Arnold Viersen
Peace River—Westlock, Alberta · Conservative · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, one of those really great laws is Bill S-211 , which requires companies selling or distributing goods in Canada to produce an annual report. The Liberals, contrary to the law, revised their directive and exempted a bunch of their corporate buddies from having to file the report. Now the U.S.”
“Mr. Speaker, the member mentioned executive bonuses, and I just want to point out that the company also gave some great bonuses to its executives, while it has built zero kilometres of rail line. I just thought I would put that on the record as well. I want to ask my hon.”
“Mr. Speaker, $200 million is what we are talking about with this launch pad. In my riding, a sawmill was recently shut down, with 190 jobs lost. That $200 million would have gone a long way there. The member for Taiaiako'n—Parkdale—High Park and I were debating this earlier, and he talked about how we needed a Canadian Cape Canaveral.”
“Mr. Speaker, I assure members that I only have one petition to present today. I rise to present a petition on behalf of Canadians who are concerned about human rights protections in India.”
“The petitioners are asking that the government ensure that any and all trade deals with India are premised on mandatory human rights provisions, that extremists are sanctioned and that the government promote a respectful human rights dialogue between Canada and India.”
“Since then, only minor tweaks have been made to that. Because of that, there are a host of companies that work hard on creating a product that is well serviced and lasts a long time. It does not ever really end up in the landfill, because they just keep rebuilding it and keep working it over.”
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“Actually, in a free trade system, we should not be too concerned if beef is only running in one direction and not the other, but when the beef is not running in the other direction, to the U.K., because the country is blocking it with particular regulations, that is when we get a little frustrated. We could make the case that their farmers are more efficient, that their winters are less harsh than Canadian winters, that it is a little easier for them to make beef and that their beef is a bit cheaper than Canadian beef, hence it is coming into Canada. We might say, okay, but we are allowed to at least ship our beef into the U.K. We could say, okay, those numbers are not reciprocal, but we understand there are other reasons.”
“Many people do not know that Canada, for hundreds of years, was a major supplier of lumber to the U.K., and we have lost that position over the last number of years to the point that we are a minimal supplier of lumber to the U.K. We should be able to maintain that relationship. Many of my colleagues have spoken today about beef, and I am going to talk about that as well. We apparently have this agreement with the U.K. to trade with them, yet we are happy to compete. Many of us talk about the difference in how much beef comes into Canada from the U.K. and how much does not get into the U.K.”
“All we needed to do was have that relationship nailed down and sorted out, coming into it. We could see for a number of years that this Brexit thing was coming. We could have seen that we could have had a free trade deal with the U.K., and when it did happen, we could have been the first at the table. This was something that we talked about as Conservatives. We said, “This is happening. Get on it, Prime Minister.” That was 2020. That was five or six years ago, so we could have had a robust relationship. I want to talk about a number of products that come from northern Alberta: beef in particular, but also softwood lumber.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to rise today on behalf of the good people of Peace River—Westlock and to talk about the accession of the U.K. and Northern Ireland to the CPTPP. As a bit of background, it has been frustrating for me to watch the government let one opportunity after the other pass us by as it governs Canada. It speaks on our behalf around the world. When Brexit happened, I thought that there was a major opportunity for Canada to fill in the void that was going to come from the lack of that EU agreement that had been in place, the free trade that Britain had with the EU. There was going to be a void of product that was going to be able to get into the U.K. from the EU, and there was an opportunity, given the fact of our shared heritage, that Canada could step up to fill the void immediately.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition brought by constituents from across Canada who are concerned about Bill C-9 . They are concerned that this bill could be used to criminalize passages from the Bible, the Quran or the Torah. They call on the Government of Canada not to pass this bill. They want to ensure that the Government of Canada protects religious freedom, upholds the right to read and share sacred texts, and prevents government overreach in this matter.”
“Mr. Speaker, we see that the Liberals would set up another bureaucracy, the board of which they would then stack with their friends. Where have we seen this before? We saw this with the green slush fund. I know that the member was here before, when this broke, when directors of the board of the green slush fund were handing their own companies money. There were over 180 conflicts of interest in that decision-making. Does the member not see that this would also be a place where the Liberals would be able to enrich their friends?”
“Mr. Speaker, they are not even hiding it anymore. The previous member was asking about modular homebuilding. It is interesting that Brookfield just acquired a modular homebuilding operation. This is going to be the green slush fund all over again. Would the member not agree that these big institutional investors in the Canadian housing market may be a big problem?”
“Mr. Speaker, one of the things we have been pointing out is that the bill is only adding a fourth bureaucracy to the government. I am wondering why the ministry cannot just fund some of these projects on its own. Why does it need a second party to do that? Is it perhaps because the government wants to distance itself from when this operation gives a whole bunch of money to Brookfield?”
“Mr. Speaker, we put forward this motion to close a billion-dollar loophole in our health care system and to restore order to our broken immigration system. Our motion is about fairness and protecting people who need emergency care. It would stop the government from giving top-tier health care programs to non-citizens who have had rejected refugee claims, while six million Canadians cannot even find their own personal doctor. I am just wondering if my hon. colleague has some more comments about that.”
“Mr. Speaker, our motion today calls on the federal government to review the federal benefits that have been given to asylum claimants, in order to find some savings for the taxpayer; to restrict benefits being given to asylum claimants who have had their asylum claims rejected; and to provide transparency on federal spending on this whole thing. We have put in Order Paper questions and found that in 2020 alone, there were 86,000 rejected claimants. These people have had their application to be a refugee in Canada rejected, yet in some cases they have spent up to four years in Canada after that rejection, getting premium health care services that even Canadians are not eligible for. What does the member have to say about that?”
“Madam Speaker, our motion today is about people whose asylum claims have been rejected. I think the member would have to acknowledge that the government recognizes that this is a problem, because it has put the copay mechanism in place. We are talking specifically about those who have had their request rejected. Would the member not acknowledge that the government's copay plan acknowledges that this is indeed a problem?”
“Mr. Speaker, I wonder if the member could comment a little more on this adding of bureaucracy. We already have the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, we have the Canada Lands Company, and we have the first-time homebuyers' programs. We have a number of federal government programs in place already. What we said during the election was that it was oftentimes municipalities that were standing in the way. I am wondering if the member has heard anything from the government on what it is going to do to incentivize municipalities to get out of the way so we can build more homes in this country.”
“They are also concerned about the treatment of Indian Muslims and say that they are at risk of genocide, assault and sexual violence. The petitioners are asking the government to ensure that all trade deals with India are premised on mandatory human rights provisions, that extremists are sanctioned and that the government promotes a respectful human rights dialogue between Canada and India.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to present a petition today on behalf of Canadians from across the country who are concerned about human rights protections in India. The petitioners are stating that according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, various actors are supporting and enforcing sectarian policies to establish India as a Hindu state, and they are concerned about the treatment of Christians in India. They are concerned about the targeting of churches, attacks on church workers and the threatening and humiliation of congregations. Petitioners are also concerned about the crimes against the Dalit groups, including Dalit women and girls. They say that crimes are increasing in that respect.”
“Finally, Cardus recommends adding “a new clause under subsection 3(2) to identify measures to improve the efficacy of gambling prevention messaging.” It talked a bit about the “Know your limits, play within it” piece and how it was not necessarily effective. I think that would be a helpful suggestion. I also recommend that the committee, when it is studying this bill, talk to Dr. Nigel Turner from the University of Toronto. For those reasons and more, I will be supporting the bill, and I urge all members to support it. With my final words, I would like to say that this is exactly the way legislation has to work in this country. We legalized sports betting a number of years back. Now we are reassessing whether that is working. I look forward to that conversation.”
“As well, Cardus recommends adding to subsection 3(2)(b) a requirement that the measures include ways that Crown corporations could contribute financially to solving the problem of gambling addiction, to ensure that they put money into prevention and treatment, with the contributions being linked to their marketing expenses. Research shows that there is a clear causal relationship between advertisement and increased gambling activities, so if gambling companies are going to engage and be responsible partners in advertising, they should also be part of the solution. We need to put young men, families and Canadians ahead of corporate profits.”
“I would also note that the Canadian Medical Association calls for sports betting ads to be restricted during sports broadcasts. The family physician Shannon Charlebois, who is a medical editor at the Canadian Medical Association Journal, stated: I have seen people's lives fall apart at all ages, from all walks of life, whether it's an accountant with a career behind him, or a kid who's just looking to maximize his college fund who then had lost it all within a matter of a few weeks. She notes that, while online sports betting sites say they are only for people who are 19 and older, youth are being inundated with these advertisements that equate enjoying sports with betting.”
“Cardus supports Bill S-211 and had recommendations to further strengthen the bill. For example, Cardus recommends to “Strengthen subsection 3(2)(a) with a view to a complete ban on sports betting advertising, instead of simply restricting its usage.” This would have a great impact on those who are vulnerable to gambling addiction, particularly on minors and boys. Alternatively, they suggest at minimum moving toward a ban on “advertising for sports betting during sports broadcasts” or requiring “the national framework to identify measures to ban advertising for in-game bets.” Operators would remain legal and regulated, but they would no longer be permitted to aggressively market an addictive product to the general public during sports events.”
“That is why I think this bill is a good step, and I am happy to support it. Bill S-211 would require the minister of Canadian heritage to develop a national framework on sports betting advertising. It would also mandate the CRTC to review the regulations and policies to assess their adequacy and effectiveness in reducing the incidences of harm resulting from the proliferation of sports betting advertising. The CRTC already regulates advertisements to children, as well as alcohol ads, tobacco ads and marijuana ads, but I would suggest that sports betting ads be part of this as well. Bill S-211 would align gambling policy with how we treat these other activities. In preparing for this speech, I had a chance to read the Cardus memo on the former bill, Bill S-269 , as well as the report on the harms of single sport betting in Ontario.”
“Young men who engage in it are more likely to slide into a full-blown gambling addiction, and boys who frequently gamble miss classes, perform worse in school, drink more alcohol and participate in other risky behaviours at higher rates, often to cope with gambling-related stresses. These anti-social patterns compound, and the gambling sucks up their time and mental energy, which might otherwise go to developing relationships, hobbies and personal growth. (1820) Dr. Turner warns us that we are also seeing an increase in sports betting advertising that includes celebrities. He says that this is telling young men, a population vulnerable to gambling, that it is a great thing to do and shows them someone they admire. Canada is better when we champion young men, calling on them to be builders and contributors, and to take responsibility.”
“On Tuesday, my colleague from York—Durham was reflecting on becoming a new father and emphasized that “Strong and healthy families are built on strong, committed and masculine fathers.” He also said, “Our kids need strong fathers and families, our communities need strong fathers and families, and our country needs strong fathers and families. I will be a champion for that.” This is a great focus and an inspiration for young men. However, many young men are now finding themselves trapped in the addiction of gambling, of sports betting. This is destroying their relationships, families and communities. Research has shown that hazardous gambling is correlated with increased rates of anxiety and depression.”
“The American Institute for Boys and Men has found that the negative financial impacts of sports betting are more pronounced for young men, especially in low-income areas. A recent Maclean's investigation on the harms of the explosion of online gambling references Dr. Nigel Turner, a scientist at the Toronto Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, where he specializes in gambling research. Dr. Turner has analyzed calls to the Ontario problem gambling helpline, and he found that when iGaming Ontario launched in 2022, calls to that helpline jumped by 30%, and they have risen every year. He notes that the demographics of callers have changed to include younger and younger people, especially young men.”
“The exposure to online gaming advertisements has caused a 265% increase in those exposed to these harms. These harms are not limited to the individual gambler either. The data on relational harm shows that high gambling causes risk to children, spouses, parents, co-workers, employers and people in a 360° relation to the gambler. Many sports betting sites also use questionable tactics to keep gamblers coming back, like offering them free money or free credit. One Canadian man who started sports betting when he turned 18 said, “Imagine someone going for sobriety being given a free drink.... It should be illegal to give money to gamblers.” I want to highlight a particular segment of the population that seems most at risk of experiencing the harms of online gambling and sports betting.”
“The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction recommends that players not spend more than 1% of their pre-tax household income. In Ontario, that is about $89 a month. However, the average player in Ontario spends $283, three times the recommended amount that experts consider to be safe. What harms are these players now being exposed to? The studies conducted by this organization, to build the guidelines around this, said that an individual who spends more than 1% of their household income is 4.3 times more likely to experience financial harm, 4.7 times more likely to experience relational harm, 3.9 times more likely to experience emotional harm and 4.4 times more likely to experience health problems related to their gambling than a low-stakes or non-gambler. These are significant risks, and the harm is relentless and unregulated.”
“While online gambling is legal, we know there is the potential, as with many other addictive activities, to destroy relationships, livelihoods and families. That is why I believe it is important that sports betting advertising be treated similarly to alcohol, tobacco and cannabis advertising. We have seen the impact of the increase in sports betting advertising in Ontario. Ontario's growth in active player accounts on gambling sites has exploded over the last five years. In just two years, it went from 490,000 accounts at the beginning of 2023 to over 1.3 million by the end of 2024. The advertisements in question are clearly working to build a player market. That is obvious because of the massive increase in exposure to these online gambling practices.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to Bill S-211 , an act respecting a national framework on sports betting advertising. I want to thank the member for Waterloo for bringing this forward. When the average Canadian sits down to enjoy a sports broadcast, they are inundated with a barrage of endless advertisements for sports betting sites and online casinos. For example, in Ontario, a viewer can literally not go a minute without being exposed to three gambling references during a sports broadcast. In 2024, the CBC's Marketplace did a report with the University of Bristol. They found that over multiple NHL and NBA games, on average, 20% to 21% of the viewing time was spent being exposed to gambling advertisements. That is a massive volume of advertising.”
“Mr. Speaker, one of the things I have learned in researching this bill is that a lot of these gambling sites will even offer money in order to get people to come back to the app. If someone has not used their app for a while, it will say, “Here is $10 to go gambling.” I am wondering if this bill will address that as well.”
“Mr. Speaker, to my previous point, the Liberals want to be the heroes of the story that they created. They have failed to support the auto industry for the last 10 years, and now they say that we are trying to defend the horse and buggy. The horse and buggy are still not banned from our roads. Are they planning to ban the horse and buggy as well?”
“Mr. Speaker, over the last 10 years, we have seen the economy in our country flounder, and the auto industry in particular is under significant threat right now. I wonder if the hon. member would at least acknowledge that the auto industry was in pretty significant decline under the Liberals' watch before Donald Trump started with his tariffs.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to note that the Liberals keep bringing up the RAV4, and the member for Winnipeg North, for example, said that Toyota is developing hybrid technology. I have news for him: The RAV4 has been a hybrid since 2016, more than 10 years. Toyota has complained to us that hybrid technology is not recognized by the government's rebates, emissions caps and all these kinds of things. It said it wants a technology-agnostic program. Why will the Liberals not provide that?”
“Madam Speaker, I would like to bring to the attention of my colleague a company called Edison Motors. It is a start-up company that is trying to build hybrid trucks here in Canada. The company faces challenges because it put a generator in the truck rather than an on-the-road engine, and generator engine emissions requirements and on-the-road engine emissions requirements are different. The government has failed to even talk to this company and give it approval to build these trucks. This is just one example of the government totally failing to support our own Canadian industry. I am wondering if the member has an example from his neck of the woods of where the government does not support these new start-ups.”
“Madam Speaker, I am a member of the Conservative auto caucus. We have met with representatives from Toyota several times, and they specifically complained to us about the fact that the rebates and the programs the government has put in place picked and chose losers in terms of technology. Toyota was the world leader in hybrid technology but said that the government is completely ignoring its hybrid technology and wants to go to the plug-in electric only. I am wondering if the hon. member has heard this as well.”
“Mr. Speaker, if we listened to the Liberals, they would have us believe that crime is down in this country. Nobody believes that. The Liberals have done a complete turnaround. While being the cause of the increase in crime in this country and after having advocated for and protested to defund the police, they are now saying they are the solution to the problem they caused. I am wondering if the hon. member has any comments about that.”
“Mr. Speaker, I could not agree more with my hon. colleague that it is Liberal failures that have brought us this increase in crime rates across this country. The extortion that the member talked about right off the top is a thing I never heard about when I was growing up. I wonder if my hon. colleague has another story he can share about the extortion happening in Edmonton.”
“Mr. Speaker, I always find it ironic when we hear the Liberals talking about crime, crime rates and things like that. They have had 10 years in government, and if we look at any of the trend lines, they show that, once the Liberals got into power, crime started increasing. When Conservatives were in power, crime was decreasing. Will the hon. member at least acknowledge that the Liberals have been the cause of the rise of crime in Canada?”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his great speech on Bill C-10 . He could not have outlined it better. What we are really looking for from the government is a bit of action on a whole host of things. This bill is just adding bureaucracy instead of getting the government out of the way and doing the things that it says it is going to do, much the same way as it says it is going to build pipelines and then does not build pipelines. The government said it was going to build national infrastructure at speeds unseen before and we are not seeing this. Once again, we see the relationship with the first nations in this country. This is just an appeasement, just a smoke and mirrors kind of thing. Does the member have any comments on that?”
“As we approach National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, I want to encourage my colleagues and all Canadians to do three things: learn the signs of human trafficking; know the national hotline, 1-833-900-1010; and help raise awareness in their communities. May we be relentless, courageous and committed as we seek to eliminate all forms of human trafficking and modern-day slavery right here in Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, February 22 is Canada's National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, and this is thanks to the hard work of the all party parliamentary group to end human trafficking and modern-day slavery. Human trafficking is a crime that turns people into objects to be used and exploited. It is vicious and it is profitable. It is happening right here in Canada. In the book of Isaiah, God calls each of us to learn to do what is right, to seek justice and to defend the oppressed. In Canada, the vast majority of human trafficking victims are women and girls who were born right here in our nation. However, we know that human trafficking can happen to anyone.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am appreciative of the topic we are discussing today, because I think it highlights the Liberals' arrogance in the fact that they can just choose to build a project in northern, not even very northern, Quebec. Today it is kind of a white elephant; there is not a lot going on, but it was overriding all the local interests at the time. I am wondering if the hon. member will acknowledge that the project in Mirabel has been a total disaster.”
“Madam Speaker, the second petition I present today is from Canadians across the country who are concerned about human rights protections in India. The petitioners say Christians in India are being targeted by extremists vandalizing church buildings, attacking church workers and threatening and humiliating Christians across India. They are calling on the Government of Canada to also recognize the crimes against Indian Muslims and Dalit groups as well. The petitioners are asking for the Government of Canada to ensure that any trade deal that is signed with India ensures that human rights are protected.”
“Madam Speaker, I am presenting a petition today from Canadians across the country who are concerned about the natural health products regulations in Canada. The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to ensure that regulations on natural health products and uninsured services be reversed back to the way they were in the past. People from across Canada have signed this petition, and they are calling on the government to reverse the decisions that have been made in previous parliaments.”
“Mr. Speaker, that is bullocks. The Liberals entirely have the control of this place in terms of scheduling. The member should look in the mirror, and perhaps he should figure out which way he is going, as he has reversed his position on a number of things over the last years.”
“Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the Liberals are the government. They do control the agenda of this place. It is incumbent entirely upon them to schedule these things. I would like to remind the Liberals, in addition, that they have a minority government and that they should be working with opposition parties to pass things we mutually agree upon. Fixes to Liberal bail has been something that, apparently, the Liberals agreed with us on. It should have been the first thing they put on the agenda, rather than muddying the waters with a bunch of other bills.”
“Mr. Speaker, I recall that in the last Parliament there was a bill precisely to deal with coercive control. I seconded that bill and am disappointed that the government has not adopted it wholesale. I know this has been an ongoing issue over the last number of years. There was another bill in the last Parliament that the Liberals voted against as well that I was hoping they would take on; it was around the element of fear required in order to press charges for human trafficking. We should not have to examine the heads of victims to determine whether they are being human trafficked.”
“Mr. Speaker, I find that incredibly rich coming from the member, who adamantly defended Bill C-5 and Bill C-75 in previous Parliaments and also defended the carbon tax. Now, with a new leader in front of the Liberal Party, suddenly he and the Liberals are going to do a complete 180° on all these things and change them. The reality is that the Liberals had the opportunity to pass Bill C-14 , the bail reform bill that would fix their own problems, in the last Parliament. They did not bring it forward at committee; therefore, there was no opportunity to pass it in the last Parliament.”
“At his court hearing, Skye Atoa was released on bail thanks to the Liberal bail system. Thankfully the police were waiting and rearrested him 30 minutes after his court hearing, for breaching the conditions of his bail. More recently the Alberta RCMP arrested a man from Brooks, Chad Jensen, for sex trafficking offences. He is facing eight charges, including two counts of sexual assault and two counts of trafficking, and the police believe there are more victims. Guess what happened. He was immediately given bail. I do not think it is too much to ask that we could live in a country that does not release child traffickers on bail. A Conservative government would fix these bail problems and ensure that human traffickers face justice.”
“Mr. Speaker, it is quite something that after 10 years of tearing down our criminal justice system and throwing victims of crime under the bus, suddenly the Liberals want to appear to be the heroes of their own story. One crime I regularly speak about is human trafficking. It is a heinous and growing crime right here in Canada, and it is having an impact on victims all across Canada. Non-government organizations and law enforcement have been devastated by the changes the Liberals have made over the last number of years. In December a trafficker was arrested in Lethbridge, Alberta, after the police responded to a girl in medical distress. They found a 14-year-old girl, along with two other girls, ages 15 and 16. All had been confined for days, and the youngest had been drugged and exploited by other men.”
“Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present a petition from people from across Canada who want to draw to the attention of the House concerns around Bill C-9 . They are concerned that pieces of the Bible could be criminalized, and they are insistent that the state has no place in recognizing or refusing religious texts. The petitioners are concerned that freedom of expression and freedom of religion are under attack, and they call on the Liberal government to protect freedom of religion and uphold the right to read, share and promote religious texts.”
“Mr. Speaker, I listened to the speech, and I think the member is making a false dichotomy. I think we can streamline the effectiveness of a lot of these approval processes while maintaining the constitutional rights of Canadians. Would the member not agree that she is perhaps making a straw man in this argument?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have said this is the time for diversification. I hate, as much as anybody, the “I told you so” phrases, but I remember back in 2007 when Stephen Harper said we needed to diversify our markets. He then became prime minister and signed 43 free trade agreements around the world, built pipelines and pursued pipeline projects to both the west and east coasts. The time for diversification was decades ago. I am wondering if my hon. colleague has some comments about that.”