House of Commons Hansard #103 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was veterans.
2:05 p.m.
Liberal
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Edmonton Centre.
[Members sang the national anthem]
EthicsStatements by Members
2:05 p.m.
Bloc
Monique Pauzé Bloc Repentigny, QC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday's conviction of a man with close ties to Jean Chrétien reminded us that the sponsorship scandal was a Liberal scandal, a scandal that revolved around Liberal scheming, a scandal that made Canadian propaganda part of every one of Quebec's cultural events.
Twenty years later, the party and its values remain the same. One need look no further than fundraising cocktails and dinners affording wealthy Liberals access to ministers.
Above all, the sponsorship scandal was a federalist scheme to use taxpayer money to kill the separatist movement. Well, the feds failed because 20 years later, Quebec separatists are rising up, determined to make Quebec their own country.
Nominate Your NeighbourStatements by Members
2:05 p.m.
Liberal
Ahmed Hussen Liberal York South—Weston, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a new campaign I have launched in my riding of York South—Weston named “Nominate Your Neighbour”. The Nominate Your Neighbour campaign is about thanking and celebrating exceptional individuals in York South—Weston.
In addition to recognizing organizations, it is always important to formally recognize individuals who continue to make our communities stronger, safer and better. If my constituents in York South—Weston know of a neighbour who continues to make positive contributions to our community, they should put his or her name forward to the Nominate Your Neighbour campaign and tell us why this individual deserves recognition.
Since I have launched this great campaign, I have received dozens of nominations. I look forward to continuing to pay tribute to these amazing individuals who continue to make our communities better.
University of Northern British ColumbiaStatements by Members
2:05 p.m.
Conservative
Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC
Mr. Speaker, before I begin my S.O. 31 today, I want to acknowledge and give our thoughts and prayers to the friends and the families of the victims of the stabbing at Abbotsford high school yesterday afternoon.
It is with great pleasure that I rise today to speak about the University of Northern British Columbia in my riding of Cariboo—Prince George, the university in the north and for the north. For the second year in a row, it has received Macleans' top honour of being the number one university in its class in Canada.
For the last five years, UNBC has consistently finished high in the rankings, with second place finishes in 2014, 2012 and 2008 to add to its back-to-back first place finishes in 2015, and this year. These rankings just confirm what we already know, that students come from all over the world to study at UNBC because it becomes a home away from home, because the friendships and the memories they create at UNBC last a lifetime, because the skills and lessons they learn at UNBC prepare those students for the next chapter of their lives, and because Prince George and our surrounding communities are a great place to live, work, play, invest and learn.
I congratulate the entire UNBC team and to our community of Prince George on this well-deserved achievement.
Community LeadershipStatements by Members
2:05 p.m.
Liberal
Francesco Sorbara Liberal Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate a remarkable woman and citizen from my riding of Vaughan—Woodbridge, Shernett Martin, executive director of the Vaughan African Canadian Association.
Since arriving from Jamaica in 1975, Shernett has served as an important fixture in the black community. For over 20 years, her outstanding contributions in advocacy on a variety of social issues have played a critical role in developing stronger, more understanding communities.
As a professional teacher, Shernett's innovative style and exceptional leadership skills have had a positive impact on countless lives in the classroom, in workshops around Ontario and Quebec, and while teaching English to refugees and immigrants.
Most recently, Shernett's story was selected to be featured in the upcoming book 100 Accomplished Black Canadian Women, which serves as a testament to the invaluable contributions Shernett and like-minded women have made to Canadian society.
I invite you, Mr. Speaker, and all my colleagues to recognize Shernett Martin and her extraordinary achievements.
SportsStatements by Members
2:05 p.m.
NDP
Cheryl Hardcastle NDP Windsor—Tecumseh, ON
Mr. Speaker, as critic for sport and persons with disabilities, I am honoured to welcome to Parliament Hill today the Team Canada athletes and coaches of the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
On behalf of my NDP caucus, we admire them for the talent, sacrifice and self-discipline that got them to Rio. Our profound gratitude is also theirs for the class they displayed, the sportsmanship, and the patriotism. We Canadians are fortunate to have them as ambassadors.
I am also proud of some local ambassadors who brought us HOCKtoberfest last weekend: the Windsor-Essex Sports Council, the Lakeshore Lightning team, the Sun Parlour Female Hockey Association, and all the volunteers and players of the ninth annual International Female Hockey Festival. Fifty teams from Ontario, Ohio and Michigan enjoyed top-notch competition and fun.
I thank them for reinforcing the positive image of Windsor as an exemplary host, and hockey as our quintessential game.
Luso Canadian Charitable SocietyStatements by Members
2:05 p.m.
Liberal
Peter Fonseca Liberal Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am happy to rise today to highlight the work that is being done to help those with disabilities by the Luso Canadian Charitable Society.
The Luso Canadian Charitable Society is a community based organization that supports diverse families and adults who are living with developmental and physical disabilities to reach their full potential.
Since 2003, this non-profit charitable organization has worked toward providing caregivers and families temporary relief, while their loved ones are in a nurturing environment.
Currently Luso has two fully operational homes in Toronto and Hamilton, and will open their newest location in Mississauga this year.
I was honoured to be part of their super-successful 10th annual fundraising gala this past Saturday. I want to thank all the donors, volunteers, staff members and management for their great work, and a special thanks to Mr. Jack Prazeres, their president, for his leadership, and the organizers who put together such a wonderful event.
4-H CanadaStatements by Members
2:05 p.m.
Conservative
Bev Shipley Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON
Mr. Speaker, years ago, I was a 4-H'er, and I am celebrating 4-H Canada's “Show Your Colours” day as we welcome all 4-H'ers who are here today.
This amazing organization has helped countless youth learn through hands-on experience to grow as youth leaders. It provides opportunity to learn about agriculture and get involved in their community.
Today is also “Take Your Child to Work” day, but 4-H Canada gives youth the chance throughout the whole year to experience and explore one of the most important and significant economic drivers and job providers in Canada, agriculture.
I want to thank 4-H Canada for the great work it does in our communities across our great country. I want to encourage all young people to get involved, learn about agriculture and show their colours. As the 4-H motto says, “Learn to do by doing”.
AleppoStatements by Members
2:10 p.m.
Liberal
Michael Levitt Liberal York Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to remind the House that every day, the residents of Aleppo, including 100,000 children, are struggling for their lives amid unimaginable horror.
Divided between the Assad regime backed by Russia and Islamic extremist groups, Aleppo is being reduced to rubble.
At an emergency hearing yesterday at the Subcommittee on International Human Rights, we heard from the Syria Civil Defense, the White Helmets, that civilians were being targeted and killed indiscriminately.
Humanitarian aid, schools and hospitals are being deliberately targeted and destroyed. Authorities report that fewer than 30 doctors remain in what is left of Aleppo.
It is imperative that these actions be investigated for violations of international law, including war crimes and crimes against humanity. I thank the Minister of Foreign Affairs for his hard work on this issue.
Canada will never stand silent in the face of the indiscriminate murder of men, women, and children.
Marie-Françoise MégieStatements by Members
2:10 p.m.
Liberal
Emmanuel Dubourg Liberal Bourassa, QC
Mr. Speaker, on January 29, 2014, the member for Papineau made an extraordinary announcement, the purpose of which was to put an end to partisanship and patronage in the Senate.
On July 7, 2016, the Minister of Democratic Institutions launched our new independent Senate appointment process. Over 2,700 Canadians applied to the advisory board to fill the 21 vacancies. We thank them for their interest.
Following the recommendations made by the Prime Minister of Canada, I would like to congratulate the new senators, who reflect the diversity of our country.
Among the recent appointments is a Haitian-born Canadian. Dr. Marie-Françoise Mégie has had a remarkable journey. My fellow Haitian Canadians and I are extremely proud that Dr. Mégie will be a member of this great institution of parliamentary democracy in Canada. Congratulations.
Nuclear ScienceStatements by Members
2:10 p.m.
Conservative
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Speaker, the following are the recipients of the 2016 Canadian Nuclear Laboratories Awards of Excellence: the Torgerson Discovery Award: Tony Clouthier, Zhe Liang, and Reilly MacCoy for their work on hydrogen safety in nuclear power plants, and Youssef Ismail, Dmitry Klokov, Soji Sebastian, and Yi Wang for their work with radiobiological research; the Distinguished Merit Award: Robby Baidwan, Ian Donohue, Thomas Heale, Mitch King, Andrew Kittmer, Kevin Milks, and Terry Schaubel on specialized tooling to access the NPD reactor vault for general inspections; the Distinguished Merit Award: Jeremy Buck, Steven Hogg, Dag Horn, Colin Kramer, Jia Lei, and Brian Lepine on the inspection technique probe design for metal thicknesses in nuclear facilities using a non-contact electromagnetic method; and the Distinguished Merit Award: Jason Heal, Patrick Mansfield, and Tyler White for leading the return of the U2 loop to service in NRU, key to CNL 's ability to declare itself a full capability technology developer.
Canadians can be proud of the advanced state of nuclear science that is being developed in Canada.
AmazonStatements by Members
2:10 p.m.
Liberal
Sonia Sidhu Liberal Brampton South, ON
Mr. Speaker, a few weeks ago, Brampton welcomed the Prime Minister. He announced high-tech jobs in my riding of Brampton South.
Amazon opened Canada's first-ever Amazon high-tech robotic distribution centre in Brampton. The Prime Minister and provincial and city partners were together to share the positive news.
The facility has already hired over 300 employees, and is expected to create more than 700 jobs in total. This facility will create good, well-paying jobs that will help middle-class families in Brampton.
Canada is becoming a global centre for innovation. I am so proud that Amazon decided to grow here and to hire our talented people. I want to thank the Prime Minister for coming to personally give the good news about these jobs.
4-H CanadaStatements by Members
2:15 p.m.
Liberal
James Maloney Liberal Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON
Mr. Speaker, I stand today to recognize 4-H Canada, an organization with over 100 years of community engagement, for its contributions to young people across Canada.
Our government has made historic commitments to youth, from supporting young and growing families to post-secondary education. The value of learning is something I feel very strongly about. I believe in the potential of skilled, engaged, and responsible leadership when taking on challenges locally, nationally, and across the globe. This spirit is foundational to 4-H Canada.
Whether summer camps and science fairs or job shadowing, mentorship and international exchanges, 4-H Canada is committed to youth empowerment. With a wealth of programs promoting skills development and education, I invite my colleagues to join me in applauding 4-H Canada for its ongoing commitment to Canada's next generation.
Today 4-H Canada is wearing green. Let us show our colours and do the same.
EthicsStatements by Members
2:15 p.m.
Conservative
Joël Godin Conservative Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, former Liberal Party organizer Jacques Corriveau was found guilty of money laundering and other offences as part of the sponsorship scandal.
Mr. Corriveau pocketed nearly $7 million of taxpayers' money during the six years that he was a close friend of former Liberal prime minister Jean Chrétien.
Such ethical lapses are nothing new for the Liberal Party. They have been the norm in that party for many years, and that has not changed with the current government. For example, this government paid $200,000 in moving expenses for close friends of the Prime Minister and held a fundraiser where people paid $1,500 for privileged access to a minister.
These ethical breaches are a far cry from the transparency that this Liberal government claims to promote. It is therefore high time that the Prime Minister began taking some responsibility, stopped defending the indefensible, and started being honest with taxpayers—
EthicsStatements by Members
2:15 p.m.
Liberal
2016 Olympic and Paralympic GamesStatements by Members
2:15 p.m.
Liberal
David Lametti Liberal LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC
Mr. Speaker, I rise to welcome some notable visitors to Parliament Hill today.
First, I want to salute our Olympians and Paralympians, as we celebrate their tremendous achievements at the Rio 2016 Games. In particular, I would like to congratulate Olympian wrestler, Dori Yeats, a new constituent of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, who has made our community very proud.
Earlier today, I was very pleased to meet students from Verdun's École secondaire Monseigneur-Richard, a public school in my riding. These students were specially selected to visit Ottawa as part of the school's odyssey program, which encourages high school students to be open to the world, strive for academic excellence, and do volunteer work in their communities. I was really impressed by these students' achievements, their civic engagement, and their excellent questions.
If they go on to become our future leaders, we will be in good hands.
Rape CultureStatements by Members
2:15 p.m.
NDP
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet NDP Hochelaga, QC
Mr. Speaker, a little less than two weeks ago, some students at Laval University were sexually assaulted in their residence room. Since that time, many other victims have broken their silence and had the courage to report their attacker.
I am moved by the wave of solidarity with all victims of sexual assault that is sweeping Quebec. It is a wave of solidarity, but also of rage and frustration over the destructive rape culture that exists in our society.
The Stop Rape Culture movement emerged out of a desire to turn things around. It is time to stop worrying about the attackers' career and questioning the victims' clothing choices and lifestyles.
It is time for the federal government to assume its responsibilities on this file and immediately adopt a comprehensive plan to address violence against women because consent is at the heart of healthy relationships and should also be at the heart of our policies. If it's not yes, it's no.
Remembrance DayStatements by Members
2:15 p.m.
Conservative
Alupa Clarke Conservative Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Mr. Speaker, the Great War ended on November 11, 1918, which we commemorate at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
Today, it is a day to honour and remember our veterans and their efforts to defend Canada. As the official opposition critic for veterans affairs, I know how proud veterans are of their service to their country and, in return, I wanted to show them how proud I am to serve them and listen to them.
In November, all Canadians must be of service to and recognize our veterans for what they have done for Canada throughout their lives.
In that regard, I would like to bring to the attention of the House a veteran from Beauport—Limoilou, Raoul Fournier, who is now 92. This proud Second World War veteran is finding it difficult to get the care he needs. That makes me sad.
However, Remembrance Day will remind all of us to be there for our veterans and to ensure that we do not let them down.
Foreign AffairsStatements by Members
2:20 p.m.
Liberal
Omar Alghabra Liberal Mississauga Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, it is with great pleasure and gratitude that I welcome two special guests to Ottawa.
Dr. Homa Hoodfar, a retired Concordia University professor, has recently returned home after being detained in Iran. Her story has touched a chord with Canadians, and rallied them to action. The grace and strength that Dr. Hoodfar exhibited during her ordeal is inspiring.
She is joined today by her niece Amanda Ghahremani, who championed her aunt's cause with thoughtful and unrelenting determination.
On behalf of Homa and Amanda, I want to take this opportunity to thank our officials, our Minister of Foreign Affairs, our Prime Minister, and all MPs who raised her case.
I also want to thank Italy, Oman, and Switzerland for playing a constructive role in her release.
It has been my honour to get to know both Homa and Amanda. Dr. Hoodfar, welcome back home.
The EconomyOral Questions
2:20 p.m.
Sturgeon River—Parkland Alberta
Conservative
Rona Ambrose ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, the nightmare for taxpayers continues.
Yesterday, the Prime Minister doubled down on a failed plan. He promised that if he spent billions of dollars, he would create jobs, but not one single new additional full-time job has been created in Canada since he was elected.
What is the Prime Minister going to say to the thousands of Canadians who are out of work, and who only see higher taxes?
The EconomyOral Questions
2:20 p.m.
Papineau Québec
Liberal
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we actually lowered taxes for the middle class, and raised them on the wealthiest 1%, which the members opposite voted against.
We know Canadians need help in terms of support for the middle class, but they also need jobs. That is why our historic investments in infrastructure are going to make a significant difference by upgrading and supporting current infrastructure, by creating new public transit infrastructure, green infrastructure, and social infrastructure.
These investments will create opportunities for Canadians now and long into the future. That is what Canadians voted for. That is what we are delivering.
The EconomyOral Questions
2:20 p.m.
Sturgeon River—Parkland Alberta
Conservative
Rona Ambrose ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, it has only been six months since his first budget, and the Prime Minister is already back to borrow an extra $32 billion. He has completely abandoned his plan to balance the budget. He does not even pretend to care anymore. He just shrugs his shoulders.
We know who is going to pay the taxes for all of this spending. It is going to be hard-working Canadian families.
When is the Prime Minister going to start showing them some respect?
The EconomyOral Questions
2:20 p.m.
Papineau Québec
Liberal
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to taxes for hard-working Canadian families, we lowered them on the middle class, so we could raise them on the wealthiest 1%.
The members opposite voted against the measure to lower taxes on nine million Canadians. We will take no lessons on investing in the middle class and building for the future from a former government that did not get it done for 10 long years.
EmploymentOral Questions
2:20 p.m.
Sturgeon River—Parkland Alberta
Conservative
Rona Ambrose ConservativeLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, Vegreville is a rural community of only 5,800 people, and just like many parts of Alberta, it is hard hit. Oil and gas jobs are non-existent. A lot of people are worried about their mortgages. However, the Prime Minister is making a bad situation worse by shutting down the federal processing immigration centre in this small town. It is going to cost hundreds of jobs. This is devastating the community.
However, the Prime Minister can do something about it. He can reverse this decision, show some compassion, and leave these jobs in this town.
EmploymentOral Questions
2:25 p.m.
Papineau Québec
Liberal
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, over the past months, we have stepped up to historic levels our investments and support of communities across the country, including Alberta.
Whether it is strengthening the EI system, or making hundreds of millions of dollars flow into Alberta to support the important economy there, we know that what Albertans need most is a government that understands that getting resources to market in a sustainable way is something all Canadians need, that the previous government was unable to do.