Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member and the other members of the Bloc Québécois for being very passionate about this issue. There should be no doubt about it: Bill C-2 is about taking more decisive action to crack down on crime. That absolutely means that we will be cracking down on money laundering and terrorist financing. I want to assure the member that any ideas they have should be br…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is a real honour for me to rise in the House for the first time after the summer to speak to Bill C-2, the strong borders act. I am speaking on behalf of the residents of my constituency of Davenport, whom I am so honoured to represent for the fourth time. The need for the legislation is as great today as it was when it was introduced in June, and I look forward to helping make t…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, indeed, I think it is non-partisan. It is absolutely important for us to ensure that we continue to have updated legislation that allows our government to take strong action to prevent crime, to ensure that our law enforcement officers at all levels have the tools they need to disrupt any type of crime and to hold people to account for criminal activity. I will tell everyone that we w…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the strong borders act would make critical amendments to legislation that would advance our government's priorities to keep Canadians safe and secure through strengthening our border and making some additional changes, including the changes that she has referenced to the Canada Post Corporation Act. The way crime is conducted these days has absolutely changed, so the government has to…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, first I will say to the member that I think we have spent quite a bit of time addressing issues of privacy here in the House. If there are any concerns around privacy on his part and, for some reason, we need to make adjustments around the privacy concerns he might have, I would ask him to bring them to committee.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, tomorrow, September 16, is Mexican Independence Day, and I rise to recognize this momentous occasion. For over 80 years, Canada and Mexico have built a strong partnership rooted in shared values and mutual respect. We collaborate across countless fronts, from cultural exchanges to substantial investments that strengthen both of our economies. The current challenge of U.S. tariffs pres…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it was a true honour to lead a delegation of Canadian parliamentarians to Dayton, Ohio, for the spring session of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, where parliamentarians from all NATO countries assembled for discussions. Dayton was selected to honour the 30th anniversary of the Dayton Peace Accord, which marked the end of the Bosnian War. Given the changing geopolitical situation and …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the true honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the following reports: the report of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association respecting its participation at the joint meeting of the Defence and Security Committee, the Economics and Security Committee and the Political Committee in Brussels, Belgium, from February 19 to …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I have a very quick question for my hon. colleague, who gave an excellent speech. What is the importance of introducing this legislation right now?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I think we have been hearing about this a lot in the news. We are working very hard and very expeditiously to create a resilient, strong Canadian economy. As part of that, we are forming alliances with car companies around the world. One of them is Volkswagen. It will be the largest car company manufacturing EVs and batteries in North America. This is just one of our many investment…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the single biggest threat to Canada's auto sector, or to Canada in general, is American tariffs, not electric vehicles. We are fighting to protect Canadian jobs and are building an electric vehicle supply chain that is driving record investment into our economy. Transportation emissions have declined to levels that have not been seen in decades, demonstrating that we can grow our ec…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is a great honour, as always, to stand in this House and speak on behalf of the residents of my riding of Davenport. Before I continue, I want to say that I will be very happily sharing my time with my colleague, the member for Kingston and the Islands. I will be speaking to the opposition day motion today. I am also going to be speaking a lot about innovation and a lot of things…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I agree with the hon. member. I think the types of incentives that our federal government has introduced in the past have led to an increase in Canadians buying electric vehicles. We have, for the moment, temporarily halted those incentives, but it is my hope that we will be returning to them in the near future.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I agree with the hon. member that we should always be shopping locally. As someone who lived in Quebec for four years, I am very fond of the great businesses there, and I think it is great that she shared with us today that she had bought something local from Quebec. On just procurement and best practices, this is why we have an Auditor General. There are a number of oversight measure…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Mississauga Centre. On behalf of the residents of my great constituency of Davenport, which is located in downtown Toronto, I am very pleased to join the debate on this opposition day motion about ArriveCAN contractor GC Strategies. It is truly an important matter for us to discuss. Effective management in government procurement is a funda…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I was reading a few things, so I am not sure if I heard the question correctly. I will say to the hon. member that our government is absolutely committed to ensuring that federal procurement is always conducted in an open, fair and transparent manner, and that we, at no point, will ever accept misconduct of any kind. We will constantly be improving our procurement process.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I know the hon. member has heard numerous speeches today. He might have to hear a few more speeches because we are reiterating, in the absolute strongest terms, that misconduct of any kind in the procurement process is never acceptable. Absolutely, we have taken action. We have taken action directly against GC Strategies. We have revoked the security clearance of GC Strategies. We hav…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, defending Canadians is one of our government's top priorities. Given the increasingly volatile global landscape, it is vital that our Canadian Armed Forces are properly equipped to meet the challenges we ask them to face. It is urgent that we take immediate action to strengthen our armed forces and support those who are serving our country. Can the Secretary of State for Defence Procu…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, olá. As the member of Parliament for Davenport, the riding with the largest number of Portuguese Canadians, I am proud to rise in the House today to celebrate Portugal Day in Canada and to celebrate June as Portuguese Heritage Month. It has been 72 years since the first group of Portuguese immigrants arrived at Pier 21 in Halifax. Today, Portuguese Canadians are almost half a million …
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands. It is my enormous pleasure to rise in this House to respond to the Speech from the Throne. However, before I begin, I want to thank the residents of my constituency of Davenport for their faith and trust in me. I am enormously grateful that they have re-elected me for a fourth term to serve them as well as serve our…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, as the hon. member knows, we do have a plan. We were discussing that plan with provincial and territorial leaders earlier this week. We have talked and have agreed that we are going to have one Canadian economy. We are going to eliminate interprovincial trade barriers. We are going to ensure the free movement of people, goods and services. We are going to invest in nation-building p…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, when we talk about having one economy instead of 13, from my perspective what we are talking about is something I think many Canadians have been hoping we would do for a really long time, which is to ensure that we have a very strong internal Canadian economy, that we have such a strong foundation and economy that we are able to withstand a lot of the uncertainty and unpredictabilit…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, the hon. member's words were kind. I invite him to come back to my great constituency of Davenport any time. He was very popular and very well loved. I will say that the dental care program is one of the life-saving programs in my community. I have a largely working-class constituency, so a program like the national dental care program is a life-saver for many of them. The fact that…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I understand that today, our government, alongside the governments of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, announced that we will match all individual donations to the Canadian Red Cross in support of those impacted by wildfires in each province. That means every dollar Canadians give will go further, to provide emergency shelter, food and essential supplies. We are deeply grateful to the Red C…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience said earlier this evening that every single time we tackle wildfires in this country, we continue to learn from each and every single event. We are going to continue to work closely with all of our partners, our provincial partners, indigenous communities and non-profit partners, to make sure that we continue to keep—
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the Minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs. It is a true pleasure to contribute to this important debate on the wildfires in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. I truly want to thank the member for Winnipeg Centre for proposing the debate this evening. Not only is it important, but I also very much appreciate hearing the stories and the experiences of those who …
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague from Winnipeg North for his very thoughtful and compassionate comments this evening. I always feel that I learn a lot whenever I hear him speak. My comment and my question is around community resilience. I would love to hear from him what he believes we are doing, from a community resilience perspective, in those communities that have been impacted …
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, while I am a member from downtown Toronto, I care just as much about what is happening in our country as others do. Not only do I proudly represent Davenport, but I represent all Canadians. I do everything in my power to make the best decisions I can for this country, so I absolutely care about the wildfires that are under way. I am very proud to be a part of the important debate and …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, in my constituency of Davenport, we recently celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Alexander G. Muir building, currently the home of the Alexander Muir/Gladstone Ave Junior and Senior Public School, also fondly known as AMG. It is named after the Scottish-Canadian poet and educator, Alexander Muir, who composed the lyrics to the The Maple Leaf Forever and served as the school's firs…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I love this time of year. As a child, I have fond memories of tobogganing in my local park in downtown Toronto, eagerly counting down the days to Christmas. It is a magical time of year, with carolling, gift-giving and gatherings where we share food and drink with those we love. It is also time to reflect and be thankful. I want to thank all the organizations that are on the front lin…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Canadians received great news last week about a temporary tax break that we would be implementing for all Canadians. Our government is exempting essentials like groceries, snacks, children's clothing and gifts from the GST, starting December 14. This will deliver tangible and immediate support to Canadians struggling with the cost of living. Could the minister share why all members of…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, recent reporting about India's alleged interference in the Conservative Party leadership race is concerning to Canadians across the country, including my constituents in Davenport. All members of the House have a responsibility to take national security seriously. That is especially true of our party leaders, including the Leader of the Opposition, who refuses to get a security cleara…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, the federal government has introduced a GST tax break that will put money directly into the pockets of Canadians, especially for families who need it the most. In my constituency of Davenport, every penny counts and a temporary GST tax break for the holiday season and early new year is very welcome. My question to the minister is simple. Can she explain why the Conservative leader and…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, cities like Toronto are on the front lines when it comes to responding to the housing crisis. That is why, last year, we announced a half-a-billion dollar federal investment in Toronto through the housing accelerator fund to unlock over 53,000 new homes over the next decade. Last week, the Conservative leader announced a plan that will impact home building in Toronto by making dangero…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the establishment of the Republic of Turkey. On October 29, 1923, Turkey was formally declared a republic. It was also the day it elected its first president, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Atatürk is beloved to this day by Turks all around the world and is credited with creating the foundations of modern-day Turkey. Canadians of Turkish or…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we know that actors like Russia, China and India have attempted to interfere in Canada. Recently, the RCMP revealed that agents linked to the Indian government are involved in serious criminal activities in Canada—
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we know that actors like Russia, China and India have attempted to interfere in Canada. Recently, the RCMP revealed that agents linked to the Indian government are involved in serious criminal activities in Canada, including extortion and the murder of a Canadian citizen. It is time for all political party leaders to put country before party. My question for the government House Leade…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I have good news. On Tuesday, October 15, the day after Thanksgiving, the residents in my constituency of Davenport will be giving thanks when they look at their bank accounts and see their quarterly Canada carbon rebate amount of $280 for a family of four, or $140 for individuals. Canadians expect their federal government to take ambitious action on climate change, and thanks to the …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, cha-cha-cha, olé, olé, olé. October is Latin American Heritage Month. It is so exciting to know that we have a whole month to celebrate the unbelievable music, literature, food, talent, creativity and culture of over 20 diverse and beautiful Latin American and Hispanic cultures in Canada. It is also a month to acknowledge the many contributions of Latin American and Hispanic Canadians…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak to today's opposition day motion on behalf of the residents of my amazing riding of Davenport, in downtown west Toronto. It is not a surprise that I will not be supporting this motion when it comes to a vote. I want to talk about the work the Liberals are doing to strengthen the economy here in Canada and, more specifically, the investments…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, to the first hon. member who mentioned me, first of all, I am glad he listened so intently, but he missed the intentional indication that I made at the outset of my speech that I will not be supporting the opposition day motion. I believe we are talking about confidence in this government, and I would say that I have enormous confidence in our government. I am giving the member exam…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, this will be the third time I am indicating that I will not be supporting this motion and I have full confidence in our Prime Minister and his role as leader of our Liberal Party. I am glad that the member mentioned carbon pricing and innovative, creative ideas. That was a creative idea that we introduced when we were first elected in office almost nine years ago. Carbon pricing, a …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, there is a huge number of seniors in my riding of Davenport. I love them all, and I am very fond of them. First of all, I am always in support of more support for seniors, just to let everybody know, but I am very proud of our record in the House. One of the first things we did when we were first elected is lower the age of retirement from 67 to 65. We increased the guaranteed incom…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for his concern about food banks. Indeed, the fact that we have more people going to food banks is a huge concern in Canada, and we are rightly concerned about this. However, I am very proud of our government. Every step of the way, we have introduced a number of measures to help support Canadians at every level of income. We have introduced the Canad…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise to honour the memory of Senator Joseph Day; sadly, he passed away earlier this year. Joe Day was a distinguished lawyer and a remarkable and much loved parliamentarian. Representing the Province of New Brunswick for almost two decades, he held an exceptional 18-year tenure with the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, culminating in his election as the assembly's vice-president, a posi…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Madam Speaker, on April 29, disaster struck the state of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. Flash floods and heavy rains, three times higher than normal, led to the worst flooding that residents of the state have seen since 1941. More than 2.3 million people across 471 municipalities have been impacted, 600,000 have been displaced and over 100 people have died. Half a million people continue to be in sh…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, we know that we need to build more housing for indigenous peoples here in Canada. We need to build more on reserves. We are very committed to doing that. We have committed and will continue to commit a significant amount of money to building the homes they need.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, is a real pleasure for me to stand here on behalf of my constituents in the riding of Davenport to speak to Bill C-69, the budget implementation act. It is legislation that would deliver on key measures from budget 2024, a budget that would advance our government's plan to build more homes faster, make life cost less and grow the economy in a way that helps generations get ahead. Bu…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, Davenport residents are heartbroken. At around 8 a.m. on Sunday, June 9, our beloved St. Anne's Anglican Church was tragically destroyed in a fire, the cause of which has not yet been determined. Built in 1907, St. Anne's Church was one of the oldest Anglican churches in Toronto. It was not only an architectural triumph, but also a rebel of its time. Modelled after the Hagia Sophia, i…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the following five reports of the Canadian NATO Parliamentary Association, respecting its participation in the 68th Annual Session in Madrid, Spain, from November 18 to 21, 2022; the Bureau Meeting and Joint Meetings of the Defence and Security Committee, the Economics and Security…
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