Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, that is a very important question, because we know it is not just about the cost of child care. It is about the ability to access child care. Particularly in fast-growing regions it is a huge challenge. Part of it is the creation of spaces, but the other thing we need to talk about is making sure we have the workforce to do that. This is a challenge that there is no silver bullet or e…
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Mr. Speaker, the rapid decline of biodiversity is threatening the foundation of our economy, our food security, our health and our quality of life and poses serious and irreversible risks to our communities. Can the Minister of Environment and Climate Change tell the House about the agreement on an historic global framework that was signed after 13 days of negotiations at COP15 in Montreal?
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Mr. Speaker, in my riding of West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, many have long struggled with the high cost of housing. More recently this has been extended to high costs for those who are renting. That is why it is so important that our government introduced a $500 top-up payment to the Canada housing benefit, which passed in the House last month. Can the Prime Minister please tell…
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Mr. Speaker, it is with great sadness that I rise today to mourn the passing of a great woman whose impact will not soon be forgotten. Liz Byrd, who passed away in November at the age of 81, was the sort of community leader who was never afraid to roll up her sleeves and get to work. Liz was a long-time councillor for the West Vancouver Council and a founder of the prestigious Collingwood School. …
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Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes that French is in decline in Canada, as the census showed. That is why it is important to pass our ambitious bill. Could the President of the Treasury Board explain to us how Bill C-13 will improve French in the federal government?
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Mr. Speaker, the west coast is home to the country's two largest ports, in Vancouver and Prince Rupert, which are crucial to keeping our economy strong, and reducing congestion at our ports is central to ensuring our supply chains remain resilient. Could the Minister of Transport please inform the House what our government is doing to strengthen our supply chains?
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Mr. Speaker, many Canadians, particularly workers, families and the most vulnerable, are finding it increasingly difficult to find housing in many of Canada's urban centres. Ottawa is no exception. Can the President of the Treasury Board tell the House what our government is doing to ensure that Canadians have a roof over their heads?
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the House today to join the debate on the fall economic statement, otherwise known as the FES. This year, the FES comes at a very difficult time, as the world is suffering from inflation caused in large part by Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine, which has reduced the supply of oil and gas in the market and boosted the prices of energy and all the other goo…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from la belle province for his question. However, I disagree with his question, because we are there for seniors and always have been. In my speech, I said that we had boosted OAS and GIS for seniors. The measures we implemented this fall will help seniors. I am thinking about the $500 cheques that will be sent to low-income renters. There is also the GST cre…
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Mr. Speaker, this is not a measure that makes life more expensive for Canadians, because we know with the climate action incentive that eight out of 10 families get more back than they pay into this. In my home province of British Columbia it has been something that has been in effect for over a decade. It was brought in by a right-of-centre government at the time, so I completely disagree with th…
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Mr. Speaker, the inexplicable actions of the Iranian regime that led to the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini and the brutal violence it has perpetrated on its people have led to a watershed moment in history. People in Iran have said that enough is enough. Iranians protested and rallied in B.C., across Canada and around the world to demand change. They are demanding freedom, they are demanding jus…
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Mr. Speaker, small and medium-sized indigenous businesses across the country experienced great volatility during the pandemic. With the federal government's support, many were able to stay in operation by taking advantage of loans through the COVID indigenous business initiative. As the economy continues to rebound and companies recover, could the Minister of Indigenous Services please update this…
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Mr. Speaker, part of reconciliation means continuing to support indigenous communities across Canada. Last week, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Safety announced a historic agreement with the Siksika Nation in Alberta for self-administered policing services. Can the Minister of Public Safety please speak to how indigenous policing agreements are advancing the government's commitment …
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Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that Canada's Parliament is located on the ancestral and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people. I also want to mention that I will be sharing my time with the member for Winnipeg North. As my hon. colleague has just mentioned, Canadians are committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure that we make progress toward true and…
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Madam Speaker, I believe we need to continue to move quicker on reconciliation. We have the 94 calls to action. We have the playbook for what we need to do. Our position is that 80% of the calls to action are completed or under way. I know that there is a lot of debate around that. We have had some amazing accomplishments just in the last year. I mentioned the passing of the UN Declaration on the …
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Madam Speaker, I thank my Bloc colleague for his question. There has been an interim council since 2018, and we know that this work needs to be completed, which is why we are here today. I have been a member of Parliament since 2019, and I know that we have worked very hard to make progress on reconciliation in that time. We must still work more quickly, however. I hope that the member and the Blo…
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Madam Speaker, personally, I do not know all the facts of the case that the member brought to light in his question. However, I do know, and have been able to listen to and understand, some of the horrific things that happened in the day schools in my riding, including the abuse that happened, the rape and the sexual abuse. Some of the positions the Government of Canada has taken in the past have …
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Vaughan—Woodbridge. Today feels like Groundhog Day because, once again, we are here talking about the price on pollution. It could almost be 2015, which was one of the first times this topic was brought up in a federal election, but there have been three federal elections since then where putting a price on pollution was one of the main …
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Madam Speaker, when we talk about LNG Canada, one of the main actions the federal government did was to invest in moving that project from gas-powered boilers to electric boilers, which vastly reduces the emissions from that project. We absolutely need to look at ways where we can continue to strengthen the output-based pricing system. One of the things we need to look at going forward is locking …
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Madam Speaker, absolutely, big companies should be paying the price of the pollution they create. In fact, provinces right across the country need to strengthen the environmental bond system so that they have this money upfront, so we know it is not going to be downloaded onto communities and that they are going to subject to cleaning all of that up. I know important changes have happened througho…
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Madam Speaker, I agree with my colleague. We must require dealerships to have electric cars on their lots. Quebec and British Columbia have this requirement. The Government of Canada is now working towards introducing the requirement that all new vehicles be electric by 2035.
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Mr. Speaker, in 2017, our government accepted all the recommendations in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's report and committed to implementing the 94 calls to action. One of the main recommendations was that the government establish a permanent, independent, indigenous-led national council for reconciliation to monitor and evaluate progress on reconciliation at all levels of government an…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties and, if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion: That, notwithstanding any standing order, special order or usual practice of the House, Bill S-10, An Act to give effect to the Anishinabek Nation Governance Agreement, to amend the Sechelt Indian Band Self-Government Act and the Yukon First Natio…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate graduates in West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country and across Canada. As they mark this important milestone with their classmates, friends and families, I hope they will be proud of their achievements and their hard work. High school is a very special time during which people can grow and develop, and we hope that they w…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague from Saanich—Gulf Islands for sharing some very insightful questions that came up at her public hearing for boundary redistribution. I am very interested because I have one coming up for own riding. I agree it is very troubling to see the level of turnout we just had in the Ontario election. I also agree with the fact that we need to better support ou…
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Mr. Speaker, British Columbia has been the epicentre for the overdose crisis for the past several years, and the increasingly toxic drug supply has exacerbated an already heartbreaking loss of life. In B.C. alone, there were an average of five deaths per day in the month of March alone, sending shock waves of grief that ripple through families and communities. Can the Prime Minister please update …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, Canada is blessed with stunning natural beauty, vibrant cities and diverse cultural gatherings that draw people from around the world to experience them. Before the pandemic, the tourism industry employed one out of every 11 Canadians. Across our country, from the slopes of Whistler, to the Calgary Stampede, Le Vieux-Port of Montreal and Gros Morne in Newfoundland, chances are that to…
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Mr. Chair, I would like to thank the minister for her detailed response. I would like to shift gears a little and ask about a different matter. In 2015, folks in and around the Lower Mainland were horrified to see the impacts of the Marathassa bunker oil spill that occurred in English Bay. In fact, we did not find out about this spill until almost 24 hours after it happened. Unfortunately, the shi…
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Mr. Chair, we recognize that protecting and sustaining aquatic species at risk is critically important to ecosystem health and thriving fisheries. I am hopeful that our efforts over the past few years to protect the endangered southern resident killer whales from fishing gear entanglements and collisions with vessels will help the population grow and rebuild. It is clear that sensible protection m…
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Mr. Chair, it is an honour to rise today to speak and ask questions about issues that are top of mind for the coastal communities in my riding and the amazing marine life that inhabits the area as well. Canada's oceans are home to 47 distinct populations of whales. Whales are a vital component of marine ecosystems, both for the recirculation of marine nutrients and as a bellwether for the health o…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, today I have the honour to present petition 11771830. The petition was initiated by Force of Nature, which is a non-profit in my riding and throughout the Lower Mainland of B.C. It is a strong advocate for all orders of government to take action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build a more sustainable future. The petitioners are calling on the government to do the following, …
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Madam Speaker, Canada has made the ambitious target of reducing emissions from the oil and gas sector by 40%, relative to current levels, by 2030, and is in the process right now of developing regulations to cap emissions and have them steadily reduced to net zero by 2050. I think we would all agree on the need to reduce emissions, but as we develop more stringent regulations, there is a risk that…
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Mr. Speaker, the French language is an integral part of life and of the history and future of Canadian culture, which has been supported nationally through official bilingualism. I had the privilege of attending French immersion at École Pauline-Johnson, where I started learning French at an early age. It is one of many French immersion programs in the regions in my riding. Our government has intr…
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Mr. Speaker, absolutely, this bill is very, very important for doing just that: being able to support Canadian content. That was a really unfortunate connection with the example that was given earlier, but whether it is Canadian TV like The Beachcombers, whether it is Canadian film or whether it is making sure that we are able to access Canadian music online, this is really, really important, just…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her question. This bill has several advantages. Creators will be supported by the web giants, and it will be easier for people to access what creators are producing. This is very important for Quebec and for the whole country, because we are very unique and we have to do what we can to promote the full diversity of this country.
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Mr. Speaker, I promise I will get to the end of this speech. I was talking about the example of Squamish Voices. Having built up a large following, it switched from this innocuous community group to launching personal attacks and character assassinations on progressive councillors. In fact, over $25,000 was spent on advertising to do this. Notably, its members do this behind a shroud of secrecy, b…
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Mr. Speaker, in fact, when I am talking about some of the very shady things that we are seeing happen that are poisoning discourse, I am not talking about censorship. In fact, I am talking about the exact opposite. We need to have transparency on that, on who is behind these things and why they are doing the things that they are. When we have these types of groups that are leading organized campai…
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in this House to speak in favour of Bill C-11, the online streaming act. This legislation passed through this House just last year after extensive Conservative filibustering, but it had to be reintroduced because it ended up dying in the Senate. I felt it particularly important to speak to this legislation because there has been a coordinated attack of misinfor…
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Madam Speaker, I disagree with what the member said about the government not investigating tax havens. We are going against some of the tax havens that we have here. There are new measures in the budget this year that do just that, including ways in which individuals are using international companies to get around paying taxes in Canada. There is much more that we need to do. There are ways we can…
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Madam Speaker, two weeks ago, I had the privilege of rising in the House to speak to the many ways that budget 2022 will improve the lives of Canadians. Today, I have the privilege to speak to how the rubber would hit the road with the budget implementation act. There are so many topics I would like to cover, but in the short time I have, I am just going to choose one because we are finally settin…
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Madam Speaker, I absolutely agree. In this budget, there is over $2 billion going to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to be able to deal with the backlogs. The idea is that by the end of this year, with these investments, we will get back to a normal service standard, as well as introducing new programs, such as an expedited temporary foreign worker program, which I know would be a gam…
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Madam Speaker, I think my hon. colleague's question speaks directly to the reasons why we need to move ahead on some of these measures. It is one thing to have a list of sanctions and individuals we are going to be sanctioning, but if we do not actually have the tools in place to ensure that we are able to go after the assets in Canada, those sanctions are not going to have significant effect. In …
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Mr. Speaker, many indigenous, rural and remote communities are still heavily dependent upon diesel and other fossil fuels for heat and for power. Will the Prime Minister please tell the House what the government is doing to ensure that these communities and communities in rural and remote Canada are able to transition toward net zero?
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Labrador. Budget 2022 has been tabled at a time when Canada is seeing historic growth in our economy. Canada’s GDP is higher than it has ever been, and the IMF is projecting Canada to have the fastest-growing economy in the G7 both this year and next year. Canada has recovered 115% of the jobs lost at the height the pandemic, compared to…
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Madam Speaker, indeed there are some very important investments made as part of this budget to support the path forward on reconciliation. I mentioned in my speech earlier the very much needed investments into indigenous housing. There are also important investments made in implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the action plan on that, as well as dealing with some…
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Madam Speaker, indeed this is a measure that is put in place for two years, and we will be able to monitor the impacts and benefits of this measure to determine what the path forward is at that point. We want to make sure that homes in Canada are used for people who actually live here and not as investments, and this will make sure that we are able to do just that. I would caution a bit that this …
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for his question. The budget includes investments in the rapid housing initiative. I think that it is an important program for the most vulnerable Canadians. However, it is not the only investment. We also plan to invest in co-operatives. It will be the largest investment in 30 years. There are also other investments to consider, such as the housin…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, today I have the honour of presenting petition 11619443. This petition was initiated by For Our Kids, a group of parents on the Sunshine Coast in my riding who are concerned about the future we are leaving future generations as a result of human-induced climate change. The petitioners are calling on the government to significantly reduce emissions with transparent accounting each year…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, this January, my community lost two local icons when a tree tragically fell through their West Vancouver home in a windstorm. Mike Sharp and Caroline Helbig contributed immeasurably to the fabric of the community of West Vancouver and Horseshoe Bay. Caroline's deep connection to nature led her to be one of the founding members of the Coalition to Save Eagleridge Bluffs. Her husband Mi…
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Madam Speaker, I had the pleasure of sitting beside my colleague from Cowichan—Malahat—Langford on the flight last night and talking about one part of the motion, which is the creation of a publicly accessible beneficial ownership registry. In the budget last year, we provided funding to set up a beneficial ownership registry for federally incorporated companies. In our platform this past election…
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