Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, in relation to Bill C-10, an act respecting the commissioner for modern treaty implementation. The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House without amendment.
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, entitled “First Nations, Inuit and Métis Identity and Participation in Federal Procurement”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to my friend Steve Butland, who served as a member of Parliament in the House from 1988 to 1993. Steve and I also served on city council from 2003 to 2015. He was a one-term mayor and did a fantastic job serving with great passion. He was a mentor to me and a partner in many initiatives. Together, we co-sponsored a motion declaring Sault Ste. Marie the alte…
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Madam Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to my friend Father Hamish Currie, who passed away recently at the age of 73. He married Lisa and I and baptized my kids, and he was a supporter throughout my political career. Ordained in 1980, he served in the Soo and in Wawa. He used to reach out personally to people who were struggling, offering comfort and support beyond the pulpit. He was deep…
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Mr. Speaker, September 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Can the Minister of Indigenous Services please update the House on what our new government is doing to advance the goals of reconciliation?
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Mr. Speaker, members of Canada's Building Trades Unions are here in Ottawa this week. They represent thousands of workers who are building Canada strong. Can the Secretary of State for Labour please update the House on what this government is doing to support these very important construction workers and the unionized labour across this great country?
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, building on Bill C-48, which made substantive changes to Bill C-75, creating the reverse onus, and working with the provinces and territories, we are going to strengthen it; we are going to go further. The Prime Minister has said we are going to go even further as it relates to judicial and court reform.
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to stand here in the House of Commons. Congratulations on your success in becoming the Speaker. I paid close attention to your speech, and I look forward to your leadership as you shepherd us through the 45th Parliament. When I was first elected in 2015, people asked me how long I planned on running for. I said it would be as long as I have the sense of awe when I walk…
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Mr. Speaker, as I rise today, I want to wish my wife, Lisa, a happy 25th wedding anniversary. We are celebrating today. My wife and I live in Sault Ste. Marie, a border town, a very busy border town. Just as business never stops, so too the threats from transnational organized groups. I want to know if the House is ready to hear some really good news from the Minister of Public Safety about a new …
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Mr. Speaker, today I rise to pay tribute to the Hon. Ray Stortini, who recently passed away. Ray became one of the first judges of Italian descent appointed to the bench in Ontario. He was a champion for fair representation and legal aid. Ray was proud of his Italian heritage and west end upbringing in the Sault. He shared his traditions, stories and experience by documenting them and publishing s…
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Madam Speaker, just recently, the Prime Minister was in Prince Edward Island, announcing our school food program, which is going to put, on average, about $800 in the pockets of the people that are affected. In Ontario, we just had it done last week. It joins Manitoba and Newfoundland in helping hundreds of thousands of kids. We look forward to all provinces and territories signing up for this pro…
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Madam Speaker, on this side of the House, we know the best deals are always made at the bargaining table. The special mediator has suspended mediation services and the minister has asked both parties to go and create new proposals that will work and get back to the bargain table because Canadians are expecting them to come back and make a deal that works for all.
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the report of the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group on the 22nd bilateral meeting in Tokyo and in Tohoku, Japan, from May 13-17.
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Mr. Speaker, the current government has done more for seniors than any other government. The first thing that we did was roll back the retirement age from 67 to 65, taking 100,000 seniors out of poverty. We increased the GIS by $1,000, taking nearly a million seniors out of poverty. We increased the OAS for the most vulnerable seniors and, yes, we are doing a tax break for all Canadians, including…
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Mr. Speaker, Christmas is still more than a month away; however, with great enthusiasm and hope, Conservative MPs have already written to the big guy. Their hope is for a stocking filled with the housing accelerator money that their communities will need to build new homes. Alas, these Conservative MPs, their mayors and their communities have been grinched by the leader of the official opposition.…
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Mr. Speaker, attempts at foreign interference unfortunately have become a reality in Canada and around the world. Whether it is the Indian government's involvement in serious criminal activities against Canadian citizens, or Chinese, Russian and Iranian attempts to influence our country, our leaders must be prepared to confront these challenges head-on, and that is what leaders do. They take these…
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Mr. Speaker, the fact is that we have been there for seniors from the get-go. The first thing we did was to reverse the Conservatives' increase in the retirement age from 65 to 67. We brought it back to 65. We enhanced the GIS, taking hundreds of thousands of seniors out of poverty. We have enhanced the CPP, while the Conservative leader questions its greatness. We are always going to be there for…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour and privilege to present to the House, in both official languages, the report of the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group's co-chairs' annual visit to Japan from November 13 to 17, 2023, as well as the report of the Canada-China Legislative Association and the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group's 31st annual meeting of the Asia…
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Mr. Speaker, it is National Indigenous Peoples Month, a time to recognize and honour the contributions of indigenous peoples, their knowledge and wisdom along with their continued commitment to protecting the land and the creation. This month I want to recognize and thank the countless elders, knowledge keepers and leaders from Batchewana, Garden River, Michipicoten, Mississauga, Sagamok, Missanab…
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Mr. Speaker, as part of the age well at home initiative call for proposals held between June 8, 2022, and July 29, 2022, ESDC received one application for funding from an organization within the constituency of Thérèse-De Blainville. This application was not approved for funding. The organization was informed of this decision by ESDC during the week of April 22, 2024, and therefore there are no ou…
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Mr. Speaker, the government has had the backs of workers from the get-go. The first thing we did was reverse the most anti-union legislation ever created in the House of Commons, brought in by the Conservative government. We further went on to introduce replacement worker legislation, which I am pleased has passed. Right now, the minister is absolutely correct. There are negotiations happening at …
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Mr. Speaker, it is steel day on the Hill, and I would like to welcome all those who have come to Ottawa today to support this very important industry. I was born and raised in this steel town, and that is why I am so proud that the government has consistently stood with steel workers in the steel industry. When I was first elected, Algoma Steel was in bankruptcy protection. Tenaris Tubes had a han…
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Mr. Speaker, May is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, and MS Canada will recognize this through a variety of activities and events, including MS Day on the Hill. I would like to thank all those who go above and beyond in supporting and championing the MS community: the doctors, various health care workers, researchers, family support networks, and the entire MS Canada staff and its volunteers. I…
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Mr. Speaker, Employment and Social Development Canada, or ESDC, conducted a records search internally to determine whether the department had advertising expenditures promoting the Canada pension plan, since 2016. The search concluded that ESDC did not have any expenditures promoting specifically the Canada pension plan. However, the department had a campaign from 2018 to 2023 called Services for …
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Mr. Speaker, with regard to the group termination of employment provisions under the Canada Labour Code, part III, pertaining to labour standards, and in answer to part (a) of the question, the head of compliance and enforcement received notices of group termination of employment from Bell Canada, Bell Media Inc. and Bell Mobility Inc. in accordance with the provisions of the Canada Labour Code on…
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Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question, all consultations related to the development and the implementation of the new regulations were conducted virtually and in-house. This resulted in zero costs incurred. The only related costs were to publish the notice of intent, namely $1,542 on May 4, 2019, and to pre-publish the regulations in the Canada Gazette, Part I, namely $17,779 on Oct…
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the reports of the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group respecting its participation in the 21st bilateral meeting in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, from August 27 to 30, 2023, and the Canada-China Legislative Association and Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group respecting their part…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, we have been there from the get-go for Canada's workers. In fact, we have introduced legislation, in concert with the NDP, on replacement workers. We will continue to be there for workers every single step of the way. We have continued to change the legislation to make sure there is a level playing field, and we will continue to address the issues the member just brought up, as well a…
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Madam Speaker, we have been there for seniors from the get-go. One of the first things we did was reverse what the former prime minister, Stephen Harper, did on the world stage at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He raised that retirement age from 65 to 67, putting a lot of seniors into poverty. We have increased the GIS. We have increased the OAS. We have enhanced the CPP. Meanwhile, we do not …
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Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure today to rise to acknowledge 30 naval and officer cadets from the world-renowned Royal Military College of Canada, who have come to Ottawa today. The delegation is led by one of my best friends, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan and a professor at the RMC, Dr. Donald McFarling. Throughout the day, these fine cadets have met with government and official mem…
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Madam Speaker, let me be clear. As soon as we found out about these alleged allegations, ISED acted quickly. The Minister of Innovation has already accepted the resignation of the CEO and the chair. We take these allegations extremely seriously, which is why we are following proper due diligence. Our government is committed to ensuring that organizations that received government funding adhere to …
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Madam Speaker, this is just another example of the Conservatives being willing to say anything to oppose us in fighting climate change. They want to slash the funding to this organization that Parliament and the House voted for over 20 years ago. We are sticking to the facts and to the due process. We will continue fighting to get to the bottom of this.
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Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. As soon as we found out about these allegations, the Department of ISED acted quickly. The Minister of Innovation has already accepted the resignation of the CEO and Chair. We take these allegations extremely seriously, which is why we are doing proper due diligence. Our government is committed to ensuring that organizations that receive federal funding adhere to the …
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives will say anything to oppose fighting climate change, including saying they want to slash an organization that was voted in by this Parliament two decades ago. We are sticking to the facts and due process. We will continue fighting to get to the bottom of this.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question, in 2022, an average of 155,477 Old Age Security or OAS program recipients residing outside Canada received benefits each month. These recipients may or may not have non-resident status for tax purposes. Data limitations regarding the OAS and International Agreements administrative databases preclude the reliable identification of beneficiaries …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, it is great to stand here today with a great piece of legislation that is going to help out Canadian workers and help our economy get to the next level. We believe that Canadian workers have the right to fair, honest and balanced negotiations, where replacement workers are not waiting in the wings to take their jobs. That is why we have introduced this legislation, to ban the use of…
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Madam Speaker, this legislation is long overdue. It has been called for by Canadian workers since before Canada was even a country. It would absolutely strengthen this economy and continue to grow our country, the greatest place to work, live and play. I can say that we did a lot of consulting. We consulted with workers, with labour representatives, with employers and with indigenous communities, …
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague and wish him a merry Christmas as well. The period of 18 months is there because we have a proud history of tripartism in this country, bringing employers, workers and the government together to make sure we get the balance right. It is in that spirit that we are giving all the parties time to prepare and because there are the most significant chan…
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Madam Speaker, I wish a merry Christmas to all my constituents. Those two pieces of legislation made it very difficult for unions to operate. It made it difficult to certify their members, easy to decertify them and tried to bury them in red tape. I was pleased to run under that banner and run again when we put pro-union and pro-worker legislation in our platform. This is a promise made and a prom…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I have great news: The government has launched the Union-Led Advisory Table. Chaired by the president of the Canadian Labour Congress, Bea Bruske, this table includes additional labour leaders from across Canada and across industry sectors. It will play an essential role in providing advice on emerging challenges and opportunities in the labour market, including on matters of automati…
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Madam Speaker, through our community services recovery fund, nearly 5,500 organizations nationwide have been funded. This means that, in the member's riding of Halifax West, the Fairview Resource Centre can continue offering family programming and services to new parents, as well as community meals for families and seniors. This also means that groups like the Halifax Sexual Health Centre can cont…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, our hearts are broken in Sault Ste. Marie. Families have been shattered by intimate partner violence. Children who had a bright future ahead of them, with untold potential, have been lost. To the families and friends of the victims, I send my deepest condolences. To the school community and to the residents of the Soo, I hear in their voices their pain. We will be there for them. It i…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Labrador. I am delighted to be standing here today to discuss Bill C-50, a bill that would help ensure Canada's workers are equipped with the skills and training they need to help our country seize the economic opportunities ahead of it. The fact is that as the world advances toward a net-zero future, we need to skate where the puck is g…
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Mr. Speaker, I do not know that I can answer the member for Timmins—James Bay's question on behalf of the Conservatives. I recognize exactly what he is saying because, yes, I do represent steelworkers in a steel town, and that is part of the supply chain. We are going from coal to electric cars, which is like taking a million cars off the road, but that goes hand-in-glove with the investments we a…
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Mr. Speaker, there were 18 months of consultations with a variety of levels of government, workers, industry representatives and indigenous groups. It was really critical, and it formed the legislation we have put forward here today. I used to work for the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities in Sault Ste. Marie, which is a provincial group. We were funded by the federal government thro…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, this whole sustainable jobs action plan is about workers, as is the legislation before us. It is about engaging labour. It is having workers at the table with us, along with industry, indigenous groups and communities at all different levels. I had an opportunity to travel across this great country last year and speak with a number of people. I spoke with Russ Shewchuk, vice-president…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, before, I talked about the consultations that informed us, and part of the consultations helped us determine that we would come up with the interim sustainable jobs plan, which was released in February. It reflects what we heard from Canadians and includes 10 key initiatives within areas of federal responsibility. One of those initiatives, which is also in this legislation, is setting…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to participate in the second hour of the second reading debate on Bill C-319. I would like to thank the member for Shefford for sponsoring this bill. It continues to spark important conversations. That is because we are constantly looking at how best to support older persons in Canada. Not everyone needs the same kind of help. Seniors themselves would agre…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, public safety is an issue that is important to each and every member of the House and one which I have heard about from my constituents. This is why I am proud that our government is implementing reforms to the bail system that would help keep repeat offenders off of the street. Bill C-48, which passed the House last week and is moving swiftly through the Senate, creates a reverse o…
Read full speech →Private Members' Business
Madam Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not thank the member for Humber River—Black Creek, as my wife is an ophthalmologist's medical tech. Your comment that 75% of eye issues are preventable is right on. I hope the request of the hon. member happens, and the bill collapses, goes to the Senate and comes back for a vote.
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