Evidence of meeting #22 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.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota
I would ask everyone to please be on mute, as well as for anyone in the chamber to please refrain from speaking loudly. Just whisper among yourselves if you have something to say.
We'll take this one from the top. We have a minute and 45 seconds left.
Ms. Wagantall, please proceed with your next question.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
You said “next question”, so we're not going backwards, Chair?
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota
Did we have an answer from Minister MacAulay? No?
We'll go to Minister MacAulay to finish up the answer. We'll start at 27 seconds, freeze the clock and hear his answer. Then, because of all of the confusion, we'll start at one minute and 45 seconds when we get going again.
Conservative
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota
Please do. The clock is frozen. After we go through the question and the answer, we'll start the clock again.
Mr. Wagantall, please repeat the question.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
Thank you, Chair.
In the undisclosed settlement to Sean Bruyea's legal case against Seamus O'Regan and the Liberal government, a joint statement says, “Canadians, especially all Veterans and their families, are encouraged to enter the public debate about policies and programs that affect our Veterans and their families.”
Does Mr. MacAulay agree with this statement?
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
Mr. Chair, I appreciate my honourable colleague's question and concern. Of course I agree. Anybody is quite open to indicate whatever they wish in order to make sure we provide as appropriate a compensation as possible. You can never totally compensate veterans truly for what they deserve, but we want to make sure we provide the best compensation possible. That's what we will do and want to do.
Liberal
The Chair Liberal Anthony Rota
Ms. Wagantall, we will start the clock again. You have one minute and 45 seconds remaining. Please proceed.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
If that's the case, is Minister MacAulay aware of the practice of red-flagging veterans' files?
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
Since the deputy minister has indicated that he runs the department, will the minister ask him for the names of veterans and the dates and the reasons that they are, or have been, red-flagged by VAC?
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
Mr. Chair, I would certainly ask any veteran or anybody who has a concern to contact my office. I will do anything I can to make sure that the veterans—
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
Do the most ill and injured still receive from the pension up to $300,000 less for life?
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
Mr. Chair, as you know and as the Prime Minister indicated when the pension for life was put in place, it was stated that if anybody receives less—the Prime Minister himself indicated it quite clearly—that must be adjusted.
Conservative
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
For veterans in similar circumstances, should the date of their application for compensation be a factor in determining whether they're treated equitably?
Liberal
Lawrence MacAulay Liberal Cardigan, PE
Yes, of course, the date is when the compensation would start. Of course, it's very important and very appropriate.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Retired Major Mark Campbell in my riding of Sturgeon River—Parkland lost both legs in the line of duty in Afghanistan. He is an avid sport shooter, but understandably, due to his disability, he is very limited in the kinds of firearms he can use, and all of these firearms have now been banned under the Liberal OIC.
My question to the Minister of Public Safety is this: Did their department do a legal analysis and consider the section 15 charter rights of disabled Canadians not to be discriminated against when they passed their OIC?
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
Yes, there was a very thorough analysis done by the justice department to ensure that the prohibitions we put in place were, in fact, charter compliant.
Let me also say, Mr. Chair, how important it was that we prohibited weapons that were not designed for sporting purposes at all. In fact, they were designed for soldiers to use in combat. They have no place in a civil society. We have prohibited them, and we believe—and this has been echoed by many people across the country—that this will make Canadians safer.
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
Mr. Chair, is the minister aware that the AR-15 is the most popular sporting rifle in Canada, and is he aware that disabled veterans like Major Mark Campbell are unable to participate in the sport of sport shooting because of his OIC?
Liberal
Bill Blair Liberal Scarborough Southwest, ON
I can assure the member that what I am aware of is that the AR-15 and other weapons like them have been used in mass killings in Canada on many occasions, such as at École Polytechnique, at Dawson College, again at the Quebec mosque and in Moncton. The AR-15s in particular were also used at the terrible tragedy in places like Sandy Hook, where a bunch of kids were killed, so there is no place for—
Conservative
Dane Lloyd Conservative Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB
Mr. Chair, it has been months since the Liberals shut down this Parliament and months since the Minister of Finance should have presented a budget or at least an economic update to Canadians. Since then we have seen billions spent with little oversight and no plan.
The minister says that he needs certainty before he can table a budget. Well, that didn't stop Stephen Harper and the Conservatives from tabling a budget in the depth of the last great recession.
When are these Liberals finally going to take their job seriously and table an economic update?
Mona Fortier LiberalMinister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance
Mr. Chair, we're taking this very seriously. We're working for Canadians and bringing forward supports to make sure that businesses, workers and Canadians can put food on the table and pay their rent.
We will continue to support Canadians, and when we have a clear projection to present, we will do that.