Michael Chong

[Health, April 19th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I am speaking truth to power: a power the current government is not using to deliver vaccines. Referring to the government's handling of the pandemic, The Globe and Mail said last weekend, “the best policy for Canadians is this: When it comes to COVID-19 you're on your own. Pretend you don't have governments protecting you because in many ways you don't.” The government punted much of the responsibility for the pandemic to the provinces. One of the few things it had to do was deliver vaccines. This is something it has utterly failed to do.

When is it going to focus on the task at hand and deliver these vaccines?

[Health, April 19th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, where is the urgency from the government?

Ontario is in crisis. A third wave is upon us, all because the government has failed to deliver vaccines. We have 4,400 new cases a day, double the rate of the U.S. There were 19 COVID deaths in the last 24 hours alone, higher than the rate in the U.S.

The U.S. and U.K. are avoiding the third wave. Over 40% of Americans have been vaccinated and over 50% of Britons have been vaccinated, but only 26% of Ontarians.

When is the government going to deliver the desperately needed vaccines to the province of Ontario?

[Health, April 19th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, Ontario is in crisis because of vaccine shortages.

In Kitchener-Waterloo, public health announced last weekend that vaccination clinics were closing because of vaccine shortages. For example, the vaccination clinics at the Boardwalk in Kitchener and Pinebush Road in Cambridge will go from seven to three days a week.

When will the government get serious and deliver the vaccines the provincial government desperately needs to stave off the third wave of this pandemic?

[Halifax International Security Forum, April 14th, 2021]

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

That this House (a) agree with the Statement of the Vice President of the Halifax International Security Forum that, with respect to the John McCain Prize for Leadership in Public Service, President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan "is a well-respected international leader, the first female president of Taiwan, and a strong global advocate for democracy.... she would certainly be an ideal fit for this award"; and (b) calls on the government to continue funding the Forum at current levels even if the John McCain award is presented to President Tsai Ing-wen.

[Health, April 14th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, Taiwan's handling of the pandemic has been one of the world's most successful. With a population of only 23 million, it has had only 1,000 coronavirus cases and 10 deaths. Next month, countries will be participating in WHO's annual meeting, but Taiwan has not been invited, even though it had observer status until 2017.

On Monday in the House, the foreign affairs minister referred to Taiwan as a country. In light of that position, does the government support Taiwan's participation at next month's meeting?

[Health, April 14th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, determining the origin of the coronavirus is essential for preventing the next pandemic. However, we still do not know the exact origins of COVID-19, because Chinese leadership obstructed the investigation by the World Health Organization, the WHO.

Will the Prime Minister publicly acknowledge that the WHO caved to pressure from China, and will he work with our allies in calling for an overhaul of that organization?

[Foreign Affairs, April 14th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, it has come to light that the government threatened to cancel future funding for the Halifax security forum if it awarded the John McCain Prize to Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen. The government’s attempt to silence those critical of China is shameful and it plays right into China's desire to silence its critics abroad.

Will the Prime Minister admit this was a mistake and commit to continuing to fund the Halifax International Security Forum even if it awards the John McCain Prize to Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen?

[Questions on the Order Paper, April 12th, 2021]

With regard to the Prime Minister’s comments on February 16, 2021 about “not applying it to things that don’t meet the very clear internationally recognized criteria around genocide” in reference to not designating the treatment of the Uyghurs by the Chinese government as genocide: what specific criteria has not been met that is preventing the government from declaring it a genocide?

[Health, April 12th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, Taiwan’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most successful in the world. With a population of only 23 million, Taiwan has only had about a thousand coronavirus cases and 10 deaths.

In May, Canada along with other countries, will be participating in the meeting of the World Health Organization, but Taiwan has not been invited even though it had observer status until 2017.

Does the government support Taiwan’s participation at next month’s meeting?

[Health, April 12th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, determining the origin of the coronavirus is essential for preventing the next pandemic.

However, we still do not know the exact origins of COVID-19, because Chinese leadership is obstructing the investigation by the WHO.

Will the government acknowledge that the WHO caved to pressure from China, and will it work with our allies in calling for an overhaul of that organization?