Debates of May 4th, 2017

Markham—Thornhill

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Markham—Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I rise before this House as the newest member of Parliament for the dynamic and diverse riding of Markham—Thornhill. I wish to thank John McCallum for his great service over many years to that community.

For 30 days in March, I met with thousands of families who shared their ambitions and their goals with me. We spoke about finding good, well-paying jobs, saving for our children's education, saving for our retirement, and ensuring we have the resources to care for our aging family members. I am committed to fiercely serving the residents of Markham—Thornhill and delivering on my promise to bring their ambitions and ideas to Ottawa.

I thank those who have put their trust in me to represent them, and the members of this House who have so warmly welcomed me.

Vijay Bhatia

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, London North Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is with an extremely heavy heart that I rise and pay tribute to the life of Mr. Vijay Bhatia, a taxi driver who was tragically murdered on the weekend in London, Ontario. Mr. Bhatia was the victim of a horrendous and senseless crime when he was pulled from his cab and beaten to death by one of his customers.

Vijay was described as a calm and generous individual, someone who embodied integrity and lived his life with dignity until the very end. He always made time for his wife Neelam, his four children Atul, Arun, Nikki, and Keshave, as well as his three grandchildren. Today, Vijay will be laid to rest, and this evening hundreds of members of the London taxi community and the general public will be coming together for a candlelight vigil and to pay tribute to Vijay's life and the incredible person he was.

My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this incredibly difficult time. I know the same sentiment is true for my fellow Londoners, for this House, and, indeed, for all Canadians.

Robert Dynerowicz

[Harold Albrecht, Conservative, Kitchener—Conestoga, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this week, Canada mourns the loss of a generous, selfless soldier who died in a training accident at Canadian Forces Base Wainwright, Sergeant Robert Dynerowicz of Kitchener.

On Monday, I was privileged to attend the funeral service of Sergeant Dynerowicz, who served two tours in Afghanistan. The tributes given by his colleagues and family are a testament to Robert's dedication and commitment to Canada and to all Canadians. As we travelled from the funeral to the interment at Williamsburg Cemetery, children, parents, teachers, and workers lined the streets waving Canadian flags. As we stood in the pouring rain at the interment ceremony, I was reminded again of the sacrifices of our women and men in uniform as they serve in very dangerous and difficult settings. Then the Canadian flag which draped the coffin was carefully removed and folded by Canadian Forces personnel, each of them paying their respects to their fallen brother.

As the ceremony concluded, I had the honour of speaking with Robert's widow, his parents, and his sister. I was able to thank them on behalf of all Canadians for the service which Robert had given, and to assure them of our ongoing prayers. Lest we forget.

Samuel Sharpe Sculpture

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last Saturday, I attended the Uxbridge Rotary Club's Canada 150 event, where $10,000 was raised to support an important community project. This project is to create a sculpture of Lieutenant-Colonel Sam Sharpe by local artist Wynn Walters.

During World War I, Sharpe led the 116th Battalion into several battles, including Vimy Ridge. Elected to represent Uxbridge in 1908, he became the only MP to be re-elected while serving on the battlefield. After he returned, Sharpe suffered from shell shock, now known as PTSD. Faced with having to return home to the families of those who had died by his side, he tragically took his own life.

I want to thank the Minister of Canadian Heritage and the Minister of Veterans Affairs for supporting this project and securing $70,000 in funding to honour this Canadian hero in his hometown. It is time we recognized Lieutenant-Colonel Sharpe's bravery and service here in this place, as a symbol for those who have suffered from PTSD while in the line of duty.

Housing

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the right to housing is a fundamental one. Everyone deserves to have a roof over his or her head and the security of knowing where he or she will sleep at night. Across Canada, one of the richest countries in the world, many people do not have a home.

I have heard stories of seniors couch-surfing; couples who are both gainfully employed but cannot find a home to rent or buy that they can afford; parents placing their children in care because they cannot find a home; and business owners struggling because they cannot hire people because there is nowhere for them to live. There are many other stories that should make us all sleepless. There is no question that Canada has a housing crisis in rural, urban, and indigenous communities.

The government's recent budget has housing funding that would mostly be spent after the next federal election. When will Canada recognize that housing is a right?

I encourage all members of this House to support my private member's bill, Bill C-325, on the right to housing. Let us make it happen.

Constituents' Concerns in Calgary Midnapore

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in this House as the new member for Calgary Midnapore. I would like to thank the constituents, my campaign team, and our volunteers for putting their trust in me and for their overwhelming support.

I appreciate my family for standing with me every step of the way. Without their love and support, I would not be here.

Young families in Calgary Midnapore, who are struggling to find work, express concern not only for their circumstances but also for their parents' as they age. We have a considerable number of seniors in our riding. We must continue to think of our seniors and how we can provide the best care.

In this recent by-election, my constituents expressed how they feel about the policies of the current Liberal government. They sent a message to the Prime Minister about the harmful carbon tax policy:

They do not want a carbon tax.

They sent a clear message to the Prime Minister about the jobs and investments fleeing our city and province:

He must work with the Conservatives and help people get back to work.

I will continue to do in this House what my constituents have elected me to do. I will continue to let the Prime Minister know how they feel—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Thunder Bay—Rainy River.

Ontario First Nations

[Don Rusnak, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Rainy River, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to rise today in this House and welcome first nation leadership from across Ontario to Parliament Hill. Chiefs and their delegates are here in Ottawa for their special chiefs assembly and will be spending the day meeting with members of Parliament and cabinet.

I would like to thank all who have gathered here today in the effort to build a new relationship, a positive relationship, a relationship future generations of Canadians can be proud of.

As a first nation member of Parliament, I find it a pleasure to see this level of meaningful engagement toward reconciliation and making Canada a better place for us all.

I would ask all members to join me in wishing these leaders a successful day and a warm welcome.

Meegwetch, merci, thank you.

National Defence

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, what the Minister of National Defence did was not a mistake, and he cannot solve the problem by trying to avoid the storm. On at least two occasions, he embellished his record and took credit for the work of others. He did so to look good as a Liberal politician. This is inexcusable, particularly for a member of the armed forces. He simply cannot keep his portfolio after what he did.

Why are the minister and the Prime Minister having such a hard time understanding this?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, since becoming Minister of National Defence, we took an extensive defence policy into making sure that we looked after our Canadian Armed Forces. That is exactly what we have done. We spoke to Canadians all across this country who had MP consultations to make sure that we have a thorough analysis, to make sure that we have a model that is going to look after our Canadian Armed Forces. I look forward to presenting our new defence policy that is going to look after our troops long into the future.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence may have apologized for embellishing his service record, but it is not enough. His claim of being the architect of operation Medusa, a claim that he made at least twice, when it was not true, was intended for one thing: to make him look good as a Liberal politician. This is a violation of the honour expected of men and women in uniform. He has now lost their trust and their respect. As a result, he simply cannot continue in the job that he has.

After what he has done, does he really think staying on is the best situation for the troops?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, my responsibility and our government's responsibility is to make sure that we look after our troops, to make sure they have all the appropriate tools and equipment. That is exactly what our defence policy is doing. It is making sure that we have a fully funded and rigorously costed policy that is going to look out into the next 20 years, a policy that is going to make sure they have all the right tools, a policy that is going to make sure that, when we send them out on missions, they have everything they need.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, there is a saying that a soldier has the right to complain, but the Prime Minister and the defence minister are actively denying that right to our soldiers who were deployed in the fight against ISIS. The defence minister made a promise to give back the benefits he took away from those troops. Now he has broken that promise and he is clamping down on those who dare speak out.

Here we have yet another example of the defence minister minister breaking his word to our military. Can he not see why he has lost their confidence?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, we will make sure that our troops have all the necessary benefits to carry out their duties. It is our government that dealt with the immediate inequity for the soldiers who lost their tax-free status in operation Impact. It is our government that is working hard to review the compensation rules and find a long-term solution needed to fix the mess we inherited, to ensure a fair and equitable process for all.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, this is unbelievable. He is actually misleading Canadians again and misleading this House again about this particular issue around compensation for the troops who are fighting the fight against ISIS. Right here, I have a document—I looked at it before question period—signed by the minister himself that clearly states the exact opposite of what he just said.

When is the minister going to stop misleading Canadians and misleading the House and, frankly, step aside?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, as I stated, we are going to make sure that all our troops have all the right benefits. There is a difference between a tax-free allowance and the hardship allowance benefits.

We have fixed the immediate problem. We are conducting a much more thorough review to look at the wider compensation package, to make sure we have a fair and equitable solution for all those who serve.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to defence issues, the Liberals cannot be trusted. After he cut $12 billion from Canada's defence budget, the finance minister said that our military was appropriately provisioned. Now the defence minister, after he was caught misleading Canadians about his military service record, is promising to restore the funding that his government cut in the first place. The problem is that, now, no one believes what these guys say. The only way for the government to begin to regain the confidence of our troops is for the minister to step aside. When will he?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, since we formed government, we have maintained the spending levels and planned increases while conducting the defence policy review, and we are developing a new policy for Canada, a rigorously costed plan that will put the Canadian Armed Forces on a sustainable footing.

The Conservative rhetoric simply does not match up with the facts. After years of cuts and underspending, we are now in a troubling position where even the status quo of spending on defence will not maintain the status quo of capability. Our new defence policy is going to fix that.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. It is the right and the duty of the official opposition to ask tough questions, but I hear from many Canadians who are unhappy with the behaviour in this House, particularly heckling. I do not think the constituents of members, like those of the member for Cypress Hills—Grasslands, whom I have heard heckle 12 times already today, would really approve of that kind of behaviour. Maybe he will hear from them.

I ask members to consider that, the views of Canadians on this, and restrain themselves, and stick to tough questions.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about that record. In our last year in office, the defence spending was nearly twice what the Liberals spent in any given year. We came in and we bought our men and women proper uniforms for Afghanistan, after the Liberals sent them into a desert with green camouflage. We bought them new planes so they did not have to hitch rides from the Americans. We bought them helicopters, tanks, and new LAVs so they could protect themselves from IEDs.

The Liberals sent them to Afghanistan with none of that support, and the minister knows that very well. We are happy to compare our record to the Liberal decade of darkness.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday I gave a speech on the announcement of the defence policy review, where we are actually giving a non-partisan analysis, making sure that we have the current state of affairs. We talked about the cuts.

I thought the Leader of the Opposition would be happy to understand that we have a certain state of affairs, so we can actually now create a plan to move forward. That is what the defence policy is actually going to do.

We are going to make sure our men and women have all the right tools. They need sustainable and predictable funding, and that is exactly what we are going to do.

Ethics

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the cash for access scandal, the Liberals have somehow conveniently managed to miss the entire point. They keep polishing that turd, but it is still a turd somehow.

The same special access to the Prime Minister and his cabinet—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. I encourage members to be cautious and appropriate in the language they use in this House. I know the hon. member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley would agree.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I call them like I see them.

Special access to the—