Evidence of meeting #18 for COVID-19 Pandemic in the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was chair.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

MPs speaking

Also speaking

1:50 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Could it be 200,000?

1:50 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

Madam Chair, let me be very clear. We disagree about something very directly—

1:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes

Go ahead, Mr. Morrison.

1:50 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Madam Chair, is the minister looking at a possible $1 billion or more for the buyback and the huge administration costs?

1:50 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

Madam Chair, I believe the member opposite is trying to muddy the waters and trying to distract Canadians from the clear question of whether Canadians want military-style assault weapons in our—

1:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes

We will go back to Mr. Morrison.

1:50 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Madam Chair, the safety of Canadians is the number one priority.

How does the minister explain buying back legal guns from legal gun owners is a strategic priority when the safety of Canadians is at risk from gangs and organized crime, whose members are using illegal guns and are illegally possessing them?

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

Madam Chair, I'm very grateful for that question, because it allows me to say what is absolutely essential to our government and to me personally in this historic action, which is that it is long past time to protect Canadians, and may I say particularly to protect Canadian women and girls from these weapons. After the Polytechnique, we all owe—

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes

We will go back to Mr. Morrison.

1:55 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Madam Chair, will the minister please advise us as to the percentage of gun crimes that were committed using legally registered guns?

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

Again, I in no way shy away from the clear difference between our government and the official opposition. We think that Canada is a safer, healthier place without these military-style assault weapons, and I'm—

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes

We will go back to Mr. Morrison.

1:55 p.m.

Conservative

Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC

Madam Chair, if the minister plans to spend $1 billion on buying legal guns from legal gun owners, what's the government's budget to provide for the RCMP and the CBSA to once and for all stop the flow of illegal guns across the border?

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

Madam Chair, of course illegal weapons have no place in Canada, and illegal weapons should not be moved from the United States to Canada.

You know what else, Madam Chair? We as a government have an obligation to every single Canadian, particularly vulnerable—

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes

We will go now to Ms. Atwin.

June 8th, 2020 / 1:55 p.m.

Green

Jenica Atwin Green Fredericton, NB

Thank you, Madam Chair.

On June 5, the indigenous services minister said that he was outraged in response to the act of police violence against indigenous people and the recent death of Chantel Moore. I too am outraged. Families want answers. We should all want answers.

I want to know if the Minister of Public Safety is outraged. Does he condemn the systemic discrimination among police forces in Canada?

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

Madam Chair, I would like to thank the member for that very important question.

Yes, I am outraged. I think all of us are and need to be outraged. Absolutely, systemic discrimination and systemic racism exist everywhere in Canada. I am sad to say it exists in our hearts and in our minds, and we need to now take these tragedies and use them to change.

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes

Go ahead, Ms. Atwin.

1:55 p.m.

Green

Jenica Atwin Green Fredericton, NB

Thank you, Madam Chair, and I thank the Deputy Prime Minister for that very thoughtful response.

On May 1, while introducing new firearms regulations, the Minister of Public Safety said, “And if now is not the time, when is?” If now is not the time to put an end to racial profiling, when is? If now is not the time to rethink how the police intervene during a wellness check, when is? If now is not the time to end the patterns of dehumanization and violence that keep repeating themselves, when is?

Madam Chair, I am asking the Minister of Public Safety if now is not the time to work to end systemic discrimination in the police forces and our justice system, when is?

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal University—Rosedale, ON

Madam Chair, let me again thank the member for her question, and let me start by saying that now is the time. Now is the time for all of us to commit to the incredibly hard work of ending systemic discrimination and systemic racism in all Canadian institutions. That is something we all need to be committed to. It is something our government is committed to.

On the issue of racial profiling specifically, let me be clear that it is entirely unacceptable. It's wrong. Police forces mustn't do it.

Let me also thank the member for connecting in her question the ban on military-style assault weapons and the need for us together to work against systemic—

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Acting Chair (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes

We will go to Ms. Atwin.

1:55 p.m.

Green

Jenica Atwin Green Fredericton, NB

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Across the country we see that police service is, in the vast majority of cases, the biggest single line item of an operating budget. Police are responding to tens of thousands of mental health calls each year. Studies show that the percentage of police work police that involves social issues is evergrowing, while coincidentally, we are seeing the defunding of multiple critical social services. Something is wrong here, and it is costing people their lives.

Can the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development advise on the vision of the government regarding this reality and share with this committee if there is any plan on the table toward ensuring that communities have access to the funds required to reinvest in the social services that the population critically needs?

2 p.m.

York South—Weston Ontario

Liberal

Ahmed Hussen LiberalMinister of Families

Madam Chair, I'm very happy that the member asked this really important question.

We are there for families, for children and for our most vulnerable. We've introduced the emergency community support fund to make sure that we not only support organizations that are delivering essential services to the most vulnerable in our communities but also that we expand their capacity to do that.

We will be there for Canadian families. We will continue to be there for Canadian children and our seniors.

2 p.m.

Green

Jenica Atwin Green Fredericton, NB

Madam Chair, charities are a key component of our communities, and they contribute immensely to strengthening the social fabric of this country, but because of the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, they are now facing billions in lost revenue, drastic service disruptions to essential community services and massive layoffs that disproportionately impact women. This sector is projected to lose $15.6 billion in revenue and about 194,000 employees.

Can the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion share what the government's plan is to support charities and the essential work they do?

2 p.m.

Liberal

Ahmed Hussen Liberal York South—Weston, ON

Madam Chair, once again I want to thank the honourable member for raising a really important issue. Charities provide key and essential services to Canadians. When Canadians need help, charities step up. We have to be there for them. The emergency community support fund is meant to do exactly that, with $350 million to support charities and non-profits in Canada that are delivering really important and essential services to more Canadians than ever before.

There is a larger request from this sector for stabilization money. We have received those proposals, and we're studying them very carefully.