SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 182 - Apr/21/23

Mr. John Aldag (Cloverdale—Langley City, Lib.)

Apr/21/23 11:09:11 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, on Wednesday mornings in Langley City a line forms in front of the Langley Vineyard church. This line includes people struggling with hunger, homelessness and sometimes mental health issues. Waiting inside to welcome those in need are Kimz Angels. With over 70 volunteers, Kimz Angels cares for our community's homeless and hungry populations. These angels provide food, clothing, housing and essentials to those who need it, no questions asked. They champion the importance of making positive impacts on the lives of others. The giving of furniture, non-perishable food, baby necessities, kids' toys, school supplies or shelter changes life stories. All it takes is a community coming together to help give a hand up. This is what Kimz Angles do, rain or shine, in our community. I have had the privilege of volunteering with Kimz Angels many times over the years. I have seen the tireless efforts that Kimz Angels make in Langley City. I thank Kim Snow and all her angels for the work they do.

170 words

Mr. Dan Mazier (Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, CPC)

Apr/21/23 11:10:09 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, Swan River used to be a town where you could raise a family, enjoy retirement and operate a business, but today Swan River is unrecognizable. It is unrecognizable because, after eight years of the government's catch-and-release policies, crime is out of control. The crime severity index in this rural town of 4,000 is six times the national average and over 50% higher than just five years ago. When I was in Swan River, I met with Linda, who owns a small clothing store. After 26 years in business, Linda never thought she would experience an armed robbery, but she did. A surge of robberies by repeat offenders has nearly put her out of business. Now nearly every business in Swan River has bars on their windows and buzzers on their doors. Canadians deserve to feel safe. If the Liberals will not cancel their failed soft-on-crime policies Conservatives will.

156 words

Mr. Gary Anandasangaree (Scarborough—Rouge Park, Lib.)

Apr/21/23 11:11:10 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to wish my Muslim friends and neighbours Eid al-Fitr. During Eid, Muslims are encouraged to forgive and seek forgiveness, as well as generously sharing their blessings with those less fortunate. Eid al-Fitr symbolizes the virtues of patience, piety, godliness and fortitude. It is a time to reflect, spend time with loved ones, show grace for the blessings in their lives and celebrate fresh beginnings. Ultimately, it is a celebration of and reward for the spiritual discipline exercised by worshippers during the holy month of Ramadan. During this month, I want to thank the Islamic Institute of Toronto, Masjid AI-Jannah and Spiritual Society Canada for their warm welcome to prayers. I also want to acknowledge the enormous contributions of the Muslim Welfare Centre of Toronto for its ongoing fight to ensure food security in our community and beyond. To all those who will be celebrating today in Scarborough—Rouge Park and across Canada, Eid Mubarak.

163 words

Mrs. Laila Goodridge (Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, CPC)

Apr/21/23 11:12:14 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, the record-setting rate of addiction deaths is bringing to the forefront the horrifying effects of addiction from Vancouver to St. John's, Newfoundland and everywhere in between. The B.C. coroner reported that almost 600 people died from overdose in the first three months of 2023 in B.C. alone. Every life lost to addiction is one too many. This data further proves what Canadians are experiencing within our communities and often within our own circle of friends and loved ones. More and more people are falling through the cracks and losing their lives to the disease of addiction. Every Canadian living with addiction deserves the opportunity to pursue recovery, yet the Liberal-NDP coalition believe the answer is to flood the streets with opioids under the guise of so-called “safe supply”. Conservatives know that recovery is possible for those with addiction, and it should be the goal. We invite the government to join Conservatives and commit to a recovery-focused approach that will improve the lives of Canadians with addictions, their families and their communities, because recovery is possible.

186 words

Mr. Pat Kelly (Calgary Rocky Ridge, CPC)

Apr/21/23 11:13:25 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, this government will shamelessly announce anything, but it always fails to implement anything other than, say, higher taxes, deficits, inflation and now higher emissions. Yesterday, we learned that this Liberal government has broken another one of its election promises. The environment commissioner’s audit revealed that the Liberals' promise to plant two billion trees within 10 years is failing so badly that they are on track to plant only 3.8% of what they promised. Seedlings are not in production. Partnership agreements are not signed. The Liberals are so far behind that there is no chance they are going to achieve the carbon sink that they have been counting on by 2030 through tree planting. Another A for announcement and F for follow-through. This government could not manage a two-car funeral. There is absolutely no reason to believe any announcement about anything that these Liberals promise.

151 words

Ms. Rachel Bendayan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Lib.)

Apr/21/23 11:14:30 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, quite often in the House we spend our time talking about the problems in our society and how to fix them. During this volunteer week, we should also take the time to recognize all those who work on the ground to improve people's lives. That is precisely the mandate of Mission inclusion, an exceptional organization in my riding of Outremont that is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. Mission inclusion has made its mark in the world for 75 years. It has helped nearly 30 million vulnerable people through support programs in Outremont, throughout Quebec and around the world. To the entire team led by Richard Veenstra and Isabelle Morin I say in the House of Commons, here in Ottawa, congratulations, Mission inclusion, here is to many more years.

132 words

Ms. Kristina Michaud (Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, BQ)

Apr/21/23 11:15:37 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow is Earth Day, a day for people to come together and take action for the future of our planet and our future generations. It is an opportunity to individually commit and recommit to joining forces in the fight against climate change. More importantly, it is an opportunity to put pressure on governments, starting with Ottawa. Although the federal government is saying that we need to accelerate the transition of our economy by supporting workers, it is continuing to fund oil activities in its budget this spring. At a time when we urgently need to fast-track the fight against climate change, this government is investing in future oil exploration in the Arctic. On Earth Day, let us make Ottawa understand that climate change is not a business opportunity. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I encourage everyone to join the protests that are being held in Montreal, Quebec City, Joliette, Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières, Chicoutimi, Rouyn, Rimouski and Baie-Comeau. Ensuring our future means investing our energy in climate action, not investing in the energy stakeholders of the past.

187 words

Ms. Bonita Zarrillo (Port Moody—Coquitlam, NDP)

Apr/21/23 11:16:49 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 72nd anniversary of the Battle of Gapyeong. This battle is regarded as the most famous and significant action fought by the Canadian armies in the Korean war, and the most famous battle fought by the Canadian Armed Forces since World War II. In this battle, Canadian, Australian and New Zealand troops blocked the Chinese advancements towards South Korea’s capital, Seoul. Today, I will join members of the Korean Canadian community to commemorate the battle at the Gapyeong Stone Korean War Memorial in Langley, B.C. The stone came from Gapyeong, South Korea and will serve as a reminder of the bravery of those who served in the Gapyeong battle and their commitment to upholding freedom and democracy. The efforts of those who created this monument, to keep the memory of this battle alive and to educate the next generation on the sacrifices made during the Korean War, are an inspiration to all of us. There is an eternal friendship between Canada and South Korea that must be celebrated. I thank all the veterans of the Korean War and commemorate the more than 26,000 Canadians who served.

195 words

Mr. Eric Duncan (Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, CPC)

Apr/21/23 11:18:00 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal government, it is clear it is running out of steam. As Canadians struggle with the cost of living crisis, the Prime Minister is struggling to explain his latest $81,000 free stay at a Liberal insider's villa in Jamaica and struggling to justify why he needed a $6000-a-night room in London with a butler. On this side of the House, though, Conservatives are focused on helping Canadians with the real solutions to fix what the Liberals and the NDP have broken: capping government spending to get inflation under control; addressing the crime wave with jail, not bail, for repeat violent criminals; forcing gatekeepers to get out of the way; and, finally, building new housing and establishing a blue seal national testing standard to fix the doctor and nurse shortage. Of course, we will scrap the terrible carbon tax to lower the price on everything. Canadians are simply tired of how out of touch the Liberals are and they are getting on board with our Conservative plans to address the issues in the country. Better is always possible. Conservatives are delivering real ideas.

193 words

Mr. Darren Fisher (Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, Lib.)

Apr/21/23 11:19:14 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, it is with sadness and deep appreciation that I rise to honour and remember my dear friend Dr. John O'Connor, better known in Dartmouth—Cole Harbour as Dr. Jake. A former high school quarterback, paddler, skier and runner, one would be hard-pressed to find a sport that Jake did not enjoy. In fact, late in his life, we would still see him jogging by our house each day. Jake began his medical career as a physician with the Royal Canadian Navy and then served our community as a beloved and distinguished family physician for over four decades. He was instrumental in establishing the Dartmouth General Hospital, where he then served as chief of staff and head of the emergency department. Jake was a true steward of the Shubenacadie Canal. He fundraised for the Shubenacadie Canal Commission and gave so much of his time ensuring its protection and its enhancement. In turn, the beautiful parks and waterway gave him the sanctuary that he deserved. My thoughts and gratitude are with his family, especially with his wife Barbara, who kindly shared Dr. Jake with us for all these years.

192 words

Mr. Michael Barrett (Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, CPC)

Apr/21/23 11:20:30 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is spending $21 billion more on the public service than when he took office. It takes a special kind of incompetence to spend 50% more on the bureaucracy but to give Canadians worse service, with 150,000 workers out on strike, the largest public sector strike in 40 years. How will the Prime Minister fix the government and the public service that he has broken?

70 words

Hon. Greg Fergus (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the President of the Treasury Board, Lib.)

Apr/21/23 11:20:59 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, our public servants and the Public Service Alliance of Canada provide valuable services that are important to Canadians. The government certainly values their work. We are committed to reaching an agreement with the Public Service Alliance of Canada that is fair to government employees and also reasonable for Canadians. There is a competitive deal on the table, and I am really proud to say that both parties are continuing to negotiate in good faith. Canadians expect both parties to reach an agreement.

84 words

Mr. Michael Barrett (Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, CPC)

Apr/21/23 11:21:36 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, why does the Prime Minister not stand up and answer? I will tell the House why. It is because the Prime Minister will not stand up for Canadians. He will not stand up for Canadians who are stuck in passport—

43 words

The Deputy Speaker

Apr/21/23 11:21:47 a.m.
Watch

I just want to make sure that we cannot say whether someone is in the chamber or not in the chamber. The member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes.

33 words

Mr. Michael Barrett

Apr/21/23 11:22:04 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, why does the Prime Minister not stand up to answer the question? He will not stand up because he will not stand up for Canadians. He will not stand up for Canadians who are stuck in passport lines. He will not stand up for Canadians who are stuck in airports. He will not stand up for the 700 men and women in uniform who are without heat and hot water as a result of his failures. When will the Prime Minister finally stand up for Canadians and fix what he has broken?

94 words

Hon. Greg Fergus (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the President of the Treasury Board, Lib.)

Apr/21/23 11:22:35 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, in spite of your admonition and trying to encourage the member not to do indirectly what he cannot do directly, it is almost symbolic of how the Conservatives treated the public service when they were in government. Public servants remember very well how the Conservatives had abrogated their rights and provided terrible working conditions, and they got no value for it. The Liberal government believes in public servants. We believe in good-faith negotiations. We are there. We are providing important services to Canadians, as Canadians saw through the pandemic and as they saw through many things, and providing things that would help us deal with the current inflation. This is good news for Canada.

117 words

Mr. Michael Barrett (Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, CPC)

Apr/21/23 11:23:18 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, only the Liberal government would call the largest public service strike in 40 years “good news” for Canadians: long lines at our passport offices, good news for Canadians; record delays at our airports, good news for Canadians; having hundreds of men and women in uniform at CFB Petawawa without heat and hot water because of Liberal incompetence, good news for Canadians. The Liberals are not in it for Canadians, and that is exactly why this morning, when we tried to call Alexandre Trudeau from the Trudeau Foundation to committee to talk about how he signed for a $200,000 cheque from Beijing as part of an influence operation to get access to the Prime Minister, which they did in fact get, they sent their Liberals in to block it. When will the Liberals stand up for Canadians?

141 words

Hon. Greg Fergus (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the President of the Treasury Board, Lib.)

Apr/21/23 11:24:03 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, with regard to the question of what happened at the committee today, committees, as members know, are masters of their own destiny. The committee chose not to go forward and support what the Conservatives had brought forward. It was unanimous, with the exception of the Conservatives, to not go forward with that, because we have important things to discuss, not to engage in these drive-by smears that the Conservatives like to engage in.

76 words

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

Apr/21/23 11:24:36 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister wrote a long letter to public service employees in 2015, promising to bargain with them in good faith, yet he is the only prime minister in 40 years who has failed at the task. Worse still, he is the only prime minister to have managed to hike the cost of the public service by 50% in the span of eight years, to $21 billion, while still failing to prevent 150,000 employees from going on strike. That takes a special level of incompetence. How does he plan to explain this monumental failure to everyone affected by this incompetence?

104 words

Hon. Greg Fergus (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the President of the Treasury Board, Lib.)

Apr/21/23 11:25:13 a.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, we believe that public servants do important work for Canadians, and we agree that they have the right to strike if they are in a legal position to do so. What is important is to have the opportunity to negotiate in good faith. That is what we have been doing. In contrast, when the Conservatives were in power, they denied public servants the right to strike and forced them to go back to work.

76 words