Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, notwithstanding the fact that the member of the Liberal Party does not like what I am talking about, the fact remains that we are here on an opposition day motion debating a constitutional issue when there are so many other issues that Canadians care about. If the member wants me to talk more about the Constitution and the history of our Constitution, and how we got to the point where…
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Mr. Speaker, another important feature the Conservative Party believes in is the separation of powers, where each province has the right to do as it sees fit within provincial jurisdiction. We have always respected, as the Conservative Party, the rights of the provinces in their sole jurisdictions, so if the member has concerns about a provincial issue, he ought to run in that provincial legislatu…
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Mr. Speaker, it is indeed an honour and privilege to rise in this House once again and contribute to the debate on today's opposition day motion. I want to begin by talking a little bit about where we are right now in this country. Sadly, we see reports that 67% of Canadians feel that Canada is broken. The challenge is that after eight years of the Liberal government and Prime Minister, we are see…
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Mr. Speaker, I would agree with my colleague's comments. This is a dangerous game when the Liberal Party and the Bloc are stoking divisions within our country rather than bringing the country together on issues that matter to all Canadians.
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Mr. Speaker, I believe there is an issue that must be raised. Let us be clear. We in the Conservative Party believe that there are important issues in our country. In our view, inflation is the most important challenge at this time for Canadians and for Quebeckers. With respect to the Bloc Québécois motion, it is a question of facts. The Constitution is clear on the provinces. It states: Parliamen…
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Madam Speaker, we request a recorded division.
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Madam Speaker, I will make full use of the full 120 seconds that I am granted to contribute to this debate. The reason we are here today is because after eight years of the current Liberal government, Canadians are finding it harder and harder to make ends meet. Therefore, we are here today with a very simple motion. It is a motion that so many Canadians would appreciate; that is to axe the carbon…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise on behalf of the good people of Perth—Wellington to table a petition signed by 228 constituents in Perth—Wellington calling on the government to adopt human rights and environmental due diligence legislation.
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With regard to the government’s promise to plant one billion trees: how many trees were planted to date, broken down by province or territory?
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Mr. Speaker, the motto of the Order of Canada is “They desire a better country.” I can think of few people who more truly embody that motto than the newly appointed member of the Order of Canada, Jean Aitcheson of Stratford. A nurse by career, Jean has dedicated her time and energy to the service to others. On countless medical mission trips, Jean has provided care to so many in need around the gl…
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Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to table the Conservative Party's dissenting report. While there have been some benefits from some aspects of hybrid Parliament, we have undoubtedly witnessed first-hand a lot of shortcomings with it: ministers having an easier job deflecting accountability and an unacceptable burden being place on our interpreters, to name two. It is important to bear in mind that o…
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With regard to the government's announcement on August 12, 2021, to invest $1.44 billion into Telesat's advanced low Earth orbit satellite constellation, Telesat Lightspeed: (a) what are the details of government purchases or sales of Telesat equity or shares since the announcement, including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) total price or amount, (iii) type of transaction (bought or sold), (iv) numb…
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With regard to the current backlog of applications received by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, broken down by immigration stream and type of application: (a) what is the length of the backlog; and (b) what is the number of backlogged applications?
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the hon. member for Beauport—Limoilou for the question. Let us be clear. Many Canadians work in the oil industry and that industry provides a lot of benefits to our economy. It contributes nearly $48 billion to the government in taxes. Canadians need to be able to drive to get to work. What is more, it is important that we, as members of the opposition, propose…
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Madam Speaker, it is an honour and a privilege to rise today in the House to address the concerns of my constituents in Perth—Wellington and Canadians across the country. I will be splitting my time with my deal colleague, the hon. member for South Shore—St. Margarets, Madam Speaker. It is appropriate that we, as the Conservative opposition, are debating this opposition day motion today. Today is …
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Madam Speaker, the hon. member touched on ideas from different parties and different countries. One of the things I always think is important to do is to look to other jurisdictions and see what they have proposed. In fact, in 2009, the British Columbia New Democrats had a great idea. I am quoting from a headline from the very respectable Toronto Star, which said “B.C. NDP promises to kill carbon …
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the member for Kingston and the Islands quoting from our 2021 platform. I would encourage him to read the whole thing because there is a lot of good stuff in it. If he wishes, I would encourage the member to steal any ideas from it, because there are some great ideas in it. What we promised in our platform was to make life affordable for Canadians. We were against a con…
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Mr. Speaker, the job of the government is to make sure it is affordable for Canadians to pay for the essentials of life. It is the job of the government to make sure the price of groceries does not rise by $1,100 next year. It is the job of the government to make sure it is not forcing Canadians to make a choice between heating their home and eating. Yesterday we heard the Auditor General talking …
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians do not need a DeLorean to know how much of a failure the Liberal government has been when it comes to the environment. It has not met a single target or planted a single tree, but it has raised the costs on everyday Canadians. It is making it $1,400 more costly to buy groceries this year and another $1,100 per family next year. There are 1.5 Canadians who relied on a food ba…
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Mr. Speaker, the Village of Arthur is known as Canada's most patriotic village. It gained this honour not through the words of politicians, but through the service and sacrifice of its citizens. In 1942, the Toronto Daily Star reported that the highest per capita enlistment in the Second World War came from this small community in Wellington County. Among those who would enlist would be John Walsh…
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Mr. Speaker, I would draw your attention to the article, “It Being Thursday: The Weekly Business Statement in Minority and Majority Parliaments”, which does a great job, I might say, of outlining the evolution of the Thursday question and how wonderful statement of the member for Regina—Qu'Appelle was. Frankly, if we were to go back in history, to when the Liberals were last in power, we would fin…
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With regard to Sport Canada: (a) what are the details of all gifts, including sports tickets, received by officials at Sport Canada since January 1, 2018, including for each the (i) date given (ii) description, (iii) quantity, (iv) value per unit, (v) total value, (vi) title of recipients; and (b) for all gifts that were tickets or included tickets, what are the details of the event, including, fo…
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Mr. Speaker, in the summer of 1995, John Davidson pushed his son Jesse in his wheelchair across Ontario in what was known as “Jesse’s Journey”. What was the purpose of this journey? It was to raise funds and awareness for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In 1998, John walked across Canada to continue the journey. Along the way he would break a Guinness world record for the fastest crossing of Canada b…
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With regard to contracts signed or entered into by the government with Russian vendors since January 1, 2022, and broken down by department, agency, Crown corporation, or other government entity: (a) what are the details of each contract signed with vendors based out of Russia or with a mailing address in Russia, including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) value, (iii) vendor, (iv) description or good…
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Mr. Speaker, we are talking about the cost of living increases that Canadians are being faced with and what the government can do to help those Canadians right now. One of the things that we have heard time and again is about the tripling of the carbon tax and the impact it is going to have on home heating, gas and groceries. Would the member agree that all Canadians can be helped right now and gi…
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Madam Speaker, it is indeed a great honour to rise in the House to contribute to the second reading debate on Bill C-282, an act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act (supply management). It is a particular honour any time I get to speak to a bill where I can highlight the work that the hard-working farmers and farm families in Perth—Wellington and across Canada are…
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With regard to spending by Canadian Heritage on Canada Day festivities on Parliament Hill and in the National Capital Region since 2010: what was the total amount (i) allocated, (ii) spent, on the festivities, broken down by year?
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Madam Speaker, I request a recorded division.
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Madam Speaker, it is indeed an honour to conclude the debate at second reading of Bill S-227. The story of food day in Canada did not start in the House and it did not start in the other place where it was first introduced. The story of food day in Canada started in the dark days of the summer of 2003 when the agriculture industry, the beef industry in particular, was wreaked with havoc due to the…
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Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise today to debate Bill C-288, an act to amend the Telecommunications Act concerning transparent and accurate broadband services information. I was originally planning to speak to the predecessor of this bill on June 23, 2021. There is nothing like 16 months of intervening time to allow me to really collect my thoughts on this matter, but I am pleased that my c…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Saint‑Hyacinthe—Bagot for his question. I believe that I spoke about the monarchy in Canada in my speech. I spoke about the two parts of cabinet and the monarchy in Canada. That is important. Yes, I am proud to be a Conservative who sees the importance of our traditions, like the monarchy, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and now King Charles III.…
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Madam Speaker, it is a great pleasure to rise today in this House to debate this opposition day motion. When it is a Bloc Québécois or NDP opposition day motion, the Conservative Party gets remarkably few speaking spots. This is only our second speaking slot today on this motion and, as luck would have it, I get a full 20 minutes. I think colleagues may regret allowing me to have the floor for the…
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Madam Speaker, I think of the phrase “be careful what you wish for” because it might actually happen. The member for Calgary Rocky Ridge raised Walter Bagehot, and I think all Canadians would be well served to read about the traditions of our parliamentary system. I think too often the House is seen as a museum, but this is an active place of discussion. It is an active place of debate. If we look…
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Madam Speaker, there is the ceremonial element of the monarchy that allows it to be separate and apart from the political day-to-day hustling we see in this place and across the country. I think it is important that we have a distinction between the head of state and the head of government. It allows political actors to do their jobs while remaining a dignified part of the monarchy, represented he…
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Madam Speaker, it is an odd day when I agree entirely with the member for Kingston and the Islands, but he is absolutely right. When there are so few opportunities to air grievances in this place and when we have so many issues affecting our constituents, our ridings and the people across the country, to see this debate taking this angle rather than being on the cost of living is truly unfortunate…
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Madam Speaker, it is an exceptionally important question. There are so many things we could be focusing on. The member mentioned the 14 indigenous communities in northern Quebec. I am sure there are issues that are affecting her communities in Nunavut as well. Frankly, the fact that there are still indigenous communities across the country without clean drinking water is a crying shame, and we, as…
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Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, could you clarify for the benefit of the House whether the leader of the NDP's vote ought to count since he was not wearing a jacket when he voted?
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Mr. Speaker, we would request a recorded division.
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Madam Speaker, it is indeed a pleasure and privilege to rise in this House this afternoon to join the debate at second reading of Bill C-22, the Canada disability benefit act. I am particularly pleased to participate in this debate based on many of the conversations I have had over the last few weeks with constituents in my riding of Perth—Wellington. I want to highlight one specific conversation …
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Madam Speaker, I thank the member for North Island—Powell River for her important question. The member is absolutely right. It is the impact. It is the impact that this or other pieces of legislation will have on Canadians living with disabilities, and there is a challenge. However, this is not a concrete piece of legislation. This is a framework, a foundation, but it does not actually list what w…
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Madam Speaker, I thank the member for the question, and I congratulate Ace on his hole in one, which is something I have never in my life achieved. However, he is absolutely right about the regulations. Going forward, we need to make sure that the regulations are clear, direct, to the point and do not have any unintended consequences that would negatively impact a person living with a disability.
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Madam Speaker, I thought I was fairly clear in my comments that I will in fact be supporting Bill C-22. I think it has been clear from the Conservative Party that we will be unanimously supporting that piece of legislation. However, I want to take a few seconds to again focus on the importance of where we go from here with this piece of legislation. It will be going to committee and later to regul…
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Mr. Speaker, the member for Guelph is absolutely right. The ability to share a meal among friends, among colleagues and sometimes among people whom you may not entirely agree with is so important to finding common ground. That is one of the great legacies of Anita Stewart. The member made a comment about an event we were at together at the University of Guelph. The comments from Dr. Yates, preside…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question and his great proposal. Yes, I know that a lot of maple syrup is produced in Quebec and in his riding. We also have great maple syrup producers in Perth—Wellington. Their product is very good. This bill also presents an opportunity to celebrate those who produce these very important products.
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Mr. Speaker, I will again say that I hope, with the member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, we will be able to get this bill passed in this Parliament to formally recognize it. On the subject of resiliency, the member is absolutely right. Farmers and farm families are the most resilient people in the country. They face unknown challenges, whether it be weather, world markets or foreign markets that …
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moved that Bill S-227, An Act to establish Food Day in Canada, be read the second time and referred to a committee. Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the House today to begin debate at second reading of Bill S-227, the food day in Canada act. I am especially pleased to begin debate on this bill on what in Ontario is agriculture week. Agriculture week in Ontario is an opportunity to celebrate…
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Mr. Speaker, I share the member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford's optimism that, with enough runway, we will be able to get this bill through. He talked about resiliency in the agriculture community and probably the defining word for farming and farm families across Canada is “resiliency” through difficult times. I want to pick on one specific aspect of resiliency, and that is the mental health aspe…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a question of privilege, for which I gave notice earlier this same day, regarding the conduct of the member for St. Catharines, who attempted to intimidate Scott Benzie, a witness appearing before a committee of the Senate studying Bill C-11, an act to amend the Broadcasting Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other acts, as reported yesterday by the Glob…
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Mr. Speaker, after she was diagnosed with triple-negative metastatic breast cancer, local teacher Heidi Schlumpf used her 34th birthday on September 8, 2021, to spread acts of kindness with #putakinddeedinyourfeed. Sadly, Heidi passed away on August 10 of this year, but her legacy of kindness continued on what would have been her 35th birthday. Across the area and beyond, friends, students, loved …
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With regard to the reception "An Evening at Canada's House" attended by the Prime Minister at the Official Residence of the Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles held on or around the evening of June 10, 2022: (a) how many individuals were invited to the reception; (b) who was invited; (c) how was the invite list determined; (d) what costs were incurred by the government related to the event, br…
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