Pam Damoff

[Earth Day, April 20th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, this Saturday, April 22, is Earth Day, which was first held in April of 1970.

There are so many ways to get involved and demonstrate support for environmental protection. A few of the things that come to mind are becoming familiar with climate and environmental education, breaking free from single-use plastics, participating in a community cleanup, planting trees or donating funds to support the planting of trees, and fighting against fast fashion by supporting sustainable clothing.

There are several community cleanups and tree-plantings taking place in my riding of Oakville North—Burlington this weekend, organized by BurlingtonGreen and The Oakville Community Centre for Peace, Ecology and Human Rights. This year, I will be there with a team once again to take part with our community.

This year's theme is “Invest in Our Planet”, and I encourage all members to get out this weekend, get some fresh air and invest in our planet.

[Questions on the Order Paper, April 17th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or RCMP, undertook an extensive preliminary search in order to determine the amount of information that would fall within the scope of the question and the amount of time that would be required to prepare a comprehensive response. The RCMP does not consistently or centrally track the number of inquiries or reports received in languages other than English or French, nor does it have a standard mechanism for recording the provision of services, on an ad-hoc basis, in other languages. The RCMP concluded that producing and validating a comprehensive response to this question would require a manual collection of information that is not possible in the time allotted, and this could lead to the disclosure of incomplete and misleading information.

[Questions on the Order Paper, March 31st, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a), the Canada Border Services Agency, or CBSA, first became aware of bus tickets being distributed to asylum seekers on February 6, 2023, when they were reported in the media. The CBSA became aware of reports from the media about U.S. customs and border officials transporting migrants from Plattsburg to Roxham Road on February 7, 2023, when media asked the CBSA to comment on it.

With regard to part (b), the CBSA is unable to provide an estimate regarding how long this has been happening.

With regard to part (c), out of respect for the law and for the personal safety of individuals, we encourage anyone entering Canada to do so at an official port of entry. We continue to work closely with Canadian and U.S. partners to ensure the lawful, safe and humane treatment of asylum seekers while maintaining the security of our borders. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CPB, confirmed that it has opened an investigation into the potential involvement of U.S. officials in the movement of individuals to Roxham Road.

With regard to part (d), CBSA systems do not extract data by specific locations. However, in the province of Quebec, the vast majority of people enter Quebec through Roxham Road.

With regard to part (e), the CBSA does not have this information. CBP confirmed that it has opened an investigation into the potential involvement of U.S. officials in the movement of individuals to Roxham Road.

[Public Safety, March 31st, 2023]

Madam Speaker, although the work of the commission has concluded, we know that the grief and loss of the families and communities will remain forever.

Yesterday, we received the report from the commission. It is a road map to pursue necessary changes, whether within the RCMP or in regard to semi-automatic firearms or gender-based violence. We will work closely with all involved to pursue these reforms, because that is what Canadians expect and deserve.

[Medical Isotopes, March 31st, 2023]

Madam Speaker, Canada is a global leader in the production of life-saving medical isotopes, which are used in medical imaging, cancer therapy, disease prevention and medical device sterilization. Canada's isotopes sterilize over 25 billion pieces of medical equipment a year, making up 70% of the world market. I have seen our leadership first-hand at Bruce Power. In a partnership, Bruce Power and the Ojibway Nation of Saugeen will jointly market a new isotope, lutetium-177, in support of the global fight against cancer.

Earlier this week I attended an event with the Canadian Nuclear Isotope Council to launch “Isotopes for Hope: Canada's Leadership Needed Now More Than Ever”. This is a road map to strengthen Canada's global role in the isotope supply chain and double production by 2030.

Countries around the world depend on Canada for its expertise in the production of medical isotopes. Canada can support almost the entire supply chain for medical isotopes. We must remain a world leader and pursue innovative solutions to save lives.

[Domestic Violence, March 30th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, today is a difficult day for the families and communities in Nova Scotia. All MPs in this House are thinking about them and holding them in their hearts.

This morning was the release of the Mass Casualty Commission's report. We will be considering and carefully reviewing the recommendations in the report. We will also be working with the provinces, territories and civil organizations, including those that deal with gender-based violence, in order to respond to the recommendations in due course.

[Public Safety, March 28th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, any kind of spike in violence, like the one on the TTC, is concerning to all of us. That is why we work with municipalities, like the City of Toronto and the City of Vancouver, to invest in the root causes of crime. That is why we are making investments in mental health.

We know that we need to be investing in the root causes, but we cannot ignore the impact that guns have on crime. That is why we will proudly take action, as we are with Bill C-21.

[Public Safety, March 28th, 2023]

Mr. Speaker, our thoughts go out to the family of the individual who the member mentioned and to any individuals who are the victims of violent crime. Our government is taking needed action to deal with violent crime, including gun control. However, most importantly it is taking a multipronged approach to it by dealing with mental health, investing in mental health and investing in communities through the building safer communities fund. We know that we need to address the root causes of crime in order to keep Canadians safe.

[Criminal Code, March 27th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, we are seeing women's rights around the world under threat. I highlighted in my own speech the threat to women and girls, their rights in Afghanistan and how egregious they are. However, I find it a bit rich when the hon. member stands up on providing aid to countries that are in such dire need when he has been such a vocal opponent of women's reproductive rights, in particular filibustering a study at the foreign affairs committee on providing resources for organizations that provide sexual and reproductive health in countries around the world.

I do not really have a question. I just wanted to make a comment on the need to support women and girls in Canada and around the world.

[Criminal Code, March 27th, 2023]

Madam Speaker, you are welcome to answer if you wish.

As I mentioned previously, groups like Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, which have been doing such incredible work under a previous Taliban regime, are going to be able to do what they do best on the ground. There are other organizations. I singled them out specifically, but other organizations have teams on the ground in Afghanistan that stand ready to deliver education, aid and whatever is needed for the people of Afghanistan.