- Member of Parliament
- Minister of Health
- Liberal
- Ajax
- Ontario
- Voting Attendance: 64%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $134,982.00
- Government Page
- May/29/24 10:55:20 p.m.
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Madam Chair, first of all, it is absolutely vital that we find ways to modernize our system and ensure that processes become faster and more efficient. I agree with that. I want to work with the Bloc Québécois member on that issue.
When it comes to other issues and communication, we can work together on those with officials and departments. Maybe we could have a conversation to discuss these issues in more detail, considering how specific they are.
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- Mar/19/24 2:45:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is the only one that says no all the time. The Bloc Québécois goes looking for problems. It picks fights.
We, on the other hand, are working with Quebec to find a solution. We want to ensure that information is available in every province and territory. I am deeply proud to see that agreements have been reached with every province and territory to improve the quality of health care across Canada.
Our goal is to work in a spirit of co-operation, not to play partisan games.
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- Mar/19/24 2:42:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is strange. The Bloc Québécois is always trying to pick fights. However, when I speak with Minister Dubé and the Government of Quebec, it is clear that the Government of Quebec wants to work together with our government to improve the health of all Quebeckers. That is why an agreement will be signed with Quebec before the end of the month.
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- Feb/29/24 2:58:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I understand that the Bloc Québécois is always trying to pick a fight.
When I spoke with Minister Dubé from Quebec, it was clear that his objective was to co-operate to find a solution. In our health care system, I think that Canadians and Quebeckers want politicians, elected members, who look for solutions, not pick a fight. That is why I am sure that we will reach an agreement with Quebec.
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- 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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- Jun/15/23 4:29:46 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, over the past three years, I have had several discussions with the Bloc Québécois. I asked them what changes they were proposing for a hybrid system and for voting. Unfortunately, they made it clear every time that a hybrid system was not acceptable.
This is very odd, because the member opposite uses this system every day. I see this as providing an option. With the support of a majority of members, it would be possible to change the rules and, for example, cancel the hybrid system.
I do wonder what would happen if we did not adopt the hybrid system, however. In the future, this way of doing things will continue to exist for one reason: It provides flexibility for important moments in a member's life. That is so important that we must continue using this system.
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- May/3/23 2:33:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister has said several times, there is no connection between him and the Trudeau Foundation, either direct or indirect. It is very clear.
The foundation is responsible for granting scholarships. I think it is entirely irresponsible to attack an independent foundation.
If the leader of the Bloc Québécois has any questions, he should ask the foundation.
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- Apr/24/23 2:42:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Mr. Johnston is responsible for that.
I will state clearly that I fully understand that the Bloc Québécois wants to make a connection, but there is no connection to be made. I find their efforts odd, given that the Bloc Québécois knows full well that Parliament's institutions are the best in the world. They are very accountable, and they oversee our system and the integrity of our system.
The Bloc Québécois claims there is a problem because the Auditor General is saying there is no need for an investigation.
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- Apr/24/23 2:40:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is a good conspiracy theory. It is interesting, but not factual. It has nothing to do with reality.
I am not sure how many times we have to say this, but it is absolutely clear that there have not been any ties between the foundation and the Prime Minister for more than 10 years. I understand that the Bloc Québécois really wants there to be a connection for partisan reasons, but no such connection exists.
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- Nov/15/22 3:41:52 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the reason we cannot conduct our business in normal hours is that the party opposite refuses to allow that to occur. That is a tactic. It is called obstruction, and its objective is to block not only the government but also the House from conducting—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Jun/2/22 3:02:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have a different definition of “blocking”. The truth is that the opposition Conservatives asked to look at these documents and were given the opportunity at NSICOP, but they did not want to take the opportunity, which is fine. We provided another mechanism that was based on the same mechanism they used for Afghan detainees. It was a system Mr. Harper and many of those in his caucus then, who are here today, thought was a good system. We agreed; we offered it.
I would ask the member opposite why he is refusing to look at these documents. It is a very bizarre thing to stand up and demand to look at something we are trying to show him.
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- Mar/2/22 4:49:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise as the government House leader to respond to the question that was posed to me.
The member says that he has talked to business owners who said their businesses were affected by the Prime Minister's objection to the illegal blockades. I would ask him what he thought happened when this city was completely shut down and businesses could not open their doors. I was talking to business owners who watched people defecate in front of their properties, who watched them stare in their windows and intimidate them, who watched them bang on their windows. Countless business owners said it was the worst thing they had endured in 30 years of business.
The member found one person who was not negatively affected by it and is an ardent partisan of the Conservatives. I congratulate the member on his ability to find that person, because things would have been very difficult for anybody living in the red zone.
This was a situation without precedent. Our city was occupied. There were unbelievable things happening outside these doors and the official opposition was cheerleading them. The member is right that this is without precedent, and we have to respond accordingly.
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- Mar/1/22 2:43:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as events unfold in the world that are deeply serious in Ukraine, and as we have finally been able to put the illegal blockades and the occupation behind us, I would hope that the members opposite would look at the efficacy of the Emergencies Act and how successful it was in restoring peace and order. Their questions might now be on things that are more pressing in the world.
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- Feb/28/22 12:34:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it was a very difficult and unstable situation.
It was obvious, not only from the events in Ottawa, but also the blockades at the border crossings, that this was a threat to the country. It was absolutely essential that the government took action. Fortunately, the situation is now stable here outside the House of Commons, at the border and throughout the country.
Powers like the Emergencies Act are not often used, but it was necessary to do so at the time. It is also important to say that use of the act was very limited, not only in terms of time, but also geographically.
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