Emergency Preparedness  Mr. Speaker, people across northwest B.C. are deeply concerned about the ongoing drought. Last summer saw record wildfires across Canada. Farmers could not get their crops. Wild salmon were stranded on their way to spawn. Right now, with very little snow in the mountains, next su

Business of Supply  Madam Speaker, government outsourcing to the big six consultants went from $119 million prepandemic to over $470 million last year, and the ArriveCAN scandal is just the tip of the iceberg. The big challenge we are facing is that both Liberal and Conservative governments have cho

Men's Sheds  Mr. Speaker, Men's Sheds are groups of mostly retired men who come together regularly in the spirit of mutual support. There are now almost 100 Men's Sheds across Canada, and just last month the Canadian Journal of Community Mental Health confirmed that Men's Sheds provide clear

Canada Labour Code  Mr. Speaker, I believe I heard my Conservative friend bemoan the fact that this bill was tabled in December and yet here we are, in late February, still debating it. I have two simple questions. The first is whether the member wishes this bill moved through the House more speed

Canada Labour Code  Mr. Speaker, I share the parliamentary secretary's curiosity with regard to the Conservative Party's position on this legislation. Its members are still studying it at this late hour, and I guess it is going to be somewhat of a surprise, maybe a good surprise and maybe a bad surp

Canada Labour Code  Madam Speaker, on the member's second point, I very much agree that every province should bring in similar bans on the use of replacement workers for provincially regulated workplaces. British Columbia and Quebec have led the way, and it is time for other provinces to follow suit

Canada Labour Code  Madam Speaker, I think it is a good question and a fair one, and it is a good question to pose to the party across the way when they speak on this topic. It is absolutely something we support. When we drag the governing party, kicking and screaming, to see the value of the legis

Canada Labour Code  Madam Speaker, my colleague from the Bloc raises an important point, which is that this legislation, which is still being debated and still has to make its way through the other place, does nothing for workers who are, right now, facing conditions that could be alleviated by it.

Canada Labour Code  Madam Speaker, the question from my friend from Saanich—Gulf Islands was about economic stability. The fact is that in provinces without replacement worker legislation, work stoppages have been longer than they have been in provinces that have legislation like this in place. Bar

Canada Labour Code  Madam Speaker, workers coming together in solidarity, negotiating collectively and at times making the very difficult decision to withhold their labour is something that has raised the material condition of working people in this country for generations and generations. This is n

Indigenous Affairs  Mr. Speaker, the Haida have stewarded the lands and waters of Haida Gwaii for millennia. Today, their leaders continue the long journey toward restoring their inherent right of self-government. Last year, they secured legislation in British Columbia that officially recognized the

Canada-Ukraine Free Trade Agreement Implementation Act, 2023  Madam Speaker, I enjoyed travelling with my Conservative colleague when the transport committee toured the ports of Canada, and I listened intently to his views on this subject. I had a chance recently to meet in Edmonton with the consul general of Ukraine. We discussed this mat

Housing  Mr. Speaker, we have learned that the Conservative housing strategy is to browbeat so-called municipal gatekeepers and to force density near transit hubs. Now, neither of these things is relevant for rural Canada. In fact, in northwest B.C., we do not have transit hubs; we barely

Terrace Search and Rescue  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour the work of volunteer firefighters and search and rescue teams across northwest B.C. These folks give a tremendous amount of their personal time both training and responding to calls, and they do it for one reason: to protect their neighbours.

Fall Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2023  Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise in the House this evening and speak for a few minutes about the fall economic statement and Bill C-59. Of course fall has turned to winter, and yet the topics we have been debating in this piece of legislation are as relevant as ever, particu