Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, last time I checked, I think we were elected on a bold agenda of change: to cut taxes, to fight against illegal tariffs, to bring this country together and build one strong economy. The rhetoric I hear across the way is the same old politics that former member Pierre Poilievre and the Conservatives peddled for two decades. In the ballot box, just as in business, if people do not deliv…
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Mr. Speaker, this government was selected by Canadians to deliver. We are cutting taxes for 22 million Canadians. We are permanently cutting the carbon tax. We are cutting taxes for first-time homebuyers. Our focus is on building the strongest economy in the G7. I ask the party and the members opposite to join us and get on board.
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I welcome the member opposite. It has always puzzled me how sometimes the members across hold themselves up as these great economic masters and stewards who have all the economic answers. Let us look at some economic facts. Inflation has gone down from 8.1% in June 2022 to 1.7%. We have an AAA Moody's credit rating, a debt-to-GDP ratio that is the best in the G7, the lowest debt in th…
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Mr. Speaker, let me congratulate you on your new role; it looks very good on you up there. I have a question for my friend and colleague with respect to our government's bold new agenda. Obviously we were recently re-elected, and I am very pleased to hear our Prime Minister commit to the 2% spending amount with NATO. I am wondering whether my friend could just comment on what that means for the ar…
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Mr. Speaker, let us look at some economic facts. Inflation has dropped from 8.1% to 1.7% over the last two years. Our real GDP numbers are growing. We have had workforce participation of 65.3% versus 62.5%, compared to the U.S.A. We have a AAA Moody's credit rating. The fundamentals of our economy are very strong. We have a strong mandate from Canadians, and we are going to continue to work togeth…
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Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member opposite. As I have said before, I encourage the member to enjoy every minute in the House. It is a privilege for all of us to be here. I also have a little bit of advice for the member, though. When we start naming names, as I have learned, we always leave one out, and we always hear about it when we are done our speech. All in all, that was a great speech. …
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Mr. Speaker, we met with the owners of Canada in the last election and clearly laid out our plan to cut taxes, to build homes, to build one Canadian economy and to protect Canadians against tariffs. Elections are job interviews, and Canadians resoundingly hired our Prime Minister. They fired the former member for Carleton.
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Mr. Speaker, we have a wonderful finance minister. The budget is going to be delivered by our finance minister and our Prime Minister. We will also remove the goods and services tax for first-time homebuyers on new homes valued up to $1 million, saving them up to $50,000, and lower the GST for first-time homebuyers on new homes valued between $1 million and $1.5 million. That is another point of a…
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Mr. Speaker, maybe the member opposite should ask himself, look in the mirror and ask his colleagues why they voted against every housing initiative we put forward over the last several years: the rapid housing initiative, the federal coinvestment fund and the housing accelerator fund. Their own leader told them not to support the program, while the MPs themselves were trying to advocate for it. S…
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Mr. Speaker, let us look at some economic facts: Inflation is down from 8.1% to 1.7% over the last two years, workforce participation is 65.3% compared to that of the U.S. at 62.5%, and we have a AAA credit rating from Moody's. The fundamentals of our economy are strong, and we are going to continue to build the strongest economy in the G7.
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Mr. Speaker, the new government is a government of action, and this is what action looks like: We are rapidly advancing legislation to cut tax for 22 million people, cut the tax for first home purchases and permanently cut the consumer carbon tax. I hope the Conservatives will cut the rhetoric and join us in advancing the legislation.
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Mr. Speaker, it is absolutely a fundamental value of our government. It is a fundamental value of mine. Transparency is always key, and we need to be honest. We need to be honest with Canadians. We need to be thoughtful and focused. Today, we have the 2% commitment to NATO. There is a lot of moving balls and a lot of moving targets right now. Hopefully some of that smoke will clear, so we will get…
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Mr. Speaker, I do have concerns. It is incumbent on everybody in the House to make sure that they speak truth and that their posts are accurate and thoughtful. That is what we have with our Prime Minister. When he speaks, Canadians want to hear what he has to say, unlike the former leader of the opposition. Canadians did not want to hear what he had to say.
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Mr. Speaker, I would argue that we have one of the leading economists in the world running our government right now. The fundamentals of our economy are strong. Canadians had a decision to make on April 28, and they resoundingly picked the Prime Minister to lead our country, because they have confidence in him and they have faith in him. When he speaks, he thinks. It is not about slogans. Our econ…
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Mr. Speaker, we can take child care as an example, which is the program we put in from coast to coast to coast, and we had to drag some provinces along, kicking and screaming. It is literally saving families thousands and thousands of dollars on an annual basis. The dental program and the Canada child benefit are programs that are giving back to Canadians and helping Canadians cope. We know we nee…
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Mr. Speaker, I am sorry that I am not able to answer the member in French, but I have undertaken to learn to become much more fluent in French. We are in, I would argue, one of the most challenging times that our country has ever been in. How we used to do things, along with the time it took, is a thing of the past. Of course we have to study, consult and bring things to the House, but time is of …
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Mr. Speaker, I welcome the member across. We are a government of action. The government is going to get things done with a tax break for 22 million people that will save families up to $840, as well as cut the consumer carbon tax and GST on new homes. We are making the proper investments in our economy. Our economy will recover. Our economy will be one of the best economies in the G7. It will resp…
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Mr. Speaker, I will not resign on that, but I will certainly withdraw that. It is all in good humour. Again, for people who are watching this on TV, obviously members go back and forth, and the rhetoric gets high, but there are also a lot of friends on both sides of the aisle here. I appreciate the good-hearted comment. Let us talk about some economic facts. I know the party opposite likes to talk…
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Thank you for the comment on the tie, from across the House. I appreciate that. I had to go buy some new ties for my new role. First and foremost, Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate you in your new position. I also want to congratulate all new members, on both sides of the House. To new members, enjoy this experience; it is a privilege to be in this House. I know everybody comes here with the bes…
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Mr. Speaker, one thing members will not ever hear from me is that a lot of corporations in this world are bad. We have wonderful companies in our country that contribute, employ people and pay taxes. We are a friend of business. We are a friend of big business and small business. We are going to continue to work with them because we need to work with them to grow our economy.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, let us look at facts. Members of the party opposite voted against the school food program; they would not support children who needed food in schools. They do not support families, they would not support young mothers and they do not support Canadians who need dental work. They do not support very much that supports Canadians. It is time for all Canadians to come together. I wish th…
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Madam Speaker, we stand with the families who are impacted by unjust, unfair and illegal tariffs to the south of us. We stand with those businesses. We are a government of action. We have just advanced legislation to cut taxes for 22 million Canadians, we are lowering the carbon tax, and we are lowering the taxes on first-home homebuyers.
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Madam Speaker, we have watched the party opposite vote against every one of our initiatives that have helped families across the country from coast to coast to coast, whether it be the Canada child benefit, the dental program, the day care program or housing initiatives. The party opposite has not done one thing to support families across the country, so shame on them.
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Madam Speaker, let us look at some facts. In 2022, inflation was 8.1%. We have driven that down, per our policies, to 1.7%. Members of the party opposite hold themselves up as strong economic stewards. They are not. Under their previous governments, our economy failed. We are going to aggressively rebuild our economy back by investing in Canadians. It is time for all Canadians to come together.
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Mr. Speaker, I am blessed to have the opportunity to answer questions in the House, but the member opposite would have a lot more credibility if he had not voted against the rapid housing initiative, the federal co-investment fund and the housing accelerator fund that his community wanted. The Conservatives hold themselves up as stewards of housing. They are not. They voted against every housing i…
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the member for Newmarket—Aurora. Being in the House is a privilege, and I encourage her to enjoy every day. I have been privileged to be here since 2015, through four elections, and I know the excitement of being here. I know it is a big machine here in Ottawa, but I congratulate her for her win. This is the first time I have risen in the House this Parliament, …
Read full speech →Adjournment Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, Canadians have voiced very clearly who they think should be running and leading our economy. Listening to the member opposite, we would not think we just had an election on April 28 and a throne speech last week. The budget will come in due time. Our Prime Minister is regarded, I would argue, as one of the top economic minds in Canada. We do have a plan. His Majesty said, during the S…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Madam Speaker, one thing I hear a lot about in my riding, from constituents and from people who are following this, is security clearance. I know the leader of the Green Party got her security clearance, and duly so. The leader of the NDP got his security clearance. The leader of the Bloc got his security clearance, and of course the Prime Minister has his security clearance. There is one leader w…
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Madam Speaker, I come from the riding of Saint John—Rothesay, which has benefited greatly from programs we have brought forward, such as the coinvestment fund, the rapid housing initiative and the housing accelerator fund. One thing I noticed over the last few weeks was the Leader of the Opposition calling mayors across this country “incompetent”. Does the member opposite agree with calling mayors…
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Madam Speaker, as I say often, I am from the beautiful riding of Saint John—Rothesay, where the Leader of the Opposition has frequently visited recently. One thing I want to talk about is the pride I have in our programs, like the housing accelerator, the rapid housing initiative, the national housing co-investment fund, that have benefited my riding greatly. One thing that has certainly come to n…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, it is a good thing this question period is almost over. Let us try this. Last week, on the first day of Christmas, the Leader of the Opposition showed an amazing level of hypocrisy. When the House voted to give Canadians a break, the Leader of the Opposition decided to vote against it, despite running on it in the last election. Can the minister explain why providing tax relief to C…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, I, like many in the House, was elected in 2015, and for nine years, and over 1,200 nights away from home, I have fought for the constituents of Saint John—Rothesay in this place. I have only been able to do so because I am lucky enough to have the unwavering support of my family. We all know that being away from our families can take its toll. It is what we signed up for, and we all…
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Mr. Speaker, let us play a little game of what does not fit with the others. What do the Prime Minister, the leader of the Bloc Québécois, the leader of the NDP and the leader of the Green Party have in common? They all got their security clearance. Then we have to ask why the Leader of the Opposition did not get his security clearance. He has clearly painted himself into a corner. The Leader of t…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, talk about a party being desperate for power. The party opposite tried to become government in 2015, 2019 and 2021. The member opposite is a straight shooter, and I respect him for that. Here is my question for him: There is clearly something going on with respect to the fact that his leader will not get a security clearance. What is up with the foreign meddling in the leadership cont…
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Mr. Speaker, members know the old adage “where there is smoke, there is fire,” and there is clearly something smouldering across the House. The Leader of the Opposition, for months now, has refused to get his security clearance. In my riding, more and more people are asking, “What is up with the Leader of the Opposition?” Then we hear about the foreign interference. The member for Calgary Nose Hil…
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Madam Speaker, I come here, week in and week out, to do work for my constituents. I want to do work for the country. I want to be up in the House talking about such things as the housing accelerator. Some Conservatives wanted it, and some did not; some wanted it but could not speak up for it because their leader would not let them. It was unbelievable. I want to speak about the Canada child benefi…
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Mr. Speaker, I came up yesterday with great anticipation that we would get some work done this week in the House of Commons for Canadians. Obviously, I am very disappointed. I am here to work on behalf of my constituents of Saint John—Rothesay. I am here to continue to advocate for stuff like our wonderful housing programs, our child care benefits, so on and so forth. However, we cannot get that w…
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Mr. Speaker, my condolences to the member opposite for drawing the short straw and having to read that 20-minute speech. The member opposite talks about accountability and leadership accountability. If there is any one thing that is starting to increase in my riding, it is the concern that the leader of the party opposite will not get a security clearance. People are becoming more concerned. Now w…
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Madam Speaker, I respect the member greatly. There is a report today in the CBC, which states, “Agents of the Indian government allegedly attempted to derail [candidate's] campaign for the leadership of the Conservative Party in 2022, according to sources who spoke to Radio-Canada.” The article also states that the MP for Calgary Nose Hill “allegedly was pressured to withdraw her support for [that…
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Madam Speaker, I think the party opposite has about 80 pages of speech that they hand from member to member. It is almost like a fruitcake at Christmas, going around from house to house. The member opposite speaks about accountability and transparency, so here is my question: Where is the transparency with the Leader of the Opposition with respect to his clearance? He refuses to get it, and more a…
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Mr. Speaker, I know the member is new to the House, and I want to welcome him here. What a terrible example we are showing a new member of this House by tying up the House and our government, which has been going on for six weeks now. The other terrible example that we are showing him is this: Are the members on that side allowed to speak up? We just went through the housing accelerator program. T…
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Mr. Speaker, I have to say that I really do not disagree with a lot of the member's speech. We all come here week in and week out. The member said we have been here now for six weeks, basically wasting our time and the time of the Canadians watching, just continuing on with the debacle. What puzzles me is that the member of the NDP and his party are supporting what is going on, and they could very…
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Madam Speaker, I certainly want to thank and acknowledge my good friend across the House on his speech, although he must have drawn the short straw to have to get up and do that for 10 minutes. However, I do have a question for him with respect to what the commissioner of the RCMP said. He said that: ...the RCMP's ability to receive and use information obtained through this production order and un…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, I come here, week in and week out, hoping we can get work done on behalf of Canadians. I had great hopes coming here today, but obviously I can see from the members opposite that that is not going to happen. All of us are elected here. We have the great privilege to be here, but that privilege needs to be taken seriously. I came here this week to talk about the wonderful initiatives…
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Madam Speaker, I have a lot of respect for the member opposite and 20 years' service is absolutely incredible in this House. I take him at his word that he did not want to waste his time and ours this afternoon with that speech, but we did hear it. I have a quote from the commissioner of the RCMP that I would like to read to the member opposite. He said: ...the RCMP's ability to receive and use in…
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Mr. Speaker, honestly, I think I am watching Groundhog Day or Inception. This goes round and round again. My question straight up to the member opposite is this: Will you have the courage to encourage your leader to do the right thing and get his clearance? I know the leader has painted himself into a corner and has to get his feet wet getting out, but he needs to listen to Canadians. He needs to …
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Mr. Speaker, I continue to be more and more frustrated. I come here week in and week out to do work on behalf of my beautiful riding of Saint John—Rothesay. None of us is getting work done. However, I do want to home in on the Leader of the Opposition. Every member of the House, and every Canadian in fact, knows that there is a need for leaders of the parties to get a security clearance. We all re…
Read full speech →Orders of the Day
Mr. Speaker, to be blunt, that speech was absolutely all over the map. I mean, it covered everything but the failure to produce sustainable documents, so I am not quite sure what the member opposite was trying to get at in his speech. To be perfectly honest, I come to Ottawa each and every week to try to get work done on behalf of my constituents. I want to talk about housing. I want to talk about…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, the winds of change have blown through New Brunswick. Last night, New Brunswickers voted for change and helped make history too. New Brunswick has elected its first female premier. Susan Holt led her Liberal team to a solid majority government, bringing an end to six years of Conservative rule. Even Premier Blaine Higgs lost his seat in the red tide of change. The final tally is 31 se…
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