Government Orders
Madam Speaker, my colleague spoke a lot about investments in housing. Although there have been some investments, I would have to say that more needs to be done. Under consecutive Conservative and Liberal governments, we have had decades of underfunding in affordable housing with rents geared to income. In my riding of Winnipeg Centre, we have a housing crisis that is literally costing lives. I won…
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Mr. Speaker, as the pandemic persists, more individuals are experiencing precarious housing situations, and first-time homelessness is rapidly on the rise. Housing is a human right that has been neglected by successive Liberal and Conservative governments, and although the current government has made investments in housing, including with the rapid housing initiative, it is a drop in the bucket. Y…
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Mr. Speaker, I totally agree with working with all levels of government, and as a practice, I even work across party lines to fight for my riding of Winnipeg Centre and to fight for human rights. However, here is the thing. This behaviour of incremental justice by the Liberal government has resulted in people literally freezing to death on the streets of Winnipeg Centre in bus shelters. They do no…
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Mr. Speaker, it is so nice to be on the status of women committee with my hon. colleague from Shefford. It has been a pleasure to get to know her. I certainly agree that the provinces play a part. However, the federal government has a responsibility to provide the financial resources to places in need, whether it be in Quebec or Manitoba. That has not happened. In Winnipeg Centre, we had an invest…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I was shocked to find out that in Nova Scotia sexual health centres are being forced to close between April and September due to lack of funding, leaving individuals without access to services. Further, nine provinces have declared outbreaks of sexually transmitted infections. Access to sexual health centres and services are foundational for reproductive justice. The government is a s…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to point out that the pandemic is not over and people are struggling, yet his party has fought consistently to claw back support to individuals, including calling to abolish the CERB. We know rent is going up and we know groceries are going up, and we know that support is not coming and people are ending up on the streets, including seniors who had clawbacks to their GIS. I won…
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Madam Speaker, it is no secret that the pandemic continues on and that it is getting harder for families to make ends meet. Families are struggling, yet the government has cut back supports and in fact has clawed back support from seniors. The Liberals have not gone after their corporate friends. They have actually gone after seniors and families trying to make ends meet. I am wondering where my c…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, the federal government has indicated it is a feminist government. However, it made no mention in the throne speech, for example, of sexual health. We know that reproductive justice is critical for gender equality. This includes the right for individuals to freely make choices about their reproductive health and to have access to reproductive services, yet in Nova Scotia sexual health …
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like to congratulate the hon. member on her maiden speech. I would just like to remind the member, who was using terms like “our indigenous”, that indigenous people are not owned. I give a friendly reminder not to use possessive terms when referring to indigenous people.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to individuals who received the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and were later deemed ineligible and have been ordered by the government to repay the benefit: (a) how many individuals are at or below the low-income after tax threshold, and of those individuals, (i) how many live in deep poverty as defined as below 40% of adjusted median income, (ii) how many will have other in…
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With regard to government funding for fiscal years 2019-20 and 2020-21 allocated within the constituency of Winnipeg Centre: what is the total funding amount, broken down by (i) fiscal year, (ii) department or agency, (iii) initiative, (iv) amount?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-223, An Act to develop a national framework for a guaranteed livable basic income. Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to introduce the national framework for a guaranteed livable basic income act. I would like to start by thanking the member of Parliament for Elmwood—Transcona for seconding my bill, my riding of Winnipeg Centre, the Basic Income Canada Network, Basic …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, in the last two months, food banks across Manitoba have seen a 70% increase in individuals accessing services compared to last year. Instead of the Liberal government choosing to help people, it continues to claw back GIS and CCB payments from individuals and families already living in precarious situations. We are in a food security crisis. When will the government implement a nation…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, last night, we received very sad news of the passing of Danielle Adams, a member of the Manitoba legislative assembly for Thompson, who tragically died in a car crash yesterday. Danielle was a mother of two, loving partner to her husband Bill, a friend to many of us and a very hard-working NDP MLA for Thompson, who worked tirelessly for her constituents. Danielle was a strong advoca…
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Madam Speaker, during the pandemic, I have been absolutely appalled at the level of harassment I have seen toward health care workers, who are trying to do their part to fight the pandemic. Does my hon. colleague agree that it is absolutely critical for health care providers to be provided with immediate protection?
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Madam Speaker, during the pandemic we have seen many health care workers being harassed just trying to do their jobs, and we certainly have seen that for decades and decades for women who are trying to access safe abortions. How is this legislation being put forward going to protect, for example, not only health care workers providing vaccinations but also health care workers who provide proper re…
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Mr. Speaker, we have heard a lot of talk about stalling by the Liberal government. How is the Liberal stalling on this humanitarian crisis costing lives at this moment?
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Madam Speaker, I absolutely agree the government has failed Canadian allies. However, I have a question specifically related to the many Afghani women and girls who have been left to deal with some of the worst human rights violations. Are the member and his party open to opening up more emergency spaces for refugees in Canada to deal with this current human rights crisis?
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it has been 32 years since the femicide at École Polytechnique, in which 14 women were killed and 14 others were injured. Communities, families and friends were plunged into grief when they lost a loved one to this massacre, this senseless act of violence. This hate crime attacked the fundamental rights of women and girls everywhere, including our right to security, equality and educa…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, this week a PBO report showed that women are still not being paid equally in Canada and many will not see pay equity until 2029. That is eight years from now. Remember when the Prime Minister said gender equity was important because it was 2015? Six years later, women are still waiting for pay equity because of the Liberal government's failure to act. Incremental justice is unaccept…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I would like to give my condolences to all the families in Lytton, B.C. who have lost their homes as a result of the climate catastrophe. Is the hon. member committed to ensuring, and pushing for the current government to meet, climate targets as a long-term way to mitigate the climate catastrophe currently raging in B.C.? That will continue unless we take bold action on the climate…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague spoke a little about small businesses. The heart of Winnipeg Centre is absolutely made up of small businesses, and they are barely making ends meet because they did what needed to be done to keep our communities safe. Currently, the CEBA loan repayment is set to be due December 2022. We are still in a pandemic. This will gut businesses. Is my hon. colleague open to e…
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague across the way spoke about the measured approach that his government has taken. I want to ask him about that measured approach. Why has the government cut off 83,000 seniors from GIS after choosing not to exclude CERB and CRB payments from its definition of “income” for GIS purposes, yet at the same time, the government has chosen to not claw back pandemic supports f…
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Mr. Speaker, the member across the way spoke a lot about the generosity of the riding she represents. Certainly, the riding of Winnipeg Centre is rich with generosity, always lending a hand to each other when in need. However, families and seniors should not have to rely on food banks to eat. The government has callously made clawbacks to seniors' GIS payments and families' CCB as a result of its …
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I know the Speaker in the House this morning mentioned that no props were allowed in the House of Commons. The member for Bow River is currently wearing an “I love oil and gas” button and I assume that would be considered a prop. I wonder if the Speaker could rule on this.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to start by thanking the good people of Winnipeg Centre for honouring me once again with being their representative. The member for Winnipeg North spoke a lot about the need for disposable income. Many seniors living in poverty in this country have no disposable income, and yet the government, without notice, is cutting GIS off from thousands of seniors who benefited fr…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, last week, Campaign 2000 released a report that showed that 40% of children in Winnipeg Centre lived in poverty. Instead of addressing high poverty rates, the government is clawing back benefits from low-income families, causing food and housing insecurity. The Liberals did not claw back pandemic supports from rich corporations that paid out dividends and bonuses to their wealthy shar…
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Madam Speaker, my question to the member for Battle River—Crowfoot is about a video that he posted on his Facebook page on May 21, 2020 taken from the website “fixthedefinition.ca”. This video promotes petitions opposing the ban on conversion therapy proposed in Bill C-6 and features a prominent social Conservative activist repeating disinformation about the provisions of Bill C-6. This video purp…
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Mr. Speaker, this weekend, Black Lives Matter Toronto organized the first national gathering of Black and indigenous families affected by police violence. Families stood outside the Prime Minister's Office demanding action regarding Anthony Aust, Jamal Francique, Regis Korchinski-Paquet, Rodney Levi, Abdirahman Abdi, Eishia Hudson, Andrew Loku, Jermaine Carby, Chantelle Krupka and Chantel Moore. W…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his comments. However, I disagree with his position. First of all, declaring Quebec a nation goes directly against the Quebec National Assembly, which in 1985 declared indigenous nations as nations within a nation. It also goes against constitutional obligations, which Quebec is bound to, specifically section 22, which states: Nothing in sections 16 to 20…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
I am sorry, Madam Speaker. —which goes directly against call for justice 4.5. Unlike this bill, the motion that I put forward, Motion No. 46, which I introduced last summer was very clear that a permanent guaranteed livable income would not cut our social safety net, rather add to it as stated in paragraph 5 of my motion, “in addition to current and future government public services and income sup…
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Madam Speaker, once again we are faced with time allocation. The Liberal government has played games all along, proroguing Parliament and not releasing a bill. Now we are in the eleventh hour and once again the minister is trying to limit debate. Nobody on this side of the House is trying to play games. We have been fighting hard to help Canadians. I am wondering when this party will stop playing …
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Mr. Speaker, I will express a concern similar to the one just raised by my colleague, who has worked tremendously hard fighting for the arts and artists in Quebec and throughout the country. I share his concerns about how the current government prorogued Parliament and scheduled things poorly. Now we are at the eleventh hour and having to debate things, which is placing us in a very bad situation.…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague on her private member's bill and advancing the idea of basic income. However, as we know, leading basic income efforts have indicated that basic income is actually not a silver bullet and it must be in addition to current and future government services and supports. My concern is with proposed subparagraph 3(3)(d)(i), which provides the option of …
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I would like to start out by congratulating my hon. colleague, the member for Davenport, for her private member's bill, because we know what we have learned during the pandemic is that our social safety net is patchwork and it is insufficient. This is not an accident. This capitalist economy of Canada leaves those behind who do not fit into its economic agenda. Who is being left beh…
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Madam Speaker, one of my concerns certainly has been the lack of support for seniors since the pandemic began. Could the member comment further on that?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, 104 potential graves of children have now been found at the former Brandon Indian Residential School. Chief Bone is calling on the government to “enact legislation to protect all residential school cemeteries”. The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs called for all documents related to the schools to be released, and Southern Chiefs' Organization in Manitoba is calling for “the [UN] and its H…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague spoke a lot about deficit, but here is the thing. While millions of people are worried about losing their jobs, Canada's 20 richest people have increased their wealth. Instead of making those richest people pay the cost of the economic recovery, the Conservatives, very much like the Liberals, want to protect their profits. Can the member please explain why he refuses to m…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I put forward a unanimous consent motion to recognize what happened in residential schools as an act of genocide. Certain parliamentarians chose to deny consent for this truth. Today is the day we recognize the 2008 national residential school apology, which acknowledged the sexual, spiritual, cultural, emotional, physical and psychological abuses that children had to endur…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his comments and to acknowledge how it has impacted his own heart. However, here is the thing. Yesterday, I put forward a unanimous consent motion seeking truth, to call what happened in residential schools for what it is, a genocide. That truth was denied, leaving survivors and families and our experience up for debate. I believe my colleag…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I am rising on a point of order. If you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion, that in the opinion of the House the government must recognize what happened in Canada's Indian residential schools as genocide in accordance with article 2 of the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, which reads that: any…
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Mr. Speaker, it took two years after the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls for the government to release a national action plan without an implementation schedule, what Professor Pam Palmater has deemed is code for “we didn't come up with a plan”. Chief Judy Wilson of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs has called it another of the “flowery reconciliation speeches t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to present my very first petition, petition e-2317, initiated by one of my constituents in Winnipeg Centre, Mackenzie Campbell. In order to save lives in Canada, the petitioners call on the government to direct all departments, agencies and Crown corporations to install and maintain AEDs in all employee workplaces and in all areas where citizens access gove…
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With regard to legal fees paid and budgeted by the Department of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs: (a) what is the itemized breakdown of all legal fees budgeted and spent during the last five years; and (b) what is the itemized breakdown of all legal fees budgeted for the upcoming year?
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his beautiful speech. I want to start out today by sending my sincere solidarity to all the survivors, families and communities that were shaken once again by the discovery at the Kamloops residential school, particularly the Tk’emlúps te Secwe̓pemc First Nation. I lift them up today and every day. The TRC reported that at least 40% to 60%…
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Mr. Speaker, I am trying to get to the truth here, and nobody is telling me the truth tonight. Is what happened in residential schools genocide, which, according to the UN convention on genocide, seeks “to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: Killing members of the group; Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; Deliberately …
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Madam Chair, my hon. colleague spoke a lot about courage and truth, and today I tried to seek courage and truth from the government, but it refused to answer. I am wondering if my colleague would agree that what happened in residential schools was a genocide. According to the UN convention on genocide, it means: acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, raci…
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Madam Chair, I wonder if the minister and my friend across the way would agree with me that what happened in residential school is a genocide as defined under the UN Genocide Convention, which states: ...acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such: a. Killing members of the group; b. Causing serious bodily or mental harm to m…
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Madam Chair, in order to function nation to nation, at the very least we have to respect each other's human rights. Right now, this very day, the government continues to fight against the human rights of indigenous people on a daily basis. Our human rights are up for debate. It is about respect. If we do not build respect in truth while upholding our Constitution, which includes aboriginal rights …
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Madam Chair, I would like to correct something the member said. They are not recommendations: they are calls to action, which are very different. The TRC laid out a very clear path forward based in law. It mentions the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples over 15 times as the framework for reconciliation. Bill C-15, which we have been debating in the House, will be up for…
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