Debates of June 12th, 2026

Foreign Affairs

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, today, I want to share the fact that Canada is taking concrete steps to support a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

We have joined forces with Australia and the United Kingdom to establish a new International Peace Fund. Canada will contribute $2 million over three years alongside its partners, and the funding will be provided to recognized and trusted civil society organizations.

This initiative demonstrates our firm commitment to a two-state solution in which Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side.

Infrastructure

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, New Democrats have been advocating for a Filipino cultural centre in metro Vancouver for many years. Our persistence resulted in the federal budget committing to fund this much-needed community resource. After the Lapu-Lapu tragedy, this centre is needed now more than ever. The Filipino Canadian community contributes so much to our country. It deserves a place to call home.

When will the government honour its promise and deliver the funds necessary to make the Filipino cultural centre a reality?

[Jennifer McKelvie, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, this is a timely question, as it is Filipino Heritage Month. As the member knows, we are making historic investments in infrastructure with the build communities strong fund. We are investing from coast to coast to coast. We look forward to working alongside that member and alongside communities so that we can build Canada strong.

Government Response to Petitions

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(a), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to four petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.

Office of the Veterans Ombud

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, under the provisions of Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in electronic format and in both official languages, the 2025-26 annual report of the Office of the Veterans Ombud.

Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance and National Revenue and to the Secretary of State (Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions)]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the 2025-26 annual report of the Office of the Taxpayers' Ombudsperson, entitled “In Pursuit of Better Service—Taxpayers Deserve More”.

Ban on Importing Goods Made with Forced Labour Act

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-35, An Act respecting the prohibition of the importation of goods produced by forced labour.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Interparliamentary Delegations

[Patricia Lattanzio, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the following reports: a report of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas GLOBE COP27 Legislators Summit, Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, November 6-18, 2022; a report of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas 7th Gathering of ParlAmericas Open Parliament Network, Santiago, Chile, April 20-22, 2023; a report of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas 7th Gathering of the ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Climate Change and the 15th Gathering of ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network Gender Equality, Mexico City, Mexico, September 27-29, 2023; a report of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas Bilateral Visit to Costa Rica and Dominican Republic, San José, Costa Rica, and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, March 11-15, 2024; a report of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas 8th Gathering of ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network on Climate Change and Sustainability and 16th Gathering of ParlAmericas Parliamentary Network for Gender Equality, San José, Costa Rica, October 23-25, 2024; and, finally, a report of the Canadian Section of ParlAmericas Bilateral Mission, Guatemala City, Guatemala, November 13-15, 2024.

Foreign Affairs and International Development

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

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour of tabling, in both official languages, the following two reports of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development: the ninth report, entitled “Amplifying Canada's Africa Strategy”, and the 10th report, entitled “Standing with Democracy and Human Rights Defenders: Strengthening Support at a Critical Time”, by the Subcommittee on International Human Rights.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to each of these two reports.

Used Car Tax Cut Act

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-285, An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act (used motor vehicles).

Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour to rise for the first time as a member of Parliament to present a private member's bill. I will give a little bit of context. Since 2019, the price of a used car in Canada has doubled. Even though new automobiles are taxed at the full rate, when cars are resold, Canadians have to pay tax yet again, being doubly taxed for something, and potentially being taxed triply or quadruply.

For most Canadians, especially in rural areas, driving is a necessity. This is a very important affordability measure I am putting forward in the bill, which would cut the GST on used cars, saving Canadians thousands of dollars and standing up for the middle class. It is a great honour to present this private member's bill.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Animal Welfare

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Agriculture. The petitioners are concerned that the current health of animals regulations allow the export of live horses for slaughter. Petitioners are concerned that this causes suffering due to long journeys and inhumane conditions.

The petitioners call for a ban on the export of live horses for slaughter.

Rural Transit

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

Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a couple of petitions from Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay, which I am honoured to represent.

The first petition has to do with rural transit, which is vital in our communities. The petitioners are concerned that the Government of Canada's rural transit solutions fund has invested in bus transit feasibility studies in rural Ontario and Alberta, but Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay has been poorly served by the loss of Greyhound buses in 2018, and there is no transit service available for residents that they can rely on.

Transport Canada is owner and operator of the Penticton Airport. Many times, airports are being utilized across the country as hubs for bus services, so the petitioners are asking that we establish in their communities a rural transit options service for residents and communities in Similkameen—South Okanagan—West Kootenay and to declare that Penticton Airport be available for private busing operators who wish to utilize it as a passenger hub.

Firearms

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

Mr. Speaker, the second petition relates to the Government of Canada's gun buyback plan. The Liberals call it a gun buyback plan, but it is obviously not working. It should be focused on gun violence and illegal guns being smuggled, from the United States in particular. We have six border crossings in our riding, so one can imagine that residents are very concerned about smuggled guns, as everyone member of the House is.

Instead, right now, the plan places new burdens on law-abiding firearms owners, who already follow some of the strictest rules in the world for owning firearms. The program is expected to cost more than $700 million.

Therefore, the petitioners are asking that the Government of Canada scrap what it calls the gun buyback program, and focus on border security, stopping illegal gun smuggling and going after real criminals, rather than targeting responsible gun owners in Canada.

Environmental Protection

[Brendan Hanley, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, it is my great honour to present a petition on behalf of the Gwich'in, Na-cho Nyäk Dun, Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in and Inuvialuit peoples. The petition was signed while I was present in the beautiful community of Old Crow, Yukon, during our annual Vadzaih Choo Drin, Big Caribou Days, celebration in May.

The essence of this petition is to ensure that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the place the Gwich'in call Iizhik Gwats’an Gwandaii Goodlit, the sacred place where life begins, calving grounds of the porcupine caribou herd, continues to be protected from oil and gas leasing and development.

For generations, the Vuntut Gwitchin have lived alongside and cared for the herd. They understand that protecting the porcupine caribou herd means protecting the heart of who they are as Gwich'in and safeguarding the continued health, culture and sovereignty of their community. At Vadzaih Choo Drin, I heard directly from young people who spoke passionately about what the caribou mean to their future. Their message was simple and powerful: Caribou is life.

Allow me to briefly refer to some clauses in the petition. Any oil and gas leasing and development within the refuge represents a direct threat to the health of the herd and the well-being of the Gwich'in and other first nations and Inuvialuit users of the herd. The caribou, along with numerous other migratory bird and fish species within the refuge, are culturally and substantially important to the people of Yukon and Northwest Territories as a whole.

The petitioning citizens and residents of Canada call upon the Government of Canada to take all steps necessary to uphold the rights of the Gwich'in, Na-cho Nyäk Dun, Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in and Inuvialuit, and to protect the porcupine caribou herd and its sacred calving grounds from U.S. oil and gas leasing and development, in keeping with Canada's commitments under international and Canadian law and the will of the Yukon people.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

We have a lot of petitions today. I will remind members to keep their interventions short and to try to not read verbatim the content, just so we can get everyone in today.

The hon. member for Rosemont—La Petite‑Patrie.

Foreign Affairs

[Alexandre Boulerice, Independent, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to table a petition signed by hundreds of citizens. In light of the 70,000 Palestinians killed by bombings in Gaza, including 350 since the ceasefire, the failure to comply with several UN resolutions and the illegal boarding of several ships bringing humanitarian aid to Gaza, the petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to denounce before the UN General Assembly these illegal acts committed by the current government of Israel and the failure to comply with UN resolutions; to call for a full ceasefire and the restoration of humanitarian aid to enable the peaceful reconstruction of Gaza; and to announce, in the same address to the UN, its intention to implement a full economic embargo, inviting other countries to join the embargo, citing the past initiative that brought an end to apartheid, in which Canada played a leading role at the time.

National Urban Parks

[Harb Gill, Conservative, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present a petition on behalf of residents of Windsor-Essex, such as Mike Fisher and The Friends of Ojibway Prairie, regarding the future of national urban parks and the proposed Ojibway National Urban Park.

The petitioners recognize Canada's commitment to establish up to 15 national urban parks and believe these important national spaces require clear legislative protection, ecologically grounded boundaries, and governance that includes the meaningful participation of indigenous nations and local communities. They also know the ecological significance of the Ojibway Prairie Complex and other nationally important landscapes.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon the House of Commons to establish a legislative framework for national urban parks and to expedite the creation of this important network of protected spaces across Canada.

Mental Health

[Chak Au, Conservative, Richmond Centre—Marpole, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition signed by nearly 1,000 Canadians, mainly from my riding of Richmond Centre—Marpole, who are concerned about mental health and about suicide prevention in Canada.

The petitioners note that one in five Canadians experiences a mental health challenge each year, that many youth are affected and that suicide remains the second-leading cause of death among Canadians aged 15 to 34. They believe that people struggling with mental illness deserve treatment, support and a message of hope, not an option of death.

Therefore, the petitioners call upon the House of Commons to support Bill C-218 to exclude mental illness from MAID, and to invest in critical resources in mental health services for Canadians.

I thank the petitioners for bringing this important matter before Parliament.

Persons with Disabilities

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present petition e-6791, signed by 1,084 people. I imagine that most of them are from the disability community.

The petition is heart-wrenching to read. I know I cannot read it aloud but must summarize it. It is about the number of Canadians with disabilities who are living in deep poverty. The petitioners say that disabled people have lost hope that anyone cares. Many are turning to MAID because they cannot afford to live, and they are asking why they are not supported to live but have easy supports to die. Many disabled people have fallen off the financial cliff.

The petition goes on, but the bottom line is that the citizens and residents of Canada who have signed the petition call on the government to show disabled people that it will fix the pressures from the rising costs of everyday life and to give every disabled person across Canada and people on disability supports a tax-free emergency support of $5,000 that is not means-tested and cannot be clawed back.

Public Safety

[Jonathan Rowe, Conservative, Terra Nova—The Peninsulas, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of the residents of Carmanville and surrounding communities. The petition is based on a concern for the lack of RCMP presence within those communities. This is the situation: There is a police station, and there are multiple homes owned by the RCMP to house officers, but there are no staff actually working at the station or living in the homes.

Therefore, the petitioners are calling on the federal government to staff the police station and put people in those homes so the people of those communities can be safe on the streets.

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.

The first petition is with respect to a young man from Bolton, Ontario, Gabriel Arshad, who was critically injured on July 5, 2025 in a devastating four-vehicle collision. The collision was caused by a man with five prior drunk-driving convictions who, to no surprise to any member of the chamber, was out on bail.

Therefore, the petitioners are calling on the Prime Minister to take immediate action to reform Canada's bail system and sentencing laws to keep repeat and violent offenders in jail where they belong.

Animal Welfare

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is with respect to the export of live horses for slaughter. The petitioners are calling on the government to ban the live export of horses for slaughter, as they consider their treatment to be cruel and unusual punishment.

Pakistan

[Michael Kram, Conservative, Regina—Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity today to present petition e-7326 in the House of Commons. This petition has been signed by over 1,800 Canadians who are concerned about human rights abroad, particularly the case of former Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan. For more than three years, Imran Khan has been left to languish in prison in what the United Nations working committee on human rights has described as an arbitrary detention and a violation of the universal declaration of human rights.

Petitioners are asking for the Government of Canada to publicly call for the immediate release of Imran Khan, as well as all political prisoners in Pakistan. They also want Imran Khan to have access to medical treatment and his family, as well as Canada's high commissioner to Pakistan, in order to confirm his condition. I am pleased to have the opportunity to present this petition here today in the House of Commons.

Indigenous Languages

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour today to table a petition on behalf of constituents from my riding. It is signed by members of the Tseshaht and Hupačasath nations in Nuu-chah-nulth territory. They highlight that an essential part of reconciliation is addressing the harms first nations have experienced, including the devastating loss of language and culture; that there is a growing number of indigenous language learners, but the number of remaining fluent speakers is falling; that the changes to federal funding for indigenous language programming, especially in British Columbia, have put the preservation and revitalization of first nation languages and cultural heritage at risk; and that there is an urgent need to invest in indigenous language revitalization before it is too late.

The petitioners are calling on the government to ensure that there is fair, adequate, long-term funding to protect indigenous languages and for indigenous language programming.

Religious Freedom

[Jacob Mantle, Conservative, York—Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am rising today to present a petition on behalf of concerned Canadians about the plight of Christians in Africa, specifically in Nigeria, Congo and Mozambique, who are being attacked and murdered by groups such as Boko Haram, Islamic State and other terrorist groups for the simple reason that they are Christians. According to reports such as those from the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa, in many communities, millions of people have been forced to flee their homes. In Nigeria alone, the petitioners note, it is estimated that 30 Christians are murdered every day.

Therefore, the petitioners are calling on the government to do the following: unequivocally condemn the ongoing persecution of Christians in Africa; engage diplomatically with these countries in Africa to both defend Christians and seek justice for them; provide humanitarian and reconstruction relief to these communities; and lastly, ensure that Canada's foreign policy continues to defend the freedom of conscience and freedom of religion of all people globally.