Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, we recently lost a great Canadian. I first knew Alan Wells when we worked together at The Regional Municipality of York. A chartered accountant by profession, he served there with dedication for 27 years, including as commissioner of social services and finally as chief administrative officer and my boss. After his retirement, our paths crossed again when I was the member of provincia…
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Madam Speaker, Canada has what the world needs and wants: the best-educated workforce in the world, free trade agreements with every G7 country, an abundance of natural resources, and world-class innovators, entrepreneurs and exporters. Thanks to budget 2025, Canada will also have the lowest marginal effective tax rate in the G7. Unlike the members opposite, I am proud to have voted in favour of a…
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Mr. Speaker, today marks the fourth Young Polonia Leadership Summit, hosted in Ottawa by the Canadian Polish Congress, in collaboration with the Polish embassy and the Canada-Poland Parliamentary Friendship Group. This summit brings together over 30 young Polish-Canadian leaders from across the country who represent the future of Polonia in Canada, a community whose contributions have enriched our…
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Mr. Speaker, during this Women's History Month, members of this House may be surprised to know that until 1969, it was criminal in Canada for physicians to prescribe oral contraceptives for women for the purpose of contraception. However, some brave physicians who felt that every child should be a wanted child were defying this prohibition before 1969. One of them was Dr. Marion Powell. Dr. Powell…
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Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be part of a new government that has championed trade diversification since day one. We have broken down internal trade barriers within Canada, and we have signed new trade agreements with Ecuador and Indonesia. We are moving at a pace and an intensity that Canadians expect of us. Can the Minister of International Trade update the House on our government's latest action …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank you for allowing me to tell the House about a remarkable constituent of mine from Markham—Stouffville. In 2023, Adam Shah was just nine years old when he came up with the idea of organizing “Adam's ride to recovery”, a charity event to raise money for Markham Stouffville Hospital. He encouraged his family members and his friends at Wendat Village Public School to take part. No…
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Mr. Speaker, it is a tremendous honour to rise again in the House as the member of Parliament for Markham—Stouffville. I am thankful to my wonderful campaign team and to the people of Markham—Stouffville for the privilege of serving them. Markham—Stouffville is an extraordinary place due to the contributions of countless exceptional individuals, whom I recognized earlier this year with the King's …
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Madam Speaker, Canadians deserve reliable and safe travel options. That means efficient airports that can adapt to high demand. It also includes targeted investments in regional airports, such as at the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport located on the beautiful Toronto Islands. Could the Minister of Transport update this House about a recent announcement that will benefit Canadian travellers and i…
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Madam Speaker, every year, approximately 4,500 people die by suicide in Canada. That is equivalent to 12 deaths every day. The impacts of suicide extend far beyond the individual. It affects families, friends and communities. Canadians need timely access to suicide prevention supports, no matter where they live. Can the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions tell the House how we are working wit…
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Mr. Speaker, the Yee Hong Centre for Geriatric Care provides high-quality and culturally appropriate services to enable seniors of different backgrounds and needs to live their lives to the fullest. Recently, a very special person, the former CEO of Yee Hong, Florence Wong, passed away. Arriving in Canada in 1987 from Hong Kong, Florence discovered her executive experience was not valued here, but…
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Mr. Speaker, our government has made it clear that dental care coverage is a priority, but in this House last week the Conservatives were the only party to vote against funding for the Canada dental care plan. Instead, the Conservatives want Canadians to pay for their care out of pocket. Today, the Minister of Health announced the next steps of our work to provide a historic dental care program in…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, on September 19, Bill C-354, an act to amend the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission Act regarding the cultural specificity of Quebec and the Francophonie was tabled and read for the first time. From the outset, I would like to thank the member for La Pointe-de-l'Île for giving me the opportunity to reiterate our government's commitment to supporting the Fren…
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Mr. Speaker, last year, the UN's Secretary-General wrote, “Violence against women and girls is the most pervasive human rights violation in the world.” Here in Canada, 184 women and girls were violently killed last year, and our government is taking action. In 2017, we launched our whole-of-government strategy to end gender-based violence. We are working with provinces and territories by supportin…
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Mr. Speaker, across Canada, there are phenomenal organizations advocating for and supporting people with disabilities. A great example in the developmental sector is Christian Horizons. Since 1965, it has helped people with disabilities accomplish their goals. I became familiar with its work as Ontario's minister of community and social services and met its CEO, Janet Noel-Annable. It recently cha…
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Mr. Speaker, our government's New Horizons for Seniors program provides funding for projects that make a difference in the lives of seniors and their communities. Last year, the Street Art Seniors of Stouffville, also known as SASS, received support from the New Horizons for Seniors grant. SASS is exactly the kind of initiative New Horizons for Seniors was created to support. It provides seniors w…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a great Canadian, the Hon. Hugh Segal. A Conservative senator, who ran for the leadership of the PC Party of Canada, he was chief of staff to former Ontario premier Bill Davis and former prime minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney. Committed to Canadians and the common good, Hugh was an author, a columnist, on the faculty of the Queen's School of Policy Studies, …
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Mr. Speaker, I as a physician, with my colleague, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, know first-hand the harm caused by opioid addiction. While the leader of the official opposition continues to oppose safe supply, our government is focused on saving lives and improving our policies to better serve Canadians. For Public Services and Procurement Canada, that means working to improve Cana…
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Madam Speaker, as the member opposite knows very well, Canada Post is a crown corporation at arm's length from government. However, of course, ongoing discussions do occur between me and the chair of the board at Canada Post. As is the case with many other postal carriers around the world, Canada Post is evolving to meet changing customer needs and expectations. There is a top priority in keeping …
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Madam Speaker, I suppose I need to reiterate that Canada Post is a crown agency at arm's length from government. However, we do work together to always ensure that the corporation provides the high-quality service that Canadians expect, at a reasonable price, and that reaches Canadians across the country. We will continue to work with Canada Post to ensure that the corporation continues to meet th…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Dorval—Lachine—LaSalle for her important question. The historic investment in Davie is great news for Quebec and for Canada as a whole. It is expected to generate $21 million in economic spin-offs in a variety of sectors and support more than 4,000 jobs. Together, we are rebuilding Canada's marine industry.
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moved that the bill, as amended, be concurred in at report stage.
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Mr. Speaker, Public Services and Procurement Canada is always committed to an open, fair and transparent procurement process while also obtaining the best value for Canadian taxpayers. In the case that the member opposite has alluded to, we also have an integrity regime that we consult regularly. It is clear in that integrity regime that civil litigation is not a ground for suspension or departure…
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Mr. Speaker, recently we announced agreements with Alberta and Saskatchewan energy providers to power federal buildings in their provinces with 100% green energy. This will help reduce emissions by about 166 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, which is equal to the annual GHG emissions of more than 50,000 gas-powered vehicles. We are fighting climate change and greening government.
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Mr. Speaker, as was clearly established at the government operations committee earlier this year, there was absolutely no political interference in the contracts awarded, particularly to McKinsey. We are open and transparent as a government in the way that we award contracts, and we will continue to be.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the government operations committee for its work in studying the use of management consultants. I am sure the member is very pleased that, in budget 2023, we proposed to reduce spending on consulting, other professional services and travel by roughly 15% of planned 2023-24 discretionary spending in these areas.
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Mr. Speaker, obviously we are looking very closely at management consultants. They are used only in the case where we need specific expertise or in the case of fluctuating workload, but I can assure the member that we are always looking to ensure we get the best value for Canadians.
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Mr. Speaker, as I explained to the government operations committee yesterday, there has been absolutely no political interference in the award of contracts to McKinsey. We are, of course, looking very carefully to ensure that all processes, rules and policies have been followed by the department, by PSPC. I know that my colleague, the President of the Treasury Board, will also be examining the pol…
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Mr. Speaker, as I have said repeatedly in this House, we are committed to ensuring that our government contracts stand up to the highest standards. I will be testifying on Monday at the government operations committee, along with my officials, and I look forward to answering the opposition's questions more fulsomely at that time.
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Mr. Speaker, as I said yesterday, we are committed to ensuring that government contracts stand up to the highest standards. We ensure value for money. We ensure quality of services for Canadians. We only contract and procure professional services to complement our professional public services when there are unexpected workload fluctuations and when there is a need for specific expertise. Of course…
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Mr. Speaker, the procurement of professional services is used to complement the work of Canada's professional public service by meeting unexpected fluctuations in workload and to acquire special expertise. We are committed to ensuring that government contracts stand up to the highest standards. The Prime Minister has asked the President of the Treasury Board and me to conduct a review, take a clos…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the House that Public Services and Procurement Canada takes its role as the central purchasing department very seriously. We ensure value for money and quality of services for Canadians. Minister Fortier's focus will rest on the policy, while I focus on the circumstances of the contracts. I will be testifying, alongside my officials, at the government operations commi…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the House yet again that procurement contracts must adhere to Treasury Board policies and directives, which are intended to ensure that contracts are awarded in a fair, open and transparent manner. Given the volume of government procurement, controls are in place at various levels based on contract value, risk and complexity. Following recent concerns about contracts …
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Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister made very clear today, and the Minister of Public Safety and I yesterday, we also share these concerns around this contract that the RCMP had with Sinclair Technologies. The member will have heard that contract has been suspended. As the central purchasing agent for the Government of Canada, Public Services and Procurement will look very closely at this. I have i…
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Mr. Speaker, our priority was and remains protecting the integrity of Canada's contracting system. As soon as threats are identified, we take action. I gave our officials instructions to review the process in place for contracts and to target areas that can be improved.
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Mr. Speaker, we are aware of the concerns surrounding the RCMP contract with Sinclair Technologies, and our government is reviewing them. Public Services and Procurement Canada has a strong track record in managing the procurement of more than $20 billion in goods and services every year according to the requirements set by the client department. We will be taking all the necessary steps to ensure…
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Mr. Speaker, of course we are aware of the concerns surrounding the RCMP's contract with Sinclair Technologies. Our government is looking into them and is examining all potential options. We do take very seriously all measures to ensure the integrity of our infrastructure.
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Mr. Speaker, of course, as my colleagues have said, and I have said as well, we are taking these concerns extremely seriously. We are looking at all options. We are reviewing processes. Our concerns are with the member on this particular issue.
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Mr. Speaker, as I am sure the member opposite is aware, the Canada Post Corporation operates at arm's length from the government, but we have regular conversations with Canada Post officials in terms of their initiatives. We monitor this very closely. I am in communication with the board, and I commit to the member that I will continue that type of conversation.
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Madam Speaker, I think most of us in the House know that the Phoenix system has been very frustrating for our employees, and we are working very hard so that those employees are paid accurately and on time. We recognize the stress and hardship it has had on employees and their families, and we are committed to making it right. We prioritize cases that can have a large impact on the employee's pay.…
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Mr. Speaker, again, the contract award has been clearly revealed by our department. The government has been delivering open and fair procurement processes, while obtaining the best value for Canadians in all that our government is contracting in terms of the needs during the Roxham Road situation.
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Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister said, the rental agreement was negotiated based on fair market value to arrive at a competitive price. In their testimony yesterday, the public servants and Mr. Guay made it clear that Mr. Guay was approached by public servants to negotiate a lease and that no public office holder was involved in the negotiations for this lease.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. As is practice, disclosing confidential contractual information would violate the agreement we have with the supplier. We will continue to work with the departments and agencies to meet their needs through fair and open contracts.
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Mr. Speaker, transparency and accountability are critically important to our government. The rental agreement was negotiated based on a fair market value to arrive at a competitive price. Disclosing confidential contractual information would violate the agreement we have with the supplier. We will continue to work with the departments and agencies to meet their needs through fair and open contract…
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Mr. Speaker, transparency and accountability are critically important to our government. The rental agreement was negotiated based on fair market value to arrive at a competitive price. Given the location of the land and its proximity to the border, this was an ideal location for CBSA to use for this purpose. Our government is delivering open, fair and transparent procurement processes, while obta…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said before, transparency and accountability are critically important to our government. The rental agreement reference was negotiated based on a fair market value to arrive at a competitive price. Given the location of the land and its proximity to the border, this was an ideal location for CBSA to use for this purpose. Our government is delivering open, fair and transparent pro…
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Mr. Speaker, transparency and accountability are critically important to our government. What we have done in terms of the Roxham Road situation is to deliver open, fair and transparent procurement processes while continuing to obtain the best value for Canadians. Of course, divulging confidential contract information would violate the agreement we have with the supplier.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Kitchener South—Hespeler for her steadfast advocacy for small businesses in her community. Our government recognizes the importance of keeping our main streets vibrant and supporting our small businesses. That is why we created the My Main Street program, which is providing over $23 million in support for small businesses and communities across sou…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, an agreement could not be reached under the provisions of Standing Order 78(1) or 78(2) with respect to the second reading stage of Bill C-19, an act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures. Under the provisions of Standing Order 78(3), I give notice that a minister of the Crown will propose at the next sitting a motion …
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from the riding of Guelph for his commitment to supporting job creation and economic growth in his riding. I was pleased to visit Guelph last Friday to announce $10 million for green technology development through six regional innovation centres, as well as over $2.6 million in support for community revitalization and tourism projects for the people …
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Mr. Speaker, on February 19, 2022, I announced the Government of Canada would make an investment of up to $20 million to provide non-repayable contributions to Ottawa businesses that had suffered financial loss due to the illegal blockades. This announcement reinforces our government's commitment to helping communities, families and businesses build a strong and resilient economic recovery. We con…
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