Evidence of meeting #19 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

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

The honourable minister.

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON

I thank the member opposite for a very important question. I want to assure him that we remain seized with the urgency of ensuring that we develop a new legislative framework for indigenous policing across this country, one that recognizes and acknowledges the jurisdiction of first nations and ensures that they receive the quality and respectful policing, culturally competent policing, that they deserve.

I acknowledge that there remains much work to be done. The tragic and offensive incidents that we have seen over the past several weekdays have reminded us of the urgency action and we are committed to act.

1:55 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear!

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

Mr. Manly, you have 45 seconds left.

1:55 p.m.

Green

Paul Manly Green Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

People living on CPP disability in my riding are surviving on income that is below the poverty line. Many will not receive the one-time $600 payment, because they do not receive the disability tax credit. This excludes many people who were struggling even before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Will the government expand the eligibility criteria for people with disabilities to ensure that everybody on CPP disability gets it; and will the government institute a permanent raise to CPP disability to ensure that disabled people can live a dignified life?

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

The honourable minister.

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

Carla Qualtrough Liberal Delta, BC

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

We looked at the myriad of measures in place and tried to complement, as best we could, the efforts to provide people with disabilities with support through CERB, to provide students with disabilities with support through the student benefit, the GST credit and the complementary measures put in place by provinces. The DTC has by far the broadest spectrum of people with disabilities that the federal government has access to. That was why we chose, through this measure, to use that as the group of people we're supporting.

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

We will now go to Ms. Ashton.

1:55 p.m.

NDP

Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB

Mr. Chair, I'd like to split my time with the member for Hamilton Centre.

Passenger rights in Canada are a joke to this government. Not only does the passenger bill of rights have numerous loopholes, but the system to enforce them is broken. Complaints don't get resolved, and when they do, the Canadian Transportation Agency mostly sides with the airlines.

When will the government stand up for Canadian passengers rather than airlines?

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

The honourable minister.

1:55 p.m.

Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount Québec

Liberal

Marc Garneau LiberalMinister of Transport

Mr. Chair, the Canadian Transportation Agency is an independent body, a quasi-judicial body that does rule on complaints that are sent to it with respect to passenger rights, and they make their own decisions on claims that those rights have not been respected.

2 p.m.

NDP

Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB

Mr. Chair, this government must stop playing games with passengers who want to be refunded for a service they can no longer use because of COVID-19.

We see that WestJet is going to refund its customers. So, what are the others doing?

When is the government going to show some backbone and demand refunds for passengers?

2 p.m.

Liberal

Marc Garneau Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC

Mr. Chair, I understand the frustration of those who would rather get a refund than a credit.

At the same time, as I mentioned, the airlines have been hit very hard and are making virtually no revenue at the moment. That is why the Canadian Transportation Agency has suggested that they issue credits.

However, I am encouraging airlines to compensate their passengers wherever possible, when circumstances permit.

2 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

Ms. Ashton, you have 50 seconds left.

2 p.m.

NDP

Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB

Mr. Chair, passengers are having to turn to class action lawsuits to get their money back for cancelled flights due to COVID-19. We know that airlines can issue refunds without going under. WestJet is doing it; why not the others?

When will the government ensure that Canadian passengers get their money back for cancelled flights?

2 p.m.

Liberal

Marc Garneau Liberal Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount, QC

Mr. Chair, as I've said, I understand the frustrations of those who would prefer to be reimbursed. At the same time, many airlines have lost just about all of their revenue, and that is why many have adopted a voucher policy. I do encourage the airlines to compensate their passengers to the best of their ability, circumstances permitting.

2 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota

We'll now go to Mr. Green.

2 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Mr. Chair, as a former Toronto chief of police, would Minister Bill Blair finally apologize to the black community for his role in the systematic and racist practice of street checks and carding?

2 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON

Mr. Chair, I am very proud to have served as the chief of police in the most diverse city in the country, one of the most diverse in the world and, during my tenure, formerly, one of the most diverse police services. I would be happy to explain to the member all of the work that we did to serve that community in a respectful way.

2 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

So despite his professions last week, we'll take that as a no.

From the tragic police shooting of Chantel Moore to the recent reports of police brutality in Nunavut, and RCMP officers now facing charges in both B.C. and Alberta, will the Minister of Public Safety commit to finally releasing the RCMP's incidents of use of force and release the total cost of civil settlements by the RCMP over the past 10 years?

2 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON

I believe very strongly that transparency and accountability are the foundation of the trust that has to exist between the police and the people they serve.

We're working very closely with the RCMP. I can advise the member that currently, for example, the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission, which our government established, is reviewing all the RCMP policies and procedures regarding street checks, and that work will inform the policy of this government as we move forward.

2 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Will the Minister of Public Safety investigate the use of tear gas on May 31in Montreal by police and encourage police to prioritize de-escalation tactics over dispersal and arrest tactics in crowd control actions, much like he did during the G20 summit?

2 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON

I would simply remind the member that the police in Montreal are under the jurisdiction of the City of Montreal and the Government of Quebec. I will also assure him that the RCMP, which is our responsibility, is guided by very clear policies in respect of such equipment.

2 p.m.

NDP

Matthew Green NDP Hamilton Centre, ON

Will the Minister of Public Safety ban the use of tear gas and chemical agents in all forms in Canada and destroy the stocks of tear gas currently owned by police and armed forces in Canada, as it was banned in the use of warfare generally by the 1925 Geneva Protocol, and specifically by the 1993 chemical weapons convention?

2 p.m.

Liberal

Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON

I want to assure the member opposite that Canada has perhaps one of the most rigorous and stringent policies and controls over the use of such devices. They are very rare in Canada and should be very rare.