Laurel Collins

[Committees of the House, November 21st, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk about the mobile youth services team in my community of the Capital Regional District. This important program supports youth. It diverts youth from gang exploitation. The program has been doing incredible work in Victoria and the surrounding region.

Unfortunately, it has reached a crisis point. It is calling on the government for stable, five-year funding. Unfortunately, with a lack of leadership from the Liberal government, it means that the program has reduced its teams. It means that children who are at risk of gang exploitation are more vulnerable.

Could the member speak to the importance of the government stepping up and funding the teams on the ground that are going to address the intersecting crisis of homelessness, opioid addiction, the toxic drug supply and gang influence.

[Committees of the House, November 21st, 2024]

Madam Speaker, it is strange to hear that the Conservatives are worried about a reduction in hours at the border when a Conservative government cut 1,100 border security officers. Since then, we have been pushing the Liberal government to rehire them. It seems to have a lot of money when it comes to spending on the Trans Mountain pipeline, $35 billion; $18 billion in fossil fuel subsidies; hundreds of millions of dollars to consultants like McKinsey, but it cannot afford to invest in our border security to ensure illegal weapons do not come into Canada.

[Committees of the House, November 21st, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for her speech, as well as for all of her work standing up for women and the protection of children, both here in Canada and around the world.

I want to ask her to respond to some of the comments her colleague made in this debate. The member mentioned he has the full support of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. This morning, the International Criminal Court said Benjamin Netanyahu and his former minister of defence are being called as war criminals. Canada has played an important role in the past when it comes to bringing war criminals to The Hague to face trial.

I would like to know if this member and the Liberal government are going to stand up for human rights and for international law. Will they respect the ruling and play a role in ensuring we see justice here in Canada and around the world?

[Points of Order, November 21st, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I rise on the same point of order. The member accused another member in this House of being responsible for the deaths of women and children. That is inexcusable. The member needs to withdraw and apologize unequivocally.

[Oil and Gas Industry, November 20th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, today, people in B.C. are reeling from a bomb cyclone. Just weeks after another atmospheric river, their homes are damaged and power is out. The climate crisis is here, but the Liberals keep letting Canadians down. Instead of acting, they are handing out billions of dollars to rich oil and gas CEOs. The Conservatives cannot even agree if climate change is real; they will cut the supports that communities need to stay safe.

Why are the Liberals tossing handouts to some of the biggest polluters while everyday Canadians bear the brunt of the climate crisis?

[Oil and Gas Industry, November 19th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, the cost of living is up, and Canadians cannot keep up. Meanwhile, oil and gas CEOs pollute our planet and gouge Canadians, all while raking in billions in profits. The Liberals have let Canadians down.

This past week in Victoria, Common Horizon hosted a Make Them Pay town hall, calling on the government to make rich CEOs pay what they owe.

Will the Liberals listen to Canadians and finally put an excess profits tax on big oil and gas?

[Points of Order, November 19th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, it does not have to do with the pins. It is a point of order to ask for clarification about my colleague from Winnipeg Centre, who just rose to add new and pertinent information for you. I am asking for clarity on whether you will allow her to speak to give her point of order.

[Committees of the House, November 19th, 2024]

Madam Speaker, I am disappointed to hear the member talk about the piece of legislation the Liberals already passed, and I was disappointed to see the Conservatives vote in favour of it. Bill S-211 was an empty bill and it was criticized by Amnesty International. It was criticized by Human Rights Watch. It was criticized by the international organizations that are working on the ground to try to end forced labour and to ensure human rights are upheld around the world.

I want to ask about contemporary slavery here at home. The United Nations special rapporteur on contemporary forms of slavery has called the temporary foreign worker program a “breeding ground” for this kind of abuse. Some examples are wage theft, excessive work hours, limited breaks and physical abuse. Can the member speak to the urgency of not only addressing the horrific violations around the world but also addressing them here at home in Canada?

[Committees of the House, November 19th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, November 20 is National Day of the Child. It is a day to celebrate and honour children.

However, today, around the world, 160 million children, many as young as five years old, are forced to work and are denied the opportunity to go to school. We have been calling on the government for due diligence legislation, human rights legislation. We have criticized the government's deeply flawed approach.

It was not just the NDP and the Bloc criticizing the government's approach to Bill S-211. It was Oxfam Canada, Amnesty International Canada and Human Rights Watch Canada. They stood together to say that Canada's appalling record on human rights violations abroad cannot be addressed with an empty bill that just pays lip service to this issue.

Now, I hear the government saying that it is going to bring in legislation, but forgive me if I am skeptical and if Canadians are skeptical of more Liberal promises. Will the member commit to truly rigorous accountability and due diligence legislation that will hold these companies liable?

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, October 30th, 2024]

With regard to species listed under the Species at Risk Act since October 2015, broken down by status (i.e. extirpated, endangered, threatened and special concern): (a) how many recovery strategies or management plans were (i) produced within the timelines set out in the act, (ii) overdue; (b) how many action plans required to support the implementation of recovery strategies were (i) produced within the timelines set out in the act, (ii) overdue; (c) how many species do not yet have recovery strategies or management plans; and (d) how many recovery strategies do not yet have action plans?