Debates of Feb. 29th, 2024

Key to the City of Brampton

[Shafqat Ali, Liberal, Brampton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as Black History Month comes to an end, I rise to pay tribute to Marc Andrews, a long-time Brampton resident with a remarkable life of leadership and community service.

After a brief professional stint in the CFL, Marc served five years as an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces and completed a UN peacekeeping tour in Cyprus, retiring as a captain and a paratrooper. Marc then joined Peel Regional Police as a constable, rising through the ranks to detective, then staff sergeant, inspector and superintendent, earning an MBA along the way. Six years ago, he was appointed as deputy chief.

Congratulations, Deputy Chief Marc Andrews, for being honoured last night, becoming the first member of the Peel Regional Police to be awarded the key to the city of Brampton.

Black history continues to be made. Happy Black History Month!

ArriveCAN App

[Arpan Khanna, Conservative, Oxford, ON]

Mr. Speaker, while common-sense Conservatives will axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and bring home safe streets, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost, the corruption or the chaos.

GC Strategies, a two-person company, designed the arrive scam app, which did not work, which we did not need and which wrongfully sent 10,000 Canadians to quarantine, resulting in their missing work and time with their loved ones. The app was supposed to cost only $80,000, but the Auditor General has confirmed that it cost $60 million. Public officials refuse to show up at committee. Emails have been deleted, and now the RCMP is investigating.

Yesterday, the Liberals continued their cover-up corruption by voting against our common-sense motion to release all documents related to the arrive scam app.

What are they hiding?

Only common-sense Conservatives will get to the bottom of this new Liberal scandal and bring home accountability for Canadians.

Public Safety

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the NDP-Liberal government, we know they are not worth the cost. We know they are not worth the corruption. We now know they are a risk to Canadians' safety.

Just a few years ago, thinking back, the Prime Minister mused about how he admired the basic dictatorship of China.

We now know that Beijing's agents infiltrated a top-level lab to steal sensitive secrets, including the genetic code to ebola.

The CSIS reports, quoting PHAC, “Dr. Qiu represents a very serious and credible danger to the government of Canada...due to the potential for theft of dangerous materials attractive to terrorist and foreign entities that conduct espionage to infiltrate and damage the economic security of Canada.”

However, under the Liberal Prime Minister, nothing was done to protect Canadians.

Canadians have had enough of this corrupt Liberal government, which is now actually a threat to the security of Canadians.

Alan Redway and John Godfrey

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Don Valley West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the people of Don Valley West are mourning the recent loss of two giants, the Hon. Alan Redway and the Hon. John Godfrey. As parliamentarians and citizens, they have left indelible marks. They were models of graciousness, intelligence and passion.

Alan Redway distinguished himself as mayor of East York and as a Conservative member of Parliament. A true red Tory, he served as minister of state for housing, and, from his home in Leaside, he remained a committed advocate for food security and housing. He offered advice and support with good humour and grace, and he always encouraged me to stay true to what he called our shared values.

John Godfrey, my immediate predecessor, served the people of Don Valley West in this place for 15 years, as well as serving Canada as minister of state for infrastructure and communities.

An educator, administrator, journalist, environmentalist, husband, father and friend, his life was committed to public service.

Together, the two of them inspired me and, I think, inspired everyone in the House with their good works.

Member for Elmwood—Transcona

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to honour a distinguished NDP colleague, the steadfast servant of Elmwood—Transcona. As the hon. member steps down from his parliamentary seat, we reflect on a remarkable tenure, a tenure defined by a commitment to his constituents, a passionate advocacy for workers' rights and a relentless pursuit of justice, defined best by his prairie brand of democratic socialism.

The always honourable member's proud roots in Winnipeg, deeply entwined with his family's legacy of public service, laid a foundation for his principled approach to governance.

He brought to the House and our caucus a rare combination of intellectual depth and practical wisdom, shaped by his background as an electrician and proud member of IBEW Local 2085.

His voice in Parliament has been one of reason, compassion and solidarity, especially for those on the margins of society.

My brother has always been more than just a friend and a colleague, and his presence here will be profoundly missed.

I thank him for his service and—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

The hon. member for Laurentides—Labelle.

Pierre Fournelle

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to an exceptional man from my riding of Laurentides—Labelle.

He is a rare gem who has been volunteering in amateur hockey and baseball in the community of Sainte-Agathe for over 60 years now. Pierre Fournelle was awarded the Lieutenant Governor's Medal for Exceptional Merit in January. He clearly deserves this impressive honour.

Thanks to his passionate involvement and dedication, Mr. Fournelle has spread his love of sport to the young people who have come into contact with him. For decades, he has enabled thousands of young people to benefit from quality sports facilities. Despite his venerable age, he remains active and involved in the community.

I admire his lively spirit and hope that his volunteer work will be a model for future generations.

Public Safety

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the NDP-Liberal Prime Minister is not worth the corruption or the cover-up.

The Liberals fought tooth and nail to prevent Canadians from getting the documents that told the truth about the massive security breach at Canada's top-level laboratory, and we now know why they were so eager to cover them up. The documents revealed that the Liberal government allowed two scientists who were a very serious and credible danger and a realistic and credible threat to Canada's economic security, to compromise the Winnipeg lab.

CSIS reported that one of the scientists intentionally transferred scientific knowledge and materials to China to benefit the PRC. The Prime Minister has said he admires China's basic dictatorship, so it is no surprise that under his watch the regime in Beijing was allowed to infiltrate what was supposed to be one of Canada's most secure facilities.

Only a common-sense Conservative government will stand on guard for our country and make sure this never happens again.

Black History Month

[Paul Chiang, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as the member of Parliament for Markham—Unionville, I rise today with great pride on this final day of Black History Month.

Throughout this month I have had the immense pleasure of attending numerous events, both here in Ottawa and in my community of Markham. As we reflect on the struggles and triumphs of Black Canadians, we are reminded of their immense contribution to every aspect of our society. From arts and culture to business and politics, Black Canadians have shaped our nation in profound ways.

I thank all my constituents in Markham—Unionville, as well as organizations like YRAACC and MACCA, for their work during the month of February, and I give my heartfelt wishes for a very happy conclusion to Black History Month. I hope this month has been a time of learning and celebration and, above all, a reminder of our shared commitment to diversity and inclusion.

Public Safety

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government neglected national security. It hid things. On top of that, it is still not taking responsibility. Yesterday, the Minister of Health said that none of the senior officials involved in supervising the scientists who were fired would be held accountable.

If none of the senior officials are responsible, who in cabinet will be?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, it is very important to say that the Public Health Agency of Canada is independent, especially when it comes to national security issues. Our government set up a process to ensure that all the information is available.

It is very unfortunate that two Canadian citizens who were eminent scientists did those bad things. The RCMP is investigating. That is very important.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Canada-China committee, in 2019, could have done exactly the same job as the ad hoc committee did. We could have had the documents three years ago.

The CSIS assessments released yesterday make it clear that the PRC is and was actively recruiting top Canadian scientists to plunder Canada's research and intellectual property. The assessments also make clear that the PRC wants to weaponize civilian research for military purposes against us and our allies.

Knowing what we know now, will the government halt all collaboration between Winnipeg's National Microbiology Laboratory and any entities and individuals in the People's Republic of China?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I want to say that an attack on our national security by a foreign nation, be it China or Russia, represents an attack on democracy. It represents a direct attack on every member of the House. I share the member's outrage that China or any other country would attempt to interfere in our process.

The Public Health Agency, which is one of the most respected agencies in the world, hired two Canadian citizens who were eminent and well-known scientists in Canada, but who lied. It is the Public Health Agency that discovered that. It is the Public Health Agency that fired them. That is why there is now an RCMP investigation about their actions.

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the documents reveal a shocking disregard for Canada's national security. They reveal a government that is completely asleep at the switch on national security and the machinery of government. They reveal government employees collaborating with Beijing's government and with the biological weapons unit of the People's Liberation Army.

Equally shocking are the health minister's comments. He said yesterday that there was no evidence of actual breaches at the lab and that no sensitive information actually left the country. The documents say otherwise.

Does the minister stand by those comments?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the two Canadian scientists in question were well-known for their work in virology and had spent their time working on health treatments for those who were suffering from viruses. With respect to collaboration, there is absolutely no evidence of the thing that the member is suggesting. I do not think that it is at all appropriate to suggest that they were involved with weaponization or things of this nature.

The Conservatives have all the documents. They can see all of the information. We have waived all the normal considerations, not only of national security but also of employee relationships, that are normally kept confidential. It was our government that did that. That is why they have this—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

The hon. member for Cumberland—Colchester.

[Stephen Ellis, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, a scientist working with Ebola at Canada’s only level 4 lab collaborated with a People’s Republic of China army major general. Sadly the story does not end there. Dr. Qiu was able to gain access to the lab for students from China and, it gets worse, for a scientist from the Academy of Military Medical Sciences, the research arm of the People's Liberation Army, known to work on biology-enabled warfare.

How did so many citizens from a hostile superpower gain access to Canada’s top lab? Is it because the Prime Minister admires China's basic dictatorship?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, some will attempt to turn national security concerns into partisan games. That is unfortunate.

Let me just give an example. The exchange concerning Ebola in 2019 was done in the context of trying to work with China and other countries on finding solutions to Ebola, which exists in so many different parts of the world. At that moment in time, in 2019, the relationship with China was in a different place. The information that was shared was through legitimate channels. It has nothing to do with this issue. It was absolutely known and handled with complete control.

I think it is very important to not mis-characterize national security for partisan interests.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I would like to remind all members to ensure that they do not direct language that would be unparliamentary at any of their colleagues.

The hon. member for Cumberland—Colchester.

[Stephen Ellis, Conservative, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the minister's comments are reckless and untrue.

Before March 31, 2019, the PRC did not have a containment level 4 lab. How can I be so specific about the date? It is the date on which a scientist at Canada's top lab, the National Microbiology Laboratory, shipped dangerous pathogens including the Ebola virus to the Wuhan Institute of Virology. This scientist had a history of visiting and collaborating with the PLA since 2016.

When did the Minister of Health and the Prime Minister know about the espionage and blatant violation of our sovereignty, and when did they decide to cover it up?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, it is the exact opposite of a cover-up. It was the current government that created the process that released the documents. Conservatives actually refused to participate in the process.

The second thing I will say with respect to our national security interests is that it is essential, when we are dealing with national security, to recognize two things: that the party opposite is saying it would support partisan interference into the Public Health Agency of Canada, and that if it were in government, it would see that political interference into the process as acceptable.

No, it is done at arm's length, and rightfully so. It is the Public Health Agency of Canada that identified these Canadian citizens, these eminent scientists, who were lying, and took action.

Justice

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Quebec Court of Appeal has just handed down its ruling on the state secularism law, Bill 21. There is a fair bit of consensus in Quebec on this legislation. Quebeckers want a clear separation of church and state, which is what the law guarantees.

Now that the Quebec Court of Appeal has rendered its decision, it is clear that the next step will be the Supreme Court. We saw it with Bill 101, and we will see it again with Bill 21.

What we are asking Ottawa is simple: Can it stay out of it, either directly or indirectly, because Quebec knows what is good for Quebec?

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's question. Obviously, the Quebec Court of Appeal has just handed down its ruling. I will read it, and we will reflect on it.

However, I want to emphasize the same message that we have always emphasized. We will always be there to defend the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. If this decision goes to the Supreme Court, we will be there to intervene.

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

I will say it again, Mr. Speaker: Quebec knows what is good for Quebec.

We know that French is not only our official language, but it is also our common language and we need to protect it. We know that gender equality is non-negotiable, just like we know that the best way to protect religion is for the state not to have any. That is what Bill 21 is all about. There is a general consensus on that in Quebec.

Will the Liberals, who say they do not like to bicker, commit to not going against the will of Quebeckers on Bill 21?

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister and our government have always said, we will be there to defend the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The charter protects freedom of expression, but also freedom of religion and the right to equality.

That being said, if this ruling ends up at the Supreme Court of Canada, we will be there to intervene.