COVID-19 Pandemic Committee on June 4th, 2020

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I call this meeting to order.

Welcome to the 17th meeting of the House of Commons Special Committee on the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This will be a hybrid meeting. Members will be participating via video conference or in person.

As a reminder, in order to avoid issues with sound, members participating in person should also not be connected to the video conference.

Before speaking, please wait until I recognize you by name, and please direct your remarks through the chair.

For those joining via video conference, I would like to remind you to leave your mike on mute when you are not speaking.

Also, please note that if you want to speak in English, you should be on the English channel and if you want to speak in French, you should be on the French channel. Should you wish to alternate between the two languages, you should change the channel to the language that you are speaking each time you switch languages.

While I have your attention, for those of you who are at home and have your boom over, please ensure that it's not too far or not too close so that we get the true sound of your voice coming through and we spare the ears of our wonderful interpreters.

Should members participating by video conference need to request the floor outside their designated speaking times, they should activate their mic and state that they have a point of order.

Those in the Chamber can rise in the usual way.

Please note that today's proceedings will be televised in the same way as a typical sitting of the House.

I don't believe we have any ministerial announcements today, so we'll proceed to the presenting of petitions for a period not exceeding 15 minutes.

I would like to remind members that any petition presented during a meeting of the special committee must have already been certified by the clerk of petitions.

For the members participating in person, we ask that they please drop off their signed certificates at the table once the petitions have been presented.

Presenting petitions, Ms. May.

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

Mr. Chair, I rise to present two petitions on this anniversary of the massacre at Tiananmen Square.

The first petition is from petitioners concerned about human rights in the People's Republic of China and the detention of practitioners of Falun Dafa or Falun Gong. They call on the Government of Canada and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to impress the importance of universal human rights upon the government of the People's Republic of China and to allow swifter accommodation of human rights within the People's Republic of China.

The second petition pertains to human rights within Canada. It calls on the Government of Canada to follow and be accountable to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, to fulfill the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, and to move forward swiftly to meet the expectations of justice for the Wet'suwet'en people.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Next is Mr. Genuis.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair, and colleagues, on this sombre anniversary.

I want to present a petition dealing with a specific human rights issue: the issue of forced organ harvesting and trafficking. It is an issue in China but it is also a human rights issue in other places.

I'm presenting a petition in support of Bill S-204. This bill would make it a criminal offence for a Canadian to go abroad and receive an organ for which there hasn't been consent. Forms of this bill were presented in previous parliaments by Borys Wrzesnewskyj, by Irwin Cotler, and by me.

The petitioners are hoping that this 43rd Parliament will finally get this important legislation over the goal line to protect vulnerable people who are victims of organ harvesting and trafficking around the world.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We'll now go to Mr. Vis.

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

Good morning, Mr. Chair.

I have another petition from my constituents calling upon the Government of Canada to stop targeting licensed, law-abiding firearms owners, and to cancel all plans to confiscate their legally owned private property.

The petitioners of Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon highlight that the majority of guns used in violent crimes are smuggled into Canada from the United States, and therefore, legal Canadian firearms owners should not be used as scapegoats by the Liberal government.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We'll now go to Mr. Manly.

[Paul Manly, Green, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Mr. Chair, it's an honour to be presenting a petition from Nanaimo—Ladysmith. This is an appropriate petition given that tomorrow is United Nations World Environment Day and the theme is biodiversity in 2020.

The petitioners are calling upon the government to expand the marine protected areas. They're requesting that the federal Ministry of Fisheries and Oceans work with all the relevant government branches to simplify multilateral communication and responsibility on the subject of marine protected areas.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We will now proceed to statements by members for a period not exceeding 15 minutes. Each statement will be for no more than one minute, and I offer a reminder that members who go over the time limit will be interrupted.

We'll start off with Mr. Long.

[Wayne Long, Liberal, Saint John—Rothesay, NB]

Mr. Chair, I would like to begin by thanking essential workers from all sectors in Saint John—Rothesay and across New Brunswick who have been working around the clock to keep the people of our community safe, fed and well supplied during this pandemic.

Since we rose, my team and I have also been working around the clock to ensure that all New Brunswickers whose finances have been affected by this pandemic—from workers who were laid off to essential workers, seniors, students, small business owners and persons with disabilities—receive the federal financial relief they need. The tremendous sacrifices we have all made to help flatten the curve now are beginning to pay off.

We are also focused on working with our federal, provincial and municipal colleagues to build our region's economy back better as we emerge from this crisis. Together, we will keep the curve flat and ensure our region's economic resurgence.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We'll now go to Mr. Baldinelli.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Chair, I'd like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to the life and memory of a truly remarkable woman, Wilma Morrison, a nurse, community volunteer and historian whom we all came to rely upon. Wilma worked tirelessly in promoting and preserving the culturally rich and important history of black Canadians residing in our community. In April, Wilma passed away at the age of 91 after a courageous battle against COVID-19.

Wilma was a member of the Nathaniel Dett Memorial Chapel British Methodist Episcopal Church, which is now a designated historic site. When the church was threatened with being sold and destroyed in the 1990s, Wilma helped save the chapel and the significant volumes of heritage and the genealogical books and records which document the contributions of black residents in our community. The church is now a focal point of the Niagara Freedom Trail tour, which Wilma played a large role in helping to develop.

I last saw Wilma in February, and I can tell you that in meeting her you could not help but feel better because of the time you had spent together. You also came away from your discussion recognizing that there was so much more for us to accomplish as a community and country.

Wilma Morrison will be missed, but her legacy will continue.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We'll now go to Ms. Fry.

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Mr. Chair, the terrible acts of violence against black persons in the United States have brought racism to the forefront in Canada, yet racism has been systemic and insidious here for generations, not as openly violent as in America, but here in our institutions, workplaces, schools and society.

Over the last 30 years, Canada has enacted progressive legislation to protect minorities, with the charter, employment equity and anti-hate laws. However, statistics show that indigenous peoples still have the highest rates of suicide, the poorest health outcomes and the most incarcerations, that visible minorities, despite education, are underemployed and underpaid, and that many black men are carded and suspected of criminality regularly.

Crisis brings anger and fear. It cracks the thin veneer of tolerance in quiet, polite times. COVID-19 exposed anti-Chinese hate and amplified the reality of black and indigenous lives. We are all shaken and empathetic, but our denial and ignorance can no longer stand. We must listen and act, collect disaggregated data and set goals with policies and programs to achieve them.

To build a strong, peaceful, prosperous nation, everyone must belong, and everyone must build it together.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Mr. Savard-Tremblay, you have the floor.

[Simon-Pierre Savard-Tremblay, Bloc, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Mr. Chair, the aerospace industry is a strategic sector that plays a fundamental role in the Quebec economy. It's a pillar of economic nationalism that makes us shine internationally.

In Quebec, the aerospace industry represents more than 200 businesses, 42,100 jobs and sales totalling more than $15 billion. In addition, 80% of our production is exported. It should also be noted that 70% of Canadian research and development in the field is carried out in the greater Montreal area.

This pride is followed by great concern. Planes are on the ground, and orders have been cancelled. The aerospace industry has been hit hard by the Canadian stock market since the start of the year. Revenues are falling, and workers are being laid off. Furthermore, last month, the Institut du Québec denounced Ottawa's absolute neglect of this industry. We will quickly need a major, sustainable policy to revive this extremely important sector.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We will now continue with Ms. Petitpas Taylor.

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Mr. Chair, six years ago today, unthinkable violence shattered the quiet community I serve. Like countless others in Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, this event remains deeply personal to me. At the time I worked with the three RCMP members who died in the line of duty, and two others who were injured.

I have never spoken about this in Parliament, instead saving my remarks for the annual three kilometre Three Fathers Memorial Run. The first run happened on Father's Day 2014, just days after we said goodbye to constables Doug Larche, Fabrice Gevaudan and Dave Ross.

In the years since, the Three Fathers Memorial Run and community efforts have made the legacy of our darkest day one of love instead of hate. We have planted trees, raised scholarship funds at the run, gathered at our memorial and otherwise honoured those who ran to danger.

COVID-19 keeps us from gathering this year. We will stand together by staying apart, but I want all Canadians to know that we stand forever, Moncton strong.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We'll now go to Ms. Rempel Garner.

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

Mr. Chair, when lockdowns hit, the people in my riding were already facing a challenge. Federal policies designed to shut down our primary industry had left thousands out of work. Now there are thousands more in that situation, but none of this has broken our spirit.

I would like to thank all of the community associations, faith groups, cultural associations and business leaders in my riding for taking the time to meet with me regularly during these difficult times to help fight for the support our community needs. I'd also like to thank them for working hard for our community themselves.

I thank the Edgemont Community Association for its grocery and pharmacy delivery program. I thank Thorncliffe for its help a neighbour in need program. I thank Sandstone for its lunches for kids in need program. I thank Berkshire Citadel for its emergency food bank program. I thank Northern Hills for the many programs and services it offers. I thank Huntington Hills, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year without a big public party, for its babysitting and grocery delivery program.

I am so proud to represent our community. I want to thank everyone in it for their resilience, strength and compassion towards one another.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We'll now go to Ms. Jaczek.

[Helena Jaczek, Liberal, Markham—Stouffville, ON]

Chair, I'd like to acknowledge National AccessAbility Week.

This week is dedicated to highlighting the important contributions Canadians with disabilities make to our society, and the efforts of individual Canadians, communities and workplaces to remove barriers to accessibility and inclusion.

Just under a year ago, our government delivered on creating a more inclusive and accessible Canada by passing the Accessible Canada Act. As we address the COVID-19 pandemic, our priority remains helping persons with disabilities maintain their health, safety and dignity.

The creation of the COVID-19 disability advisory group speaks to this commitment. It's a great example of the government's approach to including the lived experiences and the advice of persons with disabilities in our pandemic response.

I invite members to visit Accessible Canada on Twitter and Facebook to find out how to join in celebrating National AccessAbility Week this year.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We'll go to Mr. Lamoureux now.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Mabuhay. It's a very special time of the year. Back in November 2018, the House of Commons passed a resolution recognizing the month of June as Filipino Heritage Month.

As the chair of the Canada-Philippines Interparliamentary Group, I encourage people to celebrate the many different contributions people of Filipino heritage have made to Canada's great diversity.

On June 12, 1898, the Philippines became an independent country. On that day, we want to acknowledge the importance of that significant event. We're encouraging people to be engaged and to encourage others to get a better sense of the many contributions of the Filipino heritage community. The Filipino community in Canada is quickly approaching one million people, which is something worthy of note.

[The Chair, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Now we'll go to Mr. Melillo.