House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2021, with 50% of the vote.
Justice February 7th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, our hearts go out to the McLean family, and specifically to his mother. I cannot imagine the grief and anguish that she had to go through and that she must continue to experience.
It is the responsibility of all of us in this House to protect Canadians' rights, to protect victims, to make sure that every Canadian's rights are being respected. That is something we take very seriously.
Justice February 7th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, Canadians need to know that they are safe in their communities, and that is why one of the most important priorities of any government is to keep Canadians and their communities safe.
We have a very strong justice system, which we are working hard to continually improve. I am very confident that our Minister of Justice is doing everything she can to make sure that Canadians are safe and that the right framework of laws and justice is in place to protect all of us.
Democratic Reform February 6th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, we are doing things for Canada's youth that have never been done before by any government. For instance, we are increasing funding for post-secondary scholarships so that young people do not have to pay back their student loans until they are earning at least $25,000.
We are transforming the way we are preparing our young people for the future. That is what young people talk to me about when I visit them and during town hall meetings.
Democratic Reform February 6th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, I was raised to consider what is best for the country, to serve it and its citizens in the way they deserve to be served.
That means growing the middle class and helping those working hard to join it. That also means improving our democracy. We have put forward a number of things that we are going to do to improve our democracy. The reality of electoral reform is that it is clear that there was no consensus and no responsible way to move forward with this commitment.
Democratic Reform February 6th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, Canadians want improvement in their democracy, absolutely. That is why we are moving forward on many things to repeal sections of the unfair elections act brought in by the previous government, why we are making sure that we are protecting Canadians from cybersecurity attacks, and why we are moving forward in many ways to improve our democracy.
However, on changing the way we vote in elections, it was clear there was no consensus. There are strongly held, highly divergent views. There was no responsible way to move forward, so we are looking for other ways to improve our democracy.
Democratic Reform February 6th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, we took this issue very seriously and consulted broadly with Canadians. We talked about this issue, and saw the extent to which there were very many strongly held, divergent views on this issue. We worked very hard on this, but it was clear there was no consensus, that there was no responsible path forward. That is the decision we have made.
Softwood Lumber February 6th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, we came to power 15 months ago, and every time I have met with the U.S. president since then, we have talked about this issue. In recent months, with the new U.S. government, we have continued to pay special attention to this issue and the good jobs that depend on forestry across the country.
We will continue to work with the Americans on this important issue to ensure the stability of jobs in communities across the country.
The Economy February 6th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, for many months, we have been in contact with the new government to point out just how integrated our two economies are and how millions of jobs on both sides of the border depend on open trade between our two countries. We will continue to work hard to create opportunities for small, medium-sized, and big businesses, and to have success in research, innovation, and green energy in Canada. We know that Canada faces enormous challenges in the years to come, but it also has considerable advantages. That is what we are working on.
The Economy February 6th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, for the past months, we have been engaging with the new American administration to highlight that, yes, millions of Canadian jobs depend on a close relationship with the United States, but also millions of American middle-class jobs depend on a close trade relationship with Canada. Thirty-five different American states have Canada as their number one export destination.
Our economies are integrated like no other two countries in the world. We will continue to defend Canadian jobs, defend opportunities for the middle class on both sides of the border, and create a better future for Canadians.
The Economy February 6th, 2017
Mr. Speaker, we have lowered taxes for the middle class by raising them on the wealthiest 1%. We have put more money in the pockets of nine out of 10 Canadian families by giving monthly child benefits that are non-taxable and more generous than what the previous government did, by not sending child benefits to the wealthiest families.
We continue to look for ways Canada can create good jobs by engaging in the global marketplace, creating opportunities for our young people, and creating the kind of economic growth that Canadians did not have for too many years under the previous government.