Debates of April 10th, 2019

Foreign Affairs

[Guy Caron, NDP, Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Benjamin Netanyahu hung on to power in Israel's election yesterday.

In a last-minute campaign promise, he vowed to annex Israeli settlements in the West Bank. If the Israeli government keeps that promise, there could be serious consequences for stability in the region. Canada's position is clear: the settlements are illegal. The United Nations Security Council agrees.

Will the Prime Minister confirm that Canada would view the annexation of those territories as illegal and act accordingly?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, our position remains unchanged.

We support the two-state solution, which should be achieved through negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Unilateral actions, such as settlements, are illegitimate and do not help resolve the situation in the Middle East.

Health

[Peter Fonseca, Liberal, Mississauga East—Cooksville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, over the past weeks, I have heard from constituents concerned about the outbreaks of measles in several regions of our country, including in the greater Toronto area. While Canada made great strides in the fight against measles and eliminated it over two decades ago, outbreaks do occur when the virus is picked up abroad.

Can the Prime Minister inform this House and all Canadians how they can protect themselves and their families against measles?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Mississauga East—Cooksville for his hard work.

The problem is complex, but the solution is simple. Canadians can protect themselves and their families against measles by getting vaccinated. Vaccines are our best weapon to fight disease and the reason that measles was practically eliminated in Canada. We are investing $25 million over five years to get more Canadians vaccinated, to develop new vaccines and, importantly, to keep the public better informed. Vaccines are safe and effective and save lives.

Justice

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, using tax dollars to fund his illegal private island vacation, groping a female reporter, strong-arming his former attorney general into interfering in a criminal prosecution with his friend's company, firing the former AG when she refused to do his bidding for him—Canadians might think I am describing a Communist dictator, but in fact I am describing the Liberal leader. When the Prime Minister does not like the law, he breaks it. There is one set of rules for him and one set of rules for everyone else.

Why?

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

As I should have done earlier when the Prime Minister used the word “lying”, I ask the hon. member to be judicious in her comments.

The right hon. Prime Minister.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we will continue to stay focused on what matters to Canadians. We will always stand up for women's rights. We will always stand up, unequivocally, for women's reproductive rights, unlike the member opposite and her party. We will always be there to defend Canadians. We will always be there to push for gender equality. We will always be there to invest in the middle class and those working hard to join it.

The members opposite can only sling mud, because the they have no plan for Canadians on the economy and no plan for Canadians on climate change. All they can do is continue to mislead Canadians.

Intergovernmental Relations

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Quebec, a majority government, finally has the opportunity to address the issue of secularism. If all goes as planned, the bill should be passed by the summer.

Unfortunately, it appears that this Liberal government might well be the biggest obstacle opposing the will of Quebeckers. Could the Prime Minister, the member for Papineau, in Quebec, commit to respecting the will of Quebeckers and promise not to challenge Bill 21 on secularism in the courts or support any legal challenges?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, there is no place for discrimination against citizens in a free society, especially not on the basis of their religion. This is what I believe and what this government believes. We will always believe, unequivocally, that we must defend the rights of all Canadians at all times.

Oral Questions

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, in the discussions on misleading Canadians that happened back and forth, it appears that I may have used an unparliamentary word. For that, I apologize and withdraw it.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I thank the Right Hon. Prime Minister for his apology.

[Monique Pauzé, Bloc, Repentigny, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I believe that, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: that this House condemn the comments made on April 5 by the mayor of Hampstead, William Steinberg, who described Bill 21 on secularism, passed at the National Assembly of Quebec, as ethnic cleansing.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am rising on a point of order. I guess imitation is the greatest form of flattery. I would like to have unanimous consent to table this document from question period, which was given first reading two years ago tomorrow. It is my private member's bill, Bill C-351, which the Liberals, and I thank them very much, copied almost word for word, to free the beer. We tabled it and it was given first reading two years ago. I would like unanimous consent to table the document.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Does the hon. member have the unanimous consent of the House?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

Legislation before the Senate

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in a moment I will be asking the House for unanimous consent on a motion.

Legislative delays in the Senate have meant that time is running out on important bills that have been passed by the elected members of the House of Commons. That includes the watershed bill to enshrine the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into Canadian law; as well as a desperately needed bill to require better training for judges in the country to deal with sexual assault cases.

The time is now to get these bills passed. Therefore, I hope that if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion:

That, in the opinion of the House, Bill C-262, An Act to ensure that the laws of Canada are in harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as well as Bill C-337, An Act to amend the Judges Act and the Criminal Code (sexual assault), are both critical pieces of legislation that have been duly passed by the House of Commons, and have been in possession of the honourable Senators for many months; that both bills should be passed into law at the earliest opportunity; and that a message be sent to the Senate to acquaint that House accordingly.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Does the hon. member have the the unanimous consent of the House to move the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

(Motion agreed to)