Matt DeCourcey

[Points of Order, February 7th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I do and I retract my use of the word, but the—

[Points of Order, February 7th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I would be happy to retract my use of the word that implicated the leader of the Conservative Party earlier and insert instead “fearmongering”, because that is exactly what he is—

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, February 7th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, we know that immigration plays a key role in the economies of Quebec, Canada and all communities across the country.

The Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec have been working together for decades under the Canada-Quebec agreement, and we intend to continue with that important collaboration.

It is too early to comment on the content of the bill, but we look forward to examining it and will work with the Government of Quebec on this issue.

[Immigration, Citizenship and Refugees, February 7th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, my Atlantic colleagues and the member for St. John's East know well that to overcome our demographic challenges and grow our economy, immigration is essential. Immigration expands economic opportunities for all Atlantic Canadians. Since its launch, the Atlantic immigration pilot has matched 1,700 employers with over 1,800 newcomers and their families who are putting their skills to work to grow local businesses.

While the Conservatives are busy Scheer-mongering, our government is busy accepting newcomers who are growing Atlantic Canada--

[Perley Palmer, January 31st, 2019]

Madam Speaker, in Fredericton, no children's birthday party trip to the Northside Market or visit to Science East was complete without seeing Perley the Magician. For over 30 years, Perley Palmer delighted kids and adults alike with his warmth and wonder.

In December, we lost Perley to cancer, and Fredericton lost a beacon of joy. His laughter and delight spanned generations. Parents would watch their own children be wowed by tricks that Perley had performed for them when they were kids.

Fredericton declared July 13 Perley Palmer Day. It is a day for everyone to take a moment to remember our magic man, who was always willing to do a trick for any child he met. There was nothing Perley loved more than to see children wide-eyed with wonder at his magic tricks.

We thank Perley's wife, Valerie, and his mother, children and grandchildren for sharing Perley's incredible gifts with our community for generations.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, December 10th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, our support for this compact allows us to do exactly what the hon. member across the way is asking us to do.

We are working with the international community to better manage our borders and ensure that people who enter our country do so through regular channels. Canada is a leader in global migration and we will be at the table to show our support for this compact to ensure that the rest of the world has the same tools Canada has to respond to this—

[Natural Resources, December 7th, 2018]

Madam Speaker, it is important that we, as a federal government, work in close collaboration with our provincial counterparts, and that is just what we are doing with the Quebec government regarding the situation with asylum seekers.

We have already committed $36 million to the Quebec government, and we are going to continue our discussions so we can ensure that asylum seekers have a system where they can get a decision in accordance with the law.

That is what we are committed to doing with the Quebec government.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, December 7th, 2018]

Madam Speaker, it is imperative that people claiming asylum here can go through a regular process in accordance with the law. Claiming that the global migration of tens of millions of people was caused by a single tweet is nonsense.

The Minister of Border Security recently met with Quebec's justice minister and we recently had a productive meeting with Quebec's minister of immigration, diversity, and inclusion to discuss this further and reiterate that we already committed an initial sum of $36 million to help Quebec carry out—

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, December 7th, 2018]

Madam Speaker, we committed an initial $36 million to help Quebec address immediate housing needs, and we are also fast-tracking work permits so that asylum seekers can support themselves while waiting for their case to be decided.

Canadians expect all orders of government to work together to meet our legal obligations and maintain order and security, and that is exactly what we are going to keep doing.

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, December 6th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, Canada fully supports the compact, which will play an important role on a global scale to ensure safe, regular migration.

We have consulted each of the provinces over the past two years, as well as Canadians, experts and academics. Nobody raised any concerns about the compact. We know that immigration plays an important role in Canada's economy. We also know it is important to be part of these international discussions.