Ali Ehsassi

[International Trade, April 23rd, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, once again, allow me to emphasize that we stand at the ready.

For the past several months, we have been consulting with the provinces, consulting with the territories, consulting with businesses and consulting with labour leaders, so everyone is fully aware that we are doing as much as can be expected and we will be acting very strongly. The member can rest assured that we will only agree to a very good deal.

[International Trade, April 23rd, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, let me assure the member that we all stand at the ready.

Canada is at its strongest when governments, workers, businesses and industry are all pulling in the same direction. By strengthening our engagement, we are ensuring Canada is well-positioned. That is why, as the member is well aware, yesterday we announced the creation of the advisory committee on Canada-U.S. economic relations. This will serve as a forum for knowledge sharing, expertise and feedback on all issues.

[Lawful Access Act, 2026, April 17th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member has rightly indicated, there was a big gap in terms of making sure that our law enforcement agencies have all the necessary tools to do a thorough job when they are investigating a wide variety of crimes. We certainly live in an era when the speed and the pace at which such crimes are taking place are very different from what they were previously.

It was certainly high time for us to listen to those law enforcement agencies and to look at the experience that the other Five Eyes and indeed the other G7 countries had on this. We looked at that to make sure we would come up with a robust system that was balanced and that would have legal safeguards, and that is why I think the product of this entire exercise is a very good piece of legislation.

[Lawful Access Act, 2026, April 17th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite and I have had the great benefit of working closely together on the public safety committee. The point she raises is certainly a valid one, but as we know, this particular bill will be referred to committee, and that would be an exceptional opportunity for us all to weigh in and make sure this is as robust and as good a piece of legislation as possible. I have no doubt that the member will be a very big part of that exercise.

[Lawful Access Act, 2026, April 17th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite is likely aware, today we are here to debate Bill C-22, which is a very significant piece of legislation. As I have indicated, this government has always benefited greatly from the views and the perspectives of individuals throughout this chamber. We are always willing to welcome any input that anyone has. This bill, as I indicated, has also benefited from that. I have no doubt that, once it is adopted, our law enforcement agencies and individuals who are working around the clock in this country will benefit greatly from the adoption of this bill.

[Lawful Access Act, 2026, April 17th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, thank you for permitting me to speak to Bill C-22, an act respecting lawful access.

It is always a great pleasure to speak in this chamber on behalf of the constituents of Willowdale. In this particular case, I should say that in Willowdale, we are very well served by 32 Division of the Toronto Police Service. I recently had the opportunity, once again, to visit with them and to be guided by the wisdom of the officers, who are doing so much for all the residents of my riding and beyond.

Today, I should also say that I am speaking as a member of the public safety committee. It gives me great pleasure to speak on new legislation that is timely and would allow our police and law enforcement agencies to undertake their work with renewed vigour.

As members know, this piece of legislation is the product of 10 months of diligent joint work by the Minister of Public Safety, the Minister of Justice and the Secretary of State for Combatting Crime. It is important to emphasize that this legislation would fill a very significant gap that had previously handcuffed the investigative powers of our law enforcement officials. It is also important to underscore that Canada was the only member of the Five Eyes and the G7 countries that was lagging by not having devised a legal framework or regime for lawful access.

At a time when extortion, child exploitation, human trafficking and cybercrimes that target all Canadians, in particular our seniors, are on the rise, it is imperative that we update our approach and strengthen our legal capacity to ensure that we are supporting our law enforcement agencies in their important investigative work. Given the speed at which certain crimes are now occurring, it is important to keep up with the times and to ensure that our officials do not hit a wall and can deal with serious crimes more expeditiously and on a timely basis.

The substance of the bill and the layers of legal guardrails in the system have been adequately explained by those who have spoken before me, in particular the Minister of Public Safety and the Secretary of State for Combatting Crime. In addition, we had the great pleasure of hearing from the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice earlier this morning.

We are a country that should not have to choose between safety and crime. As the Secretary of State for Combatting Crime eloquently put it before this very chamber, “The alternative to this bill is not privacy. The alternative is impunity.”

Rather than focus on the substance of this bill, because, as I indicated, many others have risen before me and spoken about the layers of protection that exist in this bill, I want to highlight the extent to which this bill has truly benefited from cross-partisan contributions. When we work together, all members of this chamber, or when we reach out and are informed by the perspective of individuals from all across the political spectrum, I have every confidence that we can come up with better legislation.

As members know, the Minister of Public Safety, in his wisdom, tasked a former distinguished member of this chamber and a former minister from B.C. to undertake the initial consultations before this bill was devised. He had the difficult task of meeting with individuals and associations with differing views. This bill certainly benefited greatly from the early work that Murray Rankin is responsible for. He had the opportunity to speak to a number of civil society organizations, academics, and law enforcement and industry groups as well, so that is on one end of the political spectrum. On the other end, I also think it is incredibly important to give credit to the member opposite, the member for Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, who is a distinguished former police officer himself and also has contributed to this great legislative effort.

I can say, given that I am on the public safety committee, I remember that many, many months ago we started chatting about how incredibly important lawful access was. This, of course, was because we were hearing from a wide variety of witnesses who indicated to us how critically important it was. Those discussions with the member for Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner eventually led to many meetings he had with our Minister of Public Safety. Those two are real examples of how, when we come together in this chamber, we are capable of producing much better legislation.

In addition to that, I think it also bears repeating that NSICOP, which is our parliamentary committee comprising members from all parties and from both chambers, has also said that it is critically important that this legislation be adopted. I certainly hope, in that cross-partisan spirit, that the fact that many individuals inside this chamber and others outside have been consulted widely on this will mean that all members will understand the critical importance of voting in favour of this legislation.

[Lawful Access Act, 2026, April 13th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, I wanted to say that I have had an opportunity to review Bill C-22. It is critical that it does pass, so I would be remiss if I did not take this opportunity to ask the parliamentary secretary how this came about. I recall sitting in committee, and regrettably members opposite were very much dead set against lawful access. This was despite the fact that we were hearing from witness after witness as to how crucially important it was. As such, if the parliamentary secretary could tell us what is responsible for that sea change in attitude, I would be most grateful.

[Iran, March 10th, 2026]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the military situation in Iran. Once again, brinkmanship by the ayatollahs has plunged Iran into war. Innocent Iranians are caught in the crossfire of a war they are not responsible for, as it is not of their making.

After the trauma of witnessing the regime butcher tens of thousands of innocent protesters, Iranians are now contending with war. Let us hope that this will end swiftly and lead to the end of this odious regime. Iranians, Canadians and the world want to see an end to 47 years of theocracy. However, civilians on the ground in Iran and their relatives in Canada can simultaneously fear the mullahs and the bombs raining down from the skies.

These are hopeful but perilous times. May the brave people of Iran finally experience what we take for granted in Canada, peace and freedom.

In conclusion, if the hon. members know any Iranian Canadians in their ridings, it would be a good time to check in.

[Iran and the Middle East, March 9th, 2026]

Mr. Chair, again, it is very important to highlight that we have been very vigilant about members of the Iranian regime. We are the only country that has on our books a law that says that any individual who has served the Iranian regime since 2004 has no right to be admitted into Canada. I do not know of any other country that has such a law.

[Iran and the Middle East, March 9th, 2026]

Mr. Chair, I thank my good friend and colleague for his understanding and appreciation of the complexities of these cases.

Yes, this was a central banker of the Iranian regime who arrived here in Canada. The Conservative government did zero. So, I find it rich when I am hearing all these lectures about how terrible our government is. The reality is that these are sophisticated, complex files, and I think we can all work together to do a much better job.