So V ote

Context: House Hansard - 336 - Sep/16/24

Sep/16/24 3:17:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Richmond Centre for his advocacy for health, making sure that we have the greatest health system in the world. We are seeing that unfold in British Columbia with an agreement that is going to make sure that health care assistants, with some called “personal support workers”, are getting a fair wage, making sure that we work in partnership with the people who keep our hospitals, long-term care facilities and assisted care facilities going, as well as with an essential agreement on pharmacare, making sure that every person in British Columbia has access to the contraceptives they need, to the diabetes medication they need and, yes, to menopause hormone treatment. These are huge things for our health system.

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Context: House Hansard - 324 - Jun/4/24

Sep/16/24 3:04:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have listened to what Quebec has to say. This is a very sensitive topic and we need time to consider not only the legal implications of these remarks, but also to engage in a national dialogue. The dialogue is not limited to my provincial and territorial counterparts. It extends to the entire country because it will have consequences. My discussions with my hon. colleague opposite will continue.

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Context: House Hansard - 321 - May/30/24

Jun/4/24 2:53:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know that over half of the Conservative caucus has been confirmed as being anti-choice and being against a woman's right to choose. We also know that 100% of Conservative MPs voted against free contraception for women. When a member makes such comments, it becomes clear that, if they are both against abortion and against access to contraception, they are against a woman's right to choose and have autonomy over her own body. It is not Conservative MPs who should tell women whether they should or should not start a family; it is women themselves who must always make that decision.

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Context: House Hansard - 320 - May/29/24

May/30/24 2:46:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there it is. I wondered, as they continually put down our country, who they want us to be and what they want to emulate. Now we know that they prefer to have a United States model, for example, of health care. I was down south a couple of months ago with my partner, and an individual fell over. When they came conscious after I called 911, their concern was not their health; their concern was money, that they did not have the money for care. I do not want to live in that country. On this side, we will fight for public health care, we will fight against the cuts the Conservatives want to bring to our health care system and we will make sure that every Canadian gets access to the care they need.

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Context: House Hansard - 320 - May/29/24

May/29/24 11:02:56 p.m.
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Madam Chair, we have discussed this issue with the industry at great length, and the conversation will continue. Personally, I think it is important now that label information be made available to the public at large.

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May/29/24 8:44:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in the first order, I want to thank the member and his caucus for their extraordinary work on this. I think it is exactly what Canadians expect us to do: to work together and to get results. I think that is an excellent idea. It is something that we are investigating and something I know the member has raised with me before. I think it is important that Canadians be able to see those details in hard numbers.

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Feb/29/24 2:45:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the representations made by the member are inaccurate, and I would invite people to read the documents, which have been fully redacted. However, this is the contrast with a party that is focused on partisanship and differences. The member opposite talked about working with another party and what that might accomplish. What about dental care? When we focused on co-operation, we were able to get dental care for this country. We were able to make sure that nine million Canadians, including three million seniors, will have access to dental care. They are voting against that. They are against that. Are they against pharmacare? Are they against the other fruits of co-operation that come from— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

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Feb/29/24 2:42:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have answered that question on numerous occasions, but let me address the proposition at the start of that question when the member said we are working together with another political party. He does not want to do that, and I get it. He is used to making partisan points and not reaching across the aisle to collaborate. What happens when we collaborate and work together? We get national pharmacare. We get the ability to say to those who have diabetes that we have their backs and they would have medication. We get to say to women that we are going to give them real freedom, freedom over their sexuality and freedom over their reproductive rights. That is what happens when members stop focusing on partisan politics and start focusing on results.

134 words

Feb/29/24 2:35:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when China, Russia or any other country threatens Canada, it is an attack on our democracy, on the House of Commons and on every member here. That worries me a great deal. That is why we have put in place policies to further strengthen public safety and to ensure that national security is not compromised.

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Feb/29/24 2:32:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have already said that the documents first were released, and then the additional redactions were actually commenced by us. The second point is that the member says “maliciously”, but we do not know what the intention was. That is the purpose of an RCMP investigation. These are individuals whom I am deeply concerned about, like the member opposite is. In having followed due process, we understand what they did. With respect to the Chinese government, the military itself, the government, academia and scientists are all part of its military. That means that any connection they had whatsoever would have touched that, and so I think it is careful— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

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Feb/29/24 2:21:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the two Canadian scientists in question were well-known for their work in virology and had spent their time working on health treatments for those who were suffering from viruses. With respect to collaboration, there is absolutely no evidence of the thing that the member is suggesting. I do not think that it is at all appropriate to suggest that they were involved with weaponization or things of this nature. The Conservatives have all the documents. They can see all of the information. We have waived all the normal considerations, not only of national security but also of employee relationships, that are normally kept confidential. It was our government that did that. That is why they have this—

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Context: House Hansard - 286 - Feb/27/24

Feb/29/24 2:20:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to say that an attack on our national security by a foreign nation, be it China or Russia, represents an attack on democracy. It represents a direct attack on every member of the House. I share the member's outrage that China or any other country would attempt to interfere in our process. The Public Health Agency, which is one of the most respected agencies in the world, hired two Canadian citizens who were eminent and well-known scientists in Canada, but who lied. It is the Public Health Agency that discovered that. It is the Public Health Agency that fired them. That is why there is now an RCMP investigation about their actions.

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Context: House Hansard - 248 - Nov/7/23

Feb/27/24 2:30:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, once again, the Bloc Québécois is obviously trying to pick fights. It is always picking fights. Our intention is simply to improve the quality of health care for Canadians across the country. In Quebec, for example, it is absolutely essential that every Quebecker everywhere in the province be able to receive dental care. That is our goal, and we intend to achieve it in a spirit of co-operation, not by squabbling.

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Context: House Hansard - 216 - Jun/19/23

Nov/7/23 3:10:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the members opposite know that more than eight out of 10 Canadians get more back than they pay. Why we are hell-bent on this is that our planet demands it. Fifteen thousand is the number of Canadians who died prematurely as a result of air pollution in the country. That cost is $114 billion, and it will escalate if we refuse to take action on this. Not only do we have a moral and fiscal imperative, but we also have an obligation to ensure the party opposite does not return to attacking climate policies across the world and move back to an aggressive state where we cease making progress on climate action.

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Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Jun/19/23 3:13:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what I would say to those kids who are ready to go on vacation or watch a ball game is that we need to make sure we do everything so they have a planet, so that they inherit an environment that they can live in. If we do not take action on climate change, not only will they not be able to afford things in the future because the costs of climate change will be enormous, but they will inherit a planet that is not sustainable. That is a legacy we cannot allow. We will do everything on this side to make sure they inherit a planet that is there for them and generations going forward.

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Context: House Hansard - 215 - Jun/16/23

Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Jun/16/23 11:37:17 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, that is not the case at all. It is very unfortunate that such things are being said, especially when we know that our correctional system is founded on independence and that we have one of the best correctional systems in the world. If they want to discuss the importance of this issue and the emotions it stirs up, that is entirely valid. However, it is important to have that conversation responsibly and honestly.

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Context: House Hansard - 215 - Jun/16/23

Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Jun/16/23 11:24:10 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, we know the opposition leader's policy when it comes to housing; it was to do nothing. For 10 years, the Conservative government did not invest a dime in housing; it did not prioritize or even talk about housing. It left it to every other level of government. What we have done instead is to say that the federal government has to be a leader in housing. What Conservative members have done, frankly, is to come up with ideas that we have already been doing for years. While they insult mayors, throw slurs at them and talk about how incompetent municipal governments, elected in their own right, are, we will stand up and get the job done.

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Context: House Hansard - 214 - Jun/15/23

Context: House Hansard - 214 - Jun/15/23

Jun/15/23 4:42:41 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, remember, these provisions have been in place exactly as they are for three years, and so we have had an opportunity to use these. At the beginning of every session of Parliament, we had a protracted debate for, in some cases, weeks about the use of the applications. We have had an opportunity House leader to House leader to have extensive conversations. As I said earlier, once the report from PROC was completed at the end of January, it was an opportunity to digest two and a half years of information and have conversations about how we could move forward. It became clear that one of the parties, the Conservatives, said that under no circumstances would they ever accept this. The only way it could go forward, despite the fact they were using it every day, was for us to proceed in this fashion. I tried to provide as much time as possible to find that bridge, to find some way to work together, to find some way to get to unanimity. Unfortunately, working with the Bloc and working with the Conservatives it became clear such consensus would never be possible. It would not only not be possible between January 31 and now, it would not be possible between January 31 and, if one listens to the Conservatives, the end of time. However, they still want to use these provisions, and that is the point—

238 words

Consensus

Context: House Hansard - 214 - Jun/15/23

Jun/15/23 4:31:47 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it was January 31 that PROC completed its report. Immediately after that, we were able to engage in discussions with the House leader from his party. Then we got the response from his party about, I believe, three or four weeks ago, when they let us know what their final position was and what their proposed changes were. It took a little while for them to get them. I do not criticize them. I know there are a lot of things happening in his party, but we certainly appreciated receiving those. What I heard from the Bloc Québécois was, “Well, maybe, maybe not; maybe we want to change some things; maybe we don't.” There was never any specificity. I still do not know what the position of the Bloc is. I heard, “Maybe we're for the voting application.” That would be great, as they use it. In one recent case, 80% of the Bloc members used it. Some Bloc members have told me that they love the voting app and the ability to speak at a distance, use the screen and participate virtually, while other members do not agree with that, so I do not know what their position is. That is over the past three years, by the way, which we have come back to again and again. The Conservatives have been very consistent, I have to say: They are against it in any and all circumstances. They say they want to debate it more, but the only thing they say when they debate it is that they are against it. I do not know how many speeches we have to listen to, year after year after year, as they say “No, we're against it. We don't support it.” We have heard them, but these provisions, which have been in place now for three years, allow the House to continue to do its work and the government to continue to be accountable. These provisions provide a little bit of flexibility, and, by the way, Conservatives and Bloc members use them every single day.

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