House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2025, with 46% of the vote.
Privilege October 31st, 2024
Mr. Speaker, 10 years ago the Conservative government of Stephen Harper fired 1,000 Veterans Affairs staff and closed a dozen Veterans Affairs offices across the country, including in my community of Windsor.
I wanted to ask the hon. member what drives the Conservatives to fire Veterans Affairs staff and to close Veterans Affairs offices in communities across Canada.
Privilege October 31st, 2024
Madam Speaker, who is next? That is the fundamental question. Today, the Conservatives seek to direct an RCMP investigation. Who is to say that tomorrow they will not direct an RCMP investigation into the affairs of unions and labour organizations? This is a dangerous precedent the Conservatives want to set.
Ten years ago, they passed legislation, Bill C-377, under the guise of transparency and accountability, aimed at destroying and weakening unions and preventing them the ability to represent workers. They are trying to do the same thing here. This is the danger of the precedent they are trying to set today. Who is next?
Questions on the Order Paper October 30th, 2024
Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question, in recognition of increasing workforce shortages in the health care and social services sectors in rural and remote communities, Budget 2024 committed to expanding the list of eligible occupations for Canada Student Loan, or CSL, forgiveness to 10 new occupations: early childhood educators, dentists, dental hygienists, pharmacists, midwives, personal support workers, physiotherapists, psychologists, social workers, and teachers. This expansion will ensure all Canadians can benefit from greater access to the health and social services they need, no matter where they live.
Several factors were considered in determining the list of newly eligible professions. Labour market information (e.g., the Canadian Occupational Projection System) was used to identify sectors that are projected to be in shortage in the coming years. In addition, extensive consultations were undertaken with provinces and territories, stakeholders from numerous different professions, and student organizations to ensure their voices were heard while the Government examined various options. The need for enhanced mental health supports, the growing importance of interdisciplinary care, and care services for an aging population were all highlighted as priorities for stakeholders. Additionally, certain occupations were identified as playing key roles in supporting the implementation of Government of Canada priorities, namely the Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system, the Canadian Dental Care Plan, and the proposed National Pharmacare Plan. While there are numerous other occupations in shortage in rural and remote communities, fiscal consideration was also taken into account. The expansion of the list to add the additional ten new occupations balances both fiscal prudence and health and social service shortages.
With regard to part (b), a variety of occupations were examined as part of the process of assessing an expansion to the list of professionals eligible for CSL Forgiveness. This included various health and social service occupations that deliver primary care, interdisciplinary health care, and technical/supporting services.
With regard to part (c), numerous occupations are in-demand in rural and remote communities. As noted in the response to (a), several factors were considered to determine the proposed ten new occupations, including labour market information, stakeholder feedback, complementarity with other efforts to address workforce shortages in healthcare and in social services, and financial considerations.
With regard to part (d), the total cost of the loan forgiveness measure over four years, from 2025-26 to 2028-29, is $301.7 million dollars. While Budget 2024 did not provide the cost breakdown by profession, Employment and Social Development Canada officials are currently working on a Regulatory submission, which will disaggregate some of the costs.
With regard to part (e), as the profession of occupational therapists was not retained for the Budget 2024 proposal on Canada Student Loan forgiveness, no cost was estimated for the budget.
Democratic Institutions October 28th, 2024
Madam Speaker, the Government of Canada continues to support the important work of the public inquiry into foreign interference, which it has done since the inquiry was established last year. The government continues to provide thousands of classified documents and to make government witnesses available to meet with the commission to answer its questions. While supporting the commission's work, the government will also continue its ongoing work to protect Canada's democratic institutions.
Protecting Canada's democracy is not a partisan activity. It requires constant vigilance and an ongoing effort to meet the ever-changing threats to our democratic systems and processes. The Government of Canada takes this duty seriously and welcomes the efforts of all parliamentarians who are committed to this important work.
Democratic Institutions October 28th, 2024
Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise today to speak to the vital, ongoing work that the Government of Canada is doing to protect Canada's democratic institutions.
As all members of the House are aware, threats to Canada's democracy do not affect only some Canadians; they affect all Canadians. This is why the enhancements to safeguard Canada's democratic systems and processes against foreign interference set out in Bill C-70 are supported across party lines. Indeed, the Government of Canada's ongoing work to protect Canada's electoral systems and democratic institutions includes efforts to maximize public transparency while protecting what and how government documents are shared. This is because the nature of some records, as well as how they are intended to be used, is fundamental to the functioning of our democratic system of government.
I would like to take this opportunity to make clear what cabinet confidences are and why they are treated so carefully by the government. In this way, any misunderstanding along these lines can be put to an end. Cabinet confidences are documents prepared for members of cabinet. They include memoranda to cabinet, discussion papers, records of cabinet deliberations or decisions, records of communications between ministers, records to brief ministers and draft legislation.
The Canadian government is a Westminster system of government and has been since Confederation. This means that the principle of keeping cabinet confidences secret is older than Canada itself. It originates from the United Kingdom's Westminster Parliament, which dates back many centuries. Cabinet confidences are central to how the Westminster system functions because of another foundational principle called “cabinet collective responsibility”. The two principles complement each other. Members of cabinet consider all material at their disposal; they deliberate freely, and even disagree, around the cabinet table. Once the deliberations are finished, cabinet makes a collective decision, and all members are responsible for it.
Therefore, the secrecy of these deliberations and of the materials that are used to make cabinet decisions is paramount to the system functioning as designed. This has long been understood by successive Canadian governments, which have upheld the principle of cabinet confidences.
In addition to the government, the Supreme Court of Canada has recognized that cabinet confidentiality is essential to good government. Protecting Canada's democracy also means protecting our democratic institutions and ensuring that they can function as intended. Protecting cabinet confidences is not a nefarious act; rather, it is a fulfillment of the government's duty to uphold the long-established principles of Canada's system of government.
While fulfilling this duty, the Government of Canada continues to support the ongoing work of the public inquiry into foreign interference, which it has done since the inquiry was established last year. The set of cabinet confidences specified in the terms of reference for the commission were already provided during the commission's first phase of work, and those terms were developed and agreed to by all recognized parties in the House.
As it has done all along, the government will continue to provide thousands of classified documents to the commission and to make government witnesses available to answer the commission's questions. The Government of Canada looks forward to the commission's final report in December, and it will consider how its recommendations can further help to enhance Canada's measures against foreign interference in its electoral systems and its democratic institutions.
Correctional Service of Canada October 28th, 2024
Madam Speaker, as stated, correctional interventions work to provide meaningful employment and employability program opportunities for offenders, increasing the likelihood of safe and successful reintegration. As part of this, CSC works with partners in the academic, private and not-for-profit sectors to access learning materials that mirror those available to the general public and to develop courses in line with community employment standards. The resulting vocational certificates are issued, in most cases, by the third party.
The collaboration between CSC and existing partners provides offenders with the support, referrals and services to address their employment needs and contributes to offenders' ability to find and maintain employment in the community. Research clearly demonstrates that offenders who are employed in the community are less likely to reoffend or return to federal custody. This benefits offenders by providing them with the means to support themselves and their families and by creating community support networks.
For Canadians, there are benefits in safer communities through less recidivism as well as by adding to the workforce availability and through the socio-economic benefits such as offenders' custody—
Correctional Service of Canada October 28th, 2024
Madam Speaker, I always look forward to my colleague from Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston's comments and interventions in the House. He always seems to elevate the level of debate and discussion.
I am thankful for the opportunity to rise in the House this evening to speak to the positive benefits offered by Correctional Service Canada's employment and employability program. Employment programs and services help build essential skills related to employment while connecting offenders with resources that assist them with finding community employment after release.
The benefits associated with correctional programming have long been demonstrated. In fact, going back a decade, research has noted a direct impact between employment and positive reintegration results upon release. We know that inmates who participate in CORCAN employment programs while incarcerated are more likely to be granted parole. Similarly, inmates who participate in CORCAN employment programs while incarcerated are more likely to get a job in the community. Also, offenders under community supervision who find employment in the community have reduced recidivism rates.
Without the holistic approach of the CORCAN offender employment and employability program, offering a diverse range of correctional interventions and services over the course of their sentence, offenders would not be as well positioned to find employment. As research has demonstrated, programming works to build safer communities for all Canadians to enjoy by providing them with the skills necessary to safely adapt to life upon release.
That is not the only benefit to Canadians. Additionally, community programming works to save Canadians money. The daily cost of maintaining an inmate in prison amounts to six figures annually. When an inmate can be safely returned to the community and find employment, they are working to financially support themselves, are required to pay taxes and are no longer incurring six figures to the Canadian public. That is why I am happy to note that there has been a year-over-year increase in opportunities for inmates to undertake CSC programming.
In fiscal year 2023-24, employment coordinators, including staff and contractors, directly assisted offenders under community supervision to obtain 2,441 community job placements. In 2023-24, on-the-job training opportunities were provided to 2,624 offenders, within one of CORCAN's five business lines. I am proud to note that a total of 22,300 vocational training certificates were earned by inmates of all backgrounds in 2023-24, representing an increase of 5,855 from the previous year.
Throughout the apprenticeship program, offenders have the opportunity to register, accumulate hours and take block training to become Red Seal journeymen in a specific trade. Since September 2020, a total of 201 offenders participated in apprenticeship programs, of whom 68 have completed certification, with many more continuing to work toward it.
It has been alleged that vocational certificates offered to inmates are meaningless participation awards. This is an unfair characterization considering the nature of Correctional Service Canada's agreements and partnerships for vocational training and employment services. For example, CSC forms partnerships directly with indigenous communities to further increase project availability, and they provide indigenous offenders with additional on-the-job training opportunities.
CSC works with provincial trade associations to track apprenticeship hours in a number of different trades. It also works directly with colleges and universities, as well as private industries that provide established curricula to provide vocational training to offenders. These curricula are also offered to Canadians coast to coast and in the ridings that we represent in a number of different trades and jobs. I am—
Indigenous Affairs October 11th, 2024
Mr. Speaker, indigenous skills training is absolutely vital; it is absolutely critical. We have made record historic investments through the indigenous skills and employment training program. We will continue to support young people and indigenous people and their education, training and skills training.
Privilege October 10th, 2024
Madam Speaker, we talk about struggle. There were 300,000 Canadians who lost their jobs under the Conservative government. There were 300,000 manufacturing jobs lost under the previous Conservative government. I remember that because factories and businesses were closed in my community. Those were terrible times.
This Liberal government has delivered a battery plant to Windsor with 2,500 good-paying, local Canadian jobs. Why has the Conservative opposition not supported this battery plant in Windsor, the 2,500 jobs in my community and Windsor workers? Why have Conservatives not supported those workers in my hometown?
Privilege October 10th, 2024
Madam Speaker, in response to this production order, the commissioner of the RCMP wrote, in a letter to MPs, “In a free and democratic society, [police independence] ensures that the government cannot direct or influence the actions of law enforcement.” It is incredible that the RCMP commissioner had to write that letter and remind MPs of what is at stake here.
My family fled a Communist dictatorship 40 years ago, where politicians directed police to attack and go after the residents of that country.
The fundamental question in this debate, in the House, on this day, is as follows: Why do the Conservatives feel so comfortable undermining the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms?