SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

Member of Parliament

Randall Garrison

  • Member of Parliament
  • Member of Parliament
  • NDP
  • Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke
  • British Columbia
  • Voting Attendance: 66%
  • Expenses Last Quarter: $148,586.11

  • Government Page
Context: House Hansard - 195 - May/11/23
Mr. Randall Garrison (Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, NDP)
  • May/11/23 12:24:30 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, I am a bit perplexed by the Bloc motion today. I understand that there is a feeling that the French language and Quebec's weight in Canada are the real concerns. There are two ways, I guess, that such concerns could be approached. One is the defensive and negative way, which I see in this motion. The other is to tap into the great source of immigration abroad in the francophonie. There are more than 450 million French speakers around the world; they have some of the largest and fastest-growing populations and some of the youngest French-speaking populations. They could be a source of those immigrants. Would an alternative approach not be to try to make sure that we raise those rates of immigration to help replace the aging population here and to help bring the diversity of francophones into Canada?
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Context: House Hansard - 195 - May/11/23
Mr. Randall Garrison (Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, NDP)
  • May/11/23 11:40:57 a.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, as someone who is an immigrant to Canada myself, having come here 50 years ago, and as an MP who has attended citizenship ceremonies where I have seen the pride when newcomers become part of the fabric of Canada, and I have seen the many contributions they make in my riding, I am a bit confused by the Conservatives' speeches today. I have seen the Bloc members congratulating the Conservative leader, I guess, in supporting this motion. What we have before us is a motion that styles immigrants as a threat to some Canadians and blames immigrants for housing shortages and for delays in the health care system. I am really unclear, having heard the speeches that sound like they support immigration, about what the Conservatives are doing with the motion before us today.
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