Debates of Feb. 6th, 2020

Public Safety

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister should apply the existing laws, because he is certainly not familiar with the law. The law is clear that the police can suspend a firearms licence, and they can also prevent someone with mental health issues or someone involved in criminal activities from acquiring firearms.

The law is clear, so nothing needs to be changed. Why go after law-abiding citizens instead of tackling street gangs, which are the real problem?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, in the face of the constant threat that women in abusive relationships face from the potential of firearms in the home and the individuals who lose their lives to suicide, for anyone to suggest nothing needs to be done is unconscionable.

Red flag laws have overwhelmingly proven their effectiveness because they empower more than just the limited authority of the police; they give victims, families, teachers, doctors and elders the opportunity to intervene and to keep people safe.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I know some of us in the House have short memories, but the way it works is that members ask questions and then gets the answers. Whether members like the answers is irrelevant. They should not be shouting back and forth while answers are being given or questions are being asked. I want to remind everyone in case that principle has been forgotten.

The hon. member for Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner.

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

If you recall, Mr. Speaker, yesterday I rose to point out that the Prime Minister was misleading Canadians on firearms. Public safety should not be a political game. It is our duty in this House to get the facts right to protect Canadians. The current law is very clear. If a firearms owner poses a threat, authorities can confiscate firearms and suspend licences, preventing further purchases or possession. If the public safety minister actually had a PAL or an RPAL, he would already know this instead of trying to develop what he is doing.

Will the Prime Minister rise, apologize and correct the record?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I will admit I am not a recreational firearm user, but I have actually enforced and used these laws to keep communities and people safe.

What I can say is the authority that exists in law—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Okay, please continue.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Scarborough Southwest, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the laws that are currently available that enable law enforcement to seize firearms and to revoke licences are limited in their application and it is only in the circumstances where reasonable, probable grounds exist and only in circumstances where a seizure of a firearm has taken place that a firearm can be revoked. The practical application of that is that until there has been a return to the justice and that information is conveyed to the chief firearms officer, that licence can be—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for La Prairie.

Justice

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a few minutes ago, we learned that the English Montreal School Board has renounced government funding for its challenge to Bill 21. Even the school board thinks this situation is absurd. I hope the Liberals will realize the absurdity of the situation.

Will the government commit to stop all types of funding for future challenges to Bill 21? It needs to leave Quebeckers alone.

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to remind my colleague of some of the things the Bloc Québécois has said about the court challenges program, which include the following, and I quote: “That instrument has proven itself and has made it possible not only to make gains, but also to have rights that were theirs recognized.”

Also with regard to the same program, the Bloc Québécois said that it was a major tool for communities to combat assimilation and loss of language.

Finally, according to the Bloc Québécois, the court challenges program is an ally in the fight against anyone trying to destroy the francophone minority fibre in this country.

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

Mr. Speaker, using our tax dollars to sponsor a legal challenge of Bill 21 is illegitimate. It is probably also against the rules.

To get funding from the court challenges program, the English Montreal School Board had to prove that it needed financial support. The board's budget is $365 million, $320 million of which comes directly from the Government of Quebec.

How was the English Montreal School Board able to get sponsorship to take the Government of Quebec to court?

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

Mr. Speaker, I want to correct one thing.

The school board never got a penny. What was said is not true. My colleague also asked us to leave Quebeckers alone. I am just as much a Quebecker as he is. Quebec MPs are just as much Quebeckers as he is. Disagreeing does not make anyone less of a Quebecker.

If they want to talk about the court challenges program, I should point out that the Bloc said abolishing the court challenges program would be against the law because the program is an essential tool that exists to ensure equality. The Bloc said that abolishing the program would violate constitutional principles and so on.

It was good then; why is it bad now?

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

Mr. Speaker, the problem is not the court challenges program. It is a good program, except it is supposed to help those who really need it, not an organization that has a $365 million budget. Can we agree on that?

The government wants to give the English Montreal School Board $125,000 and sponsor a partisan lawsuit against Bill 21.

Now that we know that federal funds are available to challenge secularism, we want to know what other organizations received funding. Which ones?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague shared some erroneous information. The English Montreal School Board has not received any funding from that program.

I never thought I would have to rise in the House and give a lesson on a concept as important as independence. Independence means having no connection to someone else, not being accountable, much like the court challenges program, which is independent. Sovereignty is when someone can do what they want, like the court challenges program, which is sovereign. Separation is when someone is far away, divided, separated, like the—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes.

Ethics

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Ethics Commissioner released his report saying that Liberal Joe Peschisolido chronically failed to take reasonable steps to prevent his non-compliance with the code's disclosure obligations.

It is not surprising, given the Prime Minister has been found in violation of the act six times himself. The profound lack of ethics in the Liberal caucus is astounding.

When will the Prime Minister order some remedial ethics courses for his government, and will he commit to take a front seat at the class?

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

Mr. Speaker, the member in question is no longer in the House. I do not see what this has to do with the management of government.

Infrastructure

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

Mr. Speaker, nearly two months ago, I questioned the government about serious delays in federal funding for key infrastructure projects that have already received the approvals from the municipalities and the Ontario government. The House was assured at the time that there was a fund there and they were ready to help.

Councils are now wrapping up their 2020 budgets and need to issue tenders immediately, and still do not have an answer nine months later after submitting their application. This is so unnecessary.

Why does it need to take so long to get federal approval for projects that already have the support from every other level of government?

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for his concern for communities across the country.

When we invested over $180 billion over the next 10 years to support communities, our colleagues across the aisle voted against it. When we ran on a commitment to invest in Canadians, they ran on a commitment to cut infrastructure.

We look forward to continuing our investments so that every community, small or large, can prosper.

Agriculture and Agri-food

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, dairy processor Saputo is laying off 280 workers, including at a plant in Trenton right next to my riding. This comes after the Liberal government injected millions of dollars into this company.

Saputo is a billion-dollar company. It is hardly the family-run business the Minister of Agriculture said the government would help. Over and over, we see that well-connected Canadians are given access to government while hard-working Canadians are left out in the cold.

Can the minister tell us why the government is giving handouts to companies that are laying people off in the Bay of Quinte?

[Marie-Claude Bibeau, Liberal, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food]

Mr. Speaker, the government is sensitive to the concerns of Canadian farmers, and particularly dairy farmers. We have created various programs to help farmers and investors.

I am obviously very disappointed to learn that a large company like Saputo will be shutting down some facilities. Naturally, my thoughts are with the workers affected and their families. We will see what we are able to do.

International Development

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canada used to be recognized around the world as a country that took care of others. We punched above our weight in peacekeeping and poverty reduction.

However, thanks to Conservative and Liberal cuts, Canada has lost that leadership and we are now at the lowest we have been in over 50 years. For social, economic and diplomatic reasons, this is really bad.

When will the government commit to real, predictable dollar increases in our support of the poorest and most vulnerable people on this planet? When will the Prime Minister actually be back?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Minister of International Development]

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague has considerable experience in international development. I would like to acknowledge that this week is International Development Week, a chance for all of us to come together and celebrate our achievements in international development.

I am very proud of the work that we have done introducing the feminist international assistance policy, which has placed Canada in a leadership role when it comes to gender equality, sexual health and reproductive rights on the world stage. I am also extremely proud of our commitment to Thrive, which is working with civil society organizations to make Canada a leader in global health.

Canada is there, and we are committed to helping the world.