Debates of March 26th, 2026

Flood Security

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a petition on behalf of the residents of Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley, who are highly vulnerable to flooding due to low-lying geography adjacent to the Fraser River and tributaries. Recent severe flood events have caused widespread damage to homes, businesses, agricultural lands and critical infrastructure in the region. Flooding disrupts critical supply chains and trade routes, impacting not only local but also regional and national economies. The existing flood protection infrastructure, including dykes, levees and the drainage system, is aging and inadequate to withstand current and future flood risks.

Therefore, the undersigned citizens and permanent residents of Canada call upon the Government of Canada not to ignore Abbotsford any longer and to invest in the critical infrastructure needed to protect this key economic corridor for the entirety of Canada.

Seniors

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, Humber River—Black Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is a real pleasure to present this petition today from thousands of Canadians who identify themselves as single seniors. There is a growing number of Canadians who are doing that. Related to the treatment of single seniors under the federal income tax system, the petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to amend certain tax measures affecting pension income, tax credits and the treatment of registered retirement income on death, as set out in the petition. This is an important issue. I am sure all of my colleagues will support this kind of initiative as we move forward on improving our system of taxation.

Religious Freedom

[Leslyn Lewis, Conservative, Haldimand—Norfolk, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am rising to present a petition from concerned Canadians across the country on government Bill C-9, the combatting hate act, which passed third reading yesterday in the House. The petitioners worry that amendments made by the government would limit religious expression, and they are concerned that the state would be interfering in the ability of faith communities to practise their faith. The petitioners fear that the changes could criminalize passages of the Bible and other sacred writings. In this petition, Canadians are asking the government to provide assurance that individuals of faith will not face criminal charges simply for reading, sharing and practising their faith, which are fundamental freedoms enshrined in the charter.

Public Safety

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to present a petition today on behalf of residents of Fairhaven, Meadowgreen, Parkridge and Confederation Park in Saskatoon, all of which have faced significant challenges as crime, chaos and disorder take over the neighbourhoods.

Violent crime is up 10% in Saskatoon, with increases in assaults, murders and robberies, and Saskatoon residents feel unsafe in their homes and on the streets. They are calling for the government to, first, reform the catch-and-release bail system to prevent dangerous, repeat and violent offenders from serving their sentences in their community; second, establish new indictable offences, reporting obligations and limitations on weapons possession for previous offenders who break conditions or are unlawfully at large; and third, pass legislation wherein an accused charged more than twice with certain indictable offences must be detained in custody while subject to a summons, appearance notice or release order.

Southern Resident Killer Whales

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

Mr. Speaker, members of my constituency of Saanich—Gulf Islands, as well as many adjacent areas, are very concerned about the fate of the southern resident killer whale, an extremely endangered species. These petitioners point out that once the whales swim to their other areas of occupation here and there, they are in Washington state. Washington state has far better protections for southern resident killer whales and other whales than we do in Canada.

The petitioners call on the Minister of Transport to implement mandatory vessel distance regulations to keep recreational and commercial vessels at least 1,000 metres away from the highly endangered southern resident killer whales. This is what they do in Washington state. This is one instance in which we should do something they do south of the border.

It is an honour to present this petition.

Salmon Fishery

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present multiple petitions.

The first petition is on behalf of Canadians who are deeply concerned about proposed changes to the salmon allocation policy, which would decimate public fishing opportunities for chinook and coho salmon in British Columbia. Changing the common property resource principle risks turning a shared public resource into an exclusive privilege, reducing access for many Canadians and undermining confidence in fisheries management. The petitioners note that it would be devastating to our tourism economy and the millions of dollars that flow into conservation efforts.

This petition calls upon the government to keep the common property resource principle in the revised salmon allocation policy so that salmon remain a publicly managed resource, federal stewardship stays transparent and conservation-focused, and no single group is given exclusive control over access.

Religious Freedom

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the other five petitions I have today are from residents of Kamloops—Shuswap—Central Rockies. They are concerned about Bill C-9, which was passed in this House but is still going through the Senate.

They call upon the government to reject any amendments to Bill C-9 that remove the religious exemption from Canada's hate speech provisions, protect Canadians' constitutional rights to freedom of religion and expression and ensure that legislation does not criminalize good faith religious discourse or teaching.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition that has been signed by over 47,900 Canadians. The signatures come from every province and territory across Canada. The petition concerns individuals who came to Canada under temporary emergency immigration measures, such as the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel and similar programs under which people live and work in Canada on visas.

The petitioners note that many of these individuals have lived and worked in Canada for several years, contributing to our communities and economy. At the same time, they cannot return home due to circumstances beyond their control, and they face barriers in accessing permanent residency through existing pathways. The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to consider establishing a dedicated one-time pathway to permanent residency for eligible individuals currently in Canada under these emergency measures.

I am pleased to present this petition to the House on behalf of the petitioners.

Firearms

[Jim Belanger, Conservative, Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present two petitions on behalf of my constituents of Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt.

The first petition calls on the Government of Canada to cancel the firearms buyback program and, instead, focus its efforts on strengthening border security, combatting the illegal smuggling of firearms and targeting criminal activity rather than law-abiding firearms owners.

Medical Assistance in Dying

[Jim Belanger, Conservative, Sudbury East—Manitoulin—Nickel Belt, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is in support of my colleague from Cloverdale—Langley City's private member's bill, Bill C-218.

The petitioners urge the government to support this bill, which would reverse the expansion of medical assistance in dying eligibility to individuals whose sole underlying medical condition is mental illness and, instead, prioritize access to appropriate treatment, care and mental health supports.

Highway 97

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am tabling three petitions today on behalf of constituents from Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay.

The first petition has 1,600 signatures. Residents are asking for the federal government to partner with the province and provide funding for a secondary route from South Okanagan to Kelowna as an alternate to Highway 97. Highway 97 is the only major route between Penticton and Kelowna and has had repeated closures due to landslides, rock falls, accidents, fires and floods, which have caused serious safety risks for residents and visitors who have no alternative route to take to the hospital, schools and jobs. The federal government previously provided funding in partnership with the province to enhance safety trade routes, and the residents are asking for them to build this secondary route.

Boil Water Advisories

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is on behalf of the residents of Sage Mesa, in my riding in Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, and other communities across my riding and across Canada, who have been on boil water rationing and boil water regulations for many, many years.

Access to safe, affordable and clean drinking water should not continue to be an issue in Canada. Therefore, they are asking for immediate partnerships with the provincial and territorial governments to bring an end to boil water advisories across Canada for the delivery of clean drinking water.

Salmon Fishery

[Helena Konanz, Conservative, Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Mr. Speaker, finally, I am presenting a petition in which my constituents express a deep concern about the proposed changes to the salmon allocation policy that would decimate regular recreation fishing opportunities for coho and chinook in British Columbia. Constituents are calling upon the ministry of fisheries and oceans to leave the current salmon allocation policy alone and uphold the cultural rights and traditions of all British Columbians.

Religious Freedom

[Dan Muys, Conservative, Flamborough—Glanbrook—Brant North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise again today to present another petition on behalf of Canadians opposed to government Bill C-9, which they see as a threat to freedom of religion and freedom of expression. We have seen the consequences of that in other jurisdictions. The petitioners are calling upon the government to withdraw this legislation.

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

Mr. Speaker, I too rise in the House to once again present a petition on behalf of Canadians from coast to coast who are gravely concerned with the passage of Bill C-9 through the House. Their concerns relate, in particular, to the Liberal-Bloc amendment pertaining to Bill C-9, which was passed at the justice committee, that removes the good-faith religious defence clause from the Criminal Code of Canada.

Bill C-9 would allow the government to criminalize passages from the Bible, the Koran, the Torah and other sacred texts. Bill C-9 would allow the state to prosecute those who express deeply held religious beliefs the government finds offensive. The punishment for such charges is up to two years in prison.

The state has no place in the religious texts or teachings of any faith community. Freedom of expression and freedom of religion are fundamental rights that must be preserved. The petitioners ask that the government withdraw Bill C-9 to protect religious freedom and uphold the right to read and share and practice from their sacred text and prevent government intrusion in the practice thereof.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

I understand that the members for Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford and Etobicoke Centre would both like unanimous consent to present a second petition.

Is it agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Nigeria

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, since 2009, Boko Haram, ISIS West Africa and armed Fulani militia have carried out sustained attacks against Christian communities in Nigeria, causing mass killings and widespread destruction of churches and villages. Despite the scale and duration of this violence, there have been no meaningful prosecutions, and international rights organizations report persistent failures by Nigerian authorities to prevent attacks or hold perpetrators accountable.

The petitioners are calling upon the government of Canada to recognize the targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria, hold those responsible accountable and work with international partners to protect Christian communities and support humanitarian aid, safe return of displaced persons and asylum for those fleeing persecution.

Democratic Institutions

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition that has been signed by over 2,500 Canadians. The petition concerns ethical issues in public life, specifically the impact of disinformation and misinformation in political communications. The petitioners note concerns about the effects of disinformation on public trust and democratic debate, and they reference findings from Canadian security agencies identifying disinformation as a threat to democratic institutions.

The petitioners call on the House of Commons to consider measures to strengthen transparency, accountability, digital literacy and coordination across governments in responding to political disinformation.

Questions on the Order Paper

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

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand at this time.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

[For text of questions and responses, see Written Questions website]

Motion No. 9

[Rebecca Alty, Liberal, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

moved that a ways and means motion to introduce a bill entitled an act to give effect to the Final Self-Government Agreement for the Tlegohli Got’ine and to make consequential amendments to other acts be concurred in.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

If a member participating in person wishes the motion be carried or carried on division, or if a member of a recognized party participating in person wishes to request a recorded division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.