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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North, Lib.)

May/3/24 11:03:23 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Rainbow Stage is Canada's largest and longest-running outdoor theatre. It is truly a jewel in the north end of Winnipeg. This year, it will be celebrating 70 years of providing incredible, world-class entertainment. Starting on June 27, the first of two musicals is going to be on stage. Ma-Buhay!, a new musical, is going to be an amazing show. I would encourage people who have never witnessed Rainbow Stage to get out and become a part of something absolutely new. It is going to be entertaining. It will be followed by Mary Poppins, something we are all very familiar with. This year is special. With Ma-Buhay! and June being Filipino Heritage Month, it is a great opportunity for us to celebrate the 70th year of Rainbow Stage.

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The Deputy Speaker

May/3/24 11:04:22 a.m.
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I will remind members that we should have our T-shirts, if we are wearing them, underneath our jackets. The hon. member for Nunavut.

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Ms. Lori Idlout (Nunavut, NDP)

May/3/24 11:04:42 a.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, on Wednesday, I joined a productive panel discussion with my colleagues from the other House Senator Dawn Anderson and Senator Pat Duncan, as well as Jackie Jacobson, a former MLA in the Northwest Territories, to discuss the Arctic Research Foundation's impressive work in drafting the national Arctic strategy, which was released in October 2023. This great work was prepared in preparation for the Senate Committee on Fisheries and Oceans. What I appreciated about the strategy is the way it is organized into four pillars, including reconciliation and the production of knowledge, protecting the environment while understanding and adapting to climate change, capacity building and economic development, and Arctic data management. I encourage all levels of government, indigenous rights-holding groups and others to use this document to guide policy decisions in the north, as they can help make much-needed improvements in the north. I thank the communities, the hunters and trappers organizations that helped form this strategy, as well as other communities, including communities in Nunavut, NWT and other Arctic regions.

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Mrs. Brenda Shanahan (Châteauguay—Lacolle, Lib.)

May/3/24 11:06:18 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the municipality of Saint‑Cyprien‑de‑Napierville was immensely proud to inaugurate Rue Joseph-Marceau on April 19. The street's namesake, Joseph Marceau, was a local man, a patriot who was exiled to Australia and was the only patriot to remain there. His Australian descendants visited Quebec for the ceremony. They feel it is a true honour to know that one of their forefathers was a patriot. Thanks to the work of documentary filmmaker Deke Richards, the people of Châteauguay—Lacolle are making an effort to shine a light on the history of the men who were deported to Australia, since many of them came from our region. We are forging ties with our friends across the Pacific, who, like us, are striving to uphold the democratic ideals these men held dear. I would like to acknowledge the presence of Marie-Anne Alepin, president of the Société Saint‑Jean‑Baptiste de Montréal, and Chantale Pelletier, mayor of Napierville. I also want to thank Mayor Jean-Marie Mercier and the members of the Saint‑Cyprien‑de‑Napierville municipal council, who are contributing to our collective duty of remembrance.

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Mr. Tako Van Popta (Langley—Aldergrove, CPC)

May/3/24 11:07:32 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on May 5, 1945, the Canadian Army finally secured the liberation of the Dutch people from Nazi occupation. It was a welcome end to a fierce year-long campaign starting on D-Day in northern France, continuing through a cold winter bogged down at the Scheldt River, and finally ending with the liberation of Arnhem and surrounding cities. This victory came at a cost of 7,000 Canadian soldiers, but it was also the start of a long and celebrated friendship between the people of Canada and the grateful people of the Netherlands. This friendship gave birth to a huge influx of Dutch immigrants after the war, including my parents, and it is still celebrated on both sides of the ocean every year. I am thankful once again for Canada's selfless service to freedom and justice. I am thankful for the many Canadians of Dutch descent across the country, including in Langley. We are a richer and stronger nation because of them.

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Mr. Mike Kelloway (Cape Breton—Canso, Lib.)

May/3/24 11:08:38 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to congratulate members of the Cape Breton Chorale, who are celebrating 50 years of music across the globe. In that time, the chorale has given over 200 performances at home and overseas in places like England, Wales, Ireland, and many more. During their travels, they have shared the stage with the likes of Rita MacNeil and Celine Dion, and also performed before such dignitaries as Queen Elizabeth II. Founded under its original director, the late Sister Rita Clare, this organization has flourished over half a century in operation. While a lot has changed since 1973, the choir's dedication to its craft and audiences has been truly unwavering. My riding of Cape Breton—Canso is world-renowned for its vibrant culture and music. The chorale proudly strengthens that musical stance on the world stage. Cheers to 50 years to all members of the Cape Breton Chorale.

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Ms. Valerie Bradford (Kitchener South—Hespeler, Lib.)

May/3/24 11:09:38 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, recently I had the honour of welcoming the Minister for Women and Gender Equality, along with the member for Oakville North—Burlington and the member for Hamilton Mountain, to Kitchener South—Hespeler, where we visited the Grand Valley Institution for Women, a federal facility for incarcerated women. We had a very thorough tour of the facility, and in fact we will need to return to see the minimum-security site another time. Incarceration affects not only the offender, but the entire family as well, and I was particularly impressed by the mother and child program, which aims to provide support to mothers and expectant mothers in maintaining ongoing relationships with their children. Personally, I feel that separation from one's family is one of the most difficult aspects of incarceration, and for 25 years, Patrice has been doing an exemplary job in supporting mothers and their children through these challenges. My thanks go to the exceptional staff at Grand Valley Institution for Women for the important work they do in a very challenging environment.

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Mr. Kyle Seeback (Dufferin—Caledon, CPC)

May/3/24 11:10:47 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Iranian regime has sentenced Toomaj Salehi to death. His crime was protesting the death of Mahsa Amini. The sentence comes after he was beaten, tortured and put in solitary confinement. We all know the Iranian regime. They support Hezbollah and Hamas and recently attacked Israel. Canada's response to this outrageous sentence was “Use of the death penalty to suppress human rights & freedoms is unjustifiable.” What a joke. Sadly, it is not surprising. The Liberal-NDP government has failed to list the IRGC as a terrorist organization, six years after Parliament demanded that it do so. The Liberal Prime Minister bowed and shook hands with Iran's foreign minister after the IRGC shot down a plane, killing 57 Canadians. Let me be clear. Conservatives condemn this sentence. We condemn the imprisonment of Toomaj Salehi, and we call for his immediate release.

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Mr. Ryan Turnbull (Whitby, Lib.)

May/3/24 11:11:54 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the Durham Irish Association on the momentous occasion of its 20th anniversary. Established in 2003 by a group of dedicated individuals of Irish descent, this association has been instrumental in preserving and celebrating Irish culture and heritage in Whitby and the surrounding region. The Irish community has very strong roots in the Durham region. Indeed, Irish people were some of the very first settlers in the area and have made many contributions to the area's history. As the MP for this vibrant community, I commend every member who has contributed to the success of the organization. Their dedication has ensured that the Irish spirit not only endures but thrives in the Durham region. May the next 20 years bring even more opportunities for cultural enrichment, community engagement and celebration of our shared heritage. Sláinte and congratulations again to the Durham Irish Association on 20 years of preserving and celebrating Irish heritage.

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Mr. Ziad Aboultaif (Edmonton Manning, CPC)

May/3/24 11:12:59 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after nine years, shady business has become the government's status quo. It has recently been revealed that the Prime Minister's only Alberta minister was sneakily cashing cheques from a lobbyist who secured $110 million in contracts from his own government, even from his own ministry. Not only that, but until two weeks ago, he was listed as a director of Global Health Imports, a company winning over $8 million in government contracts. The smell of a looming scandal is undeniably pungent. Despite that, time and time again, the minister has sat quietly in this House and hidden behind his government House leader, claiming he did nothing wrong. If he is so innocent, why does the Minister of Employment not stand up in this House today and tell us how much money he got from his lobbying side hustle?

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Mr. Philip Lawrence (Northumberland—Peterborough South, CPC)

May/3/24 11:14:01 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the cost, the chaos, the drugs and the crime. After nine years of the Prime Minister's extremist policies, deadly hard drugs are now available in B.C.'s public spaces, such as parks, coffee shops and even hospitals. Now, the Prime Minister wants to expand his radical experiment from British Columbia to Toronto. Of course, my riding is only an hour away from Toronto, and my residents love going to the beautiful city of Toronto, shopping there, going to work and cheering on the great Toronto Maple Leafs. However, if the Prime Minister expands his radical experiment, there is no doubt that it will spread chaos and drugs like never before seen in Toronto, and that this chaos and tragedy will be spread to surrounding communities, such as my own. It is time the Prime Minister ended his terrible radical experiment, which is costing lives, right now.

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Mr. Randeep Sarai (Surrey Centre, Lib.)

May/3/24 11:15:06 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, April is over and with it brings the end of Sikh Heritage Month. This April, Sikh Punjabis made strides across Canada and broke records across the nation. In my home city of Surrey, Gurdwara Sahib Dasmesh Darbar hosted the largest Vaisakhi Nagar Kirtan parade, with over 550,000 attendees who travelled from across the world. They sang beautiful kirtan, served amazing langar and shared their history and culture with all. Then, only a week later, Punjabi superstar Diljit Dosanjh made history at BC Place. Dosanjh kicked off his Canada-wide tour with a sold-out show to an audience of more than 54,000 people. The energy was electric and the vibe was amazing. From topping billboards to selling out stadiums, feats that are usually left for the likes of Taylor Swift are now quickly spreading to the Punjabi community. As Sikh Heritage Month wrapped up its fifth anniversary, with Punjabi Sikhs breaking records every day, I have never been prouder to represent such a vibrant and flourishing community.

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Ms. Lindsay Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP)

May/3/24 11:16:15 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, being the member of Parliament for London—Fanshawe is a privilege I will never take lightly. Parliament is supposed to be a place where elected representatives from across the country work together to make life better for those they represent. We may disagree on exactly how that should happen, but we are supposed to discuss issues and events respectfully. We owe it to our constituents. Today was an extraordinary day, another low in a pattern of behaviour that has consistently undermined this place year after year. There are those who use every form of misinformation, intimidation, gamesmanship, meaningless slogans and rage farming solely for the purpose of attaining and holding on to power. I know many members have questioned what we have become, and I am not the only woman in this place who wonders if she can remain here. However, I also know that my family and I have poured our lives into this institution and the ideals it espouses. I will continue to fight to stop those who undermine this important place. We have to do better. People need us to do better.

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Ms. Sylvie Bérubé (Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, BQ)

May/3/24 11:17:22 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Annabelle St-Pierre, a student in Senneterre, went into cardiac arrest in the middle of gym class. She will be forever grateful to the people who saved her for their swift and effective response, but also to her school for offering first aid courses. After hitting her head, Annabelle lost consciousness and fell to the ground. In a fortunate turn of events, teacher David Leblond was on the scene. David has been teaching his grade 9 students CPR for almost 20 years. With help from staff members Cheryl Chalifoux and Joanie Fillion, he used the defibrillator twice and fortunately saved Annabelle's life. Annabelle has no memory of the intervention that saved her life, but ever since that day, she and her rescuers have shared a special bond. I would like to pay tribute to David, Cheryl and Joanie and commend them for their heroic response. I also wish Annabelle every success in her studies at the Val‑d'Or CEGEP.

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Mr. Branden Leslie (Portage—Lisgar, CPC)

May/3/24 11:18:34 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, here is a memo to corporate Canada from the next prime minister of Canada: Fire the lobbyists, ignore the politicians and go straight to the people. There are far too many corporations that have Stockholm syndrome in this country. They feel grateful when their taxes only go up a little or when the job-killing regulation is not as destructive as it could have been. To be clear, advancing one's interests is not done by meeting politicians or holding luncheons or forums. If one has a good policy proposal, one needs to convince Canadians it is good for them. One must convince waitresses, carpenters, truckers, seniors and families, because when we start hearing it at the doorstep, that is when we will know it is a good idea. That is who Conservatives will be listening to: the common sense of the common people. If one wants to stop the latest Liberal tax hike or get bureaucracy out of the way to build homes, mines, factories, pipelines or anything else, one should cancel one's fancy lunch, fire the lobbyists and go straight to the people. Unlike Liberals, who only listen to insiders, Conservatives will always listen to the common sense of the common people.

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Mr. Vance Badawey (Niagara Centre, Lib.)

May/3/24 11:19:44 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this weekend I will be attending the Sports Wall of Fame class of 2024 induction ceremony in the city of Welland. I wish to recognize and congratulate Dan Girardi, Jack “JB” Ballantyne and Steve Latinovich for their contributions to hockey, Corey Lee for his contributions to judo, Lauren Aiello for her contributions to rowing, Mike Rao for his contributions to basketball, and Ray Sarkis for his contributions in sport at Niagara College. I also wish to congratulate the three teams being inducted for winning Ontario Championships: the 1973 Welland Atlas Steels tykes baseball team; the 1977 Club Richelieu midget baseball team; and the 2016 Jean Vanier Lynx, senior girls high school basketball team. Sports are more than just games. They are powerful agents of positive change within our communities. All of these individuals have inspired future athletes and our community at large. I look forward to recognizing their successes this weekend.

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Mr. Luc Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable, CPC)

May/3/24 11:21:10 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after nine years of extreme ideology, this Prime Minister is not worth the cost of the lives lost to overdoses. Exactly one week ago today, seven days ago, the Premier of British Columbia asked the Prime Minister to reverse his disastrous experiment involving the legalization of hard drugs. When will the Liberal Prime Minister put an end to his extreme policies that have caused chaos and death? We want a date, just a date, please.

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Hon. Ya'ara Saks (Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Lib.)

May/3/24 11:21:43 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as a mother and a member of the government, I find the tragedies that are happening across this country, and the lives lost, completely devastating. It is shameful that the opposition continues to politicize this. B.C. asked the federal government to work with it on a three-year pilot program. It has come to us and asked for an amendment to that proposal. We are working through it with the province because we have to get this right. We are here to save lives. We need to get it right with law enforcement and we need to get it right with our public health services, because our focus here is to save lives so that people do not die alone. Conservatives have no plan, and—

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The Deputy Speaker

May/3/24 11:22:25 a.m.
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The hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable.

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Mr. Luc Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable, CPC)

May/3/24 11:22:28 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister should be ashamed of himself for waiting seven days and still not announcing the end of this program, which is costing lives. Six lives a day are being lost in British Columbia, and what are the Liberals doing in the meantime? They are waiting and studying the issue. Dirty needles are being found on soccer fields. Nurses are having to stop breastfeeding because they fear for their health given they are exposed to fumes from drugs being consumed in hospitals. Crime is on the rise. People are afraid. Quebec is not immune to this crisis. When will the Prime Minister stop dithering and end his radical experiment? We want a date, please.

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