Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, that is all rhetoric and no results. The Liberal Prime Minister has doubled Justin Trudeau's deficit. The Prime Minister has outspent every previous government in the history of Canada combined. While he is breaking spending records, Canadians are breaking their bank accounts just to survive. Food bank visits are up 99% since 2019 and we are hearing from people who are literally in di…
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Mr. Speaker, we ask again: Where are the results? More families are facing financial hardship, business investments are declining and job opportunities are harder and harder to find in this country. Under the Liberal Prime Minister, Canada has become the only G20 nation that is in a recession and now Canada has the second-highest unemployment rate in the G7. Will the Prime Minister stop hiding fro…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I present a petition today signed by 15,000 Canadians concerning the proposed World Health Organization pandemic treaty and the related amended international health regulations. The petitioners express concern that the government may proceed with the signing and ratification of these agreements without sufficient parliamentary scrutiny, debate and votes. They highlight that Canada is …
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Mr. Speaker, I have one other petition to present. It is signed by 5,000 concerned Canadians regarding the proposal for a national digital identification system in Canada. The petitioners express concern that the digital ID system could enable the extensive collection of and linking of personal biometric information, raising significant privacy and cybersecurity concerns. They fear that such a sys…
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Mr. Speaker, the member across the way stated that the religious exemption has never been used so they cannot cite a case. I am sure the member realizes that there was an exemption that did not have to be proven, and now Bill C-9 would remove that: genuine belief. Is my friend hearing concerns from pastors about things such as that if they say that people should wait to be intimate, to have interc…
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Mr. Speaker, I have to note that in the Senate, the Senate committee studied Bill C-9 extensively, and I noted that there were witnesses from every background, whether they were from the LGBT community or from a faith community. I saw a Black pastor also. Every single one of these witnesses said that removing the good-faith exemption would be a big mistake. Every witness concurred, and this has no…
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Mr. Speaker, the member across the way makes reference to the Charter of Rights, but it is not clear that for the charter to be invoked, a person has to be charged first? The removal of the good-faith clause means that people who are citing religious texts in good faith could be charged, and then they would have to go through financial expense and public shame before they could defend their rights…
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Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time today with the member for Portage—Lisgar. I rise today in support of the opposition motion before us. This motion states that Canada has become the only G20 nation to fall into recession. Members may debate the definition of a recession, economists may debate what a technical recession is, but even if they disagree on the label, they should not ignore the…
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Madam Speaker, countries that have a sovereign wealth fund are based on wealth. They are not based on debt, as the Liberal government is attempting. The member's question was also about pipelines. Every single day, Canada imports 550,000 barrels of oil. We have the third-largest accessible oil reserves on this planet, yet we continue to import oil from other nations. The lost opportunity, our not …
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Madam Speaker, unfortunately, the economic issues in my riding are very similar to the economic issues in many ridings in the country. People are making tough decisions: Do they turn up the heat in their home, or do they make sure they put a meal on the table for their family that has sufficient nutrients in it to feed and energize their family? These are the tough decisions that people are making…
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Madam Speaker, it is so sad that the Liberals will not admit the situation they are in. They use everything to deflect. They deflect even from the term “recession”. They try to redefine it. They try to use labour data from summer jobs to buttress, to increase, what the employment rate is. It is a really sad situation, because Canadians are suffering. They need truth. They need honesty. They need t…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, as we mark Seniors Month in Ontario, we are reminded that modernization must include everyone. As new digital systems and artificial intelligence reshape daily life, we must recognize that not every Canadian has equal access to technology. In many rural communities, reliable Internet and cell service still do not exist. Seniors tell us that they are increasingly being excluded as esse…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians were promised that life would become more affordable if they trusted the Liberal government. Instead, families are falling further behind as the cost of everything keeps rising. After years of reckless spending, inflation, debt and more taxes, the Liberal Prime Minister is proving more costly than Justin Trudeau. How does the Liberal government justify spending $90 billion, …
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Mr. Speaker, I am hearing from desperate Canadians who are frustrated that the Liberal government prioritizes wasteful projects over the needs of families. In Haldimand—Norfolk, people are crushed by the cost of gas and basic necessities and the price of groceries, and they are choosing to pay their bills rather than putting food on the table. Now the government wants to spend $90 billion on a rai…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I want to first thank the member for Cariboo—Prince George, who gave up his time today so we could debate this very important issue. Forced sterilization is a clear violation of human dignity. It is not simply a failure of policy by a nation. It is not a mere error in judgment. It is an assertion of control over someone else's ability to procreate in the future. When we examine the hi…
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Madam Speaker, after a decade of costly spending, life has never been more expensive for Canadians. Families in this country pay more for gas, groceries and housing. These are costs that they can barely afford. The Prime Minister's costly budget is just more of the same Liberal policies that have driven millions of Canadians to the food banks, with more government spending, more debt and more taxe…
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Madam Speaker, the Liberals are just creating new packaging to hide the same old spending and record deficits. Now, they want to borrow $25 billion to create another bureaucracy that Canadians never asked for. Their so-called wealth fund has no wealth. It is borrowed money, built on the same failed Infrastructure Bank policies that lost money and rewarded only Liberal insiders. Why will the Libera…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has doubled Trudeau's deficits, and now Canadians are lining up at food banks and are unable to afford groceries. Now the Liberals want to sell off national infrastructure and put the money into their sovereign debt fund. We have seen this before with the failed Infrastructure Bank, which is losing money and is built on deficits. Does this Prime Minister understand …
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Mr. Speaker, this week's economic update proves that nothing has changed. In fact, the Prime Minister has doubled Justin Trudeau's soaring deficits and is also doubling down on 10 years of costly credit card budgeting. Now the media reports that the government is considering recycling capital from public assets like airports to put into the new so-called wealth fund. I ask this Prime Minister, how…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, one year ago, the Prime Minister promised Canadians affordable groceries. Since then, Canada has become the food inflation capital of the G7. High gas prices are driving up the cost of everything, including commuting, eating and living, yet the Liberals have offered only a drop of relief, cutting a third of taxes for only four months. Meanwhile, families in Haldimand—Norfolk pay more …
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Mr. Speaker, many Canadian families, including the ones I am hearing from in Haldimand—Norfolk, are feeling the strain every time they fill up their vehicles and buy groceries. Gas prices remain out of control, and food inflation is still the highest in the G7. For rural residents, there is no public transit alternative. They must drive to work, drive to school and drive to the grocery store. When…
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Mr. Speaker, rising fuel costs are a daily reality for Canadians. Fresh vegetables are up nearly 8% and fuel costs continue to skyrocket. Canadians pay 20% more for gas than Americans. At what point is the Liberal government going to stop blaming global factors and take responsibility for these rising costs? When will the Prime Minister finally remove all of the federal taxes on fuel and deliver r…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, today, I will speak on Bill C-22, the lawful access act, which asks Canadians to accept something very significant. It asks telecommunications providers across this country to build and maintain systems that would allow government-authorized access to their networks. It would expand expectations around the collection and retention of so-called metadata: the time, the location, the con…
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Mr. Speaker, there are so many issues that I think are very, very important. Let me start by saying that our concern is how the system behind the access is designed, that it should be through regulations, not parliamentary oversight. That is one major concern. We also have concerns about the shifts in key decisions about the system design and the data collection. As the member mentioned, being in …
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Mr. Speaker, a grocery store worker in Haldimand—Norfolk contacted my office to say $120 used to buy five bags of groceries, and now it barely fills one. Even though she works at a grocery store, she is still forced to use the food bank. The Prime Minister has delivered the worst food inflation in the G7, and he even plans to raise the clean fuel standard tax by 7%. Will the Prime Minister get rid…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are in distress and struggling with high food costs. The Prime Minister promised change but instead, the affordability crisis has just gotten worse over the past year. The Prime Minister broke his promise. He said grocery prices would go down. Now Canada has the worst food inflation in the entire G7. His plan to increase the clean fuel standard tax by 7% would only make thin…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I am rising to present a petition from concerned Canadians across the country on government Bill C-9, the combatting hate act, which passed third reading yesterday in the House. The petitioners worry that amendments made by the government would limit religious expression, and they are concerned that the state would be interfering in the ability of faith communities to practise their f…
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Mr. Speaker, in Haldimand—Norfolk, beef farming is a way of life and a significant contributor to our local economy. Beef farming in my riding has produced world-class Canadian beef, and beef farmers deserve access to global markets. Can the government explain to the farmers in Haldimand—Norfolk and throughout Canada why their world-class beef still cannot access the U.K. markets like it could bef…
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Mr. Speaker, Liberal insiders connected to former Liberal MPs received a $206-million loan below market rate from the Canada Infrastructure Bank and nearly $150 million in subsidies for a Nova Scotia wind farm project. Canadians are tired of Liberal insiders getting rich off taxpayer dollars while millions of Canadians are lined up at food banks every single month. When will the Liberals finally m…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, there have been a few issues over the last few years that I have heard consistently so much about, and this is not just in my riding of Haldimand—Norfolk but across the entire country. Among those, the cost of living, the erosion of freedom and individual choice ranked very high at the top. The bill that we are debating today goes to the very heart of the fundamental concerns that Can…
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Madam Speaker, I would like to ask the member opposite why it was necessary for the government to include a provision to exempt individuals and companies from acts of Parliament, rather than using the usual legislative amendment provisions.
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Madam Speaker, given that tens of billions of dollars are going to be allocated for high-speed rail, does the member think that it is necessary for the government to have some sort of independent cost-benefit analysis that would include when there is not enough ridership in order to fund the rail system and the cost to taxpayers?
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Mr. Speaker, firstly, I agree that public safety is not a partisan issue, and it was noticeable that this point was highlighted in my hon. friend's speech. I want to point my friend to the issue of mandatory minimums for the most heinous crimes. We know that when those are eroded, the public feels that judges are taking the law into their own hands and are not punishing strictly for the most heino…
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Mr. Speaker. I thank my hon. friend for his passionate speech. My heart goes out to the members in his community who faced violent criminals while going through a catastrophe. It is endemic. It is an example of how our criminal justice system has failed us. When we look at Bill C-5 and Bill C-75, we see a culture of releasing violent offenders. It is no wonder 60% of Canadians feel that crime is r…
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise to present a petition that raises important concerns of Canadians about amendments made by the Liberal government and supported by the Bloc to Bill C-9. Petitioners fear that the change could criminalize passages of the Bible and other sacred writings. They believe that the state should not interfere in religious teachings or scriptures and that doing so risks government …
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Madam Speaker, yes, this new position would not have to audit public funds. In fact, it would be a buffer to ministers answering for what is done with these funds.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are losing jobs, plants are shutting down and investments are fleeing. Canada lost 52,000 private sector jobs last month alone. Workers and families are paying the price, from GM employees in Oshawa to forestry families in Quebec who are struggling to put food on the table. This is the opposite of what the Prime Minister promised. When will the Liberals admit that their rhet…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised the fastest-growing economy in the G7, yet GDP growth is currently at zero. Manufacturing, auto and forestry sectors are all declining, and families in Haldimand—Norfolk fear for their livelihoods as the economy weakens. Despite this economic decline, the government has not repealed a single anti-development law. When will the Liberals finally admit that th…
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Madam Speaker, it would absolutely not. It would not compel. In fact, it would create another layer of bureaucracy the government could deflect its responsibilities onto. The Auditor General has an auditing mechanism already in place. The bill would infuse another layer of bureaucracy and make it even more complicated for indigenous communities to hold the government to account, because the govern…
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Madam Speaker, I rise today to speak to Bill C-10, an act respecting the commissioner for modern treaty implementation. At its core, the bill responds to long-standing concerns raised by indigenous communities about the need for greater federal accountability in implementing modern treaties and agreements. These treaties are essentially comprehensive land claims agreements that are negotiated betw…
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Madam Speaker, the important issue is one of reconciliation. If we implement a system that blocks accountability and allows the ministers to deflect responsibility, it would not lead to reconciliation. It is very important that, with Bill C-10, people recognize that this system would ensure that the minister would appoint a commissioner, and that the commissioner would then be accountable to the s…
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Madam Speaker, there are a number of recommendations in the report that deal with the status of indigenous women. What is important for reconciliation, and for indigenous women to feel empowered, is making sure that whatever system is in place is not filled with bureaucracy but rather responds to their needs and does not deflect responsibility away from ministers.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, Canada has shaped the world far and beyond our borders. One such contribution lives on in a phrase we still use every day: “the real McCoy”. As we mark Black History Month in Canada, we recognize the achievements of Elijah McCoy. Born in Canada to formerly enslaved parents, he achieved greatness while facing barriers and discrimination. Elijah McCoy transformed modern engineering by…
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Mr. Speaker, we spend time on things that are important to Canadians. We spend time on explaining how things that impact their daily lives and their survival will play out so they can understand, because they pay our salaries. It is very important that we have a debate on real substantive issues, not just band-aid solutions. When people are going to food banks in the hundreds of thousands, when pe…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek unanimous consent to share my time with the member for Edmonton Southeast.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to begin today not with statistics but with the lived experiences of people from my riding, Haldimand—Norfolk, and also from the residents of Canada. A constituent recently told me about standing in the checkout line at the grocery store and slowly watching the price climb and climb. Knowing how much money she had in her bank account, she slowly started to put items back to sav…
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Mr. Speaker, my constituents find that when we have an authentic, genuine question that we are debating and members refer to it as obstructing, they are offended by the fact that we are not taking their concerns seriously. I have had people, and grown men, on the phone in tears because they cannot feed their families. This is not an obstructionist issue. We have to get it right. We have to be ther…
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Mr. Speaker, these are very good questions, and that is why we are here discussing this issue. The hon. member asked why these payments were not made monthly. People call my office daily, telling us that at the end of the month they do not have enough for food. A rebate is not going to do it. A rebate is not going to be the solution. This should have been something that was contemplated in the bud…
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Mr. Speaker, the facts are clear. Statistics Canada shows that food inflation is up 6.2%, which is the highest in the G7. I remember, as a university student, putting food back on the shelf because I could not afford it. I am so blessed today, but even recently I did not buy a package of meat because it cost four times more than I paid for it last year. Imagine what average Canadians who are worki…
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Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister spends his time with the world elites, life at home is getting harder for Canadians, including families in Haldimand—Norfolk. The 2026 food price report is alarming. This year, it will cost $17,600 to feed a family of four, which is $1,000 more than it cost last year. The Prime Minister's industrial carbon tax and fuel standard tax are driving up food prices. …
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