Debates of May 19th, 2017

Volunteer West Island

[Frank Baylis, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Madam Speaker, I recently had the pleasure of attending the 50th anniversary celebrations for the organization Volunteer West Island. Its mission is to facilitate volunteerism by recruiting, training and referring volunteers to meet our community's needs.

Volunteer West Island supports so many services, including Meals on Wheels, the Pair program, handyperson services, Caring Paws animal therapy, and much more.

On a more personal note, I know first-hand of the great work they have done in my riding by helping seniors and low-income constituents do their tax returns.

I say a great big thank you to Lynda Barrett and her entire team at Volunteer West Island as well as to all the wonderful volunteers themselves. Together they have made our community a better place to live over the last 50 years and more.

West Vancouver Volunteer

[Pam Goldsmith-Jones, Liberal, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

Madam Speaker, two weeks ago, Liz Byrd won the West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce Lifetime Achievement Award. Liz is the foundation of education, the arts, civic engagement, environmental conservation, and women in politics in West Vancouver.

She is a founder of Collingwood School and of the Kay Meek Arts Centre Trust. She fought the battle to save Eagleridge Bluffs to the point of being arrested, the penalty for which was community service hours, the ultimate irony. She has led and supported literally thousands of volunteers. Her dedication has created remarkable Canadian institutions and even more remarkable people as a result of having had the privilege of volunteering with Liz.

It is a privilege to rise in the House of Commons today and on behalf of an immensely grateful community recognize Liz Byrd as an exceptional citizen of Canada.

Rebuilding Activities in Fort McMurray

[David Yurdiga, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Madam Speaker, on May 3 the residents of Fort McMurray gathered at Snye Park to remember the wildfire that ravaged the city just one short year ago.

For some it was a day of mourning, of remembering life before the fire, and there were many moments of silence for Emily Ryan and Aaron Hodgson, who died fleeing the fire. For others it was a day to embrace the strength of our community.

While the community and city continue to rebuild and heal, support groups are still active on the ground. The local Red Cross continues to do an outstanding job of helping people put their lives back together, in some cases helping people rebuild their homes and in other cases offering assistance to families still struggling.

I would like to take this opportunity once again to thank everyone who offered assistance or donated to the cause, and I want to thank the Red Cross in particular for their dedication and life-changing efforts.

The people of Fort McMurray, above all, will be forever grateful.

Ottawa Senators Hockey Team

[Karen McCrimmon, Liberal, Kanata—Carleton, ON]

Madam Speaker, as all Canadians know, there are not four seasons in Canada, but five. We are now well into playoff hockey season, and communities across Canada are watching and cheering.

A lifelong fan of the Habs, also known as the Montreal Canadiens, our own Prime Minister has told us he is now cheering for the Ottawa Senators.

I am sure all of my colleagues will join with the Prime Minister in pledging their support to the Ottawa Senators as they continue their remarkable playoff run. Of course, I am very proud that the Senators call my riding of Kanata—Carleton their home.

As we celebrate the great tradition of playoff hockey in Canada, I call upon all members, and indeed all Canadians, to join me in saying to the Senators that we are all in.

All together: Go Sens go!

[Some hon. members]

Go Sens go!

Roberta Dugas

[Serge Cormier, Liberal, Acadie—Bathurst, NB]

Madam Speaker, I want to congratulate Roberta Dugas, who is a remarkable person.

She was named citizen of the year by Club Richelieu de Caraquet. Ms. Dugas, who was born in Sainte-Anne-du-Bocage in Caraquet, is still very active in her community. She never misses an opportunity to promote her town of Caraquet or her region, the Acadian Peninsula.

Ms. Dugas was named citizen of the year for her ongoing volunteer efforts in her community. She worked as a nurse for over 35 years and served as a city councillor before being elected mayor of Caraquet in 1992. However, the main reason why she was named citizen of the year was the work she did as the chair of the organizing committee for the 37th annual Jeux de l'Acadie, held in 2016. She oversaw hundreds of volunteers, and the event was a resounding success.

It is thanks to people like Ms. Dugas that our region continues to prosper and make a name for itself. Congratulations, Roberta. You are an inspiration for us all.

Saskatchewan Centenarians

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Madam Speaker, Florence Tetreault is a wonderful 103-year-old woman who was born in the beautiful community of St. Brieux, Saskatchewan, located in my riding of Yorkton—Melville. Florence has been in the news a lot lately. As it turns out, at the age of 103 she is still regularly attending mass and playing bridge. She even offers her services as a seamstress to the other residents in her retirement community.

Florence is not alone in her youthful zeal for embracing life past 100. According to Statistics Canada data, the number of Saskatchewan residents who are celebrating their 100th birthday has almost doubled since 2001. Many of the seniors in my riding attribute this to their healthy lifestyle, their positive, forward-thinking attitude, and, of course, the wonderful carbon-free air in Saskatchewan. I guess we could just say that Saskatchewan is the fountain of youth, the Okinawa Island of Canada.

Michael Bliss

[Kate Young, Liberal, London West, ON]

Madam Speaker, on May 4 the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame, located in London, Ontario, inducted six renowned medical pioneers from across Canada to its membership.

The contributions of hall of fame inductees have been extraordinary. As trailblazers in their respective fields, these experts underpin Canada's role as a world-class leader in medicine and health sciences. Their work may be a single outstanding contribution or a career of notable achievements.

It is with this and with a heavy heart that I note the passing of Professor Michael Bliss, a 2016 inductee and an individual who left an indelible mark on Canada. An Officer of the Order of Canada, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and a professor at the University of Toronto for nearly four decades, Professor Bliss touched the lives of many, mine among them, as I had the good fortune of interviewing him as a journalist. Noted as one of Canada's leading intellectuals and historians, he was commended for bringing a wealth of knowledge to Canada and—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Drummond.

2017 Gala for Entrepreneurs

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Madam Speaker, I would like to commend the entrepreneurs of the greater Drummond area for their leadership. The Drummond chamber of commerce and industry hosted a prestigious entrepreneurship awards gala, the Gala des Napoléon 2017, in their honour.

I want to take this opportunity to congratulate all of the winners. The business of the year award went to Cascades Emballage carton-caisse - Drummondville, while the award for trade went to Performance NC. Bijouterie Lampron took home the people's choice award, while the Village Québécois d'Antan took the honours in the events and tourism category for its haunted village. The agrifood award went to supplier and distributor Les cultures de chez nous, and Anhydra was the winner of this year's youth entrepreneurship award. Athlete Élisabeth Pellerin and Hugo Houle, a cyclist who participated in the most recent Olympic Games in Rio, were named woman and man of the year, respectively.

I congratulate all of the finalists and winners.

Alberta Economy

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Madam Speaker, I rise in the House today to speak about the dire situation facing my home province.

When I say Albertans are losing their homes and losing their jobs, I am not exaggerating. Over the past year in Alberta, almost 6,000 homes have been foreclosed, more than 2,000 of those in Calgary alone. Calgary's unemployment rate is still the highest of any major Canadian city, at 9.3%.

Many Albertans, including me, have given up any hope that the Liberals are interested in Alberta, Canada's economic engine. The Prime Minister said he was going to phase out the oil sands. He is certainly following through on that threat by dismantling the NEB and moving the regulator from Calgary to Ottawa, slashing the discovery well tax credit, and imposing a tanker moratorium and a job-killing federal carbon tax. The Liberals' disregard for Alberta is certainly clear.

The Liberals need to make Canada globally competitive. They can do it by following these simple lessons: reduce red tape, cut taxes, and get projects built. Doing these things will help our energy sector and will help Albertans get back to work.

Man in Motion World Tour

[Stéphane Lauzon, Liberal, Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, QC]

Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize the 30th anniversary of the Rick Hansen Man in Motion tour. Rick Hansen and his team, over 26 months, crossed 40,0000 km through 34 cities to raise awareness for spinal cord research and quality-of-life initiatives.

Mr. Hansen completed his tour 30 years ago, but his work and his impact on Canada continue to this day. The Rick Hansen Foundation works to raise awareness and remove barriers for people with disabilities.

Canada is a leader in promoting the equality and inclusion of people with disabilities, but we still have a lot of work to do.

That is why the government is working on new accessibility legislation to promote equality of opportunity and increased inclusion for all Canadians with disabilities.

Our government congratulates Mr. Hansen on this anniversary, and for his continuing work.

Government Appointments

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Madam Speaker, Madeleine Meilleur is a well-connected Liberal partisan and politician who has donated numerous times to the Liberal Party and has even donated to the Prime Minister's leadership campaign. Let us be clear. The reason the Prime Minister wants her to be the next languages commissioner is so that he can thank her for all of her support, and he wants to assure himself that he has somebody friendly in the position. This is really shady, and it is certainly wrong, in every sense of the word.

Will the Prime Minister do the right thing and withdraw this patronage appointment?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Madam Speaker, our government believes in the importance of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages and the protection and promotion of official languages. We are committed to finding the best candidate for this important position through a thorough, rigorous, and merit-based process. We conducted multiple rounds of interviews. I even had the chance to talk with my critics from the two opposition parties. They both acknowledged that she had the experience and expertise, and that is why we are convinced that Madeleine Meilleur is the best-suited candidate for this important position.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Madam Speaker, even the Liberal minister is hesitant to get up to try to defend that, and I do not blame her.

The Liberal appointment gravy train is shamefully extending to the judiciary. The latest round of judicial appointments is full of Liberal donors, including an Alberta appointment of a person who has donated to the Liberal Party over 25 times, including twice just this year.

When will the Prime Minister admit that he actually does not care about the appearance of conflict of interest and he would rather reward his friends for their generous support of his “I will scratch yours if you scratch mine” government?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Madam Speaker, every member on this side of the House is proud of the appointments we are making within the judiciary. Since being elected, we have appointed 67 judges, including additional appointments which are forthcoming. Under our open, merit-based appointments process, we have attracted top-tier judicial appointments. Budget 2017 provides for additional resources, and we will continue to make those appointments with great dispatch.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Madam Speaker, they are open to anyone who has given a donation to the Liberal Party. That is the only openness that we are seeing.

It is clear that with the Prime Minister's patronage appointment scheme, if one is not a Liberal and not giving a donation, there is no use applying. Liberal donors are clearly making their way to the very top of the appointment list. Merit has become secondary to donations to the Liberal Party.

How can the Prime Minister expect Canadians to believe it is just a coincidence that all of these Liberal donors are somehow getting these plum appointments?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Madam Speaker, I will reiterate what I have said before on many occasions. We are proud, on this side of the House, of the open, merit-based appointments process. Not only have we appointed 67 new judges since being elected, there are over 120 public appointments, which again are open, transparent, and merit-based. We will continue to make those appointments with great dispatch.

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

Madam Speaker, there is a new lottery in town, and for the past 18 months, select Canadians have been hitting jackpots of $500, $700, or even $1,000 per day of work for the luckiest winners.

Here are some of the Canadians who have made it to the winner's circle so far: Stéphane Dion, John McCallum, and Madeleine Meilleur. Since this lottery goes until 2019, there will be more. Unfortunately, tickets are available only to the elite. Anyone who wants to enter has to make a hefty donation to the Liberal Party of Canada. The next grand prize is the position of Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

Will the Prime Minister shut down this partisan lottery before the next draw conducted under the supervision of a firm by the name of leader of the government, Butts, and partners?

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, it is important that we recognize that we have in fact put in place a new appointments process which supports an open, transparent, and merit-based selection process. Our aim is to identify high-quality candidates who will help to achieve gender parity and truly reflect Canada's diversity. It is important to note the 140 appointments, of which 63% are women, 13% are visible minorities, and 10% are indigenous. The Conservatives should be applauding the type of appointments we are making.

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Madam Speaker, the Liberals promised an open and transparent appointment process for the new official languages commissioner, but what they delivered was the most partisan appointment ever.

Madeleine Meilleur, who was angling for a Senate seat while at Queen's Park, told the committee quite plainly yesterday that she contacted her former colleagues, Gerald Butts and Katie Telford, the two people in the Prime Minister's Office with the most clout in the selection process. That is what you call coming up with a plan B.

Will the government finally admit that this appointment was nothing more than a $315,000 consolation prize to help a good friend—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. Minister of Canadian Heritage.

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Madam Speaker, we believe that the Office of the Official Languages Commissioner has an important role to play in protecting and promoting our country's official languages.

We committed to finding the best candidate for that position, but only after a rigorous, open, and merit-based process. We conducted multiple interviews. I even had the opportunity to speak with the Canadian heritage critics of the official opposition and the second opposition party. They recognized that Ms. Meilleur possesses the necessary qualifications considering her experience and expertise.

[Brigitte Sansoucy, NDP, Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC]

Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister decided to appoint Madeleine Meilleur, an individual who made financial contributions to the Prime Minister's leadership race, as commissioner of official languages.

As commissioner, Ms. Meilleur will be responsible for investigating the Prime Minister if he ever violates the Official Languages Act.

Yesterday Ms. Meilleur herself admitted that she cannot erase 13 years of partisan politics. How can we trust this Liberal to set aside her partisanship when she has to investigate the Prime Minister?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Madam Speaker, we found the best candidate to serve as commissioner of official languages. Why? Because we know that Ms. Meilleur was behind the campaign to save the Montfort, Ottawa's French-language hospital. We also know that Ms. Meilleur played a key role in the creation of the office of the official languages commissioner in Ontario. Her CV clearly demonstrates that she has the expertise and experience needed to serve as Canada's official languages commissioner, and we hope to have the support of the opposition and the Senate in confirming this important appointment.