Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, yes, these measures will be a tremendous boon to entrepreneurs in my riding. In my speech, I mentioned Backcountry Brewing, a brewery based in Squamish. Its beers are amazing, but they are not sold anywhere in Ontario. I could think of more examples. I know other companies that manufacture highly specialized materials for buildings. They will be able to sell their services and product…
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Mr. Speaker, the things that are within the federal jurisdiction are the things that are covered in the act. The federal government cannot force the provincial governments to reduce the internal trade barriers, but it has to act as a facilitator to do everything it can to do that. The first thing we can do is get rid of those federal barriers and do what we can to encourage the provinces to remove…
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Mr. Speaker, these are not normal times right now. We are in an economic crisis, and we need to do things faster. I also think the legislation will protect the environment, but we need to put measures in place to make sure of that. I hope that when this bill is referred to committee, these aspects will be studied further.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to mention that I will be sharing my time with the hon. member for Guelph. It is an honour to rise in the House today to speak to Bill C-5 to create one Canadian economy. As this is the first time I have had the opportunity to rise in the House to deliver a speech since the election, I want to express my sincere gratitude to the great people of West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate you on your election as Speaker of the House. It was a pleasure of mine during the last government to work alongside the member for Nunavut on the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs. In fact, as part of the work in that committee, we did a study looking at emergency response in the north and in indigenous communities. Of course, this is really…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, while the federal government has made some major investments in wildfire mitigation, whether that is investing in early observation systems, training thousands of firefighters, or, in ridings like mine, investing in firebreaks through the disaster mitigation and adaptation fund, we know that with the increasing effects of climate change, we are going to see more wildfires like this. M…
Read full speech →Emergency Debate
Mr. Speaker, my question to my colleague is this: How do the increasing impacts of wildfires and the increasing impacts of climate change emphasize to her why the federal government needs to continue to take strong action to mitigate emissions?
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour a remarkable individual, Barry Janyk. Barry served as mayor of the town of Gibsons for four terms, from 1999 to 2011. Known for his smile, humour and infectious spirit, he was beloved by those who had the pleasure of knowing him. He was a pioneer in advancing smart growth for Gibsons. He spearheaded the development of parks throughout the town, supported the cre…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 19th report of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, in relation to Bill C-61, an act respecting water, source water, drinking water, waste water and related infrastructure on first nation lands. The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with amendments.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 18th report of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, which is in relation to the motion adopted on Thursday, November 21, regarding the appearance of the member of Parliament for Edmonton Centre.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, today marks 1,000 days since Russia began its unprovoked, illegal, full-scale war of aggression against Ukraine. Since then, we have seen the heroism and resilience of the Ukrainian people on full display as they face Russia's repeated, brutal and criminal attacks. Canada has committed over $4.5 billion to support Ukraine, and we stand steadfast with Ukraine until its victory. As we m…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 17th report of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, which is in relation to Bill S-16, an act respecting the recognition of the Haida Nation and the Council of the Haida Nation. The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House without amendments.
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, this past Saturday, British Columbians braved an atmospheric river to vote for their next government. While a clear majority of British Columbians voted for candidates who believe in the science behind climate change and vaccines and rejected the conspiracy theories that defined the Conservative Party, the final make-up of the legislative assembly is still too close to call. We do kno…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I appreciate the intervention from my colleague, the member for Beauport—Limoilou, and the question from my colleague, the member for Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola. I will just say that the Charter of Rights and Freedoms is not some buffet where people can pick and choose what to use and what to cast aside. However, that does not mean that we should not do everything we can to…
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Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise in the House this evening to speak to the motion before the House today. It is a pleasure and a privilege every day to represent the people of West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country. I am grateful to be in the House, to work on matters and to do the business of the nation. This is why it is a little unfortunate that, for the second time this week, …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 16th report of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs in relation to the motion adopted on Monday, September 16, regarding the passing of Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Cathy Merrick.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, it has become abundantly clear that the Conservatives would cut the Canadian dental care plan, taking away coverage from the 2.4 million Canadians who have already enrolled in the program, with more signing up every day. That is more than 282,000 British Columbians. Will the Minister of Citizens' Services please update the House on the work being done by the government?
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Mr. Speaker, today we are talking about Canada being in compliance with international law and we are talking about the rights of people who deserve to be Canadian. Whether people are born abroad first generation or second generation, if they have a substantial connection to Canada they should be Canadian citizens. The legislation that would have been debated back in 2009 far precedes my time in th…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for London West. It is a pleasure to rise for the first time in this House after the summer recess to represent the good people of West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country. It is especially important today because we are debating Bill C-71, an act to amend the Citizenship Act. It is very important that we start our session with this le…
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Mr. Speaker, I do not have a good answer as to why it took an Ontario Superior Court decision. However, I do know that it is high time these things were done. The act is discriminatory, and the bill we are debating today will help improve the situation. We need to do more. I hope that next time something needs to change, we will not wait to go to court and for judges to tell us to take action. We …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, one thing Canadians are very proud of is our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. It is something that we hold up. Any law that we pass that is unconstitutional I think is a strike right at the core of what it means to be Canadian. Part of that as well is being inclusive: respecting people, being a welcoming society. I think that is what this legislation helps move us closer toward. The re…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to pick up on a question from my colleague from Calgary Centre to ask the member for Yukon. We know the legislation is unconstitutional and not in compliance with Canada's international obligations. Does the member think it is reasonable to expect the Canadian government to take a position where it could deny access to citizenship for at least another five years, hoping to get …
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Mr. Speaker, as I said to my other colleague, this is a very important program to support Canadians who are in very challenging situations. We also need to work with the provinces to implement this program. We need to make sure that this program will take effect and that the provinces will not use the money that is to be used for this program for other purposes. There are a number of things we nee…
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Mr. Speaker, this is a tremendous step forward in this budget, creating the Canada disability benefit. To have $2,400 each year, tax-free, going to individuals living with a disability makes a huge difference in people's lives. Again, we are talking about some of the most vulnerable Canadians. This is moving ahead with something that was committed to in the 2021 platform for my party. Can we do mo…
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Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned in my speech, this is perhaps one of the largest challenges that we have in the country. We cannot keep building houses the way that we are building them right now. I can give an example from my riding. A company called Nexii is building homes in a factory sense. If we can prefabricate homes and then assemble them on site, that is one way of increasing the productivity …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise in the House this evening to join the debate on the budget implementation act. As this may be the last time I have the opportunity to rise in this House before the session ends for the summer, I do want to take some time to acknowledge my staff members, who helped me tremendously, allowing me to do the work that I do: Natasha, Norman, Kevin, Donna and Kiran on…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, if we had to create a whole new tax system from scratch, what choices would we, as Canadians, make? Would we give the biggest tax benefits to those who earn the most, or would we make sure everyone pays their fair share? The next generation of young Canadians is showing us the way. They say they want a more just, more future-oriented Canada. Would the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministe…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions today. The first was initiated by Amalie Wilkinson. It has been signed by over 1,200 people across Canada, including many constituents. It notes that there are three intersecting crises we are facing: pollution, biodiversity and resource depletion crises. It notes that the most severe form of environmental damages related to these crises forms ecocide. It notes th…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 15th report of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, entitled “Main Estimates 2024-25”.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the second petition that I am presenting today was initiated by Sarah Mills and has been signed by over 3,200 Canadians. The petitioners note that the current limit placed on the content of THC does not adequately cater to the existing cannabis consumers and that it is a factor in which the legal, regulated cannabis industry is unable to compete with the illicit market, which is, of c…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise in the House to speak to Bill C‑64. It is a great pleasure to join the debate today about the pharmacare legislation that is going to bring in the first steps of pharmacare in Canada, as well as to be the last person to give a speech before we actually vote on this important piece of legislation. Quality health care, including access to prescription drugs, is…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, Canada launched the Pacific Economic Development Agency, PacifiCan, in 2021 to ensure that B.C. businesses got the support that they needed. It is one of seven regional economic development agencies that play a vital role to help local enterprises seize the opportunities to scale up production and develop new markets. Earlier this year, PacifiCan invested over $2.5 million in Squami…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to recognize a local hero. On April 10, Chris Evans was on his way to work in Squamish when he detected smoke in the distance. As he got closer, he saw a house on fire, with a car in the driveway. Fearing that meant someone may be inside the house, he knocked on the door. Hearing no response, he quickly jumped into action, breaking down the door to search the home to see …
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Madam Speaker, quite frankly, Alberta has the greatest potential for renewable electricity in the entire country. It was having a massive boom in renewable energy production and investment until this moratorium came into place. I know there are these projects there. The problem here is that this moratorium put a hard stop on it. To put forward these false arguments that somehow renewable energy is…
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Madam Speaker, I was not there for the committee study, so I cannot say why certain amendments were or were not adopted. However, I know that this bill will promote the renewable energy sector in Atlantic Canada, particularly wind energy, and I think that is an important step we must take. I also know that fishers did testify and that this bill was drafted with the Atlantic provinces to address th…
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Madam Speaker, I know that there is a lot we need to do to fight climate change. In the report that came out today, we can see that we are making a lot of progress. We need to do even more. That is why I said in my speech that we just need to finalize the rules that are going to make a difference with the cap in the oil sector. Our economy grew a lot in a short amount of time. Now, our emissions a…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, before going any further, I want to acknowledge that I am sharing my time with the member for Winnipeg North. It is a pleasure to rise to join in the debate tonight on Bill C-49, an act to amend the Canada—Newfoundland and Labrador Atlantic Accord Implementation Act and the Canada-Nova Scotia Offshore Petroleum Resources Accord Implementation Act and to make consequential amendments…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, budget 2024 proposes funding for Canada's first-ever action plan on combatting hate, which would support community outreach and law enforcement reform, tackle the rise in hate crimes, enhance community security, counter radicalization and increase support for victims. This plan was drafted way before Canadians realized that the leader of the official opposition was cozying up with whi…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, with breathtaking natural beauty, unique indigenous cultures, epic outdoor recreation, lively festivals and delicious foods, Canada has what the world wants to experience. Tourism is the lifeblood of our nation. It is present in every town and city across our country. It contributes over $109 billion a year to Canada's economy and it employs nearly one in 10 Canadians. It is powered b…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for Calgary Shepard for the very good question on this; it is a really important part of this discussion. We are talking about listing the IRGC as a terrorist organization under the Criminal Code. However, we need to think of the 30,000 Canadians and their families who were conscripted to be part of the IRGC, because there is a very significant impact that…
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to join this debate, but before going any further, I want to mention that I will be sharing my time with my colleague from the Standing Committee on Finance, the member for Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley. As this motion points out, recent events have brought renewed focus on the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or the IRGC. Canada strongly condemns the blat…
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Madam Speaker, the Iranian regime has brought untold harm onto its own citizens and has caused chaos throughout the region and the world. There is no argument from me on that. The United States has listed the IRGC as a terrorist entity, but doing so has actually had a profound effect on a number of Canadians. There are about 30,000 Canadians in Canada who were conscripted to be part of the IRGC. T…
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Mr. Speaker, I think our sanctions program is an important part of our foreign policy. I think we can do a lot more to strengthen it. There are sanctions against the Iranian regime and the Russian regime. The truth is, it is very difficult to figure out where people are who have money and other property in Canada. Very recently, we set up a beneficial ownership registry for corporations. I think t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, that is the appropriate forum to investigate this issue more fulsomely and to look at all the tools that we can utilize to protect Iranian Canadians and to hold the regime accountable. Likewise, I think it is difficult to do that in this setting, because we are talking about things that will likely require changing legislation.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, global inflation disproportionately impacts low-income seniors living on fixed incomes. That is why it was so important that we reversed the Conservatives' plan that would have raised the OAS eligibility from age 65 to 67 that would have abandoned seniors. We went further to increase OAS benefits for those once they reach age 75. To show how else we are there for Canadians, we launche…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, it is a privilege to resume debate on this private member's bill, Bill C-234, pursuant to the proposed amendments to the bill from the Senate. Canada has the best farmers and food processors in the world. We are a global leader in agricultural production, and the sector is of great importance to our economy, to trade and to jobs. I know that in my riding of West Vancouver—Sunshine C…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I would note that Canada's emissions have dropped by a bigger percentage than those of any other G7 country since 2019. It is true that one amendment would remove the relief associated with heating or cooling a building or similar structure used for raising or housing livestock or growing crops, but the relief for grain drying would remain, as would amendments to expand qualifying f…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, the federal government can get more housing built by working with municipalities rather than insulting mayors like the leader of the official opposition does. Through the housing accelerator fund, we are working with the District of Squamish to fast-track the construction of an additional 200 homes over the next three years and over 1,300 homes over the next decade, and these are no…
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Mr. Speaker, supporting the growth and future of indigenous communities is critical in advancing reconciliation. This includes land. Last weekend, the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations was in Nanaimo for the signing of a historic land reconciliation agreement. Can the minister elaborate on how this historic agreement with the Snuneymuxw First Nation aligns with Canada's broader commitments to…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, a recent study has been brought up today in the debate by a well-respected University of Calgary economist, Trevor Tombe. Utilizing Statistics Canada data has shown that when considering both the direct and the indirect cost of the price on pollution, 94% of households with incomes below $50,000 receive rebates that exceed the carbon tax cost. Most of them see a net benefit of $20 t…
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