look honestly at the history that brought us here. For centuries, treaties have been the foundation of that relationship…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 30th anniversary of the National Aboriginal Capital Corporations Association. Founded through the vision and leadership of first nation and Métis leaders, NACCA has built a national network of 51 indigenous financial institutions, expanding access to capital for indigenous entrepreneurs and serving every province and territory. In the 1990s, pioneering or…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, March 20 was the International Day of La Francophonie. In honour of the occasion, I want to draw the House's attention to the vitality and resilience of francophone communities across the country, especially those in Manitoba. French is alive and well in every part of the province. We see it at our festivals, we hear it in our schools and we experience it in our organizations, busines…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I would like to draw attention to the 57th Festival du Voyageur, which just wrapped up in Winnipeg. Created to honour the legacy of the voyageurs and to celebrate western Canada's francophone community, this festival embodies a spirit of courage, solidarity and pride. The voyageur spirit is what brings nation builders together in the dead of winter to celebrate their culture and pass …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, as Black History Month comes to a close, we are reminded that meaningful celebration does not happen on its own. It happens because strong community organizations carry that work forward year after year. In my riding, two outstanding organizations are doing exactly that. The Black History Month Celebration Committee has been a pillar in Winnipeg since 1981. It continues to lead Manito…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, my predecessor as MP for St. Boniface—St. Vital, the first minister of northern affairs and the first indigenous cabinet member from Manitoba, the hon. Dan Vandal, is in the gallery today with his wife, Brigitte. One of eight children, Dan left high school to become one of Canada's top professional boxers. He then earned a bachelor's degree in social work. When he realized that the yo…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, when indigenous women, girls and gender-diverse people go missing, delays cost lives. Every minute matters. Last week, I had the honour of attending, on behalf of the Minister of Crown and Indigenous Relations, the launch of the report of Manitoba's indigenous-led red dress alert pilot program. The organization, Giganawenimaanaanig, which translates as “we all take care of them”, led …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, last week, Manitoba's theatre community suffered a profound and heartbreaking loss with the sudden passing of Ian Ross, the celebrated Métis Ojibway playwright, storyteller and educator, at the age of 57. Rooted in Winnipeg, Ian reshaped Canadian theatre. His groundbreaking play, fareWel, a dark, courageous comedy set on a fictional first nations reserve, earned him the Governor Gener…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, November 16 commemorates the memory of Louis Riel, a visionary leader, the founder of Manitoba and a Father of Confederation. On Sunday, I had the honour of joining the Prime Minister in attending the ceremony for the 140th anniversary of the execution of Louis Riel. Over a century after one prime minister betrayed Louis Riel, it is particularly significant that another prime minister…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we put indigenous children, families and essential services first. The new government is innovating to better serve Canadians by improving efficiencies and by coordinating across all departments, but the federal government has a distinct duty to indigenous people and a key opportunity to strengthen a renewed, respectful relationship. That is why the priority in budget 2025 is to prote…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, we know that indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people continue to face violence at rates that are deeply disproportionate. This reality is rooted in generations of colonial policies, systemic discrimination and underinvestment in indigenous communities. The calls for justice from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls remind us that responding…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, the great French playwright Molière once opined, “The trees that are slow to grow bear the best fruit”. If that is so, the Théâtre Cercle Molière must have some mouth-watering fruit in store for us after just celebrating its 100th anniversary. More than an anniversary, this centenary is living proof of the strength, resilience and creative genius of Franco-Manitoban culture. Last week…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Madam Speaker, in recognition of Gender Equality Week, I want to pay tribute to my sister Chantale. ln 2006, she completed her outdoor power equipment technician certification at Red River College, choosing a career in the trades, a non-traditional path for women. After graduating, she faced many challenges, working hard to overcome biases and the limitations placed on her by employers, but she pe…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would like my colleague to tell us more about his thoughts on increased investment in clean technologies or carbon capture and whether, in his opinion, this can play a more significant role.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to mark the passing of Paulette Duguay last month in St. Boniface, Manitoba. Paulette was a tireless advocate for Métis and French-Canadian communities. She served as president of the Union nationale métisse Saint-Joseph du Manitoba for 10 years, promoting reconciliation, preserving Métis culture and strengthening ties within the francophone …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank my Bloc Québécois colleague for his speech and his support for Bill C‑3, which seeks to correct significant injustices pertaining to citizenship. I understand that the member is frustrated about the timing of the introduction of this bill, but parliamentarians have been debating these things for a long time. As a new MP, I am starting to learn and understand the system, and I …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, as my colleague mentioned, everything about this motion seeks to divide people into winners and losers. I would ask the member to explain how the electrification of transportation could have a very positive impact in his riding.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would like to ask my colleague across the aisle a question. Given the scientific consensus that immediate action is needed to combat climate change, as we are living and experiencing the worst wildland fire season on record to date, and recognizing that the electric vehicle availability standard is designed to gradually increase EV supply and affordability over time, how can the m…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I apologize. I would like to ask my colleague from Winnipeg West the following question. The member made comments on the health care system and how he was very thankful that it exists in Canada the way it is today. What would he say about the measures this government has put in place to help support Canadian families with respect to health care?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would like to congratulate my colleague from Winnipeg West on his maiden speech and his election to the House of Commons. You spoke earlier about health care and how important it was for you in Canada to have access to the health care that we have—
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, in our communities, there are doctors who are not allowed to practise medicine, teachers who are not allowed to teach and engineers who have to rebuild their careers from scratch. We absolutely need to thoroughly review our mechanisms for recognizing credentials and skills. Not only is the current situation a waste of these people's time, but it is also a waste of their talent and a…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, as the throne speech demonstrated, we are here to build a strong Canada, to build a stronger economy for our country, and that will go through all kinds of initiatives and projects. We are in the process of consulting and putting together those plans. We cannot do that in a silo. We must be talking with partners. We must be talking with everyone in order to develop these plans const…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, yes, immigration is essential to all of our communities. I was fortunate enough to work with a national association over the last number of—
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, it is with great humility and an even greater sense of duty that I rise today to deliver my maiden speech. I am honoured to represent the people of St. Boniface—St. Vital, a riding that is vibrant, diverse, creative and resilient, a place where French is a living heritage and where dozens of cultures, languages and histories converge to enrich our collective story. I want to thank t…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her excellent question. Once again, I think we know that there is a lot of work to be done when it comes to immigration. Certain credentials are not recognized, and people who are already on the ground may not have the jobs they would like. There is significant work to be done. I obviously think the targets need to be reviewed. That has to be discussed, and …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, there is a bill that was tabled, Bill C-2, the strong borders act, which does address and start to discuss issues around security, gun controls, drug trafficking and all of those issues that certainly are having impacts on the security and the safety of our communities. I would hope my neighbour across the aisle will consider that bill once it comes to the floor for debate and will …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I am sorry for the interruption. As I was stating, I have become acutely aware that francophone immigration is critical for all francophone communities across this country, because we do need skilled bilingual workers in every sector, whether it is health care or education. It is crucial. In my own riding as well, it has been a first-hand experience seeing that there are people we a…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by sincerely thanking my constituents in the wonderful riding of St. Boniface—St. Vital for placing their trust in me to represent them here in the House of Commons. I would like to ask my colleague, the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs a question. The Prairies are affected by drought and warmer than normal temperatures for a third straight season. The con…
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