Debates of June 19th, 2024

National Framework for Food Price Transparency Act

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-406, an act to establish a national framework to improve food price transparency.

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have been struggling with the high cost of food for more than two years now. They have been struggling, while corporate grocery giants have made record profits and continue to use their market dominance to stifle competition.

As the NDP's food price inflation critic, I have responded by getting the agriculture committee to look at this issue and hold rich grocery CEOs to account. As a result of that work, one of the committee's recommendations was to adopt a standardized approach to unit pricing labelling practices in the grocery sector to assist Canadian consumers in making informed decisions in their purchasing.

Today, I am pleased to rise and introduce the national framework for food price transparency act. This legislation would require the Minister of Industry, in consultation with the provinces, to develop a national framework on grocery pricing, unit display practices, transparency on price increases, and promoting unit pricing education to consumers across Canada. There would also be a requirement for the minister to table a report in Parliament, so we can keep the government accountable on the framework.

This bill is an important legislative measure to hold grocery giants accountable. I hope all members will join me in supporting it.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Business of the House

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties and, if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion:

That, notwithstanding any standing order, special order, or usual practice of the House, a bill entitled “An Act to recognize a national livestock brand as a symbol of Canada and of the role of the West and frontier culture in building our nation”, be deemed to have been placed on notice on Monday, June 17, 2024, in the name of the member for Battle River—Crowfoot, provided that it be eligible to be introduced and read a first time during the rubric of Introduction of Private Members' Bills during Routine Proceedings later today.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

All those opposed to the hon. member moving the motion will please say nay.

It is agreed.

The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay.

(Motion agreed to)

National Livestock Brand of Canada Act

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-407, An Act to recognize a national livestock brand as a symbol of Canada and of the role of the West and frontier culture in building our nation.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce my private member's bill today to recognize a national livestock brand as a national symbol in Canada. I want to thank the hon. member for Calgary Centre for seconding this bill. His constituency happens to be the home of the Calgary Stampede; I hope to see many members there in a couple of weeks.

This act seeks to recognize a national livestock brand as an official symbol of Canada. This is meant to acknowledge and promote the role that western and frontier heritage has played in building our nation. It is not only in western Canada; agriculture, animal husbandry and pioneers have played a role in building our entire country from coast to coast.

It would be fitting to have a livestock brand as a Canadian national symbol. For many, a livestock brand holds heraldic significance and is used as a cultural symbol. This bill would give credit to so many, past and present, who have spent their lives building Canada. Livestock brands also have historical significance with indigenous peoples across Canada, particularly on the prairies.

It is time that we recognize the work pioneers, farmers, ranchers and indigenous peoples have done in building our economy and our communities. This bill aims to do just that: recognize the importance of Canada's western and frontier heritage by adding this livestock brand to our inventory of national symbols, which include the maple tree, hockey and lacrosse, and the Canadian tartan, among others.

I hope all members will support this bill and the recognition that it brings.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Referendum Act

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-408, An Act to amend the Referendum Act.

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to put forward this private member's bill.

This private member's bill seeks to amend the Referendum Act.

We rarely use referenda in Canada. One reason a referendum is so difficult to use, which my private member's bill attempts to remedy, is that we can only put forward a referendum, under our current law, for a constitutional question, and it cannot be on the same ballot with a federal election. Of course, it is far more cost-effective to have them run together. This bill would open up some possibilities, as a private member's bill. I think it is long overdue, and I hope that it will achieve the support of all parties in this place, in a non-partisan effort, which is why I was so keen to have a member of another party join me in seconding.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Sudan

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions amongst the parties, and if you seek it, I think you will find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion on the dire situation in Sudan. I move:

That the House:

(a) recognize that the conflict in Sudan has displaced over 10 million civilians, has resulted in an unprecedented level of gender-based violence, and is causing the largest man-made famine in decades, where civilians in Darfur are suffering the most dire consequences, including ethnically targeted mass killing and sexual violence;

(b) publicly support the UN Security Council Resolution 2736 adopted last week that urged civilian protection, demanded the RSF end its siege on El Fasher and called for all members of the international community to halt the transfer of arms to Sudan; and

(c) urge the government to support international justice initiatives to hold the perpetrators and external enablers accountable and ramp up immediate humanitarian relief for Sudanese civilians.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

All those opposed to the hon. member moving the motion will please say nay.

It is agreed.

The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay.

The motion is carried.

(Motion agreed to)

Fairness for Flight Attendants Act

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-409, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (hours of work of flight attendants).

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives have been travelling across this country, and we have heard for years from flight attendants that flight attendants in Canada are not paid until their aircraft is in motion. This is unfair, and it puts many women and diverse Canadians at a disadvantage.

Conservatives believe that people should be paid for the work they do. That is why, today, I am honoured to table the flight attendants fairness act. This bill would make changes to the Canada Labour Code to require airlines to pay flight attendants for the work they do before, during and after a flight.

The lack of action from the government on this matter proves once again that the NDP-Liberals are all talk, while Conservatives take action and provide common-sense solutions.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Income Tax Act

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

moved for leave to introduce C-410, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (campgrounds).

Mr. Speaker, Canada is home to over 5,600 campgrounds that are enjoyed by over 70% of Canadians who actively participate in outdoor and wilderness activities. These businesses employ over 140,000 Canadians and operate on very thin margins, making reinvestment for their facilities and upkeep hard to manage. My riding of Lambton—Kent—Middlesex is home to many campgrounds, and I have heard from people across this country that they are being treated unfairly as small seasonal businesses. The story is universal.

After nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, life is unaffordable and Canadian small businesses deserve a break. That is why I am glad today to table an act to amend the Income Tax Act for campgrounds. The change proposed in the bill will allow campgrounds extra capital to use toward conservation, facilities maintenance, managing wildlife, recovery from the elements and increasing services to their campers.

Once again, Conservatives are providing common-sense solutions that will cut back on punishing taxes, help grow our small businesses like campgrounds, and give Canadian families more opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Criminal Code

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

moved for leave to introduce C-411, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (arson — wildfires and places of worship).

Mr. Speaker, today I am tabling legislation to protect Canada's forests and places of worship from arson. My bill, the anti-arson act, will create two new offences in the Criminal Code.

The first offence increases the maximum sentence for causing a wildfire to 18 years, and for subsequent offences to 18 years. After nine years, the Liberal-NDP government has failed to protect Canadians from the rising threat of wildfires. Over half of wildfires are human-caused. Many of these fires are ignited by arsonists from Nova Scotia, to British Columbia and everywhere in between. These fires have led to evacuations, destruction of private and public property, expensive firefighting costs to the taxpayer, increased carbon emissions and significant health repercussions from smoke.

The second offence introduces a minimum sentence of five years in prison for a first offence and seven years for repeat offences of damage to a place of worship by fire or explosion. Over 100 churches have been burned, desecrated or vandalized since 2021. Last month, the Jewish synagogue Schara Tzedeck, in Vancouver, suffered an arson attack, leaving community members shocked and horrified. In Peterborough, a mosque was torched by an arsonist and suffered tens of thousands of dollars in damages. Ex-president Kenzu Abdella stated that the issue needs to be taken seriously by all levels of government and that the crime should carry a serious enough consequence to potentially deter arsonists.

Churches, mosques, synagogues and temples are more than buildings. These places of worship are where Canadians go to find strength, fellowship with God and others. Pyro-terrorist attacks are an assault on their entire faith community and undermine Canadians' sense of security and freedom. Canadians of any faith should never wake up to find out that their sanctuary has been criminally destroyed. Conservatives will defend their freedom of worship and assembly from pyro-terrorism.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Fairness for All Canadian Taxpayers Act (measuring the tax gap to fight international tax evasion)

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill S-258, An Act to amend the Canada Revenue Agency Act (reporting on unpaid income tax).

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise in the chamber to introduce a bill from the Senate, from Senator Downe.

This bill would do three things. First, it would amend the Canada Revenue Agency Act to require that the Canada Revenue Agency list all those individuals who have been convicted of tax evasion, whether here or abroad. Second, it would require the CRA to publish, every three years, the tax gap, which is the amount of money that the CRA believes it is owed versus what it received. Third, it would require the CRA to provide more information to the Parliamentary Budget Officer so their office can do a better job in reporting on the tax gap.

I would like to thank the senator for his wonderful work. This is the third time the bill has been introduced. The second time, in this chamber, it was narrowly defeated in the 42nd Parliament, but I believe we have the votes with all opposition parties, as we did last time, to make the bill law.

I would like to thank the member for Calgary Rocky Ridge, who has done an excellent job on the file as well.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Democratic Republic of Congo

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

Mr. Speaker, I bring to the attention of the House a petition that has been signed by members of my community who bring forward the issue of severe clashes between the military and insurgents that are continuing in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Specifically, they are highlighting the fact that an escalation in violence in eastern Congo has resulted in a desperate humanitarian situation.

In addition to that, there are vulnerable women and children, including many children orphaned by the war, who are living in extreme poverty in camps. Petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to provide humanitarian aid for the children suffering in eastern DRC.

Climate Change

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise briefly to present three petitions. The first recognizes that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned us repeatedly that rising temperatures over the next two decades, if left unabated, will bring, in their words, widespread devastation and extreme weather.

The petitioners go on to note that the summer of 2023 was the hottest three months, globally, on record. They note that over the past decade, 85% of warming from greenhouse gases has come from burning fossil fuels, that the oil and gas sector is the largest emitter in the country and that the federal government in 2021 committed to an oil and gas cap. Petitioners then call on the government to move forward immediately with a bold emissions cap for the oil and gas sector that is comprehensive in scope and realistic in achieving an interim and science-based target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Commercial Truck Drivers

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the next petition I would like to present is with respect to safety for truck drivers. In 2020, the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators issued standard 16 with respect to entry-level training under the National Safety Code. As part of this, provinces and territories are meant to implement these, but only five have done so to date. As a result, the training requirements vary widely across the country and there is a bit of a patchwork of training requirements.

Petitioners note that nearly 2,000 Canadians are killed and 10,000 are injured in collisions involving commercial trucks, with most victims being occupants of other vehicles, and that the federal government can issue regulations to ensure more uniform road safety requirements.

Petitioners have three calls. The first is to establish a national mandatory training standard as mandated by standard 16 and implemented by all provinces through federal legislation or regulation. The second is to mandate that each province and territory be obliged to ensure that their training complies with this standard. The third is that each province and territory be obligated to oversee and enforce the universal standard for all commercial truck drivers using the roads.

Middle East

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the last petition is from folks across the Waterloo region who call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in the Middle East, which would include the release of all hostages and political prisoners. They call for an embargo on the provision of munitions and weaponry to Israel. They call for continued funding for UNRWA and for recognizing the Israeli blockade and continued attacks on innocent civilians in Gaza. The petitioners call on the House to work toward Palestinian statehood, for an end to the occupation of Palestinian land and for the House to call for the support of the work of the ICJ and the International Criminal Court.

Access to Medicines

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to table.

The first petition I am tabling states that brain cancer, in 2023, affected 3,200 Canadians and claimed the lives of 2,500. Vorasidenib is a life-extending medication currently only available in the United States. It remains inaccessible to Canadians. The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to improve access to brain cancer treatments by empowering Health Canada to expedite the use of patient and laboratory in vitro data to expand access to drugs for brain cancer treatment where clinical trials are not feasible and develop a regulatory model that would permit the approval of brain cancer treatment medications that can extend patients' lives.

The second petition is with respect to pulmonary arterial hypertension, which is a rare, life-threatening condition. Recent results from the STELLAR clinical trials offer new hope for patients, and the petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to urge Health Canada to approve sotatercept, a significant milestone in the treatment option for PAH, without further delay.

The third petition is on the same topic of pulmonary arterial hypertension. The petition talks about patients needing timely access to new therapies. Therefore, the petitioners are calling on the federal government to allocate funding now to the provinces so that new treatments can be made available quickly to Canadians living with this rare disease and that the federal government have a holistic approach to rare diseases that includes early detection and prevention, timely and equitable access to evidence-based care, enhanced community support, and the promotion of innovative research.

Disaster Relief

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

Mr. Speaker, petitioners in my riding want to remind the government that it pledged $5 billion in the 2021 fall economic statement to help British Columbia recover from unprecedented disasters. To date, only 40% of that funding has been delivered.

On behalf of petitioners, I will remind the House that the port of Vancouver was cut off from the rest of Canada. Every major road connecting British Columbia to the rest of Canada was cut off. There were hundreds of thousands of acres of burnt forests.

The petitioners are calling upon the government to deliver the funds that were promised in the fall economic statement to help British Columbia properly recover.

Taxation

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition in opposition to the Liberals' capital gains tax hike. The petitioners note that this capital gains tax hike would strain health care resources, limit access to affordable housing options, exacerbate financial challenges for farmers and compromise retirement savings for Canadians.

Accordingly, the petitioners call on the Minister of Finance to scrap this punitive tax hike on doctors, home builders, small businesses, farmers and the retirement savings of Canadians.

Energy Sector

[Shannon Stubbs, Conservative, Lakeland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, today I am proud to present a petition on behalf of thousands of Canadians who call on the government to stop its divisive anti-energy, anti-private sector, top-down Bill C-50 just-transition agenda, which would cause fuel and power shortages, and even more energy poverty, while hurting Canada's standard of living.

The NDP-Liberal's so-called just transition would hike the cost of living in urban and rural Canada. It would kill 170,000 Canadian oil and gas jobs, displace 450,000 direct and indirect jobs and threaten the jobs of 2.7 million Canadians across all provinces in energy, manufacturing, construction, transportation and agriculture. It would especially harm remote, rural, indigenous and resource-based communities, provinces and regions; blue-collar and lower-income workers; and indigenous and diverse Canadians, who will face higher job disruptions and more challenges finding new opportunities because they work in Canada's oil and gas sector at a much higher rate than in other sectors.

The NDP-Liberal agenda to phase out Canadian oil and gas compromises Canadian energy and national security. Therefore, Canadians across seven provinces and two territories call on the government to stop its unjust transition and to value private sector-led energy transformation through technology, not taxes, instead of through government-centred plans and subsidies, to bring home Canadian energy jobs, technology and investment, which would benefit all Canadians in every city, town and region.

Ukraine

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

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate this opportunity to present a petition on behalf of Katarina Gavrilyuk, formerly of Kyiv, Ukraine, and now residing in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador. Nearly 1,000 people have signed her petition. The petition calls on the Prime Minister to live up to the promise he made on January 10, 2023, to deliver the national advanced surface-to-air missile system to Ukraine.

I have never met this individual. I reached out and asked why she sought me out to present her petition. Ms. Gavrilyuk sent me a message, saying, “Firstly, your party has been a steadfast supporter of Ukraine, consistently advocating for sanctions against Russia and delivering crucial military aid. This strong stance aligns perfectly with our goals at Assistance Ukraine.”

I am very happy to be able to help Assistance Ukraine and present Ms. Gavrilyuk's petition.

Public Safety

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

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to present a petition on behalf of constituents. I rise for the 43rd time on behalf of the people of Swan River, Manitoba, to present a petition on the rising rate of crime.

The community of Swan River is overwhelmed with alarming levels of crime because of the Liberal government's soft-on-crime laws, such as Bill C-5 and Bill C-75. Jail has become a revolving door for repeat offenders, as Bill C-75 allows violent offenders to be in jail in the morning and then back on the street the same day. Bill C-5 allows criminals to serve their sentences from home.

The people of Swan River are calling for jail, not bail, for repeat violent offenders. The people of Swan River demand that the Liberal government repeal its soft-on-crime policies, which directly threaten their livelihoods and their community. I support the good people of Swan River.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

As an experienced member, the hon. member knows that we are not supposed to indicate whether we support petitions, but I understand that.

The hon. member for Simcoe North.

Parks Canada

[Adam Chambers, Conservative, Simcoe North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have one petition to table today. It is on behalf of residents who are upset with Parks Canada's decision to abandon the replacement of the Boundary Road swing bridge, which had been in place since 1902.

The Boundary Road swing bridge provides an essential route of transportation that residents of Bolsover use on a regular basis. It is also more efficient for first responders and is better for the environment. Parks Canada once promised to replace the bridge; it took the bridge out and has now abandoned the project.

The petitioners are requesting that the government immediately reinstate the heritage asset listing for the Boundary Road swing bridge and resume the repair of this bridge immediately.

Endangered Migratory Species

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, please forgive me. Before my petition, I just have to say, “Go Oilers”. Now I will turn to my petition.

The petitioners are very concerned for the habitat of the threatened marbled murrelets. These are birds that are covered by the Migratory Birds Convention Act. To summarize the petition, the petitioners call on the government to immediately protect all the critical old-growth habitat of this rare bird.

Carbon Tax

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition signed by over 100 persons, calling for the elimination of the Liberal carbon tax on home heating.

When the Liberals provided the carbon tax relief to Canadians living in areas where their polling numbers were dropping, they showed their true colours. It is clear that the Liberals believed in two types of Canadians: some who get rewarded for voting for them and others who must pay for the Liberals' costly policies.

The reality is the carbon tax is impacting all Canadians, contributing to higher prices and making life less affordable for everyone; not just on home heating, but in other ways as well. In Westman, with the cost of food soaring, Samaritan House food bank organizers saw almost a 50% increase in the number of hampers they gave out, reaching a total of 36,000.

Skyrocketing fuel costs are making it more difficult for those who live long distances from a grocery store or medical services.

Finally, I have presented several petitions representing hundreds of Westman residents who are fed up with the high cost of living. It is time to axe the tax so Westman residents can afford to buy food, fuel up and heat their homes.