Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague and I have the privilege of working together on the agriculture committee. I always find him to be balanced, reasonable and quite eloquent in his remarks. I did not catch all of his speech, but I did catch the tail end. I have often heard members in this House, particularly Bloc Québécois members and Conservative members, say that they want to see more leadership f…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, I have two quick questions for my hon. colleague. The first is around powers. Just a few minutes ago I had the opportunity to speak to a constituent who was concerned that this was a broad overreach by the government. When I explained the different measures within the public order, he understood and said that it was reasonable because it was giving tools to the police to be able to ad…
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Mr. Speaker, I was quite gobsmacked while listening to the member's speech, particularly because the member started by saying that the Government of Canada should have acted sooner. The Bloc Québécois normally has a lot of respect for jurisdictions. We were there to support municipalities. We were there to support the provincial governments that asked for our assistance, with additional forces and…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague, the Minister of Canadian Heritage, for his remarks today and his work on this bill. This bill was presented, or certainly the spirit of it was, in the 43rd Parliament. I had conversations with constituents who were confused because they thought the government was trying to regulate free speech. Of course, we just heard the member for Carleton with h…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his remarks and for speaking in French. It is wonderful to see parliamentarians work on improving their skills in both official languages. With respect to freedom of expression, the Minister of Canadian Heritage made it clear in his remarks that Bill C‑11, like the bill in the previous Parliament, is designed to make digital giants contribute to Canadian …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food in relation to the motion adopted on Monday, February 14, 2022, regarding the illegal blockades at Canada's border crossings. The House of Commons Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food calls for the immediate end of the illegal blockades at Canad…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague touched upon the idea of a guaranteed basic income. At the end of the day, I will put my own thoughts on the table and then ask the question. I think the idea of looking at the variety of social safety net programs, both provincially and federally, and consolidating those programs to have one guaranteed payment that would be available, as well as to get administrative sav…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. Once again, I want to say that I am proud to work with him on the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food. As I said in my answer to the previous question, I believe that it is important to move this bill forward and to create space on the parliamentary calendar for other bills. The measure will go into effect in July, but it is also retr…
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Mr. Speaker, although my hon. colleague might not have it on the record, I understand that he might identify as a progressive Conservative, and I may too suggest that those are rare on this side of the House as well. That is certainly what I have heard through the grapevine. I applaud him if he is and I hope he will continue to try to keep his party near the middle of the spectrum. With regard to …
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Mr. Speaker, it is a great opportunity for me to differentiate in what he just said. I said in those remarks, and of course he has the Hansard in front of him, that it is an opportunity to look at private delivery while keeping it under a first-payer model, which means that the government, the public system, continues to pay for the cost. However, how do we look at innovative ways to use the priva…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Mississauga—Erin Mills. I have the privilege of rising today to speak to Bill C‑12, which seeks to support low-income seniors whose guaranteed income supplement was affected by pandemic benefits. I will use my time today to speak about the measures in the bill and the reasons why the government has introduced them to support vulnerabl…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague opposite for her question. My microphone was not working because of technical difficulties before my speech. With respect to health transfers, the government made promises during the election campaign. It promised to increase funding and enhance health care systems across the country, especially in Quebec. The government's plan is to provide that help to the provi…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, members will forgive me if I thought I was sitting in Queen's Park, because a lot of the elements that my hon. colleague talked about are within the provincial domain. Tying it back to this legislation, this is something that provincial and territorial governments are calling for. This is going to be a crucial measure. Unlike some members of this House who think there will just be a…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his speech this afternoon. I especially want to thank him for having the courage to tweet about the blockade and about how important it is for all parliamentarians to work together to end it. I am not the government House leader, but I would like to ask my colleague a question about the urgency of this motion. The Prime Minister has announced emergency …
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Madam Speaker, I always find that my hon. colleague is one of the most eloquent in the House, in his delivery style. Of course, he highlighted what we have heard today in the debate, which is some of the inconsistency from the opposition party in terms of their views. I am wondering if he might be able to opine on that. Furthermore, what I have noticed in the House is that there seems to be a desi…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague raises the importance of making sure that we have supplies and rapid tests in the days ahead because, although, yes, we are on the other side of omicron, the reality is that this pandemic could perhaps stay with us in the days ahead. There is not going to be a moment in time where we simply throw down the gauntlet and say we are done with the pandemic. Notwithstandin…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I believe if we check Hansard, we will see that I have called on all parliamentarians, whether they be in this House, whether they be the Prime Minister, the leader of the official opposition or elected officials at provincial and municipal levels. It is incumbent on all of us to have a tone and discourse that is respectful and where we can agree to disagree. I would agree with the me…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is an absolute privilege to be here today to speak to Bill C-10, which is legislation that is being introduced to increase the number of rapid tests being sent to the provinces and territories by the Government of Canada. I cannot see this being a controversial piece of legislation. It is straightforward and it is needed, given we are still in the midst of COVID-19. Therefore, I wi…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I did not catch my hon. colleague's entire speech, but I did hear him, at the end of his remarks, talk about the importance of Canada having domestic supply chains to support vaccines, PPE and other things. It was his position that the NDP is in favour of a Crown corporation to drive these types of initiatives. I had the opportunity to speak with the Minister of Innovation, Science …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I listened with intent during the member's speech and there are a couple of things I would like to comment on before I get to my question. The government has been there for seniors since it was elected in 2015, whether it was increases in the guaranteed income supplement or the emergency payments during the pandemic. We have brought 250,000 seniors out of poverty and we are also pro…
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Madam Speaker, I think we can all agree in the House that supporting seniors is an important initiative, and that is why this government has been working on a lot of different elements. I do not know what the member opposite's profession might have been before he came to the House, but the problem I have is that it is easy to get up and say he wants to increase old age security by $110. In fact, t…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to correct the record. I can certainly appreciate that Dr. Tam never suggested that we get rid of all vaccine mandates or protocols, but of course that there could be a revision and a look at the current measures. I think that is important to note. To the member opposite, today during question period, his colleague for Lambton—Kent—Middlesex essentially asked the Prime …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would like to pose a question to my hon. colleague. Obviously we are here talking about COVID protocols, but consider what we are seeing in Ottawa and, indeed, what we are seeing around the country. It is being reported that this is more than just a protest. This is a coordinated effort to occupy critical infrastructure across the country. It is having a major impact on our cross-…
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Madam Speaker, I will address the member directly. I think it is clear, as he mentioned, that jurisdictions are—
Read full speech →Government Orders
You have my apologies, Madam Speaker. Through you to the member opposite, I think it is very clear that jurisdictions are taking a change in their approach and re-evaluating the protocols. Certainly, Dr. Tam has suggested this. I want to ask the member about the occupation that we are seeing in Ottawa, indeed about the blockades we are seeing at critical infrastructure across the country. We know …
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Madam Speaker, the member mentioned the economy during his remarks. I would remind him that, prepandemic, this government had resided over an economy where unemployment was at a 40-year low and our debt-to-GDP ratio was declining. During this pandemic we have been there to support businesses. Our job numbers are strong, as is our GDP, notwithstanding the challenges there. What I want to ask the me…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague touched upon the importance of agriculture. I know, sitting on this side of the House, having been in the class of 2019 with the member for Saskatoon West, I am proud of the work the government has done to increase business risk management programs. We were there during the drought this summer, providing the AgriRecovery framework. I had the opportunity to speak with…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. Of course, the federal government's role with regard to policing matters is to be in favour of increasing the number of officers on the ground. I think that the role of the Government of Canada is to work with the City of Ottawa and the Province of Ontario to find solutions and help people on the ground. Ultimately, it is up to the Ottawa Polic…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, members will forgive me if they thought I was sitting in Queen's Park, as the hon. colleague for York—Simcoe opposite highlighted school closures, the gym that was facing troubles and, of course, businesses. I presume he will not be voting for Doug Ford in the upcoming election in Ontario, because that is the government that is imposing those elements. However, I will agree with the m…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, it is an absolute privilege to rise virtually to give remarks in this emergency debate on a topic that I think is very important to our country and indeed to the people in Ottawa, particularly given what we have seen with the protests to date. I would be remiss if I did not mention that I will be splitting my time with my hon. colleague from Vaughan—Woodbridge. I had the opportunity…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I would like to address my colleague's first point about individuals who are choosing to protest. I have no issue with individuals who want to protest. I have an issue with people who are blockading highways in Alberta and people who are blockading the downtown of Ottawa. The member may be suggesting that governments should acquiesce to individuals who protest, and I understand gove…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Madam Speaker, I think important investments need to be made in our health care system. However, I do not know if I necessarily agree that they should be transfers without strings from the Government of Canada to ensure that outcomes are being delivered. I do not speak for the Government of Canada. I am a member of Parliament who happens to be in the governing caucus, so I will let our cabinet spe…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, it is with a great deal of sadness that I rise to recognize the passing of a dedicated community volunteer and loyal friend from my riding of Kings—Hants. Mark Clarke passed away suddenly yesterday while waiting for delayed heart surgery. He retired from Michelin after 31 years, but as the saying goes, he was busier in retirement than ever during his active working life. He was a devo…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for Kingston and the Islands for his speech. One of the elements of this bill includes a commitment of about $100 million in budget 2021 to provide transfers back to farmers in backstop provinces, including his own here in Ontario, particularly for those farmers who are not able to move outside with the different technologies. I know that the …
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Mr. Speaker, I apologize that I was not able to make it for all of the member's speech, because of question period. She mentioned at the end that Canadians are exhausted and tired. I would agree. So too are the people of Ottawa, with the protests we are seeing outside right now. Although the member was not in the House in 2020, the Conservative Party was quick to call on the government for police …
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Mr. Speaker, I will proceed in English, because I have a direct question. I would agree with the member opposite, particularly on the importance of the forestry industry and agriculture. I know that is big in Quebec. It is big in my own area in Nova Scotia. I have had interactions with the member before on the oil and gas industry. I know his answer will be that we are a petrostate and it has prev…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food in relation to the motion adopted on Thursday, December 16, 2021, regarding the request for government response to the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food entitled “Room to Grow: Strengthening Food Processing Capacity in Canada …
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. I hope that the member opposite recognizes the work our government has done during the pandemic to support the provinces. We have paid out billions of dollars to support provincial health care systems. We also supported Quebec by sending soldiers to long-term care facilities. I hope he recognizes the government's leadership during the pandemic. My …
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Mr. Speaker, I am so happy that our ridings share a border. Today we are debating Bill C‑8, which contains a series of legislative measures that the Minister of Finance presented during the economic update in December. I will use my time today to talk about the economic update as a whole, including what the government did to prevent the worst economic impacts of the pandemic, the legislative measu…
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Madam Speaker, as I recall, the question that was asked was how many hospitals have been built by the provinces as a result of federal funding. I perhaps would have said that was a foolhardy question: to ask how we are building hospitals in the middle of a pandemic. The monies that are being provided are to try to stopgap the challenges that the health care system is seeing right now. However, I w…
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Madam Speaker, I apologize but I am going to answer in English because it is a direct question, and I want my answer to be very clear. Yes, as a member of Parliament, I absolutely believe that SMR technology is going to be crucial for us to reduce emissions associated with the production of oil and gas, for us to meet our environmental targets, and to create economic prosperity in this country. I …
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Madam Speaker, the member for Winnipeg Centre is certainly a passionate advocate every time she is on her feet in this House. I have a number of seniors in my riding, including those I would consider vulnerable, and I am proud of the work our government has done. Let me address the question first as it relates to the GIS clawback. The government, in the economic update, said that we absolutely wil…
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Madam Speaker, I did spend time in Newfoundland this fall. What a beautiful part of the country. I know the member has one of the best areas from coast to coast. The blue ocean economy that the member mentioned is extremely important. There is a $1.5-trillion opportunity that exists in ocean technology and innovation. We had the opportunity as the Atlantic caucus to engage with Kendra MacDonald, C…
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Madam Speaker, let me congratulate the member for Calgary Centre. He is very articulate, and I really appreciate his opportunities and interventions in the House. I will say that I was quoting, and he will have to go back into Hansard to see if I misrepresented. I was quoting that Canada has the best net debt-to-GDP ratio in the G7, and that number is quoted directly from Finance Canada. If he tak…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
First of all, Madam Speaker, I want to tell my colleague not to worry. The Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion is working actively on EI reform. My colleague mentioned that she does not necessarily support the COVID-19 measures taken by the Government of Canada to protect public health. Can she specify which ones she does not support?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, in December, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change announced a consultation process on our new climate commitments. The minister also confirmed that he would table Canada's 2030 emissions reduction plan by the end of March 2022. Can the minister tell the House how our government will build a strong foundation for achieving net-zero emissions by 2050?
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time this afternoon with the member for Kitchener South—Hespeler. Happy new year to you, Madam Speaker, to my colleagues and indeed to all Canadians as we return to Parliament. Normally, I debate and provide my remarks in the House quite off the cuff. However, today I have sought to choose my words very carefully, because the circumstances warrant that I do. T…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for calling out the hate symbols that we saw this weekend. Again I would articulate that there are some well-intended people who are part of that crowd. The problem is the rhetoric and the noise coming from the group, by and large, has a much more sinister view. The member mentioned hospitals. I appreciate the question. This government, over…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, my French is so-so, but I will try to reply in French. First, I am happy to hear that my colleague's father is also a truck driver. It is a noble profession, and that is great. Let me just say that all federal parliamentarians, including the Prime Minister, as well as all our provincial colleagues, should try very hard to keep their arguments reasonable. In the days to come, that wi…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I will try to respond very quickly. This government introduced important measures for guaranteed income supplements in the 42nd Parliament. We strengthened old age security. We have a platform commitment to increase GIS by $500 per year. We did announce as part of the economic update before Christmas that we would be addressing this issue. Our government will stay true to its word, …
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