Debates of Oct. 6th, 2020

Human Rights

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, Humber River—Black Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in 2002, I spoke at a press conference with former member of Parliament, Irwin Cotler, to denounce the abduction and unlawful detention of Dr. Wang Bingzhang by the Communist Party of China.

Dr. Wang is the founder of the overseas Chinese democracy movement. A former Ph.D. student of medicine at McGill, he was inspired by Canada's democratic values and dreamed of a China where they could flourish.

Dr. Wang has languished in solitary confinement for more than 18 years for his peaceful efforts at democratic reform, following a trial behind closed doors that lasted half a day, to set an example for others. At 72 years old, his physical and mental health are seriously deteriorating after a number of debilitating strokes.

I would like to highlight the work of the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights and the Wallenberg Advocacy Group at the McGill faculty of law.

Please, enough is enough. Along with members from all five federal parties, I put my voice forward in calling on the Communist Party of China to immediately release Dr. Wang and reunite him with his family in Canada.

Sukkot

[Nelly Shin, Conservative, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to join the Jewish community in my riding, across Canada and around the world in celebrating Sukkot.

Last Friday night, Canadian Jews marked the beginning of this joyous, eight-day festival. The festival commemorates the 40-year period during which the ancient Israelites wandered in the Sinai desert while living in temporary dwellings. Traditionally, during the festival, many families build temporary outdoor shelters, sukkahs, to inhabit during this important feast.

Sadly, the reality of anti-Semitism continues to threaten the peace and freedom of Jewish people. The Jewish community in Canada remains the most targeted group for hate crimes. We know from history that scapegoating and slanderous narratives against Jews incited a Holocaust that led to the murder of nearly six million Jews. Today and always, I express my solidarity with the Jewish people in standing against all acts of anti-Semitism.

On behalf of my Conservative caucus, I wish all Jewish Canadians celebrating Sukkot a Chag Sameach.

Inter-Parliamentary Union

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Inter-Parliamentary Union is an international organization of national parliaments. One of its key initiatives is advancing gender parity among legislatures, so when Senator Salma Ataullahjan, a strong Canadian woman, put her name forward to become the president of this organization, I cheered.

However, something curious happened. Part of this organization, the IPU, are trying to bully her, the only woman on the ballot, to withdraw her candidacy. As a female parliamentarian, I find it offensive that an international organization that purports to stand for women's participation in politics and that Canada sends a lot of tax dollars to support would entertain discussions to remove a female option from consideration.

Senator Ataullahjan embodies a spirit of collaborative multilateralism that the world sorely needs right now. I call upon the Canadian government to publicly support her in her endeavour, to publicly denounce efforts to prevent a strong, Canadian woman from being on the ballot, and to remind the IPU how much Canada contributes to the organization.

Housing

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's housing crisis is rooted in the Liberals' cancellation of the national affordable housing program in 1993.

There are 230,000 Canadians who experience homelessness each year, and 1.7 million households live in substandard and unaffordable housing. Despite declaring housing a basic human right in 2017, the Prime Minister has failed to back it up with meaningful action. The Liberal plan only aims to build 150,000 units of affordable housing over 10 years, effectively saying that it is acceptable to leave close to 100,000 Canadians without homes. The housing strategy was a planned failure from the start. A rapid housing initiative of building 3,000 units is not enough when, in Vancouver alone, over 2,000 people are homeless.

Government failures have real consequences. People are living in encampments, like in Strathcona, and indigenous families are losing their children because they do not have safe, affordable housing.

No more recycling announcements. No more excuses. Canadians need real homes now.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, every year on October 4, vigils are held to commemorate many missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

In my riding, the seventh Sisters in Spirit Vigil was held virtually via the Val-d'Or Native Friendship Centre's Facebook page. The centre chose to turn to the arts to honour the memory of these women and girls. In particular, we commemorated Joyce Echaquan, the young indigenous woman who died last week under unacceptable circumstances.

The day's events included a book launch for Elles se relèvent encore et encore by Julie Cunningham and a screening of Rustic Oracle, a film directed by Sonia Bonspille Boileau, at the Cinéma Capitol in Val-d'Or.

For the sake of all the missing and murdered women, we need to move forward with solutions, such as immediately implementing the recommendations set out in the report from the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.

National Unity

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Our country is at a crossroads, Mr. Speaker. We are going through a significant economic crisis, a health crisis due to the pandemic, but also a crisis of national unity. Something is not right when millions of Canadians feel they are not fairly represented in this place.

Is this the Prime Minister's fault? Not really; he just exploits it. This is an issue as deep as Confederation itself. I ask Canadians if they really think we are better off with fewer provinces in the country. Do they really think we are better off? The answer is unequivocally no.

This is a massive country. This is a beautiful country. This is a country made better because of its people. This is a country that is the envy of the world. This is a country worth fighting for, and I will always fight for Canada.

Arts and Culture

[Brenda Shanahan, Liberal, Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today I stand to recognize the resilience, the generosity and the creative work of artists, artisans, technicians and cultural workers across Canada.

The COVID-19 pandemic has completely shaken the cultural world and yet our artists have continued to reinvent a universe that allows us to dream and that contributes to our well-being during this difficult time.

Organizations, artists and artisans in the riding of Châteauguay—Lacolle got creative to help keep members of the community entertained during the lockdown.

Take, for example, the Société du Musée du Grand Châteauguay, the Arts and Noise Festival, and the Coeur de Village cultural bistro in Saint-Isidore.

I want to congratulate painter and sculptor Louise Page from Sainte-Martine for being the first woman to win the Reynald Piché award, which was recently presented to her by the Beauharnois-Salaberry RCM's cultural council.

Public Services and Procurement

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday La Presse reported that less than 3% of the ventilators ordered by the government have been delivered. In the meantime, several local equipment makers are still waiting for certification. Vexos obtained a contract for 10,000 ventilators in May. It only just received its certification.

Why is the government dragging its feet during a pandemic?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, our government is taking the pandemic very seriously. That is why we have been working day and night to procure the necessary supplies to combat the pandemic.

When it comes to ventilators, I must thank all Canadians who have worked very hard to manufacture these ventilators here in Canada and in my riding.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, she said “day and night”.

In May, the Prime Minister said it was important to prepare for the second wave. In May, the Minister of Industry announced that we would have tens of thousands of ventilators by fall. It is now fall and we have received only 3% of what was promised.

Why does the Liberal government always fail to keep its promises?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I am sorry, but that is not true.

The reality is that our government has procured a lot of ventilators both domestically and abroad. Now we have enough ventilators across the country to deal with the second wave. We will continue to procure ventilators, drugs and testing kits in order to be ready to help Canadians fight coronavirus.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, 3% of the ventilators the government promised have been delivered. That is a failure.

Last week, the Canadian Medical Association raised the alarm that health care workers were going to run short of gowns, masks, gloves and other PPE. The author of the SARS Commission report said that the government got it wrong in the first wave.

We know the government has been late on rapid tests. We know it has been slow and late on ventilators. Is the government going to come once again short for our nurses, our doctors, our PSWs as they prepare to help us in the second wave?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, our nurses, our doctors, our personal support workers are not just preparing to help us, they are helping us. They are fighting the second wave right now. That is why I am so grateful to all the Canadians who have thrown themselves into the manufacture of ventilators, who have thrown themselves into procuring ventilators.

The reality is that we can be confident going into the second wave that we have the ventilators we need. When it comes to other forms of PPE, the reality is that we have been so busy purchasing it that additional warehouse space had to be found.

Natural Resources

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago, the government laid out an agenda that failed to mention energy workers even once.

Last night, workers were informed that Come By Chance Refinery in Newfoundland and Labrador could be closing permanently, 500 families and communities in eastern Newfoundland and Labrador whose livelihoods are hanging by a thread because the government does not value their jobs.

Why is the government abandoning the families of Newfoundland and Labrador?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I take the jobs of energy workers across the country very personally and very seriously. That is why just two weeks ago our government provided $320 million directly to the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador in order to support its work in supporting energy workers. That is not rhetoric. That is action to support the energy workers in Newfoundland and Labrador.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, Come By Chance is just the latest in a long line of Liberal failures when it comes to energy workers.

On Friday, we learned that 2,000 Suncor workers were going to lose their jobs. In one week, almost 2,500 paycheques from Alberta to Newfoundland and Labrador could disappear in the energy sector. That is 2,500 workers who will have to look for work in a pandemic. That is 2,500 working families wondering how they will pay for groceries.

When is the government going to have a real plan for energy workers and their families?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, our government absolutely understands the importance of the energy sector in providing high-paying jobs across the country and being truly an engine of our economy.

Let me disabuse the members opposite of the notion that somehow our government does not care for Alberta and Albertans in this crisis. During this pandemic, over one million Albertans have received the CERB. In a population of 4.3 million, that is nearly a quarter of Albertans. Over 102,000 Alberta businesses have received the CEBA. The wage subsidy has supported 5.6—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for La Prairie.

Health

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, 73% of Canadians say they want the federal government to spend more on health, 81% of Quebeckers say they want more money for health, 100% of the members of the National Assembly say they want more money for health, and 100% of the provincial premiers say they want more money for health. However, for every $100 in pandemic spending, the government has put only 15¢ into health. Provincial governments are waiting on $28 billion, but the government has earmarked less than 2% of that for health.

Why is this government abandoning health in the midst of a pandemic?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we will never abandon health care, and we will never abandon Quebec or Quebeckers.

The fact is that Quebec has received over $3 billion thanks to the safe restart agreement. In addition, two million Quebeckers have received the CERB. That is nearly one in four Quebeckers. Over 157,000 businesses have used the Canada emergency business account and the wage subsidy.

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is the real question.

Why do the Liberals oppose Quebec and all of the provinces? The public widely agrees that health transfers should be increased.

Why do the Liberals refuse to increase health transfers in the middle of the worst pandemic in a century?

Why are they ignoring the fact that the second wave is starting to fill up our emergency rooms?

Why?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I agree that the second wave has started and I agree that our country needs to work together to fight this pandemic. That is why we gave the provinces $19 billion for a safe restart, another $2 billion in support for a safe return to school, $500 million at the beginning of the pandemic and, of course, $40 billion every year for health care.

That is real support.

Taxation

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, we know that ordinary Canadians and small businesses alike have faced major challenges during this pandemic. Meanwhile, the ultra-rich made record profits.

It should therefore not be up to ordinary Canadians to pay for the recovery. The ultra-rich must pay for it.

What will this government do to make sure the ultra-rich pay for the recovery?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, as we said in the Speech from the Throne, we are going to find additional ways to tax extreme wealth inequality, including by limiting the stock option deduction for wealthy individuals at large corporations, and addressing corporate tax avoidance by digital giants. We all need to pay our fair share, especially in times of crisis.

Health

[Jagmeet Singh, NDP, Burnaby South, BC]

Mr. Speaker, speaking of profits, we have learned that private clinics are charging between $50 to $250 for private tests for COVID-19. This is the exact opposite of what our public health care system believes in, where everyone has access. We heard from a Toronto mother, Caroline McIsaac, who waited four hours for a test. She was asked whether private testing was a solution. She said no, of course not, that “all people should have equal access to testing”.

What will the Prime Minister say to Caroline to make sure we have a public health care system that works for everyone, not just for those who can pay for it?