Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are being hit with the highest inflation rate in a generation and costs are skyrocketing. Wages are not keeping up and it is getting harder and harder to make ends meet. From affecting the cost of gas, groceries and everything else, the scheduled carbon tax increase on April 1 will only exacerbate this problem. The affordability crisis in this country is being fuelled by the…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, clearly the government does not care if it makes lives miserable for Canadians. The pocketbooks of Canadians cannot keep up with skyrocketing costs. Just last week the Bank of Canada revealed that the carbon tax alone increased inflation by 0.4%, confirming that this Liberal policy is hurting Canadians. It is a failed policy that is even more costly for those living in rural communiti…
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Mr. Speaker, maybe I will get an answer to this question. Putin’s unprovoked aggression and invasion of Ukraine is an attack on all western democracies and a threat to the very values that underpin our country. Putin is violating international law, and he is infringing on Ukrainian sovereignty and killing innocent civilians. In no uncertain terms, Russia’s ambassador to Canada is complicit. He is …
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Mr. Speaker, with strong ties to Canada, many displaced Ukrainians are looking to come to Canada for safe shelter. In their time of great need, Canada can extend help to them. As Canadian provinces welcome Ukrainians fleeing Russian aggression, supports and services are needed for their resettlement. To ensure that is speedy and successful, additional supports are needed now. Will the Prime Minist…
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Madam Speaker, right off the hop, I want to acknowledge that it is Family Day here in Saskatchewan, and I hope the residents of Battlefords—Lloydminster, despite the cold weather, are able to go out and enjoy some activities, since Saskatchewan has lifted almost all of its restrictions. We know that the invocation of the Emergencies Act is not only unprecedented but also extreme. While the Prime M…
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Madam Speaker, in my opinion this was predictable. It is actually an example of what I said in my speech, that the Prime Minister does not listen to the premiers. If the Prime Minister had sat down, spoken to and heard what these Canadians had to say about how these restrictions are affecting their livelihoods and their opportunities to make a living, I believe we would not be in this position. Th…
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Madam Speaker, again, this comes down to failed leadership. We know that law enforcement has the ability. We have seen this. I gave the examples of the Ambassador Bridge and also Coutts. This comes down to the Prime Minister failing to acknowledge actual concerns that Canadians have and how it has affected their families and their livelihoods for the past two years. The fact that the Liberal gover…
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Madam Speaker, I do agree that there is lots of disinformation on any side of any issue, but I think this comes down to having communication. If leaders are not willing to communicate with their constituents, or in this case the Prime Minister with Canadians because they might think differently than him, that is a problem. I also want to challenge the member. Is he just going to vote along with th…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, it has been interesting to follow this debate and hear the justification Liberal members have to support this unprecedented government overreach through the Emergencies Act. What is interesting are the assumptions Liberals members, specifically, have about these protesters, and those assumptions kind of fall in line with everything the Prime Minister has accused the protestors of bein…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, municipalities in my riding appreciate the essential work that the RCMP does in our communities. While municipalities expected increased policing costs in the recent negotiated agreement, the increases are much higher than anticipated. Despite their exclusion from this process, the municipalities are still on the hook for these costs and, for my constituents, this bill ultimately me…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government should do a lot of things, but this does not necessarily mean it is going to do them. We have heard that today throughout the debate. However, this is a great place to start. There is this 13-year legal battle between CP and the Government of Saskatchewan worth $341 million, and the people of Saskatchewan should not have to pay. CP should have to pay so that the…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to note that I am splitting my time with the member for Saskatoon West. We know that the strength and unity of our Canadian federation is at the heart of today’s debate. Anybody who has been following the debate knows that has been the common thread. Our collective pursuit of fair treatment for every and any Canadian province will only serve to strengthen our Canadian fed…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the colleague across the way for giving me a chance to reaffirm my record. Anybody who looks at the record in Hansard will see my position on a carbon tax. It is ineffective and makes life more expensive for Canadians. The member opposite would know that I have always been against a carbon tax. It does not work in rural Canada, especially in a landlocked province where every c…
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Mr. Speaker, I believe this is actually about fairness. I support any province that wants to amend the Constitution, as it gives the province the ability and authority to exercise its own governance.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the June 23, 2021 contract awarded to Lifelabs for $66,307,424.27 listed on proactive disclosure: (a) what are the Treasury Board guidelines related to contracts over a certain value requiring the approval of the Minister of Public Services and Procurement; (b) did the then Minister of Public Services and Procurement approve the contract to life labs; (c) if the answer to (b) is neg…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the Canadian delegation at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow: (a) who were the members of the delegation, including, for each, what organization they represented, if applicable; (b) what are the total costs incurred to date by the government related to the delegation; and (c) what are the total costs incurred by the government to date related to the del…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, this Christmas, Canadian families across the country are feeling the squeeze. Inflation is fuelling a cost of living crisis, and for my constituents, it is a problem compounded by the Prime Minister's failed carbon tax. Paul, a small business owner in my riding, recently shared his gas bill with me, which included a carbon tax charge nearly equal to the amount charged for fuel. Heatin…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, as this is the first time I have had the privilege to rise in the House, I want to thank the constituents of Battlefords—Lloydminster who sent me here. I represent thousands of energy workers. I am so proud of the work that they do and how they are providing Canadian energy to Canadians, to Canadian families and to the world under some of the highest environmental standards in the w…
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Mr. Speaker, seniors who collected CERB and submitted a statement of estimated income with their GIS applications have been left in limbo. These seniors have been told by Service Canada that their applications are on hold and cannot be processed because they are awaiting direction. Without GIS many seniors will find themselves in serious financial hardship and some seniors stand to lose other bene…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, Canadians cannot afford more of the same from the Prime Minister and his Liberal government. As we turn the corner on the pandemic, Canadians need paycheques and opportunity. However, for my constituents whose paycheques depend on the Canadian energy sector, more of the same from the Liberal government is actually detrimental. With their livelihoods already under attack long before th…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I did not understand the question from my colleague. I will say again, like I said previously, our job as the opposition, including everybody on these benches, which includes Conservative members, NDP members, Bloc members, Green members and independent members, is to scrutinize legislation. It is the Liberal government's job to work with the opposition.
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Madam Speaker, I do not trust the Liberal government and neither do my constituents. When the Liberals pull funny business, whether it is trying to cancel committees or whether it is extending sitting hours because they failed to work the parliamentary agenda, I do not understand why this falls on us. We are doing our job. The opposition is supposed to strengthen legislation. Iron sharpens iron. I…
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Madam Speaker, it is really unfortunate that the member was throwing the Bloc under the bus in his question as siding with the government. It is the government's fault we are in this position. The Prime Minister, who is riddled with scandal and ethic breaches, prorogued Parliament to hide a cover-up. We did not need to have two Speeches from the Throne in a minority Parliament. What I would sugges…
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Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time this evening with the member for Northumberland—Peterborough South. Canadians expect that legislation passed through the House has been subject to rigorous and fulsome debate, and that the members they elect to this chamber have had the opportunity to represent their voices and to be heard. It really is unfortunate that we find ourselves here once again w…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Mr. Speaker, I would ask for a recorded division.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I very much am a big advocate for respecting provincial jurisdiction. I definitely think federal government needs to act where a federal government can and provinces need to act where they need to as well. I think this speaks to the failure of the Liberals and their plan to prepare for this pandemic and also their planning that has failed altogether going through this pandemic. What…
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Madam Speaker, what I would like to see is the Liberal government reduce its burdensome regulations on the oil and gas sector, which provides a lot of supports for many provinces, whether that is OAS, GIS, health care, schools and transfer payments. I would like to see the burden of the red tape and the regulations go away, so we can see increased revenue from our oil and gas sector.
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Madam Speaker, all of us in this place know that so many Canadians have suffered great loss over the course of this pandemic. Some of us have also been affected by some of that loss. Whether it has been loss of life, health or paycheques, we know this past year has been extremely difficult. Certainly, we know no Canadian has been immune. All Canadians have experienced a loss of control and a loss …
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Madam Speaker, I also enjoy serving with the hon. member on our committee. I will say that we heard the 10% increase for OAS for seniors age 75 and up was a campaign promise in 2019. It still has not been implemented, and I am not going to take any lessons from the Liberal government. Liberals did not think that seniors were a priority when they had a majority last term, and they did not appoint a…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, two years in the making, the long-awaited Liberal budget is a serious letdown. Seniors have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and for those seniors who were already struggling to make ends meet, this pandemic has added financial constraint. Conservatives called for increased financial supports for low-income seniors in the budget. Unfortunately, the proposed OA…
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Madam Speaker, I found a lot of what the member opposite said quite interesting. As a therapist in my previous life, I can say we wanted to get to the roots of situations with people and their actions. I heard a lot about the statistics on male suicide in rural Canada and that type of thing. I represent a rural riding in western Canada. This government has done nothing but attack the livelihoods o…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, Canadians are weary and anxious to turn the corner on COVID-19. The future of Canada is at stake, and we know this. Now is not the time to deliver a federal budget that reimagines our economy. Canadians who are struggling cannot afford to have the Prime Minister gamble their financial security on an ideological plan that picks winners and losers, a plan that neglects job, sectors and …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
With regard to the impact on the Canadian economy of the decision by the President of the United States to cancel the permits related to the Keystone XL pipeline project: (a) what are the government’s estimates on the number of job losses, both direct and indirect, as a result of the decision; and (b) what are the government’s estimates on the economic losses, both direct and indirect, as a result…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I never think that a top-down “Ottawa knows best” approach works for anything. This country is very vast and regionally has many differences, especially when we look at our seniors living in rural Canada. They have different needs and access to necessities than urban seniors do. We absolutely have to have the stakeholders and front-line workers having this conversation and giving th…
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Madam Speaker, I think a great thing about the Conservative caucus is that we definitely have different opinions. We are allowed to debate those opinions and we bring them to the table. That being said, as I stated in my remarks we absolutely need to hear from the people on the front lines, senior advocates and those caring for our seniors. With best practices, I absolutely think there is an oppor…
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Madam Speaker, as I touched on in my remarks, first we need to have a collaborative approach. That has to be not only with all levels of government, including provincial, territorial and even municipal, but also with caregiving organizations and senior advocates, as they have so much to offer. Having met with so many of them from across the nation, I think they have first-hand experience that some…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Calgary Nose Hill. We know that Canadians have the right to live and age with dignity and every senior, regardless of where they reside, is owed it. Long-term care homes have been at the centre of the COVID-19 pandemic and this past year has been extremely difficult for our seniors in care, their families and the front-line workers in …
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Madam Speaker, I would like to ask a question regarding the 4,000 personal support workers, or PSWs, who are being trained. The trainees are being accelerated in an online program, and then they go into the field and receive the bulk of their practical training with already understaffed, overworked personal support workers who just do not have the time. I am wondering if the minister thinks that t…
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Madam Speaker, I agree that long-term care homes have been the centre of the COVID-19 pandemic, but I missed a few things from his speech. I know that a workforce crisis, insufficient resources, limited access to care and aging infrastructure have all been identified as contributing factors to the outbreaks and fatalities in some long-term care facilities. Does the leader of the New Democrats agre…
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Madam Speaker, I do not know where to start. I heard the member say that we need this Ottawa approach, and I am very much against an “Ottawa knows best” approach. I do not think that actually works. However, he also talked about jurisdictional responsibilities. I am a little confused if it is the “Ottawa knows best” approach that he is coming at this with or a jurisdictional approach, which would …
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Mr. Speaker, as somebody who worked on the front lines and experienced failed suicide attempts of children and adults coming into a hospital and who needed help, and as somebody who has seen first-hand another option being suggested as easier, or people being offered a suggestion of looking at something else, it is a very fine line with who that is being offered to. This is why we have such an imp…
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Mr. Speaker, we absolutely have to take the pause because there has not even been a review of the existing framework, which was supposed to be done already. COVID can be used as the excuse, but I do not think we should just leave it up to chance that good things will be done or safeguards will be put in place.
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Mr. Speaker, I spoke about the balance of autonomy. We have to make sure that the cost of autonomy will not be people falling through the cracks. Just last fall, there was a senior from Ontario, who I referred to in my speech, who decided on MAID because she did not want to live through another lockdown. I hope that we can offer hope to people, and that medical practitioners are being first given …
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Madam Speaker, I want to note that I will be splitting my time this evening with the member for Oshawa. It is interesting that we are speaking to Bill C-7 today under these circumstances. As legislators, we have a very weighty responsibility to do our due diligence in considering legislation. We have a duty to Canadians and the constituents who elected us to thoroughly analyze and review the legis…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, WestJet announced last week that it would be halting its regional route to Lloydminster. This route is an important service to my constituents in Lloydminster and the surrounding communities. Its permanent loss would be devastating. This closure is just the latest, as the Canadian aviation industry continues to wait endlessly for a plan from this government. What is the Prime Minist…
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Mr. Speaker, we have to realize as well that Canada is made up of many provinces and territories, and many provinces already have programs targeted for low-income seniors when it comes to pharmacare. I am from Saskatchewan, and Saskatchewanians, particularly seniors who live in these rural and remote parts of the province, reject the carbon tax. The carbon tax is making everything more expensive, …
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Mr. Speaker, that particular colleague is really good at mansplaining women in this place. He does that every time he has an opportunity to speak to me, which is very unfortunate. Let us talk about priority. Who was it who created a spot at the cabinet table for a minister for seniors? I am pretty sure that was Stephen Harper. Who took three years into its majority to appoint a minister for senior…
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Mr. Speaker, my own thoughts on this are on how much longer we are going to be in this pandemic. The Prime Minister has increased the carbon tax, which will affect seniors on a fixed income. Their gas will be more expensive, their home heating will be more expensive, and ultimately even groceries will be more expensive. The essentials will be more expensive. The government speaks for itself on the…
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Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time this morning with the member for Lévis—Lotbinière. I have a great respect for our seniors, who have helped build this country. It is my strong belief that we as Canadians and legislators owe a lot to our seniors. We don’t have to look far to see their contributions in our families, our communities and all around us. They deserve not only our respect, but …
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Madam Speaker, the member and I see a lot of each other virtually in committee. It is nice to interact in the House with her, as well. I had a question, as my previous Conservative colleague did earlier today, regarding tax increases. We know the Prime Minister increased the carbon tax during the pandemic. I live in and represent a rural riding, and I have had lots of seniors comment to me that th…
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