- Member of Parliament
- Prime Minister
Leader of the Liberal Party
- Liberal
- Papineau
- Quebec
- Voting Attendance: 52%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $79,187.97
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- May/29/24 2:45:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, for decades, Canada's position has been very clear, and it continues to be very clear. The only solution for peace in the Middle East is to have a secure and recognized Palestinian state alongside a secure and recognized Israeli state. This is the only way.
For a long time, our position was that recognizing the Palestinian state should come at the end of this process. Today, we have taken an important step by acknowledging that it is not necessarily at the end of this process that we will recognize the Palestinian state.
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- May/29/24 2:30:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are deeply concerned about the violence in Gaza and the devastating actions of the Israeli army in Rafah.
We continue to call for an immediate ceasefire, as we have been doing since December. We are calling for much more humanitarian aid to be delivered to the people of Gaza. We continue to work with our partners, allies and friends in the region to establish a process towards a two-state solution, with a secure and recognized Palestinian state.
Yes, we are working towards that.
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- Jan/31/24 2:50:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are, of course, deeply concerned with the devastating scale of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. We recognize UNRWA's essential role in providing life-saving assistance under dangerous conditions, so we will work with the agency and other donors to support the investigation into the serious allegations against its staff.
Let me be extremely clear: Our determination to provide relief to Palestinian civilians has not changed, and our work with our partners is constant. We are looking at ways to continue to provide additional support to those desperately in need, in addition to the $40 million we just announced yesterday.
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- Dec/12/23 2:32:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, since October 7, we have recognized the terrorist attack by Hamas that killed well over 1,000 innocent Israelis, and we have recognized Israel's right to defend itself. At the same time, the cost of justice cannot be the continued suffering of all Palestinian civilians.
That is why we are continuing to put forward, including today, in a statement with Australia and New Zealand, a strong and clear Canadian position that we will continue to work with allies around the world on moving toward a two-state solution, with peace for Israelis and peace for Palestinians, living side by side.
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- Dec/12/23 2:31:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, for the past nine weeks, the Government of Canada has taken a responsible stance in defending civilians and seeking a two-state solution with Israelis and Palestinians, so that they can live in safety and security, in countries recognized by the international community. We will do everything we can to ensure that Canadians are united and to curb the rise in hate, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism that we are experiencing. This government will continue to be there for everyone.
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- Oct/25/23 3:26:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we unequivocally condemn Hamas's terrorist attack against Israel and we support Israel's right to defend itself in accordance with international law. Of course, we are deeply concerned with the situation in Gaza. As I said, there are ongoing diplomatic conversations about consideration of humanitarian pauses, which is something that Canada supports. Desperately needed humanitarian aid must reach vulnerable Palestinian civilians at risk in Gaza. Canada is closely engaged with partners to build a humanitarian corridor. Hamas must release hostages, and we have to get foreign nationals, particularly Canadians, safely out of Gaza.
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- Oct/25/23 3:02:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we unequivocally condemn Hamas's terrorist attack against Israel. We support Israel's right to defend itself in accordance with international law.
We are deeply concerned about the situation in Gaza. As I said, there are ongoing diplomatic conversations about the consideration of humanitarian pauses, and that is something Canada supports.
Desperately needed humanitarian aid must reach vulnerable Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and Canada is working closely with partners to build a humanitarian corridor. Hamas must immediately release all hostages, and Canadians and foreign nationals who wish to leave Gaza must be allowed to do so.
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- Oct/16/23 3:26:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I apologize.
The Minister of National Defence is working tirelessly to ensure that CAF evacuation flights are getting as many Canadians out of the region as possible, and the Minister of International Development is leading conversations with his international counterparts and with aid organizations, making sure essential support is getting to affected people.
Canada has committed an initial $10 million in humanitarian assistance to provide essentials such as food, water, emergency medical aid and protection assistance to those affected by the crisis in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel. I want to be clear: None of this aid is going to Hamas.
Hamas is a terrorist organization that slaughtered and brutalized innocent people. Hamas continues to commit unspeakable atrocities and is trying to instigate further acts of violence against Jewish people. Let me be clear about Hamas: Its members are not freedom fighters. They are not a resistance. They are terrorists. Terrorism is always indefensible, and nothing can justify Hamas's acts of terror or the killing, maiming and abduction of civilians.
Let me also be extremely clear that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people or their legitimate aspirations. It does not speak for Muslim or Arab communities. It does not represent the better future that Palestinians and their children deserve. The only thing it stands for is more suffering for Israeli and Palestinian civilians.
Canada fully supports Israel's right to defend itself in accordance with international law. In Gaza, as elsewhere, international law must be upheld by all; this includes humanitarian law. Even wars have rules. Canada is always steadfast in our commitment to the rule of law. The rule of law is what we stand up for here in Parliament, what we advocate through diplomacy and what we will always fight for no matter the circumstance.
Emotions are running high in this country, in part because many of those stories are also Canadian stories. Because we are so diverse, many of us know someone who was affected or know someone who knows someone. I met with members of the Jewish community who are in mourning because of this tragedy. I heard about young people slain during a musical festival, about elderly people, women and children murdered and kidnapped. Members of the Jewish community told me about friends who died too young and their fear that loved ones have perhaps been taken hostage.
I met with leaders from the Muslim and Palestinian community. They told me about how families in Gaza are spreading themselves between homes to prevent the possibility that they could all be lost in a single moment. They told me that, from Canada, they worry desperately about their loved ones, but because electricity has been cut off, they have to rely on sporadic 15-second phone calls to know who is safe.
Their worries are not only for people overseas but also people here at home. Across our country, both Jewish parents and Muslim parents wonder whether their kids are safe at school. Families are worried about going to places of worship. Jewish people are wondering if they should not wear their Star of David or kippah in public. Muslim and Arab people are worried about being thought of as terrorists, once again. The list of worries is endless and the fear is real.
There are rising instances of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. We saw the reports of hate crimes against a Muslim woman in Montreal and at a Hebrew school in Toronto, and our hearts break at the horrifying news that came out of Illinois yesterday.
There are so many people in Canada who are afraid of the escalating tension here at home. They are scared as they watch horrible things happen to people in places that they love in the Middle East, and who, for years, have lived somewhere between fear and hope: fear that escalation will tear them further apart and hope that, one day, peace could finally take root.
We must never forget that diversity is our strength. Canada welcomes people from all walks of life expressing identities of all kinds. We are a nation of neighbours, colleagues, friends and families who embody that diversity, who live it every day. Now, more than ever, we must come together. We must not let worry, suspicion and mistrust divide us.
We must remember that it is a short path from mistrusting one's neighbour to entrenching division. A peaceful society does not happen by accident and will not continue without effort. We live in a country that upholds the freedom of expression, including religious and cultural expression, and every Canadian should feel safe doing so. This is the right and freedom every Canadian has under our charter. Canadians' liberty is not about taking away the freedoms of others but living in a way that expands and strengthens freedom for everyone.
Mr. Speaker, as Canadians, we have proven that it is possible to build and define a country on the basis of shared values. Canada is defined not by a single historical, cultural, religious, ethnic or other identity, but by our shared values.
We are, once again, at a moment where our shared values are being put to the test. Unrest is being felt in big and small ways. Canadians are deeply worried, no matter their background. This is why we must hold on to our commitment to the idea of this country. We have been tested before about who we are and what we are, but the core values of Canada have always been there to guide us, to make us stronger and to bring us together when forces or events try to divide us.
Our diversity is our strength; we can never forget this. This is a time to reach out and support one another. It is a time to ask a friend, family member or colleague how they are doing or reach out to members of a different faith, offering to listen and help where we can. People are not all right, so let us make sure that they are not alone.
As I have said before, the Canadian idea of liberty is an inclusive, expansive freedom. Let us remember who we are as Canadians and what we stand for here and around the world: respect for everyone's rights and freedoms and the rule of law; respect for different languages, ethnicities and religions; respect for human life; and respect for each other.
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- Oct/26/22 3:39:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada is a steadfast friend and ally of Israel and a friend to the Palestinian people. We are firmly committed to a two-state solution to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. We continue to firmly support the goal of a comprehensive just and lasting peace in the Middle East, including the creation of a Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel.
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