Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the member opposite has a very important question. I hope to answer the member in French one day, but I am still learning. I think it is really important that we see the motion at hand and the importance of standing with Ukraine. Just this morning, the Minister of National Defence said we are providing additional lethal weapons to Ukraine, including up to 4,500 M72 rocket launchers,…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I would like to note that I will be sharing my time with the member for Lac-Saint-Louis. I would like to start my remarks today by thanking you and the House administration staff for ensuring Parliament is able to function. I would also like to take a moment to thank all of the women and men in uniform for their service, working tirelessly to keep us safe and to restore law and orde…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, since the member mentioned the police and what they are asking us to do to remain safe, I want to quote Ottawa's Chief Bell, who said yesterday, “Without the authorities that have been provided to us through these pieces of legislation, we wouldn't be able to be doing the work we are today.” These emergency measures have helped law enforcement authorities take away commercial licenc…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, in terms of the financial tools that we have given to police officers for tracking down funds from foreign interference, it is important to note that these tools were necessary so that we were able to make sure we protect our democratic institutions. They will help protect our citizens and Canada. We in this chamber represent a democracy, and when we see sinister elements at work, w…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, I believe in transparency and oversight. As our justice minister has said, these measures are temporary, to restore confidence in our institutions and to restore law and order. We know that the Emergencies Act will help restore law and order, and it is working. We can see what is happening outside our chamber. Law enforcement is moving in full effect. I would note that they operate …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), and consistent with the current policy on the tabling of treaties in Parliament, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, four treaties. The first is the “Convention on the International Organization for Marine Aids to Navigation”, adopted at Kuala Lumpur on February 28, 2020. The second is the “Agreement on Social Security between Cana…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, our government has put forth a national child care strategy to help families save thousands of dollars in child care costs and help grow our economy. Almost every province and territory has signed on to a child care agreement with our federal government, except for the Province of Ontario. In Brampton East, families have consistently expressed the need for affordable child care and wh…
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Mr. Speaker, I know that in Brampton East our frontline heroes were at the front in supporting our community, from our taxi drivers to our truck drivers, nurses and grocery store clerks. They were incredibly gracious with their time, putting their families second and the community first. I would really like the minister to talk about the importance of our frontline heroes and the value that we pla…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the minister's very thoughtful remarks and I am looking forward to working with her as her parliamentary secretary. Our government was clear, in the Speech from the Throne, about the need to work on a whole-of-government engagement strategy in the Indo-Pacific region. Allow me to share a few facts about why Asia matters for Canada. It is home to 4.3 billion people, or nea…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and commemorate a great man, the honourable Manmeet Singh Bhullar. His life was taken too soon in 2015 after stopping on the highway to help a motorist. Mr. Bhullar was committed to helping those most in need, not only here in Canada, but also around the world. Through his efforts and a collaboration between the Government of Canada and the Manmeet Singh Bhul…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to address the House today as we mark over one million doses being administered in the Region of Peel. I am incredibly proud of how far we have come, and this would not have been possible without so many on the front lines. I want to take a moment to appreciate the health care heroes who have cared for our loved ones in their most vulnerable moments. They courageously s…
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Madam Chair, the previous administration emphasized reducing child mortality and improving maternal health in an effort to eliminate the preventable deaths of women and children in developing countries. These goals have also been focused on within the minister's mandate, but this is also half the story. A truly holistic approach must also incorporate the understanding that women deserve to have au…
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Madam Chair, the feminist international assistance policy was unveiled a few years ago. It was groundbreaking in its approach and set important goals for our international assistance. A key goal was that 95% of Canada's initiatives are meant to target or integrate gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls by 2021-22. How are we progressing? Are we on track to meet this ambitious goal?
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Madam Chair, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on already vulnerable people around the world, from refugees and other displaced people being unable to protect themselves and remain socially distanced, to access challenges faced by humanitarian workers, to challenges in delivering assistance amidst ongoing conflict and security heightened by restrictions on movement. Increases in g…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, mothers across Canada were celebrated for their courage, hard work and resilience. As the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. Across the country this past year, families such as my own saw their villages shift and oftentimes disappear. Kudos to all the moms out there for single-handedly embodying the village our children need. Their efforts day in and …
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, Canada has long supported the ability of WTO members to use existing flexibilities under the TRIPS agreement to respond to public health emergencies and stands ready to find solutions to any concrete challenges in WTO members' responses to COVID-19-related to or arising from the TRIPS agreement and which cannot be addressed through existing TRIPS flexibilities. Meanwhile, Canada conti…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague opposite from Edmonton Strathcona for this opportunity to deliver my first remarks as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development. The Government of Canada is committed to a comprehensive global response to COVID-19 that leverages the entire multilateral system in supporting the research, development, manufacture and dist…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, on April 22, 1970, the very first Earth Day took place, bringing millions of people together as a way to create awareness surrounding the real and critical issues of climate change and global warming. Over 50 years later, we continue to educate and mobilize our efforts to help bring positive environmental change. The federal government is taking the necessary steps to help bring mea…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by thanking the hon. member for Surrey—Newton for his kind words. I am thankful for the chance to address the House and all Canadians during this time of extreme difficulty for our country, particularly for my province of Ontario. As we encourage residents to stay at home and practise extra vigilance, our federal government will always have Canadians' backs. We e…
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Mr. Speaker, today being Earth Day, it is important I take this opportunity to mention that our government will continue to protect our environment. Through budget 2021, we have billions of dollars in investments for a cleaner future. We have great examples in our budget that will ensure we protect our environment, our lands and our oceans. There are many different investments, such as an addition…
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Mr. Speaker, our government has always been there to support businesses in many different sectors. Brampton has a tourism sector and a hospitality sector that have been impacted more than other businesses. Through our federal development agencies and through the regional relief recovery fund, many businesses have received support. Of course, there is more to do. We have extended our wage subsidy p…
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Mr. Speaker, the member mentioned borders and many other things, but I will focus on borders in this 724-page budget. To keep our borders safe and secure, budget 2021 proposes $656 million to CBSA, our Canada Border Services Agency, to modernize and enhance CBSA's ability to detect contraband such as drugs and weapons. These initiatives will help streamline trade while protecting Canadians. An add…
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Mr. Speaker, a luxury tax on luxury items such as vehicles and airplanes is included in the budget. There is also a 1% tax on the value of properties for Canada's first national tax on vacant properties owned by non-residents, non-Canadians who can afford property in Canada. We are doing many things to ensure we provide and protect the middle class, and we will continue to do more.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, in honour of International Women's Day, I would like to highlight the incredible work of Laadliyan, a not-for-profit organization in Brampton. Since 2013, founder and executive director Manvir Bhangu and her team have created a space dedicated to empowering and celebrating women and young girls through education, mentorship and awareness. The mentorship helps young female students to …
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Madam Speaker, the notion of accumulating debt at a much lower interest rate than individual Canadians can access on their own and not thoroughly helping Canadians through the biggest crisis of our lifetime was not a question our government was willing to ponder. We were not going to consider putting austerity or partisanship above supporting Canadians through this crisis. The significant federal …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I would like to start off by wishing my colleagues a very safe and happy new year. The COVID-19 pandemic has put unprecedented stress and hardship on Canadians, from small business to long-term care homes and front-line and essential workers. Every Canadian has a story to share of how this pandemic has impacted them. Constituents in my riding of Brampton East are concerned about the…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague from Winnipeg Centre mentioned many different subjects and various topics. What I would like to focus on is students and on our relief for students. As I mentioned in my remarks, I have spoken to many students who are very appreciative of the government's response. We provided the Canada emergency student benefit. We are doubling the Canada student grant amount to $6,00…
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Madam Speaker, the federal government has been there with the provinces through the safe restart program, which was really important across the board and across the country in supporting provinces in terms of increased testing capacity, contact tracing and other federal support programs through the health agencies. Bill C-14, the bill we are discussing today, is extremely important to so many Cana…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to honour Tamil Heritage Month. My riding of Brampton East is home to a dynamic, talented and hard-working Tamil population. Canadians of Tamil heritage make up an important piece of our community fabric, and I am thrilled that January was unanimously passed by Parliament as a month to commemorate Tamil heritage and celebrate the many achievements and con…
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