Arif Virani

[Canadian Heritage, October 27th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, we are very proud of our creative community and we are taking concrete measures to support them. Our vision for Canada's creative future is threefold: investing in our creators, ensuring their stories are told, and promoting Canadian content at home and throughout the world.

Our government is supporting our cultural sector with a $2-billion investment. Our new vision includes protecting our creative projects and investing even more in the Canada Media Fund.

[Canadian Heritage, October 27th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, we were proud to stand with members of both sides of this House to inaugurate the national Holocaust monument to commemorate survivors, and the six million Jewish people, as well as other victims, who were murdered during the Holocaust. We also plan to stand in solidarity in the fight against anti-Semitism, and all forms of racism.

Our government is committing to building a more inclusive society. The National Capital Commission, which is an independent crown corporation, is responsible for the day-to-day operations, management, maintenance, and safety of the monument.

[Canadian Heritage, October 27th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague from Sudbury for his question and for his dedication to the Franco-Ontarian community in northern Ontario.

Two weeks ago, the Minister of Canadian Heritage was proud to announce an investment of $12.5 million from the Government of Canada towards the construction of Place des Arts du Grand Sudbury. Investments like this one contribute to our vision of a creative Canada, while also creating good jobs for the middle class and new opportunities for artists, creators, and the entire community.

[Canadian Heritage, October 27th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, we have heard the concerns of Quebec and the concerns of the rest of Canada. In the context of our consultation on digital Cancon, we heard from 30,000 people around this country. What they said to us was very clear. They want a government that finally believes in and supports the arts and Canadian culture.

We have heard, and we have acted. We have invested $2.2 billion in arts and culture, the largest amount in the G7, and the largest amount in this country in 30 years. This will help our creators. It will help to ensure that Canadian stories are told in Canada and abroad.

[Canadian Heritage, October 27th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, we heard the opinions of Quebeckers and Canadians everywhere. As part of our #DigiCanCon consultations, we heard from over 30,000 people from across the country. It was obvious that they want a government that finally cares about the arts and supports Canadian culture. We listened and we took action.

We have invested $2.2 billion in arts and culture, the largest investment in the G7 and the largest investment in the past 30 years in Canada. This is about investing in our creators and promoting their stories and Canadian content around the world.

[Islamic History Month, October 27th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, October is Islamic History Month, an opportunity for Muslims and non-Muslims alike to learn from one another, to not simply tolerate their differences but to celebrate them.

Islamic History Month is also a chance to learn more about the tremendous contributions of Muslims in building this country, like the fact that the Al Rashid mosque, the first mosque in Canada, was opened on the Alberta prairie in 1938, like the fact that Canada is home to the only Islamic art museum in North America, the magnificent Aga Khan Museum in my hometown of Toronto, like the fact that in Quebec, female Muslim academic, Dr. Sajida Alvi, was the first-ever chair in Urdu language at the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill, like the fact that the lead structural engineer of the CN Tower was Muslim Iranian Canadian Jamil Mardukhi.

When we learn about the history of Muslims in our country, we learn more about Canada itself. This lesson is more important now than ever before, with the rise of division, misunderstanding, and lslamophobia. As a Muslim Canadian and the parliamentary secretary for multiculturalism, I encourage all Canadians to observe, celebrate, and, most importantly, to learn during this important month.

[Official Languages, October 6th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, our government's position is to truly support Canada's two main linguistic communities. Our two official languages are at the heart of our identity. We are always there to support our two official languages, whether it is through the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages, the francophone significant benefit program run by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to increase the number of French speakers outside Quebec, or our court challenges program, which will increase support for people across the country who want to protect the French language.

[Public Transit, October 6th, 2017]

Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Parkdale—High Park, residents are concerned about how to travel to work or school in a quick and environmentally sound way. My constituents have told me that any strategy to reduce gridlock and our dependence on cars must include investments in public transit and active transport. I wholeheartedly agree, because these kinds of investments not only get people moving, but also reduce GHG emissions contribute to healthier living.

The advocacy of my constituents has paid off. We are investing billions in transit, including $500 million in TTC repair and $333 million in the Finch West light rail transit project. Millions nationally will also be going to support active transport. In Parkdale—High Park, this means the expansion of the west Toronto railpath cycling route. It also means the creation of 50 new bike-share stations, with seven new stations right in my riding.

I have a challenge for the good folks in Roncesvalles, High Park, Bloor West, Parkdale, Dundas West, and Sorauren Park. Next time they are thinking about commuting, they should leave their cars at home and hop on a bike-share bicycle. In Toronto, they will probably reach their destination faster, and their doctors and our planet will thank them for it.

[Situation in Myanmar, September 26th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, the point has to be made again and again that international engagement is important. Canada was once known internationally as a broker of international relations, as a country that punched far above its weight. With the disengagement that we saw under the previous government, unfortunately that status declined, resulting ultimately in our not standing for a position on the Security Council. We have turned the page on that in our response to the Syrian refugee crisis, in what we are trying to do in boosting international institutions, in the funding and aid that we are delivering internationally, in our leadership, and in the feminization of our international aid and development policies.

In respect of the Rohingya, I am confident in the leadership of the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and in the passion of Canadians in ensuring that we as parliamentarians of all stripes—and again it should not be partisan—are raising this issue in important debates like this evening's debate in the House.

[Situation in Myanmar, September 26th, 2017]

Madam Speaker, what I can say is that the voice that Canada needs is the voice that we have started to reclaim since 2015. By that I mean a voice that speaks out on the world stage, that is engaged internationally not only with like-minded nations but also with nations that perhaps need a bit of coaxing along the path toward the protection of rights and protection of minorities. Canada has very clearly pivoted since the last election toward a stance of engagement, toward embracing international institutions like the UN, the UNHCR, and the High Commissioner for Human Rights, for example. We have been told again and again about the clear statements that the minister and Prime Minister have made. I can assure the member opposite that as a member of this government caucus and of this chamber, I will continue to advocate for the human rights that I have spent my entire lifetime defending, both domestically and abroad.