Debates of Jan. 28th, 2019

James Shea

[Greg Fergus, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise in the House today to inform members of the passing of James Shea, who died December 29.

Jim believed in the potential of each child. Teacher, principal, lifelong educator, he served as chair and president of the Western Quebec School Board. He was the superintendent of the Ottawa Catholic School Board, and he also led Canadian Parents for French.

Jim's faith girded his actions. Jim and Theresa, his wife of 55 years, and their four girls were stalwart members of Saint Mark's church. It was there that I first met Jim some 20 years ago.

Jim always championed the underdog.

He was a tireless advocate for linguistic minority communities. He was very passionate about Canada's linguistic duality.

A strong advocate for inclusion, equity and justice for all, it was only last November that Jim was named as an adviser to the revamped court challenges program.

He was a great man who will be sorely missed by his family and friends and by our beloved country.

I thank Jim Shea.

Hockey Hall of Fame

[Ben Lobb, Conservative, Huron—Bruce, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today to recognize one of Huron—Bruce's most beloved sons and one of the most iconic Canadian hockey players of all time, Paul Henderson. Paul played 19 seasons in the NHL and the WHA with over 1,000 games, for the Red Wings, the Leafs, the Toronto Toros, the Birmingham Bulls and the Atlanta Flames.

Paul was inducted into the International Ice Hockey Hall of Fame and the Ontario Hall of Fame. He is in the Order of Canada and Order of Ontario. Members might even remember three great goals he scored in the '72 Summit Series in games six, seven and eight. True Huron—Bruce clutch hockey, to say the least.

The Canadian Press named Henderson's goal the “sports moment of the century”. One thing missing is Paul's induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Don Cherry says that he should be inducted. That is good enough for me. I humbly request and ask the Hockey Hall of Fame selection committee to once again examine Paul's application and do the right thing. Let us get Paul Henderson in the Hockey Hall of Fame. I am backing Paul Henderson.

Brampton South

[Sonia Sidhu, Liberal, Brampton South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in the House to provide an update on events that took place in my riding of Brampton South over the break. I was pleased to host an open house that saw hundreds of residents and community leaders visit my local office. It was a great chance to connect with residents and hear their feedback.

On January 15, the BPW of Brampton hosted a meeting that featured four female entrepreneurs and recipients of the Brampton Board of Trade's 40 Under 40 award. I thank these remarkable women for their leadership.

I would like to thank the members of my youth council, who joined me for our first meeting of 2019. They provided me with valuable input on what matters to them, like fighting climate change and ensuring there are opportunities available for young people for today's innovation.

I want to thank the residents of Brampton South for their support, and I am so humbled to continue to represent them in the House.

Opioids

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, over 10,000 Canadians have died from overdoses in the last three years alone. There are few communities in Canada that have not felt the scourge of the opioid crisis.

Unfortunately, my riding of Cowichan—Malahat—Langford is not one of them. I want to recognize the efforts of community organizations and individuals who are on the front lines. They include the Westshore AVI Health Centre in Langford, the Our Cowichan Community Health Network and our brave first responders. They include people like Will Arnold, the owner of Experience Cycling, who is leading efforts in community cleanup; and the staff at the City of Duncan's overdose prevention site, which has reported thousands of visits with no deaths since operations began in 2017.

We need a federal government with the courage to declare a national emergency and explore the decriminalization and medical regulation of substance use. Using a criminal justice approach to tackle this health crisis has been an abject failure. We must do better. We can do better.

Municipality of Saint-Constant

[Jean-Claude Poissant, Liberal, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to wish my colleagues here in this new chamber all the best for the new year.

This year, 2019, is an important year for Saint-Constant, which was founded 275 years ago. On December 8, 1744, five men and five women gave representatives of the bishop the notarial deed to the eight acres of land in New France that would become Saint-Constant. In keeping with the tradition of the time of naming parishes by associating the names of important figures to those of saints, the community was named in honour of Saint Constant and in memory of Constant Le Marchand de Lignery.

I invite all my constituents to keep an eye on the local newspapers to learn more about the special events that will be happening throughout the year and to spread the word, because, as per the theme of this year's celebrations, “Our history is your history”.

43rd General Election

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are tired of paying for the Prime Minister's mistakes. His failure to balance the budget, combined with his out-of-control spending, is causing life to be unaffordable for many Canadians. It was recently reported that 46% of Canadians are less than $200 away from insolvency, yet the Prime Minister is forcing a carbon tax that will drive up the costs of everything and do nothing for the planet. Canadians know that in order to keep running deficits and tweeting out taxpayer dollars to the world, the Prime Minister will continue to reach into the pockets of seniors, soccer moms and veterans.

However, there is hope. In October, Canadians can choose our leader. He will work to make life affordable for hard-working Canadians. He will balance the budget. He will keep his promises. The next nine months cannot go fast enough for me and the rest of Canadians who are sick of paying for the Prime Minister's mistakes.

Attack in the Philippines

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a cathedral is a place of worship, a place of prayer and a place of hope. What happened yesterday in Jolo, Philippines is a despicable act of cowardice, and I am sure I can speak on behalf of all my colleagues that we condemn this vicious act of terrorism.

My deepest condolences go out to all the families affected by this tragedy in the Philippines. May we pray for those who have left this world and for a speedy recovery for those injured.

Here at home, our thoughts are also with the Filipino and Catholic communities, and especially with the Filipino-Canadian Association of Vaughan. My prayers are with each and every one affected during this time of mourning. It is now more important than ever to keep our faith, and to have confidence, trust and belief in our values among our brothers and sisters. We all have a right to gather in safety and reverence, no matter what our religious affiliation is.

Community Bicycle Parade

[Emmanuel Dubourg, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today, an event called “Mon vélo raconte” was awarded the 2018 Governor General's History Award for Excellence in Community Programming. Two organizations in the riding of Bourassa, the Société d'histoire et de généalogie de Montréal-Nord and the Artistes en arts visuels du Nord de Montréal, joined forces to achieve something remarkable. They organized a parade featuring 375 decked-out bicycles, each one telling a story, to celebrate Montreal's 375th anniversary. Over 15,000 volunteers and 3,000 children participated in making this artistic event happen. The award recognizes the organizations' community programming, and their success reflects on the entire North Montreal community.

I invite my colleagues to join me in congratulating the people who spearheaded this fantastic event, Sergio Gutiérrez and Jean-Paul Guiard.

International Holocaust Remembrance Day

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the world marked International Holocaust Remembrance Day, on the 74th anniversary of the liberation of the notorious Nazi death camp Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945. The allied soldiers who entered that terrible place documented unspeakable horrors, documentation that inspired citizens and governments around the world to confront hatred, to promote human dignity and to pledge, “never again”.

In recent years, we have seen an alarming resurgence of anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial, despite the creation of inspirational architectural tributes around the world, like Canada's National Holocaust Monument just down the street, which is why it is so important that we continue to work to ensure that this generation and all future generations address Holocaust remembrance as a moral duty to educate, to reject anti-Semitism and hate speech and hate crimes in all forms, and to re-energize the original powerful covenant “never again”.

Government of Canada

[Yasmin Ratansi, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, welcome to all my colleagues to this new chamber and best wishes to all for 2019. I rise today to highlight some of the concrete work our government is doing to help Canadians succeed economically.

Our government has cut taxes by 7% for nine million Canadians, enabling them to be more prosperous. In my riding of Don Valley East, the Canada child benefit has brought 9,000 families and 17,000 children out of poverty. Our national housing strategy has benefited 68 housing projects in my riding. Our CPP enhancement and increases in OAS and GIS have helped 16,000 seniors in my riding. These numbers say it all.

I am proud to be a part of a government that invests in its people and ensures that all Canadians have a chance at prosperity.

National Housing Strategy

[Kent Hehr, Liberal, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, there was a time when some people and even some governments believed the best way to help those who struggled, who were poor, sick, disabled and homeless, was simply to leave them to those struggles. Sooner or later they would simply pull themselves up by their proverbial bootstraps and magically all would be solved. Our federal Liberal government disagrees and understands that sometimes people need a hand up.

That is why I am proud of our national housing strategy that invests $40 billion to improve Canadians' access to safe and affordable housing, with the first project being built right in my home city of Calgary. Investing in housing affords people a sense of dignity, a sense of purpose and a place where they can build their lives. Let us think about it. How can one build a life if one has no home? In short, one cannot.

Myron Thompson

[Earl Dreeshen, Conservative, Red Deer—Mountain View, AB]

Mr. Speaker, on January 12 our nation's flag flew at half-staff to honour Alberta's long-serving parliamentarian, Myron Thompson. Today, in this interim chamber, I am proud to give our respects to my mentor, friend and constituent, a man who proudly served central Alberta.

On a parliamentary visit to Washington, Myron was greeted by President George W. Bush, where his baseball experiences made him the centre of attention. Unfortunately, as a 19-year-old backcatcher behind Yogi Berra, Myron realized a different path would need to be followed. Myron and his family chose Sundre as their home. Myron was a teacher, a principal and mayor of Sundre before being elected in 1993 as the MP for Wild Rose and he served them well.

On December 19 I was honoured to be with Myron, his family and friends as the street in front of his home was named “Myron Thompson's Way”. On behalf of my constituents and a grateful nation, I will be honoured to present our flag to his beloved wife, Dot. Myron will be missed but his impact never forgotten.

Government of Canada

[Andrew Leslie, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

Mr. Speaker, for the fourth year in a row Canada has been named the number one country in the world for quality of life. Canada ranked highest for political stability and a strong job market. Unemployment is at historic lows, the economy is strong and more Canadians than ever before are hard at work.

In the context of small business, our government has been working hard to make it easier to do business here in Canada by lowering the small business tax rate from 11% to 9%.

We have many reasons to appreciate living in Canada, but we still have a lot of work to do. Let us keep working hard to ensure that all Canadians have a real and fair chance to succeed.

Hockey

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Paul Henderson was born January 28, 1943, near Kincardine, Ontario. His first experience with hockey came in the basement of a Chinese restaurant operated by Charlie Chin, an immigrant who settled in Lucknow. Henderson played with Chin's sons. They bought him his first set of hockey equipment.

Paul Henderson played 13 NHL seasons with the Red Wings, Maple Leafs and Flames and five more with the World Hockey Association, scoring 376 goals and 758 points in 1,000 games. He is best known for leading Team Canada to victory at the 1972 summit series against the Soviet Union. It was a battle for hockey and cultural supremacy. He scored the game-winning goal in the sixth, seventh and eighth games, the last of which has become legendary, making him a national hero, and voted the sports moment of the century.

Henderson is a member of the Order of Ontario and the Order of Canada and is in Canada's Sports Hall of Fame and in the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame.

Speaking for all goalies, I urge the Hockey Hall of Fame to complete this wonderful story by giving us relief by getting him out of our crease and into the hall where he belongs.

The Economy

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, while the Prime Minister shamefully refuses to ever balance the budget, hard-working Canadians are being forced to pay for his countless mistakes. These mistakes are leading to increased debt and higher taxes for all Canadians. Be under no illusions. If the Prime Minister is re-elected, taxes on everything will go up. While he may never have to worry about his own personal finances, hard-working Canadians are worried about paying their bills, because unlike the Prime Minister, Canadians know that budgets do not balance themselves. Canadians know that we cannot borrow our way out of debt. Canadians know that we cannot spend money that we do not have.

Simply put, Canadians cannot afford another four years of the Prime Minister. Thankfully, relief is just around the corner. On October 21, only the Conservative Party will end deficits, balance the budget and help hard-working Canadians get ahead. We will fix the Prime Minister's mistakes, lower taxes and finally get Canada back on track.

Hockey

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour Canadian hockey legend Paul Henderson.

It was September 28, 1972, 2:30 p.m., third period, with 34 seconds left to play, when he scored the goal heard around the world, or actually, around the universe. That goal won the critical game between Canada and the Soviet Union. Henderson actually scored seven goals in the eight games in 1972. He scored the game winner in game seven, with 2:03 to play, and thought that was it, that he would never score a goal like that again, but two days later, he scored the most famous goal in hockey history.

Paul Henderson was a most incredible player. A Memorial Cup winner, he led the OHL in goals, played in two Stanley Cup finals, played in two all-star games and was the last player in the original six to record a four-goal game. He played over 1,000 pro games, scoring over 700 points. Henderson should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Today is his 76th birthday. We wish Paul a very happy birthday. We thank him for the thrills and all the memories.

New Member

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I have the honour to inform the House that the Clerk of the House has received from the Chief Electoral Officer a certificate of the election and return of Mr. Barrett, member for the electoral district of Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes.

Michael Barrett, member for the electoral district of Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, introduced by the Hon. Andrew Scheer.

New Member Introduced

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Let the member take his seat.

Foreign Affairs

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the Prime Minister's foreign policy is a disaster, and Canadians are paying for his mistakes. Our international partners have no respect for the Prime Minister, and why should they? After clowning around in India and inviting a convicted terrorist along with him, he then was forced to take concession after concession from Donald Trump. He even angered our partners in Japan and Australia, and now we have the debacle with China. Why did the Prime Minister show such weakness and wait so long to fire his ambassador?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I look forward to answering the member's question shortly, but I think before we do, we need to take a moment to recognize and applaud the extraordinary women and men who worked so hard to build this beautiful chamber for us to serve in and to remember that if we who serve Canadians in this place work even half as hard as they worked to build this place for us, we will be very well served as a country indeed.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's foreign policy is a disaster, and Canadians are paying for his mistakes.

A convicted terrorist was invited to India. U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum remain in place. The Prime Minister insulted our allies in Japan and Australia. Now we have the crisis with China.

When will the Prime Minister stop making Canadians pay for his mistakes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we are acting with integrity and taking decisive action in two key ways.

First of all, we want to keep Canadians safe, secure the release of the two Canadians arbitrarily detained in China and push for clemency for the third.

At the same time, we want to ensure that we always stand up for the rule of law and the independence of our judicial system and that we continue engaging with our allies around the world, to send a clear message that Canada will always defend the rule of law.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, money is the least of the Prime Minister's concerns. He has never had to keep a personal budget, so it comes as no surprise that he thinks budgets balance themselves.

He is rather good at racking up debt, especially when he is making Canadians pick up the tab.

When will the Prime Minister finally tell the truth and admit that he plans to raise taxes to pay for his mistakes?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, on the contrary, our plan was to invest in people, the middle class, and our communities. That is why we lowered taxes for the middle class and asked the wealthy to pay more taxes.

Canadians have created 800,000 jobs over the past three years. We are seeing strong economic growth and we have the lowest unemployment rate in 40 years.

We want to keep investing in Canadians and the middle class, but the Conservatives want to give breaks to the wealthy because they think that is the way to create economic growth. They are wrong.