Debates of Dec. 3rd, 2020

Natural Resources

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Mr. Speaker, nearly 600 steelworkers at Evraz will lose their jobs just before Christmas. These well-paying union jobs support families and help build their communities, and the government insults them by telling them they should just collect EI or be grateful for the CERB. The Liberals talk a big game when it comes to standing up for workers, but they refuse to support the nation-building energy projects that keep them employed and put food on their tables.

Why has the government helped to phase out 600 members of United Steelworkers Local 5890 by failing to stand up for the projects they helped build and working against the energy sector that they rely on?

[Seamus O'Regan, Liberal, Minister of Natural Resources]

Mr. Speaker, let me be very clear. The opposition can keep asking time and time again about why we fail to support the energy sector. Let me remind members in the House that the wage subsidy covered the wages of roughly half of the employees in the oil and gas industry for untold months.

We will continue to be there for that sector and continue to look at ways in which we can lower emissions and make sure workers are left looked after and that the competitiveness of this sector is upper most in the minds of Canadians. Oil and gas is our biggest export. It is one of the most important industries in this country. It must be treated as such. We have done so in this federal economic—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Sydney—Victoria.

Indigenous Affairs

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Mr. Speaker, today is a historic day for indigenous people: 13 years ago, the United Nations General Assembly voted to adopt the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Many scholars across several nations, including my father, Sákéj Youngblood Henderson, worked for decades on the UN declaration.

Will the Minister of Justice update the House on the Liberal government's commitment to introduce a bill on the UN declaration before the end of 2020?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, I honour the member's father, the great Professor Sákéj Henderson, for his scholarship and his leadership in the training of young indigenous lawyers, particularly at the Indigenous Law Centre in Saskatchewan.

Today, in partnership with indigenous peoples, we have taken another step on our shared path of reconciliation. Building on former private member's bill, Bill C-262, the Romeo Saganash bill, we have introduced legislation to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The declaration affirms the rights of indigenous people to self-determination, self-governance, equality and non-discrimination. It is an essential part of building a more just and fair Canada for the future.

Health

[Rob Morrison, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the use of fentanyl and street drugs is on the rise, while the measures designed to prevent the overdoses are on the decline. Lack of oversight will contribute to the greatest increase in deaths since the highest peak of the opioid crisis. This is a serious public safety concern for indigenous communities, like the Shuswap, which continues to be disproportionately affected.

Will the minister commit to providing funding and work with the Shuswap to help address the opioid crisis?

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the opioid crisis is the most significant public health issue in Canada's recent history. Our hearts are with all of those who have lost a loved one.

We have responded. We have invested over $425 million in emergency responses, restoring harm reduction, approving over 40 supervised consumption sites, cutting red tape and removing barriers to treatment. We will continue to tackle this epidemic by expanding access to safe supply of prescription opioids, committing over $700 million toward treatment in the next decade. We will continue to fight the stigma around opioids.

Public Services and Procurement

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there is absolutely nothing for workers in the shipbuilding industry in the Liberals' economic statement, even though there is a need. The Royal Canadian Navy needs a modern icebreaker to ensure Canada's sovereignty in the Arctic Archipelago.

It is time for the Liberals to award the Diefenbaker contract to a Canadian shipyard. What are they waiting for?

They should stop hemming and hawing, take action before Christmas and award the Diefenbaker contract.

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, we have established a good partnership with two major shipbuilders in Canada, and there will be a third, as we have initiated talks and are negotiating with the Davie shipyard.

That was something that the hon. member opposite was unable to do when the Conservatives were in power. They completely abandoned and forgot Davie shipyard when they chose two major shipbuilders under the national shipbuilding strategy.

We have no lessons to learn from the Conservatives when it comes to shipbuilding, and we will continue to build ships in Canada.

Health

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the strength and well-being of our Canadian tourism economy depends on international visitors coming to Canada. In this age of COVID, it will also depend on international visitors arriving safely and in good health.

Rapid testing is desperately needed in this country. Other countries are light years ahead in rapid testing, and Canada lags far behind because of the Liberal government's slow actions and incompetence.

As the U.S. and European nations take actions to reduce their quarantine periods and deploy rapid testing devices, when will the government finally catch up?

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I reject the premise of the question because we have already delivered over 5.5 million rapid tests, with over 2 million to Ontario, 1.3 million to Quebec, over 600,000 to B.C. and almost 600,000 to Alberta.

We get that testing is one of the most important tools we have to respond to COVID-19, and our officials are working around the clock to review and approve new testing technologies all the time. We have already authorized six of these tests, and we can expect more as the technology develops.

Indigenous Affairs

[Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Liberal, Beaches—East York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, no community in Canada should be without access to clean water. I understand that we have lifted over 60% of long-term advisories on first nations reserves since 2015 and that short-term advisories have been reduced to 10. However, I also understand that we will not see all long-term advisories lifted by March 2021, as we had promised.

There are few issues more urgent, so when does the government now expect to see all advisories lifted?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services]

Mr. Speaker, what I would like to say to all Canadians is that we are not backing away from our commitment to ending all long-term drinking water advisories for first nations on reserve, but are instead making a more profound commitment for the long term.

Yesterday we announced over $1.5 billion to accelerate access to clean water in the short term and ensure stability in the long term, something that communities demanded of us. While we cannot underestimate the impact of COVID-19 on the long-term drinking water timelines, we are confident that by spring 2021, the number of communities under long-term drinking water advisories will amount to 12.

The Environment

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, during their five years in government, the Liberals have allowed the levels of climate pollution in Canada to remain as high as ever. Their economic update on Monday promised only more delays and half-measures. For instance, there is no money for permanent transit funding and their home retrofit program is a copy and paste from Stephen Harper.

In their throne speech in September, the Liberals promised a climate plan immediately that would exceed Canada's Paris commitments. Will we see that plan by the end of this year?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government committed to exceeding our Paris target and getting Canada to net-zero emissions by 2050. We have already put together the most comprehensive plan, which will see the biggest emissions reduction in Canadian history, but we know we have more work to do. We have said that we would announce a new target before the next COP, and we still plan on doing so.

Women and Gender Equality

[Jenica Atwin, Green, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, on April 6 of this year, UN Women issued a statement calling violence against women and girls the shadow pandemic. Last week, the Minister for Women and Gender Equality said, “The issues of sexual violence and gender-based violence will not be solved easily. It will take generations of work”.

We do not have generations to address this crisis. Every day that passes equates to the well-being and the lives of more women being put at risk. Girls are growing up in a world where they are still not safe. I believe that our generation has the power to put an end to the gender-based violence. Does the minister believe this?

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

Mr. Speaker, this morning in the House, the Prime Minister and the leader of every party stood up and unanimously agreed that misogyny, sexism and the need for supporting feminism has to be at the centre of this country's response to addressing and preventing gender-based violence. This progress did not happen naturally. It did not happen on its own, nor did it happen easily. It happened because generations before us pushed for this change.

We are here now. We have made tremendous progress over the past five years, but every time a woman or a child experiences violence is one too many times. We will work to prevent this from happening and ensure that survivors have the supports they need to heal.

Oral Questions

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, during question period I asked the Prime Minister if he could reprimand the President of the Treasury Board and ensure that the government complies with the Official Languages Act. Unfortunately, the Minister of Official Languages did not respond to that in her answer.

I am therefore seeking the consent of the House to table a document entitled “Official Languages Requirements and Checklist”.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

This being a hybrid sitting of the House, for the sake of clarity, I will only ask those who are opposed to the request to express their disagreement.

Accordingly, all those opposed to the hon. member's request will please say nay.

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

We do not have unanimous consent.

The House resumed from December 2 consideration of Bill C-7, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying), as reported (with amendments) from the committee, and of the motions in Group No. 1.

Criminal Code

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

It being 3:08 p.m., pursuant to order made on Wednesday, December 2, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motions at report stage of Bill C-7.

Call in the members.

[Before the Clerk announced the results of the vote:]

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order related to the vote. The hon. member for Haldimand—Norfolk had to leave during the vote, so we would ask that her vote not be counted.