Mike Morrice

[Mental Health, October 26th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I would like share about a dear friend of mine and a leader in my community, Kari Kokko. Kari was deeply caring and brilliant, and she invested her whole self in the betterment of our community, from social work to community theatre.

Sadly, we recently lost Kari to depression and an anxiety disorder that made the future so bleak for her that she saw no point in going on living. On behalf of our entire community, we extend our condolences to Maggie, John and the extended Kokko family.

Just weeks prior to this, I learned of another young friend, David, who took his own life as well.

Organizations such as the Waterloo Region Suicide Prevention Council are more critical today than ever, so they can support those thinking about suicide, and provide resources for those supporting others and those coping with grief from suicide loss.

Suicide can be prevented, and help is available. We all have a role to play. Let us also keep Kari and David's families in our hearts as we push for increased mental health resources so they might be accessible to anyone who needs them, without wait times, early discharge, discrimination or cost.

[Business of Supply, October 25th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that the member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford again mentioned electoral reform in his speech. Some have inferred that electoral reform is separate from the pressing priorities of Canadians.

I put it forward that for those who want meaningful action on climate, for example, it will be far more difficult to do so if we do not have the views of all Canadians represented in this place. Could the member comment on that?

[Business of Supply, October 25th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Churchill—Keewatinook Aski for bringing some important commentary to today's conversation.

I wonder, as other members have reflected, if the member would like to share more comments on the constitutional implications of how the motion before us would move forward if passed in this place.

[Business of Supply, October 25th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I would like to pick up on a previous question asked by our colleague from Cowichan—Malahat—Langford. If we are going to make progress on the priorities of all Canadians, as the parliamentary secretary spoke about in his speech, we need to fix the way we elect members to the House. The only consistent outcomes of our current voting system are distorted results and disillusioned voters. We need proportional representation in this country.

Can the parliamentary secretary comment on when the governing party will get serious about improving our democracy and following through on what it promised over 1,800 times, that the 2015 election would be the last under first past the post?

[Petitions, October 25th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of petitioners who recognize that the poisoned drug crisis is a public health emergency. They state and make clear that more than 26,690 people across the country have died opioid-related deaths and that groups like the Canadian Public Health Association have recommended drug decriminalization.

As a result, the petitioners call on this House to declare a public health emergency due to these deaths, to reframe this crisis as a public health issue and not a criminal justice one, to take a comprehensive, multi-faced approach to this crisis, to listen to recommendations from those on the front lines and to decriminalize drugs across the country.

[Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act, October 24th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I appreciate that the member for Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill mentioned animal testing specifically in her speech and that there is language in Bill S-5 that moves in the right direction. Specifically, there is mention of encouraging the development of other alternatives.

I wonder if the member could comment more on whether she feels this is sufficient and/or if more could be done.

[Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act, October 24th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, the member spoke a bit about the right to a healthy environment.

Can she share more about the implications of that right being only in the preamble of the bill, as well as these words about it being balanced with other factors, including economic ones?

What are the implications of this so-called right being balanced against other factors?

Lastly, would she share more about how this could be improved in future stages of the legislation?

[Judges Act, October 21st, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I would like to start by recognizing that this bill has been studied in the Senate already, having been introduced there back in May 2020. When I reviewed the debate in the House from June, parliamentarians, at the time, agreed there was fairly unanimous support for the substance of the legislation, and there was not significant or contentious subject matter.

From our conversations today, the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan is the third Conservative speaker to speak for 20 minutes, rather than a shorter 10-minute intervention, with speakers given some amount of latitude in each case, as is appropriate. It gives me an indication that all other parties are fairly satisfied to have this round of debate on Bill C-9 come to a close and move onto other pieces of legislation of interest to Canadians.

My interest, for example, would be to see legislation addressing the cost of housing, the climate crisis and the poisoned drug supply, just to name a few. All of which have a substantial impact on my neighbours.

I would be interested in hearing further reflections from the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan on other elements he feels more debate is required on this legislation before study follows at committee after a second reading.

[Business of Supply, October 20th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, when it comes to affordability and the cost of fuel, what is not being discussed here, as it should be, is the reality of the gouging from the oil and gas industry that is contributing to exactly what the member for Thornhill was just mentioning. Would the member for Thornhill and deputy leader of the official opposition comment on the need to address the gouging from the oil and gas sector in the midst of a climate emergency?

[Business of Supply, October 20th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I want to start by recognizing that the hon. member for Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill is one of the strongest voices for the environment in the governing party caucus. She was also being honest in saying that the Liberal Party has not been able to meet the climate targets that have been set so far.

One of the reasons why that is the case is that there has been a continued increase in subsidies to the very sector most responsible for the crisis we are in, to the tune of tens of billions of dollars. Can she comment on what she could do to help move away from further increasing, for example, tax credits to carbon capture and storage, to the tune of $8.6 billion?