Debates of Sept. 18th, 2023

TCXpo

[Chandra Arya, Liberal, Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is with pleasure I state that TCXpo, the epic second annual day of dynamic and interactive Canadian smart mobility technology demonstrations, will be hosted by Nepean-based Area X.O on Wednesday, September 27 in partnership with the Government of Canada and other sponsors.

Area X.O is an all-weather R and D complex for next generation smart mobility, autonomy and connectivity technologies, founded and operated by Invest Ottawa.

The only national demo of its kind in Canada, TCXpo will bring together hundreds of innovators, entrepreneurs, technology developers, industry leaders, regulators, smart mobility partners and stakeholders from Canada's capital and across the country.

TCXpo will showcase Ottawa's thriving tech ecosystem and the organizations that contribute technology and intelligence to future vehicles and other smart mobility innovations.

Mahsa Amini

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, one year ago, Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman, was arrested by the morality police on a street in Tehran. She was arrested for not wearing her hijab properly. Three days later, she succumbed to injuries sustained while in police custody.

Since then, she has become an icon. She inspired the Iranian people to rise up and call for justice from the mullah regime. Her face has since circled the globe as a symbol of solidarity with women fighting for their rights and freedoms in Iran.

One year on, Mahsa Amini still has a message for us, reminding us of our duty to demonstrate international solidarity and reminding us that women's rights are human rights. She inspires us to join all the Iranian women in making this heartfelt appeal to the Islamist regime: “Woman, Life, Freedom”.

Phil Lind

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Gatineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to mourn the loss of Phil Lind.

Phil was a Rogers executive for 54 years, working alongside Ted Rogers to build a great Canadian company. Phil was also a tireless advocate for multilingual, multicultural and specialty programming.

In 1992, Phil had the vision to create CPAC, an independent broadcaster whose mission was to connect Canadians to their democratic institutions.

Phil remained steadfastly committed to CPAC and its mission as the indispensable voice of democracy in Canada for over 31 years.

He strongly believed that Canadian news should be told by Canadian producers.

As the founder of what is now Rogers Telefund, Phil spearheaded the process to ensure financing for Canadian film and television producers over four decades.

He was made a Member of the Order of Canada in 2002 and inducted into the Cable Hall of Fame in 2012.

He is survived by his children and partner Ellen. On behalf of all parliamentarians, join me in remembering this titan of Canadian business.

Justice

[Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

Mr. Speaker, crime, chaos and disorder, this is the Prime Minister's legacy after eight years of the NDP-Liberal government.

Violent crime is up 39%. Vancouver homicide is up 55%. B.C.'s London Drugs reports a 500% increase in violence in its stores. Vancouver's JJ Bean Coffee Roasters has closed for good due to crime.

Canadians are living in fear, businesses are closing and the new justice minister says that it is all in their heads.

Vancouver's Light Up Chinatown festival ended in a triple stabbing by an accused who had stabbed his own teenage daughter to death. Celebration turned into fear and tragedy. On top of this is the out-of-control release of government-funded free hard drugs. Overdose is the leading cause of death among B.C. youth.

We need jail, not bail, for violent repeat offenders; mandatory prison time for violent crimes; treatment and recovery for those struggling with addictions; common sense not nonsense. Let us bring it home.

Futurpreneur

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, whether people are in my home riding of Dartmouth—Cole Harbour or in any town in any city across Canada, young entrepreneurs are taking their smart ideas and turning them into viable businesses.

For over 25 years, Futurpreneur has assisted over 17,000 entrepreneurs aged 18 to 39 launch new businesses in communities from coast to coast to coast. It has even helped launched one of Canada's most successful companies, Knix, whose founder Joanna now gives back by sitting as a board member.

I am thrilled to welcome Futurpreneur as it takes part in meetings on Parliament Hill today, including young entrepreneurs from across Canada, like Nicholas LaValle from my riding of Dartmouth—Cole Harbour. Nicholas is the founder of Clean Valley CIC, an innovative clean technology company that specializes in biofiltration.

I ask all members of the House to join me today in celebrating these entrepreneurs and their big ideas. Let us all support Futurpreneur today and into the future.

Mahsa Amini

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure to be back in beautiful Ottawa with all my hon. colleagues.

This weekend, members of the Iranian and Kurdish communities across Canada convened to mark the first anniversary of the death of Jina Mahsa Amini, a courageous Kurdish-Iranian woman.

Following Mahsa's murder, over 500 individuals were killed and over 23,000 individuals were detained and incarcerated, yet, despite the Iranian regime's brutality, women, minorities, musicians and cultural luminaries within Iran remain defiant.

As we honour the memory of Jina Mahsa Amini, I would ask all members to listen to members of the Iranian and Kurdish communities in their demands for justice and peace for their loved ones back home.

Conservative Party of Canada

[Richard Bragdon, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Mr. Speaker, it has been said about leaders that many communicate, but few connect. The tremendous address by the Leader of the Opposition about hope and home a couple of weeks ago connected with Canadians from coast to coast, so much so that even the Prime Minister lifted lines from it.

Home has been described as both a place of origin and a place of destiny, a familiar and safe place, and Canadians are feeling truly homesick. They are lost somewhere between where they once were and where they hope to be.

After eight long years of the tired Liberal-NDP government, they find themselves in a strange place where crime is on the rise, the cost of living is soaring and the dream of home ownership is out of reach.

Canadians know that something has changed and it is not them. Canadians are longing for a place called home. As long and dark as Canada's night may be, I have hope that morning will dawn again in our country and with it the realization that our potential is still greater than our perils.

A common-sense Conservative government will bring home that promise for all Canadians. Let us bring it home.

Hugh Segal

[Helena Jaczek, Liberal, Markham—Stouffville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a great Canadian, the Hon. Hugh Segal.

A Conservative senator, who ran for the leadership of the PC Party of Canada, he was chief of staff to former Ontario premier Bill Davis and former prime minister of Canada, Brian Mulroney.

Committed to Canadians and the common good, Hugh was an author, a columnist, on the faculty of the Queen's School of Policy Studies, principal at Massey College and president of the Institute for Research on Public Policy.

Known for his generous conservativism and a champion of basic income, I came to know Hugh when I was Ontario's minister of community and social services, when I had the privilege of working with him on our basic income pilot, and we made it a reality. When the pilot was cancelled by the Ford government, Hugh remained positive, saying, “two steps forward, one step back.”

To his widow Donna and daughter Jacqueline, who are with us here today, may his life's work inspire Canadians and may his memory be a blessing.

Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Mr. Speaker, what do Canadians need to know about the leader of the official opposition and our next Prime Minister?

Many already know him as the common-sense leader Canada needs. His school teacher parents know him as the boy they adopted and raised in their modest home in the suburbs of Calgary. His dad knows him as the son he took to early morning hockey practice. His neighbours know him as the boy who delivered their newspaper. His two children, know him in français, espanol, and English as papa.

Canadians need to know when he says, “It doesn't matter who you know or where you're from, but rather who you are and where you're going.” Those are not just empty words to secure votes; he has lived it. It is common sense. Let us bring it home.

Carbon Tax

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP-Liberal carbon tax on farmers who grow the food and the tax on truckers who ship the food is a tax on people who buy the food, and they want to quadruple the tax.

The Conservative leader would axe the tax, so that people pay less and bring home more, and so that they pay less for gas, groceries and home heating.

Carbon tax 1 will add over 45¢ a litre to diesel fuel and carbon tax 2 will add 16¢ cents more plus HST. By 2030, farmers and truckers will pay an extra 69¢ per litre in carbon taxes for fuel they must buy.

I have a newsflash: Food does not transport itself to the grocery store shelves.

A grocer in Dawson City, Yukon told me that he paid an over 94% surcharge on top of the regular cost to get his groceries to the store. After eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, half of Canadians are living paycheque to paycheque and the government keeps raising taxes. The Prime Minister is not worth the cost.

The Conservatives will axe the tax, so Canadians pay less and bring home more.

Monique Bégin

[Patricia Lattanzio, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today I wish to acknowledge the loss of a great woman in Canadian politics, the Hon. Monique Bégin.

She was member of Parliament for Saint-Michel in 1972, and for Saint-Léonard—Anjou in 1974, 1979 and 1980. Not only was she a pioneer, becoming one of the first three Quebec women elected to the Canadian Parliament, but she also defended her progressive family values with conviction and success.

As Minister of National Health and Welfare, she was instrumental in securing unanimous support for legislative reforms that strengthened and broadened the universality and accessibility of our public health care system.

I invite all my colleagues to pay tribute to her. Let us continue to honour the women who, like the Hon. Monique Bégin, have broken down barriers so that women parliamentarians can be here in the House and occupy their rightful place in our government and in our society.

Wildfires

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Mr. Speaker, for hundreds of thousands of Canadians, it has been an anxious, stressful and even tragic summer. Wildfires have ravaged forests from Nova Scotia to Vancouver Island. Sixteen million hectares have been burned, and 200,000 Canadians have been evacuated from their homes.

I want to thank all the firefighting crews on land and in the air for the difficult and courageous work they have undertaken to keep all of us safe. Tragically, four firefighters have lost their lives in that work this summer.

We need to support the thousands of volunteer firefighters across Canada, and we need a national wildfire fighting force to augment the local and provincial teams that have been overwhelmed, a well-trained force that could be deployed quickly wherever needed.

We need to act to stem the climate crisis that has overwhelmed all of us. With skyrocketing temperatures on land and sea, the planet is warning us that we are in uncharted territory and must act with the urgency and strength that this catastrophe demands.

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this was a climate change summer in Quebec. For some, it was rain; for others it was tornado alerts; but for all of us, the worst part was fire.

Fire darkened our skies and polluted our air. Fire burned the forests in my region and threatened our municipalities. Fire forced families to flee with just the bare essentials in their car and no idea what was in store for them.

On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I would like to thank all those who fought the fires in Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou and elsewhere in Quebec. I salute the work of the mayors, law enforcement agencies and communities that pulled out all the stops to protect our people. In my region and neighbouring ones, people were ready, willing and able to help those who were displaced. I would also remind the federal government that there are still desperate needs.

The Bloc Québécois will continue to stand by the victims, the workers and the forestry and seasonal industries that need government support now more than ever.

Carbon Tax

[Stephen Ellis, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, this summer, all members of the House have been inundated by messages from Canadians: Atlantic Canadians, Nova Scotians and, to me, most particularly, residents of the counties of Cumberland—Colchester in Nova Scotia who are in dire straits because of the punishing carbon tax. After eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, it is clear that Canadians can no longer afford to feed themselves, house themselves and, if they are lucky enough to have a dwelling, to heat it.

The number of calls, emails and letters with respect to the inability to afford to live is staggering. As a family physician for 26 years, I have never seen or heard of this amount of desperation in the lives of Canadians. The Liberal Prime Minister is asking more from Canadians than they can afford to pay. The Liberal Prime minister is not worth the cost. It is time to axe the carbon tax.

Climate Change

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

Mr. Speaker, this summer was an incredibly challenging time for the Northwest Territories. Across our region, wildfires threatened the safety of our communities, with about 70% of NWTers being evacuated, including in the city of Yellowknife. The people of Hay River and Kʼatlodeeche First Nation, who were hit by a flood last year, had to leave their homes twice this summer. The hamlet of Enterprise was 90% destroyed.

Words cannot express how grateful northerners are to the communities that opened their doors to the evacuees, and to the firefighters and emergency workers who put their lives on the line to keep us safe.

As we move forward, it is critical that all levels of government continue to work together to ensure that residents and small businesses will recover and that we can rebuild a healthier and safer future for NWTers.

The climate crisis is here, and the time to act is now.

New Member

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I have the honour to inform the House that the Clerk of the House has received from the Chief Electoral Officer a certificate of the election and return of Mr. Ben Carr, member for the electoral district of Winnipeg South Centre.

Ben Carr, member for the electoral district of Winnipeg South Centre, introduced by the Right Hon. Justin Trudeau.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I have the honour to inform the House that the Clerk of the House has received from the Chief Electoral Officer a certificate of the election and return of Ms. Gainey, member for the electoral district of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount.

Anna Gainey, member for the electoral district of Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, introduced by the Right Hon. Justin Trudeau.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I have the honour to inform the House that the Clerk of the House has received from the Chief Electoral Officer a certificate of the election and return of Mr. Khanna, member for the electoral district of Oxford.

Arpan Khanna, member for the electoral district of Oxford, introduced by the Hon. Pierre Poilievre.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I have the honour to inform the House that the Clerk of the House has received from the Chief Electoral Officer a certificate of the election and return of Mr. Leslie, member for the electoral district of Portage—Lisgar.

Branden Leslie, member for the electoral district of Portage—Lisgar, introduced by the Hon. Pierre Poilievre.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I have the honour to inform the House that the Clerk of the House has received from the Chief Electoral Officer a certificate of the election and return of Mr. Majumdar, member for the electoral district of Calgary Heritage.

Shuvaloy Majumdar, member for the electoral district of Calgary Heritage, introduced by the Hon. Pierre Poilievre.