Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to stand in the House once again to speak to Bill C-3. It is a very important bill that seeks to respond to an important court challenge calling into question citizenship law in Canada. It would do so by pointing to an inconsistency in citizenship law that has to be rectified in order for it to be what it should always be: equal and applicable to all. In my previous s…
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Mr. Speaker, our colleague, as he so often does, points to a number of critical things. First of all, on his question about what would happen if this bill does not pass, we would have a citizenship law that is not consistent with the requirements of the Charter of Rights, especially the equality provisions. If citizenship laws are to mean anything in Canada, as I mentioned here today and on previo…
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Mr. Speaker, our country is a bilingual country. We are very proud of that. My colleague talked about the work done in committee. A few amendments were adopted in committee, but the House of Commons is sovereign. I mentioned that in my speech. Parliament and, in this case, the House decide. We saw that yesterday. That is a sacrosanct principle.
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Mr. Speaker, it was an Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruling, but I digress.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, from the moment she was elected, that member has committed herself to matters of fundamental justice, and that is exactly what is at stake with Bill C-3. In December 2023, as colleagues will know, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ruled that there is an inconsistency in Canadian citizenship law, so Bill C-3 would rectify that inconsistency. Whereas Canadians who were born here o…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise to honour the incredible contributions of Jo-Ann Fisher, who, in the early 1980s, opened a small women’s fashion boutique that has become Hangar9, a name and store that is synonymous with quality in our community. It is a clothing store that has catered to the community for all of these years. She has since operated that store with her daughters, Lisa, Denise and Rachael. On th…
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Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives never miss an opportunity to disrespect law enforcement, we will allow law enforcement members to do their job. We trust them to execute Canadian law, and we leave that matter in their hands. We also will not politicize, from start to finish, immigration policy in this country. In the lead up to the last election, the Conservative leader said we needed more imm…
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Mr. Speaker, we understand that there are pressures in the Canadian economy and in Canadian society because of, among other factors, ensuring that we have a sustainable immigration system. That is exactly what the government is doing. In a few weeks' time, as the member knows because she is the critic for the Conservative party on immigration, there is a level of plan that will be presented. It wi…
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Mr. Speaker, of course those who break the law face the consequences of Canadian law, and we trust law enforcement to carry out its responsibilities. I will reiterate that, in this country, we have an absolute opportunity to ensure that immigration policy is put on a solid footing. That is why the government is seized with ensuing sustainability in the immigration system and seized with ensuring t…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I have always considered the hon. colleague opposite to be an excellent parliamentarian, but I now put him in the category of an outstanding human being. The courage that he has shown today on the floor of the House of Commons, to share such a personal story and to relate it to a bill is indescribable. I do not think I have seen it in all my years, 10 years now, of serving as a member…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Colour by Schubert, an extraordinary London business in place since 1982, carrying out custom image framing, restoring trusted images and doing incredible high-quality prints for decades. The photography world has changed, as we know, but what has never been unwavering is its commitment to its customers and to our community. This is an extraordinary business, …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the court provided its perspective on a very important matter for the House, and there is an issue. For that reason, we cannot get bogged down in what has happened in the past. I am not here to speak about the past. We can spend a great deal of time on that, but the courts have recognized that there are issues. They have put it to this House to rectify and they have given extensions w…
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Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to be here again after a summer in London engaging with constituents and listening to their concerns. I very much look forward to working with all colleagues in the House on matters of immigration, obviously, but, in general terms, we have a lot to do to serve our constituents and ensure that our country is on a very good footing going forward. Today, obviously, with …
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Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with the hon. member on the committee responsible for immigration. The Conservatives continue to bring up matters of crime and tie them to this bill. Again, it opens the door to the argument, wide open in fact, that they are trying to politicize immigration. I know the hon. member is not trying to do that; he is a respected member of this House. I will focus …
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague who is among the most dedicated parliamentarians I have ever worked with in almost 10 years of serving the people of London Centre. I would say to the member what I have said throughout my time as an MP looking at legislation. The place to offer amendments and address concerns is not always in the House of Commons, where one can do that through debate and …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, insofar as Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, or IRCC, is concerned, immigration is a shared jurisdiction while education is the responsibility of the provinces and territories. With respect to the implementation of the intake cap on study permit applications, IRCC has allocated study permit application spaces under the cap to provinces and territories, which are in turn re…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, regarding (a), the 20242025 expenditures are currently unavailable and will only be accessible once the public accounts have been tabled in the House of Commons, which is expected in the fall. Program expenditures will be made public following the tabling of the Departmental Results Report, which is also expected in the fall. With regard to (b), the full-time equivalent assigned by pr…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, our colleague evidently read the article that was on the front page of National Newswatch yesterday, but he did not read it closely. What he would have seen if he had is that the issue is squarely in the provincial jurisdiction. We know there are American doctors trying to come to Canada, who are leaving the United States. Of course our health care system is in need of more doctors, b…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour the extraordinary life of Beth Hundey, who passed away at the age of 40 this past April after a courageous battle with cancer. She was wife to Seneca and stepmother to Percy, cherished daughter of Rick and the late Jane Hundey, sister of Eric and Tim and their wives, Julie and Yvonne, and an aunt who was adored by her nieces and nephews. Incredibly bright, she f…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Chair, I also want to ask about Bill C-2. The government recently introduced the bill. It focuses on a number of areas, but it is in many ways a bill that strengthens our immigration system. Can the minister focus on particular aspects of Bill C-2 that she thinks really stand out for ensuring the integrity of the immigration system?
Read full speech →Government Orders
I was not fishing, but I will take it. It is certainly going to be an honour as well to work with the minister, members of the government and all colleagues in this House on this very important issue. Mr. Chair, when we think of immigration, of course we think of many things, but at the core of it is finding a way forward to support our economy. That, I think, is central to this question: How can …
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Mr. Chair, congratulations on your post. I know that you are from southwestern Ontario as well. It is an honour to rise as the member for London North Centre and also as the newly appointed parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.
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Mr. Chair, I know the minister brings a great deal of experience to this role, including as minister responsible for immigration in the province of Nova Scotia. Could she speak about the importance of the provincial nominee program, her experience with it and her vision for it going forward?
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Mr. Chair, Canada is a bilingual country and I am very proud of that. I wonder if the minister could say a few words about immigration and francophone communities. What is her vision for the future with regard to this issue?
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, in the long and storied history of the London Knights franchise, a new chapter was written just a few days ago: Memorial Cup champions. They are also champions of the Ontario Hockey League. This is an incredible franchise. Alumni include Darryl Sittler, Patrick Kane, one of my favourites and little talked about Kelly Cain, Chris Taylor, Mitch Marner, Matthew Tkachuk, Brendan Shanahan,…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, recently I had the honour, for the fourth time, to be sworn in as a member of Parliament, now representing the constituency of London Centre. Naturally, I thank my colleagues and look forward to working with everyone in this House. I thank my family, my beautiful wife Katy, our daughter Ava, and all the volunteers who put aside so much time to put in signs, to knock on doors and, yes,…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, congratulations on your election as Chair. I look forward to working with you. The hon. member is a new member, and I thank him for his speech. I know that any number of us in the House of Commons have identified priorities that we wish to deliver to our communities. The member comes from a beautiful part of the country in Victoria. What is the number one priority that he wishes to de…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, throughout today, the Conservatives have launched personal attacks on the finance minister, who is responsible for, among other things, the Canada child benefit and who is responsible for, among other things, ensuring that child care is a priority in this country, moving toward $10 a day. What has that done for this country's economy? Among other things, 110,000 women have been able t…
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Mr. Speaker, the members opposite are very fond of quoting from the Parliamentary Budget Officer; it is their right. They can go one step further and actually look at what he recently said on the country's finances: We have a more than sustainable fiscal situation. If it were up to the Conservatives, that would reverse. We know what the Conservative record is when it comes to running up deficits, …
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Mr. Speaker, the member should expand beyond the Fraser Institute and look to, for example, what the International Monetary Fund has said, what other lead financial authorities have said in the business press and elsewhere, as well as the Parliamentary Budget Officer, which is that Canada has a very sustainable fiscal situation, with the lowest debt in the G7, the lowest deficit in the G7 and an A…
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Mr. Speaker, I know that this member is an honourable member, and I know that he cares about his community. A few weeks ago, I spoke with Peterborough's Mayor Jeff Leal, who is a good man. He cares about his community and is doing a great job in that city. I told him of the government's plan to invest over $10 million, through the housing accelerator fund, to build more housing. The Conservatives …
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Mr. Speaker, I repeat that Canada has the lowest debt and deficit in the G7. The PBO is coming out and affirming that we have a very fiscally sustainable situation. What would the Conservatives do? They would make cuts. In fact the member, with all due respect to her, ought to listen to what the mayor of Kelowna recently said. The Conservatives are proposing cuts for housing; this would mean less …
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Mr. Speaker, the member is right to talk about non-market housing. We do need more non-market housing options in this country. There has been, over the past few years, an enormous increase in exactly that. Eighty-seven thousand people who were on the street are now living in non-market housing. Close to 150,000 people who were going to be homeless have been housed as a result of the investments th…
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me commend the member, who comes from a proud family that built up a successful small business. She understands what the tax cut means for small business owners and also for Canadians who want to see savings, especially during the holidays. It begins this Saturday and extends into February. What we hear with the Conservatives is sloganeering. Their leader is not too …
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Mr. Speaker, the member knows very well that, during the pandemic, the government provided loan support and other support for Air Canada to ensure its long-term viability. Part of that was buying shares in the company. It was never, though, the intention of the Government of Canada to hold on to those shares into the long term. It made a sale yesterday, and it was a responsible one. Again, the que…
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Mr. Speaker, we see more personal attacks today. Under the Minister of Health and under the Minister of Finance, we have seen a national dental care program put in place. Three million-plus Canadians have signed on, and over a million have received care. Many are seniors. In fact, seniors were the first to be offered care. Are the Conservatives saying that, as part of this big, bold idea, more of …
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Mr. Speaker, the member talks about people at food banks. We are not insensitive to that. Canadians have had a hard time. What has this government done? We have supported them through the pandemic. We continue to show support. The Conservatives want to cut Canadians' pensions; they want to cut employment insurance. We have a school food program that is supporting no fewer than 400,000 kids in four…
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives are trying to distract from their voting record. In this House of Commons, when this government put forward legislation, affirmed last night by the Senate, to cut GST for families looking to buy kids' clothes, diapers and car seats; wanting to go out to a restaurant; or wanting to buy beer or cider, the Conservatives were against that. They have lots of slogans when …
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Mr. Speaker, the lowest debt and deficit in the G7 and a fifth consecutive interest rate decline are good news for business owners looking to expand. They are good news for mortgage holders looking to renew and families looking to buy a home, and there are many other examples. The Conservatives want to distract from their record. In fact, let us think about the Harper years. Stephen Harper had the…
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Mr. Speaker, in fact, what the Parliamentary Budgetary Officer's report revealed is that this federal government, for the first time in decades, is back in housing, making it a serious priority, reversing decades of cuts from previous governments; in particular, with all due respect, from Conservative governments. The reality is that we have more work to do. However, we have seen through vital pro…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, let me begin by focusing on what we agree on. I have a lot of respect for my colleague, in large part because he always raises issues related to vulnerable Canadians. He began his speech by talking about those who are unhoused. We have in place a government that hears him, that sees the issue in Canada and is responding. A few moments ago, I talked about encampments in Canada and how …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, a tax cut for Canadians is exactly what this government is going forward with, beginning on December 14 and carrying through to February. We have heard from Canadians. We know the challenges they have been through in previous years. During the pandemic, we stood with Canadians, and into the modern day, we stand with them. I have stood with my constituents during this time. I know what…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague is right. We do need more affordable housing in Canada. We do need more shelters in Canada, and that is why the federal government put forward the national housing strategy, which is doing just that. The member began her question by pointing to vulnerable women, and I sympathize. In my own community and communities across the country, it remains not just a challenge but a…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I would love three hours to respond to that. I have great respect for my hon. colleague. We have worked together on the finance committee, but he knows very well the housing strategy of the Paul Martin government was not put in place because the NDP forced an election. I will not go too far on that. As for results on the key points he points to, when it comes to getting homes built, t…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour to rise in the House of Commons and speak about the issues of the day, especially ones pertaining to housing, which is arguably the most important issue facing the country at this moment. Before I begin, in the Greek Orthodox faith, today is the day on which Saint Anne, or Agia Anna, is recognized and honoured. My mother is named after her, so today is her name …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me commend the advocacy of the member. He is very modest. He does not talk about his own role in helping to secure funding for his community in Milton and in that region more generally. What he points to is a very important idea, and that is that the federal government has a role to play in allowing housing to happen, which is another way of saying that the federal g…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, first of all, I want to commend the member. I have shared this with him before, but I never tire of saying it. This is a Conservative member who supports carbon pricing. When he was a member of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, he supported that. I hope his example transfers over to other Conservative MPs. However, he talks about the Liberal record on housing and says we a…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, there are different ways to get to the same results, the results we all want. I talked about low-interest loans. A low-interest loan to a not-for-profit of around 3% is very significant considering the current economic context. I talked about grants that are available, and they certainly are, through the affordable housing program and other initiatives of this federal government. I ta…
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Madam Speaker, first of all, this falls under municipal jurisdiction. It is a municipal issue. If there is an opportunity after question period, I would be pleased to speak to my colleague about this. For me, this is obviously a municipal issue.
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, we will agree to disagree on that point; $10 a day child care is moving forward in communities across the country. As I said, where it is not available, it will be available in communities throughout the land, and that is critical to our country's economic success and to our shared future. On the point at hand, again, the accelerator fund, the proposal by the member's party would get …
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