House of Commons Hansard #295 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was information.
Erin O'Toole Conservative Durham, ON
Mr. Speaker, Taiwan is being blocked from participating in the World Health Assembly, which is meant to bring countries together to work on health issues. Fifteen years ago, Canada and Taiwan were on the front lines of the SARS crisis, and that shows why Taiwan should be a participant.
Will the Prime Minister show some global swagger and take a public position in support of Taiwan joining the World Health Assembly, or will he remain silent due to his admiration for basic dictatorships?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, it has come up a few times in this question period that the Conservatives seem to have an issue with the idea of swagger, the idea of Canadians being strong and proud on the world stage, of Canadians understanding that being back on the world stage, being positively engaged, being confident about our investments in AI, our investments in new technologies, and our investments in the economy of the future, are things to be proud of here in Canada.
No, we will not apologize for swaggering when it comes to talking about Canada and being confident in the future that we are building together.
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
Order. The hon. member for Durham will come to order. Order. It would be nice to be proud of the decorum in this place.
The hon. member for Beloeil—Chambly.
Matthew Dubé NDP Beloeil—Chambly, QC
Mr. Speaker, New Brunswick is currently grappling with the worst flooding seen in recent years. Water levels are starting to go down, but the situation remains urgent, and normalcy is still far off.
Many roads are still closed, and residents are still waiting to find out when they can go home. We know the damage will be significant, and a lot of cleanup and decontamination will be required.
What is the government going to do to help the province and flood victims get back on their feet quickly?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we know that places across the country, such as Kelowna, Alberta, Ontario, and especially New Brunswick, are facing many challenges associated with flooding.
As always, we are working very closely with local authorities so we can be on the spot if federal intervention is needed. We are very pleased with the collaboration so far. We have dispatched the Coast Guard to help New Brunswick. We are going to continue to be there to provide constant support to flood victims, their families, and communities right across Canada.
Wayne Long Liberal Saint John—Rothesay, NB
Mr. Speaker, people in New Brunswick, including in my riding of Saint John—Rothesay, have been hit hard by flooding. There have been evacuations, road closures, power outages, and boil water advisories because of possible sewage contamination. We are very grateful for the first responders and everyone else who has been helping friends, neighbours, and strangers impacted by the floods.
Can the Prime Minister tell us how the government is supporting response and rescue efforts?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, as I said, all our thoughts with the people across the country affected by floods and with the first responders and volunteers working so hard to keep them safe. I thank the member for Saint John—Rothesay for his question and his New Brunswick colleagues for the work they have done to help their constituents during this tough time.
We have responded to all of the provinces' requests for assistance, including Coast Guard rescue boats and RCMP security patrols. We are, as always, in very close contact with provincial authorities in New Brunswick and across the country and we remain ready to respond quickly to any additional requests.
Steven Blaney Conservative Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC
Mr. Speaker, we have learned that, tomorrow, the Prime Minister will finally visit the riding of Saguenay, which has been without an MP for months now.
This will be a good opportunity for him, in between selfies of course, to finally keep the promise he made in January, because Saguenay needs icebreakers for its economic development. Thousands of jobs depend on them. The Coast Guard fleet is aging, and it is urgent that the Prime Minister make a decision now to prepare for next winter.
Will the Prime Minister finally award the Davie shipyard the contract to build four icebreakers, including the Aiviq, in order to help people in Saguenay continue to prosper?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, we recognize the excellent work of Davie workers, who did an outstanding job delivering the Asterix. We recognize how important it is to continue to support them through good jobs that create opportunities for Canadians, including those in Saguenay.
As I said, we are in the process of negotiating a contract for a number of icebreakers with the Davie shipyard. We are still negotiating to find the best approach for Canadians and workers. That is what we will continue to do.
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Speaker, a little known and anti-democratic provision of the trans-Pacific partnership appears to be making its way into NAFTA. It is called chapter 25 in the TPP. What it does is reduce the abilities of governments to pass regulations in the public interest and expand the powers of foreign corporations to object to regulations.
My question to the Prime Minister is, is this true? Is the so-called regulatory coherence provision from the TPP entering NAFTA, and will this Parliament have a full opportunity to study, debate, and vote on NAFTA before we sign the bottom line?
Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for her question on the good regulatory practices chapter of the NAFTA negotiations. Making sure nothing impedes our government's ability to implement needed regulations is an important principle in which we believe. This is about encouraging regulatory harmonization where it makes sense to do so.
As with any agreement, it will be tabled in the House. At this point, we are still in the negotiating process, but the Minister of Foreign Affairs would be happy to provide a briefing on this topic to the member for Saanich—Gulf Islands, or any other member, if they request it.
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of His Excellency Timo Soini, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Finland.
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
I would also like to draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of the finalists for the 2018 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing: Carol Off, Sandra Perron, Ted Rowe, and Tanya Talaga.
Maryam Monsef LiberalMinister of Status of Women
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Heckling at the best of times in the House is disruptive. Today you heard an offensive echo from the member for Provencher that women do not have the right to choose.
I humbly request that you ask him to withdraw his assertion.
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
I am afraid that this is a question of debate, and we have opportunities to have debates on this subject—
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
Pursuant to order made on Thursday, April 26, the House will now resolve itself into a committee of the whole to welcome athletes of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic and Paralympic Games.
(House in committee of the whole to recognize the 2018 Winter Olympic Games and Paralympic Games athletes, Mr. Geoff Regan in the chair)
[And Canada's 2018 Olympic and Paralympic athletes being present in the chamber:]
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
On April 26, 2018, the following motion was adopted by the House of Commons:
That, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practice of the House, following Question Period on Wednesday, May 9, 2018, the House resolve itself into a Committee of the Whole in order to welcome the athletes of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic and Paralympic Games; provided that: a) the Speaker be permitted to preside over Committee of the Whole from the Speaker's chair and make welcoming remarks on behalf of the House; b) the names of the athletes present be deemed read and printed in the House of Commons Debates for that day; c) only authorized photographers be permitted to take photos during proceedings of the Committee; and, d) when the proceedings of the Committee have concluded, the Committee shall rise.
Members are invited to join our guests at the reception immediately following in Room 237C. As many athletes are being recognized by us today, we will welcome them into the chamber in two waves. I therefore ask for members' patience, as I will take a moment each time to acknowledge the athletes and their accomplishments.
Now it is my pleasure to welcome onto the floor of the chamber many of the athletes who competed in the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang last February. These athletes have competed in alpine skiing, para-alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, cross-country skiing, curling, wheelchair curling, figure skating, and ski jumping.
Canadians from across the country are justly proud of them. Like them, we appreciate the years of training and sacrifice and determination it takes to become a world-class athlete.
We want to be athletes, but know nothing about it.
You are all champions and an inspiration to your fellow citizens. Through your efforts, Canada finished with the highest ever Canadian winter medal count.
We are all looking forward to seeing you shortly at the reception, so I now invite the athletes to make their way through the chamber to the reception room, where members will join them shortly so we may welcome the next group of Olympians and Paralympians.
The Speaker Liberal Geoff Regan
These athletes participated in the following sports: hockey, para ice hockey, short track speed skating, ski cross, ski jump, snowboard, para snowboard, and speed skating. Canadians across the country are proud of you.