House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2021, with 50% of the vote.
Natural Resources June 19th, 2019
Mr. Speaker, for 10 years, Stephen Harper tried building pipelines to new markets and failed. He failed because he did not understand that major projects like this one can only move forward if we work with indigenous peoples and protect the environment. The Conservatives still do not grasp this.
That is exactly how we chose to move forward with the Trans Mountain pipeline. We followed the court's directions, and I am pleased to announce that construction will begin this summer.
Marc Gabriel June 19th, 2019
Mr. Speaker, prime ministers do not normally get to give a member's statement, so I thank the other party leaders for allowing me to rise today to recognize the life and service of Marc Gabriel, a good man taken from us by cancer at just 47.
With 23 years in the RCMP, Marc served as an outstanding member of the PM's protection detail.
He had a big heart, an incredible inner strength, and a little smile always tugging at the corner of his mouth, despite being a consummate professional. His tenacity, his love of the outdoors and his adventurous spirit will be greatly missed.
A proud New Brunswicker, equally proud of his native heritage, Marc was a loving husband to Kelsey and a great dad. Dawson, Devon and Cadian know that his commitment to making our world a better and safer place was grounded in an immense love for them and a determination to bring about their best possible future.
Marc, my friend, you are deeply missed by us all.
Democratic Institutions June 12th, 2019
Mr. Speaker, we changed and improved Canada's political financing system by requiring even more transparency and accountability so that all Canadians can see who is making donations to the various political parties and how.
We encourage all parties to obey the law that we put in place by holding their fundraising activities in public places and releasing the information. That is exactly what Canadians expect.
We can be proud of the very robust system we have at the federal level, but it is important that all the parties follow the example of the Liberal Party of Canada.
Justice June 12th, 2019
Mr. Speaker, once again, the opposition leader is doubling down on misleading Canadians. It shows that the Conservatives are still following the Harper playbook.
We put him on notice because he and his party have a history of making false and defamatory statements. That is what he did in December against the Minister of Innovation, where he was forced to swallow his false words and retract his statements. We will not stand by while he misleads Canadians again.
While the members of the opposition are focused on me, we will stay focused on Canadians.
Infrastructure June 12th, 2019
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Saint-Jean for the work he does for his constituents.
Many tonnes of commercial goods travel on our highways every day. We are investing $82 million to extend Highway 35, and we continue to build strong, competitive communities. This comes in addition to $260 million for Highway 19 and $500 million for the Louis-Hippolyte-LaFontaine bridge-tunnel.
We are working tirelessly so that all Canadians can benefit from market access and travel more safely and efficiently.
Telecommunications June 12th, 2019
Mr. Speaker, our government understands that if we want to grow the economy we must protect the environment and listen to the concerns of Canadians.
This is why we are committed to consulting the public before moving forward with projects, and that is what we will always do. We are listening to Canadians, we respect their concerns and, whenever possible, we move forward in the right way. That is what Canadians expect from their government.
News Media Industry June 12th, 2019
Mr. Speaker, we will take no lessons from a party that made it harder for Canadians to vote with its unfair elections act. Indeed, as we all know, it was found guilty of breaking election laws in multiple elections. The Conservatives even made it illegal for Elections Canada to encourage voting. We reversed that ban.
On top of that, we all remember that the MP for Carleton signed a compliance agreement with Elections Canada in 2017 because he had broken an election law in the last election.
We ended the Conservative—
Public Services and Procurement June 12th, 2019
Mr. Speaker, the member for Bonavista—Burin—Trinity understands well the importance of keeping the Coast Guard well equipped, and we agree. Recently, we welcomed Coast Guard ship Captain Molly Kool. It marks the first of three interim icebreakers to join the fleet. After a decade of Conservative cuts, last month we announced the single largest investment in Canadian history to renew our Coast Guard fleet. Canadians can be proud of the women and men in the Coast Guard, who work every day to save lives and protect our coasts.
Foreign Affairs June 12th, 2019
Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning of this government, we have remained focused on standing up for and supporting Canadians in trouble overseas. This was a change from the Conservative approach, which was not particularly enthusiastic about sticking up for Canadians around the world. We have done exactly that. That is why we have had positive results throughout this mandate on very difficult situations, and we have done that by moving forward in ways designed not to draw positive headlines but to advance the issues. Sometimes it is done privately, sometimes it is done publicly, but it is always done the right way.
International Trade June 12th, 2019
Mr. Speaker, from the outset we have taken the arbitrary detention of Canadians very seriously. We are asking for the immediate release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. We condemn the death sentence handed down to Robert Lloyd Schellenberg, and we are asking for clemency.
We will always defend the rule of law, respect for international standards and the security of Canadians, and we will do so the right way. We already have many allies, including NATO, Australia, the European Union, France, Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands and others, who are supporting us in this dispute with China. We will continue our efforts to free those Canadians.