Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I introduced this bill as it addresses the very real challenges that doctors and other medical professionals are facing regarding their conscience rights as defined in the charter and as a result of the legalization of medical assistance in dying in 2015 and the recent expansion of it through Bill C-7. Doctors have come forward to tell us that they are being forced to offer death as…
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moved that Bill C-268, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (intimidation of health care professionals), be read the second time and referred to a committee. Madam Speaker, I am proud to rise today to begin the debate on my private member's bill, Bill C-268, the protection of freedom of conscience act. I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge this bill is built on the hard work and determination of…
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Madam Speaker, what I am saying is that freedom of conscience is entrenched in our charter. It must be protected. Support for legislated conscience rights protection varies between associations and colleges as well as from province to province, and that should come as no surprise. What is becoming more clear every day is that medical professionals are calling for conscience protections as a result…
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Madam Speaker, I would completely disagree with the member when it comes to the bill trying to do indirectly what it cannot do directly. That is exactly what compelling a doctor to refer someone to do would actually be doing. It is important to understand that a referral is a medical procedure and is essentially an endorsement by the referring doctor of the treatment in question. It is the same as…
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Madam Speaker, I would start off by saying the member should actually direct questions about the level of health transfers that are included in this budget to members of the governing party. The Liberals' failure to deliver a plan to reopen the economy and their massive deficit spending jeopardize the long-term viability of important social programs, like education and health care. Their unsustain…
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Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise to speak to budget 2021, the first budget from the government in two years. Canadians have been patient. While they were asked for two weeks to flatten the curve, they have given 14 months. What they have been waiting for is a plan, a plan to safely reopen our economy and get Canadians back to work, a plan to provide future generations with the hope and confiden…
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following two reports of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts: the 17th report, entitled “Canada Emergency Response Benefit”, and the 18th report, entitled “Pandemic Preparedness, Surveillance, and Border Control Measures”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive…
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Madam Speaker, the member is correct, this budget does not address the topic that the member has raised. I believe we need to be focusing on ways to help Canadians who do not have or cannot afford drug coverage, rather than upending a system that works for the vast majority of Canadians. No one should have to go without the medications they need. During the pandemic, we have seen many Canadians en…
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Madam Speaker, quite simply, I would say to my hon. colleague that over the past six years what we have seen is a government that practises policies of division, whether it is pitting the east against the west or pitting rural Canadians—
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, dozens of constituents have written to me to express their shock and dismay at the government's attempt to control speech and online content with Bill C-10. Government censorship of the Internet is something that happens in totalitarian societies, not free ones. Since Canada already has laws that cover hate speech, what is the hidden agenda of the Minister of Canadian Heritage that re…
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With regard to government employees, broken down by department, agency, Crown corporation, or other government entity: how many and what percentage of employees worked from home as of (i) March 1, 2020, prior to the pandemic, (ii) March 1, 2021?
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With regard to government statistics related to the effect of the pandemic on the number of women in the workforce: what are the government's estimates on how many women, in total, (i) were employed prior to the pandemic, as of March 1, 2020, (ii) are currently employed, (iii) have left the workforce since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic?
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With regard to government contribution agreements: (a) how many contribution agreements ended or were not renewed since January 1, 2016; (b) what is the total value of the agreements in (a); and (c) what are the details of each agreement in (a), including the (i) summary of agreement, including list of parties, (ii) amount of federal contribution prior to the agreement ending, (iii) last day the a…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, conscience rights are a fundamental freedom protected by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Sadly, this right is being severely undermined for medical processionals in relation to medical aid in dying. When euthanasia and MAID were first legalized in 2015, the government promised that people would not be coerced to take part in euthanasia against their will. Without the force of law …
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Mr. Speaker, I believe my colleague who was asked this question earlier actually did answer it. I know that our leader did indicate during the leadership race that it was something that we, as Conservatives, would commit to doing, and we have undertaken to begin the process of giving back the wage subsidy.
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Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill. I do appreciate the opportunity to rise and speak to the motion put forward by my hon. colleague, the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes. The purpose of the motion is to support the authority of committees in their important inquiries of public interest with instructions to the S…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following three reports of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts: the 14th report, entitled “Taxation of E-Commerce”; the 15th report, entitled “Public Accounts of Canada 2020”; and the 16th report, entitled ”Oversight of Government of Canada Advertising”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the …
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Mr. Speaker, Canada's charter makes it very clear that every individual is equal before and under the law, and has the right to the equal protection and equal benefit of the law without discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age, or mental or physical disability. My colleague from Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound put out an excellent article on this issue. It said: Ou…
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Mr. Speaker, I believe I was very clear in my remarks earlier today that I believe it is important for committees to be able to do the work that is in front of them. It is my understanding that the members on the committees mentioned in this motion are seized with these issues. They have the authority, and they should be given the opportunity to continue to follow up on these very important issues…
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his very thoughtful remarks here today. I also wanted to note his reflections on the impact on the human condition, whether intended or unintended, and the consequences we have seen. Certainly people are beginning to talk about an echo pandemic when it comes to mental health, including stress, anxiety, depression and suicide. They are also talking ab…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 13th report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, entitled “Main Estimates 2021-22: Vote 1 Under Office of the Auditor General”.
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, a year ago today, I flew home mid-week for an MRI, which I was fortunate to receive, given that the pandemic was declared the very next day. Back then health experts, together with governments, asked for two weeks to flatten the curve. Canadians have given it a year. What has been the government's response these past 12 months? It has been mismanagement. From its mismanagement of bord…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, citizens across Canada, including constituents in my riding, have been writing me to express their horror at the Senate amendments to Bill C-7. Canadians affected with mental illness want hope, not death. Why is the government opening the door for their untimely death rather than providing legal protection and hope?
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 12th report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts entitled, “Respect in the Workplace”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.
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moved for leave to introduce Bill C-268, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (intimidation of health care professionals). Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to introduce my private member's bill, entitled the “protection of freedom of conscience act”. I have introduced this legislation to ensure in plain language those rights guaranteed to all Canadians in the charter. This bill seeks to enshri…
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following seven reports of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts: the fifth report, entitled “Immigration Removals”; the sixth report, entitled “Student Financial Assistance”; the seventh report, entitled “Request for Government Response to the 65th Report from the 42nd Parliament, First Session”; the eighth report, ent…
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Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition on behalf of Canadian citizens deeply concerned about the vicious and ongoing genocide of the Uighur peoples by the Communist Chinese government. They express their condemnation of the Communist government's use of forced abortions and sterilizations, forced labour, family separations and forced indoctrination and detention in what has been describe…
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With regard to the Canadian Armed Forces or the Department of National Defence creating dossiers on journalists since November 4, 2015: (a) how many dossiers on journalists have been created; and (b) what are the details of each dossier created including the (i) journalist, (ii) news outlet, (iii) date created, (iv) section that created the dossier (public affairs, defence strategic communication,…
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With regard to advertising by agencies and Crown corporations under the Finance portfolio since January 1, 2016: (a) how many advertisements have been created in total, broken down by year and by type (internet, print dailies, radio, television, etc.); (b) what is the media authorization number and name of each advertisement listed in (a); (c) what are the details of each advertisement or campaign…
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