Debates of Nov. 3rd, 2017

Tobacco and Vaping Products Act

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I was astounded when the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health waxed philosophically about how smoking was absolutely harmful. I asked him how the government could introduce legislation concerning marijuana if it was harmful and it was trying to reduce harm. There seemed to be absolutely no answer.

From a public education point of view, it is clear from jurisdictions that have legalized marijuana, the targeted education is to young people, to very young people, and to parents and influences of young people. Those three demographics are targets. We need to educate young people before they get into the 12 to 17 years when they can possess up to five grams. I am really hammering that five grams because it is the wrong message to be sending. Zero grams is the right amount.

We need to have all of those things brought forward. Parents need to be educated as well. I do not think they are aware of what is in this legislation or what is in the marijuana legislation, but there are definitely unintended consequences in both.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I absolutely agree that plain packaging is important and we need to move forward on that.

Does the member have an opinion on flavoured tobacco, to which young people in particular are attracted? In my province and in my community, this is of grave concern. Would the member agree that the government needs to give attention to the issue of flavoured tobacco, so young people do not end up becoming addicted to cigarette smoking?

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the health committee studied the issue of flavours previously. I talked to one of the members of health committee. With respect to tobacco, the committee recommended that we should get rid of all the flavours kids would like, such as bubble gum, cherry, those sorts of flavours.

The theme was the same on the vaping side of the equation. The vaping association and those involved in that industry told me that there was a well-intentioned health benefit to people who were morbidly obese or had diabetes. They liked to vape a sweet flavoured product.

More discussion will be needed on that to find the right balance on how to protect children. Education is a key point. If there were a good educational program, perhaps the flavours would not be such a big problem. There is a balance in those two and I am not sure exactly where to go on that, so it bears more discussion at committee.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I will be very brief.

Once again, does my colleague think the government is really moving too fast on this?

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am sure the member is referring to the marijuana issue. If I have not been clear enough, 239 days are left until marijuana is legalized. The government is rushing, the police are not ready, and the provinces and municipalities do not have their plans or legislation in place, creating huge unintended consequences.

With respect to this bill, the urgency is less because there are so many competing considerations. It is more important to think this one through. We should regulate the vaping industry, but as there are both harms and benefits, we should weigh it more carefully.

International Trade

[Simon Marcil, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Quebec dairy producers get nervous whenever the subject of free trade comes up because this government never misses an opportunity to betray them.

They have not forgotten that the government used their businesses as bargaining chips in its negotiations with Europe. They have not forgotten how the government made such a big deal out of its compensation package or how that money ran out in a week this summer. The Bloc Québécois is worried because the trans-Pacific partnership, which everyone thought was dead and buried, has risen again. This is the same government that scoffs at our producers and negotiates in secret with Asia.

All signs point to Canada reaching an agreement with 10 other countries next week at a meeting in Vietnam. One thing Quebeckers are sure of is that they will not stand for opening up supply management to strangers. We are proud of our producers, and we are glad we can find their high-quality products in our grocery stores. Unless supply management is 100% protected, we will say no to the TPP.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Ken Hardie, Liberal, Fleetwood—Port Kells, BC]

Mr. Speaker, for more than our 150 years as a nation, Canada has grown and prospered, as people from around the world have chosen this land to build better futures for their families. This week, our government moved to ensure that better future with a new strategy for our immigration program, one that is practical and compassionate, one that ensures we will have new workers to fill the jobs employers cannot fill, the expertise our innovators need to grow new businesses and create new jobs, and the families to strengthen our communities. That is what has helped build Fleetwood—Port Kells into the vibrant, diverse, and forward-looking community we enjoy today.

I am extending an invitation to everyone at home who wants to keep that momentum going to check our riding social media channels for links to a discussion on Canada's immigration strategy under way now on our PlaceSpeak forum. Together, we will toward that future so many of us came to Canada to achieve.

Marijuana

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, J.E., an investigative reporting program on TVA, confirmed last night that all of our concerns about the Liberal bill to legalize marijuana are not only valid, but also accurately reflect the concerns of stakeholders and Canadians.

Our border officers, our police forces, and the provinces have all said time and time again that the Liberal government is not taking their warnings seriously. They are certain that utter chaos will ensue if it decides to go ahead with this bill in its current form.

It is shameful that this government would rather increase taxes and its own revenues than keep Canadians safe. To this government, money is more important than our young people, more important than people’s health, and more important than common sense.

Instead of looking for better ways to combat the scourge of drug trafficking, the Liberals are throwing in the towel and trying to justify their lack of courage with empty rhetoric and senseless platitudes. The Liberals can make a mockery of our questions here in the House, but reality awaits them outside these walls, and the entire country is going to pay the price.

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Speaker, November 25 is the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

It is a day to show solidarity with the millions of women who are victims of violence in Canada and around the world.

It is a subject that is incredibly important to my wife and me, and I know that is a sentiment shared by all members of my community of Vaudreuil—Soulanges. That is why from now until November 25, I am inviting all members of my community to learn more about La Passerelle, a shelter supporting women and their children fleeing violence at home in Vaudreuil—Soulanges.

I encourage anyone who can to donate items to La Passerelle through my constituency office in order to help the women and children who need it the most, especially during the holiday season.

Lastly, I encourage everyone in my community and all Canadians to go online and learn more about what we can do to educate young men about what violence against women really means and how they can be strong allies in ending it.

Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 14th annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival in my riding. The festival runs from October 25 to November 5.

Heart of the City highlights the talents of our community through a wonderfully diverse range of multimedia art that connects and speaks to the diversity of life in the Downtown Eastside. This year's theme, “Honouring Women of the Downtown Eastside”, showcases the chamber opera piece MISSING and the sound installation Summoning. The theme is especially close to the hearts of our community, as we continue to fight for and stand in solidarity with families of the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

The festival offers over 100 events at over 50 venues in our community. Please come and be in awe of these beautiful, artistic expressions and talent in my community.

St. Thomas Tommies

[Matt DeCourcey, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, after 18 long years, the St. Thomas Tommies are Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association women soccer champs. In semi-final action last Saturday, our green and gold ran away with a thrilling 2-1 victory over Mount Saint Vincent University. With a second half marker from league scoring champ Nikita McCartney and a hard-fought game winner from Moira Kinney, the Tommies moved on to face King's College in Sunday's final.

On the strength of another Kinney game winner, and a marvellous shutout performance by goalie Mary Cronin, STU earned its long-awaited conference title, its first since 1999.

As they prepare to battle for a Canadian title next week in Halifax, all of Fredericton and all of STU alumni pass along their congratulations and best of luck to head coach Michelle DeCourcey, assistants John-Ryan Morrison, Vanessa Petterson, and Amy Whytewood-Hughes, herself a member of the '99 banner team.

To all the players, I wish good luck at nationals, and “Go Tommies, go!”

Veterans

[Alupa Clarke, Conservative, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this November, as members of Parliament, we have the duty and privilege to say a few words in the House to acknowledge the extraordinary dedication that our veterans and active military members show to our country, day after day, from one military conflict to the next.

We must not forget that these men and women in uniform often serve on Canadian soil, as we saw most recently during the unfortunate flooding last spring.

Therefore, in addition to remembering their many sacrifices, we must also develop legislation that helps improve their lives. I have taken action, and in May, I introduced Bill C-357 to fix a bureaucratic injustice that affects veterans.

During this time of remembrance, I urge my colleagues from all parties to take a serious look at this bill and to help me pass it, to guarantee that our veterans will be respected in their transition to civilian life.

Myanmar

[Sven Spengemann, Liberal, Mississauga—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Rohingya population in Myanmar continues to face unspeakable suffering. Many of my constituents are gravely concerned, and the international community has issued an urgent call to end this humanitarian crisis.

Last month, I joined fellow delegates to the Inter-Parliamentary Union's general assembly in St. Petersburg, Russia in passing a resolution that sharply denounces the crimes against humanity perpetrated by the Myanmar regime.

We must persevere and maintain pressure, and I am proud that, under the leadership of our Prime Minister, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Minister of International Development and La Francophonie, the Government of Canada is stepping up to do its share.

The Prime Minister recently appointed Bob Rae as special envoy to Myanmar, and this week, Canada announced the Myanmar Crisis Relief Fund.

Our government will match donations.

Advocacy and action must continue. I call on my colleagues, the government, and all Canadians to do their part, and all they can, to end the suffering of the Rohingya.

Summerside Chief of Police

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the contributions of women and men in police services who, every day, dedicate themselves to ensuring that our communities across the country continue to be safe places for Canadians to live, work, and raise families.

I am honoured today to recognize one officer in particular, Chief David Poirier of the Summerside Police Department, who as of October of this year has dutifully served the people of Canada for the past 40 years, and was awarded a second bar to his police exemplary service medal from the Governor General. His service to the community continues even when he is out of uniform, as he has been recognized for his leadership, volunteer work, and community involvement with local organizations including Credit Union Place and the Lions Club.

On behalf of myself and the people of Summerside, I would like to thank Chief Poirier and extend to him our sincerest gratitude for his many years of service to the community, both on and off duty.

Taxation

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the high-tax Liberal government continues to make life more difficult for Canadians. Now it is attacking people with disabilities. Constituents with type 1 diabetes are being denied the disability tax credit. Treatment can cost up to $15,000 a year, requiring multiple daily blood tests and regular insulin treatments. Without this, diabetics may face amputation, coma, and even death.

In 2016, 80% of applications for the tax credit were approved, but now 80% are being rejected. The cash-hungry Liberal government has suddenly decided that people with type 1 diabetes are not actually disabled. Even worse, the Liberals are now robbing these people of funds legally put aside in disability savings plans. This is not right. As deputy shadow minister for health for the official opposition, I am standing up for the 3.4 million diabetic Canadians, even if the Liberals will not.

Ocean Frontier Institute

[Nick Whalen, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I stand here today to congratulate the Ocean Frontier Institute on a successful first year. A pan-Atlantic Canadian collaboration between Dalhousie University, the University of Prince Edward Island, and Memorial University of Newfoundland, the OFI will help international experts on both sides of the northwest Atlantic harness the vast potential of our oceans by delivering transformative research.

The institute is a critical node in a vast network of internationally renowned academic- and industry-led research centres clustered in my riding of St. John's East. Along with eDNAtech, NRC, COASTS, C-CORE, the Marine Institute, the Ocean Sciences Centre, the Canadian Healthy Oceans Network, Petroleum Research Newfoundland and Labrador, and our fishery industry partners, OFI is helping Canada establish 5% marine-protected areas by the end of this year and 10% by 2020.

To OFI, Memorial University of Newfoundland, and their many industry partners, we wish them good luck. We are counting on them for the sustainable development of our oceans-based economy.

Jim Flaherty Award for Leadership, Inclusion and Accessibility

[Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a couple of weekends ago, the Abilities Centre in my riding of Whitby awarded the first-ever Jim Flaherty award for leadership, inclusion and accessibility. The award was established to recognize an individual who has made a major contribution to the promotion, development, and advancement of accessibility and inclusion. I am proud to announce that the first recipient of this award was our very own Minister of Public Services and Procurement. As the former minister of sport and persons with disabilities, she led in the development of a Canada disability act to effectively improve programs and services and the lives of Canadians who face significant barriers.

This award is given in memory of Jim Flaherty, who over the course of his career worked to support initiatives for persons with disabilities. On behalf of our government and the minister, I want to thank and congratulate his wife Christine; his sons Quinn, Galen, and John; the Abilities Centre for its work; and his sister Norah for continuing his legacy to enrich the lives of people of all ages and abilities.

Quebec Municipal Elections

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Sunday is municipal elections day in Quebec. This fall, elected officials in more than 1,100 municipalities will undergo the ultimate test as they face judgment by the people. I have been lucky enough to work in all three orders of government, as an MP here in Ottawa, as a political aide in Quebec City, and as mayor of Thetford Mines for seven years.

I can say with certainty that municipal elected officials are the closest to the people and can move the quickest to change lives. I used to get calls on Saturday mornings about snow on the roads and some days at noon about people going hungry. We built parks, helped entrepreneurs create jobs, and influenced higher levels of government.

Mayors and councillors are indispensable to our society because they manage our communities day to day. I guarantee these people are not in it for the money, especially in small towns and villages. They are simply engaged citizens who are passionate about making a difference.

I urge all citizens of Quebec to go to the polls this Sunday and choose the best person to represent them. Voting is the best cure for potholes and high taxes.

I would just like to say good luck to all the candidates, thank you to the outgoing officials, and welcome to the new municipal councils.

National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Ville-Marie—Le Sud-Ouest—Île-des-Soeurs, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this week, the government unveiled the second national action plan on women, peace, and security. Today I want to thank everyone, including public servants and civil society groups, who were tasked with developing this plan. At the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, we heard that women and girls are disproportionately affected by violence and conflicts, and that security interventions and peace initiatives produce better results when women and girls are involved.

The committee recommended that women, peace, and security be a core priority of Canada's foreign policy. I am happy to say that recommendation is reflected in this new plan which touches upon every aspect of our engagement, from our diplomatic efforts and international assistance to the deployment of our armed forces and the RCMP. No society can reach its full potential when half of its population is held back. We are committed to making the involvement of women a priority, both at home and abroad.

National Kindness Day

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise in the House today to draw attention to my Motion No. 146 to instate a national kindness day. Through this motion we want the federal government to recognize November 13 as national kindness day. The primary goal of this initiative is to build a just, open, and respectful society.

This citizens' initiative, driven by the Association québécoise de défense des droits des personnes retraitées et préretraitées, the AQDR, is the result of much hard work.

Several members of the AQDR are here on the Hill today. I want to acknowledge the president of AQDR, Jacqueline René, the vice-president, Daniel Mailhot, Louise Rajotte and Lucie Rajotte, strong champions, as well as all the stakeholders directly or indirectly involved in the AQDR.

We hope that we can work together to have November 13 recognized as national kindness day.

Religious Freedom

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Mr. Speaker, three-quarters of the world's population live without the absolute freedom to believe and follow their religion. Thankfully, here in Canada, we have the right to practise and worship as we please.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.

Yesterday, when asked about comments that belittle religious belief, the Prime Minister passed on the opportunity to defend the rights of religious communities. It is extremely disappointing that the Prime Minister failed to stand up and support indigenous peoples, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Christians, and other faith groups, who all believe that there is truth in their religion.

Respect for diversity includes respect for the diversity of religious beliefs, and the Prime Minister offended millions of Canadians with his comments yesterday.

Immigration

[René Arseneault, Liberal, Madawaska—Restigouche, NB]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship tabled the 2018-2020 immigration levels plan.

This multi-year plan will grow the number of permanent residents Canada welcomes annually. Today being the last day of National Francophone Immigration Week, I am pleased that we have a plan that will promote economic growth and help us address our aging population and slowing growth in the labour force. In Madawaska—Restigouche, these demographic phenomena are already jeopardizing the economic vitality of our regions. Businesses are struggling with a labour shortage that is having a negative impact in a number of sectors.

I feel it is important to acknowledge the parliamentary secretary, the member for Acadie—Bathurst, who is working so hard to promote immigration to the Atlantic regions.

Rural francophone majority regions like ours, like mine, face a lot of issues, but there is no doubt that immigration is vital to the future of our economies.

On another note, I would like to wish all Canadians a happy Movember.

Ethics

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, when the Minister of Finance announced his tax increases on small businesses and family farmers over the summer, he was meticulous in sheltering his assets from any higher taxes. If we only knew what holdings he had, we would know what taxes he will not raise. However, we do not know what holdings he has because he is hiding them in a myriad of numbered companies.

Will the finance minister tell us what holdings he is hiding in these numbered companies, so Canadians can surmise the small list of taxes that he will not raise?

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my hon. colleague that the Minister of Finance has always done what all MPs do, by working with the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner to make sure he is always fully transparent with her and follows the rules.

The Minister of Finance has always followed the Ethics Commissioner's recommendations, and he announced that he would go even further to make sure he can continue the important work he does for Canadians.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we could all have a little more confidence in the truth of that statement if the finance minister would just come clean about the holdings he is sheltering in his vast network of numbered companies and trust funds.

It took investigative journalists to find out that he was hiding $20 million of holdings in Morneau Shepell, a financial company that he regulates, and a financial company on which he very carefully avoided imposing any new taxes.

Will the finance minister tell Canadians what holdings he is hiding in his numbered companies and trust funds, so they can know that he is acting in their interest and not his own?