Canadian Heritage Committee on May 9th, 2024

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

No, I'm fine to stay.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

No.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I'm sorry, Mr. Gourde.

We do have this room, as the clerk informed me, until five minutes to six. We had many delays, if you recall, in the last meeting.

We faced this question on the opposite side. Everybody wanted to continue past time when we were supposed to end at five minutes after six, and everybody was arguing on the Conservative side that we should. Let's try to be fair to each other.

Mr. Gourde, I'm sorry; we're discussing this motion.

Go ahead, Ms. Ashton.

[Niki Ashton, NDP, Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB]

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I would like to speak briefly to the amendment I've shared. I think it's really important that when we talk about the current rise of the far right, it's not just something we see in our communities or saw in the events in Ottawa over two years ago. It's not just something we're hearing about in the news or from constituents or that we're facing ourselves as politicians.

It is something we saw on display just a few short days ago as the leader of the official opposition visited a camp where there were members who clearly identified support for Diagolon, a far right extremist group, whose founder was referred to as “a violent extremist” by Canada's Integrated Terrorism Assessment Centre. This is profoundly disturbing.

We know that the leader of the official opposition has not condemned this group despite the vague assertions we've heard from the other side. There has not been a clear condemnation since the leader of the official opposition visited this camp. This is deeply disturbing.

We are seeing politicians egg on and practise dog whistles to the far right. It's incumbent on those of us around committees like this and in parliaments like ours to take a stand and condemn these groups, to condemn visiting with supporters of these groups and to condemn the rise of the far right in our country. This is a disturbing trend we are seeing in other like-minded countries around the world. It is incumbent on us to show the courage to stand up against hate, to stand with communities that are targets of this hate and to condemn politicians who are trying to score points by spending time with groups that celebrate these groups and that kind of hate.

Therefore, I think this is an opportunity, given these disturbing recent events, such as the meeting of the leader of the official opposition, to not just condemn this visit but more importantly support a motion to look into what the situation is right now in our country with the rise of the far right, how it is that communities are being targeted, what they are being subjected to and what we as parliamentarians can do about it.

We have a role in putting a stop to the rise of the far right and the rise of fascism within our country. Our role starts with showing leadership around this table, supporting motions like the motion in front of us today and stopping the playing of games to delay the vote on this important motion.

Finally, I call for a vote on the amendment, and I hope we will have a vote on this motion very soon.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you very much.

Martin, go ahead.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Madam Chair, I haven't spoken much since the start of this meeting. For one thing, I didn't have time, because after I had the courtesy of giving Ms. Lattanzio the time she requested, a motion was moved. It's not in keeping with our usual practices to move such a motion and disrupt the rest of the committee's work when witnesses are present.

Madam Chair, this committee has become a joke. It's embarrassing. I hope you have your earpiece and that you're listening to what I'm saying in French, because I'm talking to you and all the committee members.

We have important topics to discuss. We're not able to keep to our schedule. We have things that have been sitting on the agenda for months. We were supposed to submit the report on sport months ago. We all want to put forward topics for the committee's consideration. We're trying to finish studying a bill. We've changed the committee's schedule about 22 times, and we never manage to stick to our schedule.

In addition, there are people online who follow the committee's work on things like Bill C‑316, on safe sport or on online content that's inappropriate for young people. These are important studies. We just wasted a meeting on a motion that could have been brought forward at any time. Madam Chair, this is embarrassing.

When we talk to industry people in sectors in the Canadian Heritage portfolio, they tell us that we have no credibility. People laugh at us because we can't see any of these topics through.

Madam Chair, I'm sick and tired of this committee being unable to get things done. The motion before us isn't a bad one, but why move it at the beginning of a meeting when we have important witnesses here?

I'm not done, Madam Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Martin, you're speaking to the motion. I want you to speak to the amendment.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

I'll wrap up.

We could have discussed this another time, but everyone here took the opportunity to make political statements. Now, the NDP wants to make another political statement to condemn a party leader—rightly or wrongly, I don't even want to debate it. We were supposed to move Bill C‑316 forward today. We've lost two hours. We have other things to do.

Madam Chair, I move that the meeting be adjourned.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Thank you, Martin.

Mrs. Thomas.

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Madam Chair, I asked for the meeting to be adjourned; it's a mandatory vote.

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Would you call a vote, Clerk.

(Motion negatived: nays 6; yeas 5)

Do we have anybody else who wishes to speak to the amendment?

I have Mrs. Thomas. That's the only other person on the list.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

It looks like Mr. Gourde is also on the speaking list.

There's been a lot of talk that has come from the Liberal members, in particular Mr. Coteau, and the NDP members, Ms. Ashton, talking about this motion as if it's this motion they're wanting to bring forward out of goodwill for the people, and yet, when they've spoken to it, the only thing they've done is taken the opportunity to attack the leader of the Conservative Party. In doing that—

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Mr. Coteau, please go ahead.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

I think the member is misrepresenting me. I spoke for probably a good 10 minutes and my point about the leader—

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

Madam Chair, this is not a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Order. I will decide what is or isn't a point of order, Mr. Lawrence—

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

This is exactly what the Bloc member was saying. This is a joke.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

—but I have to listen to it before I can tell you if it's a point of order or not. Will you allow me to listen to what the member is going to say.

Mr. Coteau, please continue.

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

I don't know who was speaking, but that was a very loud outburst. I could almost hear it here in Don Valley East without my headset on.

I was saying that what the member just said misrepresents me. I spoke about the issue about extreme right-wing hate in this country. I mentioned the member for probably one minute out of several.

I'd ask the member to withdraw what she just said, because it's a misrepresentation of what I did.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

Mr. Coteau, that's not a point of order. It's a point of privilege, but go ahead. You've asked the member to withdraw what she said. I'm asking the member to withdraw so we can get on with the meeting.

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

I challenge the chair. There was nothing in there that was inappropriate.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

I beg your pardon, Mr. Lawrence?

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

I challenge the chair.

You ordered the member to withdraw.

[The Chair, Liberal, Hedy Fry]

On my saying—