Scott Anderson

I think the Conservatives have been very clear about this. We are opposed to the removal of the religious exemption, which was never a campaign promise made by the Liberals at any point. At no point in the campaign were we told they were going to remove religious exemptions from Canadians. The laws already exist. I cannot think of an offence that this particular bill covers that is not already [more]

Mr. Speaker, I have been called a religious maniac and all the usual terms that come from across the floor many times, despite the fact that I think I have gone to church three or four times in the last 10 years and always on Christmas eve. I am not a religious maniac. I am very concerned about the curbs on free speech that the bill contains. It is crucial to democracy that we hear all opinions. [more]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, the member across the aisle said there were anti-LGBQ things in the speech. I did not hear any such thing at all. I would like him to retract that.

C-9 Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by saying that I believe in a free, democratic Canada. I believe in a country where people can speak their minds, practise their faith and engage in open debate without fear of punishment from their government. That is why I am deeply concerned about Bill. Elgin—St. Thomas—London South I recently held a town hall in my city, with the help of my colleague from. [more]

Mr. Speaker, when somebody uses religion as a pretext to commit a crime, they go to jail. They would go to jail now, before the bill is passed. We do not need the bill to make them go to jail. There is no precedent for doing this at all. I reject the question.

In other words, we're going to get something for this, but we're not quite sure how yet.

Ms. Hadwen, based on your experience, what immediate actions should the federal government take to restore confidence among mining investors who currently view Canada as closed for business?

Yes.

Thank you very much. When Conservatives under Stephen Harper looked to the north, we saw opportunities for jobs, for indigenous partnerships and for Canada's long-term prosperity. We took concrete steps to unlock this potential by opening exploration in the Beaufort Sea, investing in critical infrastructure like the Inuvik Tuktoyaktuk Highway and giving northerners more control over their [more]

This is infrastructure, and that's great, but how are we going to restore confidence among investors who look at the legal and the environmental red tape that's tangling up these investments? How are we going to attract them and let them know there's certainty in what they're doing?

I have one question. How would you suggest changing the permitting timelines, which we already know are slow and costing us investment in the mining sector?