Debates of June 19th, 2019

Health

[Bill Casey, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I note that you are the second speaker from Nova Scotia, and we are very pleased about that.

I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 29th report of the Standing Committee on Health, entitled “Violence Facing Health Care Workers in Canada”.

This was an amazing study we did on violence against health care workers, people who are there to help people. We made nine important recommendations, ranging from investing in best practices to prevent violence faced by health care workers to working with the provinces and territories to update the pan-Canadian health human resource strategy. Over five meetings, we heard 21 witnesses, who gave insightful and heartfelt testimony about their experience in the health care field.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report. We wish health care workers all the best.

I want to thank our committee. All members from all parties came to every committee meeting for three and a half years with their homework done, ready to do their jobs and speak on behalf of Canadians.

I also want to thank our clerk and our analysts, who have done a great job. I want to thank my vice-chairs as well.

All members of the Standing Committee on Health have done a great job.

Putting Victims First Act

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-463, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (orders of prohibition and orders restricting publication).

Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege to introduce Bill C-463, putting victims first. While the Criminal Code guides our justice system, sometimes it does not necessarily put victims at the heart of it.

With this bill, we would like to change section 161 to protect children up to age 17. Currently, it only protects them to age 15.

We would also like to establish a method to allow a victim to remove the publication ban on his or her own name. I am thinking in particular of the case of Rehtaeh Parsons, a young girl from the east coast who committed suicide and was subsequently the subject of an investigation. Later on, after it was cleared up, her family was unable to speak about the case because there was a publication ban. The bill would allow her family to lift the publication ban without having to go to court.

The last piece of the bill would put a reverse onus bail restriction on people who have trafficked other people.

I think all three proposals are common sense. I look forward to reintroducing the bill in the upcoming Parliament and to seeing it pass forthwith.

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

Supporting Small Breweries, Wineries and Distilleries Act

[Ruth Ellen Brosseau, NDP, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

moved to introduce Bill C-464, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (small brewery, winery or distillery tax credit).

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague and friend, the member for Jonquière.

This important bill seeks to introduce a tax credit that would help businesses increase their productivity, hire employees, and generate more revenue. That money would be entirely reinvested in the business and would help stimulate the local economy. I would like to see this bill passed soon. I know that people love their microbreweries, their vineyards and their distilleries, and this is a way to encourage them. I would like to list some of the companies in Berthier—Maskinongé.

In D'Autray, there is the Aux pieds des noyers vineyard, Vignoble Carone Wines, the Lano d’Or vineyard, the Saint-Gabriel vineyard, the Vent maudit vineyard and Domaine du Mont d'Or. In Maskinongé, there is the Prémont vineyard, Domaine & Vins Gélinas and Vignoble et Domaine Beauchemin.

We also have extraordinary microbreweries such as Microbrasserie Nouvelle-France, Brasserie Dépareillée and Microbrasserie L'Arsenal. There is also a distillery in Louiseville, the Distillerie Mariana.

This tax credit would help businesses across Canada and Quebec.

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

Canada Labour Code

[Pierre-Luc Dusseault, NDP, Sherbrooke, QC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-465, An Act to amend the Canada Labour Code (automated external defibrillators).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce this bill, which is the result of a collaboration with one of my constituents, Claude Leblanc, who was recently honoured. Sadly, he passed away a few weeks after I met him.

We worked together on the idea of this bill. Claude Leblanc was instrumental in getting automated defibrillators installed all over the riding of Sherbrooke and even all across Quebec. He wanted to push his idea even further and make it mandatory to install defibrillators in government buildings and buildings housing federally regulated businesses.

The bill would amend the Canada Labour Code to ensure that federally regulated businesses and federal government offices with a certain number of employees, which will be prescribed by regulation, install automated defibrillators in the workplace. We estimate that this would save hundreds of lives a year. It would ensure that this kind of assistance is available in all regions of Canada when needed.

I am grateful to Claude Leblanc for his years of hard work.

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

[Michael Levitt, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would ask for leave to please return to committee reports to present the reports of the foreign affairs committee.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Is there agreement?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Foreign Affairs and International Development

[Michael Levitt, Liberal, York Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, before I begin presenting these reports, I would like to thank the committee assistants, translation staff and, of course, our clerk, Erica Pereira, and our analysts, Brian Hermon and Scott McTaggart, for all their hard work over the last four years.

I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 30th report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, entitled “Democratic Strain and Popular Discontent in Europe: Responding to the Challenges Facing Liberal Democracies”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 31st report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, entitled “Human Rights Situation in Russia”. Following the testimony of Mr. Mustafa Dzhemilev, the committee supports recognizing the Crimean Tatar deportation of 1944 as a genocide and designating May 18 a day of remembrance for the Crimean Tatar deportation.

I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 32nd report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, entitled “Situation in Sri Lanka”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

Finally, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 33rd report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, entitled “The Human Rights Situation in Iran”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

In the current spirit of harmony, I wonder if there is unanimous consent to return to the introduction of private member's bills so that we could allow the hon. member for Milton to introduce her bill.

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Corrections and Conditional Release Act

[Lisa Raitt, Conservative, Milton, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-466, An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (disclosure of information to victims).

Mr. Speaker, this is the first time in 11 years I have had the honour of being able to table a private member's bill in this place. I thank you very much, Mr. Speaker, for the opportunity to do so.

Today I am introducing a private member's bill because very often, victims of crime, such as Lisa Freeman and her family in Oshawa, Ontario, are caught off guard when they are notified that an offender is eligible for forms of parole before the 25 years indicated on the certificate of conviction.

I believe that it is the responsibility of government to ensure that victims of crime are treated with the utmost respect and dignity. This legislation would require that information regarding review and eligibility for all forms of parole be communicated, in writing, to the offender's victims. The written documentation would also require an explanation of how those dates had been determined.

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

Business of the House

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

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions amongst the parties, and if you seek it, I think you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:

That, notwithstanding any Standing or Special Order or usual practice of the House, on Thursday, June 20, 2019, after the taking of any recorded division deferred until the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions, the House shall proceed to the consideration of Private Members' Business for two hours to consider, during the first hour, the motion for second reading of Bill C-431, An Act to amend the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board Act (investments), and, during the second hour, the motion for second reading of Bill C-429, An Act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (packaging), after which the House shall return to consideration of Government Orders until the ordinary hour of daily adjournment.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Does the hon. parliamentary secretary have the unanimous consent of the House to propose 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)

Broadcasting of Committee Proceedings

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

Mr. Speaker, in addition to that, there have also been discussions amongst the parties, and if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:

That, in relation to the broadcasting of committee proceedings, after the opening of the 43rd Parliament, and once the necessary infrastructure has been installed, the House authorize:

(a) televising or webcasting of up to six simultaneous meetings, provided that no more than two of the meetings are televised;

(b) that the electronic media be permitted to video record meetings that are not televised, in accordance with the existing guidelines; and

(c) that Standing Order 108(3)(a)(v) be amended to read “the review of and report on the broadcasting of the proceedings of the House and its committees;”.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Does the hon. parliamentary secretary have the unanimous consent of the House to propose 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)

Military Family Appreciation Day

[Phil McColeman, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties, and if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:

That, in the opinion of the House, the government should recognize the sacrifices Canadian military families make on a daily basis, the contributions of these families to the fabric of our society, and show appreciation for their ongoing commitment to the safety and security of Canada by designating the third Friday in September of each year “Military Family Appreciation Day”.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

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