Debates of June 12th, 2019

Procedure and House Affairs

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. To move a motion that requires the unanimous consent of the House, members may give notice to the House so that the motion is added to the Order Paper. However, they may also rise to move a motion when they believe to have obtained the unanimous consent of the various parties for that motion. This is an exceptional rule that allows the House to do certain things more efficiently. Nevertheless, when there is obviously no unanimous consent, that is that.

In this case, there is clearly no unanimous consent for the motion.

Public Sector Integrity Commissioner

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I have the honour, pursuant to section 38 of the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act, to lay upon the table the report of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. This report is deemed to have been permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates.

Chief Electoral Officer

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I have the honour to lay upon the table copies of forms “Registered Party's General Election Return” and “Registered Party Financial Transactions Annual Return” from the Chief Electoral Officer. These forms were amended to reflect the recent changes to the Canada Elections Act. These reports are deemed to have been permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.

Advisory Council on the Implementation of a National Pharmacare Program

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2) I have the pleasure to table, in both official languages, the final report of the Advisory Council on the Implementation of a National Pharmacare Program, entitled “A Prescription for Canada: Achieving Pharmacare for All”.

Government Response to Petitions

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 11 petitions.

Interparliamentary Delegations

[David McGuinty, Liberal, Ottawa South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, a report of the delegation of the Canadian Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union respecting its participation at the 140th IPU assembly and related meetings held in Doha, Qatar, from April 4 to 10.

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, two reports from the delegation of the Canadian Branch of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie.

The first is respecting its participation in the 31st Regional Assembly of Europe, held in Andorra la Vella from October 21 to 24, 2018.

The second is respecting its participation in the bureau meeting of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie, held in Brussels, Belgium, from January 31 to February 2, 2019.

Official Languages

[Denis Paradis, Liberal, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 16th report of the Standing Committee on Official Languages entitled “Respect for Language Rights in Ontario: An Issue for all of Canada”.

I want to thank parliamentarians from all parties who sit on the committee, including my colleague from Ottawa—Vanier. I also thank analyst Lucie Lecomte, and Christine Holke, clerk of the committee.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to the report.

Canadian Heritage

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Toronto—Danforth, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 20th report of the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage, entitled “Online Secondary Ticket Sales Industry”. This is an issue that impacts fans across all our communities as well as the artists and the athletes.

I want to thank committee members. This is our final report. We worked so well together, and it was wonderful to have such a great clerk and analysts, who worked with us to make these reports.

Public Accounts

[Kevin Sorenson, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 65th report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, entitled “Special Examination Report—Report of the Joint Auditors to the Board of Directors of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, of the 2018 Fall Reports of the Auditor General of Canada”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

I also have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 66th report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, entitled “Report 2, Conserving Federal Heritage Properties, of the 2018 Fall Reports of the Auditor General of Canada”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

Employment Equity Act

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-457, An Act to amend the Employment Equity Act.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce a private member's bill entitled “An Act to Amend the Employment Equity Act”. The Employment Equity Act was designed to ensure that we achieve equality in employment in the federal public service and among large employers in the private sector that come under federal jurisdiction, yet employment in the federal jurisdiction still fails to represent the diversity of Canada.

As it stands, the act applies to only four groups: women, aboriginal people, persons with disabilities and visible minorities. Members of my community, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and two-spirited Canadians, are left out of the act. My private member's bill would correct that omission.

Adding LGBTQ2 Canadians to the Employment Equity Act would force employers to address this inequality and come up with concrete plans to remove barriers to equal employment for all.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[Cheryl Hardcastle, NDP, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there have been talks among the parties, and I am very hopeful that if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That the House, (a) extend its condolences to all the victims of violence and war in Sri Lanka; (b) call on the Government of Sri Lanka to promote justice for those affected by the Easter Sunday attacks, protect the rights of religious minorities and defend all places of worship; (c) reaffirm Canada's call for Sri Lanka to implement its obligations within a clearly specified time frame, as mandated under the UN Human Rights Council resolutions 30/1 and 40/1 as well as Canada's support in advancing accountability, peace and reconciliation among all people on the island; and (d) call upon the United Nations to establish an international independent investigation into allegations of genocide against Tamils committed in Sri Lanka, including during the last phase of the armed conflict in 2009.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

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

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

No.

Falun Gong

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, Humber River—Black Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to present a petition containing thousands of names. The petitioners point out that Falun Gong is a spiritual practice that consists of the principles of truth, compassion and forbearance. It is practised by millions of people around the world.

The petitioners also point out that Canadian citizen Sun Qian, who is 51 years old, was illegally kidnapped on February 19, 2017, and has been illegally detained in the Beijing First Detention Centre for practising Falun Gong.

The petitioners request that the Canadian government condemn the illegal arrest of a Canadian citizen for practising Falun Gong and call for the immediate and unconditional release of Canadian citizen Ms. Sun Qian.

Palliative Care

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting today one more petition on behalf of the member for Langley—Aldergrove. As members know, the hon. member is extremely ill, and palliative care is a very important issue to him. Unfortunately, he finds himself in circumstances of being in need of it. He needs our prayers as well.

The petitioners point out that hospice palliative care is an approach that improves the quality of life of patients and their families facing the problems associated with life-threatening illness through the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification and assessment in the treatment of pain and other problems: physical, psychological and spiritual.

The petitioners point out that hospice palliative care provides relief from pain and other distressing symptoms, affirms life, regards dying as a normal process and intends neither to hasten nor postpone death. Hospice palliative care is not specifically mentioned in the Canada Health Act and is not accessible and available to all Canadians.

The petitioners request that the House of Commons specifically identify hospice palliative care as a defined medical service covered under the Canada Health Act so that provincial and territorial governments would be entitled to funds under the Canada health transfer system to be used to provide accessible and available hospice palliative care for all residents of Canada in their respective provinces and territories.

I know my colleagues—

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Bruce Stanton]

There are quite a few members rising on petitions today, and we have only 12-and-a-half minutes remaining. A brief summary of the petition would be great. If hon. members could do that, we should get through all of them.

Vision Care

[Sheri Benson, NDP, Saskatoon West, SK]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to present a petition on behalf of many constituents in my riding and right across Saskatchewan. The petitioners call on the Canadian government to commit to acknowledging eye health and vision care as a growing public health issue and to respond to it, particularly for Canada's vulnerable populations: children, seniors and indigenous people.

The petitioners would like the government to develop a national framework for action to promote eye health and vision care.

Human Organ Trafficking

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table a petition today to supporting Bill S-240. This legislation would make it a criminal offence for Canadians to go abroad to receive an organ without the consent of the patient.

Wilderness Conservation

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition today on behalf of residents of my community. The petitioners point out that the heating of our atmosphere and oceans endangers plants and animal species, including humans. They also point out that economic development and population growth endanger natural habitat and that trees, vegetation and soils in wilderness areas sequester atmospheric carbon.

The petitioners call on the government to add an additional $100 million annually to expand and enhance wilderness conservation areas, including marine reserves.

Physician-Assisted Dying

[David Anderson, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I have 17 petitions to present from seven provinces, including my own province of Saskatchewan.

The petitions address the issue of Bill C-14, which prohibits compelling health care providers or institutions to provide medical assistance in dying but lacks clarity for effective enforcement.

Bill C-418 would provide that protection and make it an offence to intimidate a health care professional for the purpose of compelling him or her to take part in the provision of assisted suicide or to affect his or her employment.

The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to ensure that the conscience rights of medical personnel are protected by passing Bill C-418.

Environment

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have three petitions to present to the House today.

The first petition is e-petition 2172. It contains the signatures of 1,836 Albertans. The petitioners call on the government to enact my bill, Bill C-438, which proposes to establish a Canadian environmental bill of rights, which would extend to all Canadians the right to a clean, healthy and ecologically balanced environment.

Pharmacare

[Linda Duncan, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the second two petitions are from more than 100 Albertans, who are calling on the government to immediately implement a universal prescription drug plan that would cover everyone, regardless of income, age or where one lives.

Small Business

[Len Webber, Conservative, Calgary Confederation, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have a couple of petitions to present.

The first is a petition from people in and around Calgary. These petitioners are very concerned about the way the Liberal government is taxing small businesses. They are concerned that current tax policies make it more difficult for small businesses to be profitable.

Canada's small businesses are the primary job creators in Canada. The petitioners believe that Canada's small businesses are facing continual increases in payroll taxes and carbon taxes, and all this makes it harder and harder to run a successful business.

They are asking that the government reconsider its tax changes that are targeting Canada's small businesses and the jobs they create.

Agriculture

[Len Webber, Conservative, Calgary Confederation, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition comes from residents throughout southern Alberta. The petitioners are asking that the government recognize the historical practice of allowing farmers to freely save, reuse, select, exchange, condition, store and sell seeds. The petitioners assert that restricting these activities is harmful to farmers and society alike. They are asking Parliament to enshrine these rights in legislation through their Save Our Seed campaign.