Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, today, the Prime Minister arrives at the G7 summit as the one and only leader who has led his country into a recession. This is what that looks like: Two in five Canadians struggle to be able to afford to feed themselves; full-time workers are living in RVs or a Tim Hortons; and food bank use has hit an all-time high. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister spends $1 million on luxury inflight …
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Mr. Speaker, I think what that member meant to highlight was the fact that under the Liberal government, child poverty rates have increased year after year after year for the last three. This dramatically impacts the people of my riding in Lethbridge, Alberta. It means that seniors in this country are living at Tim Hortons. It means that full-time workers are living out of their RVs. Why does the …
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Mr. Speaker, because the hon. member has chosen to spend the majority of his speech on process, I will ask him a process question. The current government, the Liberals, they are the ones who sponsored this bill; the hon. member did, from that side of the House. They also control the agenda for this place and would therefore have the ability to move this bill, in its second hour of debate at third …
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Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to rise in the House today to extend congratulations to the town of Picture Butte on its 100th anniversary. For a century, Picture Butte has been shaped by the values that define rural Canada: hard work, family and community spirit. What began as a small prairie settlement, marked by the establishment of its post office, has now grown into the livestock feeding…
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Mr. Speaker, with respect, the small craft harbours do not conquer the food poverty that children across this country are experiencing, especially those in my riding of Lethbridge. With all due respect, I would ask the folks across the way what they will do for Canadians, because they are struggling. They are struggling. Sixty per cent of them are unable to sleep at night because they are not sure…
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Mr. Speaker, under the current government, Canada is in a recession, and it is the only G20 country for which that is true. After a decade of reckless Liberal policies and economic mismanagement, Canadians are ultimately having to pay the price. A new United Way poll found that 60% of Canadians now feel anxiety about their personal finances, and 40% struggle with food insecurity. This crisis was n…
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Madam Speaker, what the member just said is that those children in my riding who are suffering from poverty and food insecurity should be thankful for the government because they have never had it so good. Shame on that member for claiming that. These are individuals who are finding it very difficult to make ends meet. Food insecurity is rising and Canadians are struggling. Meanwhile, the Prime Mi…
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Madam Speaker, under this Liberal Prime Minister, Canada is the only G20 country in a recession. The impact is real, not theoretical. Over the past four years, in Lethbridge, one of our food banks has experienced an increase in child usage of 112%. That is children going to the food bank. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister spent nearly $200,000 on inflight catering for just three flights. To put that i…
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Mr. Speaker, while the current Prime Minister is the only G7 leader to take his country into a recession, the consequences are felt by Canadians from coast to coast. Food Banks Canada just released its poverty report card for 2026, and it shows that one in four Canadians is food-insecure and food bank visits have doubled since 2020. These are not just stats; these are real people with real stories…
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Mr. Speaker, those same global problems are being experienced by all countries within the G7, but only Canada's leader, only Canada's Prime Minister, has led this country into a recession. It is only Canada. He is not worried, but why would he be? He is fine. He is fine because, again, he is enjoying fine wine, he is enjoying braised beef and he is enjoying luxury Normandy butter cups, whatever th…
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Mr. Speaker, after 11 years of Liberal spending, Canada is in fact the only G7 country in a recession. While one in three working Canadians is going into debt just to put groceries on their table, the Prime Minister, at 30,000 feet, is spending $95,000 on inflight food. We are talking about braised beef, special butter cups and fine wines. Deficits have doubled, costs keep going up and Canadians a…
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague talked about where Canada is at economically. I would like him to drill down on that further and its impact on Canadians. What I mean is that the Liberal government has spent and spent for over a decade, and today we learned that Canada is now in a recession. It is the only G7 country to enter into that. That is due to the current Prime Minister's policies. That is m…
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Madam Speaker, I would ask my colleague this. He talked about the fact that more government control equals more cost for the Canadian consumer and ultimately less choice, so more cost with less choice. That is what the government has done through Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act. Ultimately, the government is picking and choosing winners and losers: which shows get promoted and which shows do n…
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Mr. Speaker, I will let Canadians be the judge. At the end of the day, Canadians will have to pay 15% more for their online streaming service, and that is a direct result of this government's policy. Most of us would call that a “tax”, but the Liberals like to avoid that term. The point is this. Canadians are going to have to pay a whole lot more for Netflix, Disney+ and Spotify because of policie…
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Madam Speaker, that was quite something. The member talked about levelling the playing field. Interestingly enough, the Broadcasting Act was put in place originally to try to make sure that the limited airwaves that were available through radio and television would be shared. There would be French and there would be English. The other thing that it did was make sure that traditional broadcasters c…
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moved: That, given that, (i) the Liberal-appointed CRTC recently ordered online streaming services to pay 15% of their annual Canadian revenues to the government, up from the current 5%, (ii) this tax increase will be passed on to consumers who are already struggling with the rising cost of living, (iii) the tax will discourage business activity and investment in Canada, (iv) the tax is a trade ir…
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Madam Speaker, the hon. member is exactly right. Bill C-11, the Online Streaming Act, went through several iterations before it finally was passed. Many concerns were raised during that time. The biggest of them was that the government would end up choosing which parts of our cultural sector succeeded and which parts would get held back, who would be rewarded and who would be thwarted. That is the…
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Mr. Speaker, after 11 years of this Liberal government, Canadians are paying more for gas, more for groceries and more for housing. After all of that, they just want to kick back and relax and maybe watch a little Netflix or listen to a bit of Spotify, but even that small delight is now being denied to them at cost. Instead, they are going to have to pay more, because the Liberal-appointed CRTC is…
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Madam Speaker, what the hon. member should understand is that when a government puts more regulation and more taxation in place and functions in a punitive manner toward a sector, that sector will no longer make investments in the country. That is the precipice on which we stand. The culture sector in Canada is thriving. Companies like Netflix are making massive investments here, creating thousand…
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Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the strength of our economy, because it is directly reflected in how well a household is doing. Right now, many households in Canada are paying 120% of their income just to cover rent and food. It is not 100%, but 120%. This Liberal government's policies are now going to add another tax to their regular monthly bills. That is punitive in nature, but this government h…
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Madam Speaker, I will acknowledge that when we draw investment into this country through good policies that include less taxation and less regulation, it does in fact allow our cultural sector to thrive. That is a truth. The member opposite, however, is contending that the government should be more punitive, put more taxes in place and put more regulation in place. Somehow, the member feels that i…
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Mr. Speaker, a tax is a tax is a tax. He can call it whatever he wants, but at the end of the day Canadians pay more. That is a tax. This tax will do much more than just cost Canadians. It will actually impact us in terms of our negotiations with regards to CUSMA. The Liberal government has already been accused of escalating this irritant. It has already been signalled by the U.S. that this will i…
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Mr. Speaker, last week the CRTC announced that it will be tripling the online streaming tax from 5% to 15%. This tax will now drive up the cost that consumers pay for things like Netflix or Disney+. Just this weekend, Spotify announced that, taking effect in July, they will be increasing their prices. For over 800 years, it has been parliamentary tradition that only Parliament imposes a tax. Regul…
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Mr. Speaker, let us focus on the facts. The Liberals are spending so much that they have actually doubled Trudeau's deficit. That is quite the accomplishment, because Trudeau's deficit, of course, was massive in nature, historic, in fact, so the fact that the government has doubled it is quite something. The reason this matters so much is not that they spent so much money, but that they did it and…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals promised a “new government”, but we do in fact see more of the same. We see more costly spending, more taxes and, ultimately, more prices to pay for Canadians. Whether it is the grocery store or the gas at the pumps or their mortgages that they're trying to pay month to month, Canadians are struggling to make ends meet because of the costly policies of the government. The…
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Mr. Speaker, I am glad the hon. member is willing to recognize that they have agreed to take only 10¢ a litre off at the pump. Meanwhile, summer gas prices will go up by 10¢ a litre, which means that, really, Canadians are saving absolutely nothing. Meanwhile, the Conservative plan was to take off 25¢ a litre at the pump. That is real savings. That makes a real difference. That is what Canadians w…
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Mr. Speaker, this government can continue to make false claims, or it can actually take real action on behalf of Canadians. The reality is that single moms are struggling, families are struggling and seniors are struggling just to be able to make ends meet. Sixty-four per cent of them say that they are working harder but still falling further behind. That is not the type of Canada that we want, an…
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague drew attention to the fact that we have reports showing that there has been foreign interference within our elections. I am curious if he can expand on that. He talked about the what. He talked about what is going on, but I am curious as to his reflections with regard to the importance of this or the consequence of this if the government continues to turn a blind eye.
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise again on behalf of the wonderful people of Lethbridge, Alberta, and to have the chance to voice my concerns for them. Recently, in my riding, a vegetable-processing plant called Nortera announced that it would be closing its doors. This is significant, because it impacts families in my riding. That is 70 jobs that will be lost, and in a small city of about 115,…
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Mr. Speaker, most Canadians simply want the opportunity to work hard and bring home a paycheque in order to support their families, but under the government's mismanagement, job opportunities are disappearing out the door. The February numbers are extremely troubling. Data from StatsCan shows that 108,000 full-time jobs disappeared, marking the largest one-month decline outside of COVID since 2009…
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals blame the world for the fact that families are struggling more than ever to make ends meet, but it is actually the government's policies here at home that are driving up the cost of food. Canada has the highest food inflation rate out of the G7. A big factor in this is the hidden carbon tax, also known as the clean fuel standard. It is making life more expensive because i…
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Mr. Speaker, the minister, who is entirely out of touch with the people in western Canada and, I would dare say, all Canadians, would like them to believe that there is a benefit to this tax, that there is a benefit to driving up the cost of groceries and forcing seniors to have to choose between groceries and their medications or having families choose between giving their daughter formula or hav…
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Mr. Speaker, Bill C-9 expands the definition of hate in the Criminal Code while also removing the long-standing religious defence. This change is significant and raises serious concerns for Canadians of faith who could be vulnerable to criminal prosecution simply for quoting passages from their own sacred texts. If the government can decide that parts of religious books are hateful and make it a c…
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Mr. Speaker, I have said it here before, but I will just say it again: There is a type of discount that is reasonably exciting for us, like a sale, a two-for-one or 15% off. These are reasonable discounts, but these types of discounts in our court system do not belong, and it should alarm us when they do. That is exactly what concurrent sentencing allows, and in particular with regard to sexual as…
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Mr. Speaker, we would request a recorded division.
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Mr. Speaker, again, Canadians are not asking for more government programs or to be spoken to in the manner that the minister just did. They are simply asking to be respected and empowered to be able to provide for themselves. One of the best ways the government can do that is by taking unnecessary taxes off food. According to the latest report, food prices next year are going to go up by about $1,…
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians are not asking for more government programs. They are just asking for the dignity and respect of being able to provide for themselves and their families. Right now, Canadians are struggling more than ever to be able to afford things. I just received a phone call from an elderly gentleman in my riding who shared with me that he is now down to one meal per day. He is desperate…
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moved that Bill C-246, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (consecutive sentences for sexual offences), be read the second time and referred to a committee. Mr. Speaker, there is a special delight that every consumer knows when they go into a store and walk away with a deal, that moment when we realize that we are paying a little bit less than what we were expecting to. Maybe it is 15% off of one's …
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Mr. Speaker, there is a difference between what is permissible and what is normalized. If we truly want to deter crime, and in this case the heinous crime of sexual assault, then we have to normalize a sentence that is most suitable. A discount sentence for people who commit sexual assault is not appropriate. It sends a message that the justice system is soft on crime and that those heinous acts m…
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Mr. Speaker, I would beg the hon. member to explain what is unconstitutional about standing with victims. What is unconstitutional about ensuring that sexual predators receive the full force of the law? When a member speaks in that way, it feels as though platitudes are being given on the one hand, in terms of a justice system that needs to be strengthened, but then excuses for that weakness in th…
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Mr. Speaker, it is a sad statistic that 95% of victims do not actually take their case to court. Most of them report that their reasons for not going to court are that they feel unsupported by the system, do not want to have to repeat their story and do not want to have to face their perpetrator again. We have to find ways to protect victims and make sure they can come forward with their stories.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it is always a good day to be Brookfield when the Liberals are in power. The Prime Minister just committed $500 million to the European Space Agency, creating good-paying jobs in none other than Europe. What is so significant about this? Brookfield actually owns 50% of the Harwell campus, where the agency is located. This is the same Brookfield that has avoided $6.5 billion in Canadia…
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today in support of my colleague and his private member's bill, Bill C-225. He has done an extraordinary amount of work on the bill, demonstrating his sincere and unwavering commitment to standing up for people impacted by intimate partner violence and its devastating effects. As I looked into the issue more, there was a word that kept on coming up again and ag…
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Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague asks a good question. Can we trust the government? When the government leads people to believe one thing but then does another, trust is broken. When the government puts Canadians further and further into debt, it results in inflation, increased taxation and cutbacks to social programs. When a government functions in that capacity, of course, trust is broken. When a …
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Mr. Speaker, if it is far right to believe in the Canadian people, their potential and their ability to achieve greatness, I guess the label fits. It is shameful that the member opposite does not believe the same. It grieves me that the member opposite does not believe in the Canadian people, does not believe in their potential, does not believe in their ability to achieve great things. It is sham…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada is a nation built on ordinary people doing extraordinary things. It was the prairie farmers who turned barren land into the world's greatest breadbasket. It was the workers who carved a national railway through mountains so grand that they seemed immovable. It was the veterans who fought tyranny overseas and then returned home to build communities here in this nation, and it wa…
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Mr. Speaker, if only he would listen to a few of his constituents. This is because of broken laws from the government. Criminals are being let out on the streets after serving only a fraction of their time, and sometimes their time for heinous crimes such as assault is spent in their living room, not even behind bars, thanks to the Liberal government's lackadaisical laws. Conservatives would end t…
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Mr. Speaker, it is clear that families across the country are struggling to afford even the most basic necessities. Under the Liberal government, many Canadians have been stripped of the basic dignity of being able to provide for themselves. Since 2017, for example, the price of baby formula has gone up by 84%, leaving parents so desperate that it is now the number one item taken from grocery stor…
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Mr. Speaker, the devil is always in the details, is it not? Doctors will come if they are respected. They are respected when regulations are put in place that respect them. If we want to draw investment into the country, there are two big things that keep it out: taxation and regulation. The government did not need to put Canadians into debt in order to bring investment into our country. In fact, …
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Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, what we have to account for is this: We have a government that does not believe in the Canadian people, past, present or future, as revealed by the member's question today. He is scolding me for holding those beliefs and for celebrating the nation I love. That is shameful.
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