Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I will suggest to the member that this is an incredible opportunity for us, as a federal government, to work closely with provinces and territories. We have much to learn from Quebec. The member for Winnipeg Centre mentioned a few things earlier in her debate. Quebec has been a pioneer and a leader, whether it is pharmacare or child care. We have an opportunity to work with each other…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to first thank the member for Nunavut, along with the member for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, for joining me on Sunday in support of Christie Lake Camp, which is a worthy organization in Ottawa, in my community, raising $20,000 to support kids from priority neighbourhoods. I must say the member for Nunavut is an excellent basketball player, so it was a great afternoon. I agree with t…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak about Bill C-64 and about how this represents a historic milestone in the evolution of the Canadian health care system. This bill and other investments made by our government will help millions of Canadians who are struggling to pay for their medication. I was very thrilled when the Minister of Health, and many other incredible Canadians who …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, there is nothing more important to our government than reconciliation with indigenous peoples. That is why, from the very beginning, we have been working very closely, in partnership with all indigenous peoples across the country, to ensure that we rectify past injustices and making the necessary investments. It is difficult work. It is work that we will continue to do with indigenous…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, health care is a shared responsibility between the Government of Canada and the provinces and territories. The federal government’s primary role in supporting health care is to provide funding to the provinces and territories, while the provincial and territorial governments administer and deliver health care services. The Canada health transfer, or CHT, is the largest federal transfe…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in response to (a), the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, CFIA, has other means to engage with stakeholders, including with the Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers and Mushrooms Canada. It engages regularly with stakeholders on regulatory, policy and program developments. This engagement helps inform proposed changes to CFIA policies and procedures, programs, services, regulations and…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to celebrate the remarkable 90-year journey of the Jewish Federation of Ottawa. The roots of the federation can be traced back to 1934, amidst a backdrop of rising anti-Semitism and economic adversity caused by the Great Depression. From the outset, the congregations of Agudath Achim, Adath Jeshurun, Mackzikei Hadas and B'nai Jacob recognized the power of unity, understan…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I would never cast negative aspersions on the member's community, and I thank him for spending time in my community and supporting local businesses in my community. He mentioned the last four years that he has been here. Almost three of those years were during the pandemic and that, indeed, had a huge impact on our community as it did across the country. It created a lot of hardship f…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, as the member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, it is a great pleasure for me to speak to this budget: “Fairness for Every Generation”. I have 10 minutes and I can probably speak for hours in terms of things that are in this budget document that support members of my community here in Ottawa Centre. We announced things like a national food program. That is going to help thousands of ch…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. I have had the honour of serving in the provincial legislature as well. For 11 years, I was the provincial member of Parliament for the same community of Ottawa Centre, which was kind enough to elect me as their member of Parliament. As a former provincial cabinet minister, I had my share of battles and debates with the former Harper government, …
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, the federal government does not directly fund hospitals or clinics to provide medically necessary health care services, including abortion care services. Rather the provincial and territorial governments fund and administer the provision of these services within the framework of the Canada Health Act and with federal assistance through the Canada health transfer, or CHT. The Canada He…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, Health Canada has authorized several COVID-19 vaccines for use in Canada. Each of these underwent a careful scientific review and met our standards for safety, efficacy and quality. Information about all of the authorized vaccines, including the regulatory decision summary, can be found on the COVID-19 vaccines and treatments portal at https://bit.ly/3EH07IB. Click on the individual v…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, Health Canada initially authorized the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine in December 2020 and subsequently has authorized updated versions, including the most recent vaccine targeting the XBB Omicron subvariant in late 2023: https://covid-vaccine.canada.ca. Each assessment included a determination that the vaccine met the department's stringent regulatory, safety, effi…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, I am bringing forward this petition on behalf of my constituents in Ottawa Centre. It recognizes that there is a grave humanitarian crisis taking place in Gaza because of the war. It acknowledges that Canada is recognized for its historic leadership in humanitarian actions in the global community. It also recognizes the fact that Canada really stepped forward in helping Ukrainians com…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Madam Speaker, I am excited to rise here today and talk about the building of more and more affordable housing in my community of Ottawa Centre. Thanks to our government's housing accelerator fund, we are building thousands of new, affordable homes across my riding today. This historic investment of $176 million will translate into 4,400 new homes across the city of Ottawa within the next three ye…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in answer to part (a) of the question, at the time of initial authorization of the first COVID-19 vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech, in December 2020, there was no reported evidence on the efficacy of the authorized COVID-19 vaccine to prevent asymptomatic infection, to reduce viral shedding or to prevent transmission. In February and March 2021, preliminary data from the ongoing vaccine tria…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member opposite for his advocacy for eradicating HIV/AIDS from our communities. We know that a lot of work has been done to find solutions and to provide care for those with HIV/AIDS. Our government remains committed to supporting all those endeavours. The best way to do it is by working with communities. We will continue to support them. I look forward to continui…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak to this motion, which is an opposition day motion by the Conservative Party of Canada. I stand here today, first and foremost, to speak as the member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, the community that has given me the great honour to serve it in the House. As someone who knocks on doors often and speaks to his constituents, as many members i…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, the member just made my point, because cap and trade is actually a price on pollution. That is exactly the point. In the case of Quebec, they do have a cap and trade system. In the case of Ontario, until 2018, we introduced a plan that was a cap and trade system. The mechanism is the same, which is to put a price on pollution. He could speak to any economist; in fact the economists we…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I agree with the member, and I thank him for raising the point. As I was saying earlier, inaction is not a plan. We can decide to make very short-term decisions right now, burying our heads in the sand and letting future generations be responsible for themselves, or we can take our responsibilities as parliamentarians seriously and make sure that we are making decisions today that are…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I agree with the member. We need to do more, absolutely. We have a good foundation. I really do believe that we have a good starting point. For once, Canada has a credible plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are starting to see that happen. The way to move forward is not with slogans. We need to build on this. Climate change is not going to…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Mr. Speaker, in response to parts (a) and (b) of the question, Health Canada, or HC, the Public Health Agency of Canada, or PHAC, the provinces and territories, and manufacturers continue to closely monitor the safety of COVID-19 vaccines through the Canadian adverse events after immunization surveillance system, or CAEFISS, and the Canada vigilance program. An adverse event is any untoward medica…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam 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, “Amendments to the International Health Regulations (2005)” adopted at Geneva on May 28, 2022.
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, our government is working very closely with all provinces and territories, including Quebec, to make sure that health care that is much needed for all Canadians is provided. That is why we are so proud to invest $200 billion over 10 years, to all provinces and territories, to support Canadians in getting the best and excellent health care. We will continue to work with Quebec to ens…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, our government and the Government of Quebec share the same objective and that is to provide quality health care, guided by the Canada Health Act, to all Quebeckers, whether it is family health, whether it is mental health, whether it is health care for our seniors. We will continue to work with the Government of Quebec closely so that those shared priorities are met, and Quebeckers,…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the hon. member and I were both at the committee last night, which heard from quite a few experts on MAID. I think it was fairly clear that there was a difference of opinion as to the readiness of the system. There were some experts who believe that MAID for people with mental illness could be provided as early as March 17, 2024. However, the member is right. There is a letter from …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, this is a very sensitive issue. It is highly emotional and complex. I would urge all members that calling names and ascribing labels is not the responsible way forward. Canadians are looking to us to make responsible decisions. That is why it is incumbent upon us to work with everyone, including the legal community. The hon. member across the way knows that if we talk to 10 lawyers …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, our number one job is to protect people's rights. Given that the various decisions of the courts have said that it is a person's right to determine their end of life, we need to make sure that right is protected. Of course we need to ensure that they get all of the care they need in order to be able to recover, but as the courts have said, if their suffering is irremediable, they sh…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, the government is taking the most prudent approach in making sure people get the care they need. This is a very sensitive issue that requires that we work closely with medical professionals to ensure that all the appropriate safeguards, training and associated curriculum are in place. If there is doubt, as we see by the request that we create an extension, it is only prudent for the…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, I will take exception to the member's comment because a tremendous amount of work has been done to create the appropriate safeguards. Not only are there legislative safeguards in place in the Criminal Code, which I alluded to in my remarks, but there are also safeguards being developed within the medical profession. We need to make sure we listen to our health care providers, those …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I am thankful for the opportunity to speak about Bill C-62 and the extremely important issue of medical assistance in dying, or MAID, and mental illness. I think all members can agree that this is a highly complex, quite sensitive and emotional issue, that raises divergent and deeply held views from the medical community, experts and the public at large. The questions of whether, how …
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate being recognized to speak to a very sensitive and emotional issue. Today, I am pleased to be speaking to Bill C-62. This bill proposes extending the temporary exclusion from MAID for people whose sole underlying medical condition is mental illness. We are proposing that the exclusion be extended by three years. To understand why an extension of this exclusion is so import…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for his remarks and question. I want to remind the member that, back in 2016, when the first MAID legislation came, I was serving at the provincial level. In fact, I was the attorney general for the Province of Ontario. I had the opportunity to work closely with the federal government, along with the provincial minister of health at that time, on the approp…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. Partnership with provinces, including Quebec, is extremely important in order for the legislation around MAID to be applied properly. As we know, delivery of health care is a provincial responsibility. It is really important that our provinces have all the tools and the time necessary to administer MAID in an appropriate manner. That is why the w…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member opposite for his question and the members of this House for the hard work they are doing to ensure that this particular piece of legislation passes through this place as quickly as possible, so it can get to the Senate and become law by March 17. I am confident that the Senate will fulfill its responsibility appropriately and will pass this legislation. I kn…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour for me to represent the riding of Ottawa Centre, and downtown Ottawa is very much an important part of my community. However, it has gone through a lot of transition due to the pandemic and, most recently, the illegal occupation that my constituents suffered through. To help reimagine our downtown, in 2022 I initiated the downtown Ottawa revitalization task force,…
Read full speech →Government Orders
Madam Speaker, there are two points I want to raise quickly and hear his response on. One, he talked about a consensus in the psychiatric community, and I do not know what consensus he is referring to. There are varied views on providing services and cures to people with mental illness. However, my question is in regard to rights of individuals. We have a decision by a Quebec court that required t…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I agree with the member that, when it comes to issues around substance abuse and addiction, we need to bring a thoughtful health care approach to that. That is why we continue to work with the provinces in making sure we are bringing a health care approach to people who are facing mental health and addiction challenges so we can look after them, unlike what Conservatives want to do,…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with a heavy heart to remember a member of my community of Ottawa Centre who has tragically passed away after giving so much to this place as a member of the Parliamentary Translation Services team. Katey Thompson was a Hansard translator who spent 16 years working diligently to provide us all with the expert-level translation services we have come to expect in the House.…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I am thrilled to rise today to highlight an amazing community event happening this month in my community of Ottawa Centre. A staple of Ottawa’s event calendar, Italian Week Ottawa festival is back this year on Preston Street. This year’s celebrations will run from today until June 18. It is eleven days of events members do not want to miss, so I welcome all members to join us. The Ott…
Read full speech →Routine Proceedings
Madam Speaker, this is a very important petition that relates to our essential workers and the important work that they do, especially in light of what we saw during COVID-19, when we saw frontline health care workers working so hard, day in and day out, as essential workers, protecting the lives of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. What we have seen, though, afterward are wage freezes that …
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I am sure members have noticed that the days are getting a little longer and the sun is shining a little brighter. With spring in full bloom and summer just around the corner, I would like to take this opportunity to highlight some active ways my community of Ottawa Centre, as well as visitors to our nation’s capital, can get out to enjoy this beautiful city. This summer, Ottawa will …
Read full speech →Statements By Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the talented student athletes at Carleton University, located in my community of Ottawa Centre, who just a few weeks ago captured both the 2023 men's and women's national basketball championships. These exceptional accomplishments reflect the dedication, hard work and perseverance of these young athletes as well as their coaches and the entire Carleton Uni…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, today is Wear Red Day, an annual reminder of the persistent challenges that one in three women across our country faces when it comes to cardiovascular health. I am wearing red today because it is critical that we as Canadians raise awareness of the risk factors that disproportionately affect women. Women are often under-studied, under-diagnosed and under-treated for heart disease. To…
Read full speech →Statements by Members
Mr. Speaker, I rise today with great news for my community of Ottawa Centre. Last year, I launched the downtown Ottawa revitalization task force, alongside co-chairs Graeme Hussey and Neil Malhotra. Our goal is to reimagine downtown Ottawa to thrive in a postpandemic future. To do that, we have convened a table of community leaders, local business representatives, home builders, sustainability exp…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Mr. Speaker, let us be absolutely clear. We are targeting deadly military-style assault guns that are made for battlefields. They have no place on our streets, in any community, whether it is a rural community or an urban community. We are not targeting and, in fact, we respect hunters and indigenous peoples who rely on hunting. That is not the intention of this legislation. It is a complex piece …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I want to assure the member opposite that we respect all our hunters and indigenous peoples who rely on hunting. We respect the sustenance rights of indigenous peoples. We are not targeting those rights whatsoever. What we are going after, what we are banning, what we are trying to take off our streets, are deadly military-style assault guns, the kind that are made to be used on the…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I am sure that Joe would agree that there is no place in our society for deadly military-style assault guns, the kind that were used for the shootings at École Polytechnique, the Quebec mass shooting or, most recently, the two police officers who were killed in South Simcoe. We are not targeting lawful rifles that are used by hunters. This is a complex piece of legislation. That is …
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, I think all members will agree that Canadians expect their communities and homes to always be safe. They want to ensure that deadly military-style assault guns are not available on our streets. That is the commitment that we made to Canadians. What we are not targeting are lawful hunters. This is a complex piece of legislation. We need to make sure that we take the time to review it…
Read full speech →Oral Questions
Madam Speaker, let us be very clear, and I am sure all members of the House agree on this. Safeguarding our democracy and our national security is of paramount importance. This is not a partisan issue. This is an issue that we all agree on, and we need to make sure that we remain vigilant when it comes to protecting our national security. That is why the contract with Sinclair Technologies has bee…
Read full speech →