Jennifer O'Connell

[Democratic Institutions, December 2nd, 2022]

Madam Speaker, the importance of our national security and protecting our democracies should be something every single Canadian takes seriously.

While the Conservatives continue to play politics with our national security, serious governments like ours take national security seriously. All of the information that Conservatives want would be available. All we are asking is that it be treated in a way that protects our national security and ensures that our adversaries do not get access to the very information they would try to use to undermine our democracy.

[Democratic Institutions, December 1st, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, it seems I have hit a nerve with members opposite.

Let us review the facts. The first is the fact that foreign interference does happen and, as a result, in this country, we have put in place strong measures to strengthen our democracy. The Conservatives seem to just be waking up to this fact now. Foreign interference, due to the strength of our democracy, does not always mean that those attempts work.

When it comes to the work we are doing, like I said, and the member opposite should know, I was a member of NSICOP and am very well aware of the reports. However, they received briefings and they—

[Democratic Institutions, December 1st, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, that could not be further from the truth. Let us review some of the facts about what our government has actually done.

One of the first things we did was repeal Stephen Harper's unfair elections act. What did that do? It actually closed foreign funding loopholes that the Conservatives and that member seemed to have had no problem with in past elections.

In addition, let us also talk about the fact that the 2019 NSICOP annual report that was tabled in this very House talked about the foreign interference attacks, and that member knows members could access—

[Democratic Institutions, November 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, the risk of foreign interference is something we have taken seriously since forming government. That is precisely why we put in place a non-partisan panel to assess any sort of foreign actors' interference to determine if it is a credible threat that the public should be aware of.

All parties were briefed and provided information about foreign interference, which is something the Conservatives never bothered to do previously. Putting in place a non-partisan panel during elections will ensure that our democratic institutions are protected—

[Democratic Institutions, November 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, it is good to see the Conservatives actually taking foreign interference seriously for once. We saw in the last Parliament that Conservative members did not care about protecting national security. They removed their members from NSICOP, which provides the information the member opposite is looking for.

The member for Durham, when he was leader, took his toys and went home. He took Conservative members off of that committee, which actually provides the very information the member opposite is looking for.

We have taken our democratic institutions seriously and implemented many measures to ensure that foreign—

[Petitions, November 2nd, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is with regard to multinational seed companies gradually replacing the immense diversity of farmers' seeds with industrial varieties. The petitioners call on the House to adopt international aid policies that support small family farmers, especially women; recognize their vital role in the struggle against hunger and poverty; ensure that Canadian policies and programs are developed in consultation with small family farmers; and protect the rights of small family farmers in the global south to preserve, use and freely exchange seeds.

[Petitions, November 2nd, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.

The signatories of the first petition are calling on the House of Commons to adopt human rights and environmental due diligence legislation that would require companies to prevent adverse human rights impacts and environmental damage throughout their global operations and supply chains; require companies to do their due diligence, including carefully assessing how they may be contributing to human rights abuses or environmental damage abroad; establish meaningful consequences for companies that fail to carry out the report; and establish a legal right for people who have been harmed to seek justice in Canadian courts.

[Gender-Based Violence, October 6th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, this morning we learned that the leader of the official opposition and the Conservative Party have been using tags to promote, connect with and target incel, right-wing, anti-women, violent rhetoric for their own personal and political gain. These incels promote the murder of single women and men who date them. They want to decriminalize marital rape. They have very real-life consequences, including followers like the Toronto van attacker.

Nobody believes the Leader of the Opposition did not know. This has been going on for more than four and a half years. Will the leader of the official opposition and the women in his caucus stand up against this hate, apologize and denounce it? Who in this House is going to stand with us and—

[Cost of Living Relief Act, No. 2, October 5th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I am curious about the way the member opposite ended his speech. He suggested that the Conservatives support dental care, but dental care comes from the workers of this country. Is he suggesting that families that make under $90,000 are not working hard and, therefore, do not deserve dental care?

In addition to that, how can he look Canadians in the face and tell them they do not deserve access to dental care for their children, but he can receive taxpayer-funded dental care for himself and his family? How can he say that people making under $90,000 do not deserve dental care while he receives taxpayer-funded dental care himself?

[Retirement Congratulations, September 29th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to highlight Pickering councillor Bill McLean, who is retiring this year and will not be on the ballot after 22 years of service.

Councillor McLean and I served on council together for about 10 years of his 22-year career. Councillor McLean and I did not always agree on issues. In fact, we had a few fiery meetings together, but it was actually the wise intervention of our government House leader, who knew us both, that helped us to realize we were more aligned than we thought. Am I ever glad he did, because Bill became one of my closest friends and earliest mentors.

Working with Bill was truly inspiring and an honour. He is a man of integrity, and as a former Toronto police officer, his vow to serve and protect is at the core of who Bill is. He taught me so much about service, how to fight for my community and how to be a voice for the voiceless.

Council will not be the same without him, but selfishly I am hoping to be able to spend more time with my friend and his wife, Diana. Family is what Bill loves most in this world, and I am so glad he will have more time with his.

I thank Bill for his service to our community.