Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the health minister's lines on COVID-19 change with the blink of an eye. Last month he told the House that provincial governments determine mask mandates. Now Liberals want fully vaccinated Canadian families that travel to the United States and return home to wear masks in all public settings for 14 days. Where is the science for this unenforceable demand, and why is Ottawa interferin…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals still require all incoming travellers to be tested for COVID-19, even for cross-border day trips by car. The Liberals have now added another hammer. Canadians who drive home and do not present a negative COVID test are fined $5,000 or are told to stay out of the country for 10 days. Ottawa is using financial penalties to keep Canadians out of their own country. Why does t…
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan. Slava Ukraini. Heroyam slava. This translates to “Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the heroes.” As Canadians, we are united in our disgust and opposition to Vladimir Putin’s unprovoked war in Ukraine and the mounting loss of innocent life. We are deeply sympathetic to the struggle of Ukraine’s people for we und…
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Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada and its allies are looking for ways of preventing the oligarchs from profiting from our economy. I agree with my colleague. Canada’s plan must emphasize our industry, our workers and the resources we can sell to our friends in Europe.
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Madam Speaker, that was another very good question. In fact, when I sat on the government's side of the House, I was part of a government that moved to restrict China's ownership of vital Canadian resources. This is an area the current Liberal government failed to act on. We are now seeing rare earth mineral companies being bought out by state-owned enterprises. That should stop. I also believe, t…
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Madam Speaker, that was another great question. Sadly, our allies in central and eastern Europe were far more aware of the dangers of Russia than our friends in western Europe, and in fact, even too many in the foreign policy establishment here in Canada, but we can move today. We cannot undo what was done but we can move forward. There is a proposal in Newfoundland and Labrador to take advantage …
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have invoked the Emergencies Act. This is the reformed War Measures Act that gives the federal government and police sweeping and never-before-used powers. Let us acknowledge what has happened. The Emergencies Act suspends civil liberties. I said earlier this week that this is a deep stain on our country's reputation as a defender of rights and that the dictators around t…
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Mr. Speaker, I have two questions. First of all, is the member at all concerned that today's top bar for using the Emergencies Act will become the threshold going forward, that a future government could look upon other protesters or other challenges and invoke the Emergencies Act? Second, has the member, and other members of the NDP, considered denying the government's use of the motion on Monday,…
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Mr. Speaker, I agree that citizens in this country should look to science and vaccines as a way out and a way to protect themselves. However, that does not involve invoking the Emergencies Act. I hope my remarks today have convinced NDP members to at least think about their support for the draconian actions that the government has taken and the impact on Canada's reputation. We cannot undo it, but…
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Mr. Speaker, I think it has repercussions on Canada's reputation. Right now, in Europe, England, the United States and elsewhere, people are saying that Canada does not respect human rights. I find that disturbing and very unfortunate.
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Mr. Speaker, I have attempted to maintain a civil tone throughout these debates. I actually do not know where the majority of truckers are on this question. I certainly know a lot of them are not happy with lockdowns, restrictions and mandates, even though the vast majority of them are vaccinated. I represent a border community. There are five international crossings in my riding. I do not think t…
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Mr. Speaker, life moves on, and the government needs to move on with it. In December, the Liberals again imposed rigid COVID-19 testing on Canadians living in border communities who travel to the United States and return home, often within a day or within a few hours. The Liberals announced they would replace 72-hour PCR testing with a 24-hour rapid test. This does not help our border communities.…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, Liberal, NDP and Green MPs defeated a motion calling on the federal government to provide Canadians with a plan to lift restrictions. Supporting this motion would have allowed the Liberals to demonstrate that they are committed to ending mandates and restrictions. However, that did not happen. The Liberal government instead invoked the Emergencies Act. This is the reformed War Measure…
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Mr. Speaker, it has been six years and these Liberals have failed to make life better for Canadians. They have delivered the largest cost in price increases we have seen in Canada in 30 years, plus Ottawa's anti-Canadian energy policies have only added to the pain in the Canadian economy. The rising price of energy sets the prices for virtually everything else in the Canadian economy. Why is the P…
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Mr. Speaker, when the Liberals came to power they promised to help Canadian families. Instead, this government has made everything more expensive. Their inflationary policies are the largest cost increase of all. Inflation has made us all poorer, because it adds to the price of everything. Today, the price of gasoline in my riding is over $1.50 a litre. It is 35% less across the border, in the sta…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to legal costs incurred by the government in relation to its legal application launched in June 2021 against the Speaker of the House of Commons, as well as any subsequent legal action related to this case: (a) what is the total number of billable hours incurred by outside legal counsel to prepare this application and subsequent legal action; (b) what is the total amount (i) paid out, …
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With regard to the impact of inflation on the Market Basket Measure (MBM) and the poverty line: (a) what is the current, or latest, MBM for the reference family and various poverty lines in each of the MBM geographic areas in New Brunswick; (b) what was the "2018-base MBM" for the reference family and various poverty lines in each geographic area in (a); (c) what percentage of individuals living i…
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Madam Speaker, Christmas is coming and because of ArriveCAN's bureaucratic red tape, fully vaccinated Canadians who are at home for a two-week isolation have a tough choice to make ahead of the holidays: one, do not buy presents; two, turn off the heat in the middle of winter; or three, take out a payday loan. None of these options is acceptable. Will the government do the right thing and release …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate incoming Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on successfully forming a national government and to thank Prime Minister Netanyahu for 12 years of service, during which he strengthened the many bonds between Canada and Israel. I also want to congratulate the Israeli people on electing their new government, the culmination of a robust democratic process, which i…
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Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague is spot on. This is a question of the Canada-China parliamentary committee setting up a number of measures to protect the information we receive from PHAC so it can be reviewed by outside counsel, or parliamentary committee counsel, before it is reviewed by members to decide on next steps. Previously, the government deputy House leader threw out a red herring by sa…
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Madam Speaker, that is absolutely right. I think that reasoning, twinned with Speaker Milliken's ruling in 2010, will make it virtually very difficult for the government to vote against this. Should it do so, it would raise further questions about what exactly it is hiding.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. Under the motion that we moved today, the Special Committee on Canada-China Relations would take steps to make absolutely sure that only information that does not jeopardize our national security is shared with the public. Until now, we have asked the clerk of the committee to verify what is sent over. In the future, committee members would hav…
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Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Port Moody—Coquitlam this afternoon. Like other members of this House and hundreds of thousands of Canadians, I have had the pleasure and privilege of living in Hong Kong. I was fortunate enough to be on hand for the territory's handover from Britain to the People's Republic of China on July 1, 1997. It was a heavy moment, with feeling…
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Madam Speaker, I am not sure what that speech was. For a second I thought our parliamentary system had turned into the CCTV broadcast out of mainland China, where the member was going through a job application as a spokesperson. My question for the member is simple. Is it her position that the Government of Canada is no more obliged to provide documents to Parliament than the Chinese government is…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I present a petition on behalf of my New Brunswick constituents calling for Parliament to end the abhorrent practice of sex-selective abortions in Canada. Abortions based on gender are currently legally permitted in Canada, yet there is a broad consensus to prohibit them as 84% of Canadians agree that sex-selective abortions should not be permitted. I hope the House of Commons will re…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, a new mom-to-be in my riding was temporarily laid off in December after working throughout the pandemic as an essential worker. She is pregnant with a June due date. Under the Liberals' CERB-to-EI transition, this young lady was forced to claim EI against the hours she banked from her maternity benefits. As a result, she will not be eligible to receive a full year of maternity leave. …
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With regard to foreign investments, since January 1, 2016, broken down by year: (a) how many foreign takeovers of Canadian companies have occurred in accordance with the Investment Canada Act; (b) how many of the takeovers were initiated by Chinese state-owned enterprises; (c) for the takeovers in (b), what are the details, including (i) the name of the company doing the takeover, (ii) the name of…
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With regard to government contracts, since October 21, 2019, broken down by department, agency, Crown corporation, or other government entity: (a) how many contracts have been awarded to companies based in China or owned by entities based in China; (b) of the contracts in (a), what are the details, including (i) the value, (ii) the vendor, (iii) the date the contract was awarded, (iv) whether or n…
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With regard to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) since January 1, 2018: (a) how many times have Her Majesty’s Canadian Ships of the RCN transited the Taiwan Strait in the South China Sea; and (b) what were the dates of these transits?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, that is my point. These two bills have to be looked at in conjunction. On the one hand, Bill C-21 targets law-abiding Canadians by turning them into criminals, penalizing them. On the other hand, Bill C-22 lessens the criminal sanctions on the illegal use of firearms. It makes no sense, and a Conservative government would do the exact opposite.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. Bill C-21 affects thousands of hunters, fishers and people living in rural areas by making them out to be criminals. This is bad legislation. With regard to the border, when firearms are not registered, the penalties should be more severe. We, Conservatives, introduced a bill on that, but it was blocked by the government and some opposition MPs…
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Madam Speaker, just because something is technically legal does not mean it should be acted upon. It was part of the Liberal platform, but the forum to bring forward these changes is Parliament. However, the Prime Minister brought these forward at a time of the health crisis, when Parliament was closed and there was no room for debate. It was a technically legal manoeuvre, but it was not the right…
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Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time today with my colleague from Provencher. At about this time last year, the Liberal government announced at the start of the COVID health crisis, when Parliament was shuttered, that by using its vast regulatory powers it was banning the use, sale and importation of more than 1,500 makes and models of legally purchased firearms. This was done without Parlia…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, Monday's budget included a remarkable admission that veterans are unable to access programs because disability benefits are not being confirmed. An Afghan veteran in my riding has undergone multiple surgeries after being injured in an IED blast. For the past six years, he has been denied the critical injury benefit. Two years ago, the veterans minister visited my riding and met his …
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Madam Speaker, as I was saying, the Minister of Public Safety will deny it. He will get angry too, along with many Liberal MPs. They will do that instead of replying to the substance of their policy, their own legislation. Listen to the minister's response this week when answering my Conservative colleague from Red Deer—Lacombe during question period. He said: There is no gun registry in the count…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, the Canada-U.S. border agreement includes an exemption for Campobello. Residents of this New Brunswick island must drive through the state of Maine to re-enter Canada for essential reasons. On April 9, Ottawa decided that islanders must comply with its new registry, ArriveCAN, each time they drove on and off the island or risk fines. This means the responsible minister wants to know w…
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Mr. Speaker, documents show that the federal government is paying over $8 per dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine. South Africa is paying $5.25, the U.S. $4 and the European Union only $2.15. Given our high price, one would think Canada would have a vaccine delivery guarantee. Instead, pharmacies in my riding are struggling to confirm appointments for seniors because of inadequate supply from the fede…
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Mr. Speaker, the government and the Prime Minister are not being clear with Canadians. It sounds like this is nothing but a pre-election campaign gimmick to protect Liberal candidates with a policy of deception to secure votes, and the fisheries minister's plan will change the day after the next election, if the government is re-elected. Does voting Liberal down east mean a vote to allow separate …
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Mr. Speaker, in fact, no one is disputing those rights at all. What we are questioning here are the various stories we are getting from the government. I have discovered that the fisheries minister flip-flopped and admitted to CBC Radio that the Liberal government's lobster announcement for fishing is “the plan for this season, or for this year”. The lobster is out of the pot. This is not what mar…
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Mr. Speaker, we have another east coast lobster dispute. The fisheries minister has said that moderate livelihood lobster fishing by indigenous communities will follow existing DFO seasons, regulations and enforcement rules. However, the Liberal MP for Sydney—Victoria has said that this is wrong, that the minister's announcement is only for this year, an interim measure, and that first nations wil…
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Mr. Speaker, the fisheries minister has told Maritime fishing families that lobster fishing by indigenous communities under the moderate livelihood will follow existing seasons, regulations and enforcement rules, all set by DFO. The Liberal MP for Sydney—Victoria has said that this is wrong, that the fisheries minister's announcement is only an interim measure for this one year and that first nati…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would like to respond to that. I generally agree and I do my best to keep presentation of petitions very brief. This is the first time I have presented a petition on this matter or, I believe, that any member has. Hence, it was a little longer than normal. I appreciate the Speaker's understanding in allowing me to complete the presentation. Should I come back on this, it will be bri…
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Mr. Speaker, mainland China is tightening its grip on Hong Kong and its people. Recently, the territorial government signalled that Hong Kong residents who held dual citizenship had to choose between their Hong Kong identity and other national citizenships. It is a decision with severe consequences, including the loss of representation by the Government of Canada. For many generations, Hong Kong h…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, the government last tabled a federal budget two years ago. That is two long years without a fiscal plan. We see the results. Canada has one of the highest unemployment rates in the G7 and record economic decline. On our side of the House, Conservatives have a plan to secure jobs and secure the future. We believe that every Canadian deserves the security of a well-paying job. That is w…
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Mr. Speaker, this is a technical point of order. We have had discussions at the official languages committee on how interpreters are not able to interpret when they cannot hear the member. It is difficult for them to provide translation.
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Mr. Speaker, no, not at all. I welcome future debates in the House on those issues as well. I share the member's concern. China is somewhat different because China also poses a clear danger to Canada's economic well-being, as well as to our security, so that is twinned with its human rights violations and its undemocratic, propriety and aggressive approach to its relation with Canada and other dem…
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Mr. Speaker, I totally agree with the hon. member and it has been a problem for a long time. The government at the time adopted certain positions that I agreed with and others where I think it made a mistake. We are now talking about the vote that will be held on Monday on this motion and on what we are going to do to change our relationship with China. I hope that the House will adopt the motion …
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Mr. Speaker, I apologize for that breach. The federal government has spent the last six years extolling and overstating the importance of China to our nation's well-being. It has wrongly promoted economic relations with this totalitarian regime as a key tenet of Canada's foreign policy. It called for a free trade agreement without answering how a free country like Canada can trade freely with a no…
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Madam Speaker, no person can be unmoved by today's deliberations concerning Communist China's ongoing and brutally coordinated campaign of genocide against the minority Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims inside its borders. We have heard details of family separation, arrests and show trials, mass detention, campaigns of gang rape, forced injections, widespread slave labour, concentration camps and m…
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Mr. Speaker, it is my hope that today's government will repeal that agreement and move away from it.
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