Debates of April 28th, 2023

Canada Business Corporations Act

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Madam Speaker, I really appreciated my colleague's remarks regarding the Conservatives' crusade against carbon pricing, because he is right. If we were to get rid of carbon pricing tomorrow, it would do nothing to change the structural deficit that exists in our economy and the fact that we have a system today where 40% of Canadians control 1% of the wealth, and 1% of Canadians control 40% of the wealth. There has been a massive hoovering of wealth from a large group of Canadians to a very small group. That is why we need a beneficial registry; we need to see who is benefiting from these obscene amounts of wealth.

Over the decades that this has been occurring, what has that structural deficit led to? What could Canada of today have been had we tackled these problems several decades ago? What does that mean to people's overall health, their well-being and their ability to access services? This is the structural problem that is fundamental to our policy direction today.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Madam Speaker, one of the big watershed moments was in the mid-1990s when the federal government decided to cut services massively and pushed the burden of spending down onto provinces. Many of them then pushed it down onto municipalities, and ultimately it has landed on the shoulders of Canadians because we do not have the same level of funding of social infrastructure that we had over 30 years ago in Canada. If we look at the corporate tax rate, in the year 2000 the corporate tax rate was 28% and today it is 15%. If we look at the percentage of government revenue that is paid by large corporations, that is down in proportion.

Conservatives and Liberals both said that they were going to cut corporate taxes and that it was going to allow business owners to invest in their businesses, it was going to raise productivity and it was going to generate a lot more economic activity than would holding the corporate tax rate where it was to be able to fund social services. However, a common complaint of Conservatives these days if we listen to them at committee, as well as private sector economists and a lot of people in the business sector, is that Canadian business investment is pathetic compared to our peers and our productivity is not keeping pace, because that money was never invested back into their businesses. It was shunted out into tax havens or paid out in dividends, which, frankly, are not taxed enough, and all sorts of other things.

Therefore, the promise of the big tax cuts for the fat cats never came home to roost. This is why we should change what we are doing instead of doing the same thing and hoping for different results.

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, we have heard from many across the country that one of the ways to address the $30 billion in corporate tax loopholes from last year alone is to put in place a minimum tax on reported profits; that is, the profits that some of the largest corporations in the country report to their shareholders. Canadians For Tax Fairness estimates that this could recoup $11 billion of that $30 billion every year. The governing party chose not to do that in budget 2023. Could my colleague from Elmwood—Transcona share more about that?

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Madam Speaker, we absolutely need to be engaging in the enterprise of trying to ensure that this tax revenue is not lost, to go out of the country or to go to people who already own and control 40% of Canada's wealth as part of that small 1%.

I have a private member's bill requiring that if people want to benefit from the tax advantages of these tax treaties that Liberal and Conservative governments have put in place over the years, they have to have some economic substance to their business. Right now, what counts as a business is just a business number and a small mailbox somewhere in Barbados. Requiring that business to actually have something like a manufacturing facility or a desk and a computer with somebody hired to do some work seems like a pretty bare-minimum requirement for any legitimate business.

There is what my colleague suggested, and then there are some other ideas about how we can ensure that people are not just paying a lawyer somewhere else to set up a fake company in order to get massive tax benefits.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the member for Calgary Centre.

It is a pleasure to rise today and speak to Bill C-42, an act to amend the Canada Business Corporations Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other acts.

Bill C-42 amends the CBSA to require Corporations Canada to make public certain information regarding those with significant control or ownership of federally regulated private corporations in Canada, creating a national registry of these individuals. In this case, “significant control” is defined as someone owning or controlling at least 25% of the corporation's shares. The bill will also better protect whistle-blowers, add new offences and give Corporations Canada additional inquiry, data validation and information-sharing powers.

The government has stated that its goal with this bill is to protect Canadians against money laundering and terrorist financing, deter tax evasion and avoidance, and ensure that Canada is an attractive country in which to conduct business. The bill's title, while literal, does not speak to the good the bill would do to combat money laundering and criminal financial activity in our country. Because of this, the Conservatives support the bill in principle, with important amendments recognizing the sheer need for action on money laundering in Canada. I will talk about the amendments later. First of all, I need to outline just how serious financial crime is in Canada and, thus, speak to the need for this bill.

Money laundering in Canada is so well known in the world that criminals call it “snow-washing”. While it is a problem throughout the country, the worst of the issue is concentrated in British Columbia, especially in the Vancouver area. As stated in the Cullen commission's final report on the issue of money laundering in British Columbia, money laundering has, as its origin, crime that destroys communities. This includes drug trafficking, human trafficking and fraud. Such crimes victimize the most vulnerable members of society. Money laundering is also an affront to law-abiding citizens, who earn their money honestly and pay their fair share of the costs of living in a community. There can be few things more destructive to a community's sense of well-being than a governing regime that fails to resist those whose opportunities are unfairly gained at the expense of others.

Under the Liberal government, and going back into certain governments in the 1990s, Canada became a haven for money laundering. Specifically, in the nineties, the British Columbia provincial NDP government changed regulations that governed casinos. Five-dollar bets became $500 bets at baccarat tables and private gambling salons, and the bets only grew from there.

The Cullen commission report indicates a stunning growth in cash transactions in B.C. casinos; first flagged by investigators in 2008, transactions continued unabated until at least 2014, when casinos accepted more than $1.2 billion in cash transactions. Many of the transactions matched the indicators for criminal funds, where bricks or even duffle bags of cash were delivered to casinos. The commission indicated that these criminal transactions involved loan sharks delivering bundles of $20 bills, which had been packaged in a way that was consistent with the proceeds of drug trafficking, to high-profile foreign gamblers. These gamblers had travelled primarily to Canada to play baccarat in secluded areas of the casino. These high rollers often paid back the loan sharks the funds they gambled via transactions in their country of origin. In this evolution, B.C. gambling, real estate and luxury items became favourite tools of criminals to launder illicit foreign funds.

It is ironic that it is the Liberal government strengthening money-laundering bills. I am glad to see it, but if we look at the history even since I was elected, there was Joe Peschisolido, who was accused of money laundering. Then we had Raj Grewal, who asked questions about money laundering to FINTRAC at committee just before being arrested and charged with fraud. We also have another backbencher who is flipping real estate, even though we know that real estate is one of the key ways in which money laundering is happening. As I said, it is ironic that they are bringing this forward, but I certainly agree that we need to do something to rein in out-of-control money laundering.

The commission also found that, in B.C.'s economy, casinos, real estate dealings, banks and law offices face big money-laundering risks and that the failures of the federal RCMP and FINTRAC allowed money laundering to grow. The report indicated that FINTRAC's reporting regime is essentially wasteful and that the RCMP's lack of attention has allowed for the unchecked growth of money laundering since at least 2012.

The report states:

One of the primary criticisms of the federal regime is the ineffectiveness of FINTRAC.... While...there is a statutory threshold that must be met before FINTRAC can disclose information to law enforcement, the number of disclosures to law enforcement is [allegedly] not commensurate with the volume of reports that FINTRAC receives, nor with the scale of money laundering activity in British Columbia.

That is according to Cullen and his team. He suggests:

Law enforcement bodies in British Columbia cannot rely on FINTRAC to produce timely, useful intelligence about money laundering activity that they can put into action.

It is true that FINTRAC receives an enormous volume of reports from public and private sector reporting entities, but it produces only a modest number of intelligence packages that actually go to law enforcement. For example, in 2019 to 2020, the Cullen commission found that FINTRAC received over 31 million individual reports. In that same year, it disclosed only 2,057 intelligence reports to law enforcement agencies across Canada and only 355 to law enforcement agencies in B.C.

Global News reporter Sam Cooper has been investigating dirty money in B.C. for years. He found that, as of 2016, fully half of the luxury properties in Vancouver were owned through suspicious circumstances. The Prime Minister has known about this for years. The global money-laundering watchdog warned the Prime Minister in 2016 that Canada was a safe haven for money laundering, particularly in our real estate market, and that a registry was needed to help identify and deter this activity. In fact, the watchdog gave the Liberal government a failing grade in five key areas because dirty money was able to slip into our businesses and real estate market undetected, with no questions asked. That was 2016, and it is now 2023; the legislation is pretty late in coming.

The Panama papers data leak in 2016 exposed that international criminals have long exploited the gaps in Canada's corporation beneficial ownership regulatory scheme to engage in corrupt conduct through federally, provincially and territorially administered corporations. Canada is generally perceived as having weak laws to combat money laundering and the proceeds of crime. As a result, in 2018, B.C. launched the expert panel on money laundering in real estate. The panel estimated that in B.C. alone, more than $7 billion of dirty money was laundered in 2018 and between $800 million and $5.3 billion was laundered through the real estate market, raising housing prices by an estimated 5% on already wildly expensive properties.

The Cullen commission report demonstrates that money laundering within real estate often involves the use of loans, mortgages and, in some cases, lawyers' trust accounts in the legal system. It can also involve cash. The report provides this example: A criminal might take out a mortgage with the purchase of a property and repay the mortgage with the proceeds of crime. If the cash deposited for each payment is under $10,000, it will not trigger the requirements for a large-transaction report to FINTRAC. Over time, criminals may accumulate multiple properties or higher-value real estate using this strategy. The properties can then be sold, often at a significant profit in the Vancouver real estate market, with the criminal property owner receiving clean funds from the purchaser to complete the money-laundering process.

Law-abiding Canadians across the country have been suffering as a result of this issue. Since the Trudeau government was elected, the price of a home in Canada has—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I would remind members not to use the first or last names of MPs in the House.

The hon. member for Sarnia—Lambton.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Madam Speaker, I apologize.

The price of a home under the Liberals has doubled, and many Canadians have entirely given up on the dream of home ownership. Most young people now believe that owning a home is unachievable. Even if the money-laundering problem is adequately combatted by the passing of this bill, it is years too late. Therefore, it is not enough to stop the snow-washing in our housing market that is escalating costs for Canadians.

I have concerns about the bill; not only does it exclude real estate in the scope, even though we know that this is a major place for money laundering to happen, but it also covers only federally regulated businesses. Many business owners are provincially regulated, so if the provinces do not come on board, then there are many ways that this could slip through the cracks.

In terms of amendments, Conservatives would like to see amendments to protect privacy rights in the registry. We also want the registry to achieve the government's stated goal and have the capacity to do so. Will the bill give law enforcement enough necessary tools to capably combat money laundering and terrorist financing?

Conservatives have some recommendations. The new and existing penalties for violating reporting requirements under the CBCA should be strengthened, corporations should be held accountable as individuals, and if the act is violated, there needs to be clarification on who can and cannot be exempted from the regulations.

This bill is a critical update to our laws, and I look forward to seeing it at committee, where we can make amendments to improve the bill and eliminate money laundering in Canada.

National Day of Mourning

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, today marks the National Day of Mourning for workers killed, injured or made ill by workplace conditions and hazards.

In 2021, over 1,000 workplace deaths were reported in Canada, with 18 of them being young people from communities across the country. We must put health and safety at the forefront of all jobs to prevent further work-related injuries and loss of life.

To start, we know a unionized job is a safer job. Collective bargaining and the right to strike are fundamental rights. These rights are central to our democracy and have resulted in improved working conditions for all workers. I would encourage all my colleagues to read and press for the recommendations of the Canadian Labour Congress to ensure every worker in Canada is safe.

While we pause today to honour and remember each life tragically cut short, let us also continue to push for better.

Jim Howlett

[Chad Collins, Liberal, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Jim Howlett, who, after a brief battle with cancer, passed away on April 9 of this year. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family: his wife Carol; their children and partners, Jessi and Keith, Katie and Vlad, and Aaron and Stephanie; their grandchild, Evan; and his close family friend, and honorary mother, Lydia Cartlidge.

Jim dedicated nearly 30 years of his life serving as a volunteer on local boards and committees, including 17 years at the Hamilton Conservation Authority, and up until the time of his passing, as a board member of the Hamilton-Oshawa Port Authority. He was an environmental pioneer, advocating for a clean airshed, clean soil in Hamilton’s industrial lands and clean water in Hamilton harbour. He pushed all levels of government to make the environment a priority in his neighbourhood, and much of the progress we have witnessed in and around Hamilton harbour can be attributed to Jim’s efforts.

Most important to me, Jim Howlett was my friend, and I am going to miss our conversations about all things Hamilton. His passing is an incredible loss for the beach community, the city of Hamilton and our country. He will be sorely missed.

Seniors in Portneuf—Jacques‑Cartier

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Madam Speaker, as the member for Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, I have the pleasure of regularly meeting with the seniors in my riding. Every time I meet with them, I can only admire how strongly they feel about being community builders.

I would like to thank our presidents: Lynda Lavoie‑Leclerc from Cap‑Santé; Jacqueline Gignac from Deschambault‑Grondines; Micheline Côté from Donnacona; Ghislaine Lepage‑Alain from Lac‑Beauport; Micheline Bernier from Neuville; Yves Laroche from Pont‑Rouge; Sylvie Lefebvre from Portneuf; Robert Julien from Saint‑Alban; Carole Dolbec from Saint‑Augustin‑de‑Desmaures; Martine Germain from Saint‑Basile‑de‑Portneuf; Michel Després from Sainte‑Brigitte‑de‑Laval; Étienne Dusablon from Saint‑Casimir; France Laprise from Sainte‑Catherine‑de‑la‑Jacques‑Cartier; Gaétane Martel from Sainte‑Christine‑d'Auvergne; Raymond Groleau from Saint‑Gilbert; Denyse Julien from Saint‑Léonard‑de‑Portneuf; Louise Barette from Saint‑Marc‑des‑Carrières; Yvon Marcotte from Saint‑Raymond; Marie‑France Delisle from Saint‑Ubalde; Shirley Kiley from Shannon; Gaétane St‑Laurent from Stoneham; and Édith Boivin, who will be meeting with me this Saturday in Rivière‑à‑Pierre.

I simply want to give them my thanks.

Energy Industry in Canada

[Chandra Arya, Liberal, Nepean, ON]

Madam Speaker, because we are a major energy producer, the global shift to net zero presents both a challenge and an opportunity for Canada. More than $100 trillion in private capital is projected to be spent between now and 2050 to build the global clean economy. We must capitalize on Canada's competitive advantages, including our skilled and diverse workforce, abundant supplies of critical minerals and metals, clean energy, and the technologies needed to power the global clean economy.

We also have uranium and are developing small modular nuclear reactors. We must attract investment for extraction, processing and recycling of the critical minerals essential for clean technology supply chains. We must take a team Canada approach and work collaboratively with provinces and indigenous communities to fast-track projects' implementation and realize our full potential.

National Day of Mourning

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Madam Speaker, for over 40 years, unions, families and communities have observed the National Day of Mourning to recognize all of those who have tragically lost their lives on the job, such as my dad, who left us when I was just 12 years old. He was killed on a work site in northen Alberta, where his employer recklessly failed to supply a safe work environment. To all those families like my own, I see them, I am with them, and together we will ensure that no more lives are lost.

In particular, I want to recognize the many single parents who were left shocked by the sudden workplace death of their partners and were forced to parent alone, like my mom did. To her and so many like her, I thank them for always being there for us.

Finally, I want to thank all of those who have shown kindness to the families who have lost their loved ones. It is because of their support that so many of us are able to stand to continue to fight for workers' justice today. It is the deepest of solidarity, and I will never forget that support.

To anyone who has time to spend with families and victims of workplace deaths at gatherings across Canada today, I thank them. It means the world to us.

Autism Month

[Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Liberal, Saint-Laurent, QC]

Madam Speaker, April is Autism Month and I am rising at the end of this month to speak on behalf of Canadians on the autism spectrum because this community wants to be heard and deserves to be heard.

Before I became an MP, I was a teacher. Before that, I was a special education teacher for people with specific needs and I helped autistic students integrate into “neurotypical” classrooms.

This is a community that needs to be given some additional tools to thrive. Currently, there is a lack of support. Additional funding is required to provide students with autism special education teachers, child care workers and behaviour analysts, to name a few.

When it comes to autism, early intervention is key. Families of children with autism need access to therapies that have been proven to significantly improve outcomes, such as speech language pathology, occupational therapy and applied behavioural analysis, which are too expensive for the average family to afford. These kids deserve that early intervention, and together, I know we can do better to make Canada a more inclusive place for all.

Freedoms in Canada

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Madam Speaker,

The Charter of Freedoms and Rights
Is now in a whole bunch of fights
From Religion to Speech
Libs extended their reach
And the courtrooms are full of their plights
Let us start with the censorship bills
C-11 and 18 are the pills
That restrict what we see
And take down if they don't agree
Against all Canadians' wills
And then let's go on to the guns
That sports shooters will use just for fun
They'll put in a ban
While the crooks to a man
Will keep theirs while charges are none.
The privacy rights of us all
Will be toast if their bill doesn't fall
C-27 won't aid
Our European trade
If it doesn't comply with their call
And this is the end of my rhyme
Because I've just run out of time
Or for sure there'd be more
I could say on this score
Our rights I'll protect, they're sublime.

Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair

[John Aldag, Liberal, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Madam Speaker, following a three-year break due to COVID, I am excited the Cloverdale Rodeo will once again be taking place from May 19 to 22.

Established in 1888, this agricultural fair and exhibition is Canada’s second-largest rodeo event. The Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair was created to encourage the development of agricultural resources in the Fraser Valley of B.C.

There will also be a variety of food vendors and a parade of over 1,000 participants, myself included. From marching bands to skateboarders, dance groups and clowns, there will be something for everyone to enjoy. Live musicians will play on stage as the surrounding community comes together to share in sport, art, song and dance.

I encourage both British Columbians and those outside the province to come experience our western hospitality. Join me in getting back to country and agriculture at the Cloverdale Rodeo this upcoming May long weekend.

Human Rights in Iran

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Madam Speaker, I would like to bring to the attention of this House the situation of just one of many political prisoners in Iran, Mojahed Kourkour, who has been unjustly sentenced to death by the Iranian regime.

He was wrongfully convicted for the murder of a nine-year-old boy, despite the boy’s parents having testified it was in fact state security officers who killed their son. Both parents were present when their son was shot, and the father was left paralyzed during the same incident.

Mojahed has been subject to severe torture in prison and was only recently allowed to call his family after several months.

The Iranian regime continues to harass and imprison women's rights activists who are protesting the killing of Jina Mahsa Amini and fighting for women, life and freedom. This is unacceptable.

I call on Iran to stop the imminent execution of Mojahed Kourkour, release all political prisoners and stop the executions.

Seventh Edition of Enfants d'coeur's Fundraising Dinner

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Madam Speaker, last Saturday was the seventh edition of the spaghetti dinner fundraiser in Montmagny.

This charity event, organized by Enfants d'cœur, finally made a comeback after a forced three-year break. The evening was a resounding success. In total, 1,356 tickets were sold and over $17,000 was raised.

The proceeds from the dinner will go towards supporting the foundation's primary mission, which is to support projects that encourage youth to adopt healthy lifestyle habits by participating in sports.

I want to sincerely congratulate and thank Francis Fréchette and Frédéric Ouelle, the founders of Enfants d'cœur, two men with big hearts. Thanks to their dedication and involvement, hundreds of young people will have the chance to grow up healthy.

I also want to thank all the volunteers who made sure that the event went smoothly and the partners who gave everyone the opportunity to enjoy a delicious dinner in good company. I am extremely proud of my riding's vitality and community spirit.

Long live Enfants d'cœur.

Kajanan Chandrasekaram

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

Madam Speaker, last week, I called one of my favourite Canada summer jobs employers, Kajanan “KJ” Chandrasekaram of Bliss Stations, to inform him that his budding company has been approved for the program. I was devastated to learn from his brother of the untimely passing of KJ on April 18 at the young age of 26.

In 2018, KJ founded Bliss Stations, a dessert company based in Scarborough—Rouge Park. His passion and determination turned Bliss Stations into a burgeoning force at major events in Scarborough and beyond. He persisted during the COVID-19 pandemic and came out stronger. KJ sought to expand his business this summer by providing 12 young people with their first summer jobs.

I am heartbroken by the loss of KJ because of his infectious spirit of entrepreneurship, determination and sheer hard work. A life of promise was cut short, but I am told that his family will continue to build his dream. I ask members to join me in extending our condolences to KJ's family, friends and his team at Bliss Stations.

Debbie Sonberg Ajzenkopf

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Madam Speaker, last weekend, I joined Rabbi Reuben Poupko for the Sabbath at Beth Israel Beth Aaron synagogue in Côte St. Luc in Montreal. I was saddened to learn there of the loss of a great local leader, Debbie Sonberg Ajzenkopf, who passed away recently.

What a rabbi is to the Torah, so was Debbie to everything in that synagogue. She knew who liked to sit where, who was ill, who was doing better, who was getting along with whom, and who was not getting along with whom. Debbie was literally the keeper of everything, of all the knowledge in the synagogue. From the tales of those there, I mean everything.

She was also a committed and passionate Jew, absolutely devoted to her faith and to her synagogue. Debbie embodied the prophet Isaiah's teachings, that each of us should give what we have decided in our heart to give, not reluctantly and under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Debbie was a cheerful giver of her time, and of her love for Judaism and Yahweh.

Baruch dayan ha'emet.

National Day of Mourning

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Madam Speaker, in 1984, April 28 was established as the National Day of Mourning in Canada to remember and honour those who have died, been injured or suffered illness in the workplace. The Day of Mourning, also known as Workers' Memorial Day, is officially recognized in about 100 countries worldwide.

Today, on the National Day of Mourning, we remember and honour those who have lost their lives or been injured on the job. Every year, too many workers are injured or killed while simply trying to earn a living for themselves and their families. We must do everything in our power to ensure that every worker returns home safe at the end of the day.

This is the day to take a moment to reflect on the importance of workplace safety and commit ourselves to creating safer working environments for everyone. It is with great respect and also great sorrow that we remember those who have given their lives or their health to go to work. We realize that more must be done to protect them.

Festivities in Orléans

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

Madam Speaker, on April 10, I attended the 15th awards gala of the Regroupement affaires femmes, where three women from Orléans were recognized for their leadership. I want to congratulate Lydia Marie Philippe, who received a “young leader” award; Hortense Mvuemba, who received the “community engagement” award; and Sabine Daniel, who was named “icon of the year”.

It was also a pleasure to host an iftar reception with leaders of the Muslim community of Orléans on April 18, where we gathered to break fast. I would like to take this opportunity to wish Eid Mubarak to all, which was celebrated on April 21.

I was also very proud to join current and former students, staff members and teachers on April 20 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Béatrice‑Desloges Catholic secondary school in Orléans and congratulate all the staff and employees for their devotion to education in French over the past 25 years.

Congratulations to them.

Human Rights in Iran

[Laurel Collins, NDP, Victoria, BC]

Madam Speaker, today I want to bring the House’s attention back to the horrible events that continue to unfold in Iran. Since the death of Mahsa Amini, the oppression from the Iranian regime has been relentless, and we must not look away.

Today, I am announcing that I am politically sponsoring Samaneh Asghari. She is a children’s rights activist and industrial engineering student who has been unjustly sentenced to 18 years in prison. We, as members of Parliament, must continue to show the Iranian regime that we are watching, that we are looking at these individual cases. We need to push our Canadian government to do more.

Samaneh deserves her freedom. Iranians deserve their freedom, and they deserve to live in dignity with their human rights upheld. No one should ever be unjustly imprisoned, tortured, sexually assaulted or worse, murdered, for speaking out.

Today, and until she is released, I will use my public platform to call for justice and freedom for Samaneh and for all Iranians. Women, life, freedom.

Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner

[René Villemure, Bloc, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Madam Speaker, on February 21, ethics commissioner Mario Dion had to step down for health reasons after 43 years of public service, including the past five as Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

Mr. Dion elevated the role and today I want to thank him for his excellent work. Throughout his tenure, Mr. Dion helped safeguard public trust, despite the many violations by government members that he had to contend with. He said, “I firmly believe that educating regulatees and the public about the importance of avoiding conflicts of interest serves to help restore Canadians' trust”.

His successor faces an immense challenge. Mr. Dion can leave with his head held high. The Office of the Commissioner is a credible and trusted institution.

I will close by saying that this strategic position urgently needs to be filled by someone everyone can agree on, because without a commissioner, there can be no investigations, and that is just unacceptable.

I want to thank Mr. Dion.

Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada

[Gerald Soroka, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Madam Speaker, the first vacation the Prime Minister went on was to a billionaire's private island. He claimed he was a close personal friend. Was this not also his first ethics violation?

In 2021, on the first-ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, he and his family jetted off to Tofino for a surfing vacation.

This year, before going on vacation to a luxurious Jamaican resort, he received approval from the Ethics Commissioner. That luxurious Jamaican estate belonged to the wealthy Green family, which has made big donations to the Trudeau Foundation. The Prime Minister stated that Peter Green was a close personal friend. Wait. Was the billionaire not also a close personal friend? I guess it is different this time. After all, they are both rich donors to the Trudeau Foundation.

I am sure all Canadians agree that they cannot wait until the Prime Minister takes a permanent vacation from politics.

National Volunteer Week

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Madam Speaker, last week was National Volunteer Week and I want to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers for the hard work, dedication, commitment and difference they make in our communities. Too often we underestimate the hard work, long hours and free time the 24 million Canadian volunteers give to our communities.

The work of many organizations and associations would not be possible without the generous contributions of volunteers. I want to highlight some of them in my riding: the Sackville Rivers Association, Hope for Wildlife, VETS Canada, Freedom Kitchen & Closet, Sackawa, Cheema and the Orenda Canoe Club. They all play an important role in Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook. Our communities would not be the same without them.

Let us be grateful now and throughout the year for the hard work of our volunteers. I thank them very much.