Public Safety Committee on March 24th, 2021

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Okay.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

—receiving international—

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

It was referenced in your press release in December that 190 locations would have public health screening officers, so thank you very much for that, Minister.

My colleague from Lakeland, who unfortunately couldn't be here today, asked you about six months ago whether or not you had spoken to the victims of the tragic Nova Scotia shooting. Have you had an opportunity to speak to those victims?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

In fact, we did respond to the victims of that inquiry and through their counsel. In response, we've established a public inquiry. Once that inquiry gets stood up, it's entirely inappropriate, as one might imagine—I hope you can—for any interference with the work of that public inquiry. It's now in the hands of the commissioners. They have our full confidence and full support in the important work they're doing.

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Thank you very much.

Minister, I think my time is running very close to an end, so I will comment that I find it very troubling that you didn't answer the question about one of your staff, who is paid by taxpayers through the estimates we'll be voting on today. I want to know whether you'll ask directly to have that staff member, your chief of staff, respond to a request by Parliament to testify before a committee.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

I think you made that point.

For a final question, we have Mr. Iacono for five minutes please.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

I would like to thank the minister and the officials from Canada's health and safety agencies for working so hard throughout the pandemic and regularly appearing before the committee.

Minister, my riding of Alfred-Pellan is hit by flooding on an ongoing basis.

With spring around the corner, could you tell us how the department's funding program helps disaster affected provinces and areas?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

As I said during my remarks, Angelo, one of the very significant increases in the public safety portion of the supplementaries that we're bringing forward is the increase in funds for the disaster relief fund that we make available to the provinces. It's in anticipation of the circumstances that you require. We work very closely with them and provide coordination in response to all of the emergencies that can take place, such as floods and fires, right across the country. We work very closely with the provinces and provide support.

In addition to that, the Minister of Infrastructure has been working with those same provincial and territorial partners to provide infrastructure investments that can mitigate and prevent disasters such as floods. It's not just a response; it's preventative work. We see both as critically important and we're doing the job.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Thank you.

Since the winter was a little less harsh, do you have a sense of what to expect in terms of problems and disasters caused by snowmelt?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

This is an important question. I do receive regular briefings from the government operations centre, which monitors all of those situations carefully.

Mr. Iacono, I agree with you that we've been fortunate in our weather in the past year and a half. Right now there are some areas that are identified as at risk, but it looks like the situation right across the country could be better than we've experienced.

For example, two or three years ago, you'll recall the terrible floods that occurred, particularly right across Quebec, and the terrible fires that took place mostly in western Canada. All of them were hugely impactful. It looks like, with the weather this year, we might be a little lucky, but I never count my chickens before they hatch, so we'll continue to monitor this really carefully.

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Thank you.

You mentioned $35 million in additional funding for the Red Cross, which has played a vital role since the pandemic began.

How would you say members of the Red Cross answered the call and responded effectively to the crisis?

Will they continue to support residents of long-term care homes and at-risk indigenous communities specifically?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

This question gives me an opportunity to acknowledge the incredible contribution of both the Red Cross and the Canadian Armed Forces. When we received requests back in April from the Province of Quebec and the Province of Ontario regarding the serious outbreak of coronavirus in long-term care facilities, we were able to respond immediately. We did so, first of all, by sending members of the Canadian Armed Forces—over 1,350 of them—into Ontario and Quebec to provide services in 47 long-term care facilities. We then worked with the Province of Quebec and the community to transition to services being provided by the Canadian Red Cross, and it began providing that support in Quebec in July.

To date, there have been over 2,500 Canadian Red Cross personnel [Technical difficulty—Editor] sites in Quebec. I think they've done a great job. I've been very grateful for the support we have received from Parliament in funding them, and I'm also very grateful that they've stepped up and provided a great service.

We continue, by the way, to work very closely with the Province of Quebec. Several times the province has asked us to stay and continue to help, and we have done so. Between our government and the province, a lot of very good work has been done to improve the situation in long-term care facilities, and quite frankly we are beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. We have always been there, particularly for the Province of Quebec when it asked, and we'll continue to do so.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

Thank you, Mr. Iacono.

You have about 15 seconds, which will not leave time for even throat clearing.

With that, we will bring the first hour to an end. I want to thank the minister on behalf of the committee.

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

I'm a little concerned whether you or your colleagues on this committee will put the women who suffered harassment from General Vance ahead of your own Liberal membership and ask the minister to answer the question that he was asked twice.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

I have now ruled twice that inquiry is not material to this particular meeting.

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Chair, on point of privilege, I take great offence to anyone claiming that I, or any of my colleagues on the committee, or the minister don't care about the women who have been harassed in the Canadian Armed Forces. It's offensive that any of our colleagues—another MP—would even suggest that we condone that behaviour.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

With that, I am trying to bring the first hour to a close.

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

Mr. Chair, I have a point of order.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

I am bringing this to a close. You can bring your next point of order after I ask the minister to leave.

On behalf of the committee, we will now move into the second hour.

With that, Mr. Motz wishes to raise a point of order.

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

Yes. I would like to have the committee vote on the confidence of you in the chair to rule that out of order and have a vote on that at this time, please.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

That's not a debatable motion, so we will go to the vote immediately.

You've heard the terms of Mr. Motz's expression of lack of confidence in the chair on the ruling that was made.

Mr. Clerk, would you call the roll?

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

I have a point of order, Chair.

Is the motion of non-confidence in the chair out of order, or is this a motion to overrule the chair? I have never heard of a motion of non-confidence in the chair. Does that mean you have to resign or something?

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

I think that would be the desire of Mr. Motz. Possibly I mis-characterized it as a motion, but it is a dilatory motion and is not debatable.

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

It's about the ruling.

[The Chair, Liberal, John McKay]

We just simply move to the vote. You have heard how I have characterized the motion, but Mr. Motz has made his motion.

With that, I'm going to call the roll.