- Member of Parliament
- Member of the Board of Internal Economy
Deputy House leader of the government
- Liberal
- Kingston and the Islands
- Ontario
- Voting Attendance: 67%
- Expenses Last Quarter: $112,228.33
- Government Page
- Jun/3/24 12:37:50 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it was audible by everybody here that the member for Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston referred to the member for Timmins—James Bay as a “moron”. I would suggest that you, Mr. Speaker, ask that he withdraw that comment, because that was extremely unparliamentary. He should apologize as well directly to the member.
58 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/18/24 10:07:54 a.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, I have four petitions to present.
The first three petitions are the same, and they deal with an issue that has already been dealt with, which is to bring national school food programs to Canada. These petitions are presented by the Loyalist Collegiate & Vocational Institute, also known as LCVI high school, in Kingston; Pathways to Education Kingston; and the St. Patrick Catholic School community of Kingston.
The petitioners specifically want to make sure that we do not axe the snacks and that we actually have school food for kids—
93 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/1/24 10:18:42 a.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, in conclusion to that petition, I was just saying that I wanted to thank the incredible school community of Bayridge Secondary School in Kingston for its advocacy on this issue and for using its voice in Parliament.
39 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Dec/5/23 5:15:41 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, the member answered his own question.
I will say this: Before coming to the House, I was the mayor of Kingston, and I had the opportunity to come to Parliament, to the House of Commons, on a couple of occasions. I actually remember meeting the former speaker, the member for Regina—Qu'Appelle, and reflecting on how calm and non-partisan this particular individual was. Now, 10 years later, to be sitting here and for him to be one of the most partisan people in the House is truly eye-opening for me.
An hon. member: Oh, oh!
Mr. Mark Gerretsen: He is absolutely right. Madam Speaker, I will be the first to say that I am nothing like Peter Milliken, who was from Kingston and the Islands. He was a non-partisan Speaker. He did his role very well. He was elected under a Conservative minority government to be—
154 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Nov/21/23 12:07:58 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, Kingston has had an airport since World War II. It continues to operate today.
Absolutely, there are always concerns. One of the challenges for Kingston, which other people see as a benefit, is that it is located two hours from Ottawa, two hours from Toronto and two hours from Montreal. The member said he flew through Kingston, and I do not understand that; one is either arriving or leaving to go to one of those other spots. However, the point is that while we have what might be seen as a detriment to Kingston, in terms of our airport, we also have the fourth-busiest train station in the country. People might not expect that of Kingston, but it is the case because of our proximity to the other cities I just mentioned.
In Kingston's case, it makes more sense for the average traveller to take the train, for example, from Kingston to downtown Toronto, jump on the train to Pearson, and then fly out of there. There are some people who still prefer to fly right out of Kingston, but the options are not as great as they are for some other small regional airports.
We have challenges, and I want this framework in place so that some of those challenges could be dealt with. That is what the framework is all about.
227 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Sep/29/23 11:05:19 a.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, I rise today to draw attention to the magnificent new building that opened this fall and that will serve Kingston's francophone community.
On September 13, a grand opening ceremony was held for the building that will be home to Kingston's two French-language high schools, École secondaire publique Mille-Îles and École secondaire catholique Sainte-Marie-Rivier.
The two schools have roughly 500 students, and their shared space showcases French-language education in Kingston. The new facilities unite our region's francophone and francophile community, providing an inclusive space to celebrate French-language education, arts and culture.
Congratulations and best wishes for a successful first year in these new facilities.
118 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- May/9/23 2:06:11 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, this week marks the end of an era for a business, and indeed an industry, in Kingston. Classic Video has been a landmark in Kingston for 35 years. This one-of-a-kind video rental store outlived all of its competitors and continued to thrive in the face of online streaming services.
For decades, Classic Video offered a vast array of video rentals as the premium choice of home entertainment for so many of its loyal patrons. Upon hearing of his intentions this week to close his store, customers formed lineups outside of Tom lvison's quaint location on Clarence Street, just steps from City Hall. Hundreds of customers, new and old, paid one last visit to say goodbye, and often ended up purchasing their favourite film they had rented so many times before. It was indeed a testament to Tom's friendly customer service that was truly second to none.
I want to thank Tom for his dedication to downtown Kingston and his passion for film, and wish him all the best in the next chapter of his life.
182 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Mr. Speaker, I only represent two of the Thousand Islands. The other 998 are primarily the responsibility of the member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes. I do not know why he would say “Kingston and the Thousand Islands”.
45 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/22/22 4:56:36 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, notwithstanding the fact that the member is absolutely incorrect, as indeed Kingston is the best riding in the country, he is now providing his own personal opinion on a petition. During petitions, members are only supposed to present a petition, not provide their own commentary on it.
49 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/17/22 11:11:44 a.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, after 46 years of being the voice of sports in Kingston, local legend Doug Jeffries is hanging up his microphone. A native of nearby Gananoque, Doug's career started in 1976 when, shortly after graduating from Loyalist College in Belleville, he was hired by local radio station CKLC to cover the sailing events that were being held in Kingston as part of the 1976 Montreal Olympics. For the next 25 years, Doug was a staple on CKLC and its sister station Fly FM, hosting both morning shows and sportscasts, as well as being the voice of the Queen's Golden Gaels football and OHL's Kingston Canadians.
Doug then moved on to TV, working for CKWS, initially as a news anchor before returning to sports in 2002 as the station's sports anchor. Doug also cares deeply for local sports in Kingston, showcasing, in particular, the skills and highlights of local high school athletes on the evening news.
This past Wednesday, June 15, was Doug's final broadcast, and it has been declared Doug Jeffries Day in Kingston. I would like to thank Doug for sharing his talent and his voice with us over the last 46 years. I wish him a happy retirement.
206 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
Mr. Speaker, the highlight of my morning was when I found out that the parliamentary secretary was going to be speaking longer than he wanted to.
I think of a news outlet in my riding. It is called the Kingstonist. It actually just came online, probably within the last 10-12 years, and over the years it has gradually built a larger and larger base of followers. The only way it generates income right now is if people subscribe to the service or if people end up on its website, where it can generate money from ad revenue. However, we know that the majority of people who look at its news content are seeing it on Facebook or perhaps on Google, and it is at a huge disadvantage when it comes to the distribution of its material.
I wonder if the parliamentary secretary could comment on how he thinks this bill would help an organization such as the Kingstonist in my riding.
162 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Apr/4/22 1:07:16 p.m.
- Watch
- Re: Bill C-8
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I only represent two of the Thousand Islands. It is is Kingston and the Islands, not the Thousand Islands.
28 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Feb/15/22 3:48:14 p.m.
- Watch
Madam Speaker, it was actually a member for Leeds, which is just east of Kingston.
15 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
