Debates of March 10th, 2020

Art Enns

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Mr. Art Enns, who recently passed away after a brief battle with cancer.

Art was an icon in the agriculture industry, a passionate advocate for farmers and a true philanthropist. He was a strong supporter of marketing freedom. Art never wavered in his belief that farmers should have the freedom to market their own wheat and barley as they saw fit.

From being the president of the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association in the late nineties to becoming the president of the Prairie Oat Growers Association, he was no stranger to members of Parliament. His tireless and unwavering enthusiasm in those lobby missions across the Prairies and in Ottawa was a testament of his devotion to the agriculture industry.

Art was instrumental in opening new markets and was always at the table to ensure the voice of farmers was heard loud and clear.

On behalf of all who knew him, rest in peace dear friend.

International Women's Day

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we celebrated International Women's Day on Sunday, March 8. Although we still have a long way to go, progress toward gender equality is measurable and visible. In Alfred-Pellan, women excel in all areas, from art to high technology, from sports to medical research, from education to business.

Women are striving, and not even the sky is the limit.

I think of the story of Vyckie Vaillancourt, who took over the family farm and founded O'Citrus, the only company specializing in citrus fruit grown in Quebec.

I think of the Imbriglio sisters who evolve in the mechanical engineering industry and the manufacturing of precision parts for machinery. These women set an example that professions and jobs have no gender. Passion and perseverance is all one needs.

Ladies, wherever you are, I tip my hat to you. Thank you for being women.

Quebec Film Festival

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the third Drummondville edition of Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma was held from February 27 to 29. The people of Drummond are proud to showcase the film industry's creative strengths on the sidelines of the Montreal event. This proves that our city and our region are not only leaders in business and economic development, but they are also a place that values culture, where artists can express themselves to an open, engaged audience. The Drummondville screenings were nearly cancelled this year due to a lack of funding. My friend Geneviève Biron, the mother of the young actor Édouard Biron-Larocque, is the one who told me about it and led the charge to get the attention of elected officials, business people and the media. Everyone understood that a nation that does not defend its culture is doomed to fade away.

I want to congratulate Annie Hamel, executive director of the Cinéma Capitol in Drummondville, as well as Guillaume and Frédéric Venne, the owners of Cinémas RGFM, who worked tirelessly to keep the event alive. Together, we will ensure that Rendez-vous Québec Cinéma has a home in Drummondville for years to come.

Seniors

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, one of my mentors is Donna Cansfield, a former MPP for Etobicoke Centre. She once said to me, “Yvan, the most important job of a politician is not to talk, it is to listen. When you listen, you understand people's priorities, their challenges and you acquire knowledge about how to solve those challenges.”

Etobicoke Centre has, per capita, one of the largest populations of seniors of any riding in Canada, so I spend a lot of time trying to address the challenges that seniors face. I also spend a lot of time listening to seniors.

When I was an MPP, I hosted a monthly seniors' advisory group meeting to learn about and discuss how we could address the challenges seniors faced in my community.

As the MP for Etobicoke Centre, I have started to hold those meetings once again, and the turnout so far has been fantastic. We have had over 100 seniors come to each of our first two meetings. I would like to thank the seniors who have come out so far and contributed to those meetings and I would like to encourage and invite all seniors in Etobicoke Centre to join me at my future meetings. I am eager to address the challenges they face. I am eager to listen.

Public Safety

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, people in my riding, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, have questions for the Prime Minister.

They want to know why he never shows any interest in security-related issues. Since 2017, they have watched him welcome thousands of illegal immigrants with open arms. His government welcomes them every day and does nothing to put a stop to the problem.

It is clear to the people I represent that the Liberal government does not understand the concept of borders. Right now, anyone can circumvent the immigration system, while those who apply in accordance with the law are forced to wait even longer.

In the past month, my constituents have watched this government let criminals block rail lines and derail the economy. Many Canadians lost their jobs, and Canadians' safety and security were at risk. My constituents want to know why.

They are also concerned about the government's failure to make a decision about banning Huawei from the 5G network. They know that the communist Chinese regime spies on us and regularly steals Canadian intellectual property, but they do not see the government doing anything to protect them.

They feel abandoned, and they want to know why.

Tampon Tuesday

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today is Tampon Tuesday. It is time to talk about menstrual products.

Tampon Tuesday is a national initiative that encourages Canadians to donate menstrual products to those in need.

Period poverty is a problem facing nearly one-quarter of menstruating Canadians. These Canadians struggle to buy enough menstrual products every month, often due to economic circumstances which force them to prioritize food or housing over buying pads or tampons. These challenges have led to menstrual hygiene products being one of the most requested items at donation centres like the food bank. Sadly, they are also one of the least donated.

This campaign, led by the United Way, started in 2009 and has seen donations of over 330,000 boxes of feminine hygiene products over the years. However, there is still work to be done. There is still more need.

Let us not pad the truth. We have been going with the flow for far too long and it is time to work together to create a country where menstrual products are openly accessible to all, period.

Status of Women

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, when we talk about and take action on advancing the rights of women and girls in Canada and across the world, we do it with the knowledge that when society empowers women, we improve governance, we decrease conflict, we increase stability, we improve economic performance, we boost food security and health and we have better environmental protection and social progress for everyone.

This year, as we celebrated International Women's Day, we recognized the trailblazers who have been pushing that needle further toward progress for all humanity.

Women's rights are human rights and activism for women and girls, such as celebrating International Women's Day, is really about advancing the whole of humanity, and we all have a part to play.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Mr. Speaker, members of the ALS Society of Canada are on Parliament Hill today to spread awareness about the disease.

This year alone, approximately 1,000 Canadians will learn they have ALS and another 1,000 Canadians will die from the disease.

This disease affects the motor neurons that carry signals between our brains and muscles. Over time, a person suffering from ALS will lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, swallow and eventually breathe. The care responsibility for ALS patients takes a huge emotional, financial and psychological toll on patients and their families. There is no cure for ALS and few treatment options for people living with the disease.

Today has been an opportunity to better understand ALS.

I thank the ALS Society of Canada for its continued advocacy efforts to find a treatment and eventual cure for the disease. Like the ALS Society, I would also like to live in a world without ALS.

Women in House Program

[Helena Jaczek, Liberal, Markham—Stouffville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize U of T's Women in House, founded in 2013. It is a program aimed at promoting greater female representation in the federal government by inviting students to shadow a Canadian parliamentarian for a day on the Hill. It is a non-partisan and bilingual program co-founded by Dr. Tina Park and the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations.

In celebration of the 2020 International Women's Day week, 100 female students from the University of Toronto are on the Hill today shadowing an MP or senator.

The students, who range from first year undergraduates to PhD students, will be witnessing the political process close up and networking with politicians.

I am so pleased to have students here from my alma mater, including my shadow, Keshna Sood, who I feel sure will be a future leader.

I want to thank the participants and all hosts across the political spectrum who are helping champion and empowering our next generation.

Tibet

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, today marks the 61st anniversary of Tibetan national uprising day. We mark 61 years of resistance to the Communist occupation of Tibet, the Land of Snows.

The Tibetan resistance has a unique character. Tibetans do not desire recrimination or division and they do not respond to their oppression with violence. They desire reconciliation, a middle way, which allows Tibet genuine autonomy within the framework of the Chinese constitution. They build, they love and they will outlast.

In their resistance, Tibetans model the immortal words of Martin Luther King Jr., who said, “We shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering. We shall meet your physical force with soul force.”

The deep spirituality and endurance of the Tibetan soul force will overcome the mere physical force of aimless dialectical materialism.

This year the Communist Party introduced a new draconian "ethnic unity" law to eradicate virtually all of the distinct elements of Tibetan identity.

However, we celebrate today that even under the growing oppression which the Land of the Snows endures, the Tibetan spirit is as strong as ever, inside Tibet, in Dharamsala, here in Canada and around the world.

Bhod Gyalo.

Correctional Service of Canada

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the federal prison needle exchange program provides clean needles to drug-addicted inmates so they can inject illegal substances that have been smuggled into our prisons. Needles are provided confidentially to inmates to do drugs in their cells. How can this possibly be a good idea?

Prison is meant to be punishment. The illegal drug habits of convicted individuals should not be catered to by federal correctional institutions.

The prison needle exchange program does not affect inmates alone. It puts the personal safety of our correctional officers at substantial risk. The Union of Canadian Correctional Officers is rightly and adamantly opposed to the needle exchange program.

Why is the government not listening to those on the front lines who have been clear that the current program does very little with respect to harm reduction?

Why does the Liberal government place more value on the illegal drug abuse of inmates over the safety of our correctional officers?

International Women's Day

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in honour of International Women's Day to honour my mother, who instilled in me the values of justice and empathy which set my moral compass, and to honour my incredible spouse, who teaches me the virtues of patience and compassion.

I rise to honour all of Hamilton's incredible Women of Distinction, those who have officially been nominated and those who continue to lead and yet remain unrecognized.

I stand in solidarity with all women around the world on the front lines against violent oppression; indigenous women land and water protectors here in Canada; Latinas mass organizing against gender-based violence in places like Mexico and Chile; women fighting for basic human rights in Saudi Arabia; women on the front lines against ethnic cleansing in India and occupation in Palestine; and the young women and girls internationally calling for access to education, the end of female genital mutilation and the end to girls being exploited through marriage.

I rise to honour them in their ongoing struggles for justice, security and equity.

May their courage become ours and their struggles shared in solidarity until their day is won.

Women's Support Centre

[Mario Beaulieu, Bloc, La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is with great respect that I rise to congratulate Info-Femmes on its 40th anniversary. It is a vital community and feminist organization with undeniable expertise that is located in the Mercier-Est region of La Pointe-de-l'Île.

Since 1980, this organization has helped over 50,000 women meet, share ideas and acquire tools. Info-Femmes helps them improve their mental and physical health and take control of their lives so that they can become independent.

I would like to commend the organization for its recent initiatives to commemorate victims of domestic violence, prevent domestic violence and raise awareness of this issue following the murders of women that occurred in eastern Montreal.

I want to thank coordinator Anik Paradis, case worker Linda Basque, and the entire Info-Femmes team for their invaluable work and for their contribution to a movement, a collective vision of equality, justice and fairness for all.

The Economy

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in the last Parliament the government enjoyed the good fortune of a booming global economy, and they squandered it with wasteful spending, massive deficits and broken promises.

The Liberals failed to deliver their public infrastructure program, and major private infrastructure projects such as pipelines were either cancelled or had to be nationalized.

Canada's economic growth was grinding to a halt before the illegal blockades, before the outbreak of coronavirus, before the stock market crashed and before oil prices went into free fall.

For four years, my constituents have watched the government dither its way into massive structural deficits while ignoring thousands of unemployed energy workers, and now we face blockades, coronavirus, a global downturn and a catastrophic drop in oil prices, all on top of an already weakening Canadian economy.

The government is hopelessly ill-prepared for the gathering economic storm. My constituents want national leadership. and they find none from the Liberal government.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise in the House today to recognize ALS Canada's advocacy efforts on behalf of everyone who has this terrible disease. Losing a friend to ALS is difficult. I experienced it myself in 2016. Many of you knew him. I am talking about the Hon. Mauril Bélanger.

As members know, 3,000 Canadians are currently living with ALS.

To this day, there are no survivors among those who are diagnosed with ALS. That is why it is so important for this community to continue to advocate until we make this terrible disease a treatable one.

I want to thank all the MPs and senators who took and will take meetings today with ALS Canada. I want to thank those who have been diagnosed with ALS but are here today to advocate on behalf of other patients.

Mainly, I thank Carol, Stephanie and Norm. They are tireless advocates. To those who have left us, like my friends Eddy and Mauril, know that I, along with many colleagues in this place, will continue to advocate until we make ALS a treatable disease.

The Economy

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, four and a half years ago, the Liberals were elected on a promise to run three modest deficits and achieve a zero deficit in 2019. In reality, they ran four huge deficits in a row of $70 billion. They broke their promise.

Worse yet, in four and a half years, 200,000 Canadian jobs have been lost in the energy sector and $150 billion in investments have vanished. The rail crisis lasted more than a month because the government was dragging its feet.

Now that dark clouds are looming on Canada's horizon, what is the government going to do after squandering all its flexibility?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, for four years, we have been investing in communities, workers and the Canadian economy. That investment has lifted one million Canadians out of poverty and helped Canadians create more than one million jobs over the past few years.

Our economy is growing. There are opportunities for more people. We recognize that the coronavirus will create some economic challenges. That is why we are so glad we kept some flexibility so we could invest in Canadians.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the truth is that the house was in order when they came to power four and a half years ago. They had a budget surplus, the best debt-to-GDP ration of all G7 countries and the best economic growth. That is the triple crown of sound management of public funds. It is the hallmark of the Conservative government.

The Liberals racked up deficit after deficit. Today, there is no more flexibility.

Why did they choose to spend instead of save at a time of global economic growth?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we remember the Conservatives' approach, which was to cut veterans' services, cut public health, and eliminate health care services for the most vulnerable Canadians and refugees.

We chose to invest instead, and we have seen the economic growth that has been created. We also left enough flexibility for difficult times like these. We can help business owners, workers and Canadians deal with the crisis we are facing due to the coronavirus.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals were running a $27-billion deficit before the coronavirus crisis kicked off. What did that buy us? It bought higher unemployment than the U.K., the U.S., Japan and Germany; half of Canadians within $200 of insolvency; and $150 billion in cancelled projects. Then in the last three months of last year, our economy ground to a halt, with 0.3% economic growth.

How could so much money buy so little?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, that is exactly the question Canadians were asking themselves in 2015, because Stephen Harper and the Conservatives added over $150 billion to the national debt with nothing to show for it. We made the decision to invest in Canadians instead, to put more money in the pockets of the middle class.

What did we get? A million Canadians were lifted out of poverty and over a million jobs were created. What did the Conservatives do? They cut services for veterans and made cuts to health care and cuts to things that Canadians need. We now have room to manoeuvre to invest in the Canadian economy against the coronavirus. That is what we chose to do.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, instead of defending his record, the Prime Minister states falsehoods about our record.

There were two Conservative budgets prior to the great global recession. Let us look at those budgets.

In 2006, according to the public accounts, there was a $13.8-billion surplus. In 2007, delivered again by Jim Flaherty, there was a $9.6-billion surplus. The Conservatives did the responsible thing and paid off debt to cushion us against the hard times that were to come. That is why we had the strongest response to the great global recession.

Why did he spend the cupboard bare in the good times and leave us so weak and vulnerable now, in the hard times?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite asks a good question. Why did we invest in Canadians? Why did we put more money in the pockets of the middle class?

It was because we knew it would create growth for Canadians, it would lift millions of people out of poverty, it would support families and seniors and it would grow our economy by investing in infrastructure the Conservatives had neglected for a decade.

Our investments have created growth that gives us the room to manoeuvre now, and we have the firepower to be able to invest in our economy, given the coronavirus challenge.

That is the—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Carleton.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the roughly half of Canadians who were within $200 of insolvency before the coronavirus crisis hit would disagree that the Prime Minister invested in them.

He says that we neglected to give $12 million to Loblaws. He is right. He says that we neglected to give $50 million to Mastercard. He is right about that too. He is right that we neglected to give money to the big well-connected corporate insiders whom he has favoured with his deficit spending over the last four years.

Is the Prime Minister now setting the stage to fill the coffers of his friends, to bloat the government and to balloon the deficit with all of his rhetoric today?