Debates of Dec. 10th, 2025

Speaker's Ruling

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Madam Speaker, my colleague is exactly right. What we have seen from the Liberals over the last 10 years, including that incomprehensible tirade from a backbench Liberal member whom I just dunked on, is that the Liberals have lost the fact that calling things racist and not addressing the real problems Canadians have, that whole process, is what has undermined Canadian pluralism.

One of the things that I am very excited about in Canada is that, rather than like in the U.K., where we see people starting to blame immigrants for the problems that previous governments and the current government there had in terms of bringing too many people in too fast, Canadians are saying, no, that is not where the finger should be pointed; it should be pointed at the Liberal government.

I have been pleased to see Canadians reject the vitriol that we just heard from a backbencher, whom I think will remain a backbencher for some time. While I have the opportunity, I would encourage my colleague across the way, in good faith, to do something that resembles work here. We just worked together with the government and with the Bloc Québécois, and we amended a bill to make it better. That is how we earn respect in this place and how we earn the respect of our constituents. It is not by doing stuff like that in the House.

I want to thank my colleague from the Bloc Québécois, from Jonquière, for raising that really relevant question. I think that is where the debate on immigration in Canada is going to go. I would also encourage the government to undertake some substantive reform and to perhaps limit some of the disappointing rhetoric that we saw from their members tonight.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Madam Speaker, I do understand, and I was watching in committee, that there was collaboration between the Bloc and the Conservative Party, but I am not unhappy that those amendments have been removed. I agree that the process should be more open and that there should be a conversation. However, I was deeply unhappy with the member for Calgary Nose Hill's amendments to restrict access to medical care for people who are in this country and are not under deportation orders. They are awaiting their fate to be decided, and they could be told that they can only get access to medical care if their life is at risk. As I understand the amendment and as I recall it from close to the midnight hour, I thought that it was really not like my country and how we treat people who are in need of medical assistance.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Madam Speaker, I do not agree with the member. Somebody who has made an asylum claim that is bogus should not receive federal benefits. Somebody who does not have the right to be in the country should not have better access to care than a Canadian senior who has paid their way here. It is that shift in thinking that needs to happen to restore order and sanity. My colleague is wrong. Most Canadians think she is wrong, and we should be undertaking legislation that fixes the system and does not perpetuate system abuse.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to be able to rise to speak to very important legislation. It is legislation that Canadians want and have been asking for.

In fact, before I get under way with the specifics, I want to take a holistic approach in terms of what the Prime Minister and every Liberal member of Parliament have been very proactive on since the last election. We have a Prime Minister who made a solemn commitment to Canadians to deal with things such as securing Canada's borders, such as bringing in substantial bail reform legislation and such as reinforcing the strength of our RCMP and CBSA. Shortly after the election, what we saw was a commitment from the Prime Minister to upsize to the degree of 1,000 new RCMP personnel. We saw a commitment to upsize in regard to the Canada Border Services Agency by 1,000 personnel. We saw several pieces of legislation brought forward to the House for debate, ultimately in the hope that they would pass through the system.

It pleases me to a certain degree that we have had some co-operation with regard to securing Canada's border. It is something, but I and my colleagues in the Liberal Party would have loved to see more legislation get passed. I can recall standing here a number of weeks ago saying that the Prime Minister pledged that we were going to get bail reform legislation in the fall and we did that, yet we are not seeing that legislation pass. We saw actions today to try to turn the tables, as if the government does not want to see it pass.

Let there be no doubt. We have a strong agenda with respect to crime and safety in our communities, trying to make all of our communities safer, whether it is at the borders or in and around the neighbourhoods in which we all live. That is something that the government has been focused on. Canada's newly elected Prime Minister, just months ago, made that commitment and the Liberals have been working diligently to materialize that.

We have substantial pieces of legislation. We can talk about Bill C-2. We can talk about the hate legislation that is before a committee right now. We can talk about the bill that we are debating today, Bill C-12, respecting strengthening Canada's borders.

We can talk about the bail reform legislation. That is my personal preference, which I would have loved to see pass, and it is never too late to see that pass. We can still do that. It would require unanimous consent at this point, but we can still do it. It is something that I said weeks ago, and I know colleagues in the Liberal caucus would have loved to see that legislation and new bail laws in place before the end of the year. That is what I was asking for weeks ago.

In terms of how we operate as a caucus bringing forward legislation that is a reflection of election commitments and platform issues that we want to deliver for Canadians, we want to be able to co-operate where we can with opposition parties when there is a willingness to do so. In a minority situation, we are very much dependent on opposition parties. In fact, Bill C-12, the act regarding securing borders, is here because of the opposition parties' desire to break down Bill C-2. They did not like what was in that particular piece of legislation and gave a clear indication that they would give no co-operation in terms of passing it. However, if we take stuff out of that legislation and put it in another piece of legislation, that being Bill C-12, the strengthening Canada's immigration system and borders act, then we have a chance of passing it.

I am glad we did that. At least we are getting legislation through, so that is a positive. However, there is a negative side to it. I appreciate the co-operation that was put together to get the bill to this point, but let us look at what Bill C-2 also had to offer.

I asked the question about lawful access. Lawful access legislation is something that every other country in the Five Eyes has. That is why I posed this question to the leader of the Green Party: Does she support the principle of lawful access legislation? If I understood her answer correctly, it was, yes, she supports the principles but has a great deal of concern.

There is no reason why Canada cannot have lawful access legislation, which was proposed. Why is it important? Thinking in terms of money laundering or terrorist financing, these are very serious issues that pose a genuine threat to Canadians. It is one of the reasons why Five Eyes nations have that type of lawful access.

The Conservative critic raised the issue of the mail and the letters. I genuinely believed, when I spoke on Bill C-2, that we would not have letter carriers opening up mail. My concern is that we have northern communities and communities in virtually all regions of the country where someone could put a bit of fentanyl in an envelope and mail it, and we cannot do anything about it. Taking Canada Post out and allowing us to have access, I believe, is a good thing, with checks and balances, but we are not doing that either. Whether it is lawful access or dealing with the Canada Post issue, I think we have lost something that, ultimately, Canadians would have benefited from.

If we take a look at what is in this legislation, we do need to support the Canada Border Services Agency. We are enhancing its opportunity to build up the resources, space and equipment necessary by obligating ports of entry and exit. We are also beefing up our coasts, which is a really good thing, because when we think of issues like auto theft, drug trafficking or transnational organized crime, law enforcement officers have been calling for support, and the Prime Minister and government have responded to it.

This is why I say that I am glad that we are able to get something passed through, but I honestly believe that we could have done a lot more. We have a couple of days left before the session rises, and I would have welcomed the opportunity to speak on a number of other important pieces of legislation that deal with the crime file.

We have lost that opportunity, and it is not because the government did not want to see the legislation. We brought legislation in because we want it to become law. At the end of the day, for a wide variety of reasons I suspect, and I will not go into that kind of detail right now, it is not coming forward.

On the changes to immigration and asylum and the way we can better manage those so that they becomes more efficient, I think, at this time, we need to bring them into place. I understand the concerns that the New Democrats and the Green Party have, but I really and truly do not believe that it takes away from the integrity of the system when we say to someone that if they have been here for a year, there is still a need to enable that person. If someone came under a study visa, for example, and they have been here for a year, a year later, they could say that they are going to claim asylum.

The need for change is there within the system. As the Prime Minister has indicated, we need to stabilize our immigration system, and we are doing just that. This is one part of it. I look forward to any questions members might have.

[Sherry Romanado, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Madam Speaker, my colleague alluded a little to the important work of committees and to how, when we are able to take an issue that is before a committee and actually come together and work together to better address the issue, this is what is good for Canadians.

Can my colleague elaborate a little on why it is so important that committees function well? I understand that we have to play the game sometimes and that there are filibusters and so on, but the important work that happens in committees can make a real difference for Canadians.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Speaker, I will speak as a parliamentarian first and foremost. We will find in Hansard that, when I was in opposition, at times I said that time allocation is sometimes a necessary tool in order to get legislation through. I say that only because I genuinely believe that it is time Canada modernized its rules, to enable the programming of government legislation.

I do not want to put limits in terms of hours or days, or in terms of how we would do it in the committees and bring it back into third reading, but I do believe that, if we were ultimately to move in that direction, we would have a better sense of co-operation. That goes both ways: from government to opposition and from opposition to government. I do believe that there is an opportunity for us to do something on that. What we have witnessed over the last 15 years, in my 15 years here, is that it does not matter whether one is in opposition or in government; at times it can be very difficult to get things through.

The best example I can cite is what happens with Private Members' Business. I am not saying we have to have the same as with Private Members' Business, but programming works for Private Members' Business, and I would suggest that it could also work for government agendas.

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

Madam Speaker, part 1 of the bill would:

[amend] the Customs Act to provide [CBSA] with facilities free of charge for carrying out any purpose related to the administration or enforcement of that Act and other Acts of Parliament and to provide officers of that Agency with access at certain locations to goods destined for export. It also includes transitional provisions.

This would force operators to provide facilities for both import and export inspections. As CBSA can already compel operators to provide this, would CBSA, or the government really, actually compel operators to provide these facilities, or is that just words in the bill? Along with the fact that the agency needs to have qualified, trained people to carry out these inspections, I am just curious to know whether the government is serious about providing the inspections, the facilities and the training to complete the requirements under the bill.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Speaker, there is a high level of professionalism within our Canada Border Services Agency. A great deal of training goes into that, which will continue. Where there are ports of entry or exit, there would be an obligation for those entities to ensure that we have the proper space and to actually have the proper tools, whatever those tools may be, to ensure that we can enforce and protect the interests of the laws that we pass here in Ottawa and to protect and secure our borders.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

Questions and comments, the hon. parliamentary secretary to the government House leader. Is he replying to himself?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Speaker, I suspect if you were to canvass—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member cannot ask a question to himself, I believe.

The hon. member for Ponoka—Didsbury is rising on a point of order.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Ponoka—Didsbury, AB]

Madam Speaker, I think if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent of the House to see the clock at 5:30 p.m.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

Is it agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. parliamentary secretary to the government House leader is rising on a point of order.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Speaker, I do not want people to think I am going insane, or anything of that nature. That is what I was going to ask for.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

It being 5:30 p.m., the House will now proceed to the consideration of Private Members' Business as listed on today's Order Paper.

The House resumed from October 10 consideration of the motion that Bill S-227, An Act respecting Arab Heritage Month, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Arab Heritage Month Act

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston—Etobicoke, ON]

Madam Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House to speak to Bill S-227, an act respecting Arab heritage month, which seeks to formally designate the month of April as Arab heritage month across Canada. It is a bill that speaks of the importance of recognizing not only a vibrant and diverse community in Canada but also the larger principle of what it means to belong, to be seen and to be celebrated in this great country. The bill has already passed in the other place, and I am proud to sponsor it here in the House of Commons as it makes its way through Parliament.

Some members may recall that this is not the first time the House of Commons has seen the bill. In fact, in the 44th Parliament, the hon. member of Parliament for Ottawa South introduced Bill C-232, which carried the very same purpose. That bill was passed unanimously at all stages in the House of Commons in a rare and powerful show of unity. Members from across the political spectrum and from every region and background stood in recognition of the importance of Arab heritage.

I want to particularly acknowledge some of my colleagues for their work on the bill, including of course the hon. member for Ottawa South, who was the first to bring the legislation forward in 2022. Without him, we would not be here today. He said, “in my own family...[my] Syrian Canadian godfather...[was] a man of great intelligence, kindness, and integrity. His origins were humble. In fact, [there was] poverty, and his values instilled in me a deep appreciation for hard work, giving back and public service.”

I would also like to express my gratitude to the member of Parliament for Edmonton Manning, whose steadfast support played a key role in moving the bill forward. He said, “As I said, my story is typical of so many [Arabs Canadians] who have come to this country to seek a better life and to give back to the community. I am proud of my heritage and am happy to see the establishment of Arab heritage month.”

I also want to recognize former members Sylvie Bérubé, Blake Desjarlais and Brian Masse, who all contributed meaningfully to helping the member for Ottawa South bring this important piece of legislation to life. Their collective efforts reflect a shared belief that Arab Canadians deserve formal national recognition for their long-standing and ongoing contributions to the very fabric of our country.

Unfortunately, despite unity and momentum, the bill reached third reading in the Senate but died on the Order Paper following Parliament's dissolution in 2024. Today we have an opportunity and, I would argue, a responsibility to complete that unfinished work, to reaffirm our commitment to diversity and inclusion and to ensure that the contributions Arab Canadians have made and continue to make are formally recognized every April of every year across this country.

Why should it be in April, and why should we do it now? Well, the choice of April is actually very deliberate. It would coincide with several cultural and historic celebrations in Arab communities and provide an annual opportunity to highlight the vast diversity of Arab heritage, culture, language and contributions to Canadian society.

We know that Arab Canadians are not a monolith. The community is very diverse and dynamic. The Arab world spans over 22 countries from North Africa to the Middle East, with a population of over 450 million people. It encompasses a rich mosaic of languages, religions and traditions. Arab Canadians include Christians, Muslims, Jews, Druze and others. They speak Arabic in many dialects, as well as French, English, Armenian, Syriac and more.

Their cultures are as diverse as the regions from which they originate, from the mountains of Lebanon to the deserts of Jordan, and from the cities of Egypt to the coasts of Morocco. Designating April as Arab heritage month would be a way to recognize that diversity and to celebrate the ways in which it has enriched our own social fabric in this country.

Arab Canadians have been building this country alongside others for more than 140 years. Immigrants mainly from what is present-day Lebanon were the first Arab group to come to Canada. The first documented Arab immigrant to Canada was Ibrahim Abu Nadir, a Lebanese Maronite Christian who arrived in Montreal in the 1880s. He worked as a peddler, going from town to town selling goods and eventually becoming a successful merchant. He paved the way for thousands of others from what was then known as Greater Syria, the Levant, which today is Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Palestine.

These early pioneers helped establish some of Canada's first Arab churches and mosques. I had the opportunity to visit one of those mosques in Edmonton that was started so long ago, a former Ukrainian community church that was turned into a mosque, again another sign of diversity and inclusion in our communities. The new immigrants built businesses, raised families and contributed to the cultural and economic life of their communities, often while facing discrimination, isolation and economic hardship. April would be a time to recognize and celebrate the contributions of these early immigrants.

Fast-forward to today, and Arab Canadians are represented in every field imaginable in Canadian life. Peter Baker, who served as an MLA in the Northwest Territories in the sixties, is believed to have been the first Arab Muslim elected to public office in Canada. Joe Ghiz, of Lebanese descent, served as the premier of Prince Edward Island. He was the first Canadian premier of non-European ancestry. His leadership, especially during constitutional negotiations, left a lasting mark on Canadian federalism.

In the arts, Paul Anka, born in Ottawa to Syrian parents, became one of Canada's greatest musical exports, known worldwide for his songwriting and his timeless voice. In business, Salim Rassy, later known as Rossy, a Syrian Lebanese immigrant, founded a small general store in Montreal in 1910 that would eventually evolve into the national retail chain we know today as Dollarama. In academia, Dr. Bessma Momani, one of Canada's leading voices on analysis of Middle East affairs, has contributed to our understanding of international politics and security issues.

In science, there is Noubar Afeyan, a Canadian Lebanese entrepreneur, inventor and philanthropist, best known for co-founding the biotechnology company Moderna. His family moved to Canada during the Lebanese civil war in 1975. He received his Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from McGill University in 1983. In 2022 Afeyan was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science from his alma mater, McGill University. He points to his immigrant background and mentality as the driving force of his philanthropic, scientific and business work.

A lot of members of this community give back repeatedly because of their appreciation of what Canada has done for them. These stories are not isolated; they reflect thousands of untold contributions from small businesses, artists, teachers, doctors, frontline workers, police officers, firefighters and paramedics who have quietly but powerfully shaped Canadian society and communities.

The bill is not simply a symbolic gesture; it is a practical and timely tool for inclusion, another powerful reminder of the importance of diversity and inclusion. It invites all Canadians to learn about, celebrate and appreciate the cultural richness of Arab Canadians and to recognize the obstacles many continue to face, including racism, Islamophobia, anti-Arab sentiment and misrepresentation. By celebrating the month of April as Arab heritage month, we would make space not just in our calendars but in our conversations, our classrooms, our workplaces and our communities for the voices, stories and contributions of Arab Canadians to be heard and honoured. It is a gesture of recognition, yes, but it is also a commitment to education, equity and dialogue.

The leadership of Senator Mohammad Al Zaibak, the sponsor of the bill, Bill S-227, has been exemplary on this file, and I wish to commend him publicly for championing the bill in the Senate and for his powerful second reading speech earlier in October. I have known him for many years and have seen him contribute so much to life, community life and good causes throughout the GTA and Canada, in fact. He has conducted extensive consultations with stakeholders across Canada on the bill. The bill is non-partisan and has already passed the Senate with broad support.

To conclude, Canada is at its best when we recognize our diversity not as a challenge but actually as a strength, a strength that allows us to understand others and to access other communities, other countries, other regions of the world and other markets and opportunities.

This bill gives us a chance to celebrate what makes us unique while reaffirming what also brings us together: community, faith, freedom, human rights, our commitment to our multicultural heritage, and our shared commitment to respect, fairness and mutual understanding.

Let us seize this opportunity to send a clear and united message that Arab Canadians are an integral part of Canada's past, present and future, that they belong, that their stories matter and that their contributions will never be forgotten. By celebrating and adopting this bill, we will acknowledge those contributions, but we will also celebrate those contributions.

I urge all members, all colleagues from all parties of the House, to support the timely passage of Bill S-227 and join me in ensuring that Arab heritage month becomes a permanent part of our national calendar.

As I said, it is more than just a placeholder in the calendar. It is about an opportunity to learn about our neighbours and their contributions. Let us finish what we began last Parliament, take this meaningful step together and pass this bill.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I really do appreciate the member's bringing forward this legislation. I want to put it back into the context of education. I believe that education expanding on the diversity Canada has to offer is one of the ways we promote things such as multiculturalism, anti-racism and so forth. Having a heritage month celebrating Arab Canadians in the month of April could be used as a way to share within classrooms and other places, and there is value to that education.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston—Etobicoke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague could not be more right in this instance, because these heritage months allow us an opportunity to reflect on and then celebrate those contributions.

I think of Milman Industries in Sudbury, which was started by a Lebanese Canadian immigrant who came to Canada with nothing and who now has started 10 successful businesses that are employing thousands of people and paying a starting wage of $41 an hour. In the member's own hometown of Winnipeg, Mr. El Tassi, a proud Lebanese Canadian, has done so much for the community, contributing to poverty reduction measures, creating jobs and establishing philanthropic drives every single year. I always make a new discovery about Mr. El Tassi when it comes to Winnipeg.

Yes, this bill is about making sure we recognize and learn about those contributions and teach them to the next generation.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Mr. Speaker, congratulations to the hon. member for York South—Weston—Etobicoke for sponsoring this bill in the House. What message would he like to give to Canadian society on behalf of the Arab community, which has been in this beautiful country for nearly 160 years?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston—Etobicoke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking the hon. member for Edmonton Manning for really supporting this bill. Without his efforts and support, we would not be here today. Again, it showcases what the hon. member from Winnipeg was talking about earlier, which is that we should look for opportunities to work across party lines to advance meaningful work in this place. This bill is an example of that.

I think the Arab Canadian story has not been told enough. When I look at different Arab communities across the country, I am amazed at their diversity, the length of time they have been in Canada and the incredible contributions they have made and continue to make. From some of the smallest towns in southwestern Ontario to the Yukon and everywhere else I have been, I have seen those contributions, particularly from Lebanese Canadians, but also from others from Syria, Jordan, Morocco, Algeria and the Francophonie world.

This bill and this heritage month, if enacted, will help us to educate Canadians about this community, which is now integral to our society, and all the contributions it has made and continues to make.

[Mario Simard, Bloc, Jonquière, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my colleague on his speech. It goes without saying that the Bloc Québécois will support his bill.

I just want to say that something jumped out at me when I was reading the bill. It is safe to say that there are various Arab identities. It is not only one community. An intermingling has taken place in the Canadian context that also implies a plurality of identities. In my view, it is not the same thing as the intermingling that occurred between people from the Maghreb region and Quebeckers and, perhaps, other types of Arab identities in the rest of Canada.

If we want to truly promote the contributions of Arab communities, it might be a good idea to make that distinction. I want to hear my colleague's thoughts on that.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston—Etobicoke, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am in agreement with my colleague. He is right that diversity is incredible within the Arab Canadian community.

I want to pay particular attention to the fact that, even in Toronto, we will find Francophone Arab communities that originate from Morocco and other French-speaking countries. The diversity is not just limited to the geography; it is also the language and the different customs and celebrations.