Garnett Genuis

[Petitions, October 3rd, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, the next petition I am tabling raises concern about the government's approach to euthanasia, in particular the dangerous effects the current euthanasia regime has on Canadians living with disabilities.

The petitioners observe how the government's policy, which presents facilitated dying as a so-called solution to disability or chronic illness, reduces incentives to improve treatment and care for people with these conditions, and substantially devalues the lives and experiences of those living with disabilities.

The petitioners further observe that all major disability rights organizations have expressed serious concerns about so-called track 2 MAID.

The petitioners therefore ask the government and the House to protect all Canadians whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable by prohibiting medical assistance in dying for those whose prognosis for natural death is more than six months.

[Petitions, October 3rd, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition today in support of Bill C-224, put forward by my colleague from Ponoka—Didsbury. This is a bill about natural health products.

I tried to submit a notice to jointly second the bill, as I sometimes do with great pieces of legislation, but the bill was so popular among Conservative MPs that all of the seconding slots were quickly filled before I had a chance. I want to table the petition to highlight my support and the support of my constituents for this excellent legislation on natural health products.

The Liberals are, petitioners say, threatening access to natural health products through their new rules, which will mean higher costs and fewer products available on store shelves. The changes they made in a previous omnibus bill, as well as through new so-called cost recovery provisions, will simply impose massive costs on producers of essential natural health products, undermining Canadians' access to these products.

The petitioners want to see the Liberal government reverse the changes it made on natural health products. Bill C-224, from my colleague from Ponoka—Didsbury, would do exactly that.

[Employment, October 3rd, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, the minister loves self-congratulations, but I have a simple message for her: It is not working. Canadians are not working because Liberal policies are not working. It is simply in the numbers. We have the second-highest unemployment rate in the G7. We have effectively lost over 100,000 jobs in the last month. Youth unemployment is at its worst level in 25 years. EI claims among working-age women just jumped by 12%.

Regardless of the Liberals' intentions, the facts show that their policies are not working. When will they change course?

[Employment, October 3rd, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, the minister is talking verifiable nonsense. She knows or should know that our platform clearly committed to significant increases in support for union-based training.

The minister should listen better, because yesterday, business leaders from Toronto came to committee and ripped into the government. They described how 10 years of bad Liberal policies have created worsening structural unemployment. Canada has the second-highest unemployment in the fastest-shrinking economy in the G7.

Will the minister now admit that failing economic policies at home and broken promises on the world stage are causing an unemployment crisis?

[Petitions, October 2nd, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition about a very serious issue: the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Petitioners would like to see an end to that persecution, the protection of Falun Gong practitioners and an end to these human rights abuses.

[Petitions, October 2nd, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, next I would like to present a petition that references Bill C-257, which was a bill in the previous Parliament, put forward by me, that would have added political belief and activity as prohibited grounds of discrimination in the Canada Human Rights Act. Petitioners are asking the House to support the bill, or presumably a similar bill in the current Parliament.

Petitioners note that Canadians can and do face political discrimination on the basis of their political beliefs and that it is in the best interests of Canadian democracy to protect public debate and to protect an environment in which people can exchange about different ideas and do so without fear of discrimination.

Petitioners therefore want the House to support the bill and defend the rights of Canadians to peacefully express their political opinions.

[Petitions, October 2nd, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, the first of several petitions that I would like to present to the House highlights the ongoing tragedy of the government's failed euthanasia policy.

The petitioners in this petition note ion particular the pernicious effects of the government's approach to Canadians living with disabilities. These Conservative petitioners and all major disability advocacy organizations in the country have expressed opposition to the government's presenting euthanasia as a response to disability.

The petitioners say that offering medical assistance in dying as a “solution” for a disability or chronic illness reduces incentives to improve treatment and care for people with those conditions and that allowing medical assistance in dying for those with disabilities or chronic illnesses who are not dying devalues their life. The petitioners want to see the government change the existing regime to protect all Canadians whose natural death is not reasonably foreseeable. They want to see this happen by prohibiting medical assistance in dying for those whose prognosis for natural death is more than six months.

[Employment, October 1st, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary is putting a lot of emphasis on apprenticeships, which is obviously an important discussion. However, in the meantime, the government continues to block important projects. The Prime Minister supports the legislation stemming from Bill C-69, which is blocking major projects. What is more, the government has decided not to take steps to build more homes. Providing training is necessary, but it is also necessary to ensure that there are jobs. The government has broken the immigration system and halted economic development in important sectors. Things have to change.

[Employment, October 1st, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, what a pleasure it is to have my son joining me here in Ottawa today.

This country is experiencing a serious unemployment crisis. The overall unemployment rate of 7.1% is bad enough, but it is young Canadians who are suffering the most, with a disastrous rate of 15.5%.

It is not just the number of unemployed people that is a problem, but also how long they remain unemployed. On average, people stay unemployed for more than 21 weeks. This means that more Canadians, especially young people, are out of work and staying out of work longer. They wait, they struggle, and many lose hope.

I have spoken with Canadians who are experiencing this. A young programmer living in Vancouver told me that he had sent out over 1,000 job applications. He is educated, skilled and ready to contribute. However, after more than a year, he is still unemployed. This is the reality for far too many people. That young man is not alone. I hear the same story in Toronto, Quebec City, Montreal, small towns and rural areas. Young Canadians everywhere say they want to work, but they cannot find a job.

Why is this happening? It is because the government has made choices that hurt Canadian workers. It has allowed certain immigration programs, such as the temporary foreign worker program, to be abused while genuine asylum seekers wait years for a decision. We even see fake college acceptance letters being used to circumvent the system. Meanwhile, Canadians who are here and ready to work cannot find jobs. Is this fair? No. Is it responsible? Certainly not.

The government is also blocking projects that would create jobs. Bill C‑69 and other measures have blocked investments in natural resources, pipelines and mines. These projects would have provided work for thousands of families, but instead of freeing up Canadian talent, this government is tying it up with red tape and gatekeepers. While other countries are moving forward, Canada is moving backward.

The result is clear. TD Bank predicts that 100,000 jobs could be lost by the third quarter this year. The Governor of the Bank of Canada says that businesses are going to scale back hiring. The numbers are there, but behind every number is a family, a young graduate and a community losing hope. This government's record is clear: More Canadians are staying out of work for longer and with fewer opportunities for the future. We have talent, energy and resources, but instead of unleashing that potential, the government is putting up roadblocks.

My question is simple, and I will ask it directly: When will the government finally remove the roadblocks, listen to Canadians and let our workers, especially our young people, build their future here at home in Canada?

[Combatting Hate Act, October 1st, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, in his excellent speech, my colleague talked about the problems of enforcement. The government is trying to suggest that there is a problem in terms of a lack of things being classed as offences, but actually there is a problem of enforcement not being effective.

There is also a problem of the tone that has been set by the current government when it comes to attacks, particularly against churches. Gerry Butts, the former adviser to the previous prime minister, who was intimately involved with the current Prime Minister's work as well, basically said that these attacks on churches were “understandable”. That is a grotesque statement from a senior Liberal.

I wonder if my hon. friend would agree that while we need to address the enforcement issue, we also need to address the fact that senior people in the current government have said things that have kind of tacitly lent credence to the motivations that may be behind some of these attacks.