Debates of Sept. 18th, 2023

Democratic Institutions

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Madam Speaker, I have two petitions to table today.

The first petition is from constituents of mine who want the Government of Canada to conduct a full, open, independent public inquiry into Beijing's foreign interference in our elections.

Democratic Republic of Congo

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Madam Speaker, my second petition is on behalf of Gerry and the Hema people in my riding.

The Hema civilians in the Ituri, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), are facing extreme daily violence from armed groups, forcing about 2 million people to flee their homes. Various armed groups, including Codeco-Lendu, FRPI-Ngiti, FPIC-Chini ya Kilima-Bira, and ADF Nalu terrorist groups are attacking [ethnic Hema] villages in the area.

Citizens and constituents from my riding are calling on the government to:

1. Create a time-limited commitment to resettle Hema refugees in Canada due to the humanitarian crisis in the DRC;

2. Ask the United Nations Security Council to create a special court for the Ituri Province to prosecute the perpetrators of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed against the Hema community since 2017; and

3. Fulfill international obligations, in accordance with the UNCHR 1951 Refugee Convention, and prioritize the Hema refugees in Uganda due to the dangerous situation the Hema community is experiencing.

Climate Change

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Madam Speaker, I rise to present a petition that identifies the fact that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned us repeatedly that rising temperatures over the next two decades will bring widespread devastation. The impacts in Canada will include increased flooding, wildfires and extreme temperatures.

The signatories to this petition call upon the Government of Canada to move forward quickly to implement bold emissions caps for the oil and gas sector that are comprehensive in scope and realistic in achieving the necessary targets that have been set to reduce emissions by 2030 in Canada.

Justice

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Madam Speaker, I rise to present a petition signed by Canadians expressing their profound concern with the Supreme Court of Canada's Bissonnette decision, the effect of which is to significantly reduce the parole ineligibility period for some of Canada's worst murderers.

The petitioners call on the government to use all tools at its disposal to respond to the Bissonnette decision, an unjust decision, including overriding it by invoking the notwithstanding clause.

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Madam Speaker, I rise for the ninth time on behalf of the people of Swan River, Manitoba, to present a petition on the rising rate of crime.

The common people of Swan River are demanding a common-sense solution to repeal the Liberal government's soft-on-crime policies that have fuelled a surge in crime throughout their community. A surge of robberies by repeat offenders has forced nearly every business to install bars on their windows and buzzers on their doors, and now many local businesses are considering closing their doors for good. To say that crime has significantly impacted the local economy is an understatement.

The people of Swan River demand that the Liberal government repeal its soft-on-crime policies that directly threaten their livelihoods and their communities. I support the good people of Swan River.

Persons with Disabilities

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, on our first day back I rise to present an urgent petition signed by almost 6,400 folks in my community and across the country who recognize that people with disabilities continue to live in poverty across the country. They recognize that the Canada disability benefit, we are being told, might be up to 18 months until it is in place. Poverty did not take a break over the summer even though Parliament did.

The petitioners are calling for a disability emergency response benefit from the Government of Canada to address legislated poverty for people living with disabilities, and to do it now.

Justice

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Madam Speaker, on behalf of dozens of Canadians, I present this petition.

The Supreme Court of Canada in R. v. Bissonnette struck down section 745.51 of the Criminal Code, which allowed parole ineligibility periods to be applied consecutively for mass murderers. As a result of that decision, some of Canada's most heinous mass murderers will have their parole period reduced, now being eligible to apply for parole after only 25 years. This decision is unjust. It puts the interests of some of Canada's worst criminals ahead of the rights of their victims.

Recurring parole hearings can retraumatize the families of victims of mass murderers, and the Government of Canada has tools at its disposal to respond to Bissonnette, including invoking the notwithstanding clause. Therefore, the undersigned urge the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada to invoke the notwithstanding clause and override Bissonnette.

Disaster Relief

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC]

Madam Speaker, across British Columbia this summer, and in other regions of Canada, we experienced a record number of wildfires. Many of those were in the riding of Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon. Petitioners in my riding are still suffering from the 2021 fires and subsequent floods that damaged critical infrastructure across our province.

The petitioners are calling upon the government to do what it said it was going to do, which is to provide disaster relief funding for the immediate repair of critical infrastructure across our province. Right now, only 20% of the $5 billion committed by the federal government has been issued. The petitioners are calling upon those funds to be released as soon as possible so we can get the critical infrastructure we need to prevent further floods and forest fires and to ensure that people have electricity, clean water and the ability to build the homes they need.

Religious Freedom

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Madam Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of many Canadians who are concerned about the situation in India.

The petitioners say that, according to the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, various actors are supporting and enforcing sectarian policies in India. The petitioners say that Christians in India are being targeted by extremists who are vandalizing their churches, attacking church workers and threatening and humiliating their congregations. The petitioners also say that there are crimes being committed against the Dalit group, including Dalit women and girls. The petitioners also say that the Indian Muslim community is at risk of genocide, assault and sexual violence.

The petitioners are asking the government to ensure that all trade deals with India are premised on mandatory human rights provisions, that extremists are sanctioned and that the government promotes a respectful human rights dialogue between Canada and India.

Pornography

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Madam Speaker, the next petition I have to present is from Canadians from across the country, including many of my own constituents.

The petitioners are concerned about the age of consent and the age verification of those depicted in pornographic material. They are asking that the government follow recommendation 2 of the 2001 Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics report on MindGeek, which required all content hosted on these platforms to be verified in age and consent prior to uploading it.

Bill C-270, the stopping internet sexual exploitation act, would add two offences to the Criminal Code. The first would require age verification and consent prior to distribution, and the second would require the removal of that material if the consent is withdrawn. As such, the petitioners are calling on the House of Commons to rapidly pass Bill C-270, the stopping internet sexual exploitation act.

Charitable Organizations

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Madam Speaker, the next petition is from Canadians across the country who are concerned about charitable organizations targeted in the 2021 Liberal platform. The petitioners are calling on the House and MPs to ensure that charities that hold views different from the government do not lose their charitable status.

Medical Assistance in Dying

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Madam Speaker, the next petition is from Canadians from across the country who are concerned about the comments of Louis Roy from the Quebec college of physicians, who recommended that euthanasia be expanded to babies from birth to one year of age who come into this world with severe deformities. This proposal for the legalized killing of infants is deeply disturbing to many Canadians, and they want to point out that infanticide is always wrong. The undersigned of this petition, who are all residents of Canada, call on the Government of Canada to block any attempt to allow the killing of children.

Firearms

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Madam Speaker, the final petition I have today is from Canadians across the country who support the health and safety of Canadian firearms owners.

Petitioners recognize the importance of owning firearms. They are concerned about the impacts of hearing loss caused by the damaging noise levels of firearms and about the need for noise reduction. These petitioners acknowledge that sound moderators are the only universally recognized health and safety device that is criminally prohibited in Canada. Moreover, the majority of G7 countries have recognized the health and safety benefits in allowing them for hunting, sport shooting and reduced noise pollution.

The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to allow firearms owners the option to purchase and use sound moderators for all legal hunting and sport shooting activities.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 1525 to 1528, 1531, 1533, 1534, 1536, 1543, 1548 to 1550, 1562, 1565, 1568, 1570 to 1572, 1575, 1576, 1580, 1581, 1583, 1587, 1588, 1597, 1602, 1603, 1605, 1607, 1612, 1614, 1617 to 1619, 1623 to 1625, 1630, 1634, 1638, 1640, 1646, 1653, 1659 to 1661, 1664, 1669 to 1671, 1677, 1680, 1686 and 1691.

Question No.1525—

[Kirsty Duncan, Liberal, Etobicoke North, ON]

With regard to national sport organizations (NSOs) with contribution agreements with Sport Canada (SC), and that have or had non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with employees and coaches: (a) is SC monitoring which NSOs have NDAs with employees and coaches; (b) for each NSO, what are the details of each NDA, broken down by the year or years in place; and (c) for each NSO in (a), has the agreement ever been used, and, if so, when, and for what purpose?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Sport and Physical Activity]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a), at this time, Sport Canada is not monitoring which national sport organizations have non-disclosure agreements with employees and coaches. However, in her May 11, 2023, announcement to foster a safe and sustainable culture change in sport, the previous minister for sport reiterated that non-disclosure agreements or non-disparaging clauses should never be used to prevent athletes and other sport participants from disclosing maltreatment they have experience or witnessed. Consistent with national efforts to this end, Sport Canada will include a clause in its funding agreements with national sport organizations that will prohibit any national sport organization contracts, policies, procedures or actions that restrict participants’ rights under the Universal Code of Conduct to Prevent and Address Maltreatment in Sport.

With regard to part (b), at this time, Sport Canada does not monitor non-disclosure agreements and therefore is not able to confirm which national sport organizations might have them and what the details might be.

With regard to part (c), as per the answer to part (b) above, these details are not available.

Question No.1526—

[Kevin Vuong, Independent, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

With regard to the proposed redesign of the Canadian passport: (a) which minister and government department initiated the passport redesign project; (b) what public consultations were held on the new illustrations to be contained on the redesigned passport pages; (c) who determined, and on what basis, the replacement of the former pages of the passport; and (d) how much did the redesigned passport project cost?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to the proposed redesign of the Canadian passport, the development of the new passport began in 2013 following the launch of the last passport design. The new theme was approved by the Minister of IRCC on July 4, 2019, and the final images were approved by the minister on November 16, 2020.

The theme of the passport was first identified more than 10 years ago from surveys of passport applicants conducted by the passport program. Subsequent consultations, including with the Government of Canada’s forensic specialists at the Canada Border Services Agency and with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canadian Heritage and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, were conducted to provide additional insight and inclusivity.

Industry standard and best practice is to refresh security features and passport booklet design every five years. This aligns with the recommendations set forth by the International Civil Aviation Organization. Changing the theme and the design of our passport is an important step in preventing counterfeiting by integrating new and more advanced security features and design techniques. The change also ensures that there is a clear distinction of imagery between each passport in the old and new series, which ensures ease of validation of the travel document and security features by border services agencies globally.

The passport redesign is a milestone from the ePassport Next Generation project. An expenditure authority in the amount of $161 million has been provided by the Treasury Board Secretariat to design, develop and deploy Canada’s ePassport Next Generation suite of travel documents and all related printing equipment, software and infrastructure by October 2024. This initiative is fully funded from the passport program revolving fund. Costs specific to the redesign cannot be provided, as the vendor costs for this milestone were combined with other project implementation deliverables.

Question No.1527—

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

With regard to the passport design unveiled on May 10, 2023: (a) what are the details of all spending related to the redesign of the new passport, broken down by item and type of expense; (b) who were the artists and companies that were used for the design and images in the new passport, and how much was each paid for their work; (c) what are the details of the consultations related to the redesign, including, for each consultation, the (i) names of organizations or individuals consulted, (ii) date, (iii) form (roundtable, online questionnaire, etc.), (iv) outcome, recommendation, or feedback provided; (d) during consultations, did anyone support removing Terry Fox from the passport design, and, if so, who; (e) during consultations, did anyone voice support for removing Nellie McClung from the passport design and, if so, who; (f) during consultations, did anyone voice support for removing the Vimy Ridge Memorial from the passport design, and, if so, who; (g) during consultations, did anyone voice support for removing Quebec City from the passport design, and, if so, who; (h) what is the total cost of all consultations which have occurred to date; (i) what is the breakdown of consultation costs by date and line item; (j) have any outside consultants or service providers been involved in the development of the new passport’s design, and, if so, what are the details of each consultant or service provider's involvement, including the (i) name of the individual or firm, (ii) contract value, (iii) date of the contract, (iv) description of the goods or services provided; (k) how many government employees or full-time equivalents worked on the redesign and consultations; and (l) what are the (i) travel, (ii) hospitality, costs associated with the redesign and consultations incurred to date, in total, and broken down by year and type of expense?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a), the newly unveiled Canadian passport was delivered as part of a comprehensive project led by IRCC to replace the passport booklet and all related production printing equipment and infrastructure to produce this new passport. The Treasury Board of Canada has approved a project budget of $161 million for this project, which began in 2016, and it includes costs payable to the Canadian Bank Note Company, CBN, for various project deliverables.

With regard to part (b), as part of the project, Canada launched a competitive procurement process in June 2016, and on May 24, 2019, a contract was awarded to the CBN to deliver this solution for the Government of Canada. CBN was responsible, per the contract, for the development of the designs for the new passport following the decision on theme by the Minister of IRCC. The contract was awarded for $284 million, as posted at https://buyandsell.gc.ca/procurement-data/request-your-own-supplier-contract-history-letter/canadian-bank-note-company-limited?order=award_date&sort=desc#award_date, for printed matter, including books, newspapers, pictures, manuscripts and forms.

With regard to part (c), the new passport design has undergone consultations, including with the Government of Canada’s forensic specialists at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and the Canada Border Services Agency, and with Canadian Heritage and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. The theme was selected following a series of annual surveys conducted by the passport program. These were conducted by phone with a statistically relevant sample size for that year of Canadian passport holders.

With regard to parts (d), (e), (f) and (g), consultations with forensic specialists were focused on the security features of the new passport. The surveys were conducted on broad themes for the design of the new passport, and not on the inclusion of images or representations of specific individuals or events.

With regard to parts (h) and (i), at this point in time and due to time constraints, the cost specific to this question is not known, as this was included as part of a broader survey conducted on passport operations with Canadian passport holders on an annual basis.

With regard to part (j), yes, CBN is under contract with the Government of Canada to redesign the Canadian passport as part of the full ePassport Next Generation solution and infrastructure procurement. The contract was awarded for $284 million, as posted at https://buyandsell.gc.ca/procurement-data/request-your-own-supplier-contract-history-letter/canadian-bank-note-company-limited?order=award_date&sort=desc#award_date, for printed matter, including books, newspapers, pictures, manuscripts and forms.

With regard to part (k), approximately 2.5 IRCC full-time equivalents, FTEs, worked on the passport redesign as part of the ePassport Next Generation project.

With regard to part (l), there were no travel or hospitality costs incurred to redesign the Canadian passport.

Question No.1528—

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

With regard to the government's treatment of Egyptian refugees: (a) does the Minister of Public Safety consider (i) Canadian citizens, (ii) permanent residents, (iii) foreign nationals, who joined or participated in Egypt's Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) after the 2011 Egyptian revolution, to participate in Egypt's democratic elections to be a danger to the security of Canada; (b) why has the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) deemed FJP-affiliated refugees inadmissible to Canada; (c) will the Minister of Public Safety grant ministerial relief to those Egyptian refugees who have been deemed to be inadmissible to Canada because they joined or participated in the FJP after the 2011 Egyptian revolution to participate in Egypt's democratic elections; and (d) will the Minister of Public Safety issue a directive to resolve the CBSA's inconsistent treatment of Egyptian refugees with FJP affiliation to ensure that all refugees are treated equally, impartially, and consistently?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, Canada Border Services Agency, CBSA, officials are legally required to apply legislation, including the membership provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, IRPA, passed by Parliament. They do so in an equal, impartial and consistent manner, in line with the law and the guidance of the courts, as well as based on comprehensive national guidance and management oversight to ensure objectivity. The CBSA’s role is to gather evidence and to present allegations, but for serious inadmissibility allegations that require an admissibility hearing, they are not the decision-maker; the Immigration Refugee Board is the decision-maker, based on an assessment of the evidence presented by the CBSA and by those who are alleged to be inadmissible.

With regard to (i) to (iii) of part (a), Canadian citizens are not subject to inadmissibility provisions under IRPA. Only permanent residents and foreign nationals can potentially be inadmissible to Canada. All cases, including persons affiliated with the Freedom and Justice Party, are assessed and reviewed on a case-by-case basis for inadmissibility concerns, and only those for which there is a sound evidentiary basis may end up being reported as inadmissible. The CBSA role is to conduct admissibility investigations, gather evidence and, if well founded, present the allegation.

No such case has led to concerns related to the specific inadmissibility provision for danger to the security of Canada. Instead, they relate to inadmissibility for being a member of an organization for which there are concerns that it engaged in impugned acts, which is in paragraph 34(1)(f) of IRPA. Of note, when determining inadmissibility relating to membership in any such organization, IRPA does not require that an individual be found to pose a threat or danger to Canada.

With regard to part (b), like most of the serious inadmissibilities, the membership inadmissibility allegation requires the decision of an impartial, quasi-judicial tribunal, in this case the immigration division, ID, of the Immigration and Refugee Board, IRB. This means that the IRB is the final decision-maker where these matters are at issue and that the CBSA cannot deem any person inadmissible in these circumstances unilaterally.

If an officer determines that there is robust evidence to support an allegation of inadmissibility, they may report the person as inadmissible. Subsequently, a different officer must then review that report to determine whether the report is well founded. If that officer so concludes, the report can then be referred to the ID of the IRB for adjudication at an admissibility hearing.

Finally, in any case where a person is found inadmissible, that person can pursue a judicial review before the Federal Court of Canada, which did occur in one of these case. The court upheld the finding of inadmissibility at that time, thereby dismissing the judicial review.

With regard to part (c), if a person is found to be inadmissible for certain provisions, including membership inadmissibility as in these cases, they may make an application for ministerial relief to the Minister of Public Safety. In order to be eligible to submit an application for relief, an individual must have a final determination of inadmissibility, such as a removal order issued by the IRB or an application for temporary or permanent residence refused by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, and must satisfy other requirements as set out in the immigration and refugee protection regulations. The Minister of Public Safety assesses the merits of eligible applications to determine whether or not a grant of relief would be contrary to Canada’s national interest. If the minister decides to grant relief, it would mean that the person would not be considered inadmissible thereafter on the basis of the grounds for which relief was provided. Each ministerial relief application is assessed on its own case-specific facts and circumstances. As such, it is not possible to predetermine the outcome of any pending or anticipated requests for relief.

With regard to part (d), the CBSA treats any case before it on a case-by-case basis, in a dispassionate and impartial manner, and based on the facts before it at that time. The agency prioritizes serious inadmissibility matters from an investigative perspective and provides its officers an array of functional, operational and program guidance to support and assist them in the execution of their mandate and duties. All guidance is updated to reflect the evolving jurisprudential environment. Any possible enforcement action taken must comply with the law and existing operational and program policies, and is subject to rigorous and independent review at multiple steps, including by CBSA officers and the IRB, which is the independent adjudicating tribunal, with the availability of judicial review by the Federal Court of Canada against any decision taken.

Question No.1531—

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

With regard to the new passport design unveiled on May 10, 2023: (a) what is the detailed timeline of all actions (calls for proposals, designs reviewed, ministerial approval, etc.) associated with the development of the new passport from when the government first considered changing the passport; and (b) for each action in (a), who was responsible for overseeing that particular part of the process?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to parts (a) and (b), please find the timeline concerning actions associated with the new B series passport design below.

In January 2013, the current passport, the A series, was launched. Research and development efforts began, to document specifications for future passport contracts based on lessons learned from the 2011 contract. The office of primary interest, OPI, was Passport Canada’s security bureau.

There are survey results from 2016, 2017 and 2018. Passport program surveys are conducted to collect data from recent applicant passports holders on a range of questions, including possible themes for the design of the next passport. The OPI was Passport Canada’s security bureau and program integrity branch.

In June 2016, the request for information was posted on buyandsell.gc.ca. The OPI was IRCC, citizenship and passport programs branch.

On June 13, 2017, the invitation to qualify was posted on buyandsell.gc.ca to select pre-qualified bidders. The OPI was IRCC, citizenship and passport programs branch.

On April 27, 2018, the request for proposals was posted to pre-qualified bidders. The OPI was IRCC, citizenship and passport programs branch.

Other government departments, OGD, were consulted in 2019 and 2020. Consultations were conducted with forensic experts at the CBSA and the RCMP, and with Canadian Heritage and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, CIRNAC.

On May 24, 2019, the contract was awarded to the Canadian Bank Note Company Ltd. The OPI was IRCC, citizenship and passport programs branch.

On July 4, 2019, the Minister of IRCC approved the theme of the design. The OPI was IRCC, citizenship and passport programs branch.

On May 20, 2020, the Minister of IRCC approved a preliminary version of the design and provided suggestions for adjustments. The OPI was IRCC, citizenship and passport programs branch.

On November 16, 2020, the Minister of IRCC approved the final design of the passport. The OPI was IRCC, citizenship and passport programs branch.

Following ministerial approval of the aesthetic design, content was converted into detailed security features, and the design went through several manufacturing and testing steps involving multiple international suppliers. The pandemic, health restrictions, staff illnesses and supply chain issues had repercussions on the project as a whole, adding two years to the original one year that should have been required to complete this work.

Question No.1533—

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

With regard to the government's decision to remove the images of the Vimy Ridge Memorial and Billy Bishop from the Canadian passport: (a) were any veterans groups or The Vimy Foundation consulted about the removal of the images prior to the unveiling, and, if so, which ones, and what feedback did they provide; and (b) if the answer to (a) is negative, why was the decision made not to consult veterans groups and who made the decision?