John Williamson

[Committees of the House, December 11th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, pardon me. Why not call for an unconditional surrender as opposed to a ceasefire, which would leave Hamas in place and allow it to massacre Jews once again? Why?

[Committees of the House, December 11th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague would not answer the question about Ukraine, a democracy, and Israel, a democracy, both being threatened.

Why does the member insist on a ceasefire and not that Hamas surrenders? If Hamas were to surrender, it would mean a ceasefire, it would mean the release of hostages, and importantly, it would mean that Hamas would be held accountable for its atrocious actions.

Why not call for an unconditional ceasefire as opposed to using the words—

[Business of Supply, December 7th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I was just going to suggest that if you do that, I will then ask that he retract the retraction. It was a good-natured comment and the member has nothing to apologize for.

[Questions on the Order Paper, December 5th, 2023]

With regard to the National Capital Commission (NCC), excluding projects on residential home properties or official residences: (a) what are the details of all construction or renovation projects completed by the NCC since January 1, 2018, including, for each, the (i) location, (ii) project description, (iii) date the project began, (iv) completion date, (v) initial budget, (vi) final cost of the project, (vii) reason the project went over budget, if applicable; and (b) what are the details of all construction or renovation projects which are ongoing, including, for each, the (i) location, (ii) project description, (iii) date the project began, (iv) original completion date, (v) current completion date, (vi) initial budget, (vii) current budget, (viii) reason the current budget is higher than initial budget, if applicable?

[Questions on the Order Paper, December 5th, 2023]

With regard to whistleblowers who exposed wrongdoing at Sustainable Development Technology Canada: what specific protections, beyond what is prescribed in the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, will the government be providing to these whistleblowers?

[Religious Symbols in Public Spaces, December 4th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, faith is an important part in the lives of millions of Canadians. The presence of religious symbols and ceremonies in public spaces, particularly during occasions like Hanukkah, Christmas and many others, has long been a way for Canadians to celebrate the values of our communities.

For two decades, the menorah has been proudly displayed at Moncton City Hall in partnership with its Jewish community, yet the mayor of Moncton announced on Friday that it would not happen this year. I urge Mayor Dawn Arnold to reconsider her decision. There is still time to do the right thing.

We are seeing a rise in anti-Semitism and hate toward Jews in Canadian streets. This is utterly unacceptable. Now is the time to stand in solidarity with the Jewish people. The spirit of Hanukkah, a festival that celebrates freedom and the triumph of light over darkness, is a reminder of the values that all Canadians share across this country.

[Committees of the House, November 27th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I believe, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I will point out to all members that the motion was passed unanimously by members in the public accounts committee.

The motions reads, simply:

That the Thirty-Second Report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, presented to the House on Thursday, November 9, 2023, be amended to substitute the name of the organization “CATSA” with “The Canadian Transportation Agency” on page four of the report in English, and “ACSTA” with “Office des transports du Canada” on page four in French.

[Committees of the House, November 27th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 34th report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, entitled “Emergency Management in First Nations Communities”.

I believe there will be a dissenting report coming from the official opposition in one moment.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

[Points of Order, November 27th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, it is.

With all due respect, I chair the public accounts committee and, last week, I cut a member off who was trying to make a point of order and I was reprimanded for not allowing the member to speak. Every member here has the right to raise a point of order and be heard to bring in new information and their perspectives. I was in the chamber last week and we heard the point of order from the hon. member from the NDP; we heard several. I would implore you, Mr. Speaker, to do the same. If members feel they have points of order to bring that will inform your decision, they should be given the right to be heard in this chamber before you rule.

[Committees of the House, November 9th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour today to present, in both official languages, the following two reports of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.

The first report is the 32nd report, entitled “Accessible Transportation for Persons with Disabilities”.

I am also presenting the 33rd report of the committee, entitled “International Assistance in Support of Gender Equality”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to each of these reports.