Debates of Nov. 23rd, 2020

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, no government has done more than ours to reunite families, and that includes in the midst of this pandemic.

We are going to accelerate and prioritize the processing of family sponsorship applications, including for spouses, with 49,000 by the end of this year. We will allocate 40,000 spaces under the parent and grandparent program, and we are indeed meeting our service standards when it comes to reuniting families in the midst of this pandemic. That is a reflection of our government's commitment to reuniting families.

COVID-19 Emergency Response

[Vance Badawey, Liberal, Niagara Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week the Prime Minister told Canadians that the number of COVID-19 cases in the second wave are surging and that now is the time to redouble our efforts to fight the virus. He also promised that the federal government would always be there to support Canadians and their livelihoods.

Can the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance please give us a brief update on the Canadian economy and tell us what the government plans to do next?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government has prioritized the health response to COVID-19 and has supported businesses and our economy.

We entered this crisis with a strong fiscal position, which has allowed us to provide unprecedented support to Canadians during this pandemic.

I am pleased to announce today that on November 30 we will be presenting the 2020 fall economic statement. Our plan will continue to support Canadians through the pandemic and ensure that the post-COVID economy is robust, inclusive and sustainable.

Foreign Affairs

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Mr. Speaker, B'nai Brith, the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs and the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies, led by former Liberal MP Michael Levitt, have all expressed deep disappointment in the government's terrible decision to vote for an anti-Israel resolution at the UN last week.

Will the government restore Canada's long-standing policy of opposition to these anti-Israel resolutions?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear to all parliamentarians, to Jewish communities across Canada and our friends in Israel: Canada has been, is, and will always be a steadfast ally of Israel.

We are strengthening our bilateral relationship and are standing side by side with Israel at every opportunity internationally. The Israeli and Jewish community know they can always count on Canada, and we will continue to be by their side.

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Mr. Speaker, well, friends are supposed to have each other's backs. The Deputy Prime Minister likes to say her government stands with Israel, but it is hard to believe given some of her comments last week.

When asked about this vote, she tried linking Canada's decision to support this anti-Israel resolution to what she called “a worrying rise of authoritarian regimes...[and] anti-democratic populism”.

Was the Deputy Prime Minister seriously trying to compare Israel to authoritarian regimes?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the member should let the Deputy Prime Minister speak for herself.

When it comes to the Government of Canada, all Canadians and all members of the House, we have been, we are, and we will always be standing with our friends of Israel. The Jewish community across Canada knows that. I spoke to my counterpart in Israel, and they know Canada is a steadfast ally.

We will continue to support Israel at the United Nations every step of the way.

Official Languages

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for the past year, the Legault government has been calling on the federal government to apply Bill 101 to federally regulated businesses in Quebec.

We have seen the Minister of Canadian Heritage, the Minister of Official Languages, and even the Prime Minister wax lyrical about French in Quebec.

When will they match rhetoric with action?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, it goes without saying that French is losing ground in Quebec. We recognize that, and we want to take action.

I have had good conversations with my counterpart in Quebec, Simon Jolin-Barrette, who is working on a reform of his own.

For our part, we are also working in collaboration with various stakeholders across the country, including several in Quebec, in order to modernize the Official Languages Act. It is a priority, and we are devoting a great deal of effort to it every day. I am sure that the modernized act will help protect and promote French in Canada.

Canada Revenue Agency

[Bernard Généreux, Conservative, Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this is just more rhetoric that means nothing. What we want is real action. I will try to ask another question.

This morning, my colleagues and I again called on the Liberal government to pause the harmful audits of small businesses that have been hit hard by COVID-19.

Will the Minister of National Revenue respect the will of Parliament, which voted in favour of a motion to that effect on November 4?

[Diane Lebouthillier, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the Conservatives, our government respects the fact that the Canada Revenue Agency is independent. The Minister of National Revenue will not instruct the CRA to conduct audits, nor will it intervene in audits that are under way.

Justice

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice is telling us he sets all partisanship aside when appointing judges.

However, we know that the Prime Minister's Office intervened at least four times to talk about candidates. We also know that Liberal members give their opinions on the political affiliations of candidates when asked to do so by the Prime Minister or his staff. If I understand the minister correctly, everyone talks to him about the candidates, but he does not listen to anyone.

Why does everyone keep approaching him about this if it does not work? Is it because his colleagues are slow learners, or is it because the minister is leading us down the garden path?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his question.

Our government put in place a process based on transparency, merit and diversity for identifying highly qualified jurists and appointing them to the bench.

We are proud to have appointed over 400 legal experts to the bench based on their merit. These men and women meet the needs of the courts and reflect Canada's diversity.

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I think my colleagues across the way are quick on the uptake, and they have realized that pressuring the minister works.

For example, last year, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs managed to get four of his top donors, the wife of his brother-in-law, and his neighbour appointed to the bench. The minister would have us believe that it was a coincidence, that no one spoke to him about those candidates and that even if anyone had, he would not have listened.

Can we all agree that this looks bad? Will the minister finally realize that he is the only one who believes that these appointments are not partisan?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, as I have pointed out several times, each candidate is assessed by a judicial advisory committee, which does not have access to partisan information. It bases its decisions on merit. After that, the judiciary and the legal community are consulted to ensure that the candidates will meet the needs of the courts and promote Canada's diversity. I am very proud of the process we have put in place.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Manmeet Bhullar, a former Alberta MLA, was a selfless man of integrity and kindness who was dedicated to bringing persecuted Afghans, Sikhs and Hindi refugees to Canada. He tragically died five years ago today, but his legacy lives on and the need for his work continues.

Earlier this year, ISIS terrorists murdered 25 Sikhs while they attended prayer service in Afghanistan and then bombed the funeral service honouring those victims. The Manmeet Singh Bhullar Foundation is calling on the Liberal government to create a special refugee program to bring this threatened community to Canada.

Will the Minister of Immigration support this call, yes or no?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I want to share my hon. colleague's comments with regard to the Manmeet Singh Bhullar Foundation, which has been a very important partner in allowing us to resettle some of the Afghan Sikhs who have been targeted by these heinous acts. We will continue to work with the Manmeet Bhullar foundation as well as other organizations across Canada to uphold human rights around the world and to resettle the world's most vulnerable.

Health

[Kenny Chiu, Conservative, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, suicide is the second-highest cause of death for youth aged 10 to 24, with an average of 294 young Canadians committing suicide every year. For every youth suicide completion, there are nearly 400 attempted suicides. That is over 110,000 attempts by young Canadians, and many more suffer in silence. Communication is the first essential step in assisting youth at risk of suicide.

When will the government implement a 988 number for those seeking help?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, as the member opposite knows, I am deeply concerned as well about the mental health of Canadians and, in fact, Canadians who use substances. We have seen increases in mental distress as a result of COVID-19 making things even harder for Canadians from coast to coast to coast. That is why we launched “Wellness Together” early on in the pandemic. I want to point out that more than 530,000 Canadians across the country have accessed the portal, with over 1.5 million distinct web sessions. This is an opportunity to tell all Canadians that it is not just self-help resources that are available on the web. People can connect to trained professionals. They can attend virtual sessions and telephone sessions.

I will work with the member opposite's colleague on the idea of a one-stop number.

Justice

[Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Justice says he is proud of appointing his political donor to the Quebec Superior Court. Frankly, he should not be. Even the appearance of impropriety in judicial appointments erodes public trust in the justice system. As a lawyer and past bar association executive, I know the system only works if Canadians have faith in its fairness and independence.

Does the minister not realize the Liberals' partisan judicial appointments are eroding public confidence in its independence?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, our government has put into place an open, transparent and accountable process to identify and appoint highly meritorious jurists to the bench.

With respect to the individual in question that the hon. member has cited, I point out that I proactively sought an opinion from the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner, who reviewed the situation and determined that there was no conflict of interest and that a recusal was not required.

We are proud to have appointed more than 400 jurists to the bench, women and men. These jurists are of the highest quality. They represent the diverse face of Canada and they are reflective of the needs of the courts.

The Environment

[Annie Koutrakis, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

Mr. Speaker, climate change is top of mind for my constituents and for all Canadians. Canadians want to know how we will balance addressing the very real challenge of climate change with building the economy of the future.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change explain to the House how the net-zero emissions accountability act, which was introduced last week, will make that possible?

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Vimy for her work on climate action. Last week, our government presented a major component of our plan to grow a prosperous economy for Canada while tackling the challenges of climate change. Unions, industry, environmentalists and large companies in the energy sector have made it clear that this is an important step towards a low-carbon future.

Western Economic Diversification

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Mr. Speaker, Blue Sky Hemp Ventures in my riding of Saskatoon West develops innovative products such as hemp biomass, which can be used to reduce greenhouse emissions. A funding application for Blue Sky to deliver up to 10 jobs was approved by the Saskatoon office of Western Economic Diversification back in June. It sat on the minister's desk for over five months as COVID ravaged our economy. She only approved it 72 hours ago when she started seeing my name on emails to her.

Why is the minister playing politics with prairie jobs while our economy suffers?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, I am surprised by the allegations of my colleague. Obviously, I would like to talk to him about this specific case.

We have always been there for many businesses across the west. Not only have we been there, but we included much more funding recently to Western Economic Diversification by doubling its budget. Clearly there have been a lot of asks because many businesses were affected by the double whammy that we have been seeing in the western economy, but we have been there and we will continue to be there for them.