Mr. Speaker, I apologize and I withdraw the remark.
House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2025, with 55% of the vote.
Points of Order November 23rd, 2023
Mr. Speaker, I apologize and I withdraw the remark.
International Trade November 22nd, 2023
Mr. Speaker, it is bad enough that that party is the only party in the House that does not believe in climate change. It does not believe in fighting the good fight against climate change, but on top of that, when Ukrainians are dying, literally, on behalf of freedom-loving people of the world, fighting fascism, totalitarianism and an illegal invasion, at this critical moment, what have Conservatives chosen to do? They have chosen to abandon Ukrainians in their hour of need. Canadians will remember this moment, and we will never forget that shameful party.
Foreign Affairs October 27th, 2023
Mr. Speaker, the government's top priority has always been and will always be the safety and security of Canadians. We continue to call for the immediate release of all hostages and demand that they be treated in accordance with international law. We have also sent a team of experts to the region to support the work of securing their release.
With respect to the larger number of Canadians who are trying to evacuate from Gaza, I, the foreign affairs minister and the Prime Minister have been doing everything we can to work with our partners in the region and beyond to enable them to evacuate safely and securely from Gaza.
Foreign Affairs October 23rd, 2023
Mr. Speaker, we were the first western country to provide humanitarian assistance to all civilians in the region, and we topped it up with an additional $50 million. As a result of that, our friends and allies have been incentivized to follow our early example. I just spoke to the German minister for international development, and she told me that this morning, Germany announced $50 million to help civilians caught in this conflict.
We are providing the leadership necessary to get aid flowing and to fight for the respect of international humanitarian law. We are putting our money where our mouth is to get life-saving materials to civilians in the region.
Foreign Affairs October 23rd, 2023
Mr. Speaker, we would like to reiterate the need to keep humanitarian corridors open and unfettered so that critical humanitarian aid can quickly reach those who urgently need it.
We are encouraged by the fact that a second humanitarian aid convoy has crossed the Rafah border crossing. We are calling for the ongoing, unfettered passage of essential aid to those who need it.
Foreign Affairs October 23rd, 2023
Mr. Speaker, it is our collective duty to defend human decency and ensure everyone's safety. We remain firm in our position in the face of such a humanitarian crisis: Innocent civilians need more aid, not less. That is why we have announced a total of $60 million in aid to address the needs of Palestinians of Gaza and the surrounding regions.
Foreign Affairs October 23rd, 2023
Mr. Speaker, we have been active from the very beginning. We are the first western country to provide an initial amount of $10 million to go to humanitarian assistance. Recently, we announced an additional $50 million, bringing the Canadian total to $60 million.
We have been consistent in the call to respect international humanitarian law by all parties in this conflict. We have been consistently working very hard with our friends and allies in the region to make sure that the humanitarian corridors are not only open, but that they are maintained and that the essential life-saving supplies get through on a daily basis.
Foreign Affairs October 23rd, 2023
Mr. Speaker, the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza was dire before these last weeks. We are doing everything we can to support Canadians on the ground. We are also committed to working diplomatically to prevent the conflict from spreading. We are working with our allies to ensure the protection of all Israeli and Palestinian civilians. We have been consistently calling on international humanitarian law to be respected.
We were the first government to move to provide substantial humanitarian aid to both Israeli and Palestinian civilians, and we will continue our efforts in that regard.
Foreign Affairs October 19th, 2023
Mr. Speaker, we are deeply concerned about the current humanitarian situation because civilians are the primary victims of this tragedy. Canada's commitment to provide vital humanitarian aid remains unwavering. The protection of civilians is essential. We are calling on all parties to protect the civilians and meet their obligations under international humanitarian law at all times.
Situation in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank October 16th, 2023
Mr. Chair, I thank my hon. colleague for raising a really important question.
Many of us in our roles as members of Parliament have been dealing with constituents who are concerned about loved ones affected by this conflict, some who have loved ones trapped in Gaza and others whose extended family members, friends and loved ones are being held hostage by Hamas. The fact of the matter is that our government has been really prioritizing this issue. My colleagues, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of National Defence, have been working non-stop on this issue, and I am happy to report to Parliament that a number of those efforts have been successful, enabling Canadians to be evacuated back to Canada, in some cases from the West Bank to Jordan and in some cases from Israel back to Canada. Those efforts are ongoing and we will do everything we can to help Canadians evacuate from Gaza, West Bank and Israel.