Debates of Dec. 11th, 2015

Health

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the government has only a short period of time to respond to the Supreme Court's deadline on assisted suicide.

While consulting with individuals and organizations within my riding and from across the country, the community of persons with disabilities has expressed to me that it is very concerned. Specifically, it wants to know that the most vulnerable among us will be protected.

On behalf of all Canadians with disabilities, how will the minister ensure the right to choose life will be protected for those who have a disability?

[Jane Philpott, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, the issue of physician-assisted dying is a sensitive and complex one.

Our government will follow through on our commitments to consult broadly on this issue, and we will be introducing a parliamentary committee in order to do so. We also look forward to the report of the external panel, which we expect next week and which will report on a number of consultations that have already taken place.

I look forward to working with my colleague, the Minister of Justice in responding to this very important issue.

Sports

[Robert Gordon Kitchen, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Mr. Speaker, as I speak for the first time in the House, I would like to thank the great people of Souris—Moose Mountain.

Own the Podium was created by our Conservative government. It supported our athletes and contributed to their success. Could the Minister of Sport assure Canadian athletes, as they prepare for the Rio Olympics, that their funding will not be on the chopping block as the Liberals look for ways to contain their runaway deficit?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities]

Mr. Speaker, as a former athlete who represented Canada and stood at the podium proudly, I can assure the House that we think of athletes at the core of every decision we make.

As part of our ongoing due diligence and our quest for accountability, transparency, and the effective use of public funds, we are looking at our entire targeted excellence strategy, including our support to Own the Podium.

The fact is that athletes and coaches know that we have to review our game plan on an ongoing basis. That is what we will do. We will do the best for athletes, and they will represent us proudly next summer in Rio.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

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

Mr. Speaker, the Syrian refugee crisis has brought Canadians and community groups together. They are all working hard to help mitigate the largest humanitarian crisis since the Second World War. This is a truly national project. Canadian businesses are also being extremely generous in these efforts.

Could the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship talk to the House about how Canadian businesses are contributing to the settlement efforts?

[John McCallum, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe for her question.

I am pleased to announce that CN and the chairman of the board, Robert Pace, have set the gold standard for corporation donations, with a $5-million donation to help house Syrian refugees. Yes, I said $5 million. We are all so proud of this national project, and the generosity of all Canadians will ensure it is a success.

Democratic Reform

[Scott Reid, Conservative, Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal plan for electoral reform without a referendum has been universally panned in the media. For example, the Toronto Star states that the “government’s approach displays unprecedented arrogance.”

The Star is right for the following reason. If first past the post gives false mandates as the Liberals claim, then surely 39% of the vote under first past the post gives the Liberals a mandate to put options before Canadians, but nothing more.

Canadians themselves must make the final choice, and only a referendum represents a true mandate for any particular change to the present system. Is that not so?

[Maryam Monsef, Liberal, Minister of Democratic Institutions]

Mr. Speaker, it is essential that we begin a conversation with Canadians and parliamentarians about how we will bring our voting system into the 21st century. That is why we are bringing forward historic changes to the electoral system. We will engage Canadians in an open and transparent dialogue, and those in the House. The government has no intention of prejudicing that debate. We have every interest that all voices be heard.

I hope all my colleagues across the aisle will join us in this effort.

Small Business

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in October, Canadians chose a positive and optimistic plan for the future that will provide economic growth by investing in jobs and lowering taxes for the middle class. When middle-class Canadians have more money in their pockets to save, invest, and grow the economy, we all benefit.

Could the hon. Minister of Small Business and Tourism please inform the House of the actions that the government will take to help small businesses?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with all hon. members in the House and Canadians across the nation to ensure small businesses are represented.

Small businesses are drivers of the economy. They employ 90% of the private sector workforce and account for about 40% of the GDP. Our government will support them. We will support them to be more productive, innovative, and export oriented, and we are committed to lowering the tax burden for small businesses. I will be working closely with the Minister of Finance to ensure that happens.

Foreign Affairs

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, when answering a question, the minister of global affairs mocked and laughed at the notion of muzzling officials, but that is exactly what he is doing. The Office of Religious Freedom has received international praise for promoting Canada's role in addressing religious freedom around the globe. Religious minorities and other countries are depending on Canada to keep the lead on this issue that is so important to so many persecuted minorities.

Why is the minister muzzling the ambassador of religious freedom? Is this a prelude to shutting down the office?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague has wrong information. It was his government that was muzzling officials. We do not do that. To the contrary, we have encouraged our officials to help the government go through its mandate. One part of our mandate is to protect the freedom of religion, as all freedoms, to do it proudly and strongly, as Canada should be.

Business of the House

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government is creating a committee to examine one of the most emotional issues in Quebec in recent years, and that is dying with dignity. The Quebec National Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on this issue.

In the mandate letter to his Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, the Prime Minister asked him to ensure that parliamentarians are able to properly represent their constituents.

If the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons feels that it is important to add a member of the third party, but without the right to vote, and five unelected senators to this committee, what reason does he have for excluding an elected member of the Bloc Québécois, a party that has 10 elected members and represents more than one million Quebeckers?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague for his question. I am rather surprised by it. This morning, I was quite proud when the House unanimously adopted the motion to create a joint committee with our Senate colleagues in order to study this very important issue. I would like to thank all MPs for giving their unanimous consent so that we can move forward on this important issue and be inspired by Quebec's leadership.

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons noted, the Bloc Québécois supports the creation of a special committee on assisted suicide. The National Assembly was wise enough to have a non-partisan debate on dying with dignity by inviting members from all political parties to be part of the travelling commission that examined the issue.

What is stopping the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, who is promising real change and claims he wants to reform our democratic and parliamentary institutions, from including members from all parties on that committee?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate that the motion to create that committee was adopted unanimously by the House and was very clear about the composition of the committee. That is why I am surprised by my colleague's concerns about which members will participate. As I just said, the motion that was adopted unanimously was very clear about the committee's membership.

I hope our colleagues in the Senate will join us in the coming hours to be part of this historic commitment.

[Louis Plamondon, Bloc, Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this morning the Bloc Québécois showed its goodwill by agreeing to the motion to appoint a committee on physician-assisted death.

I have been here for 30 years. There have been a number of occasions when special committees were struck to address sensitive or ethical issues. This honourable chamber always sought to bring all political parties to these committees in order to achieve broader consensus.

I respectfully ask the Leader of the Government to reconsider the membership of the committee and to talk it over with other leaders to allow a member of the Bloc Québécois to sit on the committee, without the right to vote. Is having the right to speak too much to ask?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, again, my colleagues may find this situation somewhat frustrating. I hope their frustration will not extend to the content of the motion unanimously adopted by the House.

The House knows full well that we want to consult all Canadians in an appropriate and responsible manner. My colleague the Minister of Justice is committed to doing just that. I hope that ultimately, when the bill is introduced in the House, all hon. members will join in a healthy debate on new measures to replace those the Supreme Court deemed unconstitutional.

As I said earlier, we are inspired by Quebec.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, last night the hon. member for Calgary Nose Hill and I joined the government in welcoming 163 Syrian refugees to Canada at Toronto's airport. There have been consultations among the parties, and if you seek you should find unanimous consent for the following motion, jointly seconded by the hon. Minister of International Development and La Francophonie and the hon. member for Calgary Nose Hill. I move:

That this House, on behalf of all Canadians, warmly welcome our new Syrian and Iraqi neighbours, and indeed all refugees who have escaped conflict around the world and arrived safely in Canada, a country with an unwavering commitment to pluralism, human rights and the rule of law.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to propose the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

(Motion agreed to)

Justice

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians want Parliament to know about the tragic story of Cassandra Kaake, who was 31 weeks pregnant when she was murdered in Windsor, Ontario a year ago.

Tragically, there will be no justice for Cassandra's pre-born baby girl, Molly, who was also killed during that violent attack. That is because in Canadian criminal law a pre-born child is not recognized as a separate victim in attacks against their mothers.

This petition calls on Parliament to pass legislation to allow a separate charge to be laid in the death or injury of a pre-born child when that child's mother is a victim of a crime. Canadians want justice for victims like Molly.