Brad Vis
Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford, British Columbia · Conservative · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, the third petition I would like to present today is on nicotine pouches. This petition is being presented on behalf of small businesses, including convenience stores.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitions to present today. The first is petition e-7198, which has 5,746 signatures. It calls upon the Minister of Fisheries to not remove the recreational access to chinook and coho salmon in the allotment of salmon allocation.”
“Mr. Speaker, earlier today, I asked a Liberal member a very simple question: Could he confirm or deny the rumours in British Columbia that, under the new security partnership between Canada and China and the government's desire to sell federal airport assets, Chinese companies would be able to buy those assets?”
“Mr. Speaker, the second petition I would like to present today is with regard to the elimination of the federal apprenticeship incentive. The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to reinstate the apprenticeship incentive grant for Red Seal trades, index it to inflation, link it to the successful completion of technical training…”
“Mr. Speaker, Bill C-30 contains proposed new provisions under the Privacy Act and the Canada Transportation Act to assess the full value of our publicly owned airports. Rumours in British Columbia dictate that part of the new security agreement with China would allow Chinese companies to buy airports in Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour the life of Mel Zajac, a remarkable British Columbian whose compassion and generosity left an enduring imprint. Mel's life was marked by a profound tragedy that ultimately inspired a legacy of extraordinary philanthropy. In July 1986, he lost his son Mel Jr.”
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“Mr. Speaker, petitioners in my riding note that the federal government recently gave $64 million to a new recreation centre in Brampton, $20 million for the Somali Centre in Toronto, $15 million for a Montreal North athletic centre, $7 million for an aquatic centre in Qualicum Beach and $6 million for a new aquatic centre in New Brunswick. Petitioners from the Wolverines field hockey club are wondering why residents of the Fraser Valley are not getting their adequate share of recreational dollars for the same types of facilities they see in other communities across this country. Therefore, they call upon the federal government to be fair and equitable with taxpayer dollars and give some money to the Fraser Valley as well.”
“Mr. Speaker, what I am seeing today from the government is a government pursuing a policy of confusion that has the whole province of British Columbia upset. Earlier today in question period, the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations said that the government will pursue all legal options. Can the minister clarify for British Columbians whether that includes an argument to protect the private property rights of the British Columbians impacted by the Cowichan decision, yes or no? I would like a straight answer, in good faith.”
“Mr. Speaker, the second petition I would like to present today is on behalf of residents of Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford who are raising concerns about individuals linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a listed terrorist organization in Canada. The petitioners warn that such actors threaten national security and may be operating within Canada. They also note that sanctions and the closure of Canada's embassy in Iran have delayed immigration applications and prolonged family separation. They call upon the Government of Canada to enforce its designation of the IRGC by investigating and removing affiliated individuals where warranted, freezing linked assets and expediting immigration processes for affected Iranian nationals while supporting the Iranian people and protecting democratic values.”
“Mr. Speaker, I have multiple petitions to present today. The petitioners in Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford recognize that the total cost of regulation to Canadian businesses has reached $51.5 billion, with $17.9 billion of that for red tape alone. Small businesses have spent an average of 735 hours per year complying with regulatory requirements that provide little or no public benefit. Small businesses pay over five times more per employee than large firms to comply with regulation, making unnecessary red tape a major barrier to growth and a drag on Canada's productivity and competitiveness. The petitioners therefore call upon the Government of Canada to immediately review and eliminate redundant regulations and overlapping requirements that disproportionately harm small businesses.”
“Mr. Speaker, since 2009, Boko Haram, ISIS West Africa and armed Fulani militia have carried out sustained attacks against Christian communities in Nigeria, causing mass killings and widespread destruction of churches and villages. Despite the scale and duration of this violence, there have been no meaningful prosecutions, and international rights organizations report persistent failures by Nigerian authorities to prevent attacks or hold perpetrators accountable. The petitioners are calling upon the government of Canada to recognize the targeted killings of Christians in Nigeria, hold those responsible accountable and work with international partners to protect Christian communities and support humanitarian aid, safe return of displaced persons and asylum for those fleeing persecution.”
“Therefore, the undersigned citizens and permanent residents of Canada call upon the Government of Canada not to ignore Abbotsford any longer and to invest in the critical infrastructure needed to protect this key economic corridor for the entirety of Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a petition on behalf of the residents of Abbotsford and the Fraser Valley, who are highly vulnerable to flooding due to low-lying geography adjacent to the Fraser River and tributaries. Recent severe flood events have caused widespread damage to homes, businesses, agricultural lands and critical infrastructure in the region. Flooding disrupts critical supply chains and trade routes, impacting not only local but also regional and national economies. The existing flood protection infrastructure, including dykes, levees and the drainage system, is aging and inadequate to withstand current and future flood risks.”
“Would the member for Shefford agree that if the Government of Canada wants to stop running into all these scandals, all this mismanagement, it would update the guidelines for the Treasury Board Secretariat to hire the best and the brightest in Ottawa to do the necessary technology upgrades the Government of Canada needs?”
“Madam Speaker, one of the first issues I raised in Parliament six and a half years ago was about the outdated technology system for the employment insurance, CPP and EI model through Employment and Social Development Canada. Unfortunately, the Government of Canada continues to face these horrible situations because the Treasury Board guidelines for technology employees specifically have not been modernized. The Government of Canada relies so heavily on outsourced consultants because the pay scales do not allow for the Government of Canada to hire the experts. What it ends up doing is going to those experts, who charge them over $1,000 and sometimes $2,000 a day to do the work, instead of changing the Treasury Board guidelines and allowing those people to come into the public service.”
“Mr. Speaker, I do not think the gravity of the situation is hitting the government appropriately. In the last two decades, Canada has lost 100,000 entrepreneurs, but our population has gone up by 10 million people. Since 2019, there has been a 19% increase in business exits, with only a 5% increase in new businesses. Nothing the government is doing is helping our entrepreneurs, our job creators. When will the government reverse its horrible economic policies and get out of the way so businesses can thrive?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister promised Canadians the strongest economy in the G7. Instead, Canada now has the only shrinking economy and the second-highest unemployment. We have lost over 100,000 jobs since January of this year, and many of our small businesses are going to the United States. Other countries are dealing with the same problems and the same global pressures. Will the Prime Minister admit his policies are failing Canadians and outline why our economy is the worst in the G7?”
“The TransMountain pipeline runs through the flood zone. The time for talk is over. We need action from the federal government. It needs to fulfill its promises.”
“Mr. Speaker, last week we had another serious flood warning in the Fraser Valley. Today I plead with the government to listen to the concerns of our region, a key national economic corridor. On November 24, 2021, in the House, I was promised that the Liberal government would be a partner in rebuilding Abbotsford for a stronger future. We are still waiting for action. The government has signalled that the $51-billion build communities strong fund will help my community recover, but what my riding is looking for is an assurance that this funding will be allocated accordingly. I implore the Minister of Housing and Infrastructure to ensure that we are not forgotten. Every major railway runs through our area. The local airport is critical for national defence. Highway 1 is the key arterial road in British Columbia.”
“Petitioners note that this would be devastating to our tourism economy and the billions of dollars that flow into conservation efforts. Therefore, petitioners are calling on the Minister of Fisheries to leave the current salmon allocation policy alone and uphold the cultural rights and traditions of all British Columbians.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a petition on behalf of constituents in Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford who are deeply concerned about proposed changes to the salmon allocation policy that would decimate regular recreational fishing opportunities for coho and chinook in British Columbia. Recreational fishers fully recognize conservation in first nations' constitutionally protected food, social, ceremonial and commercial fisheries. For generations, salmon have been managed by the government as a common property resource, held in trust for the benefit of all. Changing this common property principle risks turning a shared public resource into an exclusive privilege, reducing access for many Canadians and undermining confidence in fisheries management.”
“Mr. Speaker, I think it is an insult to the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who are concerned right now. The script reads like a movie. The Minister of Canadian Identity makes these comments before he is in cabinet. He erupts, people get angry all across Canada, and then the Prime Minister appoints him to cabinet. Then the Liberals make an agreement to amend Bill C-9 . Canadians are right to be concerned about the sneaky approach of the government as it relates to religious freedoms. The Liberals have been arguing throughout this debate that it would not make any difference if the provision were taken out of the Criminal Code. Then why do it in the first place?”
“Mr. Speaker, I will say it has been great getting to know the member from Gaspésie—Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine—Listuguj, and playing hockey and building bridges amongst the political parties. In good faith, I really have enjoyed getting to know him. However, we do fundamentally disagree on approaches to secularism in Canada. I will note as well that my constituents are very concerned about the context of Bill C-9 and Bill 21 from the Quebec National Assembly going before the Supreme Court. My constituents, if they were to move to Quebec and ask to work as a school teacher, would not be permitted to wear a kirpan. That is not acceptable in my version of Canada.”
“Mr. Speaker, the member has used that example in good faith, and that is one single interpretation. The justice committee has heard from hundreds, if not thousands, of people and organizations that feel that the government is going down the wrong path and that it has steered away from what it intended to do in the legislation originally to get it passed in a way that they wanted and in the time frame that they wanted, with the Bloc Québécois. As a result of that, they have sowed division and fear such that I have never seen in Canadian society before. Why? For what reason, might I ask, did they do this? It is for political expediency.”
“The good-faith exemption has served as an important safeguard, ensuring that Canada's hate speech laws target real harm without capturing sincere expression or leaving religious texts up to interpretation from bodies outside of those religions. At a time when Canadians are already so divided, we should not be advancing measures that deepen uncertainty or cause people to second-guess their ability to speak openly about their beliefs.”
“Instead of working collaboratively on measures that everyone in the House could agree upon, the Liberals decided to side with the Bloc Québécois on something that is so divisive and so fearful for the average Canadian. I do not get it. This was not part of the government's mandate. Conservatives are not even proposing to dismantle Bill C-9 . We simply want to maintain the Criminal Code exemption that already exists and was never part of any political discussion during the last campaign until the Liberals felt that they were not going to get what they wanted and made a deal with the Bloc Québécois. Every member of the House agrees that hatred, violence and intimidation have no place in Canada. Those who target individuals or communities, whether in person or online, must be held accountable under the law.”
“If a prosecutor reads in their holy book about the role of a kirpan and a sword and sees them wearing it, how will they be impacted? How will they be impacted as a member of the Sikh faith? As other members of the Conservative caucus have raised, what will happen if someone, like the Minister of Canadian Identity and Culture , decides to prosecute someone for an interpretation of an Old Testament text? The government was elected with a mandate to strengthen the economy yet, as The Globe and Mail reported yesterday, Canada's GDP growth has been flat for the past three quarters and remains below the G7 average. We also face an affordability crisis.”
“Canadians expected a different approach under the Prime Minister from Nepean. However, my constituents raised that, within the last year, they were afraid not only of their freedom of expression but of churches and synagogues and all religious institutions even maintaining charitable status under CRA laws. Combined with the introduction of online censorship measures, the government is continuing restrictive policies that we thought it was supposed to have rejected. Liberals did not campaign on this. In my riding, I have one of the largest Sikh populations in Canada. Abbotsford is home to one of the first Gur Sikh temples in Canada. It is a national historic site. We are all very proud of that. Constituents have come forward to me and asked what they are going to do with their kirpan now.”
“Canadians are left wondering not just what they can say in a place of worship but what they can post, share or discuss online in good faith. That level of uncertainty is not healthy in a democracy and is contrary to the way Canadians have lived. The government could have achieved every goal they set out originally in Bill C-9 without the amendment. Conservatives offered to split the bill into two parts to swiftly pass uncontentious sections of the legislation. This approach was rejected. I hosted a town hall on this issue with my colleagues, the member for Abbotsford—South Langley and the member for Elgin—St. Thomas—London South , who spoke earlier, and we heard a clear and consistent sentiment. Over the past decade, Canadians feel that the government has increasingly tried to dictate how they live and what they should believe.”
“Even the Supreme Court of Canada acknowledged that protections like this are essential to keeping our laws balanced and constitutional. Removing this safeguard introduces legal ambiguity and increases the risk of constitutional challenge. It also places a greater interpretive burden on courts and prosecutors without clear statutory guidance. As confirmed by the Minister of Justice , these rules would also extend to digital spaces. This would significantly broaden the scope of enforcement. Without the good-faith exemption, individuals expressing religious or political views online may face increased legal uncertainty and greater exposure to investigation or prosecution. This reinforces the need for clear statutory safeguards, not their removal.”
“They are asking if they will still be free to speak openly about what they believe. What unites us in this country is an understanding that in a free country, people must be able to speak about their beliefs, even when others disagree, without fear of criminal prosecution. (1535) One of the most troubling consequences of the amendment is the uncertainty and division it would create in our justice system and across our country. The proposed Liberal amendment claiming Bill C-9 would not infringe on freedom of expression or religious freedom offers no robust protection for charter rights. That uncertainty fosters a climate where Canadians feel they must walk on eggshells rather than engage openly and respectfully in a robust civil society.”
“The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops highlighted that it “risks creating uncertainty for faith communities, clergy, educators, and others who may fear that the expression of traditional moral or doctrinal teachings could be misrepresented as hate speech”. Over the course of this debate, the government has framed these concerns as unfounded. However, comments from the Minister of Identity at the justice committee a few months ago suggesting that parts of religious texts themselves could be considered hateful and open to prosecution should give every member of the House pause, because once the state begins to interpret belief as potential criminality, we are heading down a very different path in this nation. Faith groups in Canada are not asking for the right to spread hate.”
“The answer is not to weaken fundamental freedoms for the vast majority of Canadians who just want to go about their everyday life and go to their church or synagogue or mosque on a weekend and worship. This is why the Conservatives today are proposing to restore the good-faith exemption to listen to the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who have overwhelmed Parliament with their fear of what the government is doing. Canadians of all faiths are raising legitimate concerns about the impact this decision would have. The Muslim Public Affairs Council emphasized the “[d]isproportionate impacts on minority communities whose scriptures are more frequently politicized or scrutinized”.”
“They were deliberately included in Canada's Criminal Code to ensure that laws remained consistent with the charter. There has been a sharp increase in hate crimes and violence in Canada. Mosques have been shot up, businesses have been vandalized, churches across our country have been burned and Jewish Canadians are facing a lot of hatred right now, which is completely unacceptable. However, we have not reached this point due to a lack of legislation. Many parts of this bill, whether they are banning hate symbols or protecting access to places of worship, are already covered under current law. Rather, the refusal to enforce our existing laws has created a sense of security for those who actually seek to promote hate, to sow fear and to create violence in Canadian society.”
“I rise today thinking about the people I represent: the families in faith communities who expect Parliament to defend their freedoms and not erode them. Bill C-9 raises serious questions about whether the government is in fact still prepared to do that. Removing the good-faith exemption from the Criminal Code was completely unnecessary. It was not what the Liberals said they were going to do. It is not what the Liberals campaigned upon. It only happened because of a political circumstance. Removing the good-faith exemption from the Criminal Code, as I said, was completely unnecessary. The provision ensured that individuals cannot be convicted of wilful promotion of hatred if they are expressing in good faith an opinion on a religious subject or a belief based on a religious text. These safeguards were not incidental.”
“Mr. Speaker, before I begin my formal remarks, just over a week ago, an old folks' home in my riding, the Chartwell residence on 7th Avenue in Mission that is located right beside the church, burned to the ground. It was my church, St. Joseph's, that organized help for all of those displaced seniors. It was community members, the Mission Gurdwara and other faith groups that came forward and helped all those displaced residents. I want to thank all of them for standing up for what community means and helping people when they are in trouble. I want to thank all those individuals for their hard work and giving me hope for Canadian society. Those same people in my parish who woke up in the middle of the night to help those displaced from their burning residence are the same people who are concerned about Bill C-9 .”
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of constituents in Mission—Matsqui—Abbotsford to table several petitions, for the very last time, on the Liberal-Bloc amendment to Bill C-9 , which would remove the good-faith religious exemption from the Criminal Code of Canada. This could criminalize clergy, educators or individuals for expressing sincerely held religious beliefs or for quoting sacred texts. Therefore, the petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to reject any amendment to Bill C-9 that would remove the good-faith exemption from Canada's hate speech provisions, and to protect Canada's constitutional right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression.”
“Madam Speaker, one of the great honours I have in being a member of Parliament is that I get to meet with incredible entrepreneurs across Canada. They have heard the words of the Prime Minister and have been hopeful, but that hope is running thin. It is time to act. It is time to see shovels in the ground. It is time to use the advantages that we have been gifted in this country to our economic success. For example, if we built a pipeline in northern British Columbia, that one project would exceed the total worth of all our trade with China today. How could we not take that opportunity right now? How are we not moving on that like those other countries in Europe have when action was required?”
“Madam Speaker, the member from the Bloc asked an excellent question about Taiwan. Indeed, Canada has a long history and a growing economic relationship with Taiwan. I think that is where we need a strategic partnership by recognizing its sovereignty in standing up to Chinese ambition, which may lead to a global conflict in the next 20 years. We need to be on the side of Taiwan, not on the side of Communist China as it relates to that sovereign country.”
“He should not try to be a puppeteer but should roll up his sleeves and operationalize everything Canadians want right now.”
“Madam Speaker, the member for Québec Centre 's question was a great one. In fact, I think he is a great member of Parliament. I wish he were still in cabinet, because I believe he could make some real reforms for the public service that are not taking place under the Treasury Board Secretariat right now. I will address the member's point. What I was outlining in my speech is that we are not focusing on the economic fundamentals here in Canada. We can sign whatever MOU or strategic partnership we want, but if we do not reform our taxation system and if we do not get our rules on energy development modernized, all that work abroad means nothing. If we do not have our economic house in order, we are failing as a nation. That is why I am encouraging the Prime Minister today to stay at home and to work on the economic fundamentals.”
“The Minister of Industry needs to bring forward the requisite legislation to improve things like open banking, to ensure that children are protected on the Internet, and to ensure that we are giving our tech companies the biggest bang for their buck if they decide to stay in Canada. Despite the challenges we face, Canada's potential is extraordinary. We are blessed with abundant resources like no other nation on earth is, but we are squandering a critical period in time when we could be doing so much more. By refocusing on the fundamentals, prioritizing economic growth at home and making the structural reforms to our economy that we can do only in the chamber, we can restore some confidence in Canada's economy, bring 100,000 entrepreneurs back into Canadian society and reverse the outflow of foreign direct investment.”
“If the Prime Minister does not take seriously the concerns of everyday British Columbians on ensuring that fee simple land and private property are essential to Canada's economy, people will continue to move their money outside British Columbia. We will not see the strategic mineral reserves developed nor exports grow; we will see the opposite. He has to be on top of this file. We cannot live in a society where private property is not protected, but this is the number one issue coming up in B.C. right now. Finally, we must improve Canada's intellectual property laws and privacy laws. We are outdated, not modern, and it is hurting our entrepreneurs. We have to do better.”
“For economic reconciliation at large to take place, we have to look at new models of engaging with our first nations. I believe in a Canada where first nations people on reserve are all millionaires, have more economic potential and economic drive than the average Canadian and are pushing new projects in rural Canada that are lifting up Canada's economy and contributing to our GDP in ways we never thought imaginable. The Prime Minister has a social license to do that right now, but he prefers to go on international trips than to engage with Canadians here at home. On that point, seventh is that in B.C. we are facing some real and significant challenges on private property and fee simple land. B.C. is the gateway to doubling our exports abroad.”
“The public service has grown exponentially, but we are not seeing the necessary results. We have to do that work. Fifth, the government must outline and commit to essential infrastructure upgrades. The ports in British Columbia are wonderful. We love them. However, they are not performing at their capacity. We lack the strategic infrastructure investments across Canada to move people and goods in a way that is commensurate with a G7 economy. We have to grow up and get that work done. The sixth thing is very important. The Prime Minister should dedicate as much time to engaging with first nations leaders here at home as he does with world leaders abroad. Why do I say that? The Supreme Court of Canada has made many rulings in the last number of years outlining the rights and titles of first nations.”
“It is time to scrap them, not go over them and leave them in place, in order to reverse the capital outflow we are seeing. Yesterday I was pleased to support a private member's bill from the member for Calgary Signal Hill to do exactly that by removing the moratorium on oil tankers in British Columbia. (1130) Third, we must move away from the government's habit of picking economic winners and losers. The Minister of Finance 's experiment with large production subsidies for automakers has not delivered the results Canadians expected. We were promised a thriving auto industry less than two years ago in the House. This example should stand for all Canadians that big subsidies to big corporations do not result in better jobs for Canadian workers and families. Fourth, we need to reform service delivery within the public service.”
“We need a system that rewards effort, investment and innovation rather than penalizes them. Entrepreneurs must see Canada as a place where risk-taking is supported and where success is not met with punitive tax burdens. That means revisiting profit-sharing models, capital gains rules and the taxation environment for start-ups so talented Canadians can build their ideas into thriving enterprises that scale up in Canada. Second, the Prime Minister should work with the Conservatives to repeal anti-energy laws that have contributed to pushing investment out of this country. He knows these policies are not working. They have created uncertainty, discouraged development and weakened one of Canada's greatest competitive advantages.”
“At the same time, according to the Business Development Bank of Canada, Canada today has 100,000 fewer entrepreneurs than we did 10 years ago, even though our population has grown by 10 million. This is a staggering shift. It means fewer new businesses, fewer new ideas and fewer pathways for economic growth. For a country built on ambition, creativity and enterprise, this decline should ring alarm bells for every policy-maker in Ottawa, but is not being talked about. Canada's economic challenges will not be solved through symbolism abroad or even by Bill C-13 , but through practical action here at home. Therefore, if the Prime Minister is truly committed to strengthening Canada's economy, here is what I believe he must do right now. First, we need to reform Canada's tax system.”
“We believe that if the government were prepared to act boldly, we could collectively position Canada for long-term economic strength, but a year has passed, and the patience of Canadian entrepreneurs is wearing thin. Consider the economic picture before us. Over the last decade under the Liberals, approximately $500 billion in foreign capital has left Canada. This is not an abstract figure. It represents lost opportunity, lost productivity and lost confidence in Canada's economic direction. Investment that could have helped build industries, create jobs and support innovation has instead gone elsewhere, to countries like Ireland, where the Prime Minister has citizenship. Ireland has robust foreign direct investment through a modern taxation system.”
“None of these trips will improve the service delivery of our public institutions, increase the personnel of our military or update our privacy and intellectual property laws to reflect a rapidly changing global environment. These are the tasks that require committed national leadership, leadership that begins here, not on the international conference circuit. On October 22, 2025, the Prime Minister announced in Ottawa an ambitious goal: to double Canada's non-U.S. exports over the next decade. Conservatives take that objective seriously. We worked constructively with the government and granted the Liberals unprecedented authorities under Bill C-5 , the One Canadian Economy Act, to empower the government to pursue those ambitions.”
“Madam Speaker, I want to build on my colleague's excellent speech. The Prime Minister has spent a great deal of time travelling abroad, signing memorandums of understanding and participating in high-profile international events. While international engagement certainly plays an important role in advancing Canada's interests, it cannot come at the expense of the pressing priorities we face here at home. Canadians are looking for leadership that is grounded, focused, and attentive to the challenges facing families, workers and entrepreneurs across this country, but right now they are not seeing it. Our trade agenda is only as strong as our domestic economy. The reality is simple: No agreement abroad will fix Canada's outdated tax system. No foreign handshake or high-level summit will modernize our regulatory structures.”
“are trichinosis testing and animal production and processing rules that prevent the great pork producers in the member's riding and across the province of Manitoba from doing so. Why did the Prime Minister not use this opportunity to remove those trade irritants and include them in Bill C-13 so Canadian pork producers in Manitoba could sell more product on the international market?”
“Madam Speaker, I listened intently to the member for Winnipeg North speak about the Canadian pork industry. I think he raises some valid points, but unfortunately he left out the real and pressing issues that Canada has with the United Kingdom as they relate to non-tariff and trade irritants specifically for the exportation of pork. The Library of Parliament outlines that Britain exported 5.6 million dollars' worth of pork to Canada in 2023, 9.1 million dollars' worth in 2024, and 3.6 million dollars' worth in the first half of 2025. Meanwhile, Canada exported no pork to the U.K. in 2023, 75,000 dollars' worth in 2024 and only 122,000 dollars' worth in 2025. The Canadian Pork Council outlines that the reasons it cannot export to the U.K.”
“Mr. Speaker, the second petition I would like to present today is on behalf of the streamkeepers on the Miami River in Harrison Hot Springs. Streamkeepers throughout the province of British Columbia are committed volunteers who deserve certainty for funding and support from the salmon enhancement program beyond the current budget end of March 31, 2026. The salmon enhancement program collaborates with the Pacific Streamkeepers Federation on training that ensures that community volunteers are able to protect and improve aquatic health, habitat status, land use and stock assessment within their communities. Therefore, the petitioners are calling upon the Government of Canada to not cut program funding for the salmon enhancement programs across British Columbia, which educate thousands of young people on salmon habitat and life cycles.”
“Therefore, the signatories of this petition call upon the Government of Canada to increase the Canada disability benefit to $500 per month, to implement a one-time application process for individuals with permanent disabilities and to significantly reduce administrative and paperwork requirements associated with the Canada disability benefit so that essential supports are accessible, dignified and effective for Canadian citizens and permanent residents.”
“Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to table a petition today on behalf of the Mission Self Advocacy Group. Its members state that Canadians with disabilities face disproportionately high rates of poverty, and existing federal income supports, including the Canada disability benefit at $200 per month, are insufficient to meet basic living costs. Individuals with permanent and lifelong disabilities such as cerebral palsy are required to repeatedly reapply for benefits, creating unnecessary administrative burdens, delays and stress with little or no public benefit. Reducing unnecessary administrative barriers would improve accessibility, efficiency and fairness, while ensuring federal programs serve their intended purpose.”