Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised a deal with the Americans by July 21. There is still no deal. In fact, softwood tariffs have doubled. A decade of Liberal failure has lost thousands of lumber jobs. Yesterday, the mayor of Grand Forks announced the indefinite closure of the Interfor mill because of these tariffs. That is 150 jobs lost in a small town. On behalf of these workers, why have th…
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Mr. Speaker, between 2013 and 2023, federal employment surged by 36%. By contrast, the private sector grew by 13%. How big is this new bureaucracy, this new office, going to be? How many new public sector employees does the government plan to hire?
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I rise to ask a question concerning whether the Liberals have the courage to reverse the course of the financial crisis. The member opposite talks a lot about food banks and income supports, but people, in general, do not want to have to use those things. They want to keep their paycheque, but they cannot keep their paycheque, as he mentioned, if they lose their job. Over 80,000 peopl…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it sounds as if the member does not really trust the current PBO. It is interesting that he does not believe what our current PBO has stated. It is too bad, I guess, that former PBOs are much better experts than the person who is in that role right now. I want to talk about a certain industry, the forestry industry. The member talked about how money was tagged for different industries…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my colleague's question is pertinent to this debate because it exemplifies the fact that so many important and troubling issues have occurred in the last few years concerning this deeply troubling issue in the military system, which should have been acknowledged, moved on and changed a long time ago. Unfortunately, the Liberal government chose to avoid the issues that needed to be add…
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Mr. Speaker, I completely agree with the member. It has been a long 10 years, with many people being hurt by the lack of legislation, which needed to come forward a long time ago. Survivors of sexual misconduct have been waiting for years for the Liberal government to do something about this, and they need to be heard.
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Mr. Speaker, it is really interesting to me that the Liberals and the member seem intent on pushing this through so fast when these issues have been around for years. In fact, last year, it was filibustered and debated in committee, yet it was killed when Parliament was prorogued. The bill did not appear out of nowhere. It was in response to deeply troubling failures within our military justice sy…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Nanaimo—Ladysmith. I am honoured to rise today to speak on behalf of the wonderful people of Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay. Today, I rise to speak to Bill C-11, legislation that proposes long overdue changes to the National Defence Act and related laws. Let us be clear, the bill did not emerge out of nowhere. The Liberals have…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised he would negotiate a win by July. It is October and Canadians are losing their jobs. Canada has the second-highest unemployment in the fastest-shrinking economy in the G7. Mills are closing in communities throughout B.C., putting hundreds of people out of work. Why are Canadians losing their jobs? Is it because of the Prime Minister's failed diplomacy abroa…
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Mr. Speaker, I was here for the question.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I could clearly hear you say the question.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal Prime Minister promised to be elbows up. Instead, he is elbows down. The Liberal statistics show that EI use among women aged 25 to 54 is up 12% in one month. Women are calling me and asking where to find a job that will cover rent or groceries. Liberal economic mismanagement is putting women out of work. When will people in the B.C. interior see more job openings, not few…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' latest idea for housing is a fourth bureaucracy. The Liberal Prime Minister promised Canadians that he would double homebuilding and build 500,000 homes a year, yet his new housing bureaucracy is only committing to 4,000 new homes. Too many people in my riding are teetering on the verge of homelessness. Our housing crisis is most evident in my hometown of Penticton, wher…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Brandon—Souris for his eloquent words. There is something missing, a lot missing, in Bill C-2, and I would like to know what he thinks of this. I want to ask about the member for Surrey Newton, who spoke previously. A very important thing that is missing in this bill is what the Liberals are going to do about the decriminalization of drugs in B.C. The…
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Mr. Speaker, the value of Canadian citizenship is beyond what we are speaking about here. If we look at how many people have given their blood and toil to gain this citizenship, we know that it cannot be passed to somebody who has not had any tie to this country at all, or whose family for generations has not had ties. Again, I look forward to our parties working together in committee to make sure…
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Mr. Speaker, we need to help the lost Canadians, and we need to make sure that the wrongs done in the past are corrected, but does somebody's grandchild's grandchild's grandchild deserve to be a citizen if they have never lived in Canada and have never had anything to do with Canada? We are going to have to make sure that for those immigrants who became citizens in the past, who worked so hard to …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the lease agreement between the government and the Penticton Shooting Sports Association: (a) what is the legal property designation subject to the lease agreement; (b) on what date did the government decide to end the lease agreement; (c) on what grounds was the decision to end the lease agreement taken; (d) what consultation was done on the decision to end the lease agreement betw…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to equipment to fight forest fires and wildfires purchased by the government since January 1, 2024: (a) what are the details of all purchases, including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) vendor, (iii) amount or value, (iv) quantity, (v) description of the equipment; and (b) for each item of the equipment purchased in (a), against which fires have they been used to date?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to lease agreements between the government and third parties: what are the details of all lease agreements cancelled between January 1, 2023 and June 13, 2025, including, for each, the (i) date of the original agreement, (ii) date of the cancellation, (iii) location, (iv) party whom the lease was with, (v) reason for the cancellation?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I want to extend my deepest thanks to the people of Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay. Over the summer, I had the honour of connecting with so many of my constituents. I want to thank them in person, over the phone, through social media and by email. I represent one of the most beautiful places in Canada. From Castlegar to Princeton, Grand Forks to Oliver, Midwa…
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Mr. Speaker, I think that actually solidifies what I am talking about, in that what the member just said is so complicated. Does she deserve citizenship? She could, but I am going to have to write that down on paper and make sure. Does her grandchild's grandchild deserve citizenship? I would like to ask the member that, because this is so complicated and has not been debated properly in committee.…
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Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the police on their good job. I believe there are many problems with the bill, and one of them is that nothing is explained. The Liberals talk about hiring more border guards, but where are they going to get these people? They also talk about hiring 1,000 more RCMP members. If we talk to municipalities across the country, they are waiting for RCMP officers, but there is…
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Mr. Speaker, it is true that I am hearing this. We are hearing across the country that people are afraid. Canadians are afraid of what might happen if we allow the government to have too much power.
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Mr. Speaker, my constituents are contacting me. They are extremely worried about the bill's allowing their mail to be opened. Some of the other speakers said there are checklists to prevent that. Could the member explain who is going to decide who can or cannot open my mail?
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Mr. Speaker, I once again rise on behalf of the good people of Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, a riding that has six border crossings, to speak to the legislation before us, Bill C-2. We know that the bill is much more than a border bill. My riding and province have very much been on the front lines of an addiction crisis that has persisted for far too long. In fact, drug overdose is now…
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Mr. Speaker, the bottom line is that the bill is being pushed through at such a rapid rate that Canadians do not trust what is happening. They do not trust the Liberals. So many times in the last 10 years, the Liberals have promised something and nothing has happened or something else has come through. The bill has not been explained properly to the Canadian people. I am not making up that what I …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the housing crisis is only getting worse, and the Liberals' failing programs are not helping. The Liberals' so-called housing accelerator fund is spending more but building less. The Liberals' own numbers show that Kelowna will receive $31.5 million in taxpayer dollars, even though housing starts there are down 33.6%. Will the Liberals abandon their failing housing programs and build …
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Mr. Speaker, child care is very important in communities throughout Canada, including my own community of Penticton. British Columbia announced a $10-a-day child care program almost a decade ago. Unfortunately, there has been difficulty with the program because of a lack of child care workers. Without child care workers, we cannot have child care, even if it is free. I was wondering if the member …
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Mr. Speaker, I think we all agree, at least on this side of the aisle, that this bill does not go far enough in a lot of its policies. I want to ask the member this. How does Bill C-4 address the multiple tent cities that have been created over the last 10 years in communities across Canada because of Liberal policies?
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to believe that nothing is being hidden or that this is not some nefarious trick, but why would the government not put forward a budget when all the other parties in this House voted unanimously to have a budget tabled before the summer?
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Mr. Speaker, a budget is important to everyone in this country. Households need to have budgets. Businesses need to have budgets. Local governments are forced to have budgets. A municipality in British Columbia has to work on its budget during the year and table it by the spring. The Community Charter forces local governments to do that. As federal members, we need to be the leaders. I do not thin…
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Yes, Mr. Speaker, it would be very difficult to invest money in any type of business, let alone a bank, if it did not have a budget. However, I want to look back at the young families that we talked to at the doors. How are they going to handle their own budgets when, since the start of 2025, beef is up 33%, pork and chicken are up nearly 6%, oranges are up 26%, apples are up 18%, rice is up 14% a…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the residents of Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay to speak concerning the motion that the member for Calgary East has brought forward. As I have mentioned previously in this chamber, during the election the price of groceries was the number one issue I heard about from families in my region and at the doors. One conversation stood out. A young mom ans…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, while knocking on doors this past election, the number one thing I heard about at the doors was the skyrocketing price of groceries. I heard from parents about the cost to feed their kids and to put food on the table if prices kept rising. They asked me where it will stop. We know that food inflation at the grocery store since the start of this year is out of control: beef up 34%, ora…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his speech and for not mentioning Prime Minister Carney's name too often. My question for the member is that in order—
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague across the aisle on his first speech in the House. His enthusiasm is very contagious; I appreciate that. What I want to ask him is this: I am wondering whether families he represents, families in his riding, are having trouble putting groceries on the table. Are the children going hungry, or are they not able to go into sports this fall, not able …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, our thoughts and prayers are with the family of former MP Marc Garneau. In order to make Canada a more self-reliant country that is less dependent on the United States and that stands up for its interests, does the member support the building of a pipeline in Canada?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the new Liberal Prime Minister is keeping the wasteful spending of Justin Trudeau. In fact, the government is increasing spending on building bureaucracy and on well-connected consultants. The Prime Minister promised to cap spending at 2% and instead is increasing it by 8%. This is without even tabling a budget to give the House a full picture of our public finances. How is the Libera…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I was, for over a decade, in local politics. The City of Penticton applied for the accelerator fund, as did multiple cities across the country. A very small percentage of them actually received any money. The government is creating a competition among all the cities in the country for a small amount of money. It is as if they were all jumping after one little bone for snips and snaps,…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, rural communities are being left out and ignored in this situation, and it is becoming a crisis. The Liberal government needs to focus on it. It has gotten worse and worse in this lost decade, and it is something that needs to be focused on immediately. As we speak, people are dying.
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I totally agree that the government needs to revamp how it looks at supporting people and supporting small and rural communities that need just as much help as the major urban centres with the addiction crisis. I will bring up the situation in British Columbia, where there is a pilot project going on concerning the decriminalization of drugs. No other province in this country is stepp…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with immense gratitude and a profound sense of responsibility. Representing this riding is an honour, and I do not take it lightly. I want to sincerely thank the people of Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay for placing their trust in me and electing me to represent them in the House. I want to thank my campaign managers, Chris and Cheryl, who pushed us all to succes…
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