Debates of June 17th, 2020

Supplementary Estimates (A)

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Madam Chair, as we know, COVID-19 has had a number of ancillary effects on people who, despite not acquiring COVID, are significantly disrupted in their daily lives. This includes, of course, young people. We know that young people with reduced access to community centres, with school closures, with limits on who they can socialize with and oftentimes with challenging situations in their own personal lives need the support that many excellent organizations provide. One of those organizations is Kids Help Phone. Because it had such a high number of calls from young people and children across the country, we provided it with an additional $7.5 million so that it can continue to meet the demand of calls.

We have to act to help children and young people in our communities. These are stressful and scary times for adults, so I can only imagine the anxiety that young people are feeling. This investment is a very important part of connecting young Canadians to the mental health supports they need.

[Sherry Romanado, Liberal, Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, QC]

Madam Chair, in my home province of Quebec, COVID-19 has had a devastating impact, especially in our CHSLDs and with our senior population. I, myself, lost an aunt in May to COVID-19 in a CHSLD. While we mourn the thousands of Canadians whose lives we have lost through this pandemic and remember those families that were affected, as we all are, I ask the minister if she can talk about moving forward on the path.

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Thunder Bay—Superior North, ON]

Madam Chair, my heart goes out to the member and all Canadians who have lost a loved one through the tragedy of COVID-19. We know that this tragedy has been most profound for seniors who are living in long-term care homes across the country. In fact, the support that we have been giving to provinces and territories to strengthen their response no doubt will have saved countless lives. Those we cannot count. However, we do have to remember the number of lives that we have lost.

As the Prime Minister has said, this is a national tragedy. We stand with the provinces and territories as they do that important work to protect seniors, our loved grandparents and parents, who are living in these facilities now, and strengthen the dignity and safety they all deserve in the future.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Madam Chair, when the government claimed that Canada was back, we did not realize how far back it expected to take us.

Today, Canada was trounced under this leadership by both Ireland and Norway at the UN, so I would ask any minister responsible for this failure to tell us: How much did the government spend on its diplomatic campaign to lose a seat on the Security Council?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Minister of International Development]

Madam Chair, as I have already expressed, Canada can be extremely proud of the campaign that we ran over the past five years. I want to continue to express my gratitude to the officials, diplomats and everyone on Team Canada who worked so hard and was able to showcase Canada's values and our commitment on the world stage.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Madam Chair, I will be splitting my time with the members for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon and Huron—Bruce.

That was not the question. The question was: How much did Canada spend on its failed campaign to secure a Security Council seat? How much?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Burlington, ON]

Madam Chair, the work that Canada does diplomatically is to advance our interests and our values, and to share what Canada is doing on the world stage. We are committed to multilateralism. We are committed to continuing to work in the UN system to make sure that we can advance the interests of peace and security globally.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Madam Chair, how much did the government spend on travel and hospitality as part of its global failed campaign for a security council seat?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Burlington, ON]

Madam Chair, as the hon. member knows, Canada's work internationally is to advance human rights, advance gender equality and to fight climate change. We do this work because we believe in a—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Carleton.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Madam Chair, the government spent prodigious fortunes travelling around, splashing dollars in all directions, trying to win over dictators and their diplomats at snazzy cocktail parties around the world.

Canadian taxpayers deserve to know how much was spent on this global boondoggle. How much?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Burlington, ON]

Madam Chair, diplomatic efforts are done to advance Canadian interest, to advance Canadian values when it comes to fighting climate change, when it comes to advancing human rights, when it comes to standing up for LGBTQ2I individuals around the world and when it comes to advancing gender equality and ensuring local women's organizations have the support they need. That is what Canada is doing.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Madam Chair, how many tax dollars did the government spend for each vote it got?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Burlington, ON]

Madam Chair, I think the hon. member does not quite understand diplomacy and does not understand that Canada engaging in the world means that we ensure we engage and listen with—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Carleton.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Madam Chair, the question was how much per vote?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Burlington, ON]

Madam Chair, again, the hon. member could seek to explore how diplomacy works. It is about engaging, it is about communicating, it is about—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Carleton.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Madam Chair, how much did the government spend trying to win votes in South America and how many South American votes did it get?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Burlington, ON]

Madam Chair, Canada engages with regions all around the world. We try to advance those interests because it is important for Canadians, it is important for Canadian businesses, it is important for—

[The Deputy Chair, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Carleton.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Madam Chair, the question was how much the government spent. We know it splashed money around in all directions in order to win, in addition to throwing away all of Canada's traditional principles. It will not tell us how much it spent on this failed enterprise to lose votes vis-à-vis our last time.

We know how much of our moral authority the government squandered. It stood beside the Iranian totalitarian regime in Tehran, bowed before that regime, apologized to that regime after it shot down a plane killing Canadians.

We know the government abandoned Israel, voting against it at the United Nations after only months earlier promising to do the contrary. It refused to list the terrorist Iranian revolutionary armed guard of Canada. It refused to stand up to the dictators around the world and in Asia in order to try to win some votes. It gave up all of this moral authority in exchange for absolutely nothing.

It is bad enough when one gives up one's principles. It is even worse when one gives up one's principles and lose anyway.

Given that massive failure, will the government at least tell Canadian taxpayers how much is squandered on this failed global campaign?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Burlington, ON]

Madam Chair, I believe that when Canada provides support to local women's organizations, that is not squandering money. I believe that when Canada provides funding for neonatal care in the Palestinian territories, that is not squandered funding. I believe that when we are engaging on LGBTQ2 issues, when we are engaging on climate change, when we are engaging on human rights around the world, that is not squandering Canadian resources.

I have to sincerely and completely disagree with my hon. colleague. When it comes to defending Israel, when it comes to defending a two-state solution in the Middle East, Canada has been there and has been firm in that commitment. When it comes to defending and seeking justice and transparency for the victims of the Iranian plane crash, Canada has been there.

Canada has not comprised on its values and in fact we continue to lead with them day in and day out.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Carleton, ON]

Madam Chair, those are lovely words.

In how many countries where dictators ban the rights of gays and lesbians did the government attempt to win security council votes?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Burlington, ON]

Madam Chair, I ask my hon. colleague whether he believes that when the government is spending money on local organizations that stand up for LGBTQ2 issues, it is squandering money. That is the kind of action that the Canadian government is taking. Those are the kinds of principles and values that we have been leading on around the world, and we will continue—