Debates of Jan. 27th, 2020

Public Safety

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, in cities across this country, gang crime committed with firearms is a serious concern, yet the Prime Minister's only approach is the lazy approach of asking people who are already following all the rules to follow a few more rules. It is much harder to track down illegal guns, it is much harder to stop the flow of smuggled firearms and it is much more difficult to infiltrate gangs and hold them accountable. However, that is the difficult work that Conservatives are prepared to do.

Will the Prime Minister admit that asking honest, law-abiding people to follow more laws will do nothing to stop crime?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, far too many families in this country, far too many communities in this country suffer the devastation of gun violence. We have taken many initiatives to counter that, whether it is enhanced background checks or requiring sellers to check licences of anyone who wants to buy a gun.

We have invested over $327 million to address gun and gang violence. We will continue to strengthen our gun laws by banning dangerous assault weapons and working with provinces, territories and mayors to keep communities safe.

The bottom line is we will strengthen gun control. Conservatives want to weaken it.

Ethics

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, nothing he just said will actually have an impact on people who are already criminals.

Thanks to the Prime Minister, Canada has fallen three spots on the Transparency International index. That comes as no surprise considering the Prime Minister interfered in a criminal case and his cabinet racked up several ethics violations.

Does the Prime Minister realize that his actions are hurting Canada's reputation abroad?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canada continues to show the international community how important it is to invest in communities and families and to engage in positive efforts globally, whether by fighting climate change or promoting the importance of international trade and the rule of law in international affairs. We will continue to work to show that Canada has a strong presence on the world stage while helping Canadians here at home.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Rose Eva is a programmer from Saint-Jérôme who will be deported this evening if the Minister of Immigration does not step in.

Rose Eva is from Cameroon and made a name for herself as a student in Quebec. She was literally showered with job offers. That type of success story needs to be encouraged. The Government of Quebec wants to keep her in our province. The community of Saint-Jérôme is rallying to keep her there.

Will the minister use his discretionary power to grant this woman a temporary resident permit until her situation is resolved?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we understand the profound impact that immigration related decisions can have on the lives of individuals. We are committed to ensuring that every case is evaluated on merit, in a fair manner and according to Canadian law. Each case is unique, but every applicant can expect professional and impartial treatment and clear rulings.

We are aware of this particular case, but privacy laws prevent us from commenting on it.

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Rose Eva's case perfectly illustrates why Quebec should have the right to veto immigrant deportations. Quebec needs Rose Eva. We cannot afford to lose a woman who has studied here, is qualified, received her training in French and wants to work in the regions in an area of expertise that specifically meets our needs. Employers have been fighting over her, and yet, if no action is taken, Rose Eva will leave the country at 8 o'clock tonight.

Will the immigration minister follow Quebec's lead and use its discretionary power to let Rose Eva stay?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we will always be committed to a fair and impartial assessment of each case. This goes to show how important it is to have an immigration system that works to bring people from all over the world and build a better society every day for everyone. We know that immigrants bring economic opportunities for all Canadians. We will continue to defend the importance of immigration, pluralism, multiculturalism and the respect we have for all those who want to come live, build their lives, and work in Canada.

Indigenous Affairs

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, four years ago first nations kids won a historic victory in the Human Rights Tribunal. The tribunal found that the government discriminated against first nations kids and denied basic health care services. The Liberals are continuing to take these kids to court.

The Prime Minister had four years to remedy the situation. While the kids continue to suffer, the Liberals are spending millions of dollars in legal fees.

Will the Liberals stop taking kids to court and start providing equitable services?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we know that reconciliation is something of importance not just to this government but to all Canadians, and that is why we have taken so many historic steps to move forward the relationship with indigenous peoples in this country.

We have ensured that we are respecting Jordan's principle. Under the last years of the previous government, zero cases were approved under Jordan's principle, and since then, hundreds of thousands of approvals under Jordan's principle have made a real difference in the lives of indigenous children across this country. We recognize there is much more to do. That is why we are continuing to work hard every day to create better opportunities for indigenous families.

Pharmacare

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, taking first nations kids to court is not respecting reconciliation.

For 22 years, the Liberals have promised to introduce a universal pharmacare program, but there is still nothing in place.

There are millions of Canadians who cannot afford the medications they desperately need and the Liberals are telling them to just wait. Well, we are not going to wait. We have announced that the first bill we are introducing in this House would implement pharmacare for all based on the Canada Health Act principles.

Will the Liberals continue to tell Canadians to wait or are they ready to work with us to bring in pharmacare for all?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, no Canadian should be forced to make an impossible choice between medication and food.

That is why, in one generation, we have done more than any other government to reduce the price of medications. We have taken action and will continue to take action. We are in discussions with the provinces and territories with a view to implementing pharmacare based on the principles found in the Hoskins report.

We are working to reduce expenses for families with a strategy for drugs to treat rare diseases.

We are setting up the Canadian drug agency. We will continue to reduce the cost of medications for all Canadians.

Health

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we now have two confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Canada. There is still justifiable reason to be concerned about the current measures in place. Health officials stated that there is a likelihood of other cases in Canada.

Respectfully, I ask the minister this: What is the plan, knowing that more cases are likely, and how can Canadians be assured that this spread is being properly contained?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I will say that the risk to Canadians remains low. Our systems continue to work extremely closely together and to collaborate, which allows us to quickly identify people who have the virus and treat them appropriately. We will continue to monitor the situation and add resources as necessary.

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the national emergency antiviral stockpile was created to ensure that antivirals could be accessed quickly in response to an influenza pandemic. Canadians need to be sure that the government is maintaining enough antiviral drugs to treat people and keep more people from getting sick.

Can the health minister confirm that there are enough antiviral drugs in the national emergency stockpile to address a possible broader outbreak?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, in fact, there is no particular antiviral developed for this coronavirus as it is relatively new, but I can tell you that Canada's research community is working closely with our international partners. The fact that we have a copy of the live virus allows us to continue that research and our labs are well prepared to be part of the international solution to finding immunization.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as my colleague mentioned a few moments ago, we learned this morning that there is now a second case of coronavirus in Canada. People are increasingly worried and the government must act swiftly.

Can the Prime Minister tell us what is his plan to protect Canadians from this new virus?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, Ontario says that it has identified a second case of coronavirus in Toronto. The second person is related to the one who was diagnosed in the first case. The two individuals are in isolation and receiving care. Canada is well prepared to fight this virus and the risk of an outbreak remains low.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Health said herself that other cases could arise in Canada.

Given that this file obviously involves federal and provincial jurisdictions alike, can the Prime Minister tell us what steps he has taken with all the provinces, including Quebec, to prepare for and deal with the coronavirus?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I repeat, the risk remains low and we are working closely with our partners.

I am working very closely with our international and provincial and territorial partners to make sure that we track the spread of the disease, and that we identify individuals who are at risk of contracting the disease and who are positive for the disease. We will continue to make those efforts diligently to make sure that we contain the spread within Canada and that we take appropriate measures internationally with our partners.

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, every day thousands of passengers from China and elsewhere in Asia arrive at our ports of entry: Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. Oftentimes, they board domestic flights and connect throughout Canada and elsewhere in North America.

Calling the coronavirus a grave situation, China has quarantined whole cities and millions of people. The WHO has now listed the global threat as high. The safety of Canadians is currently dependent upon screening in China and self-reporting by infected passengers.

When will the government institute a real plan that includes an enhanced screening process?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, in fact, our government has been well ahead of the World Health Organization's strategies in terms of screening at ports of entry. We have multiple measures to alert travellers from the affected regions about what to do if they suspect that they have the illness. We have trained our CBSA officers to ensure that they have the tools they need to support people who may be ill. We have worked with partner airlines to ensure there is information on flights.

We will continue to monitor the situation and add additional measures as necessary.

[Leona Alleslev, Conservative, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on December 31, China alerted the World Health Organization to several cases of pneumonia. Then on January 7, the WHO announced that it had identified a new virus, the coronavirus, originating in Wuhan, China.

Days later, China announced its first death from the virus. As of yesterday, the death toll has risen to 81, with almost 2,800 cases confirmed. Beijing has quarantined more than 50 million people.

Of the 50 million people in quarantine, how many are Canadian, and what is the Prime Minister doing to bring them home?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, this is an opportune time to remind Canadians to register with the Global Affairs Canada website, to let people know when they are leaving the country.

I am working very closely with my ministerial counterparts and our international counterparts to make sure that Canadians who are abroad in the affected areas have the resources they need to get the support from our country to return. We will have more information as the situation evolves. I commit to all Canadians complete transparency.

International Trade

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois stands firmly behind aluminum workers, not multinational aluminum companies. This government has not been able to offer aluminum workers the same protections provided to steel workers. Instead it is creating ideal conditions for those companies to move jobs and investments out of Canada and to flood our markets with products made of Chinese aluminum. China now produces 15 times more aluminum than Quebec.

Is the Prime Minister tyring to take advantage of the Conservative Party's temporary weakness to ram through an agreement that would otherwise not pass in the House?