Mr. Speaker, on reframing refugee policy, it is our government's position that we prioritize the most vulnerable, but perhaps he has further ideas.
House of Commons photoWon her last election, in 2015, with 55% of the vote.
Business of Supply October 20th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, on reframing refugee policy, it is our government's position that we prioritize the most vulnerable, but perhaps he has further ideas.
Business of Supply October 20th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, obviously parliamentarians in the House are informed and compassionate.
I know the member had more to say and he was rushed at the end of his speech, so I would like to give him the opportunity to discuss further his thoughts around reframing refugee policy.
Innovation October 19th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, last Saturday, the district of Squamish and the Squamish Nation led the testing of a new community-wide emergency alert system powered by ePACT, a north Vancouver tech company that lets families create one emergency record to securely store all of their information so that in a crisis they can reach the organizations that matter most, like the school, day care, and seniors centre.
ePACT has customers in every province and territory in Canada, every state in the United States, and 102 countries around the world, and yet CEO Christine Sommers says, “we’ve never seen such an innovative approach to using our network...as what the Squamish District and Squamish Nation are doing.”
Municipalities everywhere are looking to learn from last weekend in Squamish so we can build better, smarter, and safer communities through Canadian innovation.
Foreign Affairs October 17th, 2016
First of all, Mr. Speaker, Mayor Coderre is the best person to answer as to his own travel.
Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and our government, we are committed to a step-by-step re-engagement with Iran. We believe that an absence of diplomatic representation hurts our interests. A presence advances our interests, particularly with regard to consular matters. We know that engagement is a tougher path, but it is a necessary one to deal effectively with Middle East security issues and to hold Iran to account on human rights.
Foreign Affairs October 17th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, Canada would like to tell the world that we absolutely intend to lead the resolution on the situation of human rights in Iran at the UN General Assembly's 71st session. We believe that engagement allows us to more effectively hold Iran to account, and I know that is one of Canadians' concerns.
Engagement is a harder path than the previous Conservative government ever chose to take. Isolation is not the way to go. We believe that we are advancing Canadian interests and the interests of our allies by engaging with them more.
Global Affairs September 30th, 2016
Madam Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaty entitled “Final Acts of the World Radiocommunication Conference of the International Telecommunication Union”, done at Geneva on November 27, 2015.
Foreign Affairs September 30th, 2016
Madam Speaker, this government sticks to its word. We said we would accede to the Arms Trade Treaty and we are.
The NDP, on the other hand, does not stick to its word. Let me quote its leader during the last election: “You don't cancel a commercial accord retroactively, it's just not done.”
Yet now we find that New Democrats are willing to abandon almost 3,000 well-paying jobs for hard-working Canadians.
We are honouring our promise of jobs for the middle class, and we are honouring our promise to make the arms export process more rigorous and transparent.
Foreign Affairs September 30th, 2016
Madam Speaker, we are delivering on our campaign commitment by acceding to the Arms Trade Treaty in line with our G7 and G20 allies, thus promoting responsibility, transparency, and accountability in regulating the global trade of arms.
This is the right thing to do. It is what we are committed to doing, and we are delivering on our promise.
Right now, we are consulting with NGOs and industry before introducing legislation, at which time all members of the House and in committee will have the opportunity to scrutinize and review.
I look forward to working with my colleagues on this.
Business of Supply September 29th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his speech. I would say that the foreign affairs committee is doing excellent work.
However, in light of the concerns Canadians have with regard to appropriate uses, why did the previous government fail to sign the Arms Trade Treaty?
Business of Supply September 29th, 2016
Mr. Speaker, this is a $7 billion industry. There are more than 700 companies in Canada, throughout the country. The industry is involved in arms, of course, but also in so many affiliated industries—aviation, transportation, telecommunications, and research. We are here to defend our economy, to defend hard-working middle-class families and good jobs that pay above average. We are very pleased to be adding an additional level of rigour so that Canadians know we are acting responsibly, transparently, and accountably.