Andrew Leslie

[Foreign Affairs, September 27th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, Aung San Suu Kyi's honorary citizenship is something that Parliament could reflect on.

Our government is focused on measures that will make a real difference for Rohingya refugees. We are providing food aid to more than one million refugees, and we are committed to providing $300 million in humanitarian assistance.

We will continue to take concrete action to save lives and protect the Rohingya.

[International Trade, September 27th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, an important truism of trade negotiations is that nothing is done until it is actually done. We continue to work in a constructive atmosphere with good faith on all sides. However, we have always been clear that no deal is better than a bad deal. We are going to remain firm on that principle, because Canadians expect us to stand up for them. That is exactly what this government is going to do, especially for the auto industry.

[International Trade, September 27th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, our government understands that the U.S. 232 measures have created real challenges for Canadian workers and their businesses. That is why we have made up to $2 billion available to defend and protect their interests. These measures include extending work sharing agreements, increased funding for skills training, funding to bolster the competitiveness of Canadian manufacturers and support for companies that diversify their exports. Other measures since July 2018 include 130 loans, already authorized by BDC, for a total of $100 million.

[Foreign Affairs, September 25th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for Etobicoke Centre for his tireless work on this issue. Our government knows that women are powerful agents for change and for peace, and we also know that when women are involved in the peace process, peace agreements tend to last longer. That is why the Minister of Foreign Affairs was proud to announce the creation of an ambassador for women, peace and security. Women's empowerment is a crucial issue and I hope all of my colleagues in this House will join us in celebrating this important announcement.

[International Trade, September 25th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I know how proud Canadians are of our public health care system and we are going to defend it. We also know that the affordability of and access to prescription drugs remains an important issue for all Canadians. We will continue to work with the provinces, territories and our partners to lower drug prices and provide timely access to medicines. This is an important issue for our government and we have said such during the NAFTA discussions. Our government will always stand up for Canadians.

[Franco-Ontarian Day, September 25th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, today, September 25, is Franco-Ontarian Day. For those who may not be aware, Franco-Ontarians are Canadians who live in Ontario and speak French. It is a day to celebrate the francophone community and its history, which dates back over 400 years. It is also a day to look back on our past.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Franco-Ontarians were not allowed to speak French in schools after Regulation 17 was passed, a regulation decreeing that English would be the only language of instruction in all Ontario schools. Fortunately, Franco-Ontarians fought back and created their own school system, to counteract the negative impact the regulation was having on their communities. Today, our Franco-Ontarian identity is vibrant and strong thanks to those who speak French.

[Small Business, September 24th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, we understand that these illegal measures have created real challenges for Canadian businesses and workers. That is why, as my colleague points out, we have already set aside nearly $2 billion.

Our teams are working very hard to establish the process for directing the funding to those who need it. As we already know, the measures include extending work-sharing agreements, increasing funding for training and improving manufacturer competitiveness. That is precisely what my distinguished colleague was just talking about. We are on the right track.

[Small Business, September 24th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, our government understands that the U.S. section 232 measures have created real challenges and hardship for Canadian workers and Canadian businesses. That is why this government has made up to $2 billion available to defend and protect the interests of Canadian workers and businesses. These include measures such as extending work-sharing agreements, increased funding for skills training and funding to bolster competitiveness. The teams are working through the night to get these resources out to those who are most affected. We are going to continue to monitor and supervise the situation and respond to protect our Canadian workers.

[Situation of the Rohingya People, September 20th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties, and if you seek it I think you will find unanimous consent for the following motion:

That the House:

(a) endorse the findings of the UN Fact Finding Mission on Myanmar that crimes against humanity have been committed by the Myanmar military against the Rohingya and other ethnic minorities and that these horrific acts were sanctioned at the highest levels of the Myanmar military chain of command;

(b) recognize that these crimes against the Rohingya constitute genocide;

(c) welcome the recent decision of the International Criminal Court that it has jurisdiction over the forced deportation of members of the Rohingya people from Myanmar to Bangladesh;

(d) call on the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Myanmar to the International Criminal Court;

(e) call for senior officials in the Myanmar military chain of command to be investigated and prosecuted for the crime of genocide.

[Foreign Affairs, September 20th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, our government is fully committed to creating a stronger and more rigorous arms export control system through Bill C-47. As the member opposite knows, the contract for those vehicles was signed in 2014, and all the major parties, including the NDP, agreed to respect that contract during the last election campaign. Canadian businesses and workers and our international partners need to know that an agreement with Canada still means something after an election.