Government Orders
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 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, 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, 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.
Read full speech →Government Orders
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.
Read full speech →Government Orders
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, I believe the actual answer is .6. It is massive. I do not think the parliamentary secretary has the facts correct.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
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…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
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.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
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 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, …
Read full speech →Statements By Members
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 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, 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…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the serving and retired members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police for their dedication and service to Canadians, keeping us safe for the last 150 years. Congratulations. The price of everything continues to rise, as do, unfortunately, opioid deaths. Over the last eight years, Canadians have witnessed an overdose increase of 300% as the Liberal government continues t…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I am glad to be standing up today. I want to thank the member for South Okanagan—West Kootenay, my neighbour, for bringing this bill forward. I certainly do support the forestry sector, which is not only significant for Canada; it is very significant for Kootenay—Columbia. In fact, the forestry sector is 10% of the workforce in Kootenay. The only industry that is bigger is mining and …
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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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Mr. Speaker, members might recall that, about two years ago, I brought up ghost guns, before the government decided to move on that. I have family friends, and know many other people, who work in gang enforcement in British Columbia, including in Surrey. I brought up ghost guns and said that those were what we should be targeting, not hunting rifles. That was a few years ago. Now we are targeting …
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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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Madam Speaker, I am pleased to speak out today concerning Bill C-21. It is National Police Week, and today we stand with the women and men of the OPP, their families and their friends, who have seen three of their own shot, one of whom, sadly, has passed away. Since September 2022, we have seen 10 Canadian police officers killed in the line of duty. This trend cannot be allowed to continue. One so…
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Madam Speaker, while we are talking facts, I wonder if the member can show me a fact that says that seizing legal guns from legal gun owners is going to have a benefit. That is what is in this bill, so it is not fact-based; it is ideology. We could talk about what more we could do to protect not only hunters, guides, outfitters and those who use rifles but also sport shooters who use handguns and …
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Madam Speaker, what I am looking for is always results-based. What is going to actually work? What we are doing today is failing right now with the serious crime, the shootings and the deaths of members. What we are doing to battle organized crime and gangs is not working. From my experience, we need to change course. We should be focusing, first, on educational programs for our youth and, second,…
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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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Madam Speaker, I agree that seniors are fragile and they are the ones getting hurt the most as the prices go up for groceries, when a head of lettuce goes up to $3 or $4 and seniors are only getting OAS. Some get CPP, and some do not. That is the most critical part of our society. Seniors are the ones who took care of us, our parents. They are the ones we have to take the time to find some funding…
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Madam Speaker, the reality is that the people out there in our communities are not saying that. They are saying they cannot afford this budget. They are saying they cannot afford to eat. They are saying they cannot afford to drive to a doctor's appointment and eat. Seniors are struggling every day. This budget is not helping them. The carbon tax is not helping them. Our groceries are delivered by …
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Mr. Speaker, we would be hard pressed to find an individual in this chamber who does not love Canada. However, there is a difference in approach in this House as it pertains to managing the affairs of the country on behalf of the taxpaying Canadians who have elected us. We are servants in the House of Commons, not masters. If one wants to see greatness, they should not look around this chamber but…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, rural Canadians are facing real challenges trying to make ends meet because of the carbon tax. Prices went up again for groceries, fuel and everyday life. When a truck arrives to deliver groceries, it is now more expensive. For Gail and Doug in Creston, taking the children to a volleyball tournament 320 kilometres away is no longer an option. This NDP-Liberal government's carbon tax i…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
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, here is the issue: People cannot afford the carbon tax today. To say that it is only 3¢ is not the point; the point is that they do not have the money to buy their groceries. They do not have the money to take their children on holidays. They just do not have any money. They cannot buy homes. They cannot rent houses. The taxes we have today are overpowering. When we talk about the c…
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Mr. Speaker, although I do not agree with the budget, I was very interested in the “gold-digger” clause on veterans. Of course, I have a lot of people who are involved in that and certainly support it. I wonder if the member can just expand a bit on the “gold-digger” clause, which is a clause about the spouses of veterans who have died. Why is that hung up? Why have we not moved forward with that?…
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Madam Speaker, in the last several months, we have seen accountability raise its head here in Parliament with Bill C-5, Bill C-75 and Bill C-11. Without accountability, it is as though the government does not actually care what we are doing because with a majority government, the NDP and Liberals can make decisions based on what they think is right and there is no accountability. With Bill C-5, th…
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Madam Speaker, the member is right. When we get to committee, we can iron out some of the flaws that we have seen in Bill C-26. It is going to be important to focus on accountability and the member did not address that. That is where this bill can either succeed or fail. We need to ensure there is an accountability process for the government, so when it follows through with Bill C-26, we have a pr…
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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 …
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, critical minerals present a generational opportunity for Canada in many areas, with exploration, extraction, processing and downstream product manufacturing among them. The future is not void of extraction of critical minerals. In fact, without critical minerals there are no batteries, no electric cars, no wind turbines and no solar panels. Wind turbines need platinum and rare earth m…
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Madam Speaker, I am not too sure what the specific scandals were, but this bill certainly opens the door for information sharing and, as was brought up, intelligence sharing, and, through accountability, we can cover those. We can actually be accountable in how we share information safely and we can protect the rights of Canadians.
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Mr. Speaker, we heard the Liberals talking about rumour mongering and about fundraising. I wonder if the member can talk to us about how victims feel hearing those kinds of comments.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the findings by the Auditor General that the government paid $6.1 million in Canada Emergency Response Benefit payments to 1,522 recipients that were incarcerated for the entire benefit period: (a) how much of the $6.1 million has been recovered as of December 6, 2022; (b) how many of the 1,522 recipients have yet to repay the government; and (c) to date, why has the government not …
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With regard to Arctic and offshore patrol ships (AOPS): (a) what were the total expenditures related to non-warranty repair work for AOPS, broken down by ship and by year since they were launched; and (b) what are the details of the non-warranty repair work, including, for each, the (i) date, (ii) ship, (iii) cost, (iv) description of the repair work?
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, Mary called me on the weekend. She is a senior on a fixed income, and her doctor is 230 kilometres away. She cannot afford the fuel inflation. The Auditor General today revealed $32 billion in questionable spending, including $54 million to build a $250,000 app, billions in wage subsidies to wealthy corporations, and issuing cheques to prisoners and organized crime. Will the minister …
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With regard to contracts signed by the government since January 1, 2020, related to the Roxham Road border crossing: what are the details of all such contracts, including, for each, (i) the date, (ii) the vendor, (iii) the value, (iv) a description of goods or services, including volume, (v) whether the contract was awarded through a sole-sourced contract or competitive bid process?
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Kelowna—Lake Country for her work on this important legislation. At its core, Bill C-283 is about ensuring those with addictions are provided the help they need. It is also about providing their loved ones with peace of mind. Those addicted to drugs are someone's mother, father, sister, brother, son, daughter or friend. I will be reading this speech not onl…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for the great speech and an awesome bill. I am just wondering about small businesses and whether you did some outreach on the effect this would have on small businesses and what they are encountering today with the challenges we are having with the opioid crisis, the damages and things like that.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I am presenting a petition today in support of Bill S-223, a bill that seeks to combat forced organ harvesting and trafficking. This bill has been before the House in various forms for approaching 15 years. The petitioners want to see the bill, Bill S-223, passed as soon as possible.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, as a former member with a son serving in the RCMP, my thoughts and prayers are with the family of Constable Shaelyn Yang and with RCMP members across Canada. Every day, we ask our sons and daughters, our husbands and wives to serve and to keep us safe, and we pray that they come home. A cold and devastating quiet spread across our nation yesterday with the news that one of our own had…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, this tax-and-spend government plans to raise the carbon tax from the current level of $50 a tonne to $170 a tonne by 2030. British Columbians are already stretched thin by an out-of-touch government that is now asking B.C. to triple its carbon tax, making life even more unaffordable. Will the government back down from forcing B.C. to triple, triple, triple its carbon tax on gas, groce…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, in celebration of National Forest Week, the Forest Products Association of Canada's annual Awards of Excellence is an incredible program designed to recognize the dedicated professionals who work in Canada's forest sector and the academics, community leaders and professionals who work hard to advance the environmental and economic benefits of Canadian forestry. I am honoured to rise i…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the government's decision to allow the possession of up to 2.5 grams of hard drugs, including fentanyl, to be decriminalized in British Columbia: (a) does Health Canada consider a 2.5 gram dose of fentanyl to be potentially lethal; (b) does Health Canada still consider the statement on its website in reference to fentanyl that "A few grains can be enough to kill you" to be accurate;…
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