Debates of Dec. 8th, 2020

National Acadian Day

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Madam Speaker, Acadia has a national holiday to celebrate its history, the history of a dignified, often mistreated, but proud and unique people.

Every year on August 15, the excitement of National Acadian Day reverberates inland all the way to Montcalm, and I am proud of that. I am a Quebecker of Acadian descent and I represent a riding that is home to New Acadia, where many Acadian families have settled.

This year, however, because of bureaucratic insensitivity, the Acadians are facing a second deportation, as they are being asked to move their national holiday to either Canada Day or the Quebec national holiday if they want to receive subsidies. This is a direct attack on the dignity of a nation that deserves respect for the significance of its national holiday, which celebrates the resilience, pride and fighting spirit of the Acadian people.

When will the Minister of Canadian Heritage right this wrong?

Christian Barthomeuf

[Lyne Bessette, Liberal, Brome—Missisquoi, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on November 27, 114 Canadians were invested into the Order of Canada, one of the country's highest honours.

I especially want to congratulate one of them, Christian Barthomeuf, a resident of Brome—Missisquoi and the owner of Clos Saragnat in Frelighsburg. Throughout his career, Mr. Barthomeuf has contributed to the world of viticulture by creating new ways to cultivate that are adapted to Quebec's climate.

Mr. Barthomeuf has had a remarkable journey and is known above all as the inventor of the famous ice cider, a product for which he has won many international awards. He has helped promote Quebec agricultural products abroad and garner worldwide recognition for Quebec. Even after 40 years, the man who has been called the “rebel farmer” continues to innovate and to enrich our region's food products.

In closing, I congratulate this winemaker and entrepreneur who has made the region of Brome—Missisquoi very proud.

Christmas Greetings

[Richard Bragdon, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

Mr. Speaker, on that starry night many years ago, there was a message of hope given in a very dark place of history, declaring, “Be not afraid; I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. On this night, a saviour is born. Glory to God in the highest, peace on earth and goodwill to all people.” If there has ever been a year that we needed some good news to pierce through the darkness of fear, doubt and despair, it would be this one.

May we embrace the peace that was promised all those years ago and overcome the uncertainty of fear we face today. May the goodwill that was expressed that night continue to be expressed through our lives, as has been so clearly displayed in the valiant efforts of our front-line workers, small business owners, truckers, grocers, farmers, fish harvesters and many others, who have all made tremendous sacrifices and together have laid the foundation for our country's comeback.

May the love, joy, peace and hope that was brought that night many years ago be with everyone and their families this Christmas and throughout the coming year. On behalf of my wife Crystal and our family, I would like to extend to every member of the House and all Canadians a very merry Christmas and a happy and healthy new year.

Holiday Season

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, let us face it: 2020 has been the worst, but after hearing yesterday's announcement about vaccines rolling out, we know there is light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, though, Christmas and the holiday season are still going to be difficult and different.

For some they will be particularly difficult, so I am asking the residents of my great riding of Pickering—Uxbridge and Canadians across the country to think this holiday season about helping to support local businesses by shopping local. They should consider donating to local food banks or picking up a couple of extra toys and donating to local toy drives. Despite the difficulties this year, we can all, in the name of the holiday spirit, do our part to help make this year a little brighter for those who really need it.

Merry Christmas, happy holidays and good riddance to 2020.

Christmas Bells

[Gudie Hutchings, Liberal, Long Range Mountains, NL]

Mr. Speaker, it is wonderful to stand in the House again on behalf of the wonderful folks of the Long Range Mountains. I want to thank them and all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians for doing their part to control the spread of COVID-19 in our province. As my colleague has said, the light is at the end of the tunnel.

Today, as we take time to talk about church bells and sleigh bells and jingle bells, I want to speak of another bell: Charlotte Bell.

Many of us know Charlotte as the CEO of TIAC, the Tourism Industry Association of Canada. We know her passion for the tourism and hospitality sectors and we know that during the pandemic that passion only grew. Her forward thinking and outright love for this industry, its leaders, workers and clients, many of us have seen first-hand. We have seen the results of her hard work and planning among the many winding roads that she has travelled throughout our country from coast to coast to coast. Charlotte is now travelling another road, and wherever this road leads I know her passion for tourism will always be with her.

For my friends, here and at home in the riding of the Long Range Mountains, when they hear the bells of the holiday season this year I want them to pause and reflect, be safe and treasure those near and dear to them. May the road we all travel on lead to a magical place.

I wish everyone a merry Christmas.

Jim Phillips

[Randy Hoback, Conservative, Prince Albert, SK]

Mr. Speaker, this summer, Canada lost a true friend and ally. Jim Phillips was the president and CEO of the Can/Am Border Trade Alliance for almost three decades. His legacy is embodied in the strong relationship and organization forged between Canada and the United States.

Under Jim's remarkable leadership, the essential decision-makers from both countries could gather in one room and always left with the game plan to fix any border irritant, with real results flowing closely behind. Without Jim's hard work, among many other things, we would not have NEXUS cards or a border that flows as reliably and safely as the 49th parallel.

Jim will be greatly missed by all of us engaged on Canada-U.S. issues. We will work tirelessly to keep up the work that Jim dedicated the last 30 years of his life to.

I thank Jim. Rest in peace, my friend.

Ron Irwin

[Terry Sheehan, Liberal, Sault Ste. Marie, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this past Saturday, Lisa and I were very saddened to learn of the passing of our dear friend, the Hon. Ron Irwin.

At the local level, he served as a school trustee, city councillor and mayor. In 1980, Ron was first elected as the Liberal member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie and served as parliamentary secretary to then justice minister, Jean Chrétien. Ron was elected again for a second term in 1993 and served as the minister of Indian affairs and northern development.

Irwin was invested into the Order of Canada and was a recipient of the Queen's jubilee medal. I had the honour to present him with a Canada 150 pin for his exceptional public service career, spanning over 35 years. Ron served not only our community but our nation with strong conviction and persevering efforts. He served as Canada's ambassador to Ireland and as a consul general in Boston.

I was blessed to have Ron as a friend and a supporter. Nobody campaigned like Ron. Rest in peace, dear friend.

Lisa and I offer our condolences to his wife Marg, his family and his so many friends. I thank him on behalf of all constituents of Sault Ste. Marie for his years of service.

Rural Internet Connectivity

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I just received hundreds of surveys back from constituents, raising concerns about poor Internet and cellphone connectivity in our riding.

The ongoing frustrations of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with restrictions to work and school from home, have amplified their exasperation and demand for better service. Back in 2017, only 37% of rural households had access to the sufficient Internet speed identified by the federal government, compared with 97% of urban households. Now in 2020, as more people are working, studying and streaming at home, our already unreliable connections have worsened.

The Liberal government has repeatedly promised to improve Internet connectivity but has failed to deliver. This is a slap in the face to my constituents who pay more to get less and often buy additional equipment, like boosters, just to get five megabytes per second downloads, if they are lucky.

Canada's Conservatives are demanding concrete action from the Liberal government to connect rural Canadians and eliminate these barriers to equal opportunity in today's digital economy and society.

Davie Shipyard

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals like to strut around the Davie shipyard in Lévis and make fine promises. Once the photos have been taken, they slip away without doing anything for the shipyard's workers and suppliers.

However, the Canadian Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Navy have urgent needs, and only Davie is able to build these ships here, in Canada, on schedule and on budget.

The Liberals claim that the Davie shipyard is now part of the national shipbuilding strategy, but they are ignoring and flouting this strategy by having ferries built abroad.

It is time for the Liberals to finally put words into action by offering a firm contract to Davie before Christmas and stop ignoring the largest shipyard in Canada and one we are very proud of.

Myler Wilkinson

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Mr. Speaker, a few days ago we lost Dr. Myler Wilkinson, former instructor of literature and peace studies at Selkirk College in Castlegar. Myler was an accomplished scholar, an award-winning author and an educator whose students often said that he was the best teacher they ever had.

The West Kootenay has long had a strong vein of peace activism. There are the Doukhobors, whose motto is “toil and a peaceful life.” There were thousands of American opponents of the Vietnam war who found a haven in the Kootenays in the sixties and seventies.

Myler and his wife, Linda, had the brilliant vision to build on this core of peace activism to form the Mir Centre for Peace studies at Selkirk. It has flourished since 1999, providing courses on transformative justice and peace studies.

I am proud to represent a riding with such a brave and bold history of peace activism. We will all miss Myler, but we have the legacy of the Mir Centre to carry on his passion for peace on earth and goodwill to men.

Jean Duceppe

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, 30 years ago yesterday, Quebec lost one of its greatest artists in Jean Duceppe.

Jean Duceppe was an actor, comedian and host who left his mark on the theatre, film, television and radio worlds. He was known for his roles in My Uncle Antoine, Death of a Salesman, Charbonneau et le chef and The Plouffe Family, and was also known for the theatre company he founded and that still bears his name. Above all, Jean Duceppe was a staunch defender of Quebec.

He loved his people and left a massive cultural legacy, and I was fortunate to call him my grandfather. Of all the lines he ever delivered, his most significant line came at the end of his life. These words are just as powerful now as they were when I was a child: “Quebec is our only country.”

Blood Donation

[Eric Duncan, Conservative, Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it has been nearly two week since the Minister of Health and I exchanged a debate on the floor of the House about ending the gay blood ban. The government was reminded that it has been five years since the Liberals promised not to study and research the issue anymore, but to end the discrimination and stigma that gay men face in this country.

The minister is aware of a safe, science-based solution that asks questions based on sexual behaviour and not sexual orientation. The Canadian Medical Association and the All Blood is Equal campaign are calling and backing this campaign. The time for talk and excuses is over. Gay men want to make a difference. We want to be treated the same way everybody else is treated. We can get this done.

All I am asking is for the Liberals to keep the promise they made in the past two election campaigns. All parties are united in this. Let us make history and get this done, not in months or years from now, but now. Let us make the change that is long overdue for gay men in this country.

Christmas Greetings

[Alexandra Mendes, Liberal, Brossard—Saint-Lambert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, first, let me wish you, all my fellow parliamentarians and all those who work on the hill as happy a Christmas as possible. Just as importantly, I would like to wish my constituents in Brossard—Saint-Lambert a healthy, safe and loving holiday.

The year is drawing to a close and we cannot wait to see it in the rear-view mirror. What immense challenges and real threats to our security and well-being 2020 has presented to us. I hope during this holiday season we will have the opportunity to find solace in the warmth of our families and take a moment to appreciate what we do have.

This global pandemic has profoundly changed the way we live. No one has been immune from both the personal and social effects of the COVID-19 virus, but we have not been alone in the face of this new threat either. Many sacrifices have been made by everyone and we have been able to adapt our behaviour and routines. We have all had to face these challenges and we are slowly seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.

Once again, I would like to wish everyone a Christmas as merry as the circumstances will allow, and like all, I look forward to better days in 2021.

Health

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister tried to criticize us for asking questions on the CanSino deal. It turns out we were not the only ones with questions. The Globe and Mail is reporting that the government's own vaccine task force recommended against working with CanSino. The Prime Minister has said repeatedly that scientists were guiding the government's decision with respect to the vaccine.

Why did the government make an exception for the Chinese pharmaceutical giant CanSino?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning, we stepped up for Canadians. We reached out to procure potential vaccines from every possible source. We were not going to close any door that would maybe help Canadians. We ended up, therefore, with seven contracts signed with a diverse group of the top vaccine manufacturers in the world. We will continue to ensure we are doing everything we can, based on the best advice of experts, to get these vaccines to Canadians, so we can get through this pandemic once and for all.

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

Mr. Speaker, we found out the first door the Prime Minister opened was with China. We also found out last week the government had been briefed on the security risks involving the Chinese company CanSino. The Prime Minister said that news report was making things up. Now we learn that the scientists agreed with the security experts on CanSino.

If the security experts were against partnering with China, and the scientists were against partnering with China, why did the government partner with China?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we signed seven contracts with different vaccine producers from around the world in order to deliver vaccines reliably to Canadians. We looked for all partnerships, including one that was a successful partnership in developing an ebola vaccine a number of years ago with CanSino. That did not pan out for a number of different reasons, but what we are left with is seven extraordinary contracts that have secured more doses per capita for Canadians, potentially, than any other country in the world.

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

Mr. Speaker, we lost five months on the China deal that the Prime Minister said did not pan out. We did not prioritize domestic vaccine production. The government did not listen. Instead of pursuing a made-in-Canada solution, which was actually put forward by their own experts, the Liberals signed off on a partnership with CanSino. For that partnership they put millions into a facility, which they were told was not ready for vaccine production.

Why did the Prime Minister favour a made-in-China solution instead of the made-in-Canada solution their own experts were demanding?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, every step of the way we leaned on our experts, on the immunity task force and on the vaccination task force, to make recommendations on what we should do to ensure a solid supply of potential vaccines to Canadians. That advice actually led us to being in the enviable position of having more doses from more companies than just about any other country, and we are hopeful to be receiving our first vaccinations next week. This is what a government that listens to experts and works hard for Canadians has been able to deliver.

Justice

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

Mr. Speaker, last week, the New York Times showed us just how easy it is to access child pornography on adult websites.

At MindGeek, it is business as usual because this government is doing nothing. MindGeek is even headquartered in Montreal. When will the Liberal government launch an investigation to protect our kids?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we are actively working on new regulations that will require online platforms to remove all illegal content.

That includes hate speech, depictions of the sexual exploitation of children and violent or extremist content. Under our approach, illegal content will be removed quickly, platforms will be monitored, and victims will have access to a rapid, transparent and independent process. We are working on this with our international partners and will be introducing these regulations as soon as possible.

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

Mr. Speaker, in March, Canadian senators and MPs from all four political parties sent a letter to the Minister of Justice urging him to take steps to regulate MindGeek and other porn companies. We need rules for age verification and the removal of child pornography.

When will the government protect our kids from sexual exploitation?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as I said, we are actively working on new regulations that require online platforms to remove all illegal content, including depictions of child sexual exploitation, child pornography and hate speech.

We will be there to protect Canadians, and we are working very hard on measures we will be able to implement.

Health

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to quickly say that the government will have our support for any measures to put an end to the sexual exploitation of children.

On another note, the government could have had vaccines manufactured in Canada and could have had proper facilities. The government could have made this happen with licensing. The government could have made this happen without licensing by making arrangements after the fact. It could have synchronized the approval process. It did none of that.

The government bought 250,000 doses in an attempt to sweep all of that under the rug. About 30,000 of those doses are for Quebec. That is not even enough to vaccinate all of the seniors in Sherbrooke.

How much did the government pay for this spectacle?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have been working with experts and scientists all along, and they have advised us on how to protect Canadians. Under their advice, we signed more contracts with a diverse group of vaccine manufacturers than any other country, and we have secured tens of millions of doses, the most doses per person than any other country.

The vaccines could start arriving next week. Manufacturing is obviously starting out slow, but we will be able to vaccinate millions of Canadians in early 2021.