Kevin Lamoureux
Winnipeg North, Manitoba · Liberal · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, as I have indicated, when we take a look at this particular legislation, or any other piece of legislation or budgetary measures that the government has brought in since the last election, when Canadians elected a new Prime Minister and a new government, we will find that listening to Canadians is the top priority.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want the member to recognize the degree to which the Conservative Party always wants to talk down the economy. It brings me to yesterday, when we found out that the Prime Minister went to the G7 and that 13 new deals were signed off, with countries such as Japan, Italy, Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands and Portugal, fi…”
“Mr. Speaker, since the last election, just over a year ago, when Canadians voted for our current Prime Minister and a new government, we have been listening to the people of Canada. Members will see that listening in every aspect of our legislative agenda and our budgetary measures.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to pick up on my friend's comment that we live in the real world. The real world is looking pretty good in terms of where Canada has been since the last federal election. We have a Prime Minister who has been out and about, attracting literally billions of dollars in commitments of investment.”
“Mr. Speaker, I appreciated to a certain degree the member's comments when he made reference to the issue of the process. However, I would ask him to realize that, over the years, things have changed considerably. We saw time allocation used during Stephen Harper's government a record number of times.”
“Mr. Speaker, today I am tabling a petition from a number of individuals. Actually, over 1,000 people have signed the petition. The petitioners are looking for a sense, from both the provincial Government of Manitoba and Ottawa, of working together to try to come up with a solution to deal with Manitoba's unique situation related to our wo…”
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“Mr. Speaker, I was a bit surprised at the Bloc's take on the issue. The member's argument seemed to be that, because the majority of the standing committee allowed the amendment the Bloc and the Conservatives worked together on to pass at committee, the House of Commons does not have the right to make a change. As we know, the House of Commons does have a right to do that. Even though the government has a minority in seats, if the majority of the members vote in one direction, does the member believe the standing committee should accept it?”
“Mr. Speaker, let me show the contrast of a caring government and what a caring government does. The Prime Minister , just a week ago, made an announcement about the national school food program, saying it is going to become a permanent program. Children in every region of the country will benefit from that program. We can contrast that to the Conservative response. As late as yesterday, we had a member disgracefully stand in the chamber to say that the program “is garbage”. That is not caring for Canadians, and that is not caring for children, but the Liberals will continue to do so into the future.”
“Mr. Speaker, one thing we know about the Conservatives is that they do not know shame. When I sat in opposition when the leader of the Conservative Party was a part of the government, they actually cut the summer student jobs program. How dare they try to say that we as a government do not support youth, when he sat around the cabinet table and did nothing but make cut after cut? The young people of Canada know that the government has their back, and we will continue to do that. Come November 4, there is going to be a powerful stipend for the young people of Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the passion that the member has expressed on the issue. I know it has been a very important issue for her personally for a good length of time. We know there have been individuals like Mr. Chapman and many others who have really been fighting for the cause, advocating that we recognize the value of our citizenship and the people who should have citizenship, and they are pleased to see that we now have this bill before us. It is, at the least, a very significant step forward in recognizing and giving citizenship to many people who should have had it long ago. Could the member provide her thoughts on how important it is that we finally get to a stage where people would be getting their citizenship?”
“Mr. Speaker, if the member wants to talk about the bail issue, there is Bill C-14 . This is a private member's bill, and the member who put it forward put a great deal of effort and time into it. There are only two hours of debate. I would ask—”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and the government were elected just a number of months ago. During the election campaign, there was a commitment made by the Prime Minister, saying that we are going to secure Canada's borders and we are going to look at stabilizing our immigration. Bill C-12 would do just that. It is a significant step. There are also other measures, such as increasing the number of RCMP and border control officers. Collectively, the bill would make a huge difference, and I am glad to hear that the Conservatives are open to allowing the bill to go to committee so we can at least make it go through a process. I believe that Canadians expect the politicians here in Ottawa to work co-operatively to make things of this nature happen. I wonder whether the member could provide his comments on working co-operatively.”
“Mr. Speaker, one of the things we have had a great deal of discussion about in the chamber is the RCMP. The leader of the official opposition made a profoundly derogatory statement about the RCMP, saying that its management is “despicable”. I am wondering whether the member opposite supports her leader's comments or whether she believes, as do a vast majority of Canadians, that the RCMP is an institution that has worldwide respect, that the leader of the official opposition was wrong and that he owes Canadians an apology. Does the member believe in the integrity of the RCMP or in the leader of her party?”
“Mr. Speaker, the fentanyl scourge that is taking place in North America is very serious for downtowns throughout North America, and I think that it is important that we recognize that, as a governing body, we should be doing whatever we can. We are securing borders, which will help. We attempted, though Bill C-2 , to be able to deal with fentanyl being distributed through the mail, which the Conservatives oppose. However, the question I have for the member opposite is this: If there were assurances that a court order would be necessary in order to look into an envelope to check it for fentanyl, would that member support that?”
“Mr. Speaker, I cannot believe the member makes reference to the RCMP, but does not concede the fact that her leader, the Leader of the Opposition , the leader of the Conservative Party, and this is a quote from the Winnipeg Free Press, called the leadership of the RCMP “despicable”. It is disgraceful to have the leader of the official opposition making that sort of a statement. He owes Canadians an apology. The member has the tenacity to try to throw it back at the government on another issue. Does the member agree that the Leader of the Conservative Party owes Canadians an apology, or does she support her leader's comments?”
“Mr. Speaker, the member spent a lot of time talking about youth and jobs. I am sure he recalls, because he was around then, when Stephen Harper cut the the summer jobs program for youth. If we were to contrast the overall number of jobs, more than double the number of jobs have been created in the last 10 years than were created in the 10 years the member was part of the Conservative regime known as the Harper regime. November 4 is coming up, and I believe we will see substantive measures to build hope in the minds and hearts of Canadians. It would be a drastic change for us to start adopting the failed Conservative policies that were demonstrated in the past. Even today, a Conservative colleague said the national school program was nothing but “garbage”.”
“Mr. Speaker, the RCMP is recognized around the world as a first-class organization and institution. That is how I am looking at this. I would like to quote an article from the Winnipeg Free Press. In it, the leader of the Conservative Party said the leadership of the RCMP is “despicable”. He is reflecting on a Canadian institution that holds the highest amount of respect. I believe the leader of the Conservative Party owes all Canadians an apology for those remarks. Would my colleague not agree that what is despicable are the actions of the leader of the Conservative Party ?”
“Mr. Speaker, we have had many hours of debate on the issue, and one of the things coming out of the issue is something that has been talked about today. I would like the member to listen to a quote from one of her own Conservative colleagues, the member for Peace River—Westlock : “The actions of the leadership of the RCMP are indefensible in many instances.” Another colleague, the member for Bow River , said, “management weaknesses” when referring to the RCMP. The member's own leader said that the leadership of the RCMP is “despicable”. What is despicable is how the Conservative Party is putting a black mark on the RCMP as an institution. The RCMP is recognized worldwide as a positive thing. Can the member provide her thoughts on this issue? Does she—”
“Mr. Speaker, I have deep respect for the member opposite in being a former law enforcement officer. We have already had a great deal of discussion about the RCMP today. This is a statement that was made by the member's colleague from Peace River—Westlock . He said, “The actions of the leadership of the RCMP, I think, are indefensible in many instances.” Another one of his colleagues from Bow River referred to “management weaknesses”. The leader of the Conservative Party said, as reported in the Winnipeg Free Press, that “the leadership of the RCMP is ‘despicable’”. What are the member's feelings about the RCMP? Could some of his colleagues have gone too far in assessing the management of—”
“It is the Prime Minister who is making commitments while the leader of the Conservative Party is badmouthing the leadership of the RCMP.”
“Mr. Speaker, just months ago, there was a national election, and the Liberal Party, in particular the Prime Minister , received more votes than have ever been cast for the Liberal Party in the history of our party. A very solid mandate was delivered. To the member's comments on “tiny” projects, there is $60 billion for five of them, one being a multi-billion dollar project in the province of B.C. They carry out through the Prairies, going all the way to the east. This is a Prime Minister who not only has a vision, but is implementing that vision, and today is a good example. The election platform said to deal with border security. That is what Bill C-12 is all about. It said to deal with immigration stabilization. That is what Bill C-12 is all about.”
“Mr. Speaker, less than an hour ago, we had the Conservative member from Peace River—Westlock say, “The actions of the leadership of the RCMP are indefensible in many instances.” We have had the member for Bow River say “management weakness” in reference to the RCMP. We have the leader of the Conservative Party being quoted in the Winnipeg Free Press as saying, “the leadership of the RCMP is...despicable”. I believe that Canadians need to have an apology, at the very least from the leader of the Conservative Party , and I am wondering if the member who just spoke echoes the same sentiments as the three individuals I just quoted. What are his feelings about the RCMP? Should his leader not apologize to Canadians?”
“Mr. Speaker, I am actually encouraged. The member seems to have a deep amount of respect for the RCMP. He cited statistics and so forth, and he talked very positively about the RCMP. I want to share with him something that appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press last week, on October 17. It references how the leader of the Conservative Party called the leadership of the RCMP “despicable”. This is something his leader said about the leadership of the RCMP. I agree with the member, who talked about how reliable and valuable the RCMP is in terms of providing service to Canadians. In fact, it is recognized worldwide as a wonderful organization from a legal, security and intelligence—”
“Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister made a commitment to Canadians to deal with strengthening Canada's borders and to deal with immigration and the area of stabilization, in particular dealing with asylum seekers. Bill C-12 would do just that. It is a fulfillment, in good part, of a commitment that was made. We are looking for co-operation from opposition members, because this is a minority government, in recognizing that this legislation is a significant move forward. I would suggest that this bill, combined with the commitment of having 1,000 new border control officers and 1,000 new RCMP personnel, would provide more security for Canadians by securing our borders and making our streets a safer place. Would the member not agree that to get the legislation through, we need a high sense of co-operation?”
“I am wondering whether the member can provide his explanation as to why the Conservatives tend to want to mislead Canadians on important issues.”
“Madam Speaker, one of the things I have noticed from Conservatives is that they like to make a statement. It is somewhat misleading, and I am being kind. Let me give a specific example. The member makes reference to safe injection sites, which are under the jurisdiction of provincial governments. Other Conservative members have made reference to injection sites' being around, for example, schools and playground areas. The Conservatives try to blame this on the federal government, yet it is a provincial and municipal, in particular provincial, responsibility. The Conservatives are suggesting the federal government should override provincial jurisdiction, but instead of trying to be bold and say what it is, they try to give the false impression that Ottawa is responsible for the matter.”
“Madam Speaker, the member's response to the previous question about the RCMP was that the Liberals needed a mirror. The leader of the official opposition said that the RCMP was “despicable”. I am using the words of the leader of the official opposition. He owes Canadians an apology. Liberals do not need to look in the mirror. What we need from the leader of the Conservative Party is a public apology to Canadians. Does he not agree—”
“Madam Speaker, throughout the debates and discussions on Bill C-12 , we have heard a lot of criticisms toward Bill C-2 . The question I have for my friend across the way is this: Do the Conservatives have any amendments that they would like to see for Bill C-12 ? Are there aspects specific to Bill C-12 that they would like to see amended? If so, would the Conservatives be prepared to share some of those thoughts on specific amendments?”
“Could she also comment on the importance, from her perspective, of having bail reform, ideally before the end of the year?”
“Madam Speaker, we have had a great deal of debate, first on Bill C-2 , with well over 18 hours, and now with over six hours, maybe seven or eight hours of debate on the bill that is before us. I bring that up because today is a fantastic day in the sense that the minister introduced bail reform, something that has been anticipated across Canada for months now. There is a very strong desire for bail reform to take place. I wonder whether the member could provide her thoughts in regard to the issue of bail reform, reflecting on Bill C-12 and the importance of, at the very least, recognizing that at some point in time we need to get things to committee. Would the member not agree that Bill C-12 is getting very close, hopefully, to going to committee stage?”
“Madam Speaker, I will just pick up on the asylum issue. If we look back at 2010-2011, we see that there was a bump in the number of asylum seekers, and the government at the time recognized the need for some change. We have gone through a pandemic; there are issues surrounding international students, led by private institutions and different levels of government; and there is a need for us to respond. The system needs to change. Would the NDP at the very least recognize that at times we need to change the system in order to protect its integrity? That is what the Prime Minister and the government are doing today; they are looking at Bill C-12 as a way to update the system.”
“Madam Speaker, I understand that the New Democrats are having difficulty with the legislation, but I think we need to recognize that the Prime Minister and the Liberal Party have made a commitment to Canadians to strengthen our borders, and the legislation is a very important aspect. They also made a commitment to stabilize immigration-related issues, and asylum is one of those issues. There is a holistic approach. We are also looking at budgetary measures to support it: for example, the 1,000 RCMP officers and, from my perspective, more importantly, the 1,000 Canada border control agents. I wonder whether the member could provide his or the NDP's thoughts on the 2,000 additional RCMP and CBSA personnel in total.”
“Mr. Speaker, those are interesting comments. When the leader of the Conservative Party sat around the Harper cabinet inside the Conservative caucus, they passed laws that did not meet the charter challenge. We had the superior courts actually rule them out of order. Now the member makes accusations about the current Liberal government or the past Liberal government. Can he cite any legislation that we have introduced that has gone against the charter, an actual bill that has been ruled as going against the charter in terms of individual rights? We are the party that brought in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”
“At times, we need to make changes, whether for the pandemic or the international student issue, something that was created through the provinces, post-secondary institutions and a lot of private institutions. We have to take some responsibility on that, but it is being fixed. I wonder if my friend could provide his thoughts with regard to the new Prime Minister and how we are stabilizing the immigration file.”
“Madam Speaker, as members can see, the member opposite is getting excited about November 4. There will be a lot of wonderful things for Canadians in the budget. He will find that it will be a reflection of what Canadians have been telling this government for months now. The new Prime Minister has made it very clear, whether on asylum, temporary permits or permanent residents, that we want to stabilize things. That is the goal of the government and the Prime Minister, and we are moving in the right direction with respect to that. Bill C-12 is a significant step forward. It is like in 2010-11, when asylum was a major issue and the Harper government brought in changes to the asylum system.”
“Madam Speaker, someone saying something does not necessarily mean it is a reflection of reality. Let me give a specific example. This member and other Conservatives have consistently been saying “injection sites” and been critical of the federal government. To be very clear, the injection sites are the provinces' responsibility, and they are the ones that ultimately give consent as to where those injection sites go. The Conservatives are saying that Ottawa should override a provincial responsibility, but they do not say that. Instead, they try to give the impression that the federal government wants injection sites by playgrounds, which is just wrong, and I find in the comments they often give in the speeches the same sort of thing. A simple statement is expressed, but when I dig into it, I find out that it is exceptionally misleading.”
“Madam Speaker, I guess, if we are throwing insults, she is behaving like a Communist. They are so far to the left. Does the member understand that we have a 7% factor to a 5% factor in terms of temporary permits? Does she believe that Canada should be moving toward that 5%? The Prime Minister and the government do believe that we should be leaning toward 5% on temporary permits. Does she support that? Does she support the government trying to address the asylum issue? There is an issue there. Does she believe we should address it, or should we just sit back, close our eyes and put our heads in the sand?”
“We need to stabilize the whole asylum area and stabilize immigration in general. It is good for the Canadian economy for us to do that. Bill C-12 would, in good part, do that. I do not understand why the NDP does not support the legislation.”
“Madam Speaker, we see the extremes. We have the leader of the Conservative Party , who, in essence, wants everyone to leave. Then we have the NDP members. I do not think they fully understand what the situation or the reality is on the ground level. I really and truly believe that. The New Democrats try to give a false impression that there is no need for us to modify or make changes to the system of asylum. I do not understand it. I deal with immigration virtually every day. Every Saturday, I talk with people who want to come to Canada. I do not understand where the member is getting her numbers from, to try to give the false impression that there is nothing wrong with the system. We have a Prime Minister and a government that recognize that we have a very serious situation.”
“Madam Speaker, we know asylum has been an issue previously, such as in 2010 and 2011, when there were large numbers that required an adjustment to the system, and we had to make changes to the asylum system. What we have witnessed, whether it is through the pandemic or the international students issue, is that there is a need for change to be made. Bill C-12 would do just that, and I am wondering if the member could provide his thoughts on that, because at times we need to modernize and make changes to retain integrity in the system.”
“Madam Speaker, I appreciate the comments my colleague and friend has put on the record in regard to Bill C-12 . One of the issues I raised yesterday is the way in which the Prime Minister or the government as a whole is dealing with the issue of securing our borders; it is a lot more than just bringing forward legislation. We have witnessed the government materialize, in terms of budgetary purposes, and allocate an additional 1,000 border control agents. When we take a holistic approach in terms of what the Prime Minister said in the last election about securing Canada's borders, and we are now talking about legislation that is going to do just that, and complement it with the idea of adding 1,000 border control officers, I believe that is a very strong commitment fulfilled by the Prime Minister and the Liberal government.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to present a petition regarding health care. The backbone of our health care system is our nurses, and nurses are very much concerned about everything from credential recognition to the workloads they have and the whole issue of recruitment. They would like to see more of the provincial and federal governments working in co-operation for the betterment of our nurses, ultimately providing better-quality care for Canadians from coast to coast to coast.”
“Madam Speaker, when I think of this private member's bill, the first thing that comes to mind is that we have literally dozens, if not hundreds of treaties that have been brought in. Since I was first elected, there have been probably 400-plus treaties. I contrast what the member is asking for with the sorts of procedures we have had over the years. For example, on trade agreements, we have opportunities for opposition days. There is all sorts of debate when legislation and so forth come forward. I have never really heard someone say they have an objection to how the majority of the MPs in the chamber did not support a particular treaty. Is he aware of any treaties that the majority of MPs did not support?”
“Mr. Speaker, I can say that real leadership does not come from a Conservative leader who insults the RCMP as an institution. That is despicable, yet we still have not heard him apologize to Canadians for making what I would classify as a stupid statement. Having said that, my question for the member is with respect to fentanyl. Conservatives talk about wanting the government to do more on the fentanyl issue, yet when it brought in a mechanism to deal with fentanyl being distributed through the mail, they jumped up and down and said we could not do it that way. I wonder why, when we actually take an action to deal with something, it is the natural disposition of the Conservatives to oppose the government no matter what. That is what it seems at times.”
“Mr. Speaker, to be very clear, provinces and municipalities dictate where the safe sites go. To try to blame Ottawa for something that is not within its jurisdiction is irresponsible. Does the member not have any confidence in the municipalities and the province he represents? Does he believe the province should not be responsible for safe sites, along with municipalities?”
“Mr. Speaker, when I look at Bill C-12 , as I have mentioned previously, I see it as a very important commitment that the Prime Minister made to Canadians, which was to secure our border and make sure that we have an increase in personnel, with 1,000 new border patrol officers and 1,000 new RCMP officers. This will have real and tangible results. I am wondering if the member opposite could provide his thoughts on why it is important that we see a legislative initiative taken to support a secure border.”
“Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the comments my colleague put on the record. I would like him to expand on the importance of Bill C-12 in the sense that it is part of the overall package of what our new Prime Minister and this government has proposed. During the last federal election, there was a commitment by the Prime Minister to secure Canada's borders. This is a very important aspect of fulfilling a campaign platform commitment. In addition to this legislation, as the member made reference to, there is the hiring of 1,000 new CBSA officers, which is another component fulfilling the election platform. Could the member expand on the importance of fulfilling that particular platform issue?”
“Mr. Speaker, bail reform legislation is on its way, and I look forward to the Conservatives' response to it. The question I have for the member is about asylum seekers. Back when Jason Kenney was the minister of immigration, the number was 60,000 and it was reduced to 10,000. They recognized the need for change and brought in legislation. There have been demands for changes to this and we are bringing in changes. Does the member support them?”
“Mr. Speaker, I am wondering whether my colleague could provide his thoughts on how the Prime Minister and the Liberal caucus are taking a holistic approach on the issue. Today we are talking about Bill C-12 , which would do wonders in securing Canada's borders, but at the same time we are making tangible commitments. The member just referred to an announcement of additional RCMP officers and Canada border control officers. Whether it is legislation or budgetary measures, we are taking the issue seriously, and when dealing with an issue of this nature, it is important that we take a holistic approach.”
“Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the many comments the minister has actually put on the record. I truly believe that the immigration department, with the new Prime Minister , has put a lot of emphasis on stabilizing immigration here in Canada. When I think of asylum seekers, I go back to the days when I was the critic for immigration, when we had issues with Hungary, the number of Hungarians coming over, and how this was impacting asylum seekers. The government had to bring in legislation to make some changes. I wonder whether the minister could provide her comments. At times, we need to bring in legislation to ensure that we are protecting the integrity of the system.”
“Mr. Speaker, speaking of moral obligations, I believe there is a moral obligation for the leader of the Conservative Party to apologize to Canadians for the comments he made last week. I cannot understand how the Conservatives not only refuse to address the issue, but refuse, at the very least, to recognize that what was said was wrong. The RCMP is an institution in Canada that is respected worldwide, except by the leader of the official opposition. I think that is despicable. Will the hon. member not stand up for the RCMP?”
“Mr. Speaker, coming out of question period, one issue that constantly comes up is the lack of respect coming from the leader of the Conservative Party toward Canada's RCMP. This is a very serious issue. The leader owes Canadians an apology for his comments, which are despicable, toward our mounted police. Earlier today, the member for Bow River piled on by saying “management weakness”, referring to the RCMP. I am wondering if the hon. member would not agree that the RCMP is a world-class security and law enforcement agency that deserves far more respect than what the leader of the Conservative Party was saying over the last week.”
“Mr. Speaker, when the member was reading some statistics, I did a quick search on Stats Canada to find out some information on crime issues. I found it interesting. This is from Stats Canada. The crime severity index is down 4.1%. The police-reported crime rate per 100,000 population is down by 3.6%. The violent crime severity index is down by 1%. The youth crime rate per 100,000 is down by 4.2%. The non-violent crime severity index is down by 5.7%. This is actually on Stats Canada. Does the member recognize that stats can be used in different ways? The bottom line is that we are bringing in bail reform legislation, something the new Prime Minister has made a solemn commitment to Canadians on. I suspect it will deal with many of the issues Canadians are concerned about. Would the member not agree, whether it is Bill C-12 or the—”
“Mr. Speaker, the Green Party, through its leader, has indicated that it will not be supporting Bill C-12 . I wonder if the member could provide her thoughts on the Prime Minister 's commitment to building on our border control and RCMP with 1,000 personnel in each area. Does she believe that is a positive thing?”
“Mr. Speaker, our new Prime Minister made a commitment to Canadians to secure the border and take certain actions to ensure that we stabilize immigration-related issues. I see the legislation as being very positive and encouraging. Bill C-12 will hopefully garner the support necessary to ultimately get through. It is important to Canadians. This does not mean we give up on Bill C-2 . As an example, in northern Manitoba, fentanyl in the mail really has an impact. There are many rural communities in northern Manitoba that want the government to take action on it. That action is in Bill C-2 . I hope the leader of the Green Party will be more sympathetic to people in northern Manitoba—”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to follow up on some comments made by a Conservative who spoke previously. Before I do that, let me share a quote from a Winnipeg Free Press article referring to the leader of the Conservative Party 's calling the leadership of the RCMP “despicable”. I believe that the leader of the Conservative Party needs to apologize to Canadians for the reputational harm that has been caused to the RCMP. When I raised the question with the member for Bow River , the member said that it was just management weakness of the RCMP. He is literally doubling down on what the leader of the Conservative Party is saying. Does the member across the way agree with the leader of the Conservative Party, and with his colleague from Bow River who says it it just management weakness? Do they believe in the RCMP—”