Debates of Dec. 7th, 2018

Bill C-83—Motion No. 17

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I will recognize one last speaker.

The hon. member for Louis-Saint-Laurent. After that, we will continue.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Madam Speaker, once the toothpaste is out of the tube, it cannot be put back in. That principle applies to parliamentary work, especially to the fact that if we start our work immediately, that is, if we begin debating proposals, and then we realize that they are not properly co-ordinated, we cannot backtrack.

A very simple solution is to suspend the business of the House until you make your decision.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Unless a member has something new to add, I will continue.

Does the hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands have additional information to add to this point of order?

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Madam Speaker, I have looked carefully at this amendment from the hon. member for Oakville North—Burlington. As we debate this legitimate procedural point, we should not lose sight of the fact that it is very important that the substance of this matter not be overlooked. This is an important amendment that should be included at report stage.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Does the hon. member for Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d'Orléans—Charlevoix have new information to add to the point of order?

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

Madam Speaker, I am a member of the Standing Committee on Official Languages, and we must never receive a text that is not exactly the same in both languages.

That is exactly what we are talking about in this debate. The two texts do not match and do not mean the same thing in the two languages.

Although I respect your role, I do not understand why we are continuing a debate on texts that are not identical and that we cannot debate in the House, in French or in English.

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Madam Speaker, I appreciate your patience with this; it is important.

At committee, members have the right to refuse and ask for translation. I would ask for some consistency in this place as well, especially when notice is to provide it. That is the tradition and tenure of the House, and this would be out of order with that procedure.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Does the hon. member for Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier want to add something that has not already been said?

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Madam Speaker, yes, absolutely. With all due respect, and I have a lot of respect for the institutions, I think we had a worthwhile suggestion earlier.

As parliamentarians, we want to do our jobs well and to have the tools to do so. We are lacking information here. As a francophone from Quebec, I think it is important to have accurate information in both of Canada's official languages.

I humbly suggest that you suspend the sitting, which would recognize the work we do as parliamentarians and prevent us from wasting time with back and forth, so that we can then proceed more effectively.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I believe some of the points being raised have already been covered.

Does the hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable have any additional information that has not been mentioned already?

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

Madam Speaker, I think you can see that the House is almost unanimous on the importance of having documents in both official languages.

I am certain that if you seek it from all my colleagues in the House, you will find unanimous consent to suspend the sitting so that you can look into this matter.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

We will hear from one more member, and then I will have something to add. The hon. member for Joliette.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Madam Speaker, I also believe that if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent of the House.

If we start working before you come back with your ruling, that means we will have to rely on the English version.

To the Bloc Québécois, that would be completely unacceptable. It would mean that the House is relegating French to second place, which would be an intolerable outrage.

You are the guarantor of our rights. Personally, as a Bloc Québécois member and a Quebecker, I will never agree to let the English version take precedence, even temporarily.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I thank all members for their input.

I direct that all motions except Motion No. 17 be read.

I will come back with my decision on Motion No. 17.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Madam Speaker, I believe that if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent of the House to suspend the sitting until you are ready to give your ruling.

Suspension of Sitting

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Does the member for Joliette have the unanimous consent of the House to suspend the sitting?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Okay.

(The sitting of the House was suspended at 10:25 a.m.)

(The House resumed at 11 a.m.)

The Environment

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Madam Speaker, it is certainly with a sense of moment and history that I rise this morning for what will be my last statement in the House before this chamber closes and we return after the new year to a different place. I first took this very seat seven and a half years ago, and I have not moved since. I love this place. I would not mind moving up a bit, but I love this place.

I also leave with the bittersweet awareness that I am leaving a week before the House rises, because I am going to the climate negotiations at COP24. When we think about time, we think about time slipping through our fingers, and our chances to ensure our children and grandchildren have a livable world slipping through our fingers.

Time is short. It is not too late, but there is not much time left to save human civilization.

We need to do more, and I ask all members to join me in prayer that more happens at COP24 than what is currently planned.

Signing Santa

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Madam Speaker, Christmas time is a special time for many children, but inclusion looks different for some children at this time of year. For deaf and hard of hearing children, something as simple as telling Santa their Christmas wish can be a barrier. In my riding, at Funhaven, I joined hundreds of children to see the “signing Santa”. Santa Claus communicated with the children in American sign language and Quebec sign language.

Santa also took off his hat to show the children his cochlear implant. One little boy began to cry and signed that Santa Claus was just like him.

I also had a chance to phone Santa, through SRV Canada, a video relay service that interprets voice to signing.

I thank the volunteers at Quota International, Ontario Hands & Voices and SLIAO for making this day so special and making a world of difference, where every child is included.

Government Policies

[Kerry Diotte, Conservative, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Madam Speaker, I hear you have a direct line to Santa Claus, so Santa, I have a Christmas wish from all Albertans.

Albertans have always been good to Canada. We are friendly and we produce the energy that powers this country, but we are not greedy this Christmas. We want a few simple things from Santa's sack of goodies: some pipelines would be nice, and the jobs that come with them; scrapping the carbon tax would help; and we would like new governments in Alberta and Ottawa.

We have been good, Santa, just like the elves, but we do know there are some people on the naughty list. Some have been downright dopey and “gropey”. They have dressed up funny on trips to India, they have wasted all kinds of money, and they are bringing in a carbon tax to punish all the good boys and girls out there. Like the Grinch himself, these people deserve a big lump of coal.

Santa, naughty or nice, I want to wish everyone well. I wish merry Christmas to all of peoplekind.

Housing

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Madam Speaker, did you know that 34% of indigenous persons in Vancouver are homeless? Many of them are youth.

For over a decade, the Lu'ma Native Housing Society in B.C. has provided a safe haven for homeless indigenous youth in the province. From its medical centre to its community lodge and its housing program for aboriginal youth, Lu'ma is a shining example of what a community can do when it is allowed to create its own culturally appropriate solutions.

Now the federal government is providing Lu'ma with funding through the national housing strategy. This will allow Lu'ma to make significant strides toward solving homelessness among urban indigenous youth. Lu'ma is a shining best-practice model for urban aboriginal programs in Canada. I look forward to seeing more of its innovative work.

Violence against Women

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

Madam Speaker, yesterday, many people stood in this House to acknowledge the beautiful women taken from the world much too soon 29 years ago.

ln my riding of North Island—Powell River, several events happened to acknowledge these deaths and violence against women. ln Powell River, the Community Services Association, Powell River & Region Transition House Society and the RCMP partnered with the Powell River Library to host a day-long event called the “Shoe Memorial”. The seventh one held in Powell River, this event had members of the community bring in a pair of shoes with a short biography of a woman or child who died due to violence or is missing under suspicious circumstances.

ln the Comox Valley, the Comox Valley Transition Society partnered with Honouring Our Sisters and the Comox Valley Art Gallery to hold a vigil where they laid roses, sang and had speakers. This event acknowledged the national day of remembrance. lt also focused on the many indigenous women and girls who have gone missing or who were murdered. This event continues to draw attention to those who are too often forgotten.

We remember.

Youth Councils

[Ron McKinnon, Liberal, Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Madam Speaker, I am proud to recognize the incredible passion of Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam and Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge youth councils. Last month, these youth councils squared off in a debate.

Debating solutions to the opioid crisis, these highly-engaged Canadians showcased their dedication and talent. Council members spent weeks preparing. They made thoughtful and well-constructed arguments.

We are fortunate for the input of these youth to guide our work on Parliament Hill. I thank them for their valuable insight. We know that when Canadian youth share their ideas, the possibilities are infinite.

The Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge team won this debate, closely pursued by my team. We are looking forward to a rematch in the new year. The gauntlet has been thrown. We are coming for Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge.