SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 159 - Feb/13/23

Mr. Randall Garrison (Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, NDP)

Feb/13/23 2:14:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express solidarity with all those hard hit by the earthquakes in Syria and Turkey and to draw attention to the plight of Syrian refugees stuck in the region despite already approved sponsorship applications. Many Canadians, like my constituent Bishr Bakro, have worked hard to get friends and family to safety, and now their circumstances are even more dire. Bishr contacted me about Abdullah, his wife, and his daughter, who were in Turkey when the earthquake hit. They escaped the collapse of the building they were staying in but lost all of their possessions. This family has been approved as refugees, but they are awaiting approval of their permanent residence applications so they can travel to Canada. I salute the many refugee sponsorship groups working so hard to provide support to those at risk. We echo their concern that the earthquakes have made urgent action on these applications even more necessary. I know that the member for Vancouver East has raised these delays with the Minister of Immigration but, given this new humanitarian crisis, Canadians are calling on the government to take action now.

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Context: House Hansard - 159 - Feb/13/23

Mr. Yvan Baker (Etobicoke Centre, Lib.)

Feb/13/23 2:17:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, February 24 will mark one year since Russia began its further invasion of Ukraine. The Ukrainian people have been outnumbered and severely outgunned, but they have shown tremendous courage in defending their homeland. I believe that courage has inspired Canadians and people around the world. Nevertheless, the situation is dire. Russia is committing genocide every day. There are millions of refugees. Hundreds of millions of people are facing food shortages and famine, primarily in the global south. This is the primary cause of food and energy inflation around the world; it is not only a threat to Ukraine’s security but also to global security and Canada’s security. Canada's support for Ukraine has been unwavering. However, if we want to stop genocide, inflation and starvation and secure our own sovereignty, then we must do everything we possibly can to ensure Ukraine achieves a decisive victory that includes all its territory. The Ukrainian people are fighting for us. We need to keep fighting for them, not for a day, a week or a year, but as long as it takes until they win, until we all win. Slava Ukraini.

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Context: House Hansard - 159 - Feb/13/23

Mr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Lac-Saint-Jean, BQ)

Feb/13/23 2:39:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let us hear what the people who advocate on behalf of asylum seekers have to say. Frantz André of the Non-Status Action Committee said that the government must begin by suspending the safe third country agreement if it wants to demonstrate that Canada is not the 51st state of the United States when it comes to accepting refugees. He is right. The United States is part of the problem at Roxham Road. Their customs officials have even become smugglers. The federal government needs to suspend the agreement in order to force Washington to act. Will it do that?

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Context: House Hansard - 159 - Feb/13/23

Mrs. Stephanie Kusie (Calgary Midnapore, CPC)

Feb/13/23 2:58:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal government, it has spent over $100 million on McKinsey & Company, and that includes $24.5 million from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to create policy, which public servants should have created. Civil servants have even said that McKinsey & Company created the immigration targets. Why does the minister not just take responsibility for the mess that he created and stop giving pricey contracts to McKinsey & Company?

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