House of Commons Hansard #429 of the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was c-59.

Topics

National Security Act, 2017Government Orders

10:45 a.m.

An hon. member

Oh! Oh!

National Security Act, 2017Government Orders

10:45 a.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

I do want to remind the minister that there will be an opportunity to ask questions and provide comments. I would ask him to hold on to his thoughts. That way, he can build up on what he wants to ask the member.

The hon. member for Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles.

National Security Act, 2017Government Orders

10:50 a.m.

Conservative

Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC

Madam Speaker, I will continue my speech on this very serious matter.

This week the Liberals moved a motion declaring that they would accept just two of the four amendments proposed by the Senate and that they were rejecting the important amendment on terrorism. The two amendments they retained were administrative ones.

Also, we did not support this bill because it makes it harder for law enforcement and security agencies to prevent attacks on Canadian soil, since they no longer have any threat disruption powers. Furthermore, the bill creates information silos among our agencies, which creates problems. I have said this before and I will say it again: information sharing is fundamental.

The Senate's first amendment is to Part 2 of the bill, which deals with the intelligence commissioner. The amendment adds a new clause under the “Foreign Intelligence Authorization“ heading. This new clause would allow the intelligence commissioner to refer a matter back to the minister with a description of the condition that would have to be added to the authorization in order to make the conclusions reasonable. This amendment would affect the Communications Security Establishment in particular and was recommended by the commissioner.

We support this amendment because it improves the bill by increasing communication and feedback between the information commissioner and the minister, thus reducing administrative formalities. We also proposed this amendment at the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. Unfortunately, the government rejected it.

The second amendment pertains to counselling the commission of a terrorism offence—I keep bringing it up and we will talk about it again and again—under the “Criminal Code” heading. Those few words make a world of difference in these 260 pages. This amendment broadens the scope of the wording slightly, given that some of our witnesses felt that the term “counselling” was too narrow. We support that amendment because it significantly improves the wording, ensuring greater certainty regarding how counselling another person to commit a terrorism offence should be interpreted. For an offence to have been committed, there is no requirement that:

(c) the accused knows the identity of the person whom the accused counsels to carry out the terrorist activity; or

(d) the person whom the accused counsels to carry out the terrorist activity knows that it is a terrorist activity.

This amendment addresses concerns specific to online terrorist propaganda. We do not understand why the government rejected this amendment proposed by the Senate, which is dominated by independent Liberals.

Despite two positive amendments, this legislation is still flawed. Aside from our unconditional support of part 6, we cannot support Bill C-59.

I will close by mentioning a few examples of serious flaws.

Part 4 amends threat reduction powers by limiting guaranteed powers to seven types of actions, one of which raises the question of whether non-invasive actions require a warrant. That action is described as interfering with the movement of any person. That means a CSIS agent on the ground would need a warrant to give false information to someone who could help the agent meet conspirators. It would also prevent a CSIS agent from warning the parents of a child who is being radicalized unless the agent has a warrant. These changes place an additional administrative burden on our agencies, which, without additional funding, will have to take agents out of the field so they can take care of paperwork.

Information silos are another problem. Part 5 was created in response to privacy protection groups that were unhappy with the fact that government institutions may share information, of their own accord or at the request of another institution, about activities that pose a threat to Canada's security. This creates a silo effect, which national security experts decried.

When ordinary Canadians look at the government, it seems complicated to them. There are many different public servants and many different departments. They often say that people do not talk to each other. Part 5 further complicates the exchange of information that is crucial to protecting national security. People have to be able to communicate. Information silos hinder communication. Leading national security advisors expressed concerns, but the government did not want to change its approach.

The third important element is threat disruption. Part 7 raises the threshold for recognizance orders and peace bonds, making it more difficult for law enforcement to monitor problematic individuals and disrupt threats before they occur.

This clause replaces the following words from the Criminal Code, “suspects on reasonable grounds that the imposition of a recognizance with conditions on a person, or the arrest of a person, is likely to prevent the carrying out of the terrorist activity” with, “suspects on reasonable grounds that the imposition of a recognizance with conditions on a person, or the arrest of a person, is necessary to prevent the carrying out of the terrorist activity”.

It all comes down to two words: “likely” is replaced by “necessary”.

Instead of having serious concerns or information about a likely terrorist activity, we now have to be sure that the arrest is necessary. This complicates things. If there is any doubt, we have to back off. Terrorist activities tend to develop quite quickly. People who plot attacks might take months to think about and plan them, but others might quickly decide that they feel like doing something on Sunday, for example. When we get information quickly we have to be able to react quickly. Bill C-59 encumbers the process.

The powers provided for in Conservative Bill C-51 were aligned with those of our allies, including Norway and Finland. We modelled our bill on other democracies that believe freedom and security go hand in hand.

In summary, Bill C-59 is a heavy bureaucratic tool that will not ensure public safety, but will undo what the Conservative government put in place to safeguard the security of Canadians.

I move:

That the motion be amended by deleting all the words after the word “That” and substituting the following:

“the order for the consideration of the amendments made by the Senate to Bill C-59, An Act respecting national security matters, be discharged and the Bill withdrawn”

National Security Act, 2017Government Orders

10:55 a.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

The amendment is in order. We shall now proceed to questions and comments.

The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade Diversification.

National Security Act, 2017Government Orders

10:55 a.m.

Mississauga Centre Ontario

Liberal

Omar Alghabra LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade Diversification

Madam Speaker, I remember when the Conservative Party was in government and passed Bill C-51. There was a lot of criticism by legal experts that the definition of counselling to commit terrorism was too broad and opened up a door to a lot of questionable practices. Then, lo and behold, the Conservative Party promoted an ad that quotes a video from a terrorist organization. Ironically, a lot of legal experts said that the Conservative government was violating its own law.

I have two questions for my colleague. First, does he think it is wise to quote a terrorist organization in an ad? Second, does he agree with me that having a clearer definition is better?

National Security Act, 2017Government Orders

11 a.m.

Conservative

Pierre Paul-Hus Conservative Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague opposite for his question.

He asked me if it was appropriate to quote a terrorist organization. I believe it is. That is why it is also important to record the names of terrorist organizations in the Criminal Code. We have to state the facts and use the right words.

With respect to the definition of committing a terrorist act, the main objective should always be to be effective and ensure that we arrest those seeking to commit terrorist acts.

National Security Act, 2017Government Orders

11 a.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

Order. The hon. member will have eight minutes and 30 seconds to respond to questions and comments when we resume debate after oral question period.

The EnvironmentStatements By Members

11 a.m.

Green

Paul Manly Green Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the voters of Nanaimo—Ladysmith for putting their faith in me. It is an honour to be in this place, and I pledge to work hard and do my best to represent my constituents. I would also like to thank my campaign staff and volunteers for working so hard to help me get elected and my family for their support, inspiration and guidance.

We face a lot of challenges in Nanaimo—Ladysmith, but we also have a lot of opportunities to create the kind of community and world that we want our children and grandchildren to inherit. As a society, we can do better to ensure that our most vulnerable citizens are better cared for. We have a caring community, but what we need is more government support.

Climate change represents a major security and economic threat. People in Nanaimo—Ladysmith are stepping up to do what they can, but we need the government to show the political courage for stronger greenhouse gas emission targets and to drive the transition to a clean energy economy. Together, we can do this.

Seniors' Organization in Saint-PhilippeStatements By Members

11 a.m.

Liberal

Jean-Claude Poissant Liberal La Prairie, QC

Madam Speaker, today, I am pleased to tell you about an organization that improves the quality of life of people 50 years old and over. I am speaking of Café liberté 50 in Saint-Philippe, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

Established in 2009 by Maurice Bisson and Gilles Tardif, Café liberté 50 started out small with 20 members. The organization's mandate was basically to organize activities and outings for seniors throughout the year. Today, 10 years later, the organization has grown and now has more than 200 members.

I am pleased to support organizations such as Café liberté 50. I would like to take this opportunity to promote the new horizons for seniors program, which aims to help seniors lead fulfilling lives.

I invite anyone 50 years old or more who do not want to be isolated, like those who attend Café liberté 50, to immediately join this program. Let us be proud of our seniors.

Congratulations to Café liberté 50 for its 10 years of operation.

Brooks Bandits Hockey TeamStatements By Members

11 a.m.

Conservative

Martin Shields Conservative Bow River, AB

Madam Speaker, Brooks Bandits fans know their team is top in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. The Bandits won the national championship in 2013 and made it to the championships in 2015 and 2017. They have won four AJHL titles in recent years. This year, we were hosting the national championships, and fans' expectations were high.

Unlike the Prime Minister, the Bandits delivered. The Bandits shattered multiple records this season, with a record of 57 and 3, an unprecedented 30 to zero at home, a 33-game winning streak, a new record for points earned in a season, a new record for wins overall, and they scored the most goals in this league in decades. They lived up to their promise by winning their fifth AJHL title in eight years, and to cap it off, they won the National Junior A Championship, hosted in their hometown of Brooks, the hardest championship in sports to win, with 133 teams competing. The Brooks Bandits fans expected nothing less.

Unlike the Prime Minister, the Brooks Bandits are as good as advertised.

North Shore RegimentStatements By Members

11 a.m.

Liberal

Pat Finnigan Liberal Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB

Madam Speaker, yesterday marked the 75th anniversary of D-Day, the largest seaborne invasion in history.

On that day, the men of the North Shore Regiment landed on the beaches of Normandy, and many of them did not return home to New Brunswick. One such soldier was Major Archie MacNaughton, a farmer from Black River Bridge. Archie enlisted during the First World War and did not hesitate to do so again in World War II. His story has inspired a new Heritage Minute, a short film that honours the wartime contributions by New Brunswick's storied North Shore Regiment.

This story inspired more than 200 students and teachers in my riding, who, along with Lieutenant-Colonel Dufour and the current North Shore Regiment, went on a D-Day anniversary trip. Along with my constituents in Miramichi—Grand Lake, I am extremely grateful to these brave young men who made the ultimate sacrifice more than 75 years ago so that we could live in freedom and prosperity. We will remember them.

The EnvironmentStatements By Members

11:05 a.m.

NDP

Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC

Madam Speaker, a newborn orca was spotted swimming near Tofino by my good friends John Forde and Jennifer Steven. I cannot think of a better way to observe World Oceans Day than to congratulate the entire pod and celebrate this sign of hope and renewal for our oceans.

At the same time, the survival rate of newborn orcas is only about 50% during their first year of life. May we resolve today, on World Oceans Day, on all sides of this House to take all actions necessary to ensure a healthy environment for this baby orca. Let us get the plastics out of its waters and let us protect and preserve the interdependent species on which these whales depend—a major and complex undertaking, to be sure, but nothing less will give real meaning to World Oceans Day and nothing less will allow the celebration of more baby orcas to come.

Accomplishments in NepeanStatements By Members

11:05 a.m.

Liberal

Chandra Arya Liberal Nepean, ON

Madam Speaker, I wish to recognize Rabbi Howard Finkelstein, who was with Beit Tikvah synagogue in Nepean for last 28 years. I wish Rabbi Howard and his wife Rivka all the very best in their retirement.

I also wish to recognize Ted Bransfield, member of the Bells Corners Legion. Ted was recently named Legionnaire of the Year. Ted has sat down with 387 veterans to help with their benefits and claims. He is also actively involved with Perley and Rideau Veterans' Health Centre.

I also wish to recognize the four Nepean churches that participated in this year's Big Give: Bibleway Ministries, Woodvale Pentecostal Church, Good Shepherd Barrhaven Church, and the Metropolitan Bible Church. This annual event supports those who are less fortunate by giving away all donated items free of cost.

Calgary Ukrainian FestivalStatements By Members

11:05 a.m.

Conservative

Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB

Madam Speaker, this past weekend my family and I had the pleasure of attending the 10th annual Calgary Ukrainian Festival in my riding of Calgary Midnapore.

As both my husband and my mother come from Ukrainian backgrounds, it is something we all look forward to every year. The two-day annual festival provides an opportunity to showcase not only Ukrainian arts, cuisine, entertainment and culture but genuine, warm and energetic Ukrainian hospitality.

As Albertans, we are aware of how much Ukrainians have added to our province and our country. They are hard-working, loyal and kind people.

As Conservatives, we have always supported Ukraine. Our previous Conservative government was one of the first voices on the international stage to offer explicit support for the Ukrainian people in their struggle to restore democracy, freedom and the rule of law, and our leader has reaffirmed that this commitment will only grow stronger under our next Conservative government

. I want to thank all the organizers, including Chris, Lysia and Mike, for making my family and me feel so welcome last weekend, and congratulate them on a decade of honouring Ukrainian culture.

Progress in Spadina—Fort YorkStatements By Members

11:05 a.m.

Liberal

Adam Vaughan Liberal Spadina—Fort York, ON

Madam Speaker, as the member of Parliament for Spadina—Fort York, I am proud this term to have worked to secure funding to build a more affordable, more beautiful and more creative city to live, work and play in.

It begins with housing: $1.3 billion to repair and build new public housing, including new funding for an 80-unit facility on the waterfront in my riding. On transit, $4.9 billion for the TTC has been delivered, and that supplied a new streetcar line between Cherry Street and Dufferin in the riding, supported the King Street pilot project and extended Toronto's Bike Share program.

Our riding's natural beauty is benefiting from close to a billion dollars invested in naturalizing the Don River, delivering new parks and flood-protecting parts of my riding, most of all in downtown Toronto.

As an MP, I have also secured millions of dollars in new funding for Harbourfront Centre, OCAD University, George Brown College and so many more, including Artscape.

However, the best part of being a Spadina—Fort York MP is the progress we have made on poverty. Almost 50% fewer single moms are living in poverty in Toronto than when we were first elected. That is real change. Better is possible.

Filipino Heritage MonthStatements By Members

11:05 a.m.

Liberal

Marco Mendicino Liberal Eglinton—Lawrence, ON

Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure and pride to rise to commemorate the first-ever Filipino Heritage Month in Canada, in this month of June.

This is long-overdue recognition for what has been the fastest-growing community in Canada for several years now. Given their contributions, when it comes to music, food, entrepreneurialism and culture, I can think of great festivals, like the Taste of Manila, PIDC and Mabuhi Festival. Proudly Pinoy, Pinoy Radio and other businesses like FE Foods, Tabilon and Cuisina Lounge all add so richly to the social fabric of Canada.

I would remiss if I did not also note the loss of a great leader in the Filipino community, Consul General Prospero, with whom I had the honour of serving in Toronto. Not only did she serve the kababayan, but she was a great friend to Canada. Through you, Madam Speaker, and through the ambassador to Canada from the Philippines, we express our condolences.

We want to celebrate Filipino culture. Mabuhay.

Kim SimardStatements By Members

11:10 a.m.

Conservative

Candice Bergen Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honour the life and passion of Kim Simard, who passed after a courageous and faith-filled battle with cancer.

Kim and I met some 20 years ago, when we were attending the same church with kids the same age. What really drew us together was our sole political goal of defeating the Liberals. Kim loved politics, and we knocked on many doors, made phone calls and raised money in the riding of St. Boniface with the purpose of electing Conservatives.

Kim was passionate about much more than just politics. She loved God and she adored her family, including her church family at Springs Church, but she especially loved her husband Pat and their kids Josh, Jordanna and Jamie.

Kim always had the most beautiful smile on her face, laughter in her voice and light in her eyes, even through some her most difficult physical battles. That light and that smile will be very much missed. I love you, Kim, and I am going to be thinking of you during the election campaign in October, because if there is any politicking going on in heaven, I know you will be leading the Conservative charge and cheering us on all the way.

National Indigenous History MonthStatements By Members

11:10 a.m.

Liberal

Mike Bossio Liberal Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON

Madam Speaker, June is National Indigenous History Month. I would like to invite all Canadians, indigenous and non-indigenous alike, to join me in celebrating the culture, heritage and contributions of first nations, Inuit and Métis in Canada.

The celebration of National Indigenous History Month marks a time to honour, reflect on and recognize the rich heritage and cultural diversity of indigenous peoples. It also aims to foster respect, understanding and appreciation across the country.

On June 21, in honour of National Indigenous Peoples Day, events will take place from coast to coast to coast. I encourage everyone to share in the celebrations by participating in activities planned in their local area.

Finally, I would like to invite everyone to participate in the Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte powwow on August 10 and 11.

50th Anniversary of Hull Optimist ClubStatements By Members

11:10 a.m.

Liberal

Greg Fergus Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC

Madam Speaker, the Hull Optimist Club, one of my riding's key organizations, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

Many things came to be 50 years ago: the Internet, ATMs, the Beatles' Abbey Road, and even a certain member for Hull—Aylmer.

A fiftieth anniversary is certainly cause for celebration. I want to thank this team from all different walks of life for providing personal development support to youth in Hull. The club helps young people by offering scholarships and mentorship and by supporting their physical and social development.

I thank the Hull Optimist Club for its 50 years. Here's to another 50.

Government PoliciesStatements By Members

11:10 a.m.

Conservative

Ron Liepert Conservative Calgary Signal Hill, AB

Madam Speaker, I recently prepared and distributed a report card to constituents on my four years as a member of Parliament. While I was preparing that report card, I wondered what the Prime Minister's report card would look like. Let me tell members that it was four years of failure, because we have four deficit budgets—

Government PoliciesStatements By Members

11:10 a.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Government PoliciesStatements By Members

11:10 a.m.

NDP

The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes

Order. I will ask the member start over.

I would ask members to please hold their applause or excitement until after the member has finished.

The hon. member for Calgary Signal Hill.

Government PoliciesStatements By Members

11:10 a.m.

Conservative

Ron Liepert Conservative Calgary Signal Hill, AB

Madam Speaker, I will start again.

As I said, I spent some time preparing a report card for constituents on my four years as a member of Parliament. While I was doing that, I was thinking about what the Prime Minister's report card would look like. Let us look at the Prime Minister's past four years.

We had four years of massive budget deficits when we were promised a balanced budget in 2019. There were four slaps on the wrist by the Ethics Commissioner, one of which was with respect to the finance minister, because he forgot about his French villa. We had three women kicked out of the Liberal caucus because they stood up to the current Prime Minister. Then we had the meeting with either the prime minister of Japan or the prime minister of China. The Prime Minister gets an F on this report card for failure. The Prime Minister is not as advertised.

International DevelopmentStatements By Members

11:15 a.m.

Liberal

Kamal Khera Liberal Brampton West, ON

Madam Speaker, by working together, our government and our international and local partners have made huge strides in improving the health, nutrition and rights of the poorest and most vulnerable around the world.

Earlier this week, our government announced that we will invest $1.4 billion a year for the health and rights of women, adolescents and children, $700 million of which will go specifically toward sexual and reproductive health rights. It reflects Canada's commitment to working hard to achieve the sustainable development goals by 2030. We believe firmly the only way to achieve these goals is by advancing gender equality. We need to tear down many social, cultural and structural barriers that hold women and girls back by limiting their choices and possibilities. Together, we will make sure women and girls have the resources, opportunities and tools they need to be empowered and to succeed.

Member for Port Moody—CoquitlamStatements By Members

11:15 a.m.

NDP

Fin Donnelly NDP Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC

Madam Speaker, it has been an honour to serve. My political career began long before I was first elected.

In 1995, I swam the 1,400-kilometre length of the Fraser River to draw attention to the issues impacting the health of the watershed. That swim changed my life and started me on a path that led me here.

In 2002, I was elected to Coquitlam City Council.

In 2009, thanks to NDP Leader Jack Layton, I was elected a member of Parliament.

Now I am returning to the work that brought me here in the first place. The Fraser watershed initiative is a multi-year campaign to heal and protect the entire watershed, one-quarter of British Columbia, bringing together first nations, local governments, NGOs and others.

While I am excited about getting back to work on the Fraser, I cannot leave this place without saying thanks to my NDP colleagues, friends, staff, volunteers, family, and especially my wife Lynda.

I thank the MPs whom I have worked with over the years, from all parties, as well as the guards, the clerks and all the staff on the Hill.

I also want to thank the people of Port Moody, Coquitlam, Anmore and Belcarra. It has truly been an honour to serve.