Rachael Thomas

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his passionate speech and the incredible work he has done on this file over years, if not a decade, as a member of Parliament. C-34 Billdoes not outline the types of design features that should be put in place by platforms in order to keep kids safe. That is going to be determined later on. Given the member's tremendous amount of research and expertise in [more]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague outlined the concerns of his constituents. I imagine that most of them would be happy about the idea of having legislation that would protect their children online. I think the vast majority of Canadians, of course, want that. The question with the legislation, however, is, who would kids be protected from? Which platforms would be scoped in? Would Facebook, [more]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has the oil the world needs, the workers to produce it and the rail lines to get it to the Pacific. Strathcona Resources is ready to ship up to 250,000 barrels per day through Prince Rupert to global markets. This would mean more jobs, a stronger Canadian economy and more customers for our oil, and the best part is that no government subsidies are necessary. In fact, this is a [more]

Mr. Speaker, this is not an either-or decision, and at the end of the day it is a federal matter, so it is up to this government to make the choice. Will it take the tanker ban and remove it or, at the bare minimum, at least grant an exemption so that this private investment can go through, so that Canadian jobs can be created, so that oil can get to world markets and so that we as a country can [more]

Madam Speaker, Canadians are working hard. They are doing everything right, and still they are struggling to make ends meet. Families are stretched thin, seniors are struggling to afford heat, and parents are helping their adult children to pay rent. Meanwhile, the federal government is piling on debt, driving up inflation and leaving Canadians with the consequences. Canada's fiscal watchdog [more]

Mr. Speaker, I will comment on the last thing there, and that was with regard to the importance of protecting privacy while simultaneously protecting children. It can be done. That is where I would ask the members of the House to come with a surgical instrument to the legislation and to figure out exactly the best way forward. We do need to make sure that kids are kept safe within their online [more]

Mr. Speaker, there was a time when children spent their afternoons riding bikes around their neighbourhoods and families gathered around the dinner table and discussed their day. They caught up with friends after school, which, of course, meant meeting in person or picking up the landline, often tethered to the wall, and making a phone call. An embarrassing moment at school might become the talk [more]

Mr. Speaker, certainly, the responsibility needs to rest with the platforms. This legislation, obviously, should outline a basis on which those platforms are held accountable, which is where we take some issue with the legislation because it leaves a lot up to regulation, which is to come later.

Mr. Speaker, I will pick up where he left off with regard to the commission. The commission is one example of a regulatory body that could be used to make sure platforms are held accountable and that could give this legislation “teeth”. Another body that could be used is the CRTC, which is already in existence. The CRTC already receives complaints with regard to telecommunications, for example, [more]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives very much believe that platforms need to be held accountable. For too long, they have been left to exist according to their own rules. C-34 The government has been in power for 11 years. The Liberals had come to the table with several pieces of legislation before this that were turned down by the Canadian public because they got it wrong. I think that within Bill, they [more]