Karen Vecchio

[Canada Elections Act, March 26th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I am proud to be a member of the procedures and House affairs committee, which actually tabled a report just a month and a half ago regarding elections in Canada during the pandemic. I was very concerned when I saw this piece of legislation come out prior to the report. The report provided excellent information, including a recommendation not to have an election during a pandemic, yet we know that Liberal campaign offices are already set up in the GTA.

Can I ask this member of Parliament for his thoughts on when he thinks the election will be called by his government?

[Gender-Based Violence, March 25th, 2021]

Madam Chair, I thank our member who provided such a passionate speech because she does have a great passion for her constituents and for all Canadians.

As we are looking at this issue, I want to talk about what we do when we speak to our young boys. I feel sorry for my son every single day when he brings his girlfriend in and I remind her to just tell me if she ever has a problem because I am right there. I think sometimes it is about showing that we are strong and I want to be that role model for the young women and girls in our community, and for the boys as well.

We have Changing Ways in the City of London, which helps young men who have gone through difficult circumstances with domestic violence and violence against women and young girls. What are some of the things she sees in her community, and how can we expand those resources to help our young boys become good men?

[Gender-Based Violence, March 25th, 2021]

Madam Chair, I had the honour of working with the member as we travelled on the HUMA committee with lots of laughs. It was an honour working with her.

I also know that she was one of the first women Sikh lawyers in her area, and she should be very proud of being one of the first Sikh women lawyers in Quebec. I am sure there were many challenges. I hope she would talk about some of the challenges and perhaps the discrimination she felt in her field and in her community. If she could share that, I would love to hear it.

[Gender-Based Violence, March 25th, 2021]

Madam Chair, I am looking at my screen, and knowing people who are in the House of Commons, I can say I do not believe one single person in here wants to see violence against women. I just know that in the bottom of my heart.

I have listened to her words, and I understand, but members should imagine they are members of the Canadian Armed Forces. They should imagine knowing that Operation Honour is the person at the very top, the top brass. We all talk about the retaliation and the fear of going to the police or that upper person and what is going to happen with retaliation. Members can imagine being a woman in the Canadian Armed Forces and having nobody there to protect them.

I would like to know what this member thinks should be done to help our women in the Canadian Armed Forces, and who should be responsible for this, when we know that the top brass is being charged with these types of allegations, which are absolutely disgusting.

[Gender-Based Violence, March 25th, 2021]

Madam Chair, I enjoy working with the member for London—Fanshawe, as I did with her mother during our time together.

In 2016, a report was done regarding pay equity, and the government indicated that it was an important thing. However, we know that it does not come into effect for quite some time. It seems to me there was a lot of talk, but absolutely no action. It seems like we can talk and we can pretend to be funding things. We can do all sorts of different things.

What are the member's thoughts on pay equity and what the government has not done so far?

[Gender-Based Violence, March 25th, 2021]

Madam Chair, I am sorry that the hon. member will not be able to finish that great question.

I, too, served on that great committee, the status of women, with the member for Shefford. I have had the opportunity to work with many women. Right now, as we continue to look at this crisis, we know there has been a huge increase. I was really proud to work with the member. The NDP, Bloc, Conservatives and the Green Party all came together asking for MAPI funding, the measures to address prostitution initiative.

Does the member think the government has put enough money into the resources for men, women and girls.

[Gender-Based Violence, March 25th, 2021]

Madam Chair, this has been an interesting debate to watch. I am a proud woman. I am a proud pro-choice woman who is proud to be a Conservative member of Parliament, regardless of all the hands flaring in the air right now.

I look at what you have just announced, and one of the most incredible things that we must do is address the mental health challenges in our communities. I know that as the Conservative leader, you have talked about some of these mental health challenges that we have had. Mental health, addictions, violence: all of these horrific things do go hand in hand in many cases.

Can you share with us some of your plans with regard to mental health, and also with regard to getting women back to work, if you have time for that as well?

[Birthday Congratulations, March 25th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, this past February, a local St. Thomas resident, Fred Kondal, turned 25 again. I know to so many members this might not seem noteworthy. It is quite amazing for someone to have celebrated the same birthday two years in a row. This is not some trick to hide his age. It is true. Fred was born on February 29, 1920, so last year he turned 25, despite having made 100 trips around the sun.

All joking aside, Fred has made contributions to some of the most beloved franchises in movie history in his career as a makeup artist, working alongside Harrison Ford while filming The Empire Strikes Back; Christopher Reeve in Superman; and Sir Roger Moore, who took up the mantle of James Bond 007 in the seventies.

Whether he is celebrating turning 101 or 25 and one-quarter, I would like to wish Fred a belated happy birthday for this year and many more to come.

[Criminal Code, March 24th, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

I too am sitting in my parliamentary office, and although I am in a different building, I too have had some connection problems. This is a very important speech that I have been trying to listen to. For many of us, it is a very personal speech, and I would really like to hear it, but the sound has been coming in and out, I am afraid.

[National Defence, March 8th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, the status of women recommended in 2019 that the government implement all 10 recommendations of the 2015 Deschamps report, “External Review into Sexual Misconduct and Sexual Harassment in the Canadian Armed Forces”. The chief of the defence staff responded by launching Operation Honour, but, as we have seen, even the top ranks of our military remain plagued by sexual misconduct.

How could Operation Honour be effective if the Minister of National Defence ignores reports about sexual misconduct at the highest levels of the armed forces?