Parliamentary Speeches

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to an issue that, after 25 years of service as a United Church of Canada minister, including six years working in prison chaplaincy in Yukon, is very dear to me. In 2013, the Harper government chose to privatize prison chaplaincy, and almost all non-Christian chaplains had their contracts cancelled. Members of minority faiths incarcerated in federal prisons have …

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, the following reflects a consolidated response approved on behalf of Global Affairs Canada ministers. In response to parts (a) to (f) of the question, Canada and its G7 and other allies jointly decided to take further steps to isolate Russia from the international financial system and impose consequences for its actions, including by establishing the Russian elites, proxies and oligar…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we believe in action. That is why we have an effective range of sanctions that are taking place on those who commit the atrocities in Iran. Because of these new sanctions and the framework we have put in place, we are able to target the core leadership of the Iranian leadership. They will not be able to hide in Canada. They will not be able to hide anywhere.…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, Canada is extremely concerned about the treatment of Uighurs in Xinjiang, China. We are taking the allegations of genocide against the Uighurs very seriously. We have condemned China at every opportunity with our Five Eyes partners, with G7 partners, at the UN Human Rights Council, at the UN and, most important, with Chinese officials directly. We will continue to stand with the Uighu…

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, while trained as a professional forester, my father worked some 25 years in and around the Canadian mining industry. I too worked adjacent to it, as an accountant, early in my career. It is from that history and with great respect that today I recognize the important work done by the Mining Association of Canada. The “towards sustainable mining” initiative of MAC is changing the indus…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, we continue to urge China to respect its international human rights obligations and address the concerns raised in the Bachelet report. We take that report seriously. It has raised the possibility of extreme crimes against humanity. We will continue to fight for human rights and the respect of minority rights for everybody in China and around the world.

Private Members' Business

Madam Speaker, advancing human rights is an integral part of the Government of Canada's multilateral engagement in our foreign policy, and as such it does not, as the previous member suggested, ever need to be pushed toward that work. Around the world, we are increasingly seeing concerning trends with some authoritarian governments seeking to undermine international human rights norms, be it Russi…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, the following reflects a consolidated response approved on behalf of Global Affairs Canada ministers. As a Pacific nation, Canada is committed to being a reliable partner in the Indo-Pacific. Canada will always look for ways to work with partners to advance common interests for peace and security. Canada’s defence and security engagement is increasing across the region, including thro…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to present a petition forwarded to me from the residents of Toronto—St. Paul's, the riding neighbouring Don Valley West. The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to begin immediate negotiations with the Government of P.E.I. for the development and implementation of a guaranteed livable income project for Prince Edward Island. I have heard from many residents …

Adjournment Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I would simply reiterate that Canada's commitment to advancing nuclear disarmament is unwavering. Indeed, we were very aware and took very strong note of the first meeting of the state's parties of the TPNW. Important conversations were had. We are well aware of them, but with 191 states having joined the NPT in over 52 years of history, we are focused on continuing to strengthen that…

Adjournment Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands for both her original question and her statements tonight. I want to be clear that Canada has always had a clear policy of disarmament, non-proliferation and peaceful use of nuclear energy. The 52-year-old Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the NPT, a treaty with near-universal adherence, is at the root of Canada's n…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I would agree with the parliamentary secretary. The issues I hear about in Don Valley West are issues of affordability. They can be about affordable housing or housing affordability. They can be about the inclusion of newcomers into the country. The people in Don Valley West, particularly in Thorncliffe Park, are newcomers to this country and looking for a future, yet they are not a…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I think my speech had more to do with the motion than the question does today. However, I think it is a valid question. The question of electoral reform should be on all our minds all the time. It was a debate that we had in the 2015-2017 period. It was a hard debate. I had three town halls on electoral reform, three large town halls. It came out that about 50% of my constituents wa…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, as the Prime Minister has said repeatedly, there is no more important relationship than our relationship with indigenous Canadians. There is no more important work that we have to do than to get the hard work of reconciliation done. That will take the efforts of every single one of us, and it will take our work, day in and day out, not only to correct the tremendous historical injus…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, the fundamental basis of my speech was to ensure that we bring this House back to the matters that Canadians are concerned about. We will disagree on how to solve those problems. We will disagree on whether or not we should have certain taxes or not certain taxes, certain programs or not certain programs, but I do not doubt that anyone in this House is concerned about those. We go b…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, it is absolutely important for me to reiterate that I did not say symbols were not important. Symbols are very important. The symbolic nature of the Crown continues to edify, continues to support and continues at times to challenge us to be better than ourselves. My husband is also a descendant of Acadians. I know that story extremely well and I value that story very well. It is an …

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, there is a thread between what I have been saying throughout this speech and the motion being presented today, as well as in line with the questions from the last intervention. Each of those questions talked about the legitimacy of a motion like this while the country has strong and very persistent problems. It takes up the time of the House, so it is absolutely critical that we loo…

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I will argue again that absolutely everything I have said is relevant to this motion, because we have a constitutional monarchy. We have had a constitutional monarchy in the past; I think for as long as I live we will have a constitutional monarchy, and I am glad for that. Canada has a system of government that works for Canadians. It works to develop the appropriate responses, and …

Government Orders

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today on the motion tabled by our hon. colleague from the Bloc Québécois to speak to an important issue. That issue is Canadian democracy and the Crown. We will be opposing this motion. I know I speak for all my colleagues when I say that representing a riding in the House of Commons is an honour and a privilege. One of the very foundations of our democracy is p…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, I think every member of this House stands to condemn the heinous actions of the Iranian regime. We stand in solidarity with women, particularly Mahsa Amini, and all of the people who have been subjected to the tremendous terror of this regime. That is why we have said that Iran is a state sponsor of terror and we will continue to take every action necessary to ensure that Iran's crime…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we want real action that will actually target where danger lies. We do not have time for jargon and rhetoric. We do not have time to try to make a political spectacle out of this. Real people are hurting. Real Canadians have been hurt. We will continue to take every action possible to make sure that we target very specifically those who commit heinous crimes…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House we believe in action, and we have been taking action for 1,000 days. Canada will never be a sanctuary for any terrorist from any country, including from Iran. Canada will always have a strong sanctions regime. That is why this week we announced 35 more sanctions on people who have committed crimes in Iran. That adds to the already 200 sanctions that were put …

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, it has been 1,000 days, 1,000 long days for moms, dads, sisters and brothers to deal with the tragedy, the criminal action that was the downing of flight PS752. The government has been taking action every day in that regard, and we are incredibly seized with constantly making sure we listen to the families, we act within international law and we continue to get justice for the familie…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, that is an important question and a sincere one. I share with her the frustration. I share with her the anger and the impatience of victims of flight PS752. I also share the expression of courage and tenacity of the women who are bravely on the streets and in the universities of Iran today. We will continue to work with her, her party and anyone else in the House who would like to fin…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, this past June I went to Northern Secondary School for their graduation ceremony. I watched about 400 kids graduate from grade 12. One person was not there. Her name was Maya Zibaie, and she was in grade 10 when she was killed by criminal action that downed a plane, flight 752. Let us respect Maya's memory for a moment. Let us for a moment respect her family and all the families who l…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, I am going to rather humbly suggest we pack the rhetoric aside for a moment. One thing I heard very clearly from the families of victims of flight 752 was that we should not make this a partisan issue. That is what they said out there today. That is what they are asking every day. They are asking for us to work constructively and creatively together. Yesterday I had the opportunity to…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, that is the second speech from the member, and I am very pleased to be able to respond to it. Canada made the very difficult decision to make a waiver on returning the first of a few turbines that needed to go to keep energy flowing to Europe. We are an internationalist, multilateral government, and we listen to our allies. We make difficult decisions to ensure that we are at one, in …

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his speech. I thought it was thoughtful and important and added to the dignity of this House. In the member's closing remark, he talked about the importance of ensuring that no country in the world accepts the illegal annexation of those four territories. Is he then implying that it would be important for us to maintain our links with allies on everything to ens…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Winnipeg North. It has been over 200 days since Russia's President Putin launched his illegal, unjustifiable and despicable invasion of Ukraine. With each day that passes, the number of civilians, including children, killed and wounded, now in the thousands, continues to climb. On a global scale, the consequences of Russia's military aggre…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question. I think it is very important to have a discussion about the meaning and importance of unity among allies and organizations like NATO. I will continue to talk about the fact that NATO and our allies who are engaged in this conflict are doing it with a great sensitivity, very much aware that missteps could make the conflict broader and even more di…

Statements By Members

Mr. Speaker, Easter Seals is celebrating its centennial anniversary this year, representing 100 years of advocacy, support and service for hundreds of thousands of Canadians living with disabilities in our country. With its head office in Don Valley West, Easter Seals is Canada's largest local provider of programs and services for the disability community. Easter Seals provides summer camps, schol…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Whitby for his continued support and commitment to the people of Ukraine, like every member of this House. Canada strongly condemns the sham so-called referendums that Russia has planned in the occupied regions of Ukraine. They are completely illegitimate. Canada will never recognize them, and we are urging other countries to join with us in rejecting…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), (b) and (c), the Indo-Pacific Advisory Committee will pursue its mandate in a cost-effective manner. In light of ongoing COVID-related considerations and the geographic diversity of committee members, a majority of committee engagements are expected to be pursued on a virtual basis. Indo-Pacific Advisory Committee members are participating on the committee in a per…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, the following reflects a consolidated response approved on behalf of Global Affairs Canada ministers. In response to parts (i) to (v) of the question, the legal determination of whether a situation constitutes genocide must be done by a competent international or national court or tribunal, bearing in mind that the legal definition of genocide is precise and complex, as outlined in in…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, in response to parts (a) to (c), Canada is unwavering in its support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Canada has also led in the international efforts to support Ukraine and will continue to be there for them. The decision to send a protocol officer to the Russia Day event hosted at the Russian embassy was made by Global Affairs Canada. No Canadian representative sh…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, the following reflects a consolidated response approved on behalf of Global Affairs Canada ministers. In response to parts (a) to (e), Canada is unwavering in its support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. Canada has also led in the international efforts to support Ukraine and will continue to do everything in its power to hold Putin and his enablers accountable as we…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, the following reflects a consolidated response approved on behalf of Global Affairs Canada ministers. Canada has no intention of recognizing the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan. Similar to likeminded partners, Canada engages the Taliban informally through its senior official for Afghanistan, based in Doha. Canada engages the Taliban informally to convey key messages including…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), Human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent, and interrelated. The promotion and protection of human rights, including freedom of religion or belief, is a core priority of Canada’s foreign policy. Canada continues to call on the government of China, both privately and publicly, to respect the rights of Tibetans and to take steps to improve the human rig…

Statements by Members

Mr. Speaker, every one of us who has the privilege to sit in this chamber is here because of the hard work, intelligence and love of the staff who support us every day. This past week, the Liberal family lost one of our most valuable members. At the very young age of 36, Trevor Robert Thomas Harrison died in the presence of his beloved wife Kaisha, his wonderful and devoted parents Karen and John …

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the hon. member that we are very concerned for the well-being of Mr. Graham. Consular officials, both here in Ottawa and in Spain, have taken this very seriously and will continue to advise us as we continue to search for information about his well-being. We will be in contact with his friends and family as well. The minister has asked for a complete understanding of …

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour today to stand, on both my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Don Valley West, to remember, honour and pay tribute to Her late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada. All of us were caught by surprise at the events of last week. We knew in our heads that this day would come, but in our hearts I think we all hoped it never would. My first thoughts are …

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, I think the hon. member raises a very important issue. With respect to Canada's unprecedented sanctioning of Russia, it started when Russia invaded Crimea illegally. It has continued. Those sanctions have been strengthened at an unprecedented level as Russia illegally invaded Ukraine again. We continue to sanction a banking system, Mr. Putin and his inner circle, members of the Russia…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), Global Affairs Canada participated, along with other implicated government departments, in a whole-of-government review of the Afghanistan emergency response. This exercise was led by Privy Council Office from October 2021. Global Affairs Canada conducted a complementary internal after-action review, or lessons learned exercise, for activities falling within the de…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, with regard to (a), (b) and (c), Canada’s sanctions regime prohibits persons in Canada and Canadians abroad from engaging in activities related to the property of sanctioned persons, including the provision of financial or related services. As a result, the assets of sanctioned persons are effectively frozen. They cannot be sold and they cannot be transferred, making transactions invo…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, again it is an honour to talk about the steadfast friendship that we have with Israel. We are a friend and ally of Israel and we are a friend of the Palestinian people. In that context, we are committed to the goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East. We know that this is not easy. It takes time, energy and commitment, and that will always include the creatio…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, one thing that has brought this House together over this last number of months is our solidarity in our support for Ukraine and our condemnation of the illegal invasion by Russia into Ukraine. What we have also done is work in an unprecedented fashion in imposing sanctions upon Russia to level that playing field and bring Russia down as we lift Ukraine up in this battle of their lives…

Adjournment Proceedings

Madam Speaker, I was so complimentary to the member in my response, so I expected something back in return and I do not want to take a right turn. I actually want to keep the issue on Ukraine. I do not want to get into all the other issues he has raised, because I do not think that is what we are about today. What we are about today is ensuring that women and children—and men and boys—who may be v…

Adjournment Proceedings

Madam Speaker, I sincerely want to thank the member for Peace River—Westlock for raising this issue, not only in question period recently, but regularly and in an ongoing way. I think he is making a profound difference by raising the issue with gravity and with sincerity, and also by bringing to light the horrendous situation faced by women and girls and others who face the risk of trafficking eve…

Routine Proceedings

Mr. Speaker, the following reflects a consolidated response approved on behalf of Global Affairs Canada ministers. In response to parts (a), (b) and (c) of the question, in coordination with allies and partners, Canada will continue to escalate sanctions and close loopholes to maximize pressure against the Russian regime until President Putin stops his war on Ukraine and turns to diplomacy. The me…

Oral Questions

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the ongoing and unwavering commitment of this member as well. Nuclear proliferation is a concern to all Canadians. We are very well aware of this. We are well aware of the various multilateral fora that are working on this issue. We will continue to monitor them every day because we know that a nuclear war can never be won and should never be fought.