Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for her speech. I served with her on the veterans committee in the last Parliament. I know she was a great source of support for many veterans, including women veterans. I want to thank her for her service and wish her all the best in her retirement.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, entitled “The Effects of Influencers and Social Media Content on Children and Adolescents”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report. While I have the floor, I move: That the House do…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I was very moved by my friend's speech. He was my first mentor in this place, and I have learned so much from him over the last five years. I would like him to reflect on the amount of misinformation and disinformation that has spread across this country in relation to the bill.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today on Parliament Hill, I recognize and applaud the leadership of the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. Bravo to the team for their first Canadian Screen Award for best national newscast. It is likely not the last such award, given the talent and hard work among the journalists and the rest of the news team. In 1999, the APTN became the first national indigenous broadcaster in …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my distinguished colleague has many years of service in the House. Perhaps she would reflect on the changes for women that she has seen in our legislation over that time.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that the hon. member brought up Lucy Maud Montgomery's Anne of Green Gables. I read all of those books when I was a little girl growing up. That was before the Internet, when Canadians were able to talk to each other and find Canadian content. We have heard at heritage committee, over and over again from Canadian artists in every genre, that they would have not made it as…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the seventh report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage entitled “Main Estimates 2026-27”.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today on Parliament Hill, we welcome police unions from across the country, including a stellar team from my riding in Hamilton. I got to know a lot of police officers in my previous role as a journalist, particularly in my specialty of covering criminal court cases. I appreciated how all the elements of crime were laid bare in a trial, and I learned how doggedly detectives had to wor…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, as chair of the permanent Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, I have the great honour and pleasure of presenting three reports to the House of Commons today. First, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, entitled “Impacts of Artificial Intelligence on the Creative Industries”. Pursuant to Standin…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I know the member for Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations from our previous careers as prosecutor and journalist. Something I noticed in the last several years is that a lot of the really important cases, murder cases, were solved by police using tools in the digital world. Perhaps the member can respond to that.
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I am truly honoured to have the opportunity to speak in favour of Bill S-211 today, an act respecting a national framework on sports betting, for many of the reasons we have heard already this evening. I am not someone who spends a lot of time watching professional sports, I will admit, but they are often on my TV when I am home with my family, and even I have noticed that sports bett…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I met with the Canadian Gaming Association or the advertisers in question here late last year. Their position is that the provinces already have enough regulation and that there are enough controls already to protect Canadians. What is her response to this position from the industry?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we recently hit 100 days since Build Canada Homes was launched, and we are already seeing real momentum on the ground. Projects are moving faster, partnerships are coming together, and communities are seeing concrete progress on affordable housing. Would the Minister for Housing and Infrastructure please update the House on all we have accomplished and what more is to come?
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I will start by thanking the dozens of people who came to Ottawa today to support this legislation, because these reforms are urgently needed. We have organizations like the National Association of Women and the Law, Women's Shelters Canada and YWCA Canada. There are 300 women's organizations across this country that support this legislation, because they hear from victims almost ever…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded division.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am so grateful to have the opportunity to speak to Bill C-16, the protecting victims act, and the government's ongoing efforts to protect children and ensure that child sex exploitation is unequivocally denounced, deterred and prevented. Colleagues may know that I also have a private member's bill coming up for second reading in a couple of days, the keeping children safe act. I fee…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I have to say that I do not really understand where my colleague's opposition to this bill is coming from. Bill C-16 restores mandatory minimum penalties, which is something he is advocating for. We know that every time the government has tried to impose a mandatory minimum sentence in Canada it gets thrown out by the Supreme Court because, in some cases, it can violate a person's rig…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her excellent speech. I also want to thank her for saying a few words about feminist organizations. I have also heard that police associations support this bill. I would like to know whether my colleague has heard the same thing.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I do not think that the government waited. I believe that the government was already working on it in the previous Parliament. However, there is an opposition that does not want us to pass legislation in this country. That is why, to date, we have not been able to get this bill passed.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I was not involved in the drafting of this bill, but I am certain it was evidence-based. We do know that Canadians want mandatory minimums when they are appropriate and that they can deter crimes. I have sat in criminal courts too long not to understand the member's skepticism and to feel it a bit. It is hard to imagine that a criminal would be deterred from committing a horrific crim…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to explain. It has not been happening all over. It has been happening at the Supreme Court when a case comes to the Supreme Court and the Supreme Court decides that we cannot have a mandatory minimum sentence if it is too broad, if it encompasses a situation where Canadians would find it abhorrent for the mandatory minimum sentence to be applied. It is a very high bar. A ca…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I really appreciated the optimism and hope that the member brought with her words, and I compare this to the Conservatives, who, to this day, say Canada is broken. Perhaps she can reflect on these divergent points of view.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, as a kid at Christmas, all I wanted to unwrap was the latest Little House on the Prairie or Nancy Drew book, and as I hit my teens, it was all about Margaret Atwood. Her books informed my feminism, inspired my sense of humour and instilled in me a lifelong love of dystopian fantasy fiction. Earlier this week, at the start of 16 Days of activism against gender-based violence, I saw h…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I would like to reflect on last week's ceremonies of remembrance. November 11 is always special at the Royal Canadian Legion on Hamilton Mountain, in part because of the valiant leadership of Jean Tomlinson, but particularly because of the Reverend Chisholm. Rev. Dr. Francis Chisholm, a World War II vet, padre since 1964, is still captivating at 99 years old; the junior Rev. Chisholm,…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, my friend's speech was very eloquent. I know that he has a background in law, and I think a lot of parts of his speech were particularly poignant. He mentioned the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and I know that some of the things the Conservatives accused the Liberals of doing were actually overturned by the Supreme Court because they were found to be unconstitutional because they le…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I know the member opposite was a journalist in his former life, as I was in my former life. In that role, we get to know a lot of victims of crime. I appreciate the heart the member brought to this legislation and the intent behind it. I, too, know some of the victims he has spoken of today. I wonder if the member has any concerns that this bill, as it is written, may violate the Char…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, Bill C-3 sets out a balanced, straightforward framework for citizenship. Canadian parents born abroad would be able to pass on their citizenship if they can prove a substantial connection to Canada before the birth or adoption of their child. This is fair. Would the parliamentary secretary for immigration please share with the House what would be at stake if we were not to act today…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
moved that Bill C-223, An Act to amend the Divorce Act, be read the second time and referred to a committee. Mr. Speaker, I feel enormously honoured to stand here today with significant amendments to the Divorce Act in a bill entitled the “keeping children safe act”. This bill would give children a voice in divorce proceedings and stop the increasing and egregious practice of disregarding children…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I do not think it should be about equal rights for parents. It should be about the best interest of the child. That is the whole point of the bill. Judges should be able to look at all the evidence, and children should be appointed a lawyer. We heard in committee that they were not allowed lawyers when they were attending court; they were not allowed their voice. We were told that the…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for her work and support on this, and for all the work she has done for children in Canada over the years. This is all about protecting children. We heard from several children who went through the so-called reunification therapies. Some of them were sent across the border to the United States and given therapy inside a woman's apartment. They were told that th…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, after it passes second reading in the House, the bill will be sent to committee and we will examine it in detail. I think that is very important. I know that the member opposite was present during the study and that she feels compassion for the victims who came forward. That is very important. I am not an expert, so I am not saying that this bill is perfect as is. However, I think the…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, hate-motivated crimes are not like other crimes. They aim to divide people, spread fear and destroy the social fabric that unites our communities. Too often, these unacceptable acts go undetected or under-reported. Could the Minister of Justice explain how creating a specific offence for hate crimes would make it easier to identify, condemn and punish these attacks?
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would like to know whether my colleague thinks this bill should be sent to committee as soon as possible so we can really study the amendments she talked about at length. Does she think that should happen as soon as possible?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, Canadians elected the government with a clear mandate to build a stronger and more prosperous Canada, and one powerful way to do that is to expand our access to international markets. Yesterday, Canada signed a historic agreement with Indonesia, the largest economy in southeast Asia. Would the Minister of International Trade please share with the House what this historic agreement m…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following three reports of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage: the first report, entitled “Tech Giants' Intimidation and Subversion Tactics to Evade Regulation in Canada and Globally”; the second report, entitled “Harms Caused by Illegal Sexually Explicit Material Online”; and the third report, entitled “The Hold…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-223, An Act to amend the Divorce Act. Mr. Speaker, it is a true honour for me to table today an act entitled the keeping children safe act, which is a groundbreaking amendment to the Divorce Act. I want to thank the National Association of Women and the Law, in particular Suzanne Zaccour and my good friend with a family law practice Susan Berry for working dilig…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I want to thank the secretary of state for her excellent speech and bring her back to the moment when she discussed how she spent some time this summer watching bail proceedings happen in court. As a former journalist, I have watched a lot of bail proceedings. I would like to hear more about some of the conclusions she came to and some of the things that informed her during that tim…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, Hamilton is known as Steeltown for many reasons, including its long-standing role as the centre of steel production in Canada. Stelco and ArcelorMittal Dofasco still produce steel in Hamilton, and we have derivatives like Walters Group on Hamilton Mountain, which creates beautiful architectural steel, including the beautiful tree-inspired beams that hold up the ceiling of this very ro…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I thank the constituents of Hamilton Mountain for electing me for a second term, and I thank all of the amazing volunteers who brought such passion and hard work to help make it happen. I would like to remind colleagues and Canadians that this weekend marks the start of National Indigenous History Month. A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a Red Dress Day ceremony a…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I was also at the Equal Voice gala the other night, and I truly enjoyed the Prime Minister's speech, which listed dozens of tangible things we have done as a government to advance gender equality, including a cabinet that has equal numbers of men and women, and including $10-a-day child care, a female entrepreneurship strategy and half a billion dollars going out across the country to…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I was also at the Equal Voice gala the other night and I heard the Prime Minister's speech. I heard him talk about all the tangible measures we have taken as a government to advance equal rights among genders, including a gender-neutral cabinet, $10-a-day child care and a women's entrepreneurship strategy. I also heard the speech of the deputy leader of the Conservatives, which comple…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), and in accordance with the policy on the tabling of reports in Parliament, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, Canada's 10th report on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and the concluding observations of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women for …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, inflation is cooling and interest rates are dropping, but not all Canadians are feeling the relief quite yet. That is why our government is putting a bit more money back into the pockets of Canadians, to help them afford the things they need and save up for the things they want. The vote passed last week and that means this season, Canadians will not pay GST on things that are holiday…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, I am thinking about all the women suffering from abuse I met during my journalism career and all the families I got to know covering criminal cases caused by femicide. Gender-based violence does not stop at physical harm. It includes psychological and economic manipulation, which also have devastating effects that…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, thanks to some excellent work by Radio-Canada reporter Christian Noel, we learned this week that Conservative MPs are being muzzled by their leader. The article states, “The man who promised during his leadership run to make Canada ‘the freest country in the world’ maintains tight control over the actions of his caucus members.” One Conservative told CBC, “Everybody is being watched. …
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak to the many benefits provided by Correctional Service Canada's penitentiary agricultural program. The government remains committed to the implementation of evidence-based policy informed by experts that contributes to offender rehabilitation and safer communities across Canada. In response to the question from the member for Lanark—Frontena…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Madam Speaker, Correctional Service Canada will continue to implement evidence-based policies and programming to keep Canadian communities safe, all while providing Canadians good value for money. Programs, such as the penitentiary agriculture program, help offenders become productive, law-abiding citizens and skilled workers when they return to the community. Research dating back to 2014 has note…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, this Veterans' Week, I want to thank all those who have served and all those who continue to serve in the defence of our country. Two weeks ago, we marked 10 years since Corporal Nathan Cirillo was senselessly gunned down while on sentry duty in Ottawa at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. That morning, I walked over to the War Memorial to pay my respects to this brave Hamiltonian, a cl…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, our government will always stand up for a woman's right to choose what happens to her body, which is why we have introduced new legislation to ensure that, when a woman seeks reproductive care, she is not unwittingly walking into a clinic that tries to dissuade her from options like abortion. According to the Abortion Rights Coalition, about 157 so-called pregnancy crisis centres in C…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, indigenous partners have been absolutely clear on this point: Indigenous procurement programs have been essential to supporting indigenous businesses and entrepreneurs and creating jobs at indigenous-led businesses. Initial reports show that the government is exceeding the 5% targets. We are already speaking with first nation, Inuit and Métis partners, business leaders and financial i…
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