- Feb/15/24 3:06:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, strong, vibrant communities are good for everyone. In my riding, Maxxmar Window Fashions, led by Norbert Marocco, has been operating since 2007 and continues to help make ridings like mine and Canada a better place to live, work and raise a family.
A key ingredient for any successful business, of course, is drive and a determination to grow and keep building on past successes. Anyone who has met Norbert knows that his business has that in spades.
Can the Minister of International Trade share with the House how our government is supporting businesses that want to grow and expand their businesses to new markets?
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Madam Speaker, I am pleased to present two petitions that have been certified by the House that call on the government to support Bill C-284. Given the fact that over eight million people are suffering from eye diseases and 1.2 million live with vision loss or blindness, 75% of vision-loss cases, if diagnosed and treated early, are preventable.
Historically, the federal government has lacked any substantive framework on the matter of public eye health care, and the current structure has created huge gaps in access to care. Therefore, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada call upon the House of Commons to adopt Bill C-284, an act to establish a national strategy for eye care as soon as possible.
I can report to the House that they have done that, and the House has supported Bill C-284.
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Mr. Speaker, February is Age-Related Macular Degeneration Awareness Month, and yesterday was AMD awareness day on the Hill. A number of stakeholders and specialists in eye care are here in Ottawa this week to meet with members of the House and of the other place to speak about vision care issues. We salute them and the work they do on behalf of all of us.
I also take this opportunity to thank all of my colleagues in the House for adopting unanimously my bill, BillC-284, to establish a national eye care strategy in Canada. I ask my colleagues in the Senate to please pass the bill as soon as possible. It would be wonderful to celebrate the adoption of an eye care strategy during February, AMD Awareness Month.
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Mr. Speaker, I stand in the House today to emphasize the crucial importance of Canada's unwavering support for Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression.
This month, we approach the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It has been two years in which the values that we hold dear, freedom and democracy, continue to be threatened.
The people of Ukraine have a right to their sovereignty and territorial integrity and to live free and without fear. Canada's continued commitment and support goes beyond politics. It is about being there for people in their most challenging moments.
The House will be voting on the modernized free trade agreement with Ukraine today, and I am urging hon. members to put politics aside and support Bill C-57. Let us renew our pledge to stand united in supporting Ukraine's resilience and championing the principles that bind us all together as a global community.
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- Jan/30/24 2:02:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am happy to share today that Taiwan successfully completed presidential and legislative elections on January 13, 2024. This marks the eighth milestone in Taiwan's history, and I would like to congratulate the new President of Taiwan, Mr. William Lai. With a proven track record of dedication to public service and a deep commitment to the values that define Taiwan, President Lai embodies the spirit of progress and inclusivity.
As Taiwan embarks on this new chapter, let us rally together in support, embracing the shared vision of a Taiwan that thrives on innovation, justice and the unwavering spirit of its people. These elections are another testament to Taiwan's strong commitment to democracy and freedom. The democratic process is the heartbeat of the people of Taiwan.
Once again, congratulations to President Lai and the people of Taiwan.
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- Dec/12/23 3:14:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties, and if you seek it, I believe you would find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion.
I move:
Whereas Jimmy Lai stands for so many of the values championed by Canadians, most importantly, media freedom, respect for the rule of law and standing up for what is right;
Whereas Mr. Lai is a peaceful pro-democracy campaigner and publisher whose usually popular newspaper, Apple Daily, was shut down for political reasons in 2021;
Whereas Mr. Lai has just spent his 76th birthday in prison, where he has been for the last three years on charges brought under the national security law whose provisions are inconsistent with international human rights law;
Whereas Mr. Lai is about to face trial on yet further charges arising from his pro-democracy writing and campaigning that could see him spend the rest of his life behind bars;
Therefore, the House resolves to call upon the Hong Kong authorities to release Jimmy Lai and cease prosecuting him and others charged under the national security law and the House reaffirms journalists and media workers everywhere have the right to operate in an environment free from intimidation and harassment by state authorities.
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- Dec/12/23 1:59:15 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to applaud the efforts of my colleague, along with many other members of the House of Commons, to advance this free trade agreement between Canada and Ukraine and the importance of it.
We know Ukrainians are fighting an illegal Russian aggression against them. I would like to know what else the hon. member suggests we could be doing to advance and promote the free trade agreement with Ukraine.
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- Dec/12/23 1:43:20 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, my colleague is a wonderful member of the international trade committee, who contributes very significantly to whatever the discussion or debate is in a very comprehensive and thoughtful way. I understand, after the next election, he is not going to be returning to the House, which I think is a real loss for the House of Commons, because he adds a tremendous amount in the House and at the committee level.
I would like to ask my hon. colleague about the concerns of the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and so many other organizations that have echoed their support for this. President Zelenskyy sat right in front of me and urged us to pass this free trade agreement very quickly.
Was my hon. colleague concerned with the amount of opposition that was led by the Conservative Party of Canada?
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- Dec/7/23 2:11:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to acknowledge Mr. Jimmy Lai, a 75-year-old U.K. citizen imprisoned in Hong Kong.
Mr. Lai has been a leading pro-democracy campaigner in Hong Kong since 1989. He is a well-known and high-profile advocate for democracy and he has been an outspoken critic of human rights violations by the government of China.
For this work, Mr. Lai has been subjected to a barrage of criminal prosecutions and currently faces life in prison.
Mr. Lai was first arrested in August 2020, and has now been in prison continuously for three years. On December 18, he will face trial under the controversial Law of the People's Republic of China on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
No person should be prosecuted for standing up in defence of universal human rights, freedoms and democracy and media freedom. I stand in solidarity with Mr. Jimmy Lai and call for his immediate and unconditional release.
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- Dec/6/23 2:58:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today, we remember the 14 young women who were killed during the École Polytechnique massacre. As the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence comes to an end, we are reminded that our work must continue until we achieve a Canada free of gender-based violence.
Can the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth update the House on how our government is addressing the prevention of gender-based violence?
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- Nov/30/23 2:16:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, recent incidents targeting our Jewish and Muslim communities concern all of us deeply. Many Canadians, including my colleagues in the House, are being targeted based on their religious or cultural backgrounds, and this is unacceptable to everyone.
Let us stand together as a testament that Canadians value each other as colleagues and as fellow citizens, and that it is paramount to support the right of each other’s communities to enjoy peace and security in Canada. Canada has always been a country where peace, tolerance, mutual understanding and kindness are of utmost importance. Prejudice and hatred have no place in our nation. We must rise above division, extending compassion and support to all.
Canadians made their kindness a worldwide brand, and there is no better branding for us than this. Let us be grateful for what we have and unite around peace and tranquility in Canada.
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Madam Speaker, it is truly a great honour for me to present, in both official languages, the 13th report of the Standing Committee on International Trade in relation to Bill C-57, an act to implement the 2023 free trade agreement between Canada and Ukraine.
The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with amendments.
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- Nov/28/23 4:38:55 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, from the comments made earlier, Conservatives do not seem to understand how the Senate works. Conservative senators are threatening other senators and so on, based on what I hear in the media.
I want to congratulate Bloc, NDP and Liberal members today for the work they did on the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. There was a variety of amendments moved that were out of the scope of the bill, all of which we had to deal with, but in two hours we managed to get the bill through. I want to acknowledge and thank the committee members. The Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement has now been passed, which I hope to introduce tomorrow in the House so we can finalize it and give the people in Ukraine what they really need with additional help from Canada.
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- Nov/28/23 4:37:25 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it boils down to the fact that Conservatives do not understand the impact that climate change is having on our country and around the world. The majority of members of the EU all have a plan with a carbon tax, yet the Conservatives clearly do not support it, do not want to support it and do not believe in it. Maybe they need to spend a little time focusing more on the impacts climate change will have next year and next summer.
If we look at exactly what is going on as a result of climate change, it is causing serious damage, threatening the lives, the homes and the future for all of us in this country and around the world, and we need to take much stronger action, frankly, than what we have been taking. Instead of worrying about the carbon tax, I would suggest Conservatives should be putting their energy in something more profitable.
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- Nov/28/23 4:35:52 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the hon. member is asking me to comment on something that is not within a jurisdiction that we have a direct effect on.
Let us be honest. This past summer, we had wildfires, floods and hurricanes everywhere, and they were all a result of climate change. Whatever we can do to reduce exposure is an important move for us to be making. The fact is that farmers are going to compensated in other ways. We have an important bill that needs to get passed to protect all of us, our families and our homes.
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- Nov/28/23 4:24:43 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am pleased to stand today for a few minutes and speak about this bill that is here as an opposition day motion. I found the conversation actually quite comical as I was observing it.
I will be sharing my time with the member for Lac-Saint-Louis.
Rather than indulge the Conservative partisan attacks on the pollution price, let us talk about what matters most to all Canadians. That is our economic plan that will support the middle class and build more homes faster, which the minister introduced last week and that really tackles so many issues when we talk about affordability and what matters to Canadians right now. It is putting bread on the table and having a roof over people's heads. Those are things that our government has, since 2015, worked on extensively. I am very proud of what has been done to ensure that there is bread on the table for thousands of people. Without some of the programs we introduced, that would be a seriously problem for them today.
As everyone saw last week, our government continues to deliver an economic plan that supports a strong middle class. It is something we have been working on since 2015, to enforce that, so the middle class has access to good jobs and good housing. We are building more homes faster; taking concrete action to help stabilize prices, which is critically important; making life more affordable; and protecting Canadians with mortgages, which is something that many are very worried about.
Canadians did not expect the interest rate to go up to what it is today. I reflect back on the first house we bought. The interest rate was 6% and I remember thinking how bad that was. It was not much longer after that it ended up at 19%. We are very wary of what mortgage rates are and the impacts they have on Canadians. The minister has introduced a plan to work with the banks to help Canadians and protect them from that.
Simply put, we are taking action on the priorities that matter most to Canadians today, and we are doing so in a way that is fiscally responsible. Our government's economic plan is very responsible and I am very proud of what is in it. In the face of global inflation, our government has reduced the deficit faster than any other country in the G7. In fact, Canada maintains both the lowest deficit and net debt-to-GDP ratios in the G7. If someone were to listen to question period, they would think that doom and gloom was everywhere, that the world was caving in and that nothing was moving forward. Canada is in a very good fiscal position because of some of the investments we have made.
With inflation down from 8.1% last year to 3.1% last month, we are taking care not to feed inflation by carefully targeting new investments toward the priorities of Canadians today, and toward the future growth that makes our finances sustainable. This includes, through new reductions in government spending as part of last week's fall economic statement, building on the $15 billion in public service spending reductions that we announced in the spring.
It was not only about how we were helping people in a monetary way, whether it was building homes or making other changes, but it was the spending reduction of $15 billion, which was significant. Clearly, the opposition rarely mentions that $15 billion. We were able to do that at the same time as focusing on the stuff that matters the most, which is increasing the number of homes that will get built.
We are ensuring that Canada's finances remain sustainable because that is how we will be able to continue investing in Canadians. Not only is our economic plan fiscally responsible, but it is clearly working. Canada's unemployment rate for the last 21 months has been lower than at any time between 2006 to 2015.
Over a million more Canadians are employed today compared to before the pandemic. Wages have outpaced inflation for the past nine months. Private sector economists now expect Canada to avoid the recession that so many had predicted.
The International Monetary Fund projects Canada to see the strongest economic growth in the G7 next year. That is a very important statement and is very much contrary to much of what we hear from the opposition, which never wants to say anything good, only finding ways to say something that would bring the country down, making people worried and concerned about the future.
According to the OECD, in the first half of this year, Canada received the third-most foreign direct investment of any country in the world and the highest per capita in the G7, again.
Now, I know that perhaps that sounds overly positive. We know that for many Canadians, this remains a challenging time. We need to assure Canadians that their government is making the right investments and that Canada is the envy of many parts of the world.
Higher housing costs and still-elevated consumer prices are putting pressure on families every single month. To combat inflation around the world, the world's central banks have implemented the steepest series of interest rate increases in decades. These interest rate increases have led to a slowing of the Canadian economy and, frankly, the slowing of the global economy. It is not just about Canada. Canada does not live in isolation. We are part of the global economy.
That is why having an economic plan that is fiscally responsible is so very important. By continuing our commitment to responsible fiscal management, we are able to continue helping Canadians navigate these economic headwinds.
Our government's support for the middle class did not begin in response to the pandemic and Canada's quick recovery from the COVID recession. Since 2015, as I mentioned earlier, we have been investing in Canadians, ranging from the Canada child benefit, which my riding has benefited from by at least $14 million, to enhanced benefits and pensions for seniors, to stronger public health care and a Canada-wide system of affordable early learning and child care.
The issue of early learning child care is that it clearly allows many of the women in our country who were not able to go to work to have affordable child care and be able to move on with their own careers, which just makes Canada stronger.
These foundational investments have supported Canadians' incomes and higher numbers of Canadians participating in the labour force, including a record number of working-age women. Historic investments in infrastructure and Canada's growing clean economy will have both short- and long-term economic benefits, helping to create good careers and vibrant communities, and grow our economy for decades to come.
I have met many women, especially when campaigning, out knocking on doors. I talked to many women about how they wanted, so much, to be able to go to work and to have a career. However, having their children was a holdback, and now having affordable child care really opened the door for them, whether it is on a part-time or full-time basis. It allowed them to start pursuing a career.
Not only does a strong federal balance sheet allow our government to make the necessary investments to strengthen our social safety net and improve Canadians' quality of life, but it also gives the government the ability to respond to future challenges.
This was not an accident. This was part of a bigger plan from 2015. Since emerging from the pandemic, the government has maintained a commitment to its fiscal anchor, reducing federal debt as a share of the economy over the medium term. This metric is key not only for fiscal sustainability, but also to preserve Canada's AAA credit rating that helps maintain investors' confidence and keeps Canada's borrowing costs as low as possible.
Our economic plan, outlined in the recent fall economic statement, delivers on our fiscal anchor, enabling Canada's federal debt-to-GDP ratio to decline from 2024-25 onwards.
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- Nov/28/23 2:07:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today, I would like to acknowledge a historic milestone for Taiwan's defence and technological prowess. The unveiling of Taiwan's first indigenous defence submarine, the first domestically made submarine, in September this year stands as a testament to Taiwan's commitment to security and innovation.
This achievement is not merely a symbol of maritime strength but a testament to the dedication and the expertise of Taiwan's engineers, scientists and visionaries. The submarine represents a leap forward in self-reliance, showcasing Taiwan's ability to defend itself and to contribute to regional stability. With cutting-edge technology and a determination to safeguard its waters, Taiwan exemplifies resilience in the face of challenges.
This submarine underscores a vision of peace through strength, and a commitment to protect freedom and to uphold democratic values in the region. May this submarine serve as a guardian of peace, security and prosperity for Taiwan and for the international community.
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- Nov/21/23 2:02:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 90th year since the great famine of 1932 to 1944 in Ukraine: the Holodomor. It was recognized by the Government of Canada as a genocide of the Ukrainian people, in which millions died of starvation and murder.
Today is also an opportunity to honour the resilience and strength of the Ukrainian people. As the world reflects on this painful historical event, Moscow is perpetrating its blockade of Ukraine's grain exports that has sparked grain and fertilizer shortages, putting millions of people at risk of hunger. This date is an alarming reminder of how easily we take some things for granted.
Let us take a moment to commemorate the many victims and to appreciate the bread on our tables and the initiatives that are still giving access to food to those in need during these challenging times around the world.
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- Nov/20/23 3:49:40 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following two reports of the Standing Committee on International Trade: the 11th report, entitled “The Underused Housing Tax: Potential impacts and proposed actions”; and the 12th report, entitled “Anti-dumping and countervailing duties being applied on certain Canadian softwood lumber products”.
Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to each of these two reports.
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- Nov/6/23 3:57:26 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, in the second petition, petitioners draw attention to the Falun Gong.
They request that the Canadian Parliament and government pass a resolution to establish measures to stop the Chinese Communist Regime's crime of systematically murdering Falun Gong practitioners for their organs, to amend the Canadian legislation to combat forced organ harvesting and to promptly call for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China.
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