Hon. Rechie Valdez · TranslatePolitics.ca

Oral Questions

The Economy

2026-06-18

“I want the government to spend $3 billion. I say that will help everyone and make food cheaper. Cheer for our plan. I'm filling time with kind words.”

Oral Questions

Small Business

2026-06-17

“Global economy is bad, but Canada is less bad. I can count our deals with other countries. Small businesses need the government to make deals for them. They can't handle a tariff without us. Government should do more.”

“I'm saying nice things about small business because it polls well. I'm listing what we've spent. I want credit for the spending.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, small business investment is up by 10%. The first thing our government did in terms of action was to bring down federal trade barriers across provinces and territories so small business goods could flow across the country. We are also diversifying trade, making sure that we are able to secure investment. We heard many references today. Do colleagues know who is going to benefit from that? It will be small and medium-sized enterprises. Through our buy Canadian policy, federal procurement opportunities are going to be opened up so that small and medium-sized enterprises can take advantage of this. We have invested $60 million for a small and medium-sized business export readiness program that will help ensure that we can secure—

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Oral Questions

The Economy

2026-06-10

“Our government has done a good job on the economy. Our programs will save families a lot of money. We are the best choice to help Canadians.”

“We're already helping with affordability. Conservatives just hate it when seniors smile.”

Oral Questions

Diversity and Inclusion

2026-06-09

“That's very sad. Canada needs to spend $54.6 million over five years so everyone can participate in society freely.”

Oral Questions

The Economy

2026-06-05

“I want to cheer for anything good. Some people have jobs. Women have jobs. That's good. Let's celebrate that. Not everything is bad.”

Government Orders

Protecting Victims Act

2026-06-04

“The opposition party should vote for my bill. It's a good bill that would help people. Our government has spent a lot of money and passed many programs to fix this problem. That shows we really care. We spent money on help, housing, and lawyers for people. That means our approach is working.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. secretary of state for sharing her perspectives, and I completely agree. The Conservatives opposite have an opportunity right now. If they really want to end gender-based violence, and if they really want to help victims and survivors, they can help move Bill C-16, the protecting victims act, forward. I just want to share, as I already said in my speech earlier, that it is not just about legislation. We are also, through Women and Gender Equality, investing significantly to make sure to end gender-based violence. In 2024 and 2025, more than 1 million people across Canada were able to access services like counselling, housing, legal information, crisis supports and community-based programs, because of the national action plan that I have already referenced. On top of this, we have delivered 27,400 prevention resources, and we are going to do everything we can to end gender-based violence.

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“I want you to know I care about this problem. We should spend more money on it. And I am glad we are making the laws tougher.”

“I want judges to have discretion on sentencing. Our bill is about protecting women and victims. It's a good bill.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, our government recognizes the unique challenges that women and other victims face in this country, and this bill is truly important. Bill C-16 would protect those victims. I have already touched on a few things in my speech today, but really the key is addressing and criminalizing coercive control and all the precursors to an ultimate end for women, in terms of severe issues that are caused for them. The bill would also ensure that, from a penalization and justice perspective, we make femicide first-degree murder in this country. That would be a huge step forward, and in combination with criminalizing coercive control and all the other measures I outlined today, we would help address gender-based violence in this country.

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“I want the government to spend $660.5 million to advance gender equality and strengthen our response to gender-based violence. I support Bill C-16 because it criminalizes coercive control and addresses economic abuse used to control women.”

Official Hansard

Mr. Speaker, before I begin, I want to thank the members of the justice committee and the witnesses who contributed to the study of this bill. Their work highlighted the urgent need to strengthen protections for victims and survivors. It is an honour to rise in Parliament to support Bill C-16, the protecting victims act, and above all to stand in support of the victims and survivors of gender-based violence across Canada. I thank the Minister of Justice and Attorney General for putting this bill forward. At the core of this bill are women and girls whose voices were not heard when they asked for help, women who spoke up and were dismissed, women who were afraid to speak up at all and women who were denied the support that they need. Intimate partner violence is not only physical. It includes control, emotional and sexual abuse, stalking and financial harm, often forming patterns that grow into more dangerous behaviours over time. When violence goes unseen, it goes unaddressed, and when it goes unaddressed, a woman suffers in silence. A critical challenge is that intimate partner violence is substantially under-reported, with estimates suggesting that around 80% of incidents are not reported to the police. In 2024, in Canada, 81 women were killed by a current or former intimate partner, equivalent to approximately one every four to five days. Each of these deaths represents a life cut short, a family devastated and a failure to intervene when warning signs were already present. These were not random. They were the tragic end of patterns of coercive control, intimidation and abuse, patterns that were known, experienced or reported long before the final act occurred. These harms are experienced at much higher rates by indigenous women, Black and racialized women, women with disabilities, 2SLGBQI+ people, newcomers and women in rural and remote communities. Too often, they are not heard and they do not receive justice, as systemic barriers often cause delays, limit supports and discourage participation in a system that was not built with their realities in mind. Bill C-16 exists because victims, survivors, families and advocates have spent years telling us the same painful truth: that the system has too often recognized danger only after it is too late. Their courage in coming forward has made it clear that intimate partner violence is not just about isolated incidents. It is about ongoing harm, escalating risk and lives hanging in the balance. This bill is not only about accountability after violence has occurred. It is about recognizing danger earlier, strengthening those protections and preventing further harm before another life is lost. Bill C‑16 breaks down the barriers preventing survivors from being heard, strengthens protections, improves access to legal support and enables survivors to safely share their experiences. These measures align directly with pillar three of the national action plan to end gender-based violence, which is “responsive justice system”. This pillar recognizes that gender-based violence is a violation of human rights and, in many cases, a violation of criminal law. It calls for a justice system that understands trauma, acts early, holds offenders accountable and puts survivors' needs first. The national action plan is a 10-year framework developed with provincial and territorial governments, as well as victims and survivors. We have dedicated $539.3 million over five years to help provinces and territories implement the national action plan to end gender-based violence and address their most pressing needs. In addition to this, our budget invests a total of $660.5 million to advance gender equality, including $223 million to strengthen our response to gender-based violence. Overall, our approach to gender-based violence must be comprehensive. Bill C-16 would strengthen this work by making sure that federal criminal law puts survivors' needs at the centre of justice. On top of this, the protecting victims act recognizes a truth that survivors know all too well: Violence does not begin with a single act. Coercive control can take many forms: isolation, intimidation, financial abuse, threats to pets, property damage or threats of self-harm that are used to manipulate and instill fear. Bill C-16 acknowledges and would criminalize coercive control, where economic and financial abuse is often weaponized. However, we know that criminalization alone is not enough. Prevention is equally vital. Economic abuse is often used deliberately to control others by cutting off access to money, creating debt, threatening financial ruin or making it impossible for someone to leave safely. It is a powerful tool of coercive control that keeps women trapped and unsafe. That is why this work needs to be connected. By establishing a voluntary code of conduct for the prevention of economic abuse, we would work closely with financial institutions and gender-based violence organizations to help with recognition and respond to that economic abuse. Together, these changes would reflect a broader understanding of abuse and the many ways it can be used to exert power and control. Coercive control is evolving. We have seen it. In a world where technology can be used to harm, Bill C-16 would respond to that abuse that is deeply personal and deeply violating. The non-consensual sharing of intimate images, including sexual deepfakes and nearly nude images, strips people of that control over their own identity. It follows them into their community, their workplace and their family. It is used to intimidate, to silence and to humiliate them. Bill C-16 also recognizes a harder reality: The most extreme violence against women is rarely sudden or isolated. Bill C-16 would ensure that murders that are driven by hate, coercive control, or sexual violence or exploitation are treated as first-degree murder in Canada. This matters, because femicide is often the end of a long and visible pattern of control, not an unpredictable tragedy but a failure to intervene in time. Prevention means listening earlier. It means recognizing coercive control when we see it, recognizing the financial abuse, isolation and escalating threats for what they are. Our laws and institutions must be strong enough to respond before gender-based violence in its most devastating form impacts these victims. Ending gender-based violence is not only a moral responsibility. It is also about whether people can live, work or contribute without fear. No one can thrive in this country, build a business or raise a family if they are not safe. The bill is part of a coordinated effort to prevent escalating violence and support survivors. Bill C-16 is not abstract. It is about real people and real lives. It is about closing gaps that have left too many people without protection, and about making sure our justice system reflects the harm we know exists. It has been one part of a broader effort to end gender-based violence. As the bill moves forward, I ask all members to continue supporting Bill C-16, not simply as a policy choice but as a responsibility we owe to the women and girls whose lives were taken, to those whose stories were ignored and to those who were never given the chance to be heard. This legislation exists because of them, because they were brave enough to speak up and because others spoke up for them when they could not. Their lives and experiences forced us to confront what failed, what was missing and what must change. Together we can move forward in a country where we can live safely and with dignity, where lives are not lost before systems respond, and where hope is built through action.

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Oral Questions

The Economy

2026-06-03

“We want to look like we are helping. Spend money on our programs. Give us credit.”

Oral Questions

The Economy

2026-06-02

“I'm ignoring the economy and job losses. I want to talk about how much money the government is spending in the member's province instead. Look at all the rebates and programs! We're spending so much to help people. The member should vote for our spending.”

“I know people are stressed about the economy. But we're giving kids food at school, and soon families will get grocery money. That's real help happening now.”

Oral Questions

Women and Gender Equality

2026-05-26

“I'm going to cheer for our budget again. It throws money at my priorities.”

Oral Questions

International Trade

2026-05-07

“I want everyone to cheer for our government. Cheer for our trade deals. Cheer for more trade with other countries. More trade is good. More deals mean more chances to sell things. Selling more things means more money. More money is good for our government.”

Oral Questions

Finance

2026-04-30

“I ignore your point about high costs and debt. I want taxpayers to spend on these Liberal projects. Expensive projects will help Liberals win votes in those Ontario ridings.”

“We're doing great. The economy is strong and we're making jobs. Don't worry about selling assets, everything is fine.”

Oral Questions

Finance

2026-04-28

“I acknowledge families are struggling. But look at our government's help! We saved you 10 cents per litre on gas and $1,900 per year through a grocery benefit. Plus, we're providing $10,000 in childcare savings. We're investing in Canadians and creating more jobs to build a strong country.”

“I want to claim we are making life more affordable. I'm listing talking points to show our government gives many benefits to people. I'm using guilt-by-association to blame the other MP for voting against all those popular benefits. I don't know her real reasons.”