Arif Virani

[Committees of the House, March 21st, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the member's comments and those of his colleague. This is an important issue that we are debating today.

With respect to the Xinjiang integrity declaration, it is about a broader examination of what is going on in China, particularly with respect to one community, the Uighur community.

On the issue of Chinese human rights violations, it is articulated quite clearly in the Indo-Pacific strategy, which our government launched last November. It talks about being clear, open-eyed and transparent about calling out human rights violations against Tibetans, Hong Kong democracy dissenters, Taiwanese individuals and Uighurs.

Does the member acknowledge that this is an important step in the right direction, vis-à-vis more accountability and transparency for China?

[Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise, March 21st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the pleasure to table, in both official languages, the annual report on activities from 2021 to 2022, as prepared by the Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible Enterprise.

[Online Streaming Act, March 9th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I really enjoyed the speech by the member opposite on this very important bill, as well as his comments on freedom of expression.

I would outline that I have found that the bill explicitly states that all user-created content on social media platforms and streaming services is excluded from the purview of the bill, which means that the experience of creating, posting and interacting with other user-generated content would not be touched at all by this bill, which I think is important.

The question I have for the member opposite, and this is what I hear from creators in my riding, is whether the contrary is absolutely the case, as in this bill would actually promote the liberty of expression by virtue of creating more financial resources to support Canadian creators who are promoting that Canadian content in Quebec or in other parts of the country.

[Ukraine, March 6th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, on February 24, 2022, to the shock of the entire democratic world, Russian armed forces started an illegal bombing campaign of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in an attempt to overrun the entire country. An invasion that Vladimir Putin thought would be over in a matter of days has now endured for over one year. That is a testament to the people of Ukraine, the courage of their armed forces, the leadership of President Zelenskyy and the response of western allies, like Canada, that have stepped up with humanitarian aid, economic assistance, refuge and, most importantly, weapons to shore up Ukraine in this fight against naked Russian imperialism.

This war can only end with one outcome: a safe and secure Ukraine, which includes all of its territory, meaning Crimea and the Donbass. The resolve of the Ukrainian people in reaching this goal remains firm, and equally, Canada’s resolve in supporting Ukraine in its time of need remains unwavering.

Slava Ukraini.

[Justice, February 10th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, we will agree on one thing: that all Canadians deserve safety and that their government needs to take their safety as a fundamental priority.

Where we do not agree is that there are foundational issues that relate to criminal justice problems and the overrepresentation of certain communities in our criminal justice system, things like systemic racism, things like colonial legacies vis-à-vis the indigenous community.

What I would reiterate is that we need the co-operation of all parties to tackle these multiple issues that lead to criminality in our society. When we address the root causes, such as mental illness, addictions and systemic racism, that is when we can truly achieve the goal of keeping our communities safe.

[Carbon Pricing, February 10th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, that is another important question, but there is also an important response. The response is that, when we are trying to target an issue as pressing as national and international climate change, we need to take direct action. That is the kind of answer my children demand from me at the dinner table each and every night. They ask what I am doing to deal with the changing pollution and the changing temperatures. I say to them that we are putting in place a price on pollution that affects people's behaviour and that helps us make better decisions for our families and for our country. Those are the kinds of answers Canadians deserve.

[Carbon Pricing, February 10th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, when I speak to my son, I explain what we are doing, in a targeted way, to help Canadians who are struggling with the cost of those groceries, those expensive items, as we walk down the aisle in grocery stores. I tell him we are using targeted benefits, such as dental care benefits and affordability benefits—

[Carbon Pricing, February 10th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, let us talk about the rising cost of food. Let us talk about what families are facing. Let us talk about families like mine. When I am at the grocery store with my son Nitin and he wants a particular cereal or particular dessert, I talk to him about the rising cost of groceries. I also explain to him what we are doing to help Canadians, and I tell him that we are targeting our—

[International Trade, January 31st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2) and consistent with the current policy on the tabling of treaties in Parliament, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaty entitled “Protocol Amending the Marrakesh Agreement Establishing the World Trade Organization: Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies”, done at Geneva on June 17, 2022.

[Canada Early Learning and Child Care Act, January 30th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member's concern about conditions. I share that concern. It is a bit of a delicate situation when we are talking about the specific wages provided to educators in a specific domain. The delivery of education is something that is traditionally under the purview of the provinces, but with the bilateral agreements that we are signing, we should be emphasizing that very point.