House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2025, with 34% of the vote.
Privilege November 5th, 2024
Madam Speaker, the member for Calgary Shepard is someone I feel is particularly reasonable. I understand he has introduced another subamendment. It must be the third, fourth or fifth subamendment. I believe each one has come from the Conservatives on their own motion.
Can he explain what the purpose of these subamendments is, if not to prolong debate on the very thing that the Conservatives claim to want to be investigated?
Privilege November 5th, 2024
Madam Speaker, as I have shared many times over the last month and a half of the speeches regarding this issue, Greens are concerned with the mismanagement of SDTC. It is why we supported the motion back in June. It is why we support this being actually investigated.
My question to the member for Abbotsford is one of clarification. In his speech, I believe he shared that Parliament is investigating this. Maybe I misheard. It has been a month and a half and having Conservative speeches one after the other is not really an investigation. It is a monologue, but it is not an investigation. Can the member clarify what an actual parliamentary investigation could look like, and how we could look to have one done? Potentially, voting on this motion could get us there.
Petitions November 5th, 2024
Mr. Speaker, the second petition is on behalf of folks who are devastated by the poisoned drug crisis. They note that since 2016, over 34,000 people across the country have died, each one a preventable death, as the result of a poisoned drug supply.
The petitioners note that the Canadian Public Health Association and other experts have recommended a number of measures that, comprehensively, could address this crisis. As a result, they call on the government to declare a public health emergency as a result of poisoned drugs; treat this crisis as a health issue rather than a criminal one; provide a regulated safer supply of drugs for people who need them, to reduce overdose deaths; ensure that folks have access to get to treatment, as one has to be alive to get to treatment; and last, make significant, long-term investments in supports for those who use drugs or those who are in recovery.
Petitions November 5th, 2024
Mr. Speaker, I rise to present two petitions.
The first petition is signed by folks concerned with the proposed 60-kilometre route for Highway 413. They note that it would cut through 2,000 acres of farmland, 85 waterways, 220 wetlands and the habitats of 29 federally listed threatened and endangered species, which must be protected as per the Fisheries Act and the Species at Risk Act.
The petitioners note a complete absence of meaningful consultation with indigenous communities along the proposed route. They note that a comprehensive federal environmental assessment could mitigate potential environmental harm and ensure sustainable development, and that the federal government has a responsibility to oversee a responsible, predictable and constitutionally robust environmental review.
The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to take several actions. The first is to ensure that the federal government uses every tool available to assess and protect indigenous rights as well as the area impacted by the proposed Highway 413, and to protect the Greenbelt, farmland and natural ecosystems, including identified species at risk.
Oil and Gas Industry November 4th, 2024
Mr. Speaker, keeping track of the tens of billions of dollars the government gives to big oil's gamble on carbon capture is near impossible. However, for proven solutions such as public transit, there are no new funds until after the next election, which is a fraction of what carbon capture gets, and transit operations will not even be eligible. We could add $4 billion for public transit tomorrow by taxing the excess profits of the oil and gas industry.
When will the government put in place an excess profit tax on the oil and gas industry and put it towards reducing fares and improving service on public transit?
Housing November 1st, 2024
Mr. Speaker, last fall, the government gave an HST exemption to for-profit developers of rental units to help address the housing crisis but left out non-profit affordable home ownership builders like Habitat for Humanity. In my community, Habitat's Kehl Street build would have had an extra million for affordable units had this been in place. The federal government could pay for it by ending tax exemptions for large corporate investors that buy up existing units and raise rents.
Will the government include this important measure in the fall economic statement?
Committees of the House October 30th, 2024
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie for bringing up the really important report on the financialization of housing.
I am sure he is as disappointed as I was that the government chose not to end the tax exemption for real estate investment trusts in the spring. Even in the current report, the recommendation is just to keep studying it.
I wonder whether the member can comment on how enough is enough; we do not need to study the tax exemptions we are giving to large corporate investors that are raising rents for folks in my community as well as in his. We can actually give the funds to groups like Habitat for Humanity that want to build more affordable housing.
Committees of the House October 29th, 2024
Mr. Speaker, Greens agree to apply the vote, and we will be voting yes.
Committees of the House October 29th, 2024
Mr. Speaker, Greens agree to apply the vote, and we will be voting yea.
Mental Health and Addictions October 28th, 2024
Madam Speaker, I appreciate that my friend and colleague, the parliamentary secretary, spoke about past funding that has come to Waterloo region. However, I hope she and the minister can realize that the argument that we got a lot of applications and money ran out is not good enough.
First of all, the member is part of the government that set the total dollar amount, which obviously was not enough. Second, no one has done any thinking to say, wait a second, Waterloo region is a hot spot; we have had 72 people die in this community this year already. It is not okay in a community like mine to say we ran out of money.
Zero dollars for Waterloo region in the midst of this poisoned drug crisis is not okay. I have been trying to raise, for months now, a request for the government to look at hot spots such as Waterloo region and find the money to ensure that we are not left without any funding at all to stand up to this poison drug crisis.