Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, it is extremely important. As we all know, in Surrey and places across the country, crimes like shootings and extortions have been rampant and are on the rise. This bill would help in two ways. One is the reverse onus so that those who are charged would not be given bail. Serious offenders would be kept behind bars so that others in the community can feel safe. The other would give th…
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, I think the member should read the bill. The whole bill is about offenders, people who have broken criminal laws. The bill is about strengthening our bail system so there would be a reverse onus and so criminals would not get released if they are violent repeat offenders or have committed crimes like extortion. It is to enhance the sentencing on them. I think everyone kn…
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Mr. Speaker, I think the intent is not about whether someone is indigenous or not. It is about rural and remote communities, where a person seeking to get a surety has very few options. There may be 20, 30, 50 or 60 people in those communities. It is a matter of that small pool. If there is no available surety for that person and they can prove it, the judge would then have the discretion or liber…
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moved: That a message be sent to the Senate to acquaint Their Honours that, in relation to Bill C-14, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and the National Defence Act (bail and sentencing), the House: agrees with amendments 1(a), 2(a) and 3 made by the Senate; respectfully disagrees with amendment 1(b) because subsection 515(13.1) of the Criminal Code already requires…
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Mr. Speaker, this has been very favourable among the police forces across the country, the law enforcement agencies and virtually every province. I spoke with the Solicitor General and the Attorney General of British Columbia, who are both very supportive of this. They gave their consultation and their comments. This is reflective of what Canadian law enforcement, Canadian Crown councils, the Cana…
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to the message received from the Senate concerning Bill C-14, the bail and sentencing reform act. At the outset, I would like to thank the senators for their careful study of the legislation. The Senate plays an important role in our parliamentary system. It provides sober second thought, hears from witnesses, reviews legislation clause by clause and proposes ame…
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Mr. Speaker, I think this is a Crown corporation that would take a lot of federal lands, provincial lands and municipal lands and build quickly and efficiently. It would actually hold, in a lot of cases, those assets in the Crown corporation, and the revenue from that would hopefully help build more homes going forward. It would also help expedite a lot of the process. I think it is much needed. C…
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Mr. Speaker, I would disagree with that. When Build Canada Homes makes its judgments, including for the 1,100 homes that are being built in British Columbia, it uses a varied metric of all types of housing, such as three-bedroom units in these buildings, two-bedroom, one-bedroom and accessible units. It is designed and built for a mosaic of the families that need them. If that needs to be adjusted…
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Mr. Speaker, that is a great question, and I apologize for not being able to answer in French. I think it gives, first, the financial tools. There is $13 billion seeded in it, so it has a lot of financial capability. It has the necessary vehicles, whether that is using CMHC or its own funding, the new building code with pre-approved designs, and encouraging modular design and working with modular …
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Mr. Speaker, that is a great question. The affordability measurement is, I think, 30% of pre-tax income of a household, as a means of affordability. That is the test case, so it varies, obviously. In areas where perhaps housing costs are lower, there might be less of a need for Build Canada Homes, but I think that in most cases, Canadians are feeling the pinch in having to pay a lot more than 30% …
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Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of Bill C-20, the Build Canada Homes act—
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Mr. Speaker, this is a great opportunity for me to rise in support of Bill C-20, the Build Canada Homes act. The challenge before us is significant. Too many Canadians are struggling to find a home they can afford, and too many communities are facing housing shortages that continue to drive up costs. That is why our government launched Build Canada Homes in September 2025 with a clear mandate to b…
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Mr. Speaker, the member from Nanaimo knows a lot of the issues that are particular to the island. Market housing works really well in places like Nanaimo, and can probably be the solution that she is expressing would be valid there, but urban markets with the missing middle are a challenging place. Regardless of the red tape and other things, it is very hard for builders and developers to develop …
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Mr. Speaker, the only party in the House that is bringing that fear is the Conservative Party of Canada. The only party in British Columbia that is doing that is the Conservative Party of British Columbia, and the only reason they are doing this is to instill fear. Everyone knows that their private property rights are not at risk. The government is defending them as we speak, and that is how we wi…
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Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. The federal government is defending the property rights. The property rights are not at risk. The only people who are saying the property rights are at risk are the Conservatives over here and their counterparts in the province of British Columbia. They know it and we know it. The Canadian government will always defend private property rights. None of the treaty agree…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada's humanitarian assistance is making a real difference on the ground. Through trusted partners, we have helped provide nearly 5.7 million meals to families in need. We have supported emergency medical assistance to almost 16,000 patients and health services to 35,000 more. We are helping 40 primary care health facilities across Lebanon stay open, and improving access to essentia…
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Mr. Speaker, another unique feature of the Waterloo region is how technology intersects development. KA Imaging is a great example of how Canadian innovation can have an impact both domestically and globally. Through Grand Challenges Canada, our government supports innovators that are developing and scaling solutions to some of the world's most pressing health challenges, from improving maternal a…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada's support for the people of Sudan has been unwavering since the beginning of the conflict. Last week, our government announced more than $120 million in new assistance to support the people of Sudan and others across the region. This is about getting life-saving support to those who need it most. It underscores Canada's commitment to addressing one of the world's worst humanita…
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Mr. Speaker, we could have amended Bill C-2. It was the second bill introduced in the current session of the House, which shows the importance the government places on law enforcement and getting the tools that are needed. It was after those consultations that the government listened to, and that is why we have Bill C-22 now. Therefore, now that those consultations have been done, I urge that we p…
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Mr. Speaker, that is a very valid question. It is a big concern. People facing extortion threats are wondering why it takes the police so long to find out who is responsible, when sometimes in the private sector they may be able to get a private investigation or a digital firm to find out where the call was coming from. Unfortunately, law enforcement has been handicapped without those capabilities…
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Mr. Speaker, the threshold is to get subscriber information. The first step when someone gets a call or a threat is to find out who the number belongs to. It used to be very easy. We could pick up a phone book-like thing in the library that had every number in it. It used to be published every year. When somebody called, we could tell where the number came from. The world has changed drastically f…
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Mr. Speaker, I think the minister did a very good job in getting consultation from a broad sector of stakeholders, such as from law enforcement and the prosecutor's office. One of our former colleagues, from Victoria, gave the NDP's insight formally. I think there was broad consultation. I am sure if the Privacy Commissioner has some concerns, they are able to table their opinions as well.
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity today to speak about Bill C-22, the lawful access bill. There is no issue more pressing in the law enforcement legal framework than lawful access, a tool that is essential for police and prosecution to do the work to expeditiously catch people accused of many violent crimes. The world around us is becoming increasingly digital and networked. Much o…
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Speaker, when I speak to British Columbians, including Rachel from my riding, they thank me for the Canada child benefit. Rachel also remembers that when the program was under the Conservatives, she had to pay taxes on it when it came to April. She also thanks me for the dental benefit that is helping her and her children get dental care. She is also looking forward to our affordability measure th…
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Mr. Speaker, the premier of the province, the mayor of Abbotsford and the police chief of Abbotsford have all said to please go across party lines to get Bill C-2, Bill C-12 and Bill C-14 passed. I used to think that maybe it is obstruction that Conservatives are doing, but I really think they do not even read the bills. If they read the bills, they would know that it would be very impactful to pa…
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Mr. Speaker, we need to pass Bill C-2 immediately so that we can give the tools to our law enforcement to catch the extortionists, who are violating our homes and our communities. I urge, on a non-partisan basis, all parties to please enforce this and pass this bill.
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Mr. Speaker, I think the delays, in the criminal aspect, have zero weight, because immediately upon the suspicion that someone is involved in criminal activity, the asylum proceedings suspend. The CBSA will not pursue those. The CBSA goes through the claimant's criminal actions, so it does not affect it. When it comes to anybody who has been living over a year in Canada, under the new bill, if it …
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Mr. Speaker, the funny thing is that, in modernizing our legal system, most of the legislation we have had to deal with is because of the violations of the previous government. The Supreme Court gave ruling after ruling saying that all the legislation the Conservatives passed was invalid, was not just and does not comply with our charter. Over the last 10 years, we have been fixing all the Conserv…
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Mr. Speaker, I find it pretty amazing that legislators on the other side do not know the legislation that is already here. Nobody can claim asylum when they are charged. It gets suspended. They go to trial, they get sentenced and they get deported. They cannot claim asylum when they are charged. That was the law even before the legislation before the House, which is going to make it more restricti…
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Mr. Speaker, when I speak to the police chief in that jurisdiction, when I speak to the mayor in that jurisdiction and when I speak to the premier of that province, they ask, can I get the Conservatives to pass Bill C-2? Can I get lawful access passed? Can I get them to pass the bills in the House? They do not want this obstruction. I urge the Conservatives to support all this legislation so we ca…
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to speak about a matter that is of deep and pressing concern to my constituents in Surrey Centre, as well as to those living in the Lower Mainland region in my home province. The government's first priority is to protect Canadians and their communities. We are deeply concerned about the reports of people in B.C, in Ontario and across Canada who have been t…
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Mr. Speaker, I was able to go to Winnipeg to speak to people who have been victims of extortion or who are getting threats. Let me be clear that, if Bill C-2 had passed, if we had legislation on lawful access, we would not have police and prosecution departments working four to six months to get production orders to find out the source of a threatening call. If we were prioritizing that rather tha…
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Mr. Speaker, this year's theme for International Development Week is “prosperity through partnership”. Canadians are strong when we work together and work with others. While our development efforts are grounded in fighting poverty and advancing inclusive growth, they can also lay the groundwork for long-term mutual prosperity. I saw this myself in Indonesia, where decades of development co-operati…
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Mr. Speaker, addressing the roots of conflict and instability abroad helps reduce the risks Canadians face here at home. Investing in development helps build stronger allies, new trading partners and new markets for Canadian businesses. Our government is making generational investments to strengthen the Canadian economy, help Canadians get ahead and build a more resilient future for our country. O…
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Mr. Speaker, our hearts are with those affected by the devastating floods in Sri Lanka, which has declared a state of emergency. In times of crisis, Canadians step up. To support an urgent and immediate response, Canada is providing an initial $1 million in humanitarian aid to help the Red Cross, the Humanitarian Coalition and other partners deliver life-saving relief. This means emergency shelter…
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Mr. Speaker, I was fortunate to go to the World Bank meetings in Washington recently. If we compare Canada to the rest of the world, whether it is our G7 partners, the OECD or other like-minded countries, there is no country with a better financial track record than Canada's. We are one of only two countries in the world that have a AAA credit history with Moody's and S&P Global. We were mentioned…
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Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Honoré-Mercier. I appreciate the opportunity to rise to speak about this essential piece of legislation that would advance our government's plan to build Canada strong. We are living through a moment of profound global change. The systems that have long underpinned our prosperity are being challenged, and Canadians are feeling the effects …
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Mr. Speaker, almost $2 billion a day goes back and forth between the U.S. and Canada. It is a robust economic agreement we have. Our goal is to take it beyond that and double our international trade so we are less reliant on the U.S. That will be our focus for the future.
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Mr. Speaker, for far too long, we have been reliant almost exclusively on one market, which is the United States. It has been a wake-up call. However, Canada has been very fortunate. In the last 10 years, we have done numerous trade deals, like the CPTPP, CETA with Europe, and those with several South American countries. We are the only G7 country with a free trade deal with every G7 country. In m…
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is leading the charge with cabinet ministers and taking a team Canada approach with all these countries to expand our trade opportunities. This is to make the products that Canada needs to give to the rest of the world, and those that Canada needs to ensure we have sufficient, safe and reliable supply chains and have the ingredients to help build an affordable and i…
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Mr. Speaker, we are investing heavily in clean hydro and electricity. We are investing heavily in critical minerals, which are the lifeline of batteries and EVs and the future of this country and the planet. These are the types of lifetime investments we are doing to enable Canada not only to be a leader in our legislation to curb emissions, control emissions and bring us to a net-zero climate, bu…
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Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 83(1), on behalf of the Minister of Finance and National Revenue, I would like to table, in both official languages, a notice of a ways and means motion to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on November 4, 2025, and other measures. Pursuant to Standing Order 83(2), I ask that an order of the day be designated for consideration …
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2) and consistent with the policy on the tabling of treaties in Parliament, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaty entitled “Amendments to the Agreement Establishing the African Development Fund”, adopted by the Board of Governors of the African Development Fund on May 23, 2023.
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Madam Speaker, this concept of restraint came from a Supreme Court ruling in 2017 showing why it should be done. What I have seen is that the concept of restraint has not been equally implemented across Canada. Take, for example, the extortion cases I have seen. I have met victims of extortion in Ontario and Alberta as well as British Columbia. The same bail provisions via the Criminal Code are im…
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Madam Speaker, it is imperative that all three levels do. We have to remember that, in Canada, it is the local, municipally governed police or the RCMP in that jurisdiction that have to do the investigation and catch the culprits. It is the provinces that have to press the charges and control the prosecution. They must make their efforts and we must make the laws. We are doing our part. We ask tha…
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Mr. Speaker, hurricane Melissa has left heartbreaking devastation in its wake. We stand with the people of the Caribbean in this moment of crisis. Last week, we announced $7 million in emergency relief, allowing partners to scale up the delivery of food, water, health services and other essential aid. This builds on long-standing work to strengthen disaster preparedness in the Caribbean and suppor…
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Madam Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House today to speak in support of Bill C-14, the bail and sentencing reform act. This legislation represents a significant effort to strengthen public safety and ensure that Canada's justice system works as it should: firm, fair and focused on protecting people. In my riding of Surrey Centre, we have seen first-hand how crime can shake a community's sen…
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Madam Speaker, I share a lot of the same concerns as my hon. colleague, whose riding is adjacent to mine. Yes, there is a lot of concern among business owners and families, but the bill that the member opposite is speaking about was more about slogans. It was not charter-compliant and did not have the consultation of the provinces and territories, the attorneys general, the solicitors general, the…
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Mr. Speaker, Canada has built a strong and enduring reputation as a trusted partner in international development. For over 50 years, we have fought poverty, hunger and disease, and we have been a consistent champion for human rights, dignity and equality. At the UN General Assembly, one thing that stood out loud and clear was the deep trust our allies and partners place in our country as one that …
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Mr. Speaker, our new government commits to keeping our commitments to humanitarian aid and global development on a sustainable level despite other countries cutting back. Our country and our great Government of Canada will continue to help those who are much in need, those who have been displaced and those who need help in times of dire straits.
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