Debates of Nov. 24th, 2020

Airline Industry

[Darrell Samson, Liberal, Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, NS]

Mr. Speaker, we know that the pandemic has hit the air industry hard and we stand ready to deliver financial assistance and other supports. As the Minister of Transport previously announced, our government is developing a package of assistance to Canadian airlines, airports and the aerospace sector.

However, I have heard from many constituents who have been negatively affected by airline refund policies related to COVID. Many are frustrated that they are stuck with vouchers for trips that they cannot even take due to COVID. They are essentially providing interest-free loans in the thousands of dollars to the airline industry and that is just not right.

I am pleased that the minister indicated that no taxpayer money will be going to the airline until we receive a commitment around refunds and until we can ensure continued regional connectivity. As a government, we must protect important industries as well as all Canadians and their interests. That is exactly what we shall do.

Global Nexus for Pandemics

[David Sweet, Conservative, Flamborough—Glanbrook, ON]

Mr. Speaker, COVID-19 has opened our eyes to the impact infectious disease can have on our population, society and economy. These diseases pose an existential threat to Canada.

Before COVID-19, there was H1N1, SARS, Norwalk, West Nile, Ebola, measles and polio all within the last 50 years. Although the next biological threat is inevitable, the ability to cause human and economic devastation is not. For that reason, McMaster University recently announced the timely launch of the Global Nexus for Pandemics and Biological Threats in Hamilton, Ontario.

The Global Nexus brings together leaders from a multitude of disciplines all devoted to one goal: preventing future pandemics and mitigating global health threats. Along with the David Braley Centre for Antibiotic Discovery, the Global Nexus will build on McMaster’s record of being a leader in comprehensive infectious disease research.

We know the threats and solutions to serious health challenges are often found outside the lab. The work of McMaster’s Global Nexus will create a bulwark against future biological threats to protect Canada and the world.

Max Gros-Louis

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Thursday was the final day of funeral ceremonies in Wendake to honour Grand Chief Max Oné Onti Gros-Louis of the Huron-Wendat Nation. For three days, hundreds of people came to pay their respects and honour his memory. I know that there have been many tributes to him in the House, but I humbly wanted to add my own.

Since I come from Sainte-Foy and I represent the riding of Louis-Hébert, which is part of the Nionwentsïo, the traditional territory of the Huron-Wendat Nation, it is important for me to pay one last tribute to this charismatic, rugged man who governed his nation for more than 30 years and helped unite the first nations peoples, whom he spent his whole life proudly and honourably defending both in Quebec and in Canada, as well as on the world stage.

It is a duty that he always fulfilled with wisdom and simplicity. His life was a shining example, an inspiration to guide others. He was the type of man who had a sense of history and his place in the hereafter.

Grand Chief Gros-Louis, tiawenhk.

Israel

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's ambassador to the United Nations rejected the preamble to the first resolution in this year's annual barrage of one-sided, prejudicial, anti-Israel resolutions sponsored by countries properly characterized as jackals of the world's body, but directed by the Liberal government, he voted for it.

Canada's leading Jewish organizations had pleaded before the vote to withhold support for regimes focused not on peaceful pursuit of a two-state solution but on demonizing and delegitimizing the state of Israel.

The Deputy Prime Minister tried to justify the vote, proclaiming “Canada will always stand with Israel,” but she also suggested obliquely that Canada's side-taking was really a vote against populism, authoritarianism and rights abuse.

Really? Canada broke with long-standing policy again to vote against Israel and support a resolution sponsored by Venezuela, Syria and North Korea.

Lobster Fishery

[Chris d'Entremont, Conservative, West Nova, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the small, beautiful fishing villages that dot West Nova from Lower East Pubnico to Digby are getting ready to head back to the sea for the all-important District 34 lobster season.

When bigger boats are tying up for the winter, Canada's most important fishery gets under way. Fishers have worked hard to provide a moderate living for their families, and they once again brave the cold, and sometimes angry, north Atlantic.

To add to the normal anxiety that a new season brings, these fishers find themselves in the middle of a fishing crisis created by the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans' inaction. The crisis has taken disproportionate turns. Violence took the dialogue space and is still a constant threat between commercial and indigenous fishers.

I flagged this very important and sensitive issue to the minister months ago, so commercial and indigenous fishers could continue to work together safely and with understanding. We are still waiting for answers, and the minister's lack of leadership is unacceptable and shameful.

I want to reiterate my support for all fishers in West Nova who are deeply affected by this crisis, and I continue my work to ensure that it comes to an end quickly and peacefully. Good luck to all the fishers with their upcoming fishing season, and please stay safe.

Post-Secondary Education

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, with COVID-19 rates skyrocketing, the stress on young people and recent graduates is incredible. They lost their summer employment, they have few job options, and those available are often low-paying and put them at risk for COVID-19.

Recent graduates from the University of Alberta, King's University and the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology, all post-secondary institutions in my riding, are struggling to get by. By rushing to give almost $1 billion that was supposed to go to students to their well-connected friends, the Liberal government has left students and recent graduates in the lurch.

At the urging of the NDP, the government implemented a moratorium on student loan repayments in the spring to give some relief to recent graduates. However, as of September 30, the student loan moratorium ended, despite Canada's descent into a second wave. Extending the interest-free moratorium on student loan repayments could make the difference recent graduates need to get through the winter. Canadians can count on New Democrats to fight for young people, pausing loan payments and getting rid of interest on student loans altogether.

Intergovernmental Relations

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today the appeal court began hearing the challenge to Quebec's Bill 99 on its right to self-determination.

The Bloc Québécois would like to reiterate that the Quebec people have an inalienable right to self-determination. We want to reiterate that democracy means 50% of the votes plus one vote. We want to reiterate that the Quebec people are the only masters of their future, which will be decided in the National Assembly and not here. We strongly condemn the federal government's participation in this attack on Quebeckers' freedom of choice. We denounce the Government of Canada for participating in a course of action that is tantamount to authoritarianism. We denounce the fact that, once again, Ottawa is using Quebec taxpayers' money to fund its bid to violate their rights.

I will close by quoting staunch federalist Robert Bourassa, who said that no matter what anyone says or does, Quebec is and always will be a distinct and free society capable of taking charge of its own destiny.

Indigenous Affairs

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Mr. Speaker, history will judge the Prime Minister on his treatment of both female cabinet ministers and MPs during his tenure. It is easy to say the right words and throw the feminism label around, but it is actions that tell the story.

It is now clear that an internal pattern of behaviour is extending into the Liberals' approach to governing. Not only did the Liberals ignore the Wet'suwet'en elected chiefs when they negotiated the memorandum of understanding, they completely disregarded the Wet’suwet’en Matriarchal Coalition. These women simply wanted jobs for their people. They were stripped of their hereditary titles by male chiefs who then gave the titles to men who opposed the GasLink project. This has forced them to go to the Canadian and B.C. human rights tribunals.

Disregarding these female leaders is unacceptable and cannot be allowed to stand. It is time for the Prime Minister to walk the talk and stop ignoring those who deserve to be at the negotiating table.

National Housing Day

[Yvonne Jones, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Mr. Speaker, this past Sunday marked National Housing Day in Canada, and a time to reflect on where we are in our mission to reduce homelessness and provide all Canadians with a safe and affordable place to call home.

Our Liberal government has invested across Canada to increase access and affordability to housing through the recent launch of the billion-dollar rapid housing initiative, the $105 million investment in our reaching home program, the increased funding for on-reserve housing, the launch of the first-ever, 10-year Inuit housing investment fund and the increased federal transfers to provinces and territories. We have stepped up, and we continue to create solutions to homelessness and housing affordability. Our national housing strategy is a 10-year plan that helped 530,000 families find safe, affordable housing and reduce homelessness.

Reducing homelessness and providing Canadians with affordable housing is a priority for our government, and we are going to continue to work hard to ensure that every Canadian has a safe and affordable place to call home.

Diabetes Awareness Month

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

Mr. Speaker, November is Diabetes Awareness Month, and I want to take this opportunity to highlight the importance of supporting Canadians living with diabetes.

This month I had the pleasure of meeting Raina, a young Orleans constituent with type 1 diabetes, and the delegate for JDRF. I was quite impressed with her presentation as part of JDRF's awareness campaign, and I congratulate her for her commitment to helping those suffering from juvenile diabetes.

As co-chair of the all-party caucus on juvenile diabetes, I support the work of JDRF Canada in partnership with CIHR. Their professionalism and stewardship led to many advancements, giving Canadians living with type 1 diabetes a better quality of life.

This year, as we celebrate 100 years of insulin, thanks to Canadian scientists Banting and Best, we are reminded that insulin is no cure, and that only by supporting research can we get closer to eliminating juvenile diabetes.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Before moving on, I just want to remind the hon. members that S.O. 31s are 60 seconds long. I noticed they went over, and they are good messages so I did not want to interrupt. Unfortunately, we do not want to postpone question period because everyone is looking forward to it.

Foreign Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, the government always claims to stand with our long-time ally Israel, until it matters. Once again the Liberals voted against Israel at the United Nations. When asked to explain her vote, the Deputy Prime Minister compared Israel to authoritarian regimes.

Will the Prime Minister demand an apology for the Deputy Prime Minister's insult of an ally of Canada?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is a strong ally and a close friend of Israel. We are committed to the goal of a lasting peace in the Middle East, including the creation of a Palestinian state peacefully side by side with Israel. We are consistent with the Canadian position long held by governments of all political stripes. Canada's vote was a reflection of our long-standing commitment to the right of self-determination for both the Palestinian people and for Israelis.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is consistent in disappointing our allies. The Liberals voted against Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East. Even Michael Levitt, who was a Liberal MP, just weeks ago criticized the vote and said that it demonizes Israel. Maybe that is why he left this chamber. Now Mr. Levitt's former colleagues are comparing Israel to an authoritarian regime.

Will the Prime Minister take this opportunity to publicly disavow the comments from the Deputy Prime Minister?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as a government we have consistently stood up in support of Israel, in defence of our friend and ally, and we will continue to. We have stood up consistently against the illegitimate singling-out of Israel through one-sided votes at the United Nations. We have continued to do that, but we also recognize the right of Palestinian self-determination, which is something we recognized in that recent vote, while at the same time oppose the broad efforts to single out and delegitimize Israel.

Health

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister told the House that Canadians would be the first in line to receive the vaccine. Today, he admitted we are going to be behind many countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Germany. Reuters is even reporting that Mexico will receive a vaccine before Canadians.

How many more months will it take to flatten the curve because the Prime Minister has been unable to rapidly secure a vaccine?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. Leader of the Opposition might not have been following this too closely, but Canada is actually being lauded as one of the countries that has achieved the best and largest portfolio of potential vaccines for its citizens. We are not certain yet which vaccines from which companies are going to be most effective or are going to arrive first, so Canada stepped up and has secured millions of doses of vaccines for Canadians that will be arriving in the coming months.

We are going to continue to ensure that Canadians get the protection they need so we can get through this pandemic together.

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

Mr. Speaker, for weeks now, the Conservatives have been sounding the alarm that this government sent us to the back of the line for vaccines. Today, the Prime Minister admitted that Canada is behind the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and others.

How much longer will Canadians have to wait because this slow government put us at the back of the line?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

The opposite is true, Mr. Speaker.

Since the beginning, we have been negotiating and signing contracts with a record number of companies that could produce a vaccine, because we know that we need to make sure Canadians have access to millions of doses of the vaccine and we do not know exactly which company will produce which vaccine quickly and most efficiently. That is why we created one of the best portfolios of potential vaccines in the world. As I said, we will be able to deliver vaccines to Canadians in early 2021.

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

Mr. Speaker, on September 30, the Prime Minister promised the House that Canada would be the first country to get a vaccine.

Two months later, he is admitting that he was wrong. He does not have priority access to the vaccine. We are still at the back of the line. The first Americans will be vaccinated in a few weeks.

When will Canadians be able to get vaccinated?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I completely understand why Canadians want to know when the vaccines will arrive.

It is because we are all very eager to turn the page on this pandemic. That is why it is so important to keep distancing. That is why the federal government is working with the provinces so that they can impose restrictions that will help flatten the curve, and that is why Canada made sure to secure more vaccines per capita than any other country. It is because our government has demonstrated that we are able to manage this pandemic and help Canadians.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, none of the Prime Minister's answers to my esteemed colleague's questions are even remotely valid.

Allow me to summarize: Canadians and Quebeckers will not be getting the vaccines at the same time as other western powers, period. The health of thousands of people is at stake. Let's face facts: The longer we wait, the more lives will be at stake. The Prime Minister is making up excuses for the inexcusable.

Will the Prime Minister fix his mistake and immediately enter into negotiations to ensure that Canadians and Quebeckers get the vaccine at the same time as the Germans, the Americans and the Brits?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we knew from the beginning that we would have challenges because, unlike the Germans, the Americans and the Brits, we do not have the capacity for mass vaccine production in Canada.

We therefore had to secure larger quantities of vaccines than those other countries, and that is exactly what we did. We were even criticized by the international media for the quantity of vaccines we managed to secure. We have the best portfolio of vaccines of many countries around the world.

We have done our job to ensure that Canadians receive vaccines quickly and with certainty, even in these extremely uncertain times—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Beloeil—Chambly.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, quantity is not the issue. The issue is when, and when is a major problem.

By waffling, hinting and leaving things unsaid, the Prime Minister is letting us know that Quebeckers and Canadians will have to wait, they will have to be sick, and in some cases, things will get worse.

He is blaming it on the pharmaceutical industry, but why was Canada's pharmaceutical industry not in the race? Maybe the Liberals should be asking themselves that question.

Who negotiated those bad agreements? Was it the same people who go around thinking they can lecture everyone else, including the provinces?