House of Commons Hansard #310 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was c-59.
The Deputy Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton
There will be four minutes remaining in the time for questions and comments for the hon. member for Kitchener—Conestoga when the House next resumes debate on the question.
A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.
Kevin Waugh Conservative Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK
Mr. Speaker, on May 11, I asked the justice minister to explain her failure to fill judicial vacancies in this country, and I mentioned how this unacceptable shortage of judicial appointments has led to a situation in which many Canadians are denied access to the justice they dearly deserve.
I will remind the minister of the struggles currently being faced by the family of Dwayne Demkiw. They live in my riding of Saskatoon—Grasswood. Their son, Dwayne Demkiw, was murdered on May 31, 2015. His remains were discovered on April 5, 2016, but his accused murderer is not scheduled to stand trial until 2019. It is unacceptable that Dwayne's family will wait nearly four years, from the time of their son's disappearance until 2019, in order to see some semblance of justice for the loved one they have lost. It is a tragic burden on the victim's family, a burden they should never have been forced to bear, and yet the Liberal government is not doing anywhere near enough to address this problem and remedy the injustices suffered by the Demkiw family.
Alberta, where the trial is scheduled to take place, currently ranks among the top provinces in the country, with some of the highest numbers of judicial vacancies. As of June 1, there are eight vacancies in the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench alone. Across Canada, there are 57 judicial vacancies that have not been filled. Those vacancies translate into a delayed justice system, which only intensifies the hurt felt by the victims of crime, such as the Demkiw family. As a result, the rights of victims and their families are brushed aside and negatively impacted due to the failure of the justice minister to deliver an effective, efficient, and compassionate justice system to Canadians.
Delays in our justice system provide no closure for victims and their families, and do nothing to improve the lowered confidence that Canadians have in this system. No one benefits from this except the accused.
The Supreme Court of Canada acknowledges that unreasonable delays in the justice system are severely harmful for Canadians, so it set the Jordan decision as the guiding ruling for trial deadlines.
Despite these rules, despite the decision from the Supreme Court that delayed justice is unacceptable, the Liberal government continues to ignore this problem by appointing fewer judges to handle trials and other cases before the courts. It has failed. The government has had plenty of time to address this issue, two and a half years, to be exact, and it has had plenty of time to fill these judicial vacancies.
The Demkiw family is living a nightmare. They are constantly in my office in Saskatoon. They have had to take on enormous expense in order to cope with this terrible tragedy. They have had to take time from work to travel frequently between Saskatoon and Edmonton, and of course they are trying to support Dwayne Demkiw's youngest son.
I want to ask the minister once again, why has the government done so little to fill judicial vacancies at such a late stage in its mandate, two and a half years?
JusticeAdjournment Proceedings
West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country B.C.
Liberal
Pam Goldsmith-Jones LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade
Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to rise on the serious matter of judicial appointments. Since elected, our government has taken significant steps to ensure that the process for appointing judges is transparent and accountable to Canadians and promotes greater diversity on the bench. At the same time, we recognize the challenges courts face with respect to court delays, which have come under heightened scrutiny since the Supreme Court of Canada's Jordan decision.
We have demonstrated that we are committed to responding to these challenges by introducing Bill C-75. This bill promises substantive reform that will fundamentally address delays, and modernize our justice system.
Let me assure the member opposite that the minister is very mindful of the effect judicial vacancies can have on the effective operation of a court. The minister is absolutely committed to ensuring that the most meritorious candidates are appointed to the bench to meet the needs of all Canadians.
Since elected, our government has appointed or elevated 183 judges to superior courts across the country, including five in Saskatchewan, and today, the diversity of our appointments is unprecedented. Under our government, 57% of appointed or elevated judges are women, compared to just 32% under the previous government.
Our government is committed to continuing to strengthen our judiciary. Budget 2017 created funding for 28 new federally appointed judges. Using this funding, the minister has appointed judges to new judicial positions in Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, and Newfoundland and Labrador, with more such appointments to come.
Through budget 2018, we are creating 46 new judicial positions, including a judge for the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal. This new position would respond directly and positively to a request from Saskatchewan. This additional judge would assist that court, the highest court in the province, to address a growing number of civil and criminal appeals as well as increasingly complex matters. The amendment to add this position to the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal is currently before Parliament in Bill C-74.
Fundamental to the judicial appointments process are the judicial advisory committees. They evaluate the applications of those who have put their names forward for judicial appointment and provide lists of highly recommended candidates to the Minister of Justice. As a result of the changes we introduced, the JACs are now more balanced and inclusive. We also made changes to help achieve a more representative bench, with a broader diversity of backgrounds and experience, allowing candidates to speak to their own understanding and experience of Canada's diverse makeup. We also increased our ability to validate candidates' bilingual capacity.
Kevin Waugh Conservative Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK
Mr. Speaker, that does not answer for the vacancies in Alberta, and 57 in this country. Two of our colleagues held a news conference in Calgary in April, the members for Calgary Nose Hill and St. Albert—Edmonton. Funny, because after the news conference, about judicial vacancies in Alberta, the next day they appointed one. Within a week to two weeks, five more were appointed in Alberta.
Do we have to have news conferences every week in the province of Alberta for the government to fill the eight vacancies they currently have?
Pam Goldsmith-Jones Liberal West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
Mr. Speaker, to those who would accuse our government of inaction, let me highlight just a few of the ways we have acted decisively, and on multiple fronts, to ensure that the Canadian justice system is there for Canadians. To date, our government has appointed or elevated 183 judges across the country and has appointed 40 deputy judges in the territories.
Last year, 2017, was a record year. We appointed 100 judges—
The Deputy Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton
Order. We only have one member recognized in the chamber at a time. I recognize that from time to time, a member will add a remark or two here or there, but ongoing banter is something that is too disruptive. I want to just have one member recognized at a time, and that, at the moment, is the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade.
Pam Goldsmith-Jones Liberal West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
Mr. Speaker, I think my hon. colleague will be very interested to know that in 2017, we appointed 100 judges, more than any government in the past two decades. We created 28 new judicial positions in budget 2017 to respond to demonstrated workload increases on these same superior courts, including in the area of criminal law, and through budget 2018, we have proposed the creation of an additional 46 new judicial positions. That is 74 new federally appointed judges across our country to respond to the needs of the courts and the needs of Canadians.
As this brief account demonstrates, our government is dedicated to ensuring that our justice system is accessible, efficient, and effective for Canadians.
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to speak tonight about Canada's important relationship with Taiwan. Canada does significant trade with Taiwan, and it is a strategic partner that shares our values. Taiwan is a Chinese democracy beacon for the mainland, a sign of what is possible.
When it comes to our foreign policy, the Conservatives are deeply committed to strengthening our relationship with like-minded partners in the Asia-Pacific region. We want Canada to deepen its partnership, in particular with countries like Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and others in the region that share our commitment to freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. It is always easier to trade and partner in a variety of ways with those who share our values, with those whom we can trust to honour their commitments, and to treat our citizens with respect when they are there.
We have an opportunity to build partnerships with like-minded nations in this region to expand the sphere of freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law as well. We have a shared interest with these nations in preserving the international rules-based order.
As we think about that order, someone pointed out to me recently that China was using the Crimea model in the South China Sea. The Crimea model is the illegal territorial acquisition by the Russians, of Crimea. It is a process of inching forward, carefully trying to avoid provoking too much resistance from the west, proceeding step by step, with each step covered in lies and misinformation, with steps that do not, in each case, provoke a sufficient response but taken together lead to acquisitions that are clearly illegal.
At least in the case of Crimea, the western world responded with sanctions. Under a Conservative leadership, Canada played a leading role in that. However, the Liberal government has been virtually silent on the deployment of the Crimea model in this other case, with the creation and militarization of islands outside of China's territorial waters in the South China Sea. Our partnership with like-minded nations is so important to resisting this.
On the issue of Taiwan in general, we see the government, generally, totally silent. I have asked repeated questions about issues related to Taiwan in question period, and very often the government has simply shifted away to talk about how it wants to have a better relationship with the mainland, even if the question is specifically on the issue of Taiwan.
The Liberals have made perfunctory comments about the issue of Taiwan's involvement in the World Health Assembly, which is a critical issue. Taiwan has a significant contribution to make to this body. However, it is curious that repeatedly when questions about Taiwan come up, the government does not want to address that important relationship with Taiwan. It does not want to acknowledge the importance of that relationship for us strategically, economically, and on so many other fronts. Indeed, it is our 12th largest trading partner, as my colleague has pointed out. More than that, we share common values. We share a common strategic direction in the region.
Canada needs to be willing to call out violations of international law by China, and work with like-minded partners to resist that, rather than continually giving credence to the narrative by the mainland that is potentially used as a justification for subsequent illegal action against Taiwan. We want to prevent that from happening. We want to stand with Taiwan. We want to resist this progressive aggression we see from the mainland.
Will the parliamentary secretary finally speak definitively about the benefits of the Canada-Taiwan relationship and the need for strategic co-operation, as well as the need to stand up to bullying from the mainland with respect to this.
Another issue the government has not addressed is the issue with Air Canada, changing the designation of Taiwan, claiming that it is part of China. When Air Canada makes these statements, it is very damaging, yet the government has had nothing to say about this bullying of a Canadian company by the People's Republic of China.
Will the parliamentary secretary also choose this as an opportunity to address that issue with Air Canada, as well as the other issues that have been raised with respect to Taiwan?
Foreign AffairsAdjournment Proceedings
West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country B.C.
Liberal
Pam Goldsmith-Jones LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade
Mr. Speaker, Canada was an active supporter of Taiwan's participation at the 2018 World Health Assembly, held recently, from May 21 to May 26. The Government of Canada called on the World Health Organization to extend an invitation to Taiwan to attend as an observer and was disappointed that an invitation was not issued. Taiwan has acknowledged and expressed its appreciation for Canada's support. Taiwan's role as an observer in the annual World Health Assembly meetings is in the interest of the international health community, and it is important in the fight against pandemics and disease.
In her address to the World Health Assembly in Geneva, on May 22, the hon. Minister of Health reaffirmed that, “Canada upholds the principle of universality in addressing health issues and global health inequalities and recognizes the transboundary nature of disease.” She reaffirmed Canada's position that “it is important that all members of the global community be part of discussions on global health.”
Since 1970, Canada has maintained our one-China policy, which recognizes the People's Republic of China as the legal government of China, while taking note of China's position on Taiwan and neither endorsing nor challenging it. Canada opposes any unilateral actions taken to alter the status quo or raise tensions across the Taiwan Strait. We regularly urge both sides of the strait to resume dialogue to resolve matters of importance to their citizens, particularly when it comes to matters of health, safety, and economic well-being.
Canada's one-China policy has allowed us to have robust and growing trade and people-to-people relations with Taiwan. Canada-Taiwan trade exceeded $7 billion in 2017, making Taiwan Canada's 12th-largest trading partner and fifth-largest partner in Asia.
Canadians and Taiwanese share a long-standing commitment to the universal values of freedom, democracy, and rule of law. We also have strong and growing people-to-people relations. Two-way tourism has surpassed 200,000 visitors per year, and Canada is a popular destination for Taiwanese students.
Canada and Taiwan co-operate in multilateral organizations, including APEC and the WTO. In other international multilateral fora, the Government of Canada has consistently supported Taiwan's meaningful participation, where its presence provides important contributions to the global public good, such as in relation to aviation security and global health.
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary said something that I want to specifically ask a follow-up question about. She said that the Government of Canada opposes any change to the status quo with respect to the relationship between Taiwan and the mainland. Two months ago, China held live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait. Does the parliamentary secretary believe that it is a violation of the status quo, and did Canada make statements with respect to live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait?
Pam Goldsmith-Jones Liberal West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC
Mr. Speaker, Canadians and Taiwanese share many ties. We are committed to growing our significant people-to-people and trade relations with Taiwan. Canada is also committed to supporting Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations, such as the World Health Assembly, where its presence provides important contributions to the global public good.
As the hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs told the House of Commons on May 17, 2017:
Global health is a global responsibility. Germs do not know any borders. We welcome participation from all civil society and the entire global community, including Taiwan. We all have a stake when it comes to the health of humanity.
The Deputy Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton
The hon. member for Saint-Hyacinthe—Bagot not being present to raise the matter for which adjournment notice had been given, the notice is deemed withdrawn.
Pursuant to order made on Tuesday, May 29, the motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until later this day at 10 a.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).
(The House adjourned at 12:19 a.m.)