Leslyn Lewis
Haldimand—Norfolk, Ontario · Conservative · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, that is all rhetoric and no results. The Liberal Prime Minister has doubled Justin Trudeau's deficit. The Prime Minister has outspent every previous government in the history of Canada combined. While he is breaking spending records, Canadians are breaking their bank accounts just to survive.”
“Mr. Speaker, we ask again: Where are the results? More families are facing financial hardship, business investments are declining and job opportunities are harder and harder to find in this country.”
“Mr. Speaker, I present a petition today signed by 15,000 Canadians concerning the proposed World Health Organization pandemic treaty and the related amended international health regulations.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have one other petition to present. It is signed by 5,000 concerned Canadians regarding the proposal for a national digital identification system in Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have to note that in the Senate, the Senate committee studied Bill C-9 extensively, and I noted that there were witnesses from every background, whether they were from the LGBT community or from a faith community. I saw a Black pastor also.”
“Mr. Speaker, the member across the way makes reference to the Charter of Rights, but it is not clear that for the charter to be invoked, a person has to be charged first?”
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“By focusing on emotion rather than extreme manifestations, the government’s new definition shifts attention to feelings rather than actual harm. Under the Liberal Bill C-9 , citizens may self-censor, and prosecutors would also gain wide discretion to pursue cases based on perceived emotion, not demonstrable harm. This creates a real risk that individuals may be penalized for strong dissent, even without intent to incite hatred. Why does this matter? It is important to recognize that these harmful parts of Bill C-9 could cause real issues for freedom of speech. Removing the Attorney General's consent and watering down the definition of “hatred” directly threaten our fundamental freedom of expression, which is contained in subsection 2(b) of the charter.”
“That case said the term “hatred” must be interpreted as extreme manifestations of the emotion described by the words “detestation” and “vilification” and should not include representations that merely discredit, offend or insult. That objective standard set by the Supreme Court protects freedom of expression while targeting real harm. The Liberal government seeks to overturn that Supreme Court definition with Bill C-9 by replacing that decision with a new subsection 319(7), which is found in Bill C-9. In this new subsection, the Liberals wish to redefine hatred as “the emotion that involves detestation or vilification and that is stronger than disdain or dislike”. Removing the word “extreme” lowers the threshold that the Supreme Court put in place to protect free speech.”
“We are crossing a dangerous line of removing the provincial Attorney General's consent and oversight and leaving charges in the hands of a minister appointed by the Prime Minister . The Liberal government has given us reason to believe that it would weaponize hate speech laws against its political opponents for political gain. (1745) Bill C-9 would introduce a second significant change by adding a subjective, emotionally driven definition of hatred that lowers the threshold that was essentially set by the Supreme Court of Canada. As many members know, this is important because hatred is not defined in our Criminal Code. Rather, its meaning has developed over decades through case law, the most notable case being the 2013 Supreme Court case Saskatchewan v. Whatcott.”
“Section 318 makes it a crime to advocate for or promote genocide. Section 319 criminalizes public incitement to hatred, wilful promotion of hate and speech that would lead to a breach of peace. These provisions already strike a careful balance between protecting Canadians from true hate and safeguarding freedom of expression. Bill C-9 attempts to redefine hatred so vaguely that it would risk capturing legitimate debate. We have seen how this plays out elsewhere in the world. In the U.K., a man was arrested for holding a blank protest sign because authorities said it could be interpreted as offensive. In Australia, parents were investigated for hate speech after questioning gender policies at their school. In New Zealand, academics were threatened with jail for quoting banned manifestos. Canada is not immune.”
“In this context, it is shocking that a bill about combatting hate is completely silent on the rise of Christian hate. The government's press release mentions anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, homophobia and transphobia, yet it makes no mention of the rise in hate crimes toward Christians. This bill would not add new protections for worshippers. Instead, it would expand state powers by removing the legal safeguards and watering down the definition of hate speech. It would pave the path toward politicizing restrictions on speech. It would even risk criminalizing dissent to what some would call thought crimes. We must exercise caution. Once such powers are granted to the government, they can be weaponized by any government against its critics. The existing Criminal Code already covers the most serious offences.”
“Third, it would water down the definition of “hatred” to something so vague and subjective that it would risk encroaching on the very right contained in subsection 2(b) of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Beginning with my first objection to Bill C-9 , I find it quite perplexing that Christian hate is not even mentioned in the bill. In recent years, we have seen alarming hate-motivated attacks, including the burning and vandalism of churches across Canada. Just last week, a century-old Ukrainian Orthodox church in Edmonton was burned to the ground. As we have witnessed a record number of sacred spaces being destroyed, Christians have noticed the government's silence. Congregations have been left in fear, and people of faith are feeling abandoned by their government's lack of enforcement of existing laws.”
“Mr. Speaker, I will be sharing my time today with the member for Oshawa . I rise today to address Bill C-9 , the combatting hate act, specifically the changes to subsection 319(6) and the introduction of proposed subsection 319(7) to the Criminal Code. I strongly support protecting religious freedom and ensuring that all Canadians are safe from hate and violence, but Bill C-9 would not do that effectively. I have three serious concerns about Bill C-9. First, it omits the protection of Christians, despite the fact that more than 100 churches have been burned and vandalized in Canada since 2021. Second, it would remove the safeguard of the Attorney General's consent under section 319. This would risk hate speech being weaponized as a political tool by any party in power by letting the government minister decide who gets charged.”
“Mr. Speaker, Canadians want a government that will deal with this affordability crisis. This crisis happened on the Liberals' watch. The Prime Minister promised Canadians that they could judge him by the price of groceries. Well, the numbers are in. Apples are up 14%. Potatoes are up 16%. Canned food is up 26%. When will the Prime Minister stop obstructing Parliament and introduce a budget that will bring back food affordability to Canada?”
“Mr. Speaker, 10 years of Liberal rule, and what do Canadians have to show for it? Soaring food prices, food insecurity, four million visits to food banks in Toronto alone last year. A quarter of Canadian households cannot afford to put food on the table. That is 40% higher than the year before. When will the Prime Minister stop obstructing Parliament and introduce a budget that lowers food prices?”
“Mr. Speaker, Parliament was misled. New emails show that BC Ferries warned the former minister of transport's officials six weeks before announcing that the ferries would be built in China, yet the minister stood in this House of Commons and claimed that she was blindsided. At the same time, her staff was working with the Prime Minister's Office on how to spin this billion-dollar deal. Canadians just want to know the truth. Why did the Liberals ship Canadian tax dollars and jobs straight to China?”
“Madam Speaker, I congratulate my hon. friend on her success and victory here also. The fundamental issue is that these are Conservative ideas. We are not opposed to building one economy and ensuring that interprovincial trade barriers are broken down. That is what we have been advocating for. That is why we have advocated for resource—”
“Madam Speaker, when we look at both of the statements that were made, they were highly contradictory. Out west, it was, “Yes, we are going to build pipelines. We are going to develop. We are going to have shovel-ready projects.” Then when the Liberals went to Quebec, it was, “No, there will be a veto. If you don't want something coming through this province, you can veto it.” There was a double standard as to what exactly the Prime Minister intends to do with making Canada more internationally competitive and making sure we can have a robust response to these trade barriers.”
“Madam Speaker, Conservatives would want to see the Liberals absolutely do more and have shovel-ready projects. It is really unfortunate that we had a promise that there would be an elimination of these interprovincial trade barriers by Canada Day, yet here we are still debating this issue. We would like to see this done at a much faster pace, and we would like to see greater steps. Yes, we need to move beyond this rhetoric and actually get this thing done.”
“Madam Speaker, I encourage the Liberals to continue stealing our great Conservative ideas. What is contained in this bill is just baby steps. It shows some initiative, but there is so much more that needs to be done in order to truly break down interprovincial trade barriers. Conservatives encourage the Liberals to take those further steps so that we can get on board.”
“The government has missed the opportunity to introduce the Blue Seal standard and get thousands of qualified doctors and nurses working in Canada through passing a sound and rigorous national test. In conclusion, we, as a nation, have a great and historical opportunity before us. I am full of hope for Canada. We have the potential to be the most prosperous nation on this planet, the freest, the most advanced and the most just nation in the world. That is why Conservatives will always be committed to holding this Liberal government to account and calling for higher standards in service to Canadians. We will support even the small steps to strengthen this nation. Conservatives will keep fighting for a prosperous and sovereign Canada, and we hope the government will do the same.”
“More and more we are seeing people dying on wait-lists, unable to get the critical surgeries and treatment they need. Many residents still do not have a family doctor, which means they are not getting timely access to care. I personally had to intervene in one of these situations and speak to the former immigration minister to help a doctor in Caledonia get paperwork sorted out so that thousands of residents would not be without a family doctor, and so that Dr. Marilyn Robertson in Caledonia could be replaced with a competent doctor from abroad. If this had not happened, many residents would have been left without a family doctor. There are an extraordinary number of bureaucratic hurdles that people have to go through in order to practise medicine in Canada.”
“During the election, we had the Prime Minister engaging in doublespeak, saying one thing to one audience in Alberta and saying something completely different in Quebec, so please forgive us Conservatives if we are a bit skeptical that the government's business is not in pipelines. Actually, the bill is an indictment of the Liberals' own anti-resource law. If we are serious about removing barriers for workers, we need to also give professionals the ability to work across provinces, stop waste and allow international doctors who are qualified to practise rather than driving Ubers. We need access to health care. That is essential, especially in rural communities like Haldimand—Norfolk. We are hearing stories of Canadians waiting for hours in emergency rooms, who are in desperate need of urgent care.”
“Liberals wasted the opportunity and resources, and they have left Canada vulnerable as a result. (1710) Conservatives want nation-building projects. We want to see projects accelerated. That is why Conservatives support the intent of this bill. However, the bill takes only baby steps. I am concerned, and many Canadians are concerned, that the Prime Minister is speaking out of both sides of his mouth. He told premiers that they will have a veto on resource project development and pipelines. The government's environment minister has also been directly questioned on the commitment to build pipelines but could not even utter the word “pipelines”.”
“The world's economic watchdog, the OECD, forecasts that Canada will experience the slowest growth in real GDP per capita among its member countries between now and 2060. Because of the Trump tariffs and the government's incompetence, workers are losing their jobs. Canadian families are anxious. Communities are shaken. In Haldimand—Norfolk, where I live and in the community I represent, there are thousands of residents who work at the Stelco mill. Stelco is a vital part of our community in terms of jobs, economic activities and business partnerships. Right now, our community is hearing rumours of layoffs, and they are deeply concerned. The Liberal government had 10 years of power. The current Prime Minister was the economic adviser for a large portion of that time.”
“Once it is extracted, it goes almost exclusively to the Americans, who refine it and sell it back to us at a profit. This reality exists because the Liberal government failed to have a vision for future generations of Canadians and instead prioritized its own ideological goals for its own political survival. The Liberal government has blocked the production of ethical oil in Canada and blocked LNG and oil development from going to international markets. We have failed to build our export capacity, and we have nearly become dependent on the U.S. market. As the G7 meets today on Canadian soil, in the beautiful, resource-rich province of Alberta, we, sadly, have the unfortunate status of being the economy with the worst economic growth.”
“They bet against the oil and gas sector by shutting down pipeline projects while favouring the green investments from foreign, autocratic countries with worse environmental records than Canada. The social fabric of our nation and our society was also eroded during the last 10 years of Liberal leadership, creating disunity and making us vulnerable to external threats. It is surprising to see the same Liberal Party that attacked our national identity by changing the names of streets, by tearing down statues of national leaders and by removing national heroes like Terry Fox from our passport turn around and put their elbows up and become the flag-bearers of national pride. We have the third-largest accessible oil reserves on the planet, which we leave untapped.”
“The sweeping tariffs imposed by Trump and his America first policy and his post-Bretton Woods quest, which seeks to upend the international order, while challenging for Canada, are not the sole cause of the current trade problems we now face. Rather, this disorder has simply uncovered a deep fissure within our nation, which has been caused by a decade of Liberal policies that have left Canada weak and vulnerable. Far from being the maple leaf elbows-up patriots they presented themselves to be, the Liberals have questioned Canada's ethos and have undermined its national sovereignty over the last 10 years. They undermined Canada's sovereignty by diverting billions of taxpayer dollars to green revolution projects through the green slush fund that has been proven to benefit Liberal insiders.”
“Madam Speaker, as this is my first opportunity to speak and to rise on a bill before the House in the 45th Parliament, I would like to take the opportunity to express my deepest appreciation for the people of Haldimand—Norfolk for putting their trust in me as their representative for a second term. I am truly inspired by the people of Haldimand—Norfolk, and I am truly honoured to be their voice in Parliament. It is important for Canadians at home to understand the broader context of this bill, Bill C-5 , the one Canadian economy act, which is before the House. Before U.S. President Donald Trump took office, the Liberal government was asleep at the wheel.”
“Mr. Speaker, we also extend condolences to the families. The Liberals should not be dodging accountability. They want to hide their scandals from Canadians, but the Auditor General report is very clear. The Liberal government ignored the rules and allowed insiders to profit to the tune of $64 million. The Liberals have shown a complete disdain for hard-working Canadians by promoting the very same ministers who engaged in the cronyism and corruption. Why should wasteful Liberal politicians get promoted while Canadian taxpayers get a $64-million bill?”
“Mr. Speaker, it is a new Parliament, but we are dealing with the same old Liberal scandals. The Auditor General has released a report against the Liberal government on the multi-million dollar ArriveCAN debacle. The Liberals gave $64 million to GC Strategies, a two-person IT firm that did no actual work and is currently under RCMP investigation. Today, this House is considering our Conservative motion to get Canadians their money back within 100 days. Will the Liberals vote to give back this $64 million to Canadians, yes or no?”
“Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary alluded to the fact that Mr. Firth, in 2010, was also given contracts under Harper. In fact, my understanding is that GC Strategies was incorporated in 2015. The issue at hand could not pertain to any contracts that were awarded in 2010. I would like my friend to clarify that point of fact.”
“Mr. Speaker, the people in my riding will benefit when taxes go down. The Parliamentary Budget Officer has confirmed that the government's wasteful spending is costing Canadians $70 billion in interest payments just on the debt. That is more than it is spending on health care. The Liberals are back to their old ways of breaking promises. They broke their promise to cap spending at 2% and increased it to 8%. They broke their promise to cut spending on Liberal consultants and increased that by $7 billion. When will the Prime Minister produce a budget and stop wasting taxpayer dollars?”
“The minister voted against all of that. Mr. Speaker, I ask you, would you sign a cheque for $486 billion without knowing where the money was going? That is exactly what the government is asking taxpayers to do: sign a blank cheque for half a trillion dollars that will inevitably lead to inflation. Conservatives and Parliament have voted for the Liberals to produce a budget this spring. When will the Prime Minister respect the will of Parliament and produce a budget?”
“Mr. Speaker, a serious issue is the will of Canadians to live in peace, which they once did. Now they live in fear because of Liberal soft-on-crime policies. Liberal policies like Bill C-5 and Bill C-75 put repeat violent offenders back on the streets, contributing to the suffering of communities across Canada. Premiers, police, legal experts and civil liberties advocates all demand change. I ask the question one more time: Will the Prime Minister restore safe streets and repeal Bill C-5 and Bill C-75 , yes or no?”
“Mr. Speaker, Liberal policies like Bill C-5 have led to a crime wave across Canada. Violent crime is up 50%, and gun violence is up 116%. Just yesterday, a drive-by shooting shook our small rural community of Cayuga. This crime wave is no accident. It is a direct result of Liberal policies like Bill C-5 , which has ended mandatory jail time for serious gun offences and drug crimes. Will the Prime Minister end this crime wave by repealing Trudeau's Bill C-5 ?”