House of Commons photoWon his last election, in 2021, with 54% of the vote.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship June 19th, 2018
Mr. Speaker, as I said, I think that all Canadians are troubled by the images coming out of the United States. The lives of these children are precious. We must think of their safety and well-being first.
We have spared no effort to improve Canada's immigration detention system and to limit the use of detention as much as possible. What is happening in the United States is simply unacceptable.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship June 19th, 2018
Mr. Speaker, I think that all Canadians are troubled by the images they have been seeing from the United States. All children's lives are precious, and we must do everything we can to avoid separating children from their parents. When a family of asylum seekers comes to our country, we do everything we can to avoid separating them, and in the rare cases in which detention is necessary, we try to minimize the length of this detention.
National Security Act, 2017 June 18th, 2018
Mr. Speaker, I listened intently to my colleague, who says he is very concerned about the need to protect Canadians. I am sure we all share that concern.
Can my colleague comment on the Canadians who were arrested when he was minister, back when the law was written to suit his purposes? Can he comment on the former government's experience? Did officials arrest people who, in his opinion, deserved to be arrested?
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship June 18th, 2018
Mr. Speaker, as you know, we are working very closely with the Province of Quebec and the Province of Ontario to manage a difficult situation. We are collaborating very well, and we have in fact approved funds for Quebec because of the extra load it is dealing with. Unfortunately, last week the members opposite opposed funding for integration services in Quebec. As hard as that is to believe, it is true.
Marine Transportation June 18th, 2018
Mr. Speaker, as you have heard me say so many times before, security and safety is my number one priority and it applies not only to rail, it also applies to all modes of transport conveyance and that includes ferries. When we make a decision about a regulation, it is after very careful thought and an analysis of the risk management involved and we do not take these things lightly.
Rail Transportation June 18th, 2018
Mr. Speaker, our government remains totally committed to the people of Churchill and northern Manitoba, and we recognize the importance of the rail line for the community. The agency's ruling is consistent with our government's long-held view that the private owner had the obligation to repair the line when it was damaged. Months ago, the private company did not inform us of the start of any necessary repairs to its line and we moved forward with legal action.
Hon. Member for Outremont June 14th, 2018
Mr. Speaker, today it is my privilege and, indeed, my pleasure to stand before the House and thank the member for Outremont for his profound dedication and service to our country.
I will say that this individual has made a remarkable impact on the lives of Canadians, particularly in Quebec, and has challenged governments to strive to ensure that every Canadian has an opportunity to succeed. There is no doubt that we are all the stronger for it.
While he has seen governments change, he has continued to represent the strong beliefs and values of his party, and as we all know, they were well heard. I feel like it might even be a little quieter here after his departure.
During his tenure as the leader of the opposition, his unique style won him praise, as well as the ire of the former government. He was not afraid of holding their feet to the fire to get the answers Canadians demanded, and he also gave us a run for our money.
Although we do not always share the same values and beliefs, I must say that I respect them and hold them in high regard. I also respect his great integrity and, most of all, his unwavering dedication to Canadians.
My hon. colleague is to be admired for his many professional achievements and for being true to his principles throughout his very long political career. This member has honourably served the people of Canada, and on behalf of the Government of Canada, I wish to thank him for that.
His future students at the University of Montreal will be very lucky to have him as a professor. It will no doubt be very stimulating.
All jokes aside, it has been a great honour to serve this country with him. He has challenged me personally, as well as this government and former governments, to strive to ensure that Canadians live in a country that they can be proud to call home.
On behalf of the Liberal government and all Canadians, we thank him for his dedication. I know that he will move into his next role and help shape a generation of students to follow in his footsteps of asking tough questions, challenging beliefs, and making a difference.
Before I conclude, I would also like to thank his family for sharing him with Canadians for this very long period of time.
Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship June 14th, 2018
Mr. Speaker, our government remains determined to ensure the safety of Canadians and to secure our borders. Canadians can count on it.
The Conservatives' proposals would militarize the border in violation of international law. Those are not serious solutions. We will continue to ensure that Canadian law is enforced and that our international obligations are met.
Natural Resources June 14th, 2018
Mr. Speaker, as I have just said, it is a duty of government to make sure that we get our resources to market and that is precisely what we are doing.
At the same time, anyone who is responsible for a pipeline must understand that our principle of polluter pay applies and anyone who is responsible for it must take care of any incidents that do occur.
Natural Resources June 14th, 2018
Mr. Speaker, all governments are responsible for getting resources to market, but they must also ensure that they follow safety rules and environmental protection regulations.
The Pipeline Safety Act strengthens Canada's safety system by enshrining the polluter pays principle in federal legislation. Operators will be held accountable and will have to respond to any incidents, regardless of who is at fault.