House of Commons Hansard #8 of the 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was iii.

Topics

Public Service of CanadaOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Québec Québec

Liberal

Jean-Yves Duclos LiberalPresident of the Treasury Board

Mr. Speaker, growing the economy by growing the middle class is exactly what this government's agenda is doing. For this, we have the privilege of having a public service of incredible quality. In some circumstances, to improve the quality of services, we need external support. That is exactly what this government has the responsibility to do from time to time.

The EnvironmentOral Questions

3:05 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, my question is for the Prime Minister.

We are in, unquestionably, a situation of climate emergency globally. Canada participated at COP25 in Madrid, and we all know that this year every country within the Paris agreement has to improve our target. We know we are not yet on a track to hit the weak Harper target that we still have.

Could the Prime Minister assure the House that his cabinet will not accept new greenhouse gases in the millions and millions of tonnes through the giant Teck Frontier mine, which must be turned down?

The EnvironmentOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

North Vancouver B.C.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change

Mr. Speaker, Canadians elected us to protect the environment, to grow the economy, advance reconciliation and create good jobs. They also expect their government to oversee a fair and thorough environmental assessment process.

The Teck Frontier project is a major project that is under active consideration by our government. Under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, the decision on this project must be made by February 2020. We will consider a whole range of factors, including environmental impacts, very much including greenhouse gases. We will consider advancing reconciliation and growing the economy in making our determination.

Presence in GalleryOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of His Excellency Juan Gerardo Guaidó Márquez, Interim President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Presence in GalleryOral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Some hon. members

Hear, hear!

Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752Oral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Saint-Maurice—Champlain Québec

Liberal

François-Philippe Champagne LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, if you seek it, I hope you will find unanimous consent of the House to adopt the following motion:

That this House:

(a) stand alongside the families and relatives of the victims who lost their lives during the tragedy of flight PS752 on January 8, 2020;

(b) request that a full and transparent international investigation be carried out so that families obtain the answers to their questions and justice;

(c) demand cooperation from Iran which must remain fully transparent about the investigation;

(d) demand that Iran offer fair compensation to the families of the victims;

(e) demand that Iran fully respect the will of families of victims;

(f) demand that Iran hold those responsible for this tragedy to account by conducting an independent criminal investigation followed by transparent and impartial judicial proceedings which meet international standards; and

(g) request that Canada continue to support the families of the victims, hold Iran accountable for its actions and work with the international community to that end.

Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752Oral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

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

Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752Oral Questions

3:10 p.m.

members

Agreed.

Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752Oral Questions

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

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

Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752Oral Questions

3:10 p.m.

members

Agreed.

(Motion agreed to)

Parliamentary Budget OfficerRoutine Proceedings

3:10 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

Pursuant to section 79.2(2) of the Parliament of Canada Act, it is my duty to present to the House a report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer entitled “Economic and Fiscal Update 2019: Issues for Parliamentarians”.

Pursuant to subsection 79.2(2) of the Parliament of Canada Act, it is my duty to present to the House a report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer entitled “Evaluation of Election Proposal Costing 2019”.

Pursuant to section 79.22 of the Parliament of Canada Act, it is my duty to present to the House a report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer entitled “Cost Estimate of Increasing the Basic Personal Amount Tax Credit”.

Office of the Commissioner of Official LanguagesRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

I have the honour to lay upon the table the annual reports to Parliament on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act of the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages for the year 2018-19.

These reports are deemed to have been permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.

Government Response to PetitionsRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Winnipeg North Manitoba

Liberal

Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(a), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to five petitions, and these returns will be tabled in an electronic format.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police ActRoutine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Scarborough Southwest Ontario

Liberal

Bill Blair LiberalMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752Routine Proceedings

3:15 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to 176 people who were taken from this world too soon, to remember who they were and to stand in solidarity with the people they loved.

On January 8, 167 passengers and nine crew members took their seats aboard Ukrainian International Airlines Flight 752 and waited for takeoff. For 138 of them, Canada would be their final destination. Among these passengers there were newlyweds, a mother and her teenage daughter, a father on his way home to his young son, families of three, families of four, a grade 12 student who wanted to become a doctor, a talented dentist focused on starting a practice here in Canada and an ambitious 10-year-old boy who was confident that one day he would sit in the very seat from which I rise, confident that one day his voice would be heard in this House.

It is tragic that this boy will never get a chance to sit in the House, but his story, and the stories of all the victims of Flight 752, will resonate not only in this House, but across our great nation. They are stories of hope, ambition and courage. They are unique, inspiring stories of resilience, determination and joy, because these 176 people are much more than mere victims.

Over the past weeks I have sat down with many grieving families. They told me about their loved ones, about who they were, about what they liked to do and about their plans for the future. They lived lives far too rich to be defined by this tragedy. Before any of this happened they were not just shaping their own lives. They were building our country, building a future we all share that is now diminished by their loss.

We cannot change the terrible events that took them away from us, but we can choose how we remember them. Today we choose to remember their strength, their kindness, their passion for life. In a way, we all knew these passengers: the friend one could always count on, the child one watched grow up, the inspiring teacher, the superhero mom or dad.

These people, they shape our lives. They make us who we are, and losing them like this, so unexpectedly, is devastating. This is in part why so many Canadians across the country came together in support of the families and loved ones of the victims because, while we can only imagine the magnitude of their loss, we refuse to see them go through this tragedy alone.

In the darkest hours, Canadians came together to support the families and loved ones of these people who left us too soon. Canadians across the country attended memorial ceremonies. They lit candles, placed flowers and offered their condolences. Some even started community organizations like Canada Strong to help the grieving families. Faced with tragedy, faced with injustice, neighbours, friends, acquaintances and strangers responded with compassion, support and generosity. These are the values and spirit that led many of the passengers to choose not just Canada, but Canadians.

I wish I were not delivering this speech today. I wish all 176 people aboard Flight 752 were still with us. This tragedy should never have occurred and these families deserve to know how and why it did. That is why our government is working closely with our international partners to ensure that a thorough, credible investigation is conducted. We will not rest until we get accountability and justice for the victims' families.

We have been in close contact with the families to ensure they have all the support they need, from facilitating travel and fast-tracking visas to providing legal and financial assistance. We are also matching up to $1.5 million in donations to the Canada Strong fund for those affected by this tragedy.

I want to end this tribute by addressing the families and loved ones of the victims on behalf of all Canadians.

[Prime Minister spoke in Farsi]

[English]

Know that we stand with you. We will not let you weather this storm alone and we will never forget the people you loved.

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752Routine Proceedings

3:20 p.m.

Regina—Qu'Appelle Saskatchewan

Conservative

Andrew Scheer ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, like the Prime Minister, I too wish this was a speech that none of us had to deliver today.

On January 8, 176 passengers and 57 Canadians boarded Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 in Tehran. They were flying to Kiev, where 138 of them were set to transfer and fly to Canada. They never made it to Kiev. Mere minutes after takeoff, the plane was gunned down by the Iranian regime with two surface-to-air missiles 30 seconds apart.

Those 176 innocent passengers and 57 Canadians lost their lives. They were mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, friends, students, colleagues. Their lives were cut short far too soon by an act of cruelty.

Let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, it was heartwarming here at home to watch our country come together during this trying time. Countless Canadians braved the winter cold to attend vigils across the country and pay their respects. On display was a range of emotions: anger, sadness, fear and despair. We stood together and were there for each other. That is who we are as Canadians.

However, the work of Canadians cannot end and we cannot forget what happened on January 8. Here in the House of Commons and across this great country, we must continue to fight for justice for the families and the loved ones of those who lost their lives. We must continue to demand accountability from those responsible within the Iranian regime.

It was the Iranian regime, and the Iranian regime alone, that was responsible for this horrific crime.

We in the Conservative caucus have called on the government to take a few reasonable and measured actions in response to this atrocity.

First, the government must explain why it has not yet adopted a parliamentary motion to list the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or the IRGC, as a terrorist organization. The IRGC's fingerprints have been all over some of the worst terrorist attacks in the Middle East over the past few decades.

Second, the government should be prepared to impose Magnitsky sanctions on Iran if it does not fully and immediately co-operate with international investigations. There have already been several worrying signals that the Iranian regime may not fully be co-operating.

Finally, the government must deliver compensation from the Iranian regime to the families of victims and do its best to repatriate all Canadian remains.

I would be remiss if I did not briefly address the outpouring of support Canadians have received from the Iranian people. Immediately following media reports of the plane being shot down, the people of Iran flooded the streets to fight for accountability, justice, democracy, freedom and human rights.

The regime in Tehran is murderous and corrupt, so participating in those demonstrations put those people's lives at risk, but the protestors stood with us.

We as Canadians must stand with them as they fight for real and lasting change and the same freedoms and rights we as Canadians hold dear.

One hundred and seventy-six people and 57 Canadians lost their lives. They left this world far too soon. Their friends and families woke up to the realization that they would never see their loved ones again. All of us, myself included, look forward to working with our colleagues as we continue to fight for the justice and closure these 57 families deserve.

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752Routine Proceedings

3:25 p.m.

Bloc

Yves-François Blanchet Bloc Beloeil—Chambly, QC

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Bloc Québécois, its elected officials, members and friends, as well as all those we represent, I want to extend my sincere condolences to the families and friends of the victims from Quebec, Canada, Iran and elsewhere in the world. This terrible tragedy cast a permanent shadow over the end of 2019.

We must not just point the finger at who is to blame; rather, we also need to take stock and to understand that this tragedy is the result of military tensions and that it could have been prevented through lasting peace. I cannot and do not want to overlook that fact. However, Quebeckers, Canadians and people from every nation affected are entitled to the whole, unvarnished, hard truth, with all the possibilities that today's technology has to offer.

Accordingly, we will, of course, support the efforts of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. It is only fitting that the families of victims be offered some compensation to help mitigate the serious daily and lasting impact of this tragedy. However, let us not delude ourselves. These mothers, brothers, daughters and spouses are not coming back, and no amount of money will change that.

There is diplomacy. Diplomatic relations with any country are no more than common courtesy between friendly countries. They are the preferred channel of communication between states that recognize the other's relative weight for the purposes of prevention and redress. The notion of justice is also crucial, and we will also support any measures that will make it possible to obtain the all-too-insufficient relief that will come with the application of credible, neutral and, if necessary, tough institutional justice. However, we are of the opinion that there are only two solutions, if any, to this tragedy, though they may be imperfect and late in coming; I am talking about compassion and, above all, lasting peace.

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752Routine Proceedings

3:30 p.m.

NDP

Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to rise and speak to honour the victims of the flight 752 tragedy.

This has been an unspeakable tragedy for the Iranian Canadian community and a disaster for Canada. It is the kind of tragedy and disaster that will be forever etched in our minds and in the history of this country.

The horrible irony of loss is that it reminds us of the value of life. We were all captured by the stories told by the survivors, by the loved ones and families of those who have been lost.

We all remember when Ryan Pourjam spoke about his dad, Mansour Pourjam. In eloquent tone and eloquent words, this young boy talked about a father who was so optimistic, giving and kind and he was lost and gone forever.

In Richmond, I attended an event where a father spoke about the indescribable rage and sadness at losing both his daughter and his granddaughter. In Coquitlam, I spoke to members of the community who spoke about their family members, their cousins and their friends who were lost. In this tragedy, it was a loss to the Iranian community and it was a horrible loss to Canada as well.

We look at the people who were lost in this flight, the students, Ph.D. students, health care workers, educators, entrepreneurs, future doctors and folks who work in real estate and finance sectors. These were people who did not only have great potential for their own lives, but had tremendous potential to give back to all of us, to enrich our country and it was a loss to all of us.

I remember a story recounted by a member of the Iranian community when we attended an event in Richmond. The story was told from the perspective of U.S. visitors who were in an airport in transit in Canada when the news broke. As the news broke on TV, the U.S. travellers noted that everyone was silent. It was a pin-drop silence in hearing the news and it could be seen visibly that people were shaken and broken, with tears streaming down their faces. He asked people there if they knew any of the people, as he was concerned that maybe they were relatives. No one in the room knew anyone on the flight personally, but they said they were one of us, Canadians. The traveller was struck by the fact that Canadians stood together.

As other speakers have mentioned, Canadians did come together in a powerful way. That is who we are. We come together in times of need. I was struck by the power, grace and beauty of so many Canadians acknowledging this as a loss to Canada.

My parents taught me a traditional teaching, that the weight of sadness cannot be borne alone. It is too much. The loss and the pain is too much for one person to bear and that is why we attend events of sadness to share in that pain, to share that burden together. As Canadians, that is what we have done and will continue to do for our brothers and sisters who have lost loved ones.

The community has called for continual steps to achieve justice. The pursuit of justice in this matter is important and New Democrats are committed to seeking that justice.

I want to acknowledge the Prime Minister who reached out after these horrible events and we had a good conversation. I want to acknowledge that gesture and the steps to support loved ones of those who have been lost.

In the memory of those who have lost, I call on all of us to acknowledge their loss by working for peace. The loss that we witnessed is an example of the horrible cost of war, the horrible cost of escalation of tension and violence. Violence begets more violence. It is incredibly important for all of us to commit to peace and stability in the region, in the memory of those who have been lost.

I want the victims' loved ones to know that, at this difficult time, they can count on all of us, the NDP and all parliamentarians, to do everything we can to support them.

In the weeks and months to come, we must also do everything in our power to ensure that this kind of senseless tragedy never happens again.

To the Iranian community, I want to end by saying on behalf of all New Democrats, they have our condolences. We stand with them. We want to shoulder the burden with them.

[Member spoke in Farsiand provided the following translation:]

Friend, I give you my condolences.

[English]

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752Routine Proceedings

3:35 p.m.

Green

Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC

Mr. Speaker, this is a grief that particularly falls on the Iranian Canadian community, but it is a shared grief. We grieve as one country. As the other party leaders in this place have already said, this cut right to our hearts.

I do not think there is a single member of the Iranian Canadian community who has not been touched by this. However, as other members have said, the ways in which the Iranian Canadian community has so integrated and made a difference means that in tearing into the web of life as those ground-to-air missiles did, they have torn a large hole that will extend well beyond the individuals whose lives were so tragically taken.

Everybody has a connection to a connection. It hit me hard when a friend of mine who is a professor at the University of Guelph, Dr. Faisal Moola, spoke of his brilliant graduate student. He spoke of her as a force of nature. Ghanimat Azhdari was doing her own research on the nomadic indigenous peoples of Iran. Who knows where that work would have taken her? Who knows what a difference that would have made in the lives of indigenous people in Iran, as we look at the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples?

Case after case, and story after story, some which have been very eloquently shared here, it is made very clear that we all mourn every single life lost, all innocents, all 167 passengers and nine crew members whose lives were so tragically taken.

I want to add a few words of thanks to the cabinet of this country, to the minister of defence and the minister of international affairs, for making full briefings available very early to members of Parliament in opposition parties.

Like the hon. member for Burnaby South, I want to thank the Prime Minister for a personal phone call to emphasize that we must not, as I am afraid some members have tried to do already, make this political. We have to approach this in a non-partisan way and make sure our focus is on justice for the families who were affected, but more than that, to stand in solidarity and show our deepest sense of condolence, sympathy and love, and to extend to them all the supports we possibly can.

I also want to thank the Prime Minister for avoiding letting this issue become simplistic. I think the Prime Minister was right in saying that if there had not been an assassination by drone, these people would have made their own way home safely. The situation was created by more than one event, by more than one country. On another occasion, we need to find out exactly what took place and if the initial event that led to the rising of tensions was in any way legal under international law. However, this is not that time.

This is a time to tell all the families and loved ones affected by this tragedy that we stand with them.

We are with those families and will not allow them to stand alone as the time of grieving continues. As we say in Farsi, deepest condolences.

[Member spoke in Farsi]

[English]

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752Routine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

I wish to inform the House that because of the ministerial statements, Government Orders will be extended by 24 minutes.

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752Routine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Conservative

Mark Strahl Conservative Chilliwack—Hope, BC

Mr. Speaker, I believe if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion. I move:

That, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of the House:

(a) the members to serve on the Standing Committee on Health be appointed by the whip of each recognized party depositing with the Clerk of the House a list of his or her party's members of the committee no later than the ordinary hour of daily adjournment today;

(b) the Clerk of the House shall convene a meeting of the said committee no later than Wednesday, January 29, 2020 at 3:30 p.m.;

(c) following the election of the Chair and the Vice Chairs, the committee shall proceed to a briefing from officials on the Canadian response to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752Routine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

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

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752Routine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752Routine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

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

Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752Routine Proceedings

3:40 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.