Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now, or in this case, this past weekend. The rain did not dampen our spirits in Kitchener—Conestoga. We had an amazing turnout for two Earth Day tree-planting events in our community. I spent the morning with the organization Trees for Woolwich planting, staking and sheltering over 100 trees in the Elmira Nature R…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I invite everyone to join us in Kitchener—Conestoga this weekend as we welcome patrons back to the 59th annual Elmira Maple Syrup Festival on Saturday, April 1. Since its start in 1965, the festival has grown to be the largest single-day maple syrup festival in the world. The community of Elmira, with a population of 12,000 people, will welcome up to 80,000 guests. Individuals and fam…
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Mr. Speaker, our government has been working hard to bring significant investments to Canada to create good jobs in Kitchener—Conestoga and throughout our nation to support our priority of creating a greener economy. Can the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry update this House on the exciting news that was announced regarding Volkswagen and how this will strengthen southwest Ontario's an…
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Mr. Speaker, this morning, our government made a significant announcement regarding our commitment to investing in rural communities across southern Ontario, including in my riding of Kitchener—Conestoga. Our government announced an investment of $39.6 million for the Community Futures Development Corporation across southern Ontario through the community futures program. Can the minister responsib…
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Mr. Speaker, the resilience and courage of the Ukrainians have inspired the world. Canada is unwavering in its support for Ukraine and the democratic values that our countries share. The capacity of Canadians to open their hearts and their homes is truly inspiring. We have seen an exceptional amount of goodwill coming from our community in Kitchener—Conestoga. I am proud of the many hosts who offe…
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Mr. Speaker, last week was the start of commemorating 16 days of activism against gender-based violence. The campaign strives to eliminate all types of gender-based violence through education and through action. Ending gender-based violence and intimate partner violence in our communities will take all of us. It does not occur in a vacuum, but rather in a society that condones and encourages it. C…
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Madam Speaker, Global Entrepreneurship Week celebrates the millions of people worldwide who turn their business ideas into reality. The international event encourages entrepreneurs through a variety of activities and connects them with potential investors, support organizations, mentors and partners to help them achieve their goals. As Global Entrepreneurship Week is coming to an end, can the parl…
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Mr. Speaker, last week, we honoured our veterans, who served proudly to preserve those freedoms. The responsibility of remembrance falls on all of us, and we recognize and appreciate the peace that we have today. Each year the Royal Canadian Legion holds a literary contest to engage our youth in acts of remembrance. Julia Mederak, a student at John Sweeney Catholic Elementary School in Kitchener s…
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Mr. Speaker, one of Canada's great advantages as a country is a capable workforce and the strong economic relationships that we have with the United States. When the U.S. passed the Inflation Reduction Act, we saw that Canada was successful in lobbying for a buy North America policy that protected our automotive sector. Can the Deputy Prime Minister tell the House about how the fall economic state…
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Mr. Speaker, the importance of local journalism was on full display this week as we saw the vital role it played in our Ontario municipal elections. Leading up to and on election day, our community turned to our trusted local journalists for information on local candidates, important issues and election results. In Kitchener—Conestoga we relied on local news outlets like the Woolwich Observer, the…
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Mr. Speaker, I am happy to share that in Kitchener—Conestoga this year, our fall fairs are back. Our community has welcomed back the Wellesley Township Fall Fair, the New Hamburg Fall Fair and the Wellesley Apple Butter and Cheese Festival. Events like these are not only entertaining and fun for everyone; they also showcase the important role of farmers and our agriculture sector and the effect th…
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Mr. Speaker, we know that working-age persons with disabilities in Canada are twice as likely to live in poverty as those without. That is why we have taken action to build a Canada that is disability inclusive. In 2019, we passed the groundbreaking Accessible Canada Act, legislation that aims to realize a barrier-free Canada. Yesterday, Bill C-22, Canada Disability Benefit Act began second readin…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I was so engrossed in the question that I forgot I was the one who had to answer it. It was before my time, but since the Liberals took government in 2015, the Canada child benefit was one of the things we did that was targeted support. The guaranteed income supplement was targeted support. Canada's worker benefit was targeted support, as was raising taxes on the wealthiest Canadian…
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Madam Speaker, now I am nervous. I am going to try to say a few words in French, for my colleague and my French teacher. It is important for me and for all Canadians that we work together with the provinces and territories. We left room because we need to work together. Different provinces look different. Some are more advanced than others. Quebec has set a strong standard for what we can do toget…
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Madam Speaker, one of the themes we are hearing today is making sure we are protecting the most vulnerable and protecting people with disabilities. We want to make sure this benefit is supplementing what we are doing and is not going to be clawed back. We heard those words. We do not want that to happen. I am encouraged to hear that all parties are looking out for people. We want to make sure we c…
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Madam Speaker, I will be sharing my time with the member for Malpeque. It is a privilege to be part of this debate today. I would like to start by talking about poverty reduction. Simply put, the legislation before us today would reduce poverty for hundreds of thousands of working-age Canadians with disabilities. We are working to implement Canada's first poverty reduction strategy. That strategy …
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Mr. Speaker, while many Canadians struggle with mental health issues, certain groups in Canada are more likely to face disproportionate challenges to accessing mental health supports. Recently, the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions announced $8.6 million to support community-based programs related to mental health promotion. This will increase health equity, help to address the underlying d…
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Madam Speaker, in my riding of Kitchener—Conestoga and across Canada, we have seen the effects that global inflation has had on the everyday lives of Canadians, inflation caused in part by the illegal war in Ukraine and China's zero-COVID policy. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance tell this House what the government is doing to help Canadia…
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Mr. Speaker, I believe my colleague is in Dauphin, Manitoba, and I used to play at that festival, which is one of my favourite festivals of the summer, so he understands the importance of supporting our artists. We need to make sure there is a balance between legislation and regulation. If we put everything in and do not give any flexibility, we will not have the ability as technology changes to m…
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the advice he offers from time to time. It always comes in handy, and I appreciate that. The world is changing fast. It used to be a closed system, where our traditional broadcasters paid into the system to make sure they contributed to Canadian culture with grants and programs that artists could draw from to tell their stories. Right now we have two systems. …
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Mr. Speaker, my colleague always asks wonderful questions. Every time she asks a question, the whole House listens, and I think that is a testament to her nature. She is looking out for our artists, including digital first creators. The intent of this bill is not to scope in digital creators. If they have user-generated content, the bill is not going to cover them. It is simply requiring platforms…
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Mr. Speaker, digital creators are a future source of our culture. They are going to continue to tell stories. Many of them are already artists in the existing ecosystem here. In no way will this bill have the CRTC regulating their content. The CRTC is working with the platforms themselves. That is why there is flexibility between the regulation and the legislation we have right now. The legislatio…
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Mr. Speaker, as I said, in plain language, that means that any users, even digital-first creators with millions of subscribers, are not broadcasters. They will not face any obligations under the act. Any suggestions otherwise are simply untrue. With this approach, the experience for users creating, posting and interacting with other user-generated content will not be impacted whatsoever, while sti…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today in support of Bill C-11. For decades, Canadian broadcasters have given us incredible Canadian content on our televisions and our radios. This is no accident. We support our cultural sovereignty. It is who we are as Canadians. It is our past, it is our present and it is our future. It is how we tell our stories to each other. As a condition of their licences,…
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Mr. Speaker, foreign tech giants have been crashing on our couch in Canada without paying their fair share. Today, those subscription-based foreign streaming platforms benefit from access to Canadian markets but have zero responsibility toward Canadian artists and contributing to our creators. Passing the online streaming act and regulating these foreign web giants to pay into the system that our …
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Mr. Speaker, I have had the privilege of sitting on the heritage committee all through this study, and as an artist myself, I know that we, on this side of the House, are fighting for artists as hard as we can. We have met with almost every major stakeholder of arts groups in the country, and they all support this bill. The opposition is talking about free speech. I would suggest that artists are …
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, the Wellesley Township Community Health Centre will make its home in the new rec complex. The health centre will be a key component of the project, more visible and accessible to the public, and it will help provide primary care services to the people in our rural townships in Kitchener—Conestoga. I want to thank Jeff and Julie Jones from Linwood, who recently donated $500,000 to the …
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Mr. Speaker, I like my colleague. He is a friend and he is also my French teacher. We work together on the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage. I did not know he was that old. Can he explain just how important this bill is for protecting Quebec culture and the French language?
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Mr. Speaker, northern and indigenous communities see and experience the harsh consequences of climate change at nearly three times the rate of the rest of Canada. From housing, airports and community services to melting permafrost, coastal erosion and thinning sea ice, these changes negatively impact traditional ways of living. Since 2015, our government has worked together with northern and indig…
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Mr. Speaker, seniors in my riding of Kitchener—Conestoga have worked very hard and helped shape this country. I am hearing from more and more seniors that they would like to stay at home and in their communities for as long as possible. Many vulnerable seniors are often forced to transition to residences and long-term care homes due to the lack of services. Can the Minister of Seniors please updat…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the second petition I have the pleasure to present requests that the Canadian government work to require governments to prevent adverse human rights impacts and environmental damages throughout their global operations.
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to introduce two petitions signed by constituents in Kitchener—Conestoga. The first petition requests that the Government of Canada address the climate emergency by enacting just transition legislation, which would reduce emissions by 60% below 2005 levels by 2030, end fossil fuel subsidies and create good green jobs.
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Mr. Speaker, Toronto hosted the 51st annual Juno Awards, held in person for the first time in years. Our nation came together to celebrate Canada's rich and diverse music history. With talent that shines on the global stage, we can be proud of our Canadian artists. From the Fan Choice Awards to new awards like Contemporary Indigenous Artist or Group of the Year, the Junos have showcased Canadian a…
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Mr. Speaker, the second petition requests that the Canadian government work to require companies to prevent adverse human rights impacts and environmental damages throughout their global operations.
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Mr. Speaker, Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine is a stark reminder that there is no room for complacency and that we must work with our allies to advance the cause of global peace and security. This week, the Minister of Foreign Affairs is in Germany to participate in G7 and NATO meetings. Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs inform the House about our gove…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, today I rise to present two petitions signed by constituents in Kitchener—Conestoga. The first petition requests that the Government of Canada address the climate emergency by enacting just transition legislation that would reduce emissions by 60% below 2005 levels by 2030, end fossil fuel subsidies and create good, green jobs and more.
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the incredible work done by volunteers and health care professionals at our Wellesley vaccination clinic. Throughout the pandemic, the people at this clinic have been tirelessly administering COVID-19 vaccines, prioritizing our small communities. They also took the time to visit the homes of older adults and priority populations to administer doses where…
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Madam Speaker, my colleague and I sit on the heritage committee together and work well on protecting our cultural sovereignty. One of the things that I am proud about in Canada is that we have two official languages. I was wondering if the member opposite can share with us the importance of the bill on online streaming in protecting and supporting artists in both official languages.
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Madam Chair, my colleague mentioned a massive rally in Toronto. Smaller communities held smaller rallies, but with no less passion. In Kitchener, I attended a rally at Victoria Park, where members from the Ukrainian community, small communities and the Mennonite community were standing in solidarity. Can my colleague explain the importance of people in Ukraine seeing communities all around the wor…
Read full speech →Orders Of The Day
Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague and friend across the aisle. I am practising my French. If I was any better, I would try to answer, but I want to make sure that I can express myself clearly. We do work well together in the chamber, and I think the idea of invoking this act right now is to show the safeguards that are going to be in place and the dialogue that is going to happen. The debate we …
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Mr. Speaker, the last three weeks have been extraordinarily difficult for the people of Ottawa, with major roads blocked, noise at all hours of the night and people threatened and intimidated in their own communities. Despite the severe economic impacts of the last two years, downtown businesses were forced to shut their doors yet again. This past weekend, we saw police execute a coordinated plan …
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Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Nickel Belt. I rise today to speak on this important motion. The decision to invoke the Emergencies Act is being taken with much consideration. This debate is crucial and necessary. For weeks now, the unlawful occupation and illegal blockades have disrupted the lives of Canadians, harmed our economy and endangered public safety. W…
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Madam Speaker, being kind, compassionate and respectful is not a checklist. Rather it is who Canadians are, and we need to do that more. Mostly, it starts by listening and having those dialogues. We need to be respectful about it. If those who disagree call my office or send me an email I can handle that, but parking a truck and blocking traffic at a bridge, or taking over a city for three weeks, …
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Madam Speaker, I respect that question; it is fantastic. We do need to look at this. We need to look at what happened. We need to look at the biases we have in our day-to-day lives, those unconscious biases that allow us to treat people differently and not with equality and equity. Hopefully as we talk about this and report on it, we will find out how we can do better in the future and make sure t…
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Mr. Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized to my constituents in Kitchener—Conestoga and to all Canadians how crucial it is to have access to reliable and affordable high-speed Internet. Investments in broadband connectivity create jobs and improve access to online learning and health care services. Can the Minister of Rural Economic Development provide an update to this House on the govern…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of the incredible generosity of a family in Kitchener—Conestoga and its contribution to our local arts sector. During the pandemic, every stage across Canada went dark. As we move forward, theatres are slowly opening. In Kitchener—Conestoga over the years, countless supporters have attended the St. Jacob's Country Playhouse. The landmark theatre still stand…
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Madam Speaker, I rise today to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and to celebrate the strength, resilience and important contributions of persons with disabilities. I am proud that we are creating Canada's first disability inclusion action plan, which includes the Canada disability benefit, a robust employment strategy, and improved processes for eligibility in disability pro…
Read full speech →Speech from the Throne
Madam Speaker, I welcome the member across and congratulate him on his election. As this is my first time to rise in the 44th Parliament, I would also like to take this time to thank everyone in Kitchener—Conestoga who put their trust in me and elected me to be their representative. I thank the volunteers and everyone who supported me, and most of all my family: my wife, Brenda; my son, Satchel; a…
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