Debates of Oct. 19th, 2020

Infrastructure

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on June 30, the two bridge authorities, which operate the four international border crossings in the Niagara region, sent a joint letter to multiple ministers in the Liberal government. As these bridges have been hit hard by COVID-19, they requested assistance no different from support currently being made available to airports, as a simple matter of fairness. Sixteen weeks later, none of these ministers has even acknowledged receipt of this letter despite the important role these bridges play.

Why is the government not taking this critical issue in the Niagara region seriously?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities]

Mr. Speaker, it is always great to talk about our infrastructure program.

We are building projects across the country, thousands of projects, creating jobs across the country and improving communities. We are going to continue to do that. I am certainly happy to talk to the member opposite on particular issues, but we are going to continue building our great country.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for New Brunswick Southwest.

We seem to be having a problem. We will move on to the next member and then come back.

The hon. member for Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa.

Telecommunications

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Mr. Speaker, millions of rural Canadians do not have access to quality cellphone service. This is an urgent matter of public safety. Earlier this year, destructive flooding and tornadoes threatened my constituents, most notably in the communities of Minnedosa, Rapid City, Rivers and Neepawa. Many were unable to contact emergency services, putting their lives at risk.

When will the government finally prioritize rural connectivity? Will it be before or after another Canadian loses their life?

[Maryam Monsef, Liberal, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development]

Mr. Speaker, as a member of Parliament for a mixed rural and urban riding, I am too familiar to the challenges that come without access to broadband and cell service. As a member of Parliament in this House over the past five years, I am proud that we have been able to connect four times as many households as our Conservative colleagues were able to in the 10 years they were in power.

We know this is an important part of Canada's economic recovery, and we will work hard to connect every Canadian household to this essential service.

COVID-19 Emergency Response

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians recognize that our TV and film industry is a vital driver of economic activity and jobs, including right here in Etobicoke—Lakeshore, which is home to the largest film studio in Canada and the largest equipment supplier in the country.

The industry has been hit hard by this pandemic. COVID-19 has caused the shutdown of film sets in Canada and around the world. Given the current situation, the industry fears that it will not be able to fully resume operations.

The Minister of Canadian Heritage has listened to the concerns of Canadian cultural workers and adjusted programs to ensure that they are better suited to their needs. Can the minister tell us what the government is doing to help the audiovisual industry?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, our government is proud to support the Canadian film industry, as it plays an important role in the social, cultural and economic development of our country.

We are taking challenges faced by the audiovisual sector very seriously, and that is why we recently announced a short-term compensation program to remunerate the lack of insurance and allow the resumption of audiovisual production activities across the country. This program will provide $50 million in short-term funding that will be administered by Telefilm Canada, along with the Canada Media Fund. This measure will, among other things, keep tens of thousands of workers and artisans at work and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in economic activity.

Health

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the governing United Conservative Party of Alberta has voted in favour of privatizing health care.

Despite a guarantee during his election campaign to maintain public health care, Jason Kenney is gutting our publicly delivered universally accessible health care. Once the Conservatives destroy public health care in Alberta, which province is next?

What is the minister doing to protect Canadians from two-tiered, American-style health care in Alberta and across Canada and what is she doing to make sure that premiers are adhering to the Canada Health Act?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I share the member opposite's deep concern about a Conservative Party that would seek to undermine a principle of our universal health care system, which is, by the way, the need for health care rather than the ability to pay.

On this side of the House, we will fight to ensure that we protect something that all Canadians treasure, which is access to health care that is there for people, regardless of their income, regardless of their ability to pay, and we will stop at nothing to do so.

Public Safety

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the name Donald Marshall, Jr. will always be remembered in Canada. It is synonymous with systemic racism and injustice. He spent 11 years in prison for a crime he did not commit and then, as a free man, he fished for eels out of season, relying on his constitutional rights. That case got the Supreme Court of Canada 21 years ago finding the right of the Mi'kmaq to a fishery.

How is it in this country that there is never any shortage of well-equipped RCMP officers to arrest indigenous non-violent protestors against pipelines in British Columbia, but no one to protect the indigenous catch in a warehouse in Nova Scotia?

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth]

Mr. Speaker, I want to let the member know that this matter is top of mind for our government. Our government will continue to condemn the violence we have seen. We will work with all departments and agencies. We know that the Marshall decision needs to be upheld and that is why we will ensure that it is.

We are working with a nation-to-nation relationship to ensure that we find a good way forward. As the Deputy Prime Minister has said, the majority of Canadians recognize the importance of this issue. We are working on it and will continue to do this important work.

The Environment

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago, the environment minister told me to read over his new jobs-killing plan to declare Canada's plastic manufacturers toxic. The minister should take his own advice. This important industry employs over 80,000 blue-collar workers across Canada, generating $35 billion of economic activity. According to the World Economic Forum, 90% of global plastic pollution comes from 10 river sources. None are in Canada.

How big a hit will Canadian paycheques and our economy take on a Liberal plan that exports jobs and ignores real polluters?

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I would again invite my hon. colleague to actually read the plan. The focus is on ensuring that we are not ending up with plastics in our landfills and plastics in our waters. It is about recycling, enhancing the recycling rate of plastics across the country. It is also about ensuring we are banning the six items that are on the list with respect to those that are harmful to the environment, those for which there are readily available alternatives and those for which recycling is not an available option.

This is really about ensuring we are protecting the environment, but it is also about growing an economy that is based on ensuring we are actually using the materials that are in our economy in a thoughtful way, moving toward circularity in everything we do.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in response to my question, the Minister of Immigration referred to sanctions that Canada had on China. I checked the foreign affairs website. We have no sanctions on China of any kind against any officials right now. I wonder if the minister wants to clarify his comments.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I believe that is getting into debate, but we will give the equal amount of time to the minister if he wants to clarify that.

No, that is fine.

Peschisolido Report

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Pursuant to order made on Tuesday, September 29, I wish to inform the House that a communication from Joe Peschisolido was received as follows on Tuesday, October 13:

October 13, 2020

Dear Mr. Speaker,

Thank you for allowing me the opportunity as I would like to apologize to the House for reporting late: my getting married on July 7, 2018; that my law firm owed me money that I had loaned it through my shareholder's loan to the law firm; that I personally guaranteed my law firm's debt and that I was no longer an officer of my law firm.

Yours Sincerely,

Joe Peschisolido

I now lay upon the table the relevant document along with a courtesy translation for the House.

The House resumed from October 8 consideration of the motion that Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Judges Act and the Criminal Code, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Judges Act

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

It being 3:10 p.m., pursuant to order made on Wednesday, September 23, the House will now proceed with the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at the second reading stage of Bill C-3.

Call in the members.

And the bells having rung:

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

As mentioned in my statement in the House on Wednesday, September 23, 2020, and assuming that you did hear the question, if you wish to register your vote and were not able to do so, due to technical difficulties that are now resolved, use the raise hand function and the Chair will recognize you.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #9

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I declare the motion carried. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights.

(Bill read the second time and referred to a committee)

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I want to draw attention to our Clerk, Jean-Philippe Brochu, for his first vote. I think he did a pretty good job. Congratulations.

Before we go on, I want to remind hon. members the rules that apply in the House also apply when voting remotely. To the men who wore a jacket or a blazer for the vote, which is all except for two, I want to thank them for following the rules of the House.

I want to remind hon. members that we are not to be eating in the House, so not eating when voting either. Also, it is up to individual members to make sure they have sufficient bandwidth to get their message across. It just makes it so much easier for everyone.

Export Development Canada

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Minister of Small Business]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the pleasure to table, in both official languages, the annual report of the 2018-19 Canada account, as prepared by Export Development Canada.

Canada-China Relations

[Geoff Regan, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the first report of the Special Committee on Canada-China Relations.

Procedure and House Affairs

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Brampton North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 114 and the order of the House of September 23, 2020, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the first report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership of committees of the House and I should like to move concurrence at this time.