House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2021, with 50% of the vote.
Housing May 28th, 2024
Mr. Speaker, the Conservative leader is preying on Canadians' genuine concerns.
When the Conservative leader was the minister responsible for housing, he withdrew the government from co-operative housing. He supported the construction of zero new apartments and he gutted affordable housing initiatives.
Today, his housing proposal continues to fall short. The Conservative leader is all about slogans, not real solutions.
Housing May 28th, 2024
Mr. Speaker, once again, the Conservative leader's hypocrisy is on full display.
Let us talk about his housing proposal, which he has been delaying debate on for months. His proposal would not build homes fast enough, would not reach enough cities and would create unnecessary bureaucracy. The Conservative leader would also rip up the 179 housing agreements and put the GST back on apartment construction. His clear lack of ambition on housing is how we ended up here in the first place.
Foreign Affairs May 22nd, 2024
Mr. Speaker, obviously, we are closely monitoring the processes as they unfold at the ICC. We respect the independence of the court. There is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas. One is a state. The other is a terrorist organization. As we have said from the beginning, all parties have a necessary obligation to comply with international law.
In the meanwhile, an immediate ceasefire is urgently needed. A lot more humanitarian aid needs to get in, and hostages need to be released. We will continue to stand for a two-state solution. We will continue to call for peace in the region.
Intergovernmental Affairs May 22nd, 2024
Mr. Speaker, the member knows full well that we paid back a significant amount of the costs incurred by the City of Windsor during the Conservative-supported convoy. There is a matter of a dispute around whether its legal fees were to be covered by the federal government.
I know the Minister of Public Safety is meeting with the mayor of Windsor tomorrow, and I am sure that this will be in the discussion. In the meanwhile, we have continued to stand up for Windsor with historic investments in jobs and opportunities for Windsorites that, quite frankly, Conservatives continue to stand against. We will continue to be there for the people of Windsor.
Women and Gender Equality May 22nd, 2024
Mr. Speaker, the hon. member for Davenport is right. Reproductive health is health. Abortion is health care.
The Leader of the Opposition pretends to care about freedom, but whose freedom was he defending by threatening to suspend Canadians' charter rights, by voting to restrict abortion or by removing the right to vote from thousands of Canadians when he was minister of democratic institutions? That is the very opposite of freedom. We will never back down from defending all Canadians' fundamental rights and freedoms.
Public Safety May 22nd, 2024
Mr. Speaker, for the past four years, it has been illegal to buy, sell or use assault-style weapons in this country, and that is exactly what the Conservative leader has promised to overturn if he gets elected to government in this country. The reality is that he wants to bring back assault-style weapons in this country after we banned them back in 2020.
We are going to continue to be there to make sure Canadians are safe while the Conservative leader stays in the pocket of the gun lobby. That is not what Canadians want. That is not even what Conservative Canadians want, but he is going to do it anyway.
Public Safety May 22nd, 2024
Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition has continually pledged to make assault-style weapons legal again. We have banned them for the past four years, and we will continue to make sure that they stay banned in this country, while the Leader of the Opposition wants to bring back assault-style weapons to our communities and to Canadians from coast to coast to coast. That is not how to keep this community safer.
On top of that, in the name of protecting Canadians from crime, the Leader of the Opposition is willing to suspend their fundamental freedoms by using the notwithstanding clause to override the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. That is not responsible, and it makes us wonder what other rights he is going to come after on Canadians.
Public Safety May 22nd, 2024
Mr. Speaker, the problem with the Conservative leader's approach on crime is that it consistently gets struck down by the courts. That is what we saw through eight years of Stephen Harper, which actually left Canadians worse off than before.
The reality is, our approach is cracking down on criminals while at the same time making sure our communities are safer by strengthening the gun laws the Conservatives are continually voting against in the pocket of the gun lobby, which is not keeping Canadians safe. That is why we worked with the provinces on bail reforms that are going to make sure we are keeping Canadians safe while making sure we are charter-compliant.
Women and Gender Equality May 22nd, 2024
Mr. Speaker, I first want to thank the member for Ottawa—Vanier for her hard work and leadership.
On the other side of the House, Conservative MPs are proposing anti-choice laws and attending anti-abortion rallies. Not only does the Conservative leader refuse to challenge his caucus, he even voted with it in support of a bill that would have classified a fetus as a person.
Women in this country have the right to decide their own future. That is why we are making prescription contraceptives free, and that is why we will always defend the right to choose.
Mental Health and Addictions May 22nd, 2024
Mr. Speaker, to be clear, those things are already illegal in hospitals. We know that nurses and hospital staff need to feel safe in their work environment, and it is our government that has invested billions of dollars into the health care system to ensure Canadians have access to the best care possible, and into supports for our frontline health workers.
The important difference between the Conservatives and us is that while they look to criminalize the most vulnerable struggling with addictions, we are rolling up our sleeves and working with all levels of government to put an end to this crisis and help the most vulnerable Canadians.