Debates of Oct. 9th, 2020

Paul Quirk

[Greg Fergus, Liberal, Hull—Aylmer, QC]

Madam Speaker, I rise to celebrate the life of Paul Quirk, who passed away early Monday morning. We first met in the 1990s when Paul ran the print shop for the Liberal Party, a job he held until he took his retirement four short years ago.

St. Francis said to preach the gospel every day and if necessary to use words. Through his actions, Paul was the Liberal Party for me and for countless others. Paul was recognized by his peers as the best print man in town. No matter what impossible print order we asked the night before, Paul would have it done the next morning.

Most important, Paul was kind-hearted and a great storyteller, whether it was about growing up in Aylmer and getting into all sorts of mischief or his adventure in federal politics. His print shop, better known as the “Quirkenbunker”, was a place to find out what was really going on.

Paul leaves behind his wife Marlene, their son and daughter, and four grandchildren. To all of them, please accept our deepest condolences. May Paul rest in peace.

Nick Taylor

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to former Senator Nick Taylor, who passed away at the age of 92.

I first met Nick Taylor when he was leader of the Alberta Liberal Party, which he led from 1974 to 1988. He was a senator from 1996 to 2002. He was also a successful entrepreneur and innovator in the oil and gas sector, where he was always pushing, even into his later years, to make the industry more environmentally sustainable.

Nick embodied the very frontier spirit of Alberta. He was also the funniest man that one would ever meet, as long as one was on the right side of his sharp wit. He was kind, fearless, intelligent, creative, had fierce determination and an unparalleled passion for his province and his country.

He and his wife Peg had just celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary. They had nine children. Nick used to say, when he went to the cattle show, that they would bring the prize bull to come to look at him.

There will never be another man like Nick Taylor. We will miss him.

Internet Service

[Gerald Soroka, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Madam Speaker, in my riding, many constituents are not able to get Internet service and for those who have Internet, some cannot afford it. Internet is not a luxury; it is an essential service for everyday life.

My riding has a population density of 1.3 people per square kilometre. In such a rural riding, there are many remote households. Those fortunate enough to have high-speed connections in cities do not realize how Internet is an integral part of everyday life.

I am hearing from parents in Rocky Mountain House with children in school, saying they cannot afford the cost of Internet, and seniors in Grande Cache, trying to stay connected but being let down by the reliability and cost.

A recent report showed that Canada ranked 146 out of 155 countries in terms of highest Internet costs.

I urge the government to make Internet more accessible, reliable and affordable for all Canadians.

Windsor International Film Festival

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Windsor—Tecumseh, ON]

Madam Speaker, I am honoured to speak in the House today to recognize the Windsor International Film Festival. WIFF is the largest volunteer-run film festival in Canada. Last year, it sold 42,000 tickets and showcased 165 movies over 10 days.

WIFF also screens the most Francophonie films of any festival in Canada, while at the same time serving as a champion of indigenous and LGBTQ2 pieces, helping spark important community conversations in Windsor—Tecumseh.

Under the bold leadership of Vincent Georgie, WIFF quickly adapted to COVID, transforming Festival Plaza on the Detroit River into WIFF Under the Stars, the only drive-in movie theatre in the world on an international border. Eighteen hundred vehicles and 4,000 film lovers and families took in the movies.

The Windsor International Film Festival is the premier film festival of the Great Lakes region. I congratulate WIFF and thank the 300 volunteers who make it a huge success.

Union of Canadian Correctional Officers

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC]

Madam Speaker, the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers, UCCO-SACC-CSN, represents over 7,300 members working on the front lines in federal institutions across Canada, hundreds within my own riding.

Correctional officers face significant but avoidable challenges during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic brought on by unprepared leadership, inconsistently applied or non-existent protocols and a serious lack of personal protective equipment for inmates and officers alike. This was especially true in my riding, where Mission Institution holds the dubious honour of hosting the largest COVID-19 outbreak at a federal correctional institution.

UCCO-SACC has been in contract negotiations with the federal government since before the last election. While COVID-19 slowed down talks for a time, they have since resumed.

I call on the Liberal government to show our correctional officers the respect they deserve and to table a legitimate offer which reflects the important public safety role they play and the risks officers take to keep us safe.

Fight Against COVID-19 in Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the people of Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier who have taken action to minimize the impact of the fight against COVID-19.

I want to single out certain individuals whose loved ones brought their actions to my attention. These people may think they are ordinary but, to me, they are extraordinary.

Here are my heroes.

Thank you to Nicole Hamel for the help she has given her mother and others.

Thank you to Suzie Paquet for everything she has done for her community.

Thank you to Sylvie Plamondon for her commitment to distributing food.

Thank you to Ginette Plamondon Lambert for her dedication to the members of her choir.

Thank you to Marie Claire Lesueur for changing her business's production approach.

Thank you to Mélissa Bouchard for her involvement with seniors and the wonderful care she has given them.

Thank you to Manon Chénard for her virtual musical performances.

Thank you to Cyrille Leblanc for his involvement with the CHSLD.

Ladies and gentleman, keep up the good work.

International Day of the Girl Child

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Madam Speaker, this Sunday, October 11, is International Day of the Girl Child.

On this occasion, I want to highlight a young woman from my riding named Cailyn. Cailyn was frustrated by the increasing acts of racism she was seeing in the news, including in the Comox Valley where she lives. She knew that she wanted to contribute something positive to the conversation.

As an avid runner, she organized a virtual race against racism, where participants could sign up and run a 5K route of their choice and at the same time raise awareness and funds for Black Lives Matter Canada and the Black Solidarity Fund.

Girls like Cailyn are leading social change in our communities today. They refuse to stay silent when they see injustice. However, women in the House continue to be under-represented. We need to work to change this and to encourage and make space for girls like Cailyn, because the society they are wanting to build is a better one for us all.

Jeannine and François Marion

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Madam Speaker, Jeannine Marion and François Marion were inducted as honorary members of the Grand Sainte-Agathe chamber of commerce, and I would like to add my voice to those celebrating their contribution to our community's development.

In my opinion, honouring the two of them together is an acknowledgement of the value of teamwork. Building on a strong foundation of loyalty and devotion, they created some amazing initiatives for our community.

For decades, they have dedicated themselves to their fellow citizens, embracing a variety of causes to improve the lives of vulnerable members of society, youth, community groups and the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Nobody can deny that they set the standard in our community. To this day, they are making a difference in the lives of so many people.

I want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Marion on behalf of the entire community of Sainte-Agathe.

International Day of the Girl Child

[Jag Sahota, Conservative, Calgary Skyview, AB]

Madam Speaker, Sunday is International Day of the Girl Child. As the shadow minister for women and gender equality, I am proud to celebrate the strides Canada has made thus far in empowering and protecting girls.

While we still have a long way to go to overcome gender inequality, sadly, the present government continues to fail Canadian girls during this pandemic by cutting funding to organizations such as the London Abused Women's Centre, an organization that protects and helps girls in instances of abuse or human trafficking.

Women and girls can be assured that under a Conservative government, Canada will always defend, encourage and advocate for girls as community building students, leaders and entrepreneurs both today and tomorrow.

Let us all remember all the women and girls in our communities and support them in achieving their goals. Let us remember this momentum and carry it with us all year long. When girls succeed, Canada and the world succeeds.

I wish everyone a happy International Day of the Girl Child.

Halton Women's Place

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Madam Speaker, we know that women have been disproportionally impacted by the effects of COVID-19. Staying home does not mean staying safe for women and children affected by domestic abuse and men's violence against women.

Halton Women's Place is an essential organization in Milton that offers shelter and crisis services for women and their kids. From the very first day of this pandemic and for many years prior to it, Halton Women's Place has recognized what the pandemic means for women facing abuse and it has been there to help.

Throughout the last week of September, I participated in the Halton Women's Place “Hope in High Heels” event, where men and boys walk in pink high heels to raise money and awareness to end this gender-based violence.

One of the youngest walkers in Milton was my friend, nine-year-old Raheem, who raised over $1,000. Raheem is a great example for all men. We need to end men's violence against women and to achieve that, men need to be better allies for women everywhere.

I thank Diane, Carm, Heather and Laurie and everyone at Halton Women's Place for the incredible work they do every single day.

Health

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

Madam Speaker, this morning, provinces are reporting a record number of new coronavirus cases, and a second closure of restaurants is likely imminent. Around the world, experts are using frequent COVID tests to provide results within 15 minutes to prevent business and school closures, but not in Canada. The Prime Minister has failed to get these rapid, easy-to-get tests, and it is possible that 33,000 restaurant workers in Toronto alone could lose their jobs in this second lockdown.

We do not have job-saving rapid tests. Why?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Madam Speaker, again we see the member of the opposition present false information to the House of Commons. In fact, we do have rapid tests in Canada. They are deployed in rural and remote communities, in areas where there are vulnerable populations and a fragile health care system. We have also approved a number of rapid tests recently. As the member opposite knows, there is no one silver bullet to managing COVID-19 outbreaks.

We will be there for provinces, territories and indeed restaurateurs as they manage this new wave of COVID together.

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

Madam Speaker, I would challenge somebody watching this in Toronto who is worried about their business closing to go out right now and try to get a rapid test with results in 15 minutes and see who is presenting the right information here. That answer was very deceptive and incompetent. Rapid tests keep restaurants open, because they mean we can isolate those who are infected rather than shutting everything down.

When are we getting rapid tests?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Madam Speaker, I invite the member opposite to take the briefing with Health Canada so that she can understand the complexity of rapid tests and how they can actually make situations even more precarious for communities. In fact, testing is one component of managing COVID-19.

We know that we will be there for provinces and territories as they manage COVID-19 outbreaks. We will continue to be there with additional resources. This is a complex area. In fact, many jurisdictions that have used rapid tests in that way have seen a worsening of their outbreaks.

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

Madam Speaker, if a woman watching this today has been laid off because of COVID restrictions or her kid's school has been shut down and she tried to get a rapid, frequent COVID test or her kid's school tried to do that, they could not. That is the reality in Canada.

Rapid tests keep schools open. Rapid tests keep day cares open. Rapid tests keep women in the workforce. Yet, we do not have those here in Canada.

Why has the Prime Minister failed Canadian women and failed to get them rapid tests?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Madam Speaker, around the world there are very high-profile examples of how rapid tests have actually added confusion and increased the risk of infection. They are not a silver bullet. It is very important that whatever tools we bring to the Canadian market are going to make it easier for communities to manage COVID-19, including in sectors like the restaurant sector.

We will be there for Canadians no matter what it takes, but the member opposite clearly could use the briefing from Health Canada.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Madam Speaker, how unfortunate to see the government trying to give us lessons again.

The reality is that problems are cropping up across Canada due to the fact that we do not have rapid testing. In Quebec, for example, 1,000 classrooms are closed today. The executive committee of the Association québécoise du personnel de direction des écoles says that it now takes twice as long as before to get the results. If the government had done its job and evaluated the rapid tests in a timely manner, we would not be in this position today.

Why did the government drag its feet?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Madam Speaker, all across Canada, we have seen an increase in COVID cases. We have been working with provinces and territories to make sure they have the tools they need. I work closely with the Province of Quebec, with the Province of Ontario, in fact all provinces, to make sure that whatever we add as a solution together is going to actually help with the outbreak of COVID-19.

The members opposite seem to think that we can test our way out of COVID-19. In fact, that is not true. We need to test, we need to contact trace, we need to isolate and we need to support business and industry, as well as Canadians who have lost their jobs either because of shutdowns or because of infections. We will be there for Canadians.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Madam Speaker, that is precisely the problem.

Every step is important. The Quebec premier has urged Quebeckers to download the COVID Alert app. I did it, and if I can do it, anyone can. The problem is that it is all well and good to have this technological tool, but we need to have rapid testing for it to work properly.

Once again, my question is very simple: Why did the government drag its feet for six months and fail to properly evaluate the rapid tests that all Canadians need today?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Madam Speaker, around the world, countries are anxiously awaiting new technology that is going to add to our ability to contain COVID-19. In fact, researchers and technologists around the world are looking for new products and new approaches to testing that will help.

We remain firm. We will be there for provinces and territories as long as it takes for whatever it takes to manage through this next wave of COVID-19. We know that testing is part of the solution, but certainly not all of it. I continue to be there no matter what a province or territory needs.

Regional Economic Development

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

Madam Speaker, Ottawa is investing $295 million to retool the Ford plant in Oakville, Ontario, so it can build electric vehicles.

That is good news, but let's not forget that the expertise in transportation electrification is in Quebec, not Ontario. We are the ones who know about clean electricity, battery technology and charging stations.

In the Speech from the Throne, the government says it wants to make Canada a world leader in clean energy. Does the government recognize Quebec's expertise, and will it refocus its investments on Quebec's industrial cluster?

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation]

Madam Speaker, yesterday we announced that Ford will invest $1.8 billion to set up battery electric vehicle production in Oakville, which will include federal and provincial assistance. This is about Canada and it is about Quebec, but it is part of a start. It is only a beginning of what we hope is a significant focus on a sustainable and greener economic recovery all across Canada. We see leading actors in this space across the country: in Quebec, Lion Electric; in Nova Scotia—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Saint-Jean.

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

Madam Speaker, the Bloc Québécois is concerned because Ottawa is not an ally of specific economic sectors in Quebec.

We have expertise in naval construction, yet the Davie shipyard, Canada's largest shipbuilder, was completely shut out of a $100-billion bonanza in federal contracts. We have expertise in aerospace, yet there is no federal assistance for a sector that is one of those hardest hit by COVID-19 and no policy for the future of the industry.

Will the government commit to investing in Quebec's electrification industry instead of moving our expertise to Ontario?

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, while the Bloc Québécois airs its concerns, we are taking action. We know that investing in the electrification of vehicles is good news for everyone. It is good news not only for the environment, but also for all Canadians. This will also benefit businesses in Quebec. In fact, we are already investing in electrification in Quebec.

Again, this is not about pitting Quebec against the other provinces. We can work together in our country, Canada.