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Results: 31 - 45 of 72
View Arif Virani Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Arif Virani Profile
2021-03-26 11:02 [p.5351]
Madam Speaker, the start of spring signals the start of the new year for the Ismaili community. As an Ismaili Canadian serving in the House of Commons, I take great pride in wishing fellow Ismailis across the country, and indeed around the world, Nowruz Mubarak.
With the start of the new year, we obviously reflect on the one that has just passed. COVID-19 has presented incredible challenges not just for Ismailis, but for all Canadians. What I have been most impressed by is their resilience. The Ismaili community stepped up in its commitment to serving others by providing essential medical services, working on the front lines and, most importantly, looking after Canada's seniors. This has been a shining example of the model of seva, or volunteerism, that His Highness the Aga Khan teaches about. The arrival of a new year always brings a sense of hope and optimism, never more so than this year as vaccines roll out and we work to build back from COVID-19.
To all Ismailis celebrating this week, I wish them Nowruz Mubarak. May the new year bring them and their families health, happiness and prosperity.
View Ya'ara Saks Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Ya'ara Saks Profile
2021-03-26 11:10 [p.5353]
Madam Speaker, tomorrow evening marks the beginning of Passover. In my riding of York Centre, across Canada and around the world, millions of Jewish families will observe a millenia-old tradition, retelling the story of Exodus at the Seder table. Some of us this year may be celebrating alone, and others will be celebrating with family members on Zoom, together yet apart. Though we cannot gather this year, the story of Passover, of triumph over hardship and liberation from oppression is a timeless reminder of the lessons that guide us through our challenges today. The spirit of our communities in overcoming the pandemic and working together to protect our most vulnerable gives us reason to celebrate. It is a community that is strong, resilient and compassionate and truly an important part of the rich and diverse tapestry of Canada.
As we see vaccinations increasing in anticipation of an end to the pandemic, the arrival of Passover, the holiday of spring, Chag ha'Aviv reassures us in the hope that perhaps a timely, modern, but temporary rewording of the Chad Gadya is appropriate this year. Next year—
View Annie Koutrakis Profile
Lib. (QC)
View Annie Koutrakis Profile
2021-03-25 14:07 [p.5260]
Mr. Speaker,
[Member spoke in Greek and provided the following translation:]
One hour of freedom is worth 40 years of slavery and prison.
[English]
This is a famous Greek phrase as we mark the bicentennial of Greek independence today.
March 25 marks the 200th anniversary of the beginning of Greece's struggle to regain independence after four centuries of oppression under the Ottoman Empire. This fight ultimately led to the return of democracy in Greece, 2,000 years after its birth.
This victory was won thanks to the sacrifices of all Greeks who loved their freedom, their language, their culture and their religion.
It is with immense pride that I rise in the House to pay tribute to the sacrifices of my ancestors and celebrate the vibrant culture and heritage of Greece. I invite all Canadians to join our community in celebrating this historic milestone.
[Member spoke in Greek]
View Emmanuella Lambropoulos Profile
Lib. (QC)
View Emmanuella Lambropoulos Profile
2021-03-25 14:11 [p.5261]
Mr. Speaker, today, March 25 marks 200 years since the Greek war of independence began, the start of the revolution which would allow the people of Greece to regain their freedom after 400 years of Ottoman occupation.
On this day in 1821, the words eleftheria i thanatos, freedom or death, became the slogan of the nation, and brave men and women fought courageously for a better future for their country, for a liberated Greece.
It is thanks to the heroes of 1821 that Greeks are still around today to thrive in communities around the world.
The bicentennial of Greek independence is a momentous occasion for Hellions and Philhellenes to remember and honour these heroes, but it is also a moment to reflect on how far Greeks, both in and out of Greece, have come in the 200 years since independence and where they are headed in the future.
[Member spoke in Greek]
View Maryam Monsef Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Chair,
[Minister spoke in Ojibwe, Anishinabe and Arabic as follows:]
boozhoo, aaniin, as-salaam alaikum.
I join from my home in Peterborough—Kawartha, where Curve Lake First Nation and our entire community are grieving the loss of Cileana Taylor, who lost her life due to an act of violence perpetrated against her by a man she knew.
I would like to thank my hon. colleagues for agreeing to this important discussion. I am not sure when the last time, or if there was a first time, the House of Commons had a take-note debate on gender-based violence. My team and I have been looking for that, but this is historic. I want to thank the Liberal women's caucus for sounding the alarm, our House leader for listening to us and for taking us seriously, and every single party in the House for agreeing to have this important conversation at this very important time in our history and for women.
These conversations are important and our government will continue to create spaces for them. However, this cannot just be about words, but has to be followed by action. When I see my Conservative colleagues vote against transferring essential funds to support women and children escaping violence and abuse in Quebec tonight, I have to question their sincerity. I hope my Conservative colleagues will account for why they voted the way they did in the time they have tonight.
I would like to talk about the women we lost, our government's response during the pandemic, the illness that causes the violence against women in the first place and how parliamentarians can lead the cultural shift necessary to put an end to this shadow pandemic.
Let me say the names of the seven women we lost in Quebec in just seven weeks. Elisapee Angma, 44 years old, was the loving mother of four children. Marly Edouard, 32 years old, was a Haitian Canadian well known in the Haitian music scene and a former manager, producer and radio host. Myriam Dallaire, 28, was the young mother of a precious one-year-old child. Sylvie Bisson, 60 years old, was Myriam Dallaire's mother. Nadège Jolicoeur, 40 years old, was the mother of five children. Rebekah Harry, 29 years old, was the mother of a nine-year-old son and was described as a good friend and family member who lived life strongly. Nancy Roy, 44 years old, was loved and cherished by those around her. These women were loved and they will be missed.
To Quebeckers and to Canadians grieving, we grieve with them.
One life lost is too many. We grieve with them. We will continue to put survivors and the loved ones we lost at the centre of what we do.
We lost more than 160 women to femicide last year, and one life lost is too many. We grieve with them and we will continue to keep survivors and families at the centre of our work.
When the pandemic was first declared, we reached out to leaders across the country, and they all said the same thing: They warned us the rates of violence would go up. We asked what the Government of Canada should do and they said we should get funds as quickly as we could into the bank accounts of organizations that would be the last stop for women and children fleeing violence and abuse, and we did that. Through an innovative model that had never been done before, we were able, with our partners, provinces and territories, the women's Shelters Canada team, the Canadian Women's Foundation and a separate agreement with the Government of Quebec, to get got money into bank accounts.
Over a thousand organizations in this country have been able to keep their staff paid, their doors open and to get the PPE, cleaning supplies and the laptops necessary to provide this critical care. I thank these organizations for their care. Because of them, we managed to prevent many, many more tragedies. Close to a million women, children and non-binary Canadians have been able to find care and refuge through these organizations during the pandemic. On behalf of the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada, I would like to thank these leaders. They are in every single one of our ridings, and we could not do this work without them.
The issue of gender-based violence is not new. For decades, feminists, survivors and their families have been advocating for change. The pandemic has magnified and intensified the reasons for the violence, and people are under pressure, but violence against women is unacceptable. It is a violation of their dignity and human rights, and it costs all of us.
Our government is working with provinces and territories to move forward on a national action plan on gender-based violence. Our partners at the YWCA, led by Maya Roy, and our partners with the Blueprint coalition, led by Women's Shelters Canada's Lise Martin, have been out there ensuring that the voices of survivors are fed into our national action plan.
Provinces and territories have agreed to move forward. We have spoken with over 1,500 stakeholders across the country, and over the past five years we have increased funding to frontline women's organizations more than any other government, and five times more than the previous government. We have opened up regional offices and have lifted the gag order that prevented too many feminist organizations from advocating for their clients and those they serve.
Every step of the way, including with the economic development measures that our government is working on, we will continue to rely on strong feminists across this country. They know the way. They have brought us to this moment in time when parliamentarians are having this courageous conversation, and every step of the way we will continue to work with them until every woman and child in this country is safe and free to achieve her dreams and reach her full potential.
I see that Madam Speaker has taken the Chair. I appreciate your leadership and advocacy in this chamber and in the women's caucus. You are a rock, and your feminism and advocacy strengthen the rest of us.
We have not always been brave enough to call the reason for this violence what it is. We have not always been brave enough to name it, but toxic masculinity is creating less safety for women and it is robbing men of their dignity, too. There are 238 honourable men in the House, and I am calling on all men to join us to help fight this preventable crime from happening in the first place. We need them. For too long, women have carried the burdens of violence against them, their families and their bodies, but more and more we are seeing guys step up as allies, like my former parliamentary secretary, who has been incredible in his advocacy, and like the Prime Minister of Canada, who shares power and space with other women and encourages us to lead and be strong in our advocacy for those who do not have a voice at the table.
There is a reckoning happening, and this reckoning requires us as parliamentarians to ensure that we seize the moment that has been offered to us, unpleasantly so because of the pandemic, to put an end to this violence once and for all.
Not too many days ago on a schoolyard not too far from where I live, an 11-year-old girl was kicked in the hips really hard by a boy because she had outperformed him on the sports field. He told her that she was fat and ugly and that she had no friends. Her friends laughed, and she left that place crying.
In another place, in another school not too far from here, a 14-year-old boy, when cornered in a difficult conversation, told another 14-year-old girl that she was too ugly to be raped and asked her why she was even debating with him the safety of women.
Within a matter of minutes, the entire school was calling him out. The girls had circled the wagons around this 14-year-old girl and they were calling out the toxic masculinity. Our teenagers are seeing this and they are calling it out. We have to be courageous enough to do just that. They are—
View Ali Ehsassi Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Ali Ehsassi Profile
2021-03-22 14:10 [p.5032]
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House today to wish an exceptionally healthy and happy new year to the many Canadians celebrating Nowruz.
Over the weekend, many in our country joined 300 million people around the world with cultural roots in western and central Asia to welcome in a new year.
A 3,000 year old tradition, Nowruz is a festive holiday celebrated, among others, by Persians, Afghans, Turks, Kurds, Zoroastrians, Baha'is and Ismailis. Over the weekend, I had the pleasure to virtually join many around their haft-seen tables to mark the spring equinox and to embrace the promise of new beginnings.
Celebrated for several millennia, Nowruz is meant to bring together people of different cultures and languages to celebrate renewal, optimism and light, all essential qualities that can guide us as we emerge with all the necessary vim and vigour to put the challenges of COVID-19 pandemic behind us.
[Member spoke in Farsi]
View Angelo Iacono Profile
Lib. (QC)
View Angelo Iacono Profile
2021-02-18 14:09 [p.4243]
Mr. Speaker, I want to wish my son Gabriel a very happy seventh birthday.
[Member spoke in Italian]
[Translation]
I rise today to recognize Hooked on School Days, which is being held February 15 to 19. Let us be honest: Our young people could use a reason to get hooked on school these days.
It has not been easy to adapt to the many changes education has undergone over the past year. Between having classes in the kitchen or living room, not being able to play with classmates or even having to wear masks, it has been an entire year of learning and adaptation for all students and teachers in Alfred-Pellan.
I congratulate all the teachers, support staff and students, young and old, on their perseverance, resilience and daily victories in a school setting that is completely different. Everyone continues to amaze and inspire us. My message is this: Do not give up, you are doing great, way to go.
View Fayçal El-Khoury Profile
Lib. (QC)
View Fayçal El-Khoury Profile
2021-02-17 14:13 [p.4166]
Mr. Speaker, in 1976, I was welcomed to Canada by a pioneering member of the Lebanese community, Georges El Khoury.
We lost Mr. El Khoury three weeks ago. He was a noble and generous person who gave so much to Canadians of Lebanese origin and contributed to the growth of jobs and investment with the Middle East as well as to the education of many young people. He helped everyone who needed help regardless of their faith or background. In fact, I owe the first two years of my university studies to him.
I would like to extend my sincere condolences to his wife, Thérèse, his daughters, Sylvana, Denise and Barbara, and his sons, Maroun and Michel. May his soul rest in peace, may his life be an inspiration to others of Lebanese origin, and may his legacy live on.
[Member spoke in Arabic.]
May his memory be eternal. Rest in peace.
View Majid Jowhari Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Majid Jowhari Profile
2021-02-16 14:00 [p.4126]
Madam Speaker, last Friday, February 12, many East Asian communities in my riding of Richmond Hill and Markham celebrated the lunar new year and the beginning of the symbolic Year of the Ox. The ox is known to symbolize positive traits such as hard work, reliability, persistence and honesty. The new year symbolizes a change and a chance to start fresh and connect with loved ones safely. Many organizations in my riding, such as the New Canadian Community Centre, Canada Confederation of Fujian Associations and RedMaple Sunset Glow Cultural Association, have demonstrated the qualities of the ox in the past year through community service and donations.
I want to thank these organizations for their continued advocacy, service and commitment to their community. I wish everyone celebrating a happy, healthy and prosperous Year of the Ox gung hei fat choy, xin nian kuai le.
Happy lunar new year.
View Alice Wong Profile
CPC (BC)
View Alice Wong Profile
2021-02-05 11:06 [p.4058]
Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to send best wishes this lunar new year to all Canadians, especially to Canadians of Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese descent.
Lunar new year honours the history and ancient customs of one of the oldest civilizations in the world. This year is the Year of the Ox. The ox traditionally symbolizes prosperity through hard work. With economic uncertainty, all of us need to work tirelessly to bring stability to the economy, maintain jobs and care for the most vulnerable.
Lunar new year celebrations are important community events, not only in Richmond and the Lower Mainland but all over the nation as well.
From my family to yours, happy lunar new year.
Gung hay fat choy. Xin nian kwai le.
View Angelo Iacono Profile
Lib. (QC)
View Angelo Iacono Profile
2021-02-04 14:04 [p.4002]
Mr. Speaker, with their paints and brushes, artists make us see our community and our everyday lives through their eyes.
Today, I pay tribute to a grande maestro, signore Umberto Bruni, who was born in Montreal in 1914. A painter, panellist, mural artist and sculptor, Mr. Bruni is universally recognized for his luminous pieces.
Umberto Bruni drew his inspiration from the beauty of our beautiful province and received numerous awards recognizing the excellence of his art. After 106 years, this incredible artist and unforgettable master has left this world, leaving the artistic community in mourning.
[Member spoke in Italian]
View Alexandra Mendès Profile
Lib. (QC)
Mr. Speaker, February 12 marks the first day of the Year of the Ox. This year, because of the pandemic, we will not be able to celebrate with the traditional festivities.
However, in the same spirit of resilience and creativity we saw in the Year of the Rat, I think we will all find inclusive and festive ways to celebrate this important date.
After one of the most most difficult and challenging years the world has lived through since 1945, I would especially like to wish all a healthy and safe new year.
The Year of the Ox will hopefully provide us all with the positivity, good health and the hard work we all need after the hardships the pandemic has meant for all of us.
I wish everyone a happy new year. As this year comes to a close, I thank Canadians for being models of resiliency, solidarity and compassion.
From the bottom of my heart: Xiè xie. Gong Xi Fa Cai. Gong Hey Fat Choy.
View Shaun Chen Profile
Lib. (ON)
View Shaun Chen Profile
2021-02-03 14:05 [p.3945]
Mr. Speaker, next week, Canadians of Asian descent will leave this difficult year behind and begin celebrations for the lunar new year. For Chinese communities, it marks the beginning of the Year of the Ox, an animal that represents strength, hard work and unwavering determination. In the coming weeks and months, I hope these important virtues will remain with all Canadians from coast to coast to coast as we charge forward like an ox to tackle any challenges ahead. May the Year of the Ox bring good health, protection and security, especially for our seniors and most vulnerable.
Although festivities are different this year, I know that families will find new virtual ways to be together while staying safe and physically distanced.
[Member spoke in Mandarin and Cantonese].
View Peter Fonseca Profile
Lib. (ON)
Mr. Speaker, today I have the pleasure of highlighting Tamil Heritage Month during the month of January. Adopted unanimously by Parliament in 2016, this month provides Canadians an opportunity to celebrate the vibrant culture and significant contributions of Tamil Canadians to Canada's social and economic fabric.
Thanks to our MP for Scarborough—Rouge Park, this year many of us had the wonderful virtual opportunity to learn more about Tamil culture and heritage and to recognize the many contributions Tamil Canadians have made to our great nation. January is an especially significant month for the Tamil community, celebrating Thai Pongal, the Tamil harvest festival. Belated [Member spoke in Tamil].
[English]
Tamil Canadians have overcome tremendous obstacles and have made significant contributions to the growth and prosperity of Canada. We will forever celebrate Tamil heritage for future generations by having declared January every year Tamil Heritage Month.
View David Lametti Profile
Lib. (QC)
Madam Speaker, I would also like to wish you, as well as the table officers, pages and everyone who works in this building, happy holidays.
[Member spoke in Portuguese as follows:]
Feliz Natal!
It is with great pleasure that I speak to Bill C-7, an act to amend the Criminal Code in relation to medical assistance in dying. First, I want to express my sincere gratitude to the members of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights for their excellent work on this difficult matter and to all the witnesses who appeared before the committee and for their compelling testimony.
Unfortunately, the Conservatives have made it clear that they are not interested in improving the bill. They want to stop it from moving forward, all this while people continue to suffer across the country. In creating this important piece of legislation, we consulted with over 300,000 Canadians, including key stakeholders. At every opportunity we acknowledged that this was a complex and personal issue, and that we would respect the different views of parliamentarians and Canadians.
During these consultations I engaged with many disability advocates and experts who participated in most of the 10 round tables I hosted across the country in January and February, along with my colleagues, the Minister of Health and the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion.
Two of the engagements I was involved with focused exclusively on the disabilities community, one in Vancouver at a round table with disabilities groups and another forum in Ottawa organized by the Canadian Association for Community Living, now Inclusion Canada, and the Council of Canadians with Disabilities in January, entitled End of Life, Equality and Disability: A National Forum on Medical Assistance in Dying.
During these consultations our government heard the voices of individuals with disabilities and degenerative illnesses who shared their perspectives and concerns, including those who believe that limiting medical assistance in dying to those who are dying is a violation of their rights and self-determination. These were individuals like Mr. Truchon and Madam Gladu, who initiated legal proceedings alleging that being precluded from accessing MAID violated their charter rights and deprived them of their preferred way of responding to intolerable suffering. Also Julia Lamb in Vancouver said quite clearly that she spoke for herself and that the leadership of the disability community did not speak for her.
We respect those voices from the disability community, which are as diverse as any community. These interventions had a direct impact on the structure of the legislation, including the non-end-of-life regime with additional safeguards as well as the substantive safeguards themselves, which affirm autonomy but balance safeguards for people who may have been in a vulnerable position. We heard those voices and we incorporated it into the very legislation that we proposed.
We also heard a clear consensus during the consultations that the additional 10-day reflection period—
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