SoVote

Ms. Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, NDP)

Feb/8/24 12:13:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am delighted to enter into this debate today, and of course we are talking about newcomers. We are talking about the capacity for Quebec, and other provinces and territories, to successfully resettle newcomers. We are talking about the federal government needing to properly consult Quebec, other provinces and territories on Canada's immigration targets. All of that is absolutely valid, and we should be engaging in that discussion. I want to point out very clearly that we just heard the government's parliamentary secretary blame the victims. The Liberals' approach is to say that we have too many newcomers, and they have decided to first pick on international students and put a cap on the number of international students. They claim that they are doing that because they want to protect them from exploitation. I do not know in what universe it is normal to actually say it is the victims' fault. It reminds me of old debates, back in the day, when women facing domestic violence were being blamed. The women facing violence were being blamed, not the abusers, and that is absolutely shameful. Now we have Conservative members saying that they have a common-sense approach, and that they are so good and love newcomers. They were specifically asked the clear question of whether they would reduce the immigration target numbers. Did they answer the question? No, they did not. They will not answer questions clearly. They speak in euphemisms and slang. They talk in such a way that they can make a clip out of it, but they do not actually answer the question. They will say that we should not look at their record and that it was so long ago. My goodness, the record of who one is stands for what one believes in and where one's values are. Let us be clear. For the immigrant community, the refugee community, the Conservatives brought in cessation laws so that refugees facing persecution would not be allowed to return to their country of origin, and if they did, they would lose their Canadian status. This is even in the cases where the threat that caused them to flee their country of origin no longer exists, even if they want to go back to visit a dying loved one. If they were to return, they would be subject to cessation and lose their status in Canada. This is the Conservatives' record. The current leader of the Conservatives was part of the administration that oversaw all of this, and he agreed with it. As well, on the Conservatives' record on how they treat immigrant communities, they brought in a law that second-generation Canadians born abroad would no longer be allowed to pass on their Canadian citizenship to their children. In Ontario, families brought this to court, and the Ontario court found it to be unconstitutional. This is the result of the Conservatives' record. Conservatives want to talk about what a great job they did in dealing with backlogs. I still remember back in 2015, when I was first elected, and I came to the House and was the NDP immigration critic, which I continue to be. One of the first issues people brought to my attention was the long delay in the processing of spousal reunification. Family members told stories of how much pain and suffering they had had to endure as a result of the separation because of 10 years of the Harper administration. According to the Conservatives, we are to just forget about that and pretend it did not happen. Let us just be clear about where Conservatives stand and what their record has been. I could go on for days about that, but I only have 10 minutes for this entire speech, and I want to spend a bit of time talking about the value of newcomers and how they contribute to Canada. Their being here helps to fill the gaps that exist in the labour force. They pay their taxes and support our local economy. Just to be clear on the demographics of things—

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Context: House Hansard - 278 - Feb/8/24

Mr. Luc Desilets (Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, BQ)

Feb/8/24 2:03:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, one year ago today, people were horror-struck in Laval as a city bus hit the Ste-Rose day care, killing two of the children and seriously injuring many. Last year, I was there with the leader of the Bloc Québécois. It was shocking to experience such emotions, especially for someone who has spent their life with children, as I did as a school principal, In that tragic moment, some people were able to rise to the occasion and show compassion and admirable composure, such as Mike Haddad, who had just dropped his son off at the day care. He promptly acted to help the children trapped under the bus, in addition to controlling the driver, who was the suspect. Today, let us commend his extraordinary courage. While we still do not understand at all what could have led the driver to commit such an appalling act, today we have a duty to think of the innocent victims and their grieving families.

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Context: House Hansard - 278 - Feb/8/24

Mr. Jacques Gourde (Lévis—Lotbinière, CPC)

Feb/8/24 2:11:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to pay tribute to a remarkable man who, despite being required to leave the Senate, is not leaving behind his active involvement in our country. He is my colleague and friend, Senator Pierre‑Hugues Boisvenu. It takes courage and strength to survive the unspeakable, as suggested by the title of his 2008 book, where he shares his journey of resilience after the loss of his two daughters, whom he adored with all his heart. Pierre‑Hugues' fate led him to support women's safety and, out of pure kindness, he leaves us with the legacy of the Victims Bill of Rights to defend the rights and interests of victims within the criminal justice system. This bill of rights establishes fundamental principles for ensuring fair and respectful treatment of victims throughout the judicial process. If I had to sum up Pierre‑Hugues Boisvenu's career in one sentence, I would say that his commitment and his actions give new meaning and worth to the term human dignity. Thank you, Senator Pierre‑Hugues Boisvenu.

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Context: House Hansard - 278 - Feb/8/24

Mrs. Dominique Vien (Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, CPC)

Feb/8/24 2:38:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, women victims of violence have shared their stories of the fear, distress and abuse they have suffered at the hands of a violent partner or sex trafficker. Conservative bills, like Senator Boisvenu's bill, have been introduced to protect women. What has this government been doing for eight years? It sides with the criminals instead of the victims. The good news is that a Conservative government will reverse this trend. Why does the government insist on sending violent criminals home instead of keeping them safely behind bars?

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Context: House Hansard - 278 - Feb/8/24

Hon. Mélanie Joly (Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lib.)

Feb/8/24 2:38:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this feminist government has been working hard for eight years to protect women, especially vulnerable women. That is why we have made it a priority throughout our mandate. Whether it was before COVID‑19, during COVID‑19 and now, that has always been the case. The Liberal government has won three elections on our firearms policies, and the Conservatives have voted against those policies at every turn. I am pleased to see that my female colleagues on the other side of the House are suddenly interested in the plight of women who are victims of violence in this country. We will continue to show leadership on this issue.

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