House of Commons Hansard #355 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was pilots.
Salma Zahid Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, I represent a riding where many constituents are working hard to join the middle class, but are finding it difficult. The cost of everything from food to rent continues to rise, and wages do not always keep pace. They need to make difficult choices every day. They work hard, but find it challenging to get ahead.
Could the Prime Minister please explain how the government's poverty reduction strategy will help families like those in Scarborough Centre?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for Scarborough Centre for her hard work and for speaking up on behalf of Canadians working hard to join the middle class.
We have invested $22 billion in the fight against poverty. Programs like the Canada child benefit and more generous benefits for seniors have helped lift 650,000 Canadians out of poverty. We know there is still more to do. We indexed the CCB. We are introducing the Canada workers benefit and the Canada housing benefit. We have a plan for achieving the lowest level of poverty in Canada's history.
Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC
Mr. Speaker, the government is playing fast and loose with Canadians' health. For the third time in under a year, the Canadian Public Health Agency is telling Canadians to avoid romaine lettuce. After the second time in one year, the government should have been monitoring the situation more closely. Now we have learned that there have been 18 confirmed cases of E. coli in Canada since mid-October.
It took one month for the Liberal government to issue a new alert. The United States decided to recall the contaminated romaine lettuce to protect Americans.
Why is Canada not recalling the lettuce?
Why is the Prime Minister playing fast and loose with Canadians' health?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we will always protect Canadians' health and safety. We are working with provincial health officials and with American authorities to investigate an E. coli outbreak connected to romaine lettuce.
Ontarians and Quebeckers should avoid consuming romaine lettuce and lettuce mixes containing romaine until we know the cause of this contamination. We will continue to keep Canadians informed about the situation.
Maxime Bernier Independent Beauce, QC
Mr. Speaker, the government has been unable to solve the illegal migrants crisis. It plans to increase, by 40%, the number of immigrants we accept, and it is about to sign the global compact on regular migration, a United Nations plan to make mass migration normal and easier.
Will the Prime Minister tell us if he still believes that Canada is a sovereign country that must protect its borders and its identity, yes or no?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, Canada is extraordinarily fortunate to be one of the few places in the world these days whose citizens are, for the most part, positive toward immigration. We know that immigration is a source of strength and resilience and has indeed created this country and its economic growth over the past decades.
We know that continuing to defend a strong immigration system that follows the rules, that imposes our rules and our expectations, is important to Canadians. That is what we are doing. Whether people arrive regularly or irregularly, all the rules around our immigration system apply and are enforced.
Government Response to PetitionsRoutine Proceedings
November 21st, 2018 / 3:10 p.m.
Winnipeg North Manitoba
Liberal
Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 16 petitions.
Larry Bagnell Liberal Yukon, YT
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, a report of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association respecting its participation at the 13th Conference of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region, and the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region in Inari, Finland, from September 16 to 19, 2018.
Denis Paradis Liberal Brome—Missisquoi, QC
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 14th report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages entitled, “Issues Related to French-Language Training in the Field of Nursing”.
I want to thank Christine Holke, our clerk, Lucie Lecomte, our analyst, and all my colleagues from all parties for the extraordinary chemistry within our committee, which seeks to support minority language communities across Canada. I also want to commend my colleague from Yukon on getting involved with minority communities in Whitehorse.
Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.
Stephen Fuhr Liberal Kelowna—Lake Country, BC
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 12th report from the Standing Committee on National Defence in relation to supplementary estimates (A), 2018-19.
Dan Ruimy Liberal Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 13th report of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology in relation to its study of supplementary estimates (A), 2018-19.
Larry Bagnell Liberal Yukon, YT
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 77th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs in relation to its study of supplementary estimates (A), 2018-19.
Foreign Affairs and International DevelopmentCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
Liberal
Michael Levitt Liberal York Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 20th report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, entitled “Canada's Engagement with East Asia”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to the report.
I also have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 21st report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, entitled “Strengthening the Canadian Consular Service Today and for the Future”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to the report.
Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Salaberry—Suroît, QC
Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present today, all signed by citizens of Salaberry—Suroît.
The first concerns local food. Canadians promote purchasing local foods in order to support our farmers and the local economy. This helps reduce transportation of food and therefore greenhouse gas emissions.
They are calling on the Government of Canada to ensure that the Department of Public Works and Government Services has a local food procurement policy for all federal institutions.
Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Salaberry—Suroît, QC
Mr. Speaker, my second petition concerns climate change.
The petitioners are calling on the government to not purchase pipelines. With Canada spending several billions of dollars on pipelines and expansion projects, which will increase greenhouse gas emissions, it will be difficult if not impossible to meet international climate change targets.
They are calling on the government to invest in clean, renewable energy that creates sustainable, good quality jobs for the workers of today and of the future, instead of spending billions of dollars on fossil fuel infrastructure and subsidies.
Anne Minh-Thu Quach NDP Salaberry—Suroît, QC
Mr. Speaker, the last petition calls on the government to establish a national strategy to combat plastic pollution.
Whereas plastics in our oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, and other bodies of water pose a dire threat to ecosystems, wildlife, communities and individuals with sensitivities, the petitioners call on the government to work with the provinces, municipalities and indigenous communities to develop a national strategy to combat plastic pollution in aquatic environments.
Matthew Dubé NDP Beloeil—Chambly, QC
Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.
The first was initiated by a constituent in my riding who then collected signatures of her fellow constituents. It calls on the government to condemn the unlawful arrest of a Canadian citizen for practising Falun Gong and is asking for the immediate and unconditional release of Ms. Sun Qian, a Canadian citizen.
Matthew Dubé NDP Beloeil—Chambly, QC
Mr. Speaker, the second petition calls on the Government of Canada to recognize eye health and vision care and to develop a national framework for action that would help reduce vision impairment resulting from preventable conditions and the modification of known risks.
Ron McKinnon Liberal Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to table e-petition 1736, initiated by Carol Todd in my constituency. The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to designate October 10 of every year as World Mental Health Day in Canada.
World Mental Health Day is observed on October 10 each year to raise awareness of mental health issues, advocate to end the social stigma of mental health and mobilize efforts in support of mental health.
Mental health affects all Canadians at some time in their lives, through a family member or a friend. In any given year, one in five Canadians experiences a mental health illness or addiction problem and by the time Canadians reach 40 years of age, one in two have, or have had, a mental illness.
Almost one in 10 adults will have gone through a major depression at some point in their lives and the total number of 12- to 19-year-olds in Canada at risk for developing depression is a staggering 3.2 million. Canadian youth who experience early adversity such as childhood trauma are more likely to develop mental health problems of all severity.
Fin Donnelly NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC
Mr. Speaker, I rise to enter a petition to the House of Commons called Save Wild Salmon.
The petitioners, mostly from Vancouver Island, point out that Canada, and British Columbia in particular, is well positioned to become a world leader in closed containment salmon aquaculture.
They also point out that Canada needs to invest in a safe, sustainable industry to protect Pacific wild salmon, maintain employment and develop new technologies, jobs and export opportunities.
The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to immediately transition this industry to safe, land-based, closed containment.
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the House today to present a petition from residents within my constituency.
The petitioners call on the Minister of Justice to take steps to protect animals in laboratories to bring Canada in line with other industrialized countries that require licensing and regulations for scientific laboratories and other centres in which animals are held to move toward eliminating cruelty towards animals.
Mark Warawa Conservative Langley—Aldergrove, BC
Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition today from Canadians who highlight the fact that the Canada summer jobs program applications are about to be sent out by the government. They ask that this year their charter rights under section 2 of the freedom of religion be protected, that there not be an attestation requirement this year and that the government act like a democratic government.
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions. The first is from petitioners who are in support of postal banking. They point out to the government that nearly two million Canadians desperately need an alternative to payday lenders because of the crippling lending rates that affect poor, marginalized, rural and indigenous communities most. We have 3,800 Canada Post outlets already in rural areas where there are few or no banks and these outlets have the infrastructure to make a rapid transition to include postal banking. Therefore, the petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to create a committee to study and propose a plan for postal banking under Canada Post Corporation.
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Mr. Speaker, my second petition is in support of the Thames River system. As the House will recall, the previous government stripped environmental regulations covered in the Navigable Waters Protection Act, leaving hundreds of rivers vulnerable. The ecology of the Thames River is very much at risk and because the Liberals failed to keep their promise to reinstate environmental protections gutted in the original act, the petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to support my bill, Bill C-355, which commits government to prioritize the protection of the Thames River by amending the Navigation Protection Act.
Brigitte Sansoucy NDP Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot, QC
Mr. Speaker, I have a petition signed by a number of petitioners calling on the Government of Canada to maintain supply management in its entirety. Dairy production is an essential economic driver in the riding of Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot and in all of Quebec. The industry generates nearly 85,000 direct and indirect jobs. It is crucial that we maintain supply management, so the petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to make sure that supply management will be maintained in its entirety in the various trade agreements the Government of Canada enters into.