Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the intervention from my colleague from York—Durham. On this day of all days, to receive this question is really quite something. This is the day on which the administration to the south, the U.S. administration, has rejected a decades-long bipartisan consensus. The very serpent that the hon. member refers to is the existence of California-level emissions standards that h…
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Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, this new EV rebate is positioned a bit differently from the older one. It is capped at vehicles retailing at $50,000 or less. Sometimes I hear from the other side that we are denying consumer choice in some way. In fact, our policy is to attract investment of all types while looking at the electric vehicle future that we are pointing to. The auto strategy is …
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Mr. Speaker, if the member and the party opposite think we are on the wrong side of Canadian sovereignty, they have another thing coming. Our approach is all about Canadian sovereignty. It is all about investing in the companies that invest in us. It is all about embracing the future of electrification. It is all about embracing our workers, who are the best workers in the world. For the members o…
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Mr. Speaker, this is what the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association had to say about today's announcement. It “welcomes the government’s automotive strategy announced today. Funding to support renewed purchase incentives and a robust charging infrastructure strategy will help continue to drive EV adoption, and CVMA members are well-positioned to support the shift to electrification through d…
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Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, we welcome these electric vehicles because our rebate applies to countries with which we have free trade agreements, including European countries. Our auto strategy includes many incentives to encourage people to adopt electric vehicles and make the future as electric as possible here in Canada. That is exactly what our policy is doing.
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's question, but once again it is the opposite. Our announcement today includes the development of a national network of EV charging stations with an investment of $1.5 billion. It is a national project that includes Quebec to welcome this green future and electric vehicles to Canada.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, today I am presenting a petition that was brought to my attention by Federico Sanchez and was signed by 44,869 Canadians. Clearly it has struck a chord. Political honesty and public trust are critical cornerstones of our democracy. This petition touches on those themes and draws inspiration from a white paper by the Institute for Constitutional and Democratic Research, in Wales, where…
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Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour to speak to this bill put forward by my colleague the member for Fleetwood—Port Kells. I can definitely understand the inspiration behind this bill. In his speech, he referred to the COVID-era activities that were happening in his community and in communities coast to coast, whereby people were experiencing the different impacts of food shortages in certain areas,…
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Mr. Speaker, I will just read out the prices. At Maple Produce on Roncesvalles Avenue, people can get two tins of blackberries for the very affordable price of $5, and that is quoted here. Then there are raspberries, two tins for $6. I have some other things here. I do not know exactly what I bought here in each case. I see the member for Peterborough, whose riding may well have produced some of t…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour a long-time member of this House, Jesse Flis, who died earlier this month at the age of 92. Jesse lived to serve. Born in Saskatchewan to Polish immigrant parents, for more than two decades he served our community as an educator, including as principal of Argentina Public School, now Garden Avenue Junior Public School, in our riding. In 1979, Jesse heard the cal…
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Mr. Speaker, instead of repeating Stellantis talking points and talking points from south of the border, perhaps the party on the other side should be joining with us to agree that the company is in default, and it should be joining us in encouraging the company to come to the table and either return those jobs or give our money back, period.
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Mr. Speaker, we signed that deal on behalf of the government for every worker, every employee and every member of that community. Stellantis broke that deal. In our opinion, it is in default. We are going to get that money back, or the jobs are coming back, period.
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak to the bill before us today, and to speak to the proud history of Arabs and Arab Canadians in Canada. I will try to contextualize how we can come to a moment at this time in 2025 when we have the prospect of an Arab heritage month but not yet an Arab heritage month for Canada. My colleague for York South—Weston—Etobicoke described in some detail t…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I think we are quite blessed in this House to have, in our parliamentary secretary colleague, someone who has experience in first nations' governance, in provincial government and in federal government now. I wonder if he could just share the perspectives that he has gained over the years in relation to the motion before us.
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, our history is filled with examples of projects that connect our two largest provinces. Today, we have another opportunity to continue this proud tradition. One of our major national projects is the Toronto-Quebec City high-speed rail project. The next step to get there is to pass Bill C‑15, which enacts the high-speed rail network act. What is the holdup? It is the opposition, which …
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Mr. Chair, my colleague from Guelph, who is the head of the auto caucus, knows from where she sits how much innovation and expertise come in to the sector out of Guelph. That is the kind of thing in which we want and are continuing to invest in this budget, whether it is some of the investments in research, innovation and talent or in the trade corridors, so that the manufacturers of autos or auto…
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Mr. Chair, in our opinion, it is better to have no agreement than a bad agreement. I think that workers, unions and union members agree. We are working every day to get the best possible agreement for this sector, which is so important. We are not going to sacrifice jobs by signing just any old agreement.
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Mr. Chair, as my colleague knows, there is currently a pause on the availability standard for next year, and I know the Minister of the Environment, Climate Change and Nature is working hard on that with her colleagues. I think one of the important things to note is what the direction of investment is and what the direction of sales and consumer interest in this sector are. In fact, electric vehic…
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Mr. Chair, I appreciate the interventions from my colleague from Winnipeg North, my colleague from Kildonan—St. Paul and my colleague from Guelph. I want to pick up on where my colleague from Winnipeg North left off in terms of what has sustained and made this sector resilient over so many years. We are all probably aware of the general ballpark of the current state of the sector. In 2024, we prod…
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Mr. Chair, I always appreciate the interventions of my colleague from Kildonan—St. Paul. I am a bit bewildered by the strong focus on the electric vehicle sector because the evidence we have is this is a growing sector and, in fact, it is increasing the manufacturing footprint in southern Ontario. Which of the investments and which of the projects going toward our electric vehicle future is she op…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the resilience of Ukrainian nationals and Ukrainian Canadians in west Toronto and across Canada as Ukraine enters another winter defending itself from the illegal Russian invasion. Organizations such as Ukrainian Canadian Social Services and the Toronto chapter of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress have added their voices to making the essential case for this Commons …
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Mr. Chair, I appreciated the speech by my colleague from Saint-Hyacinthe. I would like to ask him if he agrees that, in the future, electrification of the auto industry will contribute to the growth of and gains for Quebec's economy.
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Mr. Chair, my colleague from Vaughan—Woodbridge gave a number of examples of the current pressures on a number of current plants and companies in Canada, and every example seemed to be about the trade dispute we are in with the Americans. Would the member not agree with me that in fact it is the unjustified and unjustifiable tariffs that are the cause of the current situation we are in, and that w…
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Mr. Chair, I know that my colleague is working very hard in her riding of Guelph and is hearing from folks about the government's response to the unjustified tariffs. I am wondering if she could share more perspectives from her constituents about how they are responding to our government's position with respect to the United States.
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Mr. Speaker, I know that my colleague, in his work in Scarborough—Woburn and previously in provincial government, has been a long-time champion of public workers and workers who have a lower income but who do the most essential work of caregiving. The tax credit will return over $1,000 annually to the pockets of personal support workers and those who qualify. I think that is a really important aff…
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Mr. Speaker, I have heard the hon. member speak in the House about people in emergency services and health care workers, and I appreciate learning more about that specific bill. When it comes to unanimous consent, I know there will be many voices that will be involved. I also know we have in front of us Bill C-14, which is a really important bill before the House that we were working hard to pass.…
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Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to take part in today's debate on the bill before us, the budget implementation bill. This budget aims to build, empower and protect Canada, as my friend the parliamentary secretary so aptly described. It is really important to have the context of this budget bill in front of us clear. We have a hinge moment of rupture in our trading relationship with our major tradi…
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Mr. Speaker, my friend from Provencher and I do good work together on the industry committee. It is a committee that is fundamentally charged with economic growth. He referred to a number of matters. I want to talk about economic growth and ask him about some of the measures in this budget bill that would spur economic growth. I am particularly interested in his views on some of the Manitoba-focus…
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Mr. Speaker, I get these questions from time to time. I understand that my colleague has public service workers in her riding. I have them in my riding as well. Toronto may be the capital of Ontario, but there are also federal public servants in my riding. I also want to commend the work of the public service employees who prepared and published this budget. The bill presented here for our conside…
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Mr. Speaker, all government organizations are expected to strictly follow the procurement process we have outlined. That is why our government is conducting a comprehensive review of potential savings within the government. Furthermore, we know that the National Research Council of Canada does very important work for Canada's economic growth.
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Mr. Speaker, the urgent action comes from actually building the kinds of vehicles, the kinds of batteries and the kinds of equipment that Canadians are increasingly investing in. That is why we have the gigafactory in southwestern Ontario and we have the NextStar plant, which is manufacturing, as we speak, batteries for the very vibrant economy in this sector. We look forward to the hon. member's …
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Mr. Speaker, as the member well knows, we are maintaining countertariffs on steel and aluminum. We have the $5-billion strategic response fund. We also have the buy Canadian procurement policy, through which we are supporting our businesses by requiring the use of Canadian steel and aluminum in domestic projects across the country. We hope the opposition will support us on these issues. We are cou…
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Mr. Speaker, we are going to defend our workers by having a $5-billion strategic response fund. That party voted against this. We are going to defend our workers by having a buy Canadian policy, the most ambitious buy Canadian policy on record. That party opposed this. We are always going to be there for our workers. Is that party going to be on their side?
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Mr. Speaker, on a day when we have Jeremy Hansen, the Canadian astronaut, here with us, I would like to quote from another astronaut, Marc Garneau: “The best way for Canada was to work with other countries, as we had with NASA since the 1960s. That is why Canada signed an agreement with the European Space Agency in the 1970s, as well as several bilateral agreements with other countries, allowing u…
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Mr. Speaker, this year is Canada's year for space, and the question from the member opposite surprises me, especially since we have an astronaut here with us today. The investments we are making in Europe will help grow the Canadian economy. Every dollar invested in the European Space Agency generates more than three dollars in sales. A briefing will be held on December 11, and I encourage the mem…
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Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member knows, the government, the Minister of Industry and all of us on this side are fighting every day for those jobs in Windsor and across southwestern Ontario. I want to read a quote from the Mayor of St. Thomas, Joe Preston. He said, “The mayor hasn’t stopped smiling” and “Generations in the future can stay here, have a job that pays well enough to buy a home in St. T…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour the legacy of Shuah Roskies, a long-time resident of Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park, who died two years ago and would have turned 50 years old this month. After a childhood living in New York, Fiji, Israel, Papua New Guinea and Wales, Shuah settled in Toronto in her mid-twenties and trained as a lawyer, focusing on the most neglected in our society: young people …
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Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the most innovative things we can do as a country, we often do them together and with other countries. For instance, a former member of this House, a former minister in the former government, the late Hon. Marc Garneau, went on an American spacecraft. There is a key piece of Canadian technology that was deployed as part of that, the Canadarm. It is a piece of technolo…
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Mr. Speaker, it is unfortunate that the other side does not recognize the key role that space investments play in our country and in our nation's innovations, especially in a critical year for space for Canada, when we are sending not one, but two astronauts into space. This is an incredibly exciting time for Canada and Canadians to be inspired by the potential of space and space in our economy. I…
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Mr. Speaker, Tibetans have been part of Canada's fabric since the 1970s, after China's occupation of Tibet in the 1950s forced many into exile. They are guided always by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and his lifelong commitment to non-violence, interfaith harmony and human rights. Today, Tibetan communities thrive in Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park, Etobicoke, Halifax, Vancouver, Calgary and Montreal.…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have been in the House now for just over six months, and I am still waiting to hear about the positive action that the party opposite wants to take on fighting climate change. I have not yet heard it. I have heard only the negative propositions. I think that someone who is concerned about investment, investment trajectories and securing more private sector investment knows that it i…
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Mr. Speaker, we are in the aftermath of quite a historic moment in the House, where the main budget motion has passed on a budget that brings forward an investment plan focusing on investments in housing, investments in infrastructure, investments in defence, investments in talent and investments in productivity. They are investments that are really about triggering and unleashing private sector i…
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Mr. Speaker, we know that our country is built on lumber, whether it is construction materials or furniture, whether it comes from Quebec, Saguenay or New Brunswick. We also know that the U.S. tariffs put our workers and businesses at risk. That is why we have solutions, namely $500 million for businesses, $700 million for the Business Development Bank of Canada and $50 million to support employme…
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Mr. Speaker, the people of Miramichi, Bathurst, Chipman, Minto and Madawaska, all through northwest and northeastern New Brunswick, know that the softwood lumber industry is a key part of our economic future, but the tariffs are putting our workers and businesses in jeopardy. That is why we put real solutions on the table: $700 million in support through the Business Development Bank, $500 million…
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Mr. Speaker, in 1940, Priscilla Wright was born, and 15 years later she had a hit record. She later sang with Elvis and now chairs a family foundation inspired by her parents and grandfather Arthur Meighen, the ninth prime minister of Canada. In 2001, Abi Ajibolade arrived in Canada as a new immigrant from Nigeria. Fifteen years later, she became executive director of The Redwood, which provides s…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadian and Quebec softwood lumber built our country, from construction to real estate. However, as we know, U.S. tariffs are putting our workers and businesses at risk. That is why we are here. To offset the pressure from tariffs, we are making $700 million available to softwood lumber companies through the Business Development Bank of Canada. We will always be there for our workers…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for Oakville West for her consistent advocacy for auto workers in her community, especially at the Ford plant. Let us be clear: The Stellantis decision to move production out of Brampton is unacceptable. Stellantis has made important commitments to Canada and to our workers, and we expect it to hold up its end of the deal. We expect it to hold up its …
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Mr. Speaker, the plan is to work with unions, to work with companies and to work with the provinces to have an alignment so that we can fight these unjustified tariffs. The plan is to have a strategic response fund to support workers and businesses in this time of challenge for us. The plan is to change our emissions framework to make sure that Stellantis and GM know exactly what we are doing. The…
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Mr. Speaker, what is important is that we all work together to fight these unjustified tariffs and to have a plan to respond. That includes the strategic response fund, the changes we have made to the remissions framework, diversifying our trade and continuing to attract companies from all over the world to build right here in Canada. It includes listening to the words of Linda Hasenfratz, who sai…
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Mr. Speaker, we will always be there to support the workers of London and the businesses of London and across southwestern Ontario, to protect jobs, to create jobs and to keep and attract the best talent in the world. Maybe I will just share some facts for the House in terms of the investment that is coming into Canada: the second-largest FDI stock-to-GDP ratio among G20 countries in 2024 and the …
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