House of Commons Hansard #49 of the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was broken.
Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON
Mr. Speaker, Canada's official opposition recognized that the Chinese government was committing a genocide against the Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims. Two consecutive U.S. administrations have recognized this genocide, which new secretaries Anthony Blinken and Janet Yellen recently confirmed.
What is the Government of Canada's position?
Marc Garneau LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, Canada takes these allegations of genocide very seriously. From the outset, Canada declared that the international community had to work together to investigate the serious human rights violations in Xinjiang. The mounting evidence of a systematic campaign of repression cannot be ignored. Canada will continue to work with its partners and exert pressure for an independent international organization to conduct an investigation so that impartial experts can directly observe and report on the situation.
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Mr. Speaker, there was absolutely no realistic chance that independent investigators would be allowed into East Turkestan. That is merely a delay tactic.
Donald Trump and Joe Biden do not agree on much, but both their administrations have now recognized that Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims in China are being subject to ongoing genocide
There is no time for more delays or more investigations. These determinations are very clear from our allies and partners. When will the government join the Biden administration and recognize this genocide?
Marc Garneau LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, let me repeat that Canada takes allegations of genocide very seriously. From the beginning, Canada has said that the international community has to work together in order to investigate the egregious human rights abuses taking place in Xinjiang. Mounting evidence of a systematic campaign of repression cannot be ignored.
Canada will continue to collaborate with its partners and push for an investigation by an international independent body so that impartial experts can observe and report on the situation first-hand.
Marilyn Gladu Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
Mr. Speaker, the government ignored the viceregal appointments committee so it could hand-pick the Governor General. It had, as John Ivison of the National Post quoted sources, a candidate “too spectacular to say no to.” It turns out that the only thing spectacular was the damage the Prime Minister caused with this decision.
Will the Prime Minister commit to consulting the opposition in using the viceregal appointments committee, so that this country's next Governor General does not end up in the same spectacle as the last one?
Dominic LeBlanc LiberalPresident of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Mr. Speaker, last week, after receiving a report with respect to workplace conditions at Rideau Hall, the Prime Minister accepted the resignation of the Governor General. In the interim, as my colleague knows, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Wagner, can ensure all of the constitutional continuity in this role.
The government has made no decisions with respect to the selection or the recommendation of a successor for Her Majesty and will have more to say about that in due course.
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
Mr. Speaker, Canada has a shortage of vaccines, its economy is floundering and we no longer have a Governor General. One person is responsible for this situation and that is the Prime Minister. It was the Prime Minister who decided not to use the committee that we, the Conservatives, created. This committee could have identified the problems, but no, the Prime Minister decided that he knew what was best for everyone and he made a personal decision without consulting anyone, which has led to the current situation.
Why did the Prime Minister not do the bare minimum?
Dominic LeBlanc LiberalPresident of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague and friend for his question.
As he is well aware, the Prime Minister accepted the Governor General's resignation last week. The chief justice of the Supreme Court will carry out the constitutional duties of the position in the meantime. The government has not yet made any decisions about the process or measures that must be taken to recommend the best person to Her Majesty the Queen. We will provide more details in due course a few weeks from now.
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Mr. Speaker, Quebec mobilized its health care resources to organize a massive vaccination campaign, the largest in history. However, not one dose was delivered this week. Not one. Quebec did everything in its power to vaccinate people, but Ottawa once again failed in its responsibility to procure vaccines for Quebeckers.
Can the Prime Minister give formal assurances today that Quebec will receive doses of the Pfizer vaccine next week?
Anita Anand LiberalMinister of Public Services and Procurement
Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate something I said earlier. The temporary reduction with the Pfizer deliveries will not impact our overall deliveries for the quarter. Indeed, we will see 300,000-plus doses arriving, starting next week. This will go toward meeting our quarterly goal, which we are on track to meet, of six million doses from Pfizer and Moderna into the country, and those will be distributed to all provinces and territories, including Quebec.
Julie Vignola Bloc Beauport—Limoilou, QC
Mr. Speaker, the federal government is unable to confirm today that it will receive doses of the Pfizer vaccine next week. A government with foresight seeks solutions to help its people, does it not?
We know that there are delays in procuring the Pfizer vaccine as a result of work being done on the plant in Belgium. However, Pfizer has another plant in Michigan. The Prime Minister spoke to U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday.
Did he at least take the initiative to ask him to intervene with Pfizer so that Canada can get vaccines from Michigan?
Anita Anand LiberalMinister of Public Services and Procurement
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question. I want to say that I am in constant contact with our international partners. I have been in touch with our ambassador since the beginning of the vaccination process. We are open. We have taken advantage of every opportunity for Canadians.
Gary Vidal Conservative Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK
Mr. Speaker, in building the most environmentally friendly pipeline in the world, some first nations were looking to solve intergenerational poverty in their communities. They were anticipating improvements to education, housing, health care and social programs. It meant real jobs, real growth, real progress and, most important, real hope.
Could the Minister of Indigenous Services tell the House what he has done to advocate for these communities that lost their opportunity to advance toward self-determination when Keystone XL pipeline was cancelled?
Seamus O'Regan LiberalMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister said directly to the President on Friday, we are disappointed in this decision. First and foremost, our concern is with the thousands of workers, indigenous and non-indigenous, and their families that are impacted by this decision.
I spoke to the Alberta energy minister the morning of the inauguration. The message to her, Albertans as well as to the minister of energy for Saskatchewan was that we would be there to support these workers. We are proud of the work they do. We will need their hard work and ingenuity to lower emissions and keep our oil and gas sector strong and prosperous for years to come.
Damien Kurek Conservative Battle River—Crowfoot, AB
Mr. Speaker, about 1,000 people in my constituency lost their jobs on Wednesday last week.
After half a decade of pain in the energy sector, there was finally a glimmer of optimism when work on Keystone XL began. Canada's world-class energy industry has been attacked long enough by the government. My constituents are suffering, and all Canadians are paying the price.
Can somebody, can anybody, in the government not just give up, but commit to reach across the border to our allies and stand up for the future of these workers and their families?
Seamus O'Regan LiberalMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, we are not happy about this decision.
We made a strong argument for this project at every level and in every way we could, from Ambassador Hillman to the Prime Minister. I spoke, weekly, with Minister Savage and the former member for Edmonton—Leduc, James Rajotte throughout the fall.
The governments of Canada and Alberta stood shoulder to shoulder in Washington, virtually, to make the case together. We made the case for Canada and the President of the U.S. has made a decision to honour his campaign commitment.
Blaine Calkins Conservative Red Deer—Lacombe, AB
Mr. Speaker, the cancellation of the Keystone XL pipeline is devastating for workers across Canada and especially here in Alberta.
This is the second time that a U.S. president has tried to kill this project, and the second time that the Prime Minister has pretended to be disappointed. The left pretends that cancelling this project is about the environment. Meanwhile Russia, Iran, Nigeria and Venezuela cheer the decision.
The job losses that come with this decision are not pretend jobs. Instead of playing pretend, why does the Prime Minister not actually stand up for Alberta, stand up for Canada and remind the U.S. President who their friends actually are?
Seamus O'Regan LiberalMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, the Harper Conservatives had years to get Keystone XL done, and what was their strategy? Nothing. There was no strategy except throwing public insults, negotiating in the media, and doing nothing to support the thousands of energy workers, except beating their own chests.
We will not take any lessons from that side of the House on getting projects built or supporting energy workers. We need to focus now on the best strategy to get the best outcomes for workers and for the continued competitiveness and prosperity of our oil and gas industry.
Ya'ara Saks Liberal York Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, as International Holocaust Remembrance Day falls this week, Jewish communities across Canada are alarmed by rising anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial.
The recent desecration of Montreal's Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue was horrifying, but sadly not surprising to the Jewish community or other faith communities often targeted by hate.
Could the Minister of Foreign Affairs tell the House what the government is doing to fight anti-Semitism in Canada and around the world and to honour the memory of the six million murdered in the Holocaust?
Marc Garneau LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs
Mr. Speaker, I welcome the member for York Centre's question, and condemn in the strongest possible terms the despicable anti-Semitic attack that occurred at Shaar Hashomayim in my community.
Anti-Semitism and Holocaust denial have absolutely no place in our society. This is why Canada has appointed the Hon. Irwin Cotler as Canada's special envoy on preserving Holocaust remembrance and combatting anti-Semitism to lead this work. I am confident that, as special envoy, Mr. Cotler will help advance Canada's efforts to promote Holocaust education, awareness and remembrance and take meaningful action to combat anti-Semitism at home and abroad.
Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB
Mr. Speaker, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business has warned that one in six businesses is thinking about shutting down permanently. Calgary Forest Lawn is home to the famous International Avenue, where many new Canadians are living their dream of owning their own small business. They are extremely disappointed at the government's lack of an adequate vaccine plan, causing further financial and mental stress. If we hope to have a functioning economy again, we need our small businesses to succeed.
Will the minister commit to providing an actual plan instead of a mouthful of platitudes, or will this be another botched job like the vaccine plan?
Anita Anand LiberalMinister of Public Services and Procurement
Mr. Speaker, I take issue with the comment that this is a botched vaccine plan. Indeed, we have the highest number of doses per capita of any country in the world. We were one of the first countries to begin vaccinating its citizens, and we have been told by both Pfizer and Moderna at the bargaining table that we were one of the first countries in line with them as suppliers.
This is a temporary reduction in Pfizer's vaccine shipments. We are on track to have three million Canadians vaccinated by the end of the first quarter, and we will have all Canadians with access to a vaccine prior to the end of September—
Cathy McLeod Conservative Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC
Mr. Speaker, in the last few weeks I have met with a number of new small businesses that had the misfortune to open just prior to the pandemic. They include Ohana Deli Market in Sun Peaks. In every case, the owner put their heart, soul and, in some cases, their life savings into their dreams. These businesses have fallen through the cracks and the government refuses to offer them a lifeline.
Can the minister reassure these entrepreneurs she is working on a solution and that they will not be left behind?
Chrystia Freeland LiberalDeputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, it is really important in the massive support programs that we have put in place for Canadian businesses, such as the wage subsidy and rent subsidy, to also ensure the integrity of those programs. That is something we take very seriously. With new businesses, there are challenges in doing that. Having said that, I take this question very seriously. It is something I hear about too and I am concerned with, and it is something we are looking at closely.
