Harb Gill
Windsor West, Ontario · Conservative · Canada
“They are lessons about leadership. They are lessons about the responsibility we all share to confront hatred before it turns to violence. That is why this debate matters. Racism is real. Anti-Semitism is real. Islamophobia is real. Hinduphobia is real. Every one of us has a responsibility to challenge those things wherever they appear.”
“A few weeks ago, many Canadians joined Rwandan communities across this country by marking Kwibuka, the remembrance of genocide against the Tutsi people in Rwanda. Kwibuka means “to remember”. It is a solemn reminder of one of the darkest chapters in modern history.”
“Their sacrifice deserves our respect and our gratitude, and their memory deserves to be honoured. One officer came from an Italian Canadian family, the other from an Indo-Canadian family. Different backgrounds, different communities, yet both wore the same uniform, took the same oath and made the same sacrifice in service to Canada.”
“It will not stop repeat violent offenders or the transnational gangs that continue to terrorize communities across Canada. Officer Pinizzotto was not investigating a sermon; he was investigating violent criminal activity. That is where the danger is, and that is where Canadians expect their government to be focused.”
“Our democracy is strong. Our people are united by far more than what divides us, but history still has lessons to teach us. One of those lessons is that hatred rarely begins with violence. It begins when people stop seeing their neighbours as fellow citizens. It begins when stereotypes replace understanding and when fear replaces trust.”
“The question is whether Bill C-9 is necessary and whether it will achieve what the government says it will achieve. There are provisions in this legislation that deserve support. Every Canadian should be able to attend a church, synagogue, mosque, temple, gurdwara, community centre or school without fear of intimidation or violence.”
The complete record
Every one of 278 lines we hold for Harb Gill, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 4 of 6.
“Mr. Speaker, there is a cost to our inaction. Based on the current state of affairs we are facing, our reliance on just one buyer, to whom we have to sell to at a discount no less, we are losing billions of dollars in revenue and thousands of jobs in Saskatchewan, Alberta and Newfoundland, as well as across this country. We are losing influence on the world stage because other countries use energy as a diplomatic tool, while we are sitting on the sidelines. When the Liberals propose an MOU with no solid timelines, what hope is there for Canadians?”
“Mr. Speaker, I have a quick question for my colleague from Calgary Nose Hill. Should Canadians trust a government that, after 10 years, still cannot manage procurement, cannot control spending, cannot deliver infrastructure, such as the Gordie Howe International Bridge, and cannot provide basic answers in this chamber?”
“Mr. Chair, the member opposite spoke of supply chains and CUSMA. She may have heard of the Gordie Howe International Bridge and how it is a lifeline for cross-border trade. However, the government keeps pushing deadlines and ignoring emails from local leaders and public servants like me. Can my colleague outline how her party's leadership would restore competence and accountability to this critical project?”
“Mr. Chair, it is indeed quite troubling that folks across the way are still claiming that they have a deal coming. Meanwhile, they are not even talking. Does my colleague agree that when the Prime Minister says, “Who cares?”, it sends a dangerous message to auto workers in Windsor, Oshawa, Brampton, London and across Canada that their jobs do not matter to him or his party at all?”
“Mr. Chair, would my colleague agree that after 10 years of Liberal policies that blocked pipelines, chased away investment and left us dependent on the U.S. market, Canada is now negotiating from a position of weakness, and workers are paying the price for this weakness?”
“Mr. Chair, U.S. leaders have been crystal clear about their tariff intentions, and they have made those intentions known for several years. For the government to act like this is news to it is absolutely shocking to me. Can my colleague explain what kind of message it sends to families in Ingersoll or Windsor or Oshawa or St. Catharines when they hear the Prime Minister say, “Who cares?” and that it is not a “burning issue”? The auto sector is burning right now. I do not know what else we can do besides complain.”
“Mr. Chair, cities like Windsor, Ingersoll and Oshawa depend on stable, predictable supply chains. Does my hon. colleague from Oxford agree that the government's delays, uncertainty and endless photo ops have made it harder, not easier, for manufacturers to invest and hire? I would also like to hear some stories from him about what people are telling him in his riding in relation to the auto sector.”
“It might have sounded like a clever statement to make, but what the people of Windsor heard loud and clear is that the Prime Minister does not care about them. Conservatives are here to hold him accountable and to make sure he understands that Windsor matters.”
“Mr. Chair, my colleague is right that we have been working hard. We have been meeting all kinds of people to allay their fears. However, I can say that there is a lot of anxiety and a lot of despair. There are a lot of missed opportunities as well. The talks are going on, but there are no contracts being signed, because there is a great deal of uncertainty about the trade deals we can negotiate with our partners globally, not just with the U.S. It happens all the time now, unfortunately. What do we have to show for it? We have a Prime Minister who says, “Who cares?” or that it is not a burning issue. The folks in my city take that to the bank, because that is the uncertainty they are dealing with, and it is not something they are happy about.”
“Mr. Chair, that is an interesting question. The bottom line is that we cannot impose government-run mandates on people that say they have to buy something. Ours is not a Soviet-style democracy; it is a Canadian democracy where people have the choice to make up their own mind as to what vehicle they are going to buy. Furthermore, is the infrastructure there, for crying out loud? It is not. I would love for the infrastructure to be there so we can have EVs, but it does not exist right now. Do Conservatives support these measures? Of course we do. As Conservatives, we too are worried about our planet's future, but there is a way to address that, and it has to be a common-sense way that is fiscally responsible and accountable, as well as transparent.”
“Mr. Chair, here is what matters to people in Windsor: making sure auto workers can count on their jobs, their paycheques and their future, and that is exactly where the Liberal government keeps coming up short. While the Prime Minister says things like “Who cares?” and insists that trade with the U.S. is not a burning issue, families in my community are living the consequences: uncertainty and anxiety. Conservatives will always put workers, unions and local industry first, because without a strong auto sector, there is no Windsor economy. That is the difference. Windsor does not need more excuses from the Liberals; it needs a real plan to secure our border and our auto jobs and to rebuild our relationship with the United States before new tariffs hit workers' paycheques.”
“In our communities it is a burning issue, and we will keep fighting for it for as long as it takes to protect good Canadian jobs and secure a future where families can count on this industry the way it counted on them.”
“We will make Canadian-made vehicles HST-free. We will clear the roadblocks that push investment out of Canada, and we will align our EV policies with the United States so manufacturers know what to do. We will build an environment where companies want to invest, not leave our country. There are no grand theories and no wishful thinking, just practical steps that will help workers keep their jobs and their futures. Our workers do not ask for special treatment. They ask that their government have their back, and at this moment, facing the biggest challenges to their livelihoods in their generation, what do they get? They get “Who cares?” and are told it is not a “burning issue”. In Windsor we care.”
“The Liberals, and the NDP for that matter, will show up with slogans, take photos at rallies and promise the world, but they do not secure a single investment, do not fix a single trade problem and do not protect a single auto job. Workers are seeing through this. They need results, not smoke and mirrors. More importantly, while the government was shrugging its shoulders, we acted. Our side pushed for emergency hearings about Stellantis. We pressed for an emergency debate. We secured committee meetings to investigate what went wrong. We did not wait. We did not shrug. We did not say, “Who cares”. We stepped up because the workers we represent deserve nothing less. We have a practical plan to rebuild confidence, and that takes responsible government. We will fight the tariffs immediately, not months from now.”
“People can stand with unions, they can stand with workers, they can stand for strong manufacturing jobs, and yes, they can still vote Conservative, which they did this year. However, at the end of the day, this is not about slogans; it is about who is actually fighting for workers when it counts. The Liberal-NDP coalition has offered zero leadership. The Liberals have had 10 years to prepare this country for economic shocks; instead they have made us more dependent on the U.S. They have blocked opportunities to develop and export our resources. They have hog-tied every growing industry with red tape. Now, when the U.S. plays hardball, we are left without any leverage.”
“At CAMI in Ingersoll, 500 jobs are gone. In Oshawa, 750 jobs are gone. At Stellantis in Brampton, 3,000 jobs are gone. In Sainte-Thérèse, Quebec, 725 jobs at PACCAR are gone. These are not just numbers; they are mortgages, retirement plans and our children's futures. Workers know that once these jobs go south, they do not come back. Windsor's workers built this country's auto industry, and they did not do it alone. They did it with unions that stood up for fair wages, safe workplaces and stability. In Windsor we know what teamwork between workers, unions and industry looks like. We have lived it for over a century. Guys like Charlie Brooks gave their life for their union brothers. I will tell the House something simple.”
“That access is not optional; it is a necessity for our industry, especially when motor vehicles make up 8% of everything we export, and when our 600,000 jobs, Canadian jobs, rely directly or indirectly on auto manufacturing. One would think that the government would treat it as a top priority, but that is not what we have seen. When the auto sector started sounding the alarm, when unions raised flags and when workers spoke up, what was the response from the Prime Minister ? He said, “Who cares?” When asked about the growing trade issues with the U.S., the answer was that it is not a “burning issue”. For someone who lives in Windsor, it is not just a burning issue; it is a five-alarm fire. Real people are being affected. We are not talking about hypotheticals; we are talking about real families facing real job losses.”
“Mr. Chair, it is always an honour to rise in the House to speak on behalf of the hard-working people of Windsor. Tonight I want to talk about something that matters to every family in Windsor, and to a whole lot of families across this country, and that is the future of the auto industry. In my community, we do not need contracts or long reports to understand what is going on; we feel it. We hear it in our workplace and see it in the news, and we know the stakes are high. Let me lay out some simple facts so Canadians understand what people in Windsor have understood for generations. Our auto sector puts $14 billion into Canada's economy every year. Each job on the line supports nine more jobs in the community. There is no other industry in Canada that does that, not one. We export 92% of our vehicles to the United States.”
“Every delay bleeds money, jobs and confidence out of Canada's most important trade corridor. This is not just a failure to deliver; this is a failure to govern. The people of Windsor-Essex are tired of the “who cares?” attitude. They deserve better and I am here to—”
“Mr. Speaker, after 10 long years of Liberal mismanagement, Windsor is still waiting for the Gordie Howe bridge to open. A project that should have been a symbol of national strength is now becoming a monument to Liberal incompetence. The timelines keep shifting, the excuses keep changing and there is zero transparency. Here is the part that worries me the most: When Windsor residents, local businesses or even their local MPs seek answers, the ministers responsible either pass the buck or do not answer the emails at all. Imagine that, a government that cannot deliver a bridge, cannot meet a deadline and cannot be bothered to reply. Meanwhile, our manufacturers are forced to take detours. Truckers are stuck with using one privately owned crossing that is gouging them.”
“Mr. Speaker, the Feed Ontario hunger report shows that over one million Ontarians went to food banks, for a total of 8.7 million visits, over the last year. That is the highest ever. While Canadians are struggling, the Liberal Prime Minister has handed over billions of dollars to big corporations with zero job guarantees: $400 million to Algoma and 1,000 jobs lost, and $15 billion to Stellantis and 3,000 jobs gone. Why does the Prime Minister always make taxpayers pay for sweetheart corporate deals while Canadians go hungry?”
“Mr. Speaker, the luxury tax on yachts and private jets, which have a huge carbon footprint, is gone, but the tax on work trucks that farmers and tradespeople use is still around. Does the member believe, as I do, that this budget is written for Bay Street billionaires? The farmers and tradespeople who keep this country fed and running are once again left holding the bag.”
“Mr. Speaker, last week we found out that the government sent 500 million tax dollars to the European Space Agency. Guess who owns half the U.K. campus that money is going to. You guessed it right, Mr. Speaker: Brookfield. At the same time, Windsor workers are being shut out of plants, contracts are stalling and families are worried about their futures. Why is the Prime Minister sending money overseas and helping a company he is tied to instead of fighting to protect jobs in Windsor, which has the highest unemployment rate in the country?”
“Mr. Speaker, people in Windsor are tired of hearing promises. They just want to know why the Prime Minister stopped fighting for them. He said he would go elbows up at the U.S., but when he failed, he shrugged and said, “Who cares?” Workers in Windsor care. Our auto sector and our suppliers care. Conservatives care. Meanwhile, the U.S. signed an $80-billion nuclear deal with Brookfield, the Prime Minister's own company. Why is it that every time the Prime Minister travels, business only gets better for Brookfield, while Canadians are left out in the cold?”
“Madam Speaker, what we are talking about here is cutting waste, cutting duplication and cutting the ballooning federal bureaucracy that has grown 80% since 2015. We need direct investment into things that create value, like homes, bridges and manufacturing, and not into endless consultants and political photo ops where there is a fake home behind the Prime Minister , and he stands before it and it is done. That is not what we want. That is not what Canadians want. They have had enough of all those things. They need real action. They need something they can look at and say, tangibly, “This is what the government produced.” Unicorns and rainbows do not make a difference anymore. We need real results that we can point to and say, “This is what the government did”, because this—”
“Madam Speaker, I voted against the budget, pure and simple, and we tried our best to defeat it. It did not work out. Other members from other parties supported the budget. I cannot speak for them. I can speak for my colleagues. We did our best.”
“Madam Speaker, that is a great question, and I could not agree more. The member seems to have his fingers on the pulse of Windsor. It is a crisis, but a deficit becomes a problem when every dollar borrowed becomes extra pressure for ordinary Canadians. There is more inflation, higher interest rates and rising taxes down the road. Those in Windsor are not watching numbers on a spreadsheet; they are watching food prices, heating bills and mortgage renewals go up. Debt should support productivity and growth. Right now, the deficit supports speeches and press releases. That is not investment; that is borrowing with no payoff at the end of the road.”
“I stand here determined because Windsor matters, our workers matter, our future matters and Canadians matter. We are not asking for handouts; we are asking for fairness and for urgency. We are asking for leadership that treats border communities like economic engines, not afterthoughts. Families are tired of speeches; they want action. Seniors are tired of promises; they want affordability. Businesses are tired of waiting; they want Canada to compete, not retreat. Today, on behalf of the people of Windsor, I have five questions. Where is the help? Why do the Liberals spend more and get less? why is the trade war not a burning issue for the Prime Minister ? Why are foreign investors prioritized over our workers? Why does Windsor keep getting told to wait? Canadians are ready. Windsor is ready.”
“Then there is the Ojibway national urban park, an environmental jewel, a generational opportunity and a chance for preservation, stewardship, education and pride, yet the file is shuffled, pushed back and still waiting. Windsor waits and waits, and at some point, that waiting ends up eroding trust and begins to look like neglect. I am not here to pick a fight; I am here to ask for some fairness for our city. Every press release in Ottawa seems to come with fireworks, but in Windsor, we are still waiting for answers. We are waiting for timelines that do not move, like shadows on a wall. Here is question number five: If the government can move money offshore in a heartbeat, why can it not move projects forward in Windsor? I am not standing here angrily.”
“Let me place this question question on the floor of this House: Why is the government prioritizing global investors over Canadian workers who built this country with their own blood, sweat and tears? Fifth, if this budget can move billions internationally, why can it not move projects in Windsor? This is where it becomes a reality for my hometown. Let us talk about the Gordie Howe International Bridge, a transformational project that was delayed, redated and adjusted, and still we do not have a firm final opening date. Businesses are planning logistics in a blind fashion. Truckers are paying premium rates for aging infrastructure. Small companies are wasting hours while idling at border queues. Do members want to know how to kill a business slowly? It is by taking away predictability.”
“The company most associated with these deals has quietly benefited more than almost any other in the country, while average families pay the price. People ask me questions at coffee shops, at the arena or at the temple after prayers: How do we have money for foreign investments but not enough for new homes or lower food costs? Why can Brookfield close deals abroad while Canadians struggle to pay more rent at home? How did the government become more interested in pleasing global finance, as with Brookfield, than its own workers? These are not wild conspiracy questions; these are kitchen-table questions. The fact that Canadians even need to ask them is alarming, in and of itself.”
“Toolmakers do not need slogans; they need fairness, predictable policy and respect from their own leadership, because when a trade war hits, the blast radius directly impacts border communities like mine. I ask the government, plainly and directly, question number three: If our manufacturing sector is sweating from the heat, how does the Prime Minister not see the flames? Fourth, why are we encouraging Canadian pension funds to invest in the U.A.E. or the U.S.A. while Canada is put on ice? I want Canadians to hear this clearly: While our economy contracts, Brookfield is signing deals around the world at a breakneck pace, and Canada, somehow, is left standing in the hallway. We are watching pension capital flow offshore while we desperately need investment here at home.”
“With one slowdown at the bridge, one tariff or one retaliatory measure, Windsor pays first. We have lived this reality for decades, but this week, the Prime Minister suggested the trade dispute with the United States is not a burning issue; it is just a minor detail. He asked, “Who cares?” These are not words that Windsor West expects a prime minister to say. Jobs, exports, tool-shops and auto supply chains are not just background noise; they are real people, and these struggles matter. (1045) Windsor cares. The workers at Titan Tool and Die care. They have been shut out of the factory because the owners have moved their operations across the Detroit River, and management is not even talking to the workers anymore.”
“The people in Windsor understand budgets. Households have them, shops have them and shift workers plan around them. They know they cannot put everything on a credit card and hope that tomorrow pays for yesterday, yet the government continues down that road, asking Canadians to trust that it will all balance out someday. The former prime minister said the budget would balance itself, but nothing balances itself. Someday is not a plan, and eventually is not a strategy. That brings me to question number two: How do we have record spending and record deficits and still have record amounts of struggle on our homes and streets? Third, If Windsor feels the fire of a trade war, why does the Prime Minister say there is no “burning issue”? We are a border city. We feel trade pressures before anyone else in the country.”
“I understand that the government had to spend more money during COVID, but what people want now is clarity. If we are posting the largest deficits in Canadian history outside of a crisis, the results should be tangible, visible and undeniable. That is not the case here. In communities like mine, what we see instead are gaps. Seniors are falling behind because they are on fixed incomes. Students are taking on more debt with fewer job guarantees. New immigrants are driving for Uber because they cannot match their skills with the jobs available. That is a failure of immigration policies. Small businesses are shuttering due to high costs. Families are lining up at food banks in record numbers, and churches are stepping in to fill the gaps. When the government spends this much and life still gets harder, something is fundamentally wrong.”
“Grocery bills are up, rent is up, gas is up and insurance is up, especially in border communities like ours. I have met parents who have skipped meals so their kids could eat. I have met seniors who ride one bus to buy slightly cheaper bread and then another to pick up prescriptions, because every dollar matters. Budget slogans do not fill kitchen cupboards. Press conferences do not lower bills. Families do not need speeches; they need policy that delivers. That is why budget delays matter. That is why every month counts. That is why people are asking, “If families cannot delay their bills, why was the government allowed to delay the budget this long?” Second, how does the government spend record-high deficit money and still deliver less? I want to be fair here.”
“That is the first of five questions I am putting before this chamber, not for theatre or to score points, but because people at home deserve straightforward answers. First, where is the support families were promised after six months of waiting? Windsor is not a city of complainers. We do not expect perfection, but we expect fairness. We are a city that knows what work means, whether it is shift work, working on a line or driving a rig across the border. Our people do not sit still. They do not wait for someone else to fix their problems. They get up and get on with it. However, they cannot keep absorbing rising costs while Ottawa keeps saying that help is coming. Help is not coming quickly enough, and sometimes it does not come at all.”
“Madam Speaker, it is always an honour and a pleasure to rise in this House on behalf of the good people of Windsor West. They are not impressed with this budget implementation act. This is not just another budget for the people of Windsor. It took the government six full months to bring it forward after forming a minority government. It took six months, while families watched the price of milk go up. It took six months, while rent climbed and mortgages increased. It took six months, while the cost of everything, from basic necessities to kids' hockey, went through the roof. When the budget implementation act finally arrived, folks looked at it and asked the same thing many of us are thinking here: Where is the help the government promised?”
“Mr. Speaker, Canadians are sick of waiting. Windsor has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Families are worried about bills, factories' being idle and a real trade war, but the Prime Minister said, “Who cares?” Conservatives care. Windsorites care. When will the Prime Minister treat Windsor workers as if their jobs mattered, and take urgent action to protect their paycheques and their families, for once and—”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised a U.S. trade deal by July 21. He called himself a master negotiator. He failed, and now he says he does not have a burning issue to talk to the U.S. President about. Meanwhile, Windsor auto workers at Stellantis, Ford and the small businesses that supply them have a real, burning issue with layoffs, shifts being cut and a Christmas full of worry. Will the Prime Minister look these workers in the eye and tell them their jobs and their kids' futures are not a burning issue for him?”
“Mr. Speaker, the government has spent more than any other in Canadian history, and it is promising to spend even more. How can the hon. member opposite justify a budget that pours gasoline on the inflationary fires that families are dealing with, with more Canadians lining up at food banks?”
“Mr. Speaker, I have a question regarding the planned savings the government is projecting. It says it will save $48 billion over the next five years. Most analysts are suggesting this is wishful thinking. Over the past 10 years, the government has tried finding efficiencies and failed miserably. It has caused an affordability crisis never seen before. Should Canadian voters believe the government's rosy projections this time around?”
“The petitioners therefore respectfully request that the Government of Canada, in collaboration with Parks Canada, the City of Windsor and the relevant first nations and provincial partners, take the necessary steps to finalize and enact the designation of an Ojibway national urban park to ensure long-term protection, ecological restoration and public access for current and future generations. I am tabling this petition on their behalf with great pride and honour.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a certified petition on behalf of the great residents of Windsor West and the surrounding region. The petitioners draw the attention of the House to the ecological, cultural and community significance of the Ojibway Prairie Complex and the adjacent natural areas, which are home to rare and endangered species and lands of great importance to indigenous people. They note that the proposal to establish an Ojibway national urban park has been advanced in Parliament, most recently by a private member's bill, Bill C-248 , in the last Parliament. This has already been considered by all the appropriate committees.”
“Mr. Speaker, extortion is out of control. It is up 330% across Canada and nearly 360% in Ontario since 2015. Two weeks ago a home in Windsor got sprayed with bullets in an extortion attack. As a former police officer, I know that criminals are taking advantage of our weak bail laws and the lack of tools for law enforcement. Canadians deserve safety, not excuses. When will the Liberals get serious and support our Conservative plan to crack down on rampant extortion and protect our communities? For God's sake, will they do something?”
“Mr. Speaker, there is a member opposite who has called in the past for the police to be defunded. His assertion was that disarming the police would be the best way to solve crime. As a former police officer, I find that extremely offensive, as do Canadians. The question for my colleague is this: What is his opinion on this matter of defunding the police?”
“Mr. Speaker, I have a friend who owns a shop in Rexdale, Ontario. His shop was shot up twice in the span of the last 15 days. Again it was an extortion-related issue. We have had 10 years during which extortion-related issues have gone up 330% in Canada and over 360% in all of Ontario. Based on these trajectories, we have not had any sensible solutions proposed by the Liberals over the last 10 years. The question for my colleague is this: What are we going to do as a Conservative Party?”
“Mr. Speaker, according to the Globe and Mail's Bill Curry, the government tucked 75 legislative changes into an annex that mysteriously vanished from the printed budget MPs were given. Is this what digital transformation means now, that the Liberals transform transparency into an upload? Can the member opposite ask the finance minister to table the full online annex today, or are MPs supposed to legislate by hyperlink? Can she explain why the Liberals decided to undertake such deception against fellow parliamentarians?”
“Madam Speaker, as Canada approaches the November 4 federal budget, families in Windsor are watching closely, and they are worried. Grocery bills are still climbing, housing remains out of reach and fuel prices are squeezing household budgets. Life costs too much, and the government seems to be out of touch. Windsor is a city that was built on hard work by auto workers, manufacturers and small business owners, but instead of rewarding that work, Ottawa keeps piling on carbon taxes, red tape and runaway spending that drives up inflation. Canadians do not need more talk; they need action. They need lower taxes on food, homes and energy; a firm cap on the deficit; and a government that puts working families first. Windsor deserves a budget that restores the promise of Canada that if a person works hard, they can build a great life here.”
“I would like to ask the member, who has also served in a leadership position in policing, what that sort of thing does to the morale of police officers, CBSA officers and RCMP officers who are involved on the front lines.”