Parliamentary Speeches
23 speeches by Kristina Tesser Derksen — Page 1 of 1
Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, our Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance made a historic announcement outlining concrete steps the government is taking to help life be more affordable for Canadians. Residents in my riding of Milton East—Halton Hills South support our government's ambitious plan to strengthen and diversify the economy, but they know that doing so requires both long-term investments a…
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Mr. Speaker, recently I held a town hall in my riding to discuss our government's proposed legislation regarding public safety, including Bill C-14. The discussion was frank, emotional and deeply personal. It was clear that my constituents want action. They are concerned about public safety, they expect results, and they expect Parliament to do its job. Many residents asked why progress has stalle…
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Mr. Speaker, hear ye, hear ye: Mayor Gordon Krantz of the town of Milton is celebrating his 60th year of elected office. First elected as municipal councillor in 1965 and then as mayor when I was just two years old, Mayor Krantz is Canada's longest-serving mayor, having served under 10 prime ministers. Mayor Krantz has guided Milton through four decades of managing growth and modernization. His le…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians want to see real results, including new jobs, new opportunities and growth that supports families, businesses and communities like mine in Milton and Georgetown. This past week, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs were in the U.A.E. and South Africa making deals, securing those opportunities and showcasing the best of what Canada has to offer. Could the Mi…
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Mr. Speaker, certainly, our government has plans to invest a great deal in public safety. It is something we all heard a lot about at the doors. We are hiring 1,000 RCMP officers and 1,000 Canada Border Services agents. This will result in a stronger border. This government is serious about supporting our law enforcement men and women, who are keeping us all safe. I hope the opposition will join u…
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Mr. Speaker, my background as a municipal councillor has been extremely valuable in this role because I understand how the policies of other orders of government trickle down to municipalities and how they impact folks living in municipalities. We were thrilled to see the investments made in community infrastructure, for example, for building stronger communities. This is so important, because com…
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Mr. Speaker, that is a very timely question. Obviously, trade with what had traditionally been our largest trading partner and closest ally for over 100 years is extremely important. Through no fault of our own, we have found that the United States has changed course and decided to become completely unreliable. As Canadians, we need to control what we can control. While we will keep the option ope…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the good people of Milton East—Halton Hills South to bring reflections on our government's 2025 budget and Bill C-15, the budget implementation act. This is a budget that lays the blueprint to address a new paradigm of economic development, nation-building and generational investment. This is a budget that believes in Canada. This budget is historic, and it c…
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Mr. Speaker, I respect my colleague's concerns about this. Our Prime Minister and our government have been extremely clear on this point. No project of this nature is going to move forward without the buy-in and informed consent of the indigenous communities and provinces that are impacted.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my opposition colleague for highlighting the story of Darian Hailey Henderson-Bellman. Her family lives in my riding, and it is a heartbreakingly tragic story. The member mentioned the burden of reverse onus. Currently, the onus is on the Crown prosecutor to prove that an accused should be denied bail. In Bill C-14, as proposed, reverse onus provisions would shift that onus to…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of the good people of Milton East—Halton Hills South to bring reflections on our government's 2025 budget, a budget that lays the blueprint to address a new paradigm of economic development, nation building and generational investment. It is a budget that believes in Canada. This budget is historic, and it comes at a historic time. However, this is also a time o…
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Mr. Speaker, November is Woman Abuse Prevention Month. One in four women in Canada report experiencing intimate partner violence in their lifetime, and alarmingly, those numbers continue to rise. In my community of Milton East—Halton Hills South, Halton Women’s Place provides critical shelter, counselling and support for women experiencing domestic violence. Last weekend, I joined their annual Hop…
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Madam Speaker, I know the member mentioned mandatory minimums. This has been brought up several times this morning. I am sure the member is aware that the Supreme Court struck down several cases based on mandatory minimums and their unconstitutionality. Our new bail and sentencing reform legislation would allow courts to use discretion in individual cases to ensure that criminals are properly puni…
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Mr. Speaker, I noted some interesting comments the member made about the government wanting to send Canadians back to the Stone Age and frolic in fields. I am sure the member has heard about our government's revolutionary nation-building projects, which will bring billions of capital and build up innovative industries. How does the member resolve his outlandish comments with our innovative nation-…
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Mr. Speaker, the chief government whip mentioned the opposition's habit of revising history a little bit. We are given revisionist histories and things taken out of context. It contributes to misinformation and disinformation among the public. Could my colleague please comment on the damage that does to political discourse?
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Mr. Speaker, it is a beautiful time of year in southern Ontario, and many communities are celebrating the season with fall fairs and harvest celebrations. This past weekend, I joined my community in Milton East—Halton Hills South at two such events. In Milton, I attended the 170th anniversary of the Milton Fall Fair, which has been a staple of the community since 1853. It continues to be organized…
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday we honoured Armenia Independence Day. Today, I stand before the House representing the good people of Milton East—Halton Hills South to recall a pivotal moment in Canadian history: the arrival of the so-named Georgetown boys to my riding in the 1920s. They were a group of over 100 orphaned Armenian children rescued from the Armenian genocide and brought to Cedarvale Farm in …
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Mr. Speaker, I do want to offer my condolences on the loss of the member's community member. We are all with him. Like many people in this House, I have a legal background. I know that when we encounter contractual disputes there is a clear legal process for parties who violate contracts, for parties who are bad-faith actors in contracts and even for parties who commit fraud. Would my colleague li…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, it is a question that I had posed to me many times during the recount from folks of all political alignments. I have full faith in the work of Elections Canada. There were elections workers who started very early in the morning and were counting very late at night. Ultimately, it is a human process with many checks and balances. I acknowledge that there were concerns with particular…
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Madam Speaker, it is interesting. The more we speak to our colleagues, the more we find that we have similar histories and stories to share. The contribution of immigrants to this country cannot be underestimated or minimized. Canada, in many ways, is a country of immigrants. In speaking to folks at the doors, sharing these stories and finding other affinities and similarities in our histories, it…
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Madam Speaker, I sat as a municipal councillor, and this was a source of great discussion around the council table. Incidentally, I was on a plane this morning with someone from the development community, and we had a discussion about development charges. It is going to be an ongoing conversation of great importance between federal, provincial and municipal partners. It is also important to keep a…
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Madam Speaker, I congratulate you and all of my colleagues in this House. I also want to thank the clerks, pages, interpreters and security who keep things running so smoothly here. If the House will indulge me, I will take the opportunity to recognize some very important people without whom I would not be here. First, of course, there are the wonderful people of Milton East—Halton Hills South, wh…
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Mr. Speaker, today I share the story of the grade 4 and grade 5 classes at Glen Williams Public School in Georgetown, Ontario, and that of their dedicated teachers and parents, who are visiting Ottawa today. These teachers asked their students to craft a letter sharing their vision for the future of Canada. The final product was so inspirational that it garnered national attention and a visit from…
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