- Member of Parliament
- Liberal
- Eglinton—Lawrence
- Ontario
- Voting Attendance: 64%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $83,797.98
- Government Page
- Jun/20/23 2:41:22 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs is having positive discussions with the opposition about this matter.
We will look for the best way to engage with Canadians in order to spark a constructive conversation about how we can build on our efforts to fight foreign interference. Enough with the game-playing and squabbling. That is what the Conservatives are focusing on. On this side, we will keep working to protect our democratic institutions.
74 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:50:02 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I share my colleague's concerns about the threats that are posed by foreign interference, which is why this government has been acting concretely by introducing new powers for the Communications Security Establishment by creating new mechanisms of transparency.
Most recently, I signed off on a ministerial directive to ensure that I and the Prime Minister are getting briefed. We now have a public hearings process, which we hope to start in earnest, so we can bring Canadians along as we equip our establishment with new tools, but to do so in the right way. That is something that we are all committed to doing.
107 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:48:24 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we are confident that Mr. Johnston has laid a path forward in holding public hearings that will put communities at the centre of a conversation on the way we can fight against foreign interference to protect our democratic institutions. It is encouraging that at least the NDP is prepared to take the briefing. It is simply up to the Conservatives now, if they are serious, to roll up their sleeves, get a seat at the table and take a briefing so we can fight foreign interference together.
89 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:39:37 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, public hearings are not the only way to demonstrate respect for the value of transparency.
It was our government that created the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians. It was our government that created the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency. There are plenty of examples of how we can move forward with a national discussion to better protect our democratic institutions. Our government wants to work with all members of the House.
80 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:37:07 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, the RCMP has already taken meaningful action with regard to the activities involving foreign interference and these alleged police stations. The RCMP will carry on with the tools that this government has given it.
It is the Conservatives who opposed the bill to give new tools to our national security establishment. That is a contradiction. The Conservatives need to reverse their position.
70 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:34:41 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I want to be clear that we share the concerns of the diaspora community leadership, who are worried about being targeted by foreign interference. That is why we conducted a public consultation on the foreign agent registry, and that is why we think there are compelling, intelligent reasons a public hearing would put the community at the centre of these conversations, so that we can have a thoughtful way forward in the work to protect our democratic institutions and in fighting against foreign interference.
86 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:33:13 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we have been taking the work of fighting against foreign interference very seriously since 2015. Again, the contradiction is the Conservatives, who want to say they are taking this seriously, yet voted against the new authorities that we granted to our national security establishment to fight this scourge. The fact that they do not want to support taking a briefing so that they can equip themselves with the information to have a responsible, thoughtful conversation about this I think lays bare that they do not take it seriously.
Again, when will you take the briefing?
97 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:32:05 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, if the member opposite had been paying attention, she would have noted that we did a public consultation on the creation of a foreign agent registry by listening to Canadians, by working with diaspora communities to make sure that we understand their concerns around marginalization and stigmatization. The best way forward is for the Conservative Party of Canada to take the briefing.
I have a simple question, through you, Mr. Speaker, to them. When will you take the briefing?
81 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/30/23 2:31:01 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the only cover-up that is occurring right now is the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, who continues to cover his own eyes from the classified briefing that we offer him. The irony is that a member of his own Conservative caucus, the member for Durham, at least took a briefing from CSIS.
Now I say, through you, Mr. Speaker, to the member: take the briefing, learn the information and do the work of fighting foreign interference together.
82 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 3:09:06 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, every single one of us in this chamber has a responsibility to take the issue of foreign interference seriously. What we have seen from the Conservatives is the exact opposite.
They have voted against legislation to give our national security establishment more powers to fight this scourge.
We heard their own national campaign director in the last election say that members of their caucus did not take this issue seriously and now we have the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada who refuses to take the briefing. To him, I say, “Take the briefing and take this issue seriously, so that we can fight foreign interference together.”
112 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:46:27 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I agree with my colleague about putting Canadians and members of all the diaspora communities at the centre of our approach. This is exactly what Mr. Johnston recommends, namely, that we hold public hearings to engage in a conversation based on facts, not on fear, and to study all our options for creating new tools to protect our institutions.
This is not a partisan issue. It is a Canadian undertaking.
72 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:45:04 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, with all due respect for my colleague, the independent special rapporteur, Mr. Johnston, meticulously reviewed classified information. He verified the findings of two other independent panels regarding the fact that the 2019 and 2021 elections were free and fair. Now, he is recommending that we invite all Canadians and everyone to have an open and transparent conversation about creating new tools to defend our democratic institutions.
70 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:38:20 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives can continue to malign Mr. Johnston despite the fact that he has distinguished public service, which was recognized by a former Conservative prime minister, Stephen Harper.
The fact is that his first report speaks for itself in its quality. It looked at the most accessible information and verified that the 2019 and 2021 elections were free and fair, and it carves out a path in order to bring Canadians along in a way in which we can protect our democratic institutions. It is solely the Conservatives who want to continue to engage in partisanship rather than defend the national interest. They should reverse course.
108 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:25:59 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Conservative leader is the one who wants to cover his eyes from the information.
We have insisted that we are prepared to work with the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada to make sure that he has access to the same classified information that Mr. Johnston had, that the two panels who verified the integrity of the 2019 and 2021 elections had, that NSICOP will have and that NSIRA will have. It is he and he alone who refuses to take this issue seriously because he refuses to take the briefing.
95 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:24:50 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada is sinking in the quicksand of his own logic when calling the briefings fake. What does he think the public servants who work in the security establishment have been doing, other than advising the government on how we can protect the people who defend our democracy every day?
If he is seriously about it, he will take the briefings, roll up his sleeves, sit at the table and help us defend our democracy from foreign interference.
86 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/29/23 2:23:40 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it is the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada who is silencing himself by refusing to take the briefings. It is the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada who is covering his own eyes from the same information that Mr. Johnston had access to, which other non-partisan professional public servants had access to. It leaves Canadians wondering why. Is it because he would rather play partisan games than do the hard work? I think we know the answer to that question and it is yes.
90 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/16/23 2:42:01 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I share my hon. colleague's concerns. That is why the government, with help from CSIS, will continue to provide briefings. That is why, in budget 2023, there are federal resources to set up a coordinator to fight foreign interference. That is why there are additional resources for the RCMP to protect all Canadians.
We need to protect our democratic institutions. That is not just the job of the government, but of all members of the House.
81 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/15/23 3:06:09 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, supported by federal government initiatives and investments, the RCMP is keeping a close eye not only on foreign interference, but also on all public safety priorities. The Conservatives are the only ones who continue to impede the government's national security priorities. We must work together to protect our democratic institutions.
That is our government's priority.
60 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/15/23 3:05:10 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the opposition needs to listen to the government's responses, including my responses in committee.
As I said, the RCMP is taking decisive action to disrupt the foreign interference activities associated with those so-called police stations. Now it is important to continue to put in place the authorities to protect our democratic institutions.
The Conservatives are the only ones impeding progress on this important issue.
68 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/15/23 3:03:58 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, by now, I hope my Conservative colleague will have heard the answers, which have been consistent. The RCMP took decisive and concrete action to disrupt the foreign interference activities in relation to those so-called police stations. It will continue to do the same going forward.
The bigger question is about what the Conservatives did on foreign interference when they last held the reins of government. The answer is that they did nothing. On this side of the House, we will continue to make the investments and put the authorities in place so that we can protect our democratic institutions.
102 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
