Situation in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank  Speaker, tonight, several of our Jewish and Muslim colleagues have shared their concerns about the rise in anti-Semitism and Islamophobia here at home over the past week. What does the member for Saint-Jean think about that? Can she share her thoughts on what the Government of Canada can do to address this reality?

Situation in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank  In such difficult circumstances, no one experiencing heartache should have to bear the additional burden of being harassed or having to feel ostracized. By now, we have all heard of sickening instances of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in our midst. Let us strive for tolerance and empathy within our diverse Canadian tapestry and ensure that we stand together in support of peace and the well-being of all our citizens.

Situation in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank  Speaker, there is certainly a spike happening right now in discrimination. Anti-Semitism, anti-Palestinian discrimination, anti-Arab discrimination and Islamophobia are happening within our society and communities. In America, we saw that a six-year-old Muslim boy was stabbed to death over 20 times. I am deeply concerned about the future, not only overseas but also here.

Situation in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank  It is so heartening for me as a Canadian to see that our special representative on combatting Islamophobia and the newly appointed envoy on preserving Holocaust remembrance and combatting anti-Semitism are not only working together but embracing each other to lead us forward and make sure that we are holding on to the diversity and inclusion that make Canada so strong.

Situation in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank  Chair, today we announced the appointment of the new special envoy on preserving Holocaust remembrance and combatting anti-Semitism, the hon. former ambassador Deborah Lyons. One of her first tasks is to work with her special envoy counterpart on Islamophobia, because as the members of this chamber well know, this is a government that is committed to combatting hate and committed to creating safe spaces for all Canadians, no matter who they are, where they worship or how they identify.

Situation in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank  The list of worries is endless and the fear is real. There are rising instances of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. We saw the reports of hate crimes against a Muslim woman in Montreal and at a Hebrew school in Toronto, and our hearts break at the horrifying news that came out of Illinois yesterday.

Online News Act  That is the counter to the amount of devastating homophobia and transphobia, the anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, the racism and the misogyny we have seen across this country, deliberately fomented through the big tech giants that do not seem to want, in any way, to stop this flow of toxic hate.

Islamophobia  We must all continue to work to make Islamophobia and all forms of hatred a thing of the past.

Public Safety committee  In an ideal world, we have everybody on board in addressing systemic racism and addressing Islamophobia within our systems in clear and direct ways, but I want to put a caveat on that. I think the existence of this body is also meant to be something that ensures a level of fairness, equity and justice, regardless of whether people are coming along for the ride.

Public Safety  Speaker, I thank the member opposite for her advocacy for the Muslim community in London, Ontario. The issue of Islamophobia is one that affects Muslims around this country and, indeed, around the world. It is an issue we must all continue to work vigilantly on. What I find very concerning is that today, a day when we are debating the budget, that very budget includes dedicated funds of over $50 million toward combatting racism and Islamophobia.

Public Safety  It is unthinkable that this could happen to a family in our city, but we have seen the amazing resilience that can counter white supremacy and Islamophobia. Communities are calling for the government to combat online hate and to support survivors of hate-motivated crimes. Will the government commit to establishing a national support fund for victims of hate-motivated crimes and support the NDP's online algorithm transparency act to help the Afzaal family and countless others?

Budget Implementation Act, 2023, No. 1  Another $25 million will go to supporting the anti-racism strategy and dealing with some of the pernicious issues that relate to anti-indigenous racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. In the wake of the almost two-year anniversary of the Afzaal family being killed in London, Ontario, could she comment on the equity initiatives in the budget and her position on them?

Public Accounts committee  We've seen the CRA prosecuting faith-based charities, apparently just on a whim or perhaps politically based or racism based. The Ontario supreme court made it very clear about Islamophobia being involved in the prosecution of a charity. We asked about that and we did not get any answers. To sit and say that the CRA answered our questions is a complete falsehood, and it's unfortunate that the governing side continues to take their side for political reasons.

International Human Rights Act  This is evident in challenges such as illegal wars of aggression against Ukraine, rising racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and discrimination and an intensifying backlash against the most basic rights of women, girls and 2SLGBTQI+ people. In order to confront the challenges that lie ahead, we must work together to reinforce the foundation of human rights and strive toward a more just tomorrow for everyone.

Canadian Heritage committee  I want to reiterate the importance that the money is being reclaimed in the Laith Marouf case, though I do believe, given that there are members of the Conservative caucus who met with a vile anti-Semitic and Islamophobic neo-Nazi, that it's a bit rich for the Conservatives to give any lessons around anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. That said, I wanted to come to the issue of copyright. A number of organizations are looking to update the Copyright Act. It is a little unclear who is taking that one and it is a little unclear what the timelines are.