Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the member had a very thoughtful and well-researched speech. I wonder if he could tell us why he supposes, for the 120,000 Canadians who were affected by the U.K. pension, the government did not deal with that when it had the opportunity? I have a lot of people in Columbia—Kootenay—Southern Rockies who are in the same boat.
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Questions and comments, the hon. member for Shefford.
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The hon. member for Kenora—Kiiwetinoong has the floor.
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Mr. Speaker, in Columbia—Kootenay—Southern Rockies, forestry is not just an industry; it is a way of life. From small family-run mills like Huscroft, Kalesnikoff, ATCO, Porcupine and Mardis in the Kootenays to the dedicated men and women working across the southern Rockies, the forest sector is the backbone of our local economy. However, once again, these hard-working Canadians are being left behi…
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With regard to the Canadian Intergovernmental Conference Secretariat: (a) since January 1, 2022, what is the total number of meetings supported by the Secretariat, and for each meeting, what are the details, including, the (i) date of the meeting, (ii) nature or subject of the meeting, (iii) total cost, broken down by type of expense (e.g., travel, accommodation, personnel, venue rental, etc.); (b…
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With regard to government employees who were on "other leave with pay" (699) during the 2024-25 fiscal year, and broken down by department, agency, or government entity, and by month: (a) what was the total number of hours or days of "other leave with pay" utilized; (b) what is the total number of public servants who have utilized "other leave with pay"; and (c) what is the total number of employe…
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Mr. Speaker, having been involved in riots in the past in my law enforcement career, I can say that what happened in Montreal is certainly an awakening call for Canadians and to how disruptive some of the protests are. Getting back to SDTC, I wonder whether the member can answer the question as to why the government is reluctant to produce the unredacted documents. Is it because, first of all, onl…
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Madam Speaker, trust is something that has to be earned, and that is not happening in the government today. Trust has to be earned by one's actions. When the government is not accountable and is not giving the unredacted documents that have been asked for regarding the $400 million, that tells Canadians the government does not care. Where are they? Why are they not unredacted? What has happened to…
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Madam Speaker, yes, that is absolutely correct. What we are talking about here is $400 million and 186 ethical violations, yet, from across the road, we are talking about historical issues and things that are not even relevant to the $400 million. If that $400 million was sent to Kootenay—Columbia, we can imagine what we could do with that money, how we could help people. We need to find out where…
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Madam Speaker, I can say that, when I go back to Kootenay—Columbia, when I talk to the people of Kootenay—Columbia, they cannot afford to buy groceries. I am not too sure where that member is shopping or where they are getting their prices. Prices have gone up so much that they cannot afford to buy everything they need. We need to start to do something about that. Right now, we are not doing anyth…
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Madam Speaker, today I rise in the chamber to discuss issues that speak to the heart of Canadian democracy: the responsible use of public funds, the ethical governance of our institutions and the accountability of elected officials. The recent scandal surrounding Sustainable Development Technology Canada, SDTC, is not just about mismanagement; it also represents a betrayal of the trust Canadians p…
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Mr. Speaker, today is National Child Day and also Day on the Hill for Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada. Ronald McDonald House helps families struggling with life's toughest and most unexpected moments: caring for a sick child. Last year its 16 houses and 19 family homes provided comfort and care to over 18,000 families across Canada when their child received treatment. Ronald McDonald House …
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With regard to travel expenses incurred by the government for travel by a minister’s exempt staff member, that was not disclosed through proactive disclosure, since January 1, 2016: (a) what are the details of all such expenses, including the (i) title of the traveller, (ii) origin, (iii) destination, (iv) date, (v) total expenditures, broken down by type (airfare, accommodation, etc.); (b) why wa…
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Madam Speaker, today I would like to highlight a group local to Nelson, B.C., the N2 Neighbourhood Network. Heading up this group is Tanya, a local business owner who is passionate about keeping Nelson safe and prosperous for future generations. Although local to Nelson, the N2 Neighbourhood Network has travelled around Kootenay—Columbia and B.C. to listen to business owners and communities alike …
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Mr. Speaker, after nine years, the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the hunger and homelessness. The Salvation Army report showed that 75% of Canadians face challenges managing limited financial resources, poverty and food insecurity worse in every corner of the country. Twenty-five per cent of Canadians eat less so their children and other family members can eat. It is staggering. Twenty-s…
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Mr. Speaker, the member and I have travelled together, and I have a lot of respect for him. With natural gas, I do believe that the government already had some funding to fix the leaky wells. I believe it was in budget 2017, 2018, 2019, somewhere in there. The thing is that there is a lot of money to be made by selling our LNG to places like the EU, which is just a start. If we start doing that an…
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Mr. Speaker, the thing about rural Canada is that we have to drive. We have to drive our families to events, whether it is for school events or whether it is for a hockey game, and some of our driving is 300 kilometres, sometimes further. Our seniors have to drive to go to medical appointments, which could be in hospitals that are 200 to 300 kilometres away. Where it gets difficult is with the ris…
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Madam Speaker, I rise to speak to the fall economic statement for the constituents of Kootenay—Columbia and for Canadians. After nine years, the Prime Minister has repeatedly demonstrated a concerning lack of regard for the best interests of Canadians. The pattern is unmistakable and is underscored by a persistent tendency toward overspending that has become all too familiar. Instead of prioritizi…
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Madam Speaker, I have a community that relies on hospitality and tourism: Revelstoke. It just applied for $50 million in accelerator funding for new housing in a very busy area, but it was told it was too far advanced. It has done too much, and the money will go to communities that are not ready yet. I always tell communities to be shovel-ready. If the funding comes, they should be ready to use it…
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Mr. Speaker, has the member had people coming to his constituency office to say how much better it is than it was nine years ago, or seven, six, five or four years ago? I can honestly say I have not had one person come to my office to say how glad they are and that things are working out. Can you relate what it has been like in your area?
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Mr. Chair, in British Columbia, especially in rural British Columbia, we have a lot of small mills with fifth-generation owners. They understand forestry management. They understand the business, and they have managed to stay in business even during these tough times. It has been eight years since the government had the opportunity to deal with the softwood lumber issue, and nothing has happened. …
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Madam Chair, the forestry industry is significant, especially in Kootenay—Columbia. There are a lot of family-owned saw mills, some owned for five generations. Another problem in British Columbia is access to fibre. I am wondering whether my colleague could give some examples or ways he could see for our mills to get the wood, regardless of the fires. There is wood there, but we cannot seem to get…
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Madam Chair, I just have a quick question on forestry management, which, of course, in British Columbia is a significant question. I have been talking with the provincial party about forestry management, because it affects all of our forestry industry. Would the member agree that perhaps a solution that has not been used, and should be, is all of the small, especially very small, generational sawm…
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Madam Chair, I thank the member for his speech. I recognize that you just got into town and that it has been a busy and hectic day for you. It has been eight years, and I know for myself, personally, in the last four years, I have been asking for updates because it is so important for people in Kootenay—Columbia, for all the workers and for the forestry industry, which is one of my biggest industr…
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Mr. Chair, absolutely. That should have been dealt with on the day we did CUSMA, and we did not do it. We are back to where we will have to do it now, and hopefully, we will get this done in the next short period. Otherwise, we will lose a lot more jobs in the upcoming years.
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Mr. Chair, I totally agree. It is very challenging through the Rocky Mountains, through all our mountain passes, for rail. That is so much different from Europe, for example. We do need to be able to open the door to be more effective and efficient in our cross-border trade with the United States as well. I have one sawmill that has its own train, which can go down into the U.S. right through Deer…
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Mr. Chair, I live in the Kootenays, and one of the border crossings is Kingsgate. I see raw logs heading south, because that is the border. I have some sawmills that do laminated processes. They are trying to use all the wood, and they cannot compete with the price in the U.S. because the raw logs are going. That is where we are losing jobs. That is one half. The other half, of course, is the fibr…
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Mr. Chair, right now, it is demonstrating that eight years has been a long time. It has been over eight years. For the last four years, I have been pushing for the minister to start looking at resolving it, with nothing. It is time now to show leadership. When we were talking earlier about solutions, we need strong leadership so that we can actually start making some headway. Right now, we are not…
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Mr. Chair, I will be splitting my time. There is a critical issue that has been plaguing Canada's economic landscape for decades: The softwood lumber dispute with the United States. This long-standing conflict has added strain on the livelihoods of countless Canadians who depend on the forestry industry. Softwood lumber, a vital component of Canada's forest sector, especially in Kootenay—Columbia,…
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Madam Speaker, I believe the actual answer is .6. It is massive. I do not think the parliamentary secretary has the facts correct.
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Madam Speaker, right now every generation is giving up the dream, the dream of owning a home, the dream of warm holidays, the dream of a secure retirement, the dream of not living paycheque to paycheque and the dream of being able to afford heat and groceries for their family. The actions of the Liberal-NDP coalition with this carbon tax has caused significant harm to Canadian farmers and consumer…
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Madam Speaker, it comes down to affordability. When the carbon tax costs a small family business $400,000 and going up to $1.2 million, how can we expect businesses to be successful? How do we expect our grocery stores to sell affordable products when we are taxing the farmers, the truckers and the stores? The rubber will hit the road when Conservatives remove the taxes.
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Madam Speaker, the reality is that a senior called me to say she does not remember the last time she ate meat. When we talk rebates, where is the rebate in that case if she cannot afford to eat? She eats half an apple. That is absolutely unacceptable. We need to quit taxing our citizens, especially seniors and those on limited incomes. Single-parent families are being taxed and they cannot afford …
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Madam Speaker, how about this? If the federal government axes the carbon tax, I think the B.C. provincial government will as well, as I believe it was pressured into creating a carbon tax when it was told if it did not, the government would.
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Madam Speaker, I would ask the member about the $6.23 billion that is being grabbed due to the tax on the tax, the GST on the carbon tax.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years under the Prime Minister, housing costs have doubled, Canadians are close to a paycheque away from going broke and there has been a 52% increase in monthly visits to the food banks in Kootenay—Columbia alone. I will address a pressing issue impacting the hard-working farmers in my riding. The individuals who work tirelessly, cultivating crops and raising herds, are f…
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Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today. I rise today in support of not only Brooke from Nelson but also people from Kootenay—Columbia, Oshawa and across Canada. I present a petition with hundreds of signatures on proposed changes to natural health product regulations that the NDP-Liberal government have proposed to Health Canada. We rely on health products every day as part of our proa…
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Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition from the residents of Parsons, British Columbia. Citizens from Parsons and across Canada call upon the government to include outdoor cannabis farming emissions as part of the 2023 Cannabis Act review and to require Health Canada to set rules for emission controls for outdoor cannabis farming.
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Mr. Speaker, I first want to offer my condolences and support to Constable O'Brien's wife, children and family, and the members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and all law enforcement agencies in Canada, who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to protect us. I rise today in support of not only Brooke from Nelson but the people of Kootenay—Columbia and across Canada to present this e-pe…
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With regard to expenditures related to the Cabinet retreat which took place in Vancouver from September 6 to 8, 2022: (a) what are the total expenditures related to the retreat; (b) what is the breakdown of the expenditures by type of expense (accommodation, hospitality, audio-visual, etc.); and (c) what are the details of all expenditures in excess of $1,000, including, for each, the (i) amount, …
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Mr. Speaker, inflationary spending is driving up the cost of living. Food, housing and fuel are all hitting record highs. Canadians are stretched thin. According to the International Monetary Fund, Canada has the highest risk of mortgage defaults because of the high levels of household debt compared to similar economies. This government said that interest rates would be low for a long time and deb…
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Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Prince Albert. The rising inflation costs, housing costs, grocery costs and the additional carbon tax are adding costs that have a direct effect on Canadians, especially in rural Canada. The first carbon tax, including sales tax, will add 41¢ a litre. The second carbon tax, including sales tax, will add 20¢ to a litre of gas. The combi…
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Madam Speaker, I thank the member for the comment. It is kind of ironic though that the Province of British Columbia has to meet the federally mandated carbon tax increases by 2030. So, yes, there is a lot of pressure put on B.C. to meet the federal carbon tax. To the second question on asking about taxing producers of energy, we are not in government. I wish we were, because if we were I would be…
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Madam Speaker, we do listen to the PBO actually, because the PBO has come forward with some cost analysis. I think I would rather listen to the PBO a lot of times than listen to the government. So, yes, I do actually have some faith in the PBO, and that is where we are taking some direction from. We do research, and we want to make sure that what we are looking at is fair and honest, and we are op…
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Madam Speaker, yes, I have reached out, and the actual cost, surprisingly, is about $400,000 to $500,000. That is all the ask was, for doing the business case to show what the carbon footprint would look like after we got the train installed. It is a CPKC, formerly CP Railway, train, so we would have to work with CPKC of course. That is quite a distance, if members know the Kootenays. It needs to …
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Madam Speaker, one thing I agree with is that what we are doing today is not working. We know that. The ideological approach of the NDP is causing havoc in my communities of Cranbrook and Nelson. I am wondering if the member can maybe talk a bit about why he and the NDP voted against a private member's bill that would have allowed addicts with two-year sentences to go to facilities that deal with …
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Madam Speaker, I was listening to the member's speech and he was talking about a confiscation program. I do not know how much that is going to cost. Maybe it is $1 billion or $2 billion. I do not know if there is a figure out there. Does the member think that money could be spent somewhere where it would have an actual effect on rising crime, especially gang and organized crime?
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Mr. Speaker, we have a real problem with gangs and violence. Violent crime is skyrocketing. We are talking about Bill C-21, which talks about taking legal guns from legal gun owners. I want to ask the minister, since the government uses evidence-based policies, what percentage of crimes are committed by people with illegal guns, and what percentage are committed by people who have actual legal gun…
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With regard to the government's plan to increase the tax on alcohol as of April 1, 2023: has Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada or Pacific Economic Development Canada conducted any analysis on the negative impacts this increase will have on British Columbia wineries, and, if so, what are the details, including the findings?
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Madam Speaker, it is always an honour to rise in the House, especially when I can talk about safety and security. I always try to enhance safety and security for Canadians at home and abroad, for our corporations that are major contributors to our economic base, and of course, for government institutions. Today, discussing cybersecurity in Canada is an opportunity to enhance our country's ability …
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