Kevin Vuong

[Public Safety, December 8th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, on December 6, I again questioned the government on the very serious matter of foreign interference. The government revealed that its strategy is to observe and report. Seriously? Its strategy is to observe and report to whom? Is it to the brain trust that approved Chinese communications equipment for the RCMP?

There are more protests in China and Iran against those regimes than action from the Canadian government. Mall cops observe and report. Why is the government failing to protect Canadians and stand up for Canada?

[Foreign Affairs, December 6th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, a simple yes or no would have sufficed. As more media attention focuses on the porous defence and the lackadaisical attitude that the government has toward confronting foreign operators on our soil, along with the reluctance to safeguard Iranian Canadians and Chinese Canadians who are being intimidated, has the government abrogated its duty to protect its citizens and election process?

Is the government also content for Canada to put up permanent doormats for Iranian and Chinese governments to do whatever they want?

[Foreign Affairs, December 6th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, on February 17, 2022, the Chief Electoral Officer appeared before the procedure and House affairs committee, which was studying the 44th general election.

He stated that the Canada Elections Act enables Elections Canada to work with government security agencies to understand and mitigate foreign interference in our electoral processes and identify and address misinformation committed by domestic or foreign entities. The Canada Elections Act also prohibits the use of foreign funds for partisan purposes, including the propelling of like-minded puppet candidates seeking party nominations and running in elections. Any suspected wrongdoing is then referred to the Commissioner of Canada Elections.

Can the parliamentary secretary confirm that the Elections Canada CEO and the Commissioner of Canada Elections were fully consulted, along with CSIS and the RCMP, to determine if the 2021 election was compromised by foreign interference?

[Small Business, November 29th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I agree with my colleague that EI is an important tool and an important safety net. Saying this is something that is set every seven years is an easy cop-out, but the thing is that seven years ago we did not have the pandemic. Seven years ago, we were not facing the highest inflation rates and the cost of living increases in over 40 years, which is the highest it has ever been in the lifetime of half of Canadians, myself included.

Instead of his saying that this is something that is really not up to them and that it is done every seven years, I want to ask my hon. colleague to try to live in the now and the reality small businesses and workers are facing today. I will repeat the question: Will the government at least consider delaying the increase to payroll taxes to another time?

[Small Business, November 29th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I want to begin by thanking my colleague for spending his evening with me on this very important matter. Last month, on October 24, I raised the issue of increasing EI premiums, particularly at a time when in Canada, Canadian workers and small business owners are just fighting to stay afloat.

I know there has been some debate in this place back and forth on whether it is a direct payroll tax increase. We are going to put that aside because we know that even the Prime Minister, then the member of Parliament for Papineau in 2013, described it as such. What is important is that the definition does not matter. What matters is the impact that workers and small business owners from across my riding and the country are worried about.

In this place, we have discussed the headwinds that workers are facing: rampant inflation, skyrocketing costs of living, the continued record setting of new highs by food banks, and so on. Therefore, instead I want to read into the record the other side of the equation, which is the state of our small businesses, which employ over 88% of all Canadian workers in the private labour force. I am afraid to report that it is grim.

Last week, I met with people from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business who provided an update that, as I had feared, showed that Canadian small businesses continue to fight for survival. Nearly two-thirds have pandemic debt, with an average pandemic-related debt amount of $145,660. One-sixth of small business owners have considered permanently closing.

Therefore, I want to put into context what that means for workers. If we use Statistics Canada's definition of a small business as being any business with fewer than 100 employees, and the most recent employment figures by Statistics Canada, it shows that almost 6.2 million Canadian workers are employed by small businesses. That means that if one-sixth of small business owners have considered permanently closing, over one million Canadian workers are at risk.

Surely, then, considering the macro and microeconomic situation that our nation is in and the inflationary environment that workers and small business owners are facing, would my hon. colleague not agree that now is not the time to raise EI payroll taxes?

[National Council for Reconciliation Act, November 29th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I agree to apply the result of the previous vote, voting in favour.

[National Council for Reconciliation Act, November 29th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I agree to apply the results of the previous vote, voting in favour.

[National Council for Reconciliation Act, November 29th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I agree to apply the result of the previous vote, voting in favour.

[Cannabis, November 29th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I am rising today to commend the Toronto Police Service, specifically Sergeant Jeff Zammit and the major crimes unit at 14 Division. Yesterday, they raided an illegal cannabis store operating right across the street from two elementary schools and a community centre in Spadina—Fort York.

There were six adults arrested for selling illegal cannabis and magic mushrooms. They were charged with possession of a schedule III substance for the purpose of trafficking, possession for the purpose of selling and possession of proceeds of crime. Right across the street from two elementary schools, there was an illegal store that set up shop with dried cannabis, pre-rolled joints, oils, hash, 48 kilos of edibles and, believe it or not, psilocybin in chocolate bars.

The raid sent a message to illegal cannabis stores sprouting up throughout Toronto. They will be found. They will be closed down, and they will be arrested.

[Foreign Affairs, November 28th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, the actions of Iranian and Chinese operatives in Canada has received a pathetic response from the government. Canada has become a doormat for foreign interference.

Is the government aware of article 41(1) of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations? It states that all persons enjoying privileges and immunities in Canada have a duty to “respect the laws and regulations of the receiving State. They also have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of that State.”

Other nations expel pseudo-diplomats and agents. Does the government even understand the concept of persona non grata?