Genocide Remembrance, Condemnation and Prevention Month  Mr. Speaker, today I stand in this House to recognize the most heinous of all crimes: genocide. This House has recognized six genocides: the Holocaust; the Holodomor; and the Armenian, Bosnian, Rwandan, and Yazidi genocides. What these genocides have in common is not only their h

Anti-Semitism  Mr. Speaker, on February 6, a McGill student society representative incited violence against Jewish students, tweeting “punch a Zionist today”. On February 19, mezuzahs were ripped off door frames, and anti-Semitic messages were found in Toronto. On February 22, a swastika and th

Racism  Mr. Speaker, this past Friday was International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a sombre anniversary when we remember the murder of more than six million Jews at the hands of the Nazis during the Second World War. It is also a day when we recognize and remember the indomitable spirit

Ephraim's Place  Mr. Speaker, I would like to highlight an organization at the heart of the York Centre community, Ephraim's Place. Named in memory of 11-year-old Ephraim Brown, who was tragically caught in the crossfire of a gang shooting and killed in 2007, Ephraim's Place community centre wa

Petitions  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present my first petition in the House of Commons on behalf of the students at Madonna Catholic Secondary School in my riding of York Centre. The petitioners advocate for a peaceful end to the ongoing war in Syria. They call upon the government to wor

Public Safety  Mr. Speaker, Canada's diversity is a source of strength and pride. Sadly, minority communities are sometimes targeted for attack, including recent incidents in Toronto, Ottawa, and Regina. Groups like the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs have been calling for improved suppor

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, this is a huge priority, not just for our government but for me as a front-line MP. I see the problems associated with the decline in affordable housing stock, particularly in the city of Toronto. This is an enormous problem. As I mentioned, 97,000 families, not indi

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, as I said at the start of my speech, I am spending a lot of time in my community listening to people's reactions to our budget and to the plan we promised and are putting into action now. I have to say that I am hearing from the middle-class families in my riding, I

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, I can answer the member's question unequivocally. I have heard from people from across my riding and across my city. In fact, I have heard input from Canadians across the country who understand that in today's world, economic growth and environmental protection must

Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 2  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to speak on Bill C-29, an act to implement provisions of budget 2016. I would like to focus on my riding of York Centre, the wonderful and diverse community I represent, and how measures in the budget implemented by this bill are helping t

Aleppo  Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remind the House that every day, the residents of Aleppo, including 100,000 children, are struggling for their lives amid unimaginable horror. Divided between the Assad regime backed by Russia and Islamic extremist groups, Aleppo is being reduced to

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship  Mr. Speaker, I know that all members of the House share my grave concern for the Yazidi people and the genocide being committed against them by Daesh in Syria and Iraq. Men, women, and children are being murdered, raped, and enslaved. An entire people is being destroyed. The vict

Business of Supply  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague from Parkdale—High Park for his remarks. I also want to acknowledge the work that has been done by the member for Calgary Nose Hill over a long period of time in terms of giving voice to this very grave situation. It is very clear,

Canadian Human Rights Act  Madam Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member not just for his work on this bill, but also for his long-time position on this issue and the work he has done on it. For young Canadians like Charlie Lowthian-Rickert, who is sitting up there and who stood with—

Canadian Human Rights Act  Madam Speaker, for those young Canadians who are struggling and have faced prejudice and discrimination and the up to 20% of transgender Canadians who have been either physically or sexually assaulted, what difference is the bill going to make to them moving forward?