House of Commons Hansard #329 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was c-77.

Topics

National Defence ActGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Conservative

Kellie Leitch Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON

Mr. Speaker, obviously I am hopeful the Liberals will stick true to their word on Bill C-77 about ensuring that victims rights are front and centre.

The member is correct. We have seen over the last two weeks in the House conversations around the challenges when victims voices are definitely are not heard. The Liberals seem to put forward opportunities all the time, and in the case of one individual who is currently incarcerated, where those rights come before those of other individual Canadians who we know are victims. Therefore, I am hopeful this will move forward and victims rights are protected. The proof will be when we come back to the House and passes a law that enshrines those victims rights.

National Defence ActGovernment Orders

1:45 p.m.

Liberal

Lloyd Longfield Liberal Guelph, ON

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member across the way for particularly highlighting that a lot of this work had happened in the previous parliament, but unfortunately not passed. It did get royal assent in April 2015, but could not get a full legislative pathway because of the election.

I wonder about the additions we have made to this bill, particularly relating to the previous question around indigenous sentencing and how indigenous people have different ways of handling sentencing and restitution, as well as gender considerations and gender expression and whether these two areas of sentencing should be included in the legislation going forward.

National Defence ActGovernment Orders

1:50 p.m.

Conservative

Kellie Leitch Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON

Mr. Speaker, I think all members of the House look forward to a fulsome debate in committee with respect to the specifics of the bill. I am looking forward to seeing the results from the committee. I think we will go forward.

Paramount for myself is that all Canadian, no matter what their background may be, their ethnicity or gender, if they are a victim of a crime, their rights come first and foremost and that those rights of victims are enshrined in this legislation and are maintained across the country.

National Defence ActGovernment Orders

1:50 p.m.

Conservative

John Brassard Conservative Barrie—Innisfil, ON

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today to speak about Bill C-77, to enact military justice reforms. They say that imitation is the best form of flattery. The government of the day has taken into account many of the proposals that were in Bill C-71 from the previous government, with the exception of adding a couple of things. It has simply copied and pasted that legislation into Bill C-77.

I want to spend a couple of moments on some issues that have come up lately in the House. Throughout the debate this morning, we heard the government side talk about victims and victims' rights. On this side of the House, and in the previous government, I have strongly advocated for the rights of victims, as we did the previous government with the introduction of the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights. It is paramount that governments ensure that they put the rights of victims ahead of the rights of criminals.

Over the course of the last couple of weeks, we have seen some highly publicized situations come up that have gained the attention of Canadians, in large part because of the issues brought up in the House. I will note two cases in particular as examples.

There is the Christopher Garnier case in Nova Scotia. Christopher Garnier murdered police officer and volunteer firefighter Christine Campbell. It was a highly publicized case. Ahead of veterans, Mr. Garnier was receiving PTSD benefits from Veterans Affairs.

Of course over the last week, we have also seen the issue around Tori Stafford come up. Her murderer is now sitting in an aboriginal healing centre in northern Saskatchewan when she should be behind bars and razor wire, which is exactly where she was before.

On the issues of victims' rights, we have to ensure we put them ahead of the rights of criminals. We have not seen that, as an example in the case of the government, over the course of the last couple of weeks. Many of us heard the father of Tori Stafford over the weekend, pleading with the Prime Minister of our country to correct that situation.

Fortunately, tomorrow on opposition day, members of the government side will have the opportunity to stand and do what is right with respect to an opposition day motion we will be put forward. It calls on the Government of Canada, the Prime Minister, and the Minister of Public Safety to reverse the decision of Correctional Service Canada and ensure Tori Stafford's killer is put back behind bars and razor wire where she belongs, not surrounded by trees at a healing centre. The government and its members will have the opportunity tomorrow to do the right thing by standing in support of the opposition day motion.

On the issue of Bill C-71, as I said earlier, the Conservatives will always stand for victims and not criminals. Over the weekend, I had a robust discussion about this very issue as it related to criminals. It was more so about the current legislation, Bill C-71 and Bill C-75, as it relates to the new Liberal gun registry and changes to criminal justice acts, and in particular about the list of many otherwise serious criminal activities being reduced to summary convictions.

In some of the discussions I had around my riding this weekend, people were quite concerned not only with the gun registry and that it did little to tackle the real issue of gangs, gang violence and illegal gun activity, but also with the fact that many of these more heinous and serious crimes would be potentially reduced to summary convictions. The reason for that is the government's inability to fill judicial appointments on the bench and cases are getting backlogged. The government would simply rather slap criminals on the wrist with this potential summary conviction rather than looking after victims' rights and victims instead of criminals.

Part of this legislation, one of the important pieces of it, is the Gladue decision. For the most part, this is a copy and paste of the previous bill, Bill C-71, from the previous Conservative government. However, the main difference between the two would be the addition of the Gladue decision into the National Defence Act.

In effect, this addition would mean that aboriginal members of the CAF, who face charges under the National Defence Act, would face lighter punishments if convicted. That causes problems with respect to the fact that the special considerations for indigenous members could result in sentences that would be less harsh than those of other CAF members. In fact, it could undermine the operational discipline, morale and some of the anti-racism policies of the CAF. It is a concern.

We will support this legislation and get it to committee to ensure we hear from those various stakeholders, such as first nations communities and advocates.

National Defence ActGovernment Orders

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

The hon. member for Barrie—Innisfil will have 13 minutes and 45 seconds remaining when we resume debate after question period.

Supply ManagementStatements By Members

1:55 p.m.

Bloc

Marilène Gill Bloc Manicouagan, QC

Mr. Speaker, the government kept telling us that no free trade deal was better than a bad free trade deal, but then it went ahead and signed the worst possible deal. Quebec is losing so much and gaining nothing.

We are losing on supply management with concessions that are going to hurt our farmers. Illegal tariffs on steel and aluminum were not addressed either. We will just have to pin our hopes on Mr. Trump's good will. Our retailers are losing too with provisions that give giant online retailers an even greater competitive advantage. Chalk up another loss for health care with Ottawa protecting American pharmaceutical companies from low-cost drugs.

Ottawa gave Mr. Trump everything he wanted and got nothing for Quebec in return. The Prime Minister got taken for a ride by a president who had no interest in reaching a deal unless Canada knuckled under across the board. Once again, Quebec did not have a seat at the table, and once again, this trade deal is going to cost us dearly.

National Seniors DayStatements By Members

1:55 p.m.

Liberal

Fayçal El-Khoury Liberal Laval—Les Îles, QC

Mr. Speaker, October 1 is National Seniors Day in Canada. According to the United Nations, today's seniors were the driving force behind the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. That is why Canada, the UN and the entire global community want to celebrate these human rights champions.

Parliament has recognized the outstanding contribution seniors make to Canadian society. Seniors contribute by sharing their experience, expertise and knowledge with younger generations. That is why our government is working hard to raise their income, increase their inclusion in society and improve their health, for example.

October 1 is an opportunity for all Canadians to thank seniors and promise them that their rights will always be respected.

Don McDonaldStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Conservative

Kevin Waugh Conservative Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK

Mr. Speaker, on Saturday we laid Don McDonald to rest. Don was a man of many passions, who gave of himself, his time and his energy to countless organizations.

A proud Scotsman, Don played the bagpipes for over 65 years. There was not an organization that the pipe major did not volunteer for. He was a military man, receiving a lifetime membership to the Royal Canadian Legion.

Under Don McDonald, Saskatoon held the largest indoor Remembrance Day service in this country every year. Don was a huge supporter of Saskatchewan football, spending eight years as its president. He co-founded the Prairie Football League. He was commissioner of the Canadian Junior Football League.

Don was known, though, as Mr. Hilltop, serving seven decades with the blue and gold. He was named to three sports halls of fame: the Saskatoon Sports Hall of Fame, the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame and in 2015 the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.

Don will be missed.

National Seniors DayStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Liberal

Deb Schulte Liberal King—Vaughan, ON

Mr. Speaker, today is National Seniors Day, a day when Canadians are invited to celebrate the older adults in their lives.

Here on the Hill, our Minister of Seniors has organized a series of round tables to enable stakeholders to discuss seniors issues and explore ways to ensure that federal government programs and services respond to Canada's aging population.

Our nation's seniors have created the framework for our country's success and have helped build the open, diverse and compassionate society we all enjoy today. With the number of seniors projected to reach 10 million by 2036, it is vital that we support their needs. By investing in seniors, we are investing in the well-being and prosperity of Canada.

I would like to invite all those in the House to attend the National Seniors Day reception tonight from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in room 216, Centre Block, with refreshments provided by CARP, the Canadian Association of Retired People.

Let us all celebrate our seniors today and every day.

Supply ManagementStatements By Members

2 p.m.

NDP

Pierre-Luc Dusseault NDP Sherbrooke, QC

Mr. Speaker, for months now, Quebeckers and Canadians have been calling on the government to fully protect supply management in the renegotiation of NAFTA. Unfortunately, we learned this morning that the new agreement that the government just signed with the United States and Mexico creates a third breach in the supply management system. Now, 10% of the domestic market will be open to foreign markets.

The Prime Minister said repeatedly that he wanted to protect supply management and that Canada would rather sign no deal than a bad deal. Well, I have some news for him. The agreement he just signed is a bad deal. How can the Prime Minister say he is satisfied with the outcome when he caved in to the American President?

Dairy farmers are furious, disappointed and worried, and with good reason. These additional concessions will be another major hit to producers and farmers in the Eastern Townships. Once again, they are the ones paying the price and being used as the Prime Minister's bargaining chip.

Obviously, the Liberals never intended to keep their promise. Rather than protecting local farmers, the government simply betrayed them once again.

Mental Illness Awareness WeekStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Liberal

Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON

Mr. Speaker, this week is Mental Illness Awareness Week, and as chair of the mental health caucus, I am pleased to see members from across party lines taking time out of their schedules to meet with mental health advocates and researchers from across the country.

As Canadians, and as leaders, our awareness of the realities of mental illness has never been greater. As I look around Parliament today, I see the will for real change. However, there is still so much work for us to do.

I hope all members of Parliament can take a moment this week to meet with people who are fighting for that change. Join me in conversation with Mental Health Research Canada tonight. Take the time tomorrow to hear the lived experience of CAMIMH's “Faces of Mental Illness”.

As leaders, this is a week for us to take a moment to listen, learn and act together.

Mental Illness Awareness WeekStatements By Members

2 p.m.

Conservative

Marilyn Gladu Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support the 2018 Mental Illness Awareness Week as we seek to end the stigma associated with mental illness.

My community of Sarnia—Lambton and many others like it have felt the impact of mental illness and the lack of resources to address these problems. We know that one in five Canadians will suffer a mental illness, which is why we must work hard to remove the stigma attached to discussing such issues and provide the resource support for these impacted communities.

I am also honoured to inform the House that I will be co-hosting a special reception with the Speaker, the member for Vancouver Kingsway and the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health to celebrate Mental Illness Awareness Week 2018. I encourage all members to join us tomorrow, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

National Seniors DayStatements By Members

October 1st, 2018 / 2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Jean Yip Liberal Scarborough—Agincourt, ON

Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, I attended many events honouring seniors and recognizing their volunteer efforts in my riding. Today is National Seniors Day and an opportunity to pay tribute to the seniors who built our country, contribute to our society and continue to mentor us.

After a lifetime of hard work they deserve a dignified retirement. In 2017, our government invested $55 million in the new horizons for seniors program to support seniors' social engagement in their communities. Additionally, since 2016, our government has created 5,000 new housing units for seniors, and through the national housing strategy we have made creating more affordable housing for seniors a priority.

With over 8.2 million Canadians over the age of 60, it is vital for us to continue investments in support of our seniors.

HousingStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Kent Hehr Liberal Calgary Centre, AB

Mr. Speaker, without a place to live, it is difficult, if not impossible, to build a life. That is why affordable housing advocates are so excited about our game-changing national housing strategy. The $40-billion investment will reduce homelessness by 50% and give countless Canadians an opportunity to build their lives.

In Calgary, the national housing strategy is already having an impact. Horizon Housing Society, the Resolve campaign and Silvera for Seniors are partnering with our government to build 161 affordable housing units for low-income seniors, families and individuals. This affordable housing project in Calgary was the first to receive federal funding under our game-changing plan.

Thanks to their hard work and effort, countless more Calgarians will be able to stop worrying about trying to put a roof over their head, and start building their lives.

Breast CancerStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Conservative

Kellie Leitch Conservative Simcoe—Grey, ON

Mr. Speaker, this weekend was Run for the Cure for breast cancer. Every year, over 26,000 Canadian women are diagnosed with breast cancer. One in 31 women in our country will die from it, 5,000 of them this year alone.

My mother Lynne was one of those women. She was a strong, passionate and generous mother. She had three children, and if she was alive today she would meet her five amazing grandchildren: Harper Lynne and Cashton Leitch, and Maelle, Collins and Jeremy Heath, who are here with us in the gallery today. To honour my mother's life and legacy, our family has organized an annual charity event, and the proceeds go to breast cancer research.

The 18th annual event was held last week. It raised over $17,000 to bring us to over $250,000.

Anyone who has a family member battling breast cancer should know that with continued research and support, we will beat this terrible disease so that every grandmother can meet her grandchild.

National Seniors DayStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Angelo Iacono Liberal Alfred-Pellan, QC

Mr. Speaker, today, October 1, is National Seniors Day.

National Seniors Day is an opportunity to celebrate seniors from sea to sea. It is an occasion to acknowledge the lifelong contributions our seniors have made to our communities and to our country. I invite my colleagues and Canadians to take the time to say “thank you” to a senior.

My riding of Alfred-Pellan is lucky to have seniors pitching in every day to help make our community stronger and more inclusive. Our seniors continue to share their stories and heritage with us. These are sometimes tales of hopes and dreams, but also tears and sacrifice.

I want to thank all our cherished seniors in Alfred-Pellan and Canada for having shaped Canada into the country I know today. I want to thank them for the sacrifices they have made and for being a source of inspiration.

North Cape Fishing AccidentStatements By Members

2:05 p.m.

Liberal

Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE

Mr. Speaker, as a person born and raised in a small fishing community, a tragedy like the one that occurred off North Cape, Prince Edward Island hits me very close to home.

Last week, when the fishing vessel Kyla Anne capsized in rough waters and with it took the lives of Captain Glen DesRoches and Moe Getson, it reminded me of the risk faced by fishers and their families every time they take to the water. I would like to take this opportunity to send my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the two men lost in this terrible tragedy.

I would also like to thank the countless community volunteers and professionals who were involved in the search and rescue efforts for the Kyla Anne.

Charles AznavourStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Sylvie Boucher Conservative Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC

Mr. Speaker, he soothed us with his voice, his lyrics, his passion. I am talking about my favourite French singer of all time, my idol, Charles Aznavour.

I was six or seven when I first heard his music. That song, La bohème, still brings happiness today.

His melodies and soulful lyrics were so enthralling that even today they make us want to hum those songs and reflect on treasured moments.

Who could forget his poignant songs Mourir d'aimer, Que c'est triste Venise, Les plaisirs démodés, or For me formidable?

Today, we bid farewell to a legendary artist, but his memory will live on in our minds and our hearts. I can still hear him singing Non je n'ai rien oublié.

Rest in peace, Mr. Aznavour.

National Seniors DayStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Sherry Romanado Liberal Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, QC

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to mark National Seniors Day.

I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge and honour all seniors and to recognize the invaluable contributions they have made and continue to make to our families, workplaces, and communities, and to Canada.

Seniors worked hard for us, and we are working hard for them. We took action to improve income security by restoring the age of eligibility from 67 to 65 for the old age security pension and the guaranteed income supplement. We increased the GIS for the most vulnerable single seniors by almost $1,000 per year. We took concrete steps to improve health care services, increase affordable and accessible housing, and promote social inclusion for Canada's seniors.

Seniors helped build our country and left us a strong legacy. On National Seniors Day, I invite everyone to join me in thanking seniors across Canada for making a positive difference in all our lives.

Shark FinningStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

NDP

Fin Donnelly NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC

Mr. Speaker, I rise to invite all MPs to join Sandy and Brian Stewart and the all-party oceans caucus this Wednesday, October 3 after votes, at the Lansdowne Cineplex, for an advance screening of Rob Stewart's newest film, Sharkwater: Extinction, which opens in Canadian theatres on October 15.

Rob Stewart was a Canadian filmmaker, photographer, conservationist and my friend. He spent his entire life educating people about the vital role sharks play in maintaining healthy ocean ecosystems and the horrific practice of shark finning, which kills 70 million to 100 million sharks a year. He tragically died in January 2017 while shooting this film, a documentary about the illegal shark-finning industry.

Canada could honour Rob's work and provide a lasting legacy for his efforts by moving forward with a shark fin import ban. I invite members to join us Wednesday to learn more about this important issue and how they can be part of the solution.

National Seniors DayStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Conservative

Alice Wong Conservative Richmond Centre, BC

Mr. Speaker, it is with great pride that I stand in this House today to celebrate our National Seniors Day. Far too often, our busy lives often cause us to forget about the elders in our lives, those senior citizens who have a lifetime of knowledge and wisdom to impart on the younger generations. These are the people who built the Canada we love.

That is why in 2006, the Conservative government appointed the first minister for seniors and in 2010 established the first National Seniors Day. I was privileged to have served as the minister for seniors for four and a half years.

I hope all members in this House as well as Canadians watching from home will take the time to visit or volunteer in a senior's home in their community, and reach out to their parents and grandparents and share with them how grateful we all are for their dedication and efforts in both building our nation and raising its people.

I wish everyone a happy Seniors Day.

International TradeStatements By Members

2:10 p.m.

Liberal

Andrew Leslie Liberal Orléans, ON

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to speak today on the recent accomplishments achieved by Canada, the United States and Mexico. Today we reached consensus on a new, modernized trade agreement, the USMCA.

Canada wanted to reach a good agreement, and we were successful.

The USMCA is good for hundreds of thousands of Canadians who work in the auto industry. It is good for Canadian business. It is good for Canadian farmers and for the energy sector.

This agreement will secure economic stability and promote future job growth.

The USMCA will result in freer markets, fairer trade and robust economic growth in our region. It will strengthen the middle class and create good, well-paying jobs and provide stability and confidence for investors.

International TradeOral Questions

2:15 p.m.

Regina—Qu'Appelle Saskatchewan

Conservative

Andrew Scheer ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, we are waiting to see the details of the new free trade agreement with the United States and Mexico to assess its full impact.

We do know that the Prime Minister made concessions with respect to access to the dairy market, as well as to Class 7.

Can the Prime Minister tell us whether he got any concessions from the United States regarding their subsidies to the industry?

International TradeOral Questions

2:15 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the agreement we reached yesterday is good for Canadians and for market access across the continent. It is very important that we continue to show that Canadians are innovators and work hard to succeed.

We worked with dairy industry stakeholders to make sure that they will be compensated for the market share we had to cede to the Americans.

International TradeOral Questions

2:15 p.m.

Regina—Qu'Appelle Saskatchewan

Conservative

Andrew Scheer ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, he did not answer the question as to whether he was able to get concessions from the United States on the very same issue.

When the Prime Minister offered to renegotiate NAFTA, there were no sunset clauses, steel tariffs or auto quotas and we already had the dispute resolution mechanism, so these are not new gains in this deal. We had hoped that the government might negotiate gains for Canada, like an end to the Buy America policy that cost billions of dollars and thousands of jobs.

Does this new deal put an end, once and for all, to the Buy America policy, yes or no?