Greg Fergus
Hull—Aylmer, Quebec · Liberal · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, Canada is one of the world's largest food producers. However, too much of the food we produce is processed abroad, and too many Canadians still rely on high‑priced imports. Canadian farmers deserve more options for selling their products, and Canadians deserve more choices about where they buy their food.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would also like to wish the hon. member for Yorkton—Melville all the best, a woman I got to know through the National Prayer Breakfast. We have sat together. We have talked together. I wish the very best to her and her family for having served her constituents of Yorkton—Melville with great honour.”
“Madam Speaker, the hon. parliamentary secretary made reference to one of the symbols noted in the amendment, which is the noose. As he knows, it is an issue of particular importance to Black Canadians. I wonder if he could discuss why it is important to list symbols such as the noose as hate symbols.”
“Mr. Speaker, as Pride season kicks off, I am pleased to stand up and celebrate the 30th anniversary of Jeunesse Idem. For 30 years, young people in the Outaouais 2SLGBTQIA+ community have had a place where they are respected, affirmed and loved.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have a question for my hon. colleague from Laval—Les Îles. Did I understand my hon. colleague correctly when he said that the official opposition had engaged in filibustering despite the serious challenges we face in Canada and in the Standing Committee on Finance?”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the contributions of Johanna Mizgala, chief curator of the House of Commons, who will leave the House at the end of September. A few months after she started working in the House, Ms.”
The complete record
Every one of 125 lines we hold for Greg Fergus, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 1 of 3.
“Mr. Speaker, I would also like to wish the hon. member for Yorkton—Melville all the best, a woman I got to know through the National Prayer Breakfast. We have sat together. We have talked together. I wish the very best to her and her family for having served her constituents of Yorkton—Melville with great honour. Working in Parliament is a very unforgiving job, but she has acquitted herself well. I wish her the very best.”
“Mr. Speaker, Canada is one of the world's largest food producers. However, too much of the food we produce is processed abroad, and too many Canadians still rely on high‑priced imports. Canadian farmers deserve more options for selling their products, and Canadians deserve more choices about where they buy their food. Could the Minister of Finance tell us how the first‑ever national food security strategy will help us produce and process more food right here in Canada, so that more Canadian food ends up on our plates and more money—”
“Madam Speaker, the hon. parliamentary secretary made reference to one of the symbols noted in the amendment, which is the noose. As he knows, it is an issue of particular importance to Black Canadians. I wonder if he could discuss why it is important to list symbols such as the noose as hate symbols.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have a question for my hon. colleague from Laval—Les Îles. Did I understand my hon. colleague correctly when he said that the official opposition had engaged in filibustering despite the serious challenges we face in Canada and in the Standing Committee on Finance? Furthermore, the amendments they proposed to the bill's provisions were reportedly made only in English.”
“Mr. Speaker, as Pride season kicks off, I am pleased to stand up and celebrate the 30th anniversary of Jeunesse Idem. For 30 years, young people in the Outaouais 2SLGBTQIA+ community have had a place where they are respected, affirmed and loved. For 30 years, queer youth in the Outaouais have had a place to thrive, grow, and find a community. It is a place to find oneself. For 30 years, Jeunesse Idem has been visiting schools in the Outaouais to teach our youth about loving others and loving themselves. As we see a rise in homophobia, transphobia and violence against queer people, the work that Jeunesse Idem does, day in and day out, remains as important and relevant as ever. On behalf of myself and the people of Hull—Aylmer, I thank and commend Jeunesse Idem for 30 years of dedicated service.”
“[ English ] Many of us know her personally, as she shared her expertise widely. We thank her for her remarkable service and wish her every success in her next chapter.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the contributions of Johanna Mizgala, chief curator of the House of Commons, who will leave the House at the end of September. A few months after she started working in the House, Ms. Mizgala showed leadership and grace under actual fire, keeping a group of parliamentary guides calm as shots rang out and she led them to safety. As Speaker, I saw her love and passion first-hand as she worked to preserve our history and heritage for all Canadians. (1115) [ Translation ] She helped bring our history to life through interviews and reports on significant milestones, such as the centenary of the Parliament Hill fire, and key events in our history, such as the 20th anniversary of Nunavut and the 150th anniversary of Confederation. She also helped create the Room of Remembrance in West Block.”
“Mr. Speaker, there has been a lot of information and disinformation with regard to this bill. One of the pieces clearly is that we would be taking away the rights of people of faith, people such as me, who attend church weekly and would feel that this would somehow impede them from speaking openly about their faith. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I can speak the words of sacred text, which for me is the Holy Bible and for others could be the Torah, the Koran or whatever text they have, but the fact is that I still have no right to preach for hate. That is a very high level. Just quoting the Bible, or any sacred text, at all is not what would put it in danger. The problem is when people call for the eradication of an identified group. That remains there regardless of—”
“Mr. Speaker, education is officially a provincial responsibility. However, in a sociological sense, education belongs to all of us. Today's bill gives us the opportunity to clearly explain to Canadians what hate is and how we can ensure that we live together harmoniously, which is in our country's nature. My hon. colleague from Repentigny referred to an amendment that he had supported that was withdrawn from the bill. I recognize that it was very important to have the Bloc Québécois's support, but I would also like to say that, honestly, it did not change anything in terms of the scope of the bill. Even if we are talking about a religious person, the line that is crossed when inciting hatred remains the same. Nothing has changed in that regard, regardless of whether this exemption exists or not. Hatred—”
“Black Canadians deserve to know that their government sees that reality and is taking it seriously. So do all the communities that hate has touched, and this bill is how we show it to them. In conclusion, on behalf of the parliamentary Black caucus and on behalf of Black Canadians around this country, I ask every member of this House to please support this bill.”
“Somewhere in the country tonight, there may be a worker going into his workplace and seeing the symbol of the noose being displayed or seeing a drawing of it. Right now, there is a parent explaining to their child what these various symbols of hate represent, having that difficult conversation that so many Canadians have to have with their children and their family. There are people right now deciding whether or not their place of worship, whether it is a church, a synagogue, a mosque or a gurdwara, their holy place, needs security equipment installed to ensure the safety of the people who come to worship. These Canadians are owed many things by their country and by their Parliament. One of them is a criminal law that sees what is happening to them clearly and responds firmly.”
“Community organizations have produced report after report. The gap between what communities experience and what the law can capture was identified long ago, and it was identified by people far less powerful than any one of us in this chamber. However, they kept on raising it anyway. It should not have taken this long. I say that as a member of the governing party, and I say that because communities that are watching at home know this to be true, and we need to be honest about what this legislation would do. What I have also learned is that the second-best time to act is now, so let us all support this bill. Bill C-9 , finally, would catch up to where people are. I will end with what I started with.”
“I will leave the legal mechanics to the colleagues who have covered them and will cover them. I just want to say that communities have learned to measure laws by whether anything changes. If they call the police, will actions be taken? That is how people measure whether there is really justice in this country. This bill is built to change what happens when they call. Parliament, as members know, moves slowly, and in moving slowly, often there is wisdom, but sometimes it is the symbol of avoidance; it is an act of avoidance. Regarding the question of hate-motivated crime, I believe we have been slow in the second way. The evidence has been in front of us for years, if not generations. Statistics Canada has documented the rise of anti-Black hate crimes and of police-reported hate crimes year after year.”
“The law of this country would say in plain text that this symbol, used wilfully to promote hatred and terror, has no place in this country. It would be a message for Black Canadians. This sentence in the Criminal Code would be a recognition that decades of telling the truth about their experience has registered somewhere, that it registered here in this Parliament. Confronting anti-Black hate means naming it, and this Parliament is about to name it. The noose is a symbol that everyone recognizes, and the daily reality of anti-Black hate is usually quieter. It looks like threats, harassment, vandalism and intimidation, and it builds over months. The stand-alone hate crime offence at the heart of Bill C-9 is what would give the justice system the means to treat those acts as what they are.”
“What wears them down is carrying it while institutions look away. When this bill names the noose explicitly in the law of Canada, I want this House to understand how that lands in our communities. The noose has a very specific and painful history for Black Canadians. My hon. colleague talked about the symbol of lynchings. (2000) [ Translation ] I do not want to be too explicit, but I have to say that hanging, lynching, is not something that just happens by accident. It is often an act that follows torture and terror. [ English ] It gives a very different perspective. When that symbol appears at a Canadian work site, the person who finds it instantly understands what it means. They know that they could never hold into themselves what the law does not do to protect them. This bill would change that.”
“For most of that time, the answer they got was sympathy. Sympathy is welcome. Sympathy is appreciated. Sympathy also costs nothing, and communities know the difference between a government that feels for them and a government that legislates for them. Bill C-9 legislates. As I mentioned, as co-chair of the parliamentary Black caucus, I hear from Black Canadians from across this country. They are parents, workers, students, children and elders. When the subject of hate incidents comes up, the pain in those conversations rarely centres on the incidents alone. It centres on what happens afterward, because it is not what happens to someone but what happens afterward that is most important, and the legal process takes what is a racist act and changes it into a generic file. People can carry a great deal.”
“Finally, we are dealing with an issue that is of great symbolic importance and is a real symbol of hate for our community. I have been in and around public life for a long time, and for as long as I can remember, Black communities have been telling governments the same thing. They have described a noose left on a workplace, a drawing on a wall or an actual noose being held at a construction site, for example, and what that means to them. They are threats that police have had trouble categorizing, or incidents reported and then quietly filed away because the law had no clear box to categorize them in. They told these stories to commissions, to committees, to ministers and to members of Parliament from every party, and they have told them with a patience, frankly, that these communities should have never needed.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today not only as a member of Parliament, but also as co-chair of the Parliamentary Black Caucus, a position I share with my dear colleague from Terrebonne , who just gave a very good speech. I would like to bring a slightly different perspective to our discussion this evening on Bill C-9 . The Senate amendment, which seeks to designate the noose as a symbol of hatred, is very important. The Senate did excellent work that deserves our support. [ English ] I would like to speak about what this bill means to the Black communities that I speak with every week, about what this bill means to us and about what it means that Parliament is finally doing it. The word that comes back every time I have a discussion about this is “finally”.”
“Madam Speaker, I, too, want to wish our dear colleague from Côte-du-Sud—Rivière-du-Loup—Kataskomiq—Témiscouata a speedy recovery. I would also like to thank my colleague from Moncton—Dieppe for her speech. [ English ] My question relates to amending the Criminal Code to make it illegal for intimate, non-consensual images to be shared. As the member spoke about, and as I know from participating in committee work, this is a particularly terrible scourge for women who have deepfake images or non-consensual sexual images distributed by former partners. Can the member talk about the importance of having this issue corrected and made illegal in Bill C-16 ?”
“She also introduced a motion to have the Famous Five monument erected on Parliament Hill. On behalf of the entire House, I would like to salute Jean Augustine for her life of public service, and thank her for helping make Canada the modern and inclusive country we enjoy today. I hope all members will join us this evening— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to a true mother of Confederation, the Hon. Jean Augustine. [ English ] Jean is in Ottawa today to receive the Pearson Laureate Award, its highest honour, joining such past honourees whose leadership has helped make Canada a better country, including Jean Chrétien, Joe Clark and Irwin Cotler. Born in Grenada, she emigrated to Canada in 1960 under the West Indian domestic scheme, the same scheme under which my mother came to Canada. She worked in education, and later served on the founding committee to organize Caribana, now known as the Toronto Caribbean Carnival. Jean Augustine was the first Black woman elected to the House of Commons in 1993, and became the first Black woman to serve in a federal cabinet. She introduced the motion to recognize February as Black History Month.”
“Mr. Speaker, this week the Standing Committee on Public Safety heard critical testimony from various witnesses on Bill C-22 , including the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. They highlighted that investigations on child sexual exploitation are taking too long and that the bill would help law enforcement get the necessary information quicker. Can the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Public Safety tell the House how this bill is part of our government's broader public safety initiative?”
“Mr. Speaker, last week, we lost Dr. Juliet Daniel, a remarkable scientist, mentor and leader whose legacy will live on. Born in Barbados, she came to study at Queen's University and she earned her Ph.D. at UBC. She went on to become a full professor at McMaster University and a respected voice in her field. I had the privilege of meeting her in Ottawa where she spoke about her research on triple negative breast cancer, which disproportionately affects Black women. Her discovery of the gene Kaiso, named after a type of calypso music, was a significant contribution to understanding how cancer spreads. I give my heartfelt condolences to her loved ones. Dr. Daniel's time on earth was like a comet: brief yet unforgettable. Though our time together was short, I wish her eternal peace.”
“Mr. Speaker, in their speeches, the opposition members are saying that what is happening here in Parliament is unprecedented. I have a question for my hon. colleague, the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons. Can he give us an example of any place in Canada or even under the British parliamentary system of a majority government that did not control or hold a majority of seats on committees?”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to do a thought experiment. What would happen if this were the opposite situation, if a government that was in a majority lost members to the opposing party? What would be the principle at work then?”
“Mr. Speaker, thank you for allowing me to get up a third time to ask a question about this bill. I am glad to hear that the hon. member feels the bill is an improvement over Bill C-2 . I would like to know what specific element of change he would like to see in this bill at committee.”
“Mr. Speaker, first, I would like thank my colleague from British Columbia for his measured and nuanced speech. He and I agree that it is important to update the laws that protect us in this digital age rather than relying on a legislative framework that predates the invention of the Internet. My colleague talked about avenues that he would like to explore in committee to delve deeper into some of the issues that he raised. Can he give a specific example of an amendment that he would like to see made to this bill?”
“Mr. Speaker, men and boys across Canada are facing a health crisis. They feel their physical and mental health issues are overlooked, misunderstood or ignored. Stress and injury are normalized and vulnerability is stigmatized. Too many men and boys suffer in silence, and they are wary of asking for help. Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health inform this House about what the government is doing to help men and boys across Canada live healthier lives?”
“Mr. Speaker, I know the hon. member has done work in this field, and I thank her for her work. The best way to make sure that she is protected, I am protected and everyone here is protected is to not cast a wide net. This is why there are some safeguards in this bill, for example, making sure that there would be judicial reviews of these orders and having ministerial orders approved by an officer of Parliament, the intelligence commissioner. These are safeguards that are built into this bill to ensure that there would not be any excesses, as the member rightfully would be concerned about. I have great confidence that people doing their jobs properly will make sure that we avoid, as we say in French, des débordements .”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Shefford for her very relevant question. We introduced this bill to give our national security and intelligence agencies new tools, modern tools, they could use to conduct investigations and protect Canadians. That does not mean that we are going to be spending money the same way as before. We can take advantage of these new tools. Rather than using paper and sorting through paper files, we can use modern tools to do the work, making it much more efficient and effective. I think that is one way of making sure that we are protecting Canadians.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member from the Edmonton area for raising this issue. It is a very important issue and one that I fully support, and I understand what he is bringing up. I know, for example, that the NSICOP Act is behind in its five-year review. I can assure the hon. member that I would be happy to work in partnership with him and others to ensure that this review does happen. I will also commit to working with the member on these issues. This is not easily arrived at, in terms of Bill C-22 . To ensure that Canadians have confidence in it, we do have to make sure that it has those reviews in that time. I would be happy to work with the member, and he has my full commitment to do so.”
“This is about ensuring that extortionists, child predators, cybercriminals, hostile state actors and organized criminal networks would have nowhere to hide. This is a responsible bill that would make the necessary changes, and I hope all members can see their way to support it.”
“Bill C-22 now includes safeguards so that ESPs would not have to abide by any demands that would introduce systemic vulnerabilities in electronic protections, such as encryption breaking or what I called a “back door”. The bill would also require that the Minister of Public Safety obtain the approval of the intelligence commissioner before a ministerial order is valid, and it could be subject to further review by the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency, or NSIRA. Bill C-22 is about removing harmful barriers that impede active investigations, delay justice and put Canadians in harm's way. This is about bringing our legislation up to date, finally, with modern technologies and with that of our closest allies.”
“Bill C-22 proposes two ways by which an ESP could be asked to develop and maintain lawful access capabilities. First, those designated as core providers, such as traditional telecommunications companies, would have to abide by specific requirements set out in the regulations. Second, the Minister of Public Safety could issue a ministerial order to develop specific capabilities based on operational needs as new technologies develop. (1735) We have heard the concerns from parliamentarians and stakeholders around privacy and oversight, and I want to reassure Canadians. I am actually very proud of the fact that the government took back this bill, listened carefully and amended it in ways to address the concerns that were raised.”
“What is more, Canada may not be able to contribute meaningfully to joint investigations with its international partners or fully benefit from the support that our international partners provide to us. My colleague the parliamentary secretary spoke at length about this. For this reason, Bill C-22 introduces new legislation to close this gap, whereby certain electronic service providers would need to develop and maintain the technological capabilities to respond to production orders. To be clear, this aspect of the legislation intentionally and explicitly would not allow for a so-called back door or any direct access for law enforcement or CSIS into electronic service providers' systems, and the legal authority to access that information would still always be required.”
“Timely access to this basic information is crucial in all stages of an investigation and can spell the difference between securing key evidence and allowing criminals to slip through our fingers. As another example, police could be aware that a provider holds certain information, but the company is unable to provide it because its systems do not possess the capability to do so and there is no legal requirement to carry such capabilities. We have heard many stories of law enforcement tracking a missing child or attempting to stop a terrorist attack, knowing which ESP to obtain the information from but being stonewalled by the provider's lack of lawful access capabilities. We cannot hope to fully protect Canadians and our communities if law enforcement and CSIS are unable to do their jobs.”
“Law enforcement groups have sounded the alarm on the obstacles they encounter during investigations. They have sounded this alarm for years. Currently, law enforcement faces many challenges in obtaining the information it needs. Often, law enforcement does not know which service provider holds the customer account associated with the subscriber information, which also means it does not know who to serve with a production order. This challenge presently stalls and delays real-world investigations. In many cases, law enforcement is required to seek multiple judicial authorizations to seek very basic information from different service providers, solely to confirm which provider services a phone number or an IP address. The current framework causes significant, unnecessary and harmful delays.”
“This is important because law enforcement and intelligence investigators need basic subscriber information, like a legal name or an address, to identify or exclude suspects, particularly during the preliminary stages of an investigation. Bill C-22 would also establish a general legal framework to require electronic service providers to have the capability to respond to legally authorized requests, like a warrant or a production order, while respecting and protecting privacy interests and fundamental rights that all Canadians expect. Bill C-22 would introduce provisions to support law enforcement agencies as they crack down on crime in an increasingly complex technological landscape, where the vast majority of evidence is online and in an electronic format.”
“This information is often essential to generating leads on serious criminal activities and national security threats, as well as identifying and prosecuting those involved. For decades, law enforcement and CSIS have had to operate without a legal framework requiring electronic service providers, or, as I will refer to them, ESPs, to develop and maintain lawful access capabilities. The current legal framework has not kept up with rapid advances in technology. Frankly, our laws are very much like me: They are analog in a digital world. This is the reason we have developed Bill C-22 , which aims to facilitate law enforcement's and CSIS's timely access to basic subscriber information. I would like to make sure we understand it would be basic information.”
“Therefore, we must close the capability gap in current legislation that prevents law enforcement's and CSIS's lawful access to data and ensure they can properly execute their mandates and protect Canadians. Canada maintains an international reputation as a safe and peaceful country. To sustain this reputation, we must ensure that our legislation keeps pace with modern threats and technologies used in criminal and malicious activities. “Lawful access” is a term we will hear a lot in association with this bill, and let us be very clear about what it means. Lawful access includes the tools and authorities to legally obtain certain information, data or communication during investigations.”
“(1730) [ English ] The world around us is becoming increasingly digital and networked, and much of our day-to-day business, means of communication and overall lives relies on the Internet. I do not have to tell my colleagues about all of our different devices, which I will not use as a prop, such as smart phones, emails and the like, and instant messaging applications. All these things easily and instantly transcend provincial, national and international borders. Unfortunately, this equally means that malicious actors like organized crime groups and violent extremists can explore this borderless nature of cyberspace for their own benefit. Canada's law enforcement agencies and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service need modern tools to help keep communities and Canadians safe.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to speak to this bill, which is very important for the safety of Canadians and for Canada's role on the international stage. Usually, when I give a speech, I like to speak off the cuff, relying on only a few notes. However, I will not do that today for two reasons. First, as a member of the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, I have several obligations, including the obligation not to disclose certain information that I am made aware of in the course of my work. Second, this issue is very relevant to the work of the committee of parliamentarians, which is made up of parliamentarians from all political parties in the House and the Senate. I am therefore going to be very focused and read my speech just to make sure that I do say anything that I should not.”
“Mr. Speaker, this bill represents progress. First, Bill C-2 was introduced. Then, in light of the feedback we received from members, we went back to the drawing board to redraft the proposed legislation, seeking as much consensus as possible. Consultations were then held with all political parties in an effort to reach that consensus. Does my colleague believe that Bill C-22 accurately reflects the discussions that we had with all parliamentarians?”
“Mr. Speaker, I will be very brief. I am a Quebecker. My colleague is a Quebecker. I am a practising Catholic, and I know just how important this bill is, because there are threats against people who practise their faith. I would like to ask my hon. colleague how obstruction threatens religious groups who wish to practise their faith freely.”
“[ Translation ] February is a month for celebrating our identity, our presence and our ongoing contributions. I wish all my colleagues here in the House a happy Black History Month.”
“Mr. Speaker, I wish everyone a happy Black History Month. Earlier this week, I spoke with a fabulous group of high school students. One of them asked me if I had ever encountered racism myself and how I overcame it. [ English ] Of course I have. On more than one occasion, I have been confronted with the N-word, and in the moment, I find it bewildering. After all, what does a racist want me to do? My skin is brown. I cannot change that. I do not want to change that. To a racist, I say this is not my problem but their problem. They do not like Black people? I say good luck with that. They might want to seek some help because their life is going to be needlessly painful if they cannot accept the reality of my skin or that the sky is blue or that the sun always rises in the east.”
“Mr. Speaker, a tidal wave of sorrow has swept over our country this week, including Kitigan Zibi, as the member for Pontiac—Kitigan Zibi so eloquently described earlier today. Two young lives have been extinguished far too soon, leaving their loved ones and their entire community to grieve. Can the Secretary of State for Nature share her thoughts and reflections on the tragic incident that has taken place in Quebec?”
“Mr. Speaker, I would like to reassure my dear colleague from Quebec that there is a great deal of enthusiasm for this project. It is not because the project will pass directly through Hull—Aylmer. Unfortunately, it will not, as much as we would like that. In our community, we are preparing a proposal for a tramway in Gatineau. What is more, this tramway is a project that I have been working on since I was elected in 2015. I proposed it because I knew that a tramway was a modern way to transport people and provide a public transit system. We already know that our roads are too congested.”
“Mr. Speaker, I would first like to correct the premise of my hon. colleague's question. What exists right now is a proposal to identify the general corridors. Part of the project involves consulting the communities to identify where things will broadly go. Following the consultations, it is possible that by some time next fall Alto may have identified a specific location or route. From there, we will be able to hold more in-depth consultations. However, I would like to correct the assertion that the corridor will be 10 kilometres wide, because in reality it will be only 60 metres wide.”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Berthier—Maskinongé for his question. I have a great deal of respect for him. We have worked well together. I invite his constituents to take part in the consultations, which have already begun. I myself took part in a consultation here in the national capital region. The place was packed. People were there to share their perspectives, to offer advice, and to propose changes. I found that the project proponents listened to us. Already 26,000 Canadians have taken part in the consultations, and I would encourage my colleague's constituents to do the same, to share their concerns, and to put forward innovative solutions. I think that we will end up with an excellent project for all Canadians.”