Iqra Khalid

[Mayor of Mississauga, June 14th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, on Monday, Mississauga voters went to the polls across the city to elect a mayor, and I want to congratulate my dear friend, Carolyn Parrish, the new mayor-elect of Mississauga, on her victory.

Mississauga is a city of a vibrant mosaic of people from different religions, ethnicities, languages and experiences, who had their say on the priorities that matter most to them, like housing, the cost of living, transportation and safety in our community. They exercised their vote for an experienced leader with a proven track record serving Mississauga at multiple levels of government, who has dedicated her career to the city that I call home.

I want to congratulate and thank all candidates who put their name forward, including sitting councillors Alvin Tedjo, Dipika Damerla and Stephen Dasko, who ran respectable campaigns, articulated their vision for Mississauga and took part in the democratic process.

Congratulations to Carolyn.

[Public Safety, June 12th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, over these past eight years, we have worked extremely hard to make sure that we are combatting racism, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism among all of our communities all across the country. We have had so many great achievements, including what is now our anti-racism strategy.

We will continue to work with partners in all levels of government, including civil society, to ensure that we are supporting communities such as the member's.

[Criminal Code, June 11th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to speak to Bill C-332, an act to amend the Criminal Code on coercive control of an intimate partner. The bill would strengthen Canada's legislative framework addressing intimate partner violence, creating a new offence aimed at better protecting victims of coercive control in intimate relationships.

Coercive control involves ongoing conduct that deprives victims of their autonomy. It is a pernicious form of intimate partner violence and a significant risk factor for extreme violence. I have spoken with respect to this many times, not just in the House but also in committee. When I was part of the justice committee, we studied this very egregious behaviour, which is a predeterminer of intimate partner violence within communities and within homes.

Before speaking specifically to Bill C-332, I want to thank the member for Victoria and the member for Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke for their dedication to this cause. It is really important, and I appreciate their dedication. I am also grateful to all the individuals and organizations that provided evidence to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights during its study of this piece of legislation and its 2021 study on coercive control in intimate relationships more generally. That includes my own Chief Nishan of our Peel Regional Police. I appreciate all of their hard work on this.

Gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence, is unacceptable and has no place in our country. Intimate partner violence is one of the most pervasive forms of violence against women. Our government is committed to ending the gender-based violence epidemic. Criminalizing coercive control is an important step to achieving this end; it is preventative, and it is very important in terms of how we work together in our communities.

I am very pleased to see that the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights has passed the government's amendments to Bill C‑332, which were largely developed with the input of the provinces and territories, stakeholders and the experiences of other countries that have criminalized coercive control. The amended offence is now modelled on Scotland's domestic violence offence, which was strongly recommended by stakeholders who supported introducing such an offence.

Specifically, the amended offence would criminalize engaging in a pattern of conduct with intent to cause the accused person's intimate partner to believe their physical or psychological safety is threatened. It would also criminalize being reckless as to whether the pattern of conduct could have this effect. “Pattern of conduct” is defined broadly to include subtle forms of abuse that are not criminal in and of themselves; that is, it is conduct that could reasonably be expected to cause the victim to believe that their physical or psychological safety is being threatened.

The committee's amendments not only are responsive to stakeholder input but also further the bill's pressing objective of protecting victims in coercive control cases. For example, the bill would amend the Criminal Code to do the following.

It would require courts to impose a weapons prohibition bail condition where an offender is charged with a coercive control offence, unless the justice considers that such a condition is not required in the interest of the safety of the accused or the safety and security of a victim of the offence or of any person, and to consider imposing additional conditions to ensure the safety and security of the victim where the offender is released on bail.

It would also make the appointment of counsel for cross-examination mandatory on request by victims in coercive control cases where the accused person is unrepresented and seeks to cross-examine the victim themselves, unless the judge or justice is of the opinion that the proper administration of justice requires otherwise.

It would also authorize the taking of DNA from those convicted or discharged of the bill's proposed coercive control offence, which would assist with the investigation and prosecution of intimate partner violence cases.

It would also require courts to issue a weapons prohibition order where an offender is convicted or discharged of the coercive control offence.

The amended bill also responds directly to several concerns raised by stakeholders, including by removing the requirement for proof that the victim was afraid. We have heard that requiring such evidence places a burden on the victim to testify, which is going to be a revictimization. It also requires them to show the effect of the accused's behaviour on them. We know in other areas of law, and now here, that another approach is possible, one that requires evidence showing that a reasonable person in the victim's circumstances would believe that their physical or psychological safety was threatened. This approach does not necessarily require a victim to testify and is familiar to Canadian courts.

The bill would also remove the best interests defence, which was included in the bill as introduced. Significant concern was expressed that this defence could have resulted in excusing abusive conduct, in particular toward cognitively impaired and disabled individuals, based on the claim that the coercive conduct at issue was actually in their best interest.

The bill would also delay the coming into force of the offence so that criminal justice practitioners could be trained on how to enforce it. Many stressed the importance of training prior to implementation, in particular because coercive control is an ongoing conduct offence, which is unusual in criminal law as the vast majority of criminal offences are incident-based.

The bill underscores the message that all forms of intimate partner violence are serious, including the more subtle forms, which have so often gone unrecognized. Supporting Bill C-332 is one of many concerted efforts that the government has taken to end gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence, and to support victims of both.

For example, in 2021, the Government of Canada announced over $600 million in funding over five years to address gender-based violence in Canada. Of this, Justice Canada was allocated $48.75 million to ensure access to free legal advice and legal representation for survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence.

In 2022, the government allocated funding of $539.3 million over five years to enable provinces and territories to enhance services and supports within their jurisdictions to prevent gender-based violence and support survivors through the national action plan to end gender-based violence. I am pleased to have learned that bilateral agreements between the Government of Canada and all 13 provinces have been finalized.

I realize I am coming to the end of my time, but I am looking forward to working with all parties in this House to ensure that we are eradicating and actively preventing gender-based violence from occurring in all communities, including mine in Mississauga—Erin Mills.

[Islamophobia, June 7th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, Madiha, Salman, Yumna and Talat. Three years ago yesterday, the Afzaal family, a peaceful Muslim Canadian family, out for an evening walk, were brutally murdered, with their nine-year-old son as the only survivor. This was an act of terrorism, plain and simple.

They deserved to grow up and to grow old with their family, go to Jum'ah or school, celebrate the holidays and feel safe in their own community. Yumna Afzaal would have graduated from school today, alongside her friends. Instead, because of Islamophobia and hate, she was taken from us.

Since this horrific day, we must reflect on whether we are doing enough to combat anti-Muslim hate in our society. We have to commit to doing more every single day.

Today, we mourn with many in London, Ontario and beyond who lost a friend, a father, a mother, a sister. We remember this beautiful family.

[New Horizons for Seniors, May 31st, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I rise today to highlight our government's New Horizons for Seniors program. This federal grants and contributions program for seniors is a truly transformative initiative in the lives of so many seniors across Canada and in my riding of Mississauga—Erin Mills.

Let me take this opportunity to highlight just a few of the many awesome organizations in my riding that do so much great work to bring communities together. These organizations include the Mississauga Seniors Club, Ivan Franko Homes, Shubh Helping Hands, The Meadows Church and Feng Hua Senior Association.

Whether they are awareness programs to educate us about the issues of elder abuse, weekly recreational activities or even helping seniors access government services that they may be eligible for, these organizations represent the heart of my community. It is so important that we come together to support our seniors, who continue to do so much for our community.

[Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023, May 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, this is a time for Canada to grow. We have established amazing international trade agreements. Whether it is with the Pacific nations, the CPTPP, CETA or the renegotiated NAFTA, we have laid the foundation. We have seen the biggest growth of direct investment into Canada, whether by Honda or by so many other organizations that are coming in, such as Volkswagen or Stellantis. Ultimately, there are businesses in my riding that have seen growth themselves, which they tell me anecdotally, and I can see the growth because we are making the investments in the right place.

I am not sure why the member and his party are so against investing in Canadians. Canadians matter.

[Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023, May 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member's raising this important issue, that we do need to build more homes. We are making those investments. In fact, we are on track to ensure that Canadians have the homes that they need in order to live in an affordable community. At the same time, we also need to make sure that Canadians, especially young people, have the living wage and the support systems to ensure that they can live in a safe and supportive community. We have made significant investments through our housing strategy. We are going to continue to build housing for our young people, and, at the same time, we are going to tackle issues of affordability for all Canadians and especially our young people.

[Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023, May 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Reform Party member for asking that question. As I said in my speech, and I am hoping that the member would have listened, it is about making investments into our future. It is not about cuts. It is not about austerity. It is not about axing and taxing or whatever those fancy slogans are that are coming out from that party. It is about believing in the ability, the talent, and the perseverance of our young people to ensure that they have what is needed for them to be successful today, for years to come and for generations to come.

[Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023, May 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, that is just it. We have to listen to what people want. When we talk to youth, their main concerns are affordability, housing and climate change. Our policies in the fall economic statement reflect that.

I have had hundreds of conversations over this year with my constituents to talk about exactly how we can strengthen our communities. That listening exercise, and then transferring it into policy, very much like the national school food program, is so important because it helps us build stronger communities and ultimately build a stronger Canada.

[Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023, May 22nd, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I really appreciate you in that chair.

As I was saying, Fardeen, who is studying mechatronics engineering in that STEM field has great ideas about innovation and how he is going to build Canada's economy to do better for our next generation. The reality is that the framework and how the Canadian economy is working today is changing. Young people are not following those traditional paths in how we normally had jobs. The gig economy is real. How young Canadians are working is very different from how my parents worked. We have to take into account all of that as we are building a better and stronger economy for Canadians in the future. When we talk about Canadians being the backbone of our country and our economy, we have to really make sure that we are establishing that foundation, strengthening that foundation. By strengthening Canadians, we strengthen the whole country.

I can tell members that I have read hundreds and hundreds of personal emails from my own constituents who have told me how $10-a-day child care has impacted their lives so significantly. It has allowed people to join the economy. I can tell members about how our youth employment strategy has impacted young people in my constituency who have taken advantage of it, who have been able to transition from school into the workforce. I can tell members how the Canada summer jobs program has created, in my riding, over 400 jobs every single year, not only to support young people, but also to ensure that small businesses, not-for-profit organizations, are doing well, that they are able to thrive over the summer, while also building that relationship with our next generation of workers within our communities. I can tell members about the countless efforts that seniors in my community have made to connect with us to ensure that the old age security and the guaranteed income supplement that they receive are comparable to their living costs.

Having heard all of that feedback, I can tell members that the fall economic statement is a step in that right direction, to make sure that we are strengthening the foundation of Canada, strengthening the people of Canada. When we strengthen our people, we strengthen who we are, not just as a country on the international stage, where we have one of the best economies in the G7, where we have one of the lowest inflation rates in the G7, but also internally to ensure that we are creating new jobs.

We have created two million new jobs over these past eight years. That is nothing to sneeze at. The plan is working. That plan is to strengthen who we are as Canadians. When seniors in my riding told me that we need to strengthen our dental plan, that we need to make sure that we have access to dental care, that was a consultation I was more than happy to advocate for. When Afia, from a not-for-profit on my women's council, came to me and said that they needed a youth nutrition program in our schools to make sure that kids do not go hungry, to give them the best that they can have, I was more than happy to advocate for that, and successfully.

We have a job to do as a government. We are not in the business of making money. We are not in the business of austerity. We see that Canadians are struggling. Canadians are the strongest part of our economy, individually, our middle class, our youth, women, seniors, our amazing workers, tech support, nurses and health care workers. When we strengthen them, we strengthen our country. That is what the fall economic statement has been about. That is what our budget 2024 is about. That is what we have been doing over these past eight years to strengthen Canada and be a competitor on the world stage. Do members know what that has done? It has made sure that Canada is competitive. We have the most trade agreements across the world with G7 nations.

This is historically the best time for people in my riding to be able to invest, not just here in Canada, but across the world. We have seen so much investment come directly into Canada, and it is because we invest in Canadians. It is because we are investing into what the future of our country is going to look like. We are not about slogans. We are not about cuts. We are not about austerity. I am proud to stand up and support the fall economic statement and proud of the work that this government has done over these past eight years.