Health  Mr. Speaker, after years of delay, Canadian Blood Services has finally announced its commitment to end the discriminatory blood ban. It is a step in the right direction, yes, but questions remain. Health Canada still needs to approve its submission. The government was told back i

Health  Mr. Speaker, I am sorry, but that was absolutely shameful as an answer. You have always known this was discrimination. You have known for six months that this submission would be coming, yet you cannot give a date. You cannot outline what that process is. To the minister, peopl

An Act to Provide Further Support in Response to COVID-19  Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the House to give my first speech in the 44th Parliament. I want to start off by thanking the wonderful people of Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry for returning me to the chamber once again. I am very grateful each and every time I come to t

An Act to Provide Further Support in Response to COVID-19  Mr. Speaker, as I just outlined in the 10 minutes that I had here in the chamber, there are a lot of questions left to be answered about the details of this bill as we propose billions of dollars more in new spending. What measures are in there to actively address the problems th

An Act to Provide Further Support in Response to COVID-19  Mr. Speaker, I have another opportunity to practice my French in the House a little more. The cultural sector is important in Canada. In my riding, there are many examples of the problems in this sector resulting from COVID-19. I am thinking in particular of the Aultsville Theat

An Act to Provide Further Support in Response to COVID-19  Mr. Speaker, we talk about that as well. Hospitality, tourism and travel were some of the first impacted sectors when it came to COVID, and unfortunately they are going to be some of the last to recover. I have had many meetings and attended delegations not only with local groups

Bob Kilger  Mr. Speaker, our community is mourning with yesterday's news of the passing of former Liberal member of Parliament and mayor Bob Kilger. A pillar of the local sports team, including time as head coach of the Cornwall Royals, Bob also spent time as an NHL referee. He served for

Health  Mr. Speaker, 17 years ago, I went to the Joel Steele arena in my hometown of Winchester, excited to donate blood for the first time. Little did I know, until I got to the questionnaire and it asked if I was a man who had sex with a man, that I would be disqualified from doing so.

Health  Mr. Speaker, everybody in the House wants a safe blood supply in this country, and everybody wants to end the discriminatory blood ban. These two issues are not incompatible. Yes, I know the minister has not received the package yet. However, he knows it is coming. There needs t

Retirement Congratulations  Madam Speaker, Riley's Bakery has been an institution and a must-stop spot in downtown Cornwall for over a century. For the past 32 years, Robin and Ana Curran have worked tirelessly to grow its legacy as an anchor along Pitt Street. When we talk about the pride we as Canadians

Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act  Mr. Speaker, let me start with this. Someone who is battling an addiction does not need a jail cell: they need treatment. They should not be judged. They should be helped. I think there is universal acceptance of that statement. There is not a Canadian or a member in the House wh

Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act  Mr. Speaker, my colleague from Kingston and the Islands does like to pack a lot into the question. Appointing a minister to say that the government is going to do something is not a result. We hear this time and again. There are so many examples of the government saying that it

Criminal Code and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act  Mr. Speaker, we talk about delineating things in the bill. The government is talking about help for opioids and addiction and is lumping everything into this bill that would not address that. There is a massive difference between a simple drug possession of a minor nature and som

Questions on the Order Paper  With regard to executives at the Canadian Infrastructure Bank receiving bonuses during the COVID-19 pandemic: for the 2020-21 fiscal year, how many executives received bonuses in excess of (i) $100,000, (ii) $250,000?

Questions Passed as Orders for Return  With regard to privacy breaches that occurred since March 1, 2020, broken down by department, agency, or other government entity: (a) how many breaches have occurred; and (b) what are the details of each breach, including (i) the date, (ii) the number of individuals whose informa