Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we are used to that member playing politics in this House and attacking and maligning the character of great Canadians, but let me reference a member that these individuals on the Conservative benches like to quote over and over again. Yesterday, the “food professor”, Sylvain Charlebois, at the INDU committee, said that climate change is the agri-food sector's “greatest challenge” and…
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Mr. Speaker, I have one word: hypocritical. That is what we call it when people say they care about something and then do the exact opposite. It is like when Conservatives say they care about people who have to use a food bank, but then want to cut a program that is going to feed 400,000 more kids per year. It is like when Conservatives say they care about violent crime, but then want to make it e…
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Mr. Speaker, after the deeply disturbing realization that the Indian government has been interfering in Canada's democracy, including with the murder of a Canadian citizen and intimidation of many others, how can anyone trust the Conservative leader to protect Canadians? He will not get the same security clearance as all other party leaders have. The Conservative leader knows full well that the NS…
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Mr. Speaker, it seems the Conservatives cannot see past their own doomsday narrative. Canada leads the G7 in reaching a soft landing in the global postpandemic surge in inflation and interest rates. It is the first G7 country to cut interest rates not once, not twice, not three times, but four times in a row. This is good news for homeowners who currently have mortgages that need renewal and for f…
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Mr. Speaker, the Bank of Canada governor has reported numerous times that our government has stuck to its fiscal guardrails and, through that discipline, has allowed for inflation to drop in this country. The IMF, in its World Economic Outlook, projects Canada will have the highest growth in the G7 in 2025. Also, wages in Canada have outpaced inflation for 20 months in a row. For Canadians, that m…
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by wishing Canadians a happy Halloween. What kids should be most frightened about this Halloween is the cuts that would be made by the Conservative leader. I apologize to Johnny Depp in advance, but the leader of the Conservatives is like the Edward Scissorhands of politics. What else is truly spooky? The Conservative leader refuses to get his security clearance …
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Mr. Speaker, our government's top priority from day one has been making life more affordable for Canadians. We are focused on increasing competition and lowering prices in the telecom sector. Since 2023, we have been holding companies like Rogers accountable by eliminating switching fees and attacking extra and unnecessary fees so that Canadian consumers are empowered to find a plan that works for…
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Madam Speaker, Canadians know where this government stands. We have offered immediate and direct support to families, especially when they needed it most. We have delivered household savings and significantly strengthened our social safety net. We have promoted fairer practices and greater competition across our industries. Notice that there are real solutions and zero slogans from this side. I gu…
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Mr. Speaker, it is sad to see Conservatives denying the need for climate action, given that businesses are hurting right now. Climate damages are leading to economic losses of $25 billion per year and will quadruple by mid-century. That is real incentive to act, and industry and businesses demand it. The Conservatives can no longer deny the economic realities of climate change and hide behind thei…
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Mr. Speaker, our government is very proud of the anchor generational investments that we have helped to incentivize and bring into the Canadian economy. The Northvolt project is one of many, and it is an important one. I can assure the member that no federal funding has gone out, as the minister has made clear, and that there is flexibility with Northvolt. We know that the Northvolt project is imp…
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise to celebrate the important work of Genwell, a grassroots movement tackling one of today's biggest challenges, which is loneliness. As social beings, we thrive on human connection. In a world where much of our interaction has moved online, in-person connections are more crucial than ever. Genwell's efforts highlight the alarming reality that 50% of Canadians report feeling…
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Madam Speaker, I was a little shocked to hear the hon. member call some of our programs and the things we stand for and have been implementing, “all of [those] care programs”, as if they can be lumped into some nebulous, unintelligible phrase. It seems to me a shame that he does not understand the value of pharmacare, dental care, mental health care and the health care investments we have made. Al…
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Madam Speaker, our government continues to manage Canada's public finances responsibly. I know the member opposite seems to disagree with that, but he should remember that our debt service costs are the lowest in the G7 when compared to GDP, as 0.6% of GDP is the cost to service the national debt. Also, contrary to what the member has said, the International Monetary Fund has rated Canada number o…
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Madam Speaker, I find the member opposite's speech and question a bit melodramatic, but he is known for that in this House. As the hon. member is aware, the CBSA initiated an internal investigation as soon as there were allegations of inappropriate contracting practices. The matter was also referred to the RCMP for investigation. Contracts with three companies involved, including GC Strategies, ha…
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Madam Speaker, I am proud of our government's track record on managing the resources of this country in a way that is responsible and on stewarding our country through some very challenging economic times. Again, I do not need to remind the member about the pandemic, but I will anyway; I think he has amnesia when it comes to understanding the economic impacts of a global pandemic, a once-in-a-hund…
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Madam Speaker, I will say “no” as a direct answer to the member's question, but I will offer to sing “happy birthday” to his mom if he so chooses. I do wish the member's mother a happy birthday as I have wished my mother a happy birthday fairly recently. She is a bit older than the member opposite's mom, but taught me the same values of accountability and affordability, those principles that I hol…
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Madam Speaker, it is interesting that the member talks about a false reality. From where I sit, it is the Conservatives that have a false reality. They are unhinged from reality. In fact, they offer zero solutions. They offer three-word slogans, and others such as “powerful paycheques”. What the heck does that mean? I have no clue what the Conservative Party means by that. It is a false promise. I…
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Madam Speaker, it was interesting, this summer, to see our athletes compete at the Olympics. When our gymnasts at the Olympics stick a landing, all of us cheer. I think we should do the same this week with the Bank of Canada and the Government of Canada sticking the economic landing of inflation coming down to 2%, which is the Bank of Canada's target rate. Only the Conservative Party in this House…
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Madam Speaker, once again, these Conservatives will never let the truth get in the way of their exploitation of the real challenges that Canadians are facing. They do not want to acknowledge the fact that, in Canada, inflation is down to the target rate of 2%. Interest rates are down, gas prices are down and emissions are down. However, we have heard it from the Conservatives over and over again. …
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Madam Speaker, it is unfortunate that through some crude political calculus, the NDP has compromised a progressive agenda for Canadians and abandoned the great work that we were doing together on programs like dental care, pharmacare and a national school food program, all of which strengthen the social safety net in this country. We have offered on grocery prices, with elevated inflation, a groce…
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Madam Speaker, time and again in this House, the Conservatives cite food bank line-ups and food insecurity to try to signal that they care about Canadians, while every day they stand up in this House, cheer on bad news and really root for the failure of our economy in Canada. Inflation is down to the Bank of Canada's target rate of 2%. That is good news for all Canadians. That affects food prices …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
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 “Agreement between Canada, of the one part, and the European Union, of the other part, on the Participation of Canada in Union Programmes”, which includes the “Protocol on the Association of Canada to Hor…
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Mr. Speaker, it is a shame that the NDP's recent hard right turn has taken them down the wrong path. It is too bad that they have caved to Conservative pressure. We worked collaboratively for many months to introduce numerous rounds of changes to Canada's competition laws. These are significant signs of progress that would amount to better prices and more options for Canadians and include more pow…
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Mr. Speaker, I always appreciate my hon. colleague's remarks. Every day we hear in the House the Conservatives talk about the cost of living pressures that Canadians are under. Obviously, they continually make it sound like global inflation has been caused by our government. We know that is not true, and it is misleading to imply that. We see in this budget numerous measures that would help Canadi…
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Mr. Speaker, it was great to hear the member recognize climate change. It is not often we hear Conservatives speak about stress on prairie grass or heatwaves, wildfires or droughts, which the member opposite mentioned, so he is recognizing the impacts on our climate and on the Prairies, which is great to hear. The member also mentioned numerous other things that our government is doing in the fede…
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Mr. Speaker, I too have a passion and love for agri-food businesses, especially the ones in Quebec, like the microenterprises that produce high-quality products in Quebec that are to be savoured and enjoyed. When I travel through the region, I really appreciate that about Quebec. In the federal budget this year, the BIA, we have the Canada carbon rebate for small businesses, which supports a rebat…
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Mr. Speaker, I had a very hard time listening to the member referencing support for Ukraine in his speech. He stood up multiple times in the House and voted against more support for Operation Unifier, support for Ukrainian refugees coming to Canada and an updated free trade agreement between Canada and Ukraine, which President Zelenskyy himself asked us to pass. I cannot understand. The BIA has ad…
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Madam Speaker, it is clear that the Conservatives do not care about the future of our planet. They will not stand up for our children and our grandchildren. On this side of the House, we are advancing tax fairness for Canadians with our new capital gains regime. That means people earning their hard-earned incomes on their paycheques will not pay a penny more, unless they earn over $250,000 a year …
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Madam Speaker, let us review the Conservatives' record. In 2015, when our government proposed to raise taxes on the wealthiest 1% and cut them for everyone else, the Conservatives voted against it. When our government implemented carbon pricing that put more money in eight out of 10 families' pockets, ensuring everyone but the wealthiest were better off, the Conservatives voted against it. When ou…
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Madam Speaker, it is clear that this question has been answered numerous times, but it is no surprise that Conservatives do not want to talk about their embarrassing vote against tax fairness. Conservatives believe that, if someone is flipping burgers, they should pay more tax than if they are flipping stocks or houses. With our plan, we are standing up for tax fairness, and let us just be clear t…
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Madam Speaker, it is clear the Conservatives do not care about the future of the planet. They do not care about tax fairness. They do not care about investments that Canadians need and rely on. They believe that, if someone is flipping burgers, they should pay more tax than if they are flipping homes or flipping stocks to make a living. Under our plan for tax fairness, if someone does not profit b…
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Mr. Speaker, this government has done more to support our local economies than any government I have ever seen in Canadian history. We are stimulating jobs and increasing productivity. We have made major investments in the research ecosystem within our economy, which is promoting innovation and creating more jobs for a sustainable future. I could not be more proud of this government. I know the me…
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to give a shout-out to Whitby's graduating class of 2024. These students are the generation that is going to change the game. They should not just dream big; they should dream bold. They should dream like they are the only ones who can change the game, because they can. They should think about how they can make a difference, how they can leave their mark. They are the one…
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Madam Speaker, maybe we will just start on a very collaborative note with, I am sure, a comment that all members in the House will be unified on. I want to say, “Go, Edmonton Oilers”. They have tied it up in the Stanley Cup, in the third game of the series. It is good to see the Oilers score a goal and tie it up. I am really hoping that they come out on top tonight. I am very pleased to rise in th…
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Madam Speaker, I know that Conservatives often have trouble understanding that the world changes and things evolve over time. I would answer the member's question by saying this: Our government has paid a lot of attention to refocusing government spending, which amounts to a refocusing of $15.8 billion in spending by 2027-28. That is a pretty significant amount of refocused government spending, wh…
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Madam Speaker, I appreciate the question from the member opposite. We both served on the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food for quite some time, and I always appreciated working with him. At the time, we had talked about international trade and the impacts on the supply-managed sector. I note that, in the study we did, we saw that there was very little impact at the time. I think ther…
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Madam Speaker, I will say that our government certainly stands behind wanting to preserve a publicly funded health care system. Obviously, we have renegotiated the Canada health transfer, which was increased quite significantly, to the tune of approximately $200 billion. It is a significant increase from past iterations of that agreement. I note that we also signed bilateral agreements with provin…
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Mr. Speaker, it is clear to me that the Conservatives have only slogans. They produce no solutions or offer any solutions of any kind for any of the issues that Canadians are facing today. Our government is busy putting forward solutions and implementation plans and making investments in Canadians. We know that we have to invest in people to create the kind of prosperity and country that we want. …
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Madam Speaker, I always am amazed at the passion the member puts into his oration in the House. Daily in the House, the Conservatives cite food bank lineups as being an issue they care about. However, when it comes to supporting children, when it comes to feeding hungry children, and I note Breakfast Club of Canada is very popular in Quebec and does a great deal of work supporting breakfast progra…
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Mr. Speaker, I note that, when asked for solutions, the member offered a couple of gimmicky slogans. I cannot think of any term for them other than “slogan”. “Pay as you go”, was what the member said. It is interesting that this concept is a way of looking at our fiscal environment and saying that it is what the government needs to do, but the member opposite has not ever pronounced, as is the sam…
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Madam Speaker, I would note that there were many statements strung together in the member's speech that seem to be false. I am not sure who constructed that speech, but there are a lot of different things that I could take issue with. We know that Conservatives do not care about climate change. They voted hundreds of times in this House against any action on climate change whatsoever. The member's…
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Mr. Speaker, I have to give the Conservatives some credit finally. I know it has taken me a long time to reach this conclusion, but they are exceptional at stringing together misleading and false statements into speeches. The member opposite talked about quality of life. He used that phrase in his speech. Our government's budget and the BIA invest in helping Canadians be able to save or to buy the…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his work at the finance committee. I have enjoyed working with him. I understand that there are interjurisdictional issues that the member has rightfully pointed out in the debate today in relation to the consumer-driven banking framework. He and I have had some good discussions about that, and I look forward to more. There are a lot of other things in the …
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Mr. Speaker, children are our future. I have young children. All of us with children certainly understand that they are the future of our country. We could make no better investment in the future generation than investing in children, whether it be food, dental care, pharmacare, child care, all the things that our government is doing to support families, so they can achieve and have a fair chance …
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Mr. Speaker, the member's speech was a bunch of slogans strung together with a lot of falsehoods scattered throughout. The main one I would take issue with right now is that the member blames the federal government for global inflation. Members in the Conservative Party do this on a daily basis. This is interesting because every country in the world, postpandemic, has been dealing with an inflatio…
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Mr. Speaker, it is my sincere pleasure to stand before the House in support of the budget implementation act, 2024, No. 1, which would implement many of our government's key priorities in budget 2024, entitled “Fairness For Every Generation.” All children deserve a fair start in life, and I think we can all agree on that, yet nearly one in four kids in Canada lives in a household with too little i…
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Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Bloc Québécois regularly brings up interjurisdictional issues when it comes to the federal government making key investments to support Canadians. Whether they live in Quebec or any other province, all Canadians deserve investments in the kinds of supports they need to solve the affordable housing crisis, to create a stronger social safety net, to increase resear…
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Mr. Speaker, since being elected in 2019, I have been an advocate for individuals with disabilities and have advocated for the Canada disability benefit from day one. I have been in touch with my constituents living with disabilities, and I feel strongly about the $200 more per month, notwithstanding that provinces and territories have neglected to provide the supports necessary to individuals liv…
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Mr. Speaker, I want to start by thanking the hon. colleague for her question and her tireless advocacy. I also want to acknowledge that I am standing on the unceded traditional territory of the Anishinabe Algonquin people. The negative impacts of the legacies of colonialism are numerous and wide-reaching for indigenous peoples. Poor housing conditions, overcrowding and homelessness are just a few …
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Mr. Speaker, obviously we are very concerned as a government with any instances of online fraud that we see. I note that our recent budget implementation act has numerous measures to crack down on money laundering and crime related to fraud. We have done lots of work in this area, successively, in both the fall economic statement and the BIA, and we look forward to looking into the matter that the…
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