David Sweet

[Yom Kippur, September 28th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday at sundown, Jewish communities across Canada and the world gathered to observe Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.

Marking the end of a 10-day period of prayer, fasting and introspection, Yom Kippur is a sacred day of atonement when those in the Jewish community seek forgiveness for the past year and reflect on where better choices and actions could have been made. However, this is not only a time for reflection, but also a chance to look forward to the future for new and more hopeful days of joy and opportunity.

Hamilton is blessed with a vibrant Jewish community. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of Beth Jacob Synagogue, Temple Anshe Sholom and Adas Israel Synagogue, along with all Jewish Canadians, for the profoundly positive contributions they have made to Canadian society and will continue to make for generations to come.

As Yom Kippur draws to a close, I hope the day has been an easy fast and brought meaningful reflection to all Jewish people who are celebrating this solemn, sacred day.

G'mar chatima tova .

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, September 25th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I have great respect for the parliamentary secretary and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and I want to give them an opportunity to address a major concern for Canada and the world.

Presently there is the behaviour of the Chinese Communist Party around COVID-19 with its lack of transparency and accountability, genocide against the Uighurs, crimes against humanity with Tibetans and the fact that it exercises debt hostage-taking in weak nations.

Page 30 mentions Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, although Huseyin Celil is not mentioned. He is another Canadian citizen who has been incarcerated injustly by the Chinese Communist Party. If we are going to build back better, why was there nothing in the throne speech in regard to taking our place in foreign affairs policy and making sure that we defend Canadians against the Chinese Communist Party?

[COVID-19 Pandemic and Other Matters, July 8th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure that those who are refugees would like that exploration to be done expeditiously.

What measures are being taken to reassess our relationship with the People's Republic of China, given new evidence from the Associated Press of forceful population limitations being imposed on Uighurs by the CCP, especially given that these kinds of acts are indicators of genocide?

[COVID-19 Pandemic and Other Matters, July 8th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, on two previous occasions, I have questioned the government in regard to human rights violations by the Chinese Communist Party in China and Hong Kong, and I have only received expressions of varying degrees of concern.

I am thankful that the government actually rescinded the extradition treaty with Hong Kong. Could the government tell us what other steps it is taking to assist the 300,000 Canadians in Hong Kong and open the door to Hong Kong refugees?

[COVID-19 Pandemic and Other Matters, July 8th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with the hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan.

The CCP, Chinese Communist Party, has bought up most of the cobalt mines in the Democratic Republic of Congo in its quest to dominate the lithium battery industry. UNICEF estimates that 40,000 children are labourers in the DRC. What measures has the government taken to protect the human rights of the children who are forced to extract this cobalt?

[Proceedings of the House and Committees, May 26th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, private members' bills have been brought up repeatedly, and rightfully so. Fortunately, I am one of just over 300 members of Parliament who have had a private member's bill pass the House and the Senate and become law. That has helped victims of violent offenders immensely.

How does my colleague feel about the fact that with the rubric we just voted on, individual members will no longer have the ability to represent the constituents who elected them and bring about private members' bills to change the course of their lives for the better?

[Foreign Affairs, May 26th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister refused to condemn the odious attacks by China on the free people of Hong Kong. Worse yet, the Liberals voted against recommencing the Canada-China committee to address the threat to Hong Kong's democracy by the CCP. Liberals claim to be defenders of freedom, but they stand by while a communist regime drags lawmakers out of a legislative council, locks up those who fight for democracy and is hell-bent on exerting authoritarian rule over Hongkongers.

Enough is enough. When will the Liberals stand up for human rights and democracy, and against the dictators in China?

[Scleroderma Awareness Month, May 26th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, this coming Monday marks the beginning of Scleroderma Awareness Month in Canada.

Scleroderma is a progressive and chronic connective tissue disorder that can attack one's internal organs, literally shutting them down one by one. It can also cause weeping ulcers, skin deterioration and Raynaud's disease, among other symptoms. While these past few years have seen advancement in treatments that can ease pain and slow the progression of the disease, researchers have yet to find a cause for scleroderma and are still looking for a cure.

As many in the House know, I had to watch my mother suffer the awful effects scleroderma inflicts on individuals. In the end, scleroderma took her life. Unfortunately, my mother was just one of many women to be afflicted with scleroderma, as almost 80% of sufferers are women and most are diagnosed before the age of 50.

Due to COVID-19, Scleroderma Canada has moved its annual walk to a virtual format this year. I encourage everyone to participate and be very generous.

Research on new therapeutic measures have been promising, but we cannot rest until researchers find a cure for this horrid disease.

[Proceedings of the House and Committees, May 26th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for setting a good tone in regard to the gratitude we owe to our staff. I would like to thank Dan, Patricia, Liz, Simon and Jacob who, particularly in these times, not only answer constituent concerns but deal with an intensity that is unprecedented as well. I know the word “unprecedented” has been used a lot, but that is the case.

I would like to encourage all my colleagues to be very attentive to the mental health concerns of their staff. When they get people from businesses calling, people who have worked for 20 years building their business and are in tears, or other people who have been unable to get on a program because they missed it by some avenue, it is troubling.

Last, we are all posting on social media. I have noticed an intensity of the posts as well. I would ask my colleagues, in a concern for mental health, to understand that people who have mental health issues can be very easily pushed into an anxious situation where they will make bad choices. I caution members trying to make political points out of the intensity of the pandemic and to be mindful of those very severe points members may make and how they will be received by people who are struggling with mental health.

[Proceedings of the House and Committees, May 26th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I listened to my colleague's speech with great interest. He asked me to look my constituents in the eye and ask them whether they want Parliament to sit because of public health information. I am asking him what constituents he would like me to ask.

Would he like me to ask the individual at A&W who served me my burger the other day? How about the health care workers, police and firemen who are out there every day? How about the couple that runs the Home Hardware, where I was able to get a light switch the other day? How about the employees at Home Depot or Costco and all the other employees working in my constituency who expect me to adhere to my responsibilities, the oath that I made to Her Majesty the Queen, and represent them here in this House?

Those are the constituents I would ask. Who would he want me to ask who would actually say they do not want me here?