It was my honour to address the House of Commons on the importance of Bill C-15, An Act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Once passed, Bill C-15 will affirm UNDRIP as a universal human rights instrument with application in Canadian law, and provide the Government of Canada with a framework to work collaboratively with First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in order to protect, promote and uphold the rights of Indigenous peoples across Canada.
Our early learning and childcare plan will:
Investing in early learning and #childcare provides jobs for workers, the majority of whom are women; it enables parents, particularly mothers, to reach their full economic potential; and it creates a generation of engaged and well prepared young learners.
Today I paid tribute to Daanish Memon, a dedicated community leader who took his own life after a long and difficult struggle with his mental health.
If you or anyone you know is in need of assistance, it is always okay to ask for help. If you are in immediate danger or need urgent support, Call 911.
For those seeking mental health or substance abuse support, Wellness Together Canada is a free and confidential counselling resource available 24/7 to Canadians.
WEBSITE:
TELEPHONE:
1-866-585-0445 (Adults)
1-888-668-6810 (Youth)
TEXT “WELLNESS” to:
741741 (Adults)
686868 (Youth)
To his wife, Yasmin Merchant and four children Usamah, Mariam, Safiyyah, and Aaminah - thank you for your openness, courage, and advocacy. Thank you, Brother Daanish, for your inspiring work. We miss you, we love you, and we honour you and your family today.
Scarborough is a COVID-19 hotspot.
As frontline heroes like Dr. Salomon- Switzman, Dr. Ravichandiran, Dr. Kanna Vela and the teams as at Scarborough Health Network , Toronto Public Health and TAIBU Community Health Centre bravely battle a violent third wave in Ontario, our government is ready to continue supporting the Government of Ontario and City of Toronto to keep Scarborough safe.
Young Canadians have been critically impacted by the #COVID19 pandemic.
Through #Budget2021, our government is investing $5.7 Billion over the next 5 years to ensure they have access to the tools and opportunities necessary to succeed.
During today's meeting of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, I asked former Grand Chief of the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations, Wilton Littlechild and Dr. Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond to explain the significance of legislating the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples within the framework of Bill C-15 in Canada, and why UNDRIP is so important to the concept of Reconciliation.
I am honoured to rise today and pay tribute to the remarkable 35-year career of Girmalla Persaud, Executive Director of the Malvern Family Resource Centre.
A career full of memories that has a given our community a future full of possibilities—we are forever thankful for her service to Scarborough.
During yesterday's meeting on the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs, it was my honour to speak with Romeo Saganash and Sheryl Lightfoot about the importance of implementing Bill C-15, An Act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Implementing UNDRIP will ensure the Government of Canada continues to work in consultation, collaboration and cooperation with Indigenous peoples and follows through on our commitment to walking the path of Reconciliation.
Without significant structural reforms capable of addressing the inherent failures within Canada’s long-term care sector, we will not cure the ongoing crises within these facilities.
Provinces and territories need to work together with the federal government to establish national stands of care. There is no acceptable reason why a long-term care residents in British Columbia is held to a different standard of care than one living in Prince Edward Island or Ontario. National standards will enshrine the decency our most vulnerable deserve.
To protect these standards, amendments must be made to Canada’s Criminal Code which explicitly penalize those who neglect seniors under their care and willingly put them in danger. The startling rise of legislation designed to create a culture of impunity and inhibit justice from the families of victims is shameful. This abuse of power must not continue.
Finally, all inquires into the state of long-term care must be public, independent, and led by panels which include residents, staff, and families of survivors. It has become increasingly clear that government-led commissions, like those in Ontario, are incapable of producing a sufficiently thorough investigation into this crisis.
When the #COVID19 pandemic is over and we begin returning to restaurants, reuniting with our friends, or relaxing at the beach, the women and men in long-term care will remain in these facilities.
As legislators, it is incumbent upon us to significantly elevate the existing standards of care across the country. The women and men in long-term care are worthy of a higher standard of living not because they are our parents, grandparents, neighbours, or friends, but because they are endowed with the same equal and inherent right to dignity, respect and care as all Canadians.
When our crisis is over their crisis will continue, unless we act—now.
On Human Rights Day, we honour the #HumanRights defenders who continue to put their lives at risk in order to advance the rights and livelihood of others.
These extraordinary women and men are the guardians of good and their exhaustive efforts will not soon be forgotten.
The Copyright Modernization Act mandates the measures which are necessary to protect the creative content of artists and producers in contemporary Canadian society.
It was my honour to rise in the House of Commons and congratulate President Elect Joe Biden and Vice-President Elect Kamala Harris on their historic victory.
In a world that has systemically and repeatedly limited women, and especially black women, from achieving their fullest potential, Kamala Harris has shattered the glass ceiling for all.
The American people have spoken decisively, and we look forward to welcoming President Biden and Vice President Harris to Canada!
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Today I had the opportunity to congratulate the graduating class of 2020 at St. Mother Teresa Catholic Academy in the House of Commons!
It was a pleasure to join the class of 2020 at their virtual graduation ceremony and congratulate them on all their hard work. During their last year of high school, these students faced many challenges such as the COVID-19 pandemic, systemic racism against Black and Indigenous peoples, and the growing effects of climate change. Through it all, these students preserved and finished their high school career. High school graduates today, leaders of tomorrow.
Once more, congratulations to the class of 2020 at St. Mother Teresa Catholic Academy!
For far too long, Canada avoided conversations about the existence and impact of systemic racism, and the profound toll it has taken on Indigenous, Black and racialized communities.
Over the past 6 months, COVID-19 has further exacerbated this divide. The disproportionate impact the virus has had on racialized communities is not a coincidence and cannot be ignored.
A pan-Canadian effort to address systemic racism, which ensures an equal playing field within the criminal justice system, changing laws on mandatory minimum sentences, enshrining UNDRIP into law, walking the path of Reconciliation, and building on the National Anti-Racism Strategy is essential if we are to overcome and eliminate this oppressive force.
Today, I delivered a Member’s Statement in honour of my friend, and mentor, Alex Neve, outgoing Secretary-General of Amnesty International Canada (English). In the twenty years he led AI, he was outspoken on virtually every human rights issue in Canada and around the world of the time.
After being elected in 2015, Alex is someone I naturally looked to better understand human rights issues. I looked to him when we started the Liberal Party Human Rights Caucus in 2016; and on many issues he fought hard to attain. I was pleased when we had those wins: the first Federal/Provincial/Territorial Meeting on Human Rights in a generation; the time Canada announced at an Amnesty gathering that the Optional Protocol on Torture would no longer be optional for Canada. But my most memorable meetings were the ones where Alex would bring a human rights defender from many different parts of the world to speak about Canadian Corporations polluting and dismantling local rights.
Obviously, his work is not done and we will hear from him in the future on another human rights issue. Alex sometimes has had to take a lonely path on some issues. But it was always the right path.
As he passes the torch to Ketty Niveabandi, I want to thank Alex and his family for their sacrifices. I also want to welcome Ketty Niveabandi into her new role. I look forward to working with her and this incredible organization. A champion for human rights, Ketty is a natural fit for Amnesty International Canada and will continue to work to advance human rights to new heights in Canada and around the world.
| Mon: | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Tue: | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Wed: | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Thu: | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Fri: | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM |
| Sat: | Closed |
| Sun: | Closed |
