Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I think this is out of order. We are talking about the Emergencies Act. We are not talking about an ethics report from some time ago.
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague on the tone of his comments today. It would be a much better reflection on all of us if we continued to seek out the things that we can agree on and tried to solve some of these problems at the end of the day, not make them worse. Canadians are watching this debate. I watched events yesterday, as many of us did. With all of what I heard my colleague…
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Madam Speaker, I have to say to my hon. colleague that much of his speech could have been written by any of us on this side. We all know that law and order are the fundamental backbone of our country. That is what we all want. However, the hon. member cannot say to me or to the rest of our colleagues that what is happening outside could simply be handled by some police officers shoving the protest…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, February is age-related macular degeneration month, which is the leading cause of blindness for Canadians over the age of 50. Close to two million Canadians and almost 200 million people globally suffer from macular degeneration, which is a progressive disease that, over time, takes the eyesight of those who suffer from it. It is very likely that everyone in this chamber knows someone…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, February is Black History Month. It is a time to learn about the histories and cultures of Black Canadians and how they have contributed to Canada. It is also a time to celebrate legacies left and legacies in progress. My riding of Humber River—Black Creek benefits greatly from the contributions of Black Canadians in the past and now. That is why I am happy to stand today and recogniz…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I am happy stand today to speak to Bill C-8 and join my many colleagues. I believe that together we are working to move our country forward and solve some of the problems we certainly have as a result of the pandemic. I do want to acknowledge the protesters who continue to be outside blocking the streets and disrupting the lives of many people here in the city of Ottawa. It is nothi…
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for asking that question and continuing to work with us to make a difference in the lives of many people. When we were able to give seniors throughout the country approximately $1,500 in these last two years as extra money to help them get through the difficulties, it was a huge help to many of the seniors I know in my riding of Humber River—Black C…
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Madam Speaker, I am happy to comment. The housing issue, of course, is important to all of us, and I am very proud of the work that our government has done. With our Minister of Housing, we have committed billions of dollars, and we have seen it on the streets of Toronto. Over 700 more housing units have been created through the accelerated housing program, and we are working on the issue of rent-…
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Madam Speaker, regarding the area that I heard our hon. colleague speaking about in Bill C-8, specifically on the subject of small businesses, would he not acknowledge the many different programs we offered, specifically the issue of the $60,000, and part of it being forgivable? Does he not agree that this was a huge help in getting our small businesses to the point where they are today?
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. He is a great member of our committee, and I very much enjoy working with him. Yes, getting the Internet broadband situation solved in this country is a huge challenge. We recognize that there are still areas that have very poor Internet quality or next to no Internet whatsoever. It has been and continues to be a major commitment of our governm…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, throughout the pandemic, there was a need in the LGBTQ2 community for support provided by LGBTQ organizations and partners, and it was a critical lifeline for many. These organizations provided critical mental health support, suicide prevention and gender-affirming care, as well as housing support and other valuable resources. In order to continue that essential work, they require sus…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 107(3), I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Liaison Committee, entitled “Committee Activities and Expenditures: April 1, 2021 - August 15, 2021”. This report highlights the work and accomplishments of each committee, as well as detailing the budgets that fund the activities approved by the committee.
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, it's a great pleasure to speak following the hon. member for Scarborough—Guildwood. The hon. member and I have spent many years together arguing about various issues. I have tremendous respect for him on the issue of modernization and other issues that he has championed for a very long time, and I look forward to working with him until completion on some of the bills he wants to mov…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, on the whole issue of health care, and how we have managed to get through the pandemic, millions or probably billions of dollars has been spent protecting and improving health care through this pandemic. The Minister of Health has clearly indicated, as has the Prime Minister, that there will be many discussions in the future about how we can strengthen our health care system and our…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, my colleague has made it very clear in the time he has been in the House that these are issues that he cares very much about. I think together we will move forward to ensure there is housing that is affordable. Whatever name we want to put on it, we have to ensure that rental housing is being built that is affordable for all Canadians. As well, we need an avenue to give people the o…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, one of the most exciting things in the many years I have been in the House as a parliamentarian, and something I have wanted to see, is the issue of affordable child care for everyone. I cannot tell members the number of families, and single women in particular, I have met who did not want to stay home. They want to be out in the workforce, but the child care costs more than the mon…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is critically important to hear from many of us, as we try to deal with some of the issues facing society today. The numbers speak for themselves, no matter what we want to think otherwise. The numbers clearly indicate that the governments of the day have to take some action. They are asking for that action, and I would hope our government will respond in a very quick fashion. Gi…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the memory of the former mayor of Toronto, Mel Lastman. Mel may have been a small man in stature, but he was a giant against others. He was never afraid to take on other levels of government and fight for the necessary funding for many issues, such as women’s shelters, affordable housing and the expansion of the Yonge subway. Mayor Lastman was a champion…
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Madam Speaker, it is good to see my colleague back in the House. I have to say that I disagree with absolutely everything he said. I do not recall, in the years we have both been here, ever hearing the official opposition talk about establishing a national housing strategy or ever seriously talk about the need for affordable housing. I can tell members there have been millions of dollars spent in …
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Simon Sung for his hard work and contribution to his home country of Taiwan and its relationship with Canada. After starting out in journalism as a young man, Mr. Sung, or just Simon, as most of us know him, decided to pursue his master's in peace studies. He went on to join the foreign services of Taiwan serving in Taipei, Singapore, the U.S. and for the…
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Mr. Speaker, congratulations again. It is always interesting to see different people sitting in the chair, and I think your French is very good. I am probably learning and picking up a few words from you as you proceed. This is my first opportunity to stand in the 44th Parliament. I am not sure if this is my ninth time or my 10th time here, but it has been quite a few times. I have to thank the pe…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's comments. Whenever he gets up, it is always interesting. We never know quite what he is going to say. Let me speak to the importance of getting Bill C-2 through, as the next piece of the pandemic recovery, so that we can then be focusing on the financial economy, the economic plan that I know is being worked on. We will bring it forward so that we can …
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Mr. Speaker, I have to acknowledge the previous minister of seniors and the amount of work the minister did in order to get additional support systems to all of the seniors across the country. The extra $1,500 and the additional increase to the GIS all happened while we were going through this pandemic, and I have to applaud the great work of the minister to make that happen. We do not want our se…
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Mr. Speaker, that is certainly another area of our communities that has been suffering immensely, as has been the travel industry. Prior to the election, there were various bills that were passed that were specifically there to help the cultural centres, knowing how much they were suffering. The boost to that is government help, but it is also us participating, buying tickets and going to concerts…
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Mr. Speaker, congratulations. I also want to congratulate my hon. colleague on a hard-fought election and most importantly on his new posting. I represent one particular travel agency in Toronto: Islington Travel Agencies. It is a small agency. It had six people working there. The sole owner has kept it open for the last two years. She is the one who is operating it, trying to keep her head above …
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Congratulations, Mr. Speaker. It is good to see you in that chair. My colleague's father was here for many years and was here as the Speaker as well, I believe. I would be interested to know how this would compare with his father's day, and the struggles he had with travelling such a long distance to get to Parliament to participate and vote. We are now looking at trying to move things forward to …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 10th report of the Standing Committee on International Trade on Bill C-216, an act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act (supply management).
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Madam Speaker, I am honoured to rise virtually today to recognize a tireless labour rights activist, who I have known for quite some time, by the name of the Marino Toppan. Marino is the creator behind the Italian Fallen Workers Memorial project established in 2016. This memorial, one of the biggest of its kind in Canada, commemorates nearly 2,000 Italian workers who lost their lives on the job ov…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I have been following the debates all week and many of my colleagues have used their time in their interventions to acknowledge the wonderful work that various people have done. I very much support Bill S-204. As members know, we had a late night last night. We were voting on the main estimates to approve the necessary programs that were going to make a difference in all Canadians' li…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this important issue today, an issue I have cared about for a very long time, as do many members of the House. Before I do that, what a pleasure it has been to serve with you, Mr. Speaker. You have been kind and constantly pleasant, even if we have been on opposite sides of the discussion. You are always very polite to everyone in the House. In…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the ninth report of the Standing Committee on International Trade, entitled “Reform of the World Trade Organization: Some Canadian Views and Priorities”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on International Trade, entitled “Investor-State Dispute Settlement: Some Considerations for Canada”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests the government table a comprehensive response to this report.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 107(3), I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Liaison Committee, entitled “Committee Activities and Expenditures April 1, 2020 - March 31, 2021”. This report highlights the work and accomplishments of each committee and details the budgets that fund the activities approved by committee members.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, before I commence my remarks on the file we are discussing tonight, I want to express my condolences to everyone in the Muslim community, to the family in question and to everyone in London and Canada. That terrible tragedy has saddened all of us. We certainly have to commit to move forward and find a way to eliminate these kinds of terrible tragedies. I extend condolences on behalf…
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Madam Speaker, I am tremendously proud of what the government has managed to accomplish in such a short period of time. It created 63,000 new units, provided 126,000 repaired units so that now people have a decent place to live, and issued affordability support to over 36,000 people. That is already happening now, so I am very proud of the work that our government has done and I know it is going t…
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Madam Speaker, certainly working with the provinces is key, and with the other stakeholders, to create the kind of housing that we all want to see created. In the meantime, our government has invested over $27 billion since coming to office and has committed to spending another $70 billion under the national housing strategy. We will continue to work with all of our partners across the country, an…
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Madam Speaker, that is such an important question. All 338 of us, as members of Parliament, care very much about the issue of our veterans and want everything from improved services for mental health to, of course, housing. Since the beginning of the national housing strategy, we have created over 63,000 units of housing. We have repaired over 126,000 units, and we have provided over 36,000 househ…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased today to rise in this virtual House to present petition e-3319, with well over 4,000 signatures in a very short time. The petition calls on the government to amend the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights and establish a committee to review the bill further. I want to recognize the hard work and advocacy of Jennifer Neville-Lake, who initiated this particular petition, as…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I have had the honour of being a member of Parliament in the House for over 20 years, even though it seems like yesterday, but today is a very special day. It is something I have worked toward for some time. To hear an official apology given by the Prime Minister of Canada in the House of Commons is a historical event. A black mark on the government has finally been removed through an…
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Madam Speaker, I could have had my screen off and still would have known that the individual speaking was a Conservative from his thought process. I have to wonder what the Conservatives would have done for the thousands and thousands of people who would have ended up unemployed, or are unemployed, as a result of this pandemic. As for child care and women, we have a huge labour shortage in Canada …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following two reports from the Standing Committee on International Trade: the sixth report, entitled “Trade Between Canada and the United Kingdom: A Potential Transitional Trade Agreement and Beyond”; and the seventh report, entitled “Canada and International Trade: An Interim Report Concerning the Impacts of the COVID-19 P…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, as the co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Falun Gong, also called Falun Dafa, it is my great pleasure to join the millions of people around the world in over 100 countries who are celebrating Falun Dafa Day. I extend my warmest greetings to the Falun Gong community and all of their supporters on the 29th anniversary of Falun Dafa's introduction to the rest of the world. The univ…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the help. This would increase women's participation in the workforce and is a plan to offer each child in Canada the best start in life. It will aim to reduce fees for parents with children in regulated child care by 50% on average by 2022, with a goal of reaching $10 per day, on average, by 2026, everywhere outside of Quebec. Budget 2021 will invest almost …
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Madam Speaker, it would increase by 10% for seniors aged 75 and over, which will help lift more seniors out of poverty. Taken together, our government's ambitious and progressive measures are making a real difference in seniors' financial security. However, we know there is much more work to do. Canadian seniors can always count on the Liberals to listen, understand their needs and work hard to tr…
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Madam Speaker, I am pleased to be able to speak to budget 2021. As we heard the other day and today, our government—
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Madam Speaker, my colleague was not the only one getting those phone calls. I think many of us did. We talked about fiscal responsibility with my previous colleague, trying to be fiscally responsible while at the same time trying to help as many people as possible. People are living much longer today than they used to and the costs as people get older are much higher for those 75 and older than th…
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Madam Speaker, this pandemic has been a tremendous challenge for everybody, the provinces, the federal government. It was not something that we had a plan on how to do the rollout. I think everybody has done the best they could. A lot of issues—
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Madam Speaker, the issue of fiscal responsibility is important to each and every one of us. I would say all members of the House care about the fiscal responsibility avenues of our country. Clearly, we have met the challenges and continue to do so. This pandemic is still not over. We are still trying to help as many people in our country as possible. We will deal with this, and we will have a plan…
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Madam Speaker, today we are talking about all of the different issues in our budget. We are talking about the future and how we will manage to get where we are going and make sure we have a strong plan to finish the battle against this terrible COVID-19. Clearly, as we have been hearing, our plan is to execute a plan to deliver one million jobs, as promised. These jobs are critical for us to have …
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, as chair of the Canada-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group, it gives me great pleasure to rise in the House today to recognize the President of Taiwan. President Tsai is this year's winner of the John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service from the Halifax International Security Forum. Taiwan has been a world leader in the fight against COVID-19. As the coronavirus has upende…
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