House of Commons Hansard #53 of the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was agreements.

Topics

Religious FreedomStatements by Members

11 a.m.

Liberal

Arif Virani Liberal Parkdale—High Park, ON

Mr. Speaker, on this day four years ago Canada lost six brave men: Mamadou Tanou Barry, Azzedine Soufiane, Abdelkrim Hassane, Ibrahima Barry, Aboubaker Thabti and Khaled Belkacemi.

We remember these six men whose lives were cut short by an act of terror when a gunman stormed the mosque in Quebec City and opened fire. The hatred of one took six from us and injured 19 others. The Islamophobic rage of one killer left 17 children orphaned.

As a Muslim man and a father of two young boys, I cannot fathom the sense of loss that those families feel to this very day. As an MP, I can commit to do better, to do better by calling out Islamophobia by name, to do better by taking action on hatred whenever and wherever it rears its ugly head, including the increasing radicalization we are seeing online.

My hope is that all of us in this chamber can unite in common cause as Canada commemorates January 29 as a day of remembrance of the mosque attack and action against Islamophobia. Those six lives taken deserve no less.

Religious FreedomStatements by Members

11 a.m.

NDP

Alexandre Boulerice NDP Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC

Mr. Speaker, on January 29, 2017, at 7:45 p.m., worshippers were gathering for prayers at the Quebec City mosque. In that moment, no one could have anticipated the horror that awaited them. A few minutes later, hatred and racism in their worst form took the lives of six people and injured eight others. Some will be scarred for life.

Today we mark the fourth anniversary of that tragedy. This sad chapter of our history should serve as a reminder that we all have a duty to never stop fighting racism in all its forms, including Islamophobia. It was a weapon that took lives at the Quebec City mosque, but often that weapon takes the form of words that can be loaded with hate or intolerance, fuelling tensions between communities and ultimately inciting violence. As parliamentarians, we must lead by example. Let us be more attentive to the potential repercussions of our words. This sad anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting should remind us that racism and hate do exist in this country and that sometimes, they can kill.

Let us work together so that these six people did not die in vain.

Constance ProvostStatements by Members

11 a.m.

Liberal

Greg Fergus Liberal Hull—Aylmer, QC

Mr. Speaker, I want to pay tribute to Constance Provost, a great lady from my region. She passed away on January 9 at the age of 96, surrounded by her four children.

Ms. Provost was a woman of vision and character. In 1983, she was the first woman to be elected mayor of the City of Gatineau. The extraordinary Ms. Provost was warm, energetic and a unifying force. These qualities helped her win three elections and she remained in office until 1995. Her retirement project was the community. She was interested in everything, including Scouts, the United Way and Aylmer's 150th anniversary.

As Aylmer's well-loved mayor, her legacy will be felt for generations. She preserved our patrimonial heritage, attracted businesses and made room for affordable housing. Madame Provost often said, “Aylmer has it all!” To that, I will add “We do, Madam Mayor, thanks to you.” May she rest in peace.

COVID-19 VaccinesStatements by Members

11 a.m.

Conservative

Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON

Mr. Speaker, this year marks the 100th anniversary of the discovery of insulin by Canadian researchers led by Drs. Fred Banting and Charles Best. There was a time when the world would be beating a path to Canada's door to secure the next great medical cure, but no more.

The vaccine crisis Canadians face today is a direct result of the bad decisions made by Liberal governments, starting in 1969 with Pierre Trudeau and continuing to this day with his son. Bad legislation passed by the Liberals in 2017 means Canadians will always be at the back of the line for new medicine.

The Prime Minister never should have jeopardized the health of Canadians with bad deals like the one with communist China. The lives of Canadians are too important to trust to this Prime Minister.

Mental HealthStatements by Members

January 29th, 2021 / 11:05 a.m.

Liberal

Peter Schiefke Liberal Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC

Mr. Speaker, January and February can be difficult at the best of times when it comes to mental health, and the economic and health crisis brought on by this pandemic have added to an already difficult time. Whether I am speaking to parents, teachers, nurses, business owners, seniors or students, one thing is clear: Everyone is having a hard time coping.

That is why I am rising today to thank the incredible people who work at the organizations Le Versant, Le Tournant, Tel-jeunes and Clinique externe de santé mentale pour jeunes et adultes. They are working hard to provide mental health supports to the people in my community. Their work is extremely important. They literally save lives every day.

I also want to thank those from our community who have shared their stories, like Svetlana Chernienko, Lee Haberkorn and so many others. I encourage all members of my community to reach out to a friend or family member or to one of the many organizations available to them.

Let us do all we can to care for ourselves and each other, and in doing so, we will get through this.

Pearson Airport Limo and Taxi ServiceStatements by Members

11:05 a.m.

Liberal

Ruby Sahota Liberal Brampton North, ON

Mr. Speaker, today I stand proud as the daughter of a taxi driver, but I make this statement with great sorrow.

The following men were part of my father's extended taxi family, and I would like to take this opportunity in the House of Commons to commemorate the lives of the taxi and airport limo drivers from the Region of Peel who lost their lives due to COVID-19: Kamal Dhami, Gurdeep Dhugga, Paul Grewal, Maroun Haddad, Ki-oh Kim, James Wu, Lawrence Zah, Akashdeep Grewal, Abdullah, and Karam Singh Punian.

We thank them for their dedicated service.

They worked around the clock to make sure others made it home safe after long flights. With Pearson Airport Limo and Taxi Service, one could always look forward to a great conversation and service with a smile. These men were at the front lines of the pandemic, having to deal with a virus we knew very little about when it made its way into our nation.

These drivers were loved by their communities, families and friends, and provided an important service to everyone in the GTA. We will not forget their service or their memory.

COVID-19 VaccinesStatements by Members

11:05 a.m.

Conservative

Jag Sahota Conservative Calgary Skyview, AB

Mr. Speaker, this year has been a challenge for Canadians across the country. Our seniors have not been able to visit with their families, and small business owners who invested their life savings into their businesses have lost everything.

We did have hope this year that the nightmare may be coming to an end, yet recently, Pfizer announced that the deliveries of the vaccine to countries would be significantly cut. While the rest of the world called Pfizer and got their delivery schedules fixed, our Prime Minister did absolutely nothing until our Conservative caucus called on him to take immediate action.

Vaccines are critical to reopening our economy and securing jobs here in Canada. Because of this Prime Minister's ignorance in making vaccinations a priority, Canadians are losing hope in his leadership.

Conservatives are calling on the Prime Minister to immediately address this issue and start making the vaccination of Canadians a priority.

COVID-19 VaccinesStatements by Members

11:05 a.m.

Liberal

Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON

Mr. Speaker, since the beginning of the pandemic, our government has been committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians, which is why we secured the most diverse portfolio and the highest number of COVID-19 vaccines doses per capita of any country in the world.

Now that free, safe and effective vaccines are available, we are working around the clock to distribute them to the provinces and territories so that Canadians can be vaccinated as quickly as possible.

In my riding of Sudbury, public health officials have been hard at work all week administering these vaccines to residents of long-term care homes.

In the coming weeks, vaccines will be provided to other vulnerable populations and front-line health workers in Sudbury and across northern Ontario. In fact, the Canadian Armed Forces have been commissioned to support vaccine efforts in 32 communities of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation in the region.

We have already shipped more than one million doses to the provinces and territories, and we will be receiving six million doses for distribution by the end of March.

The residents of Sudbury are very pleased our government is focused on beating this virus and keeping Canadians safe.

Natural ResourcesStatements by Members

11:10 a.m.

Conservative

Warren Steinley Conservative Regina—Lewvan, SK

Mr. Speaker, Keystone XL would have brought 2,800 well-paying jobs to several provinces, including Saskatchewan. The NDP and the Liberal Party, through their policies, continue to talk down our energy sector and show disdain for the hard-working men and women who go to those jobs every day.

To add some perspective to this conversation, the world will continue to use around 100 million barrels of oil a day for up to the next 30 to 40 years, according to reports from McKinsey and the EIA. It is time that we start thinking about the real choice we have. We continue to watch massive oil tankers come through Canadian waterways with foreign oil. Are we going to choose to use ethical oil from Canadian companies that reach the highest standard of environmental regulations in the world?

It is time for us to take the decision of whether we are going to use Canadian oil in our homes, businesses and vehicles. This can and should be done, because it will ensure that we are going to secure the future for the next generation of Canadians.

COVID-19 VaccinesStatements by Members

11:10 a.m.

Conservative

Gary Vidal Conservative Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK

Mr. Speaker, as someone who has spent much of my life playing, and then coaching, hockey, I know first-hand how leadership can make or break a team. There has been much said throughout the pandemic about a team Canada approach. Unfortunately, it seems team Canada, under the leadership of the Prime Minister, is falling farther down the standings. One might even say we are becoming the Ottawa Senators in the race to secure vaccines.

This week Canada will receive zero doses of vaccines. Next week we will receive 80% fewer than originally scheduled, and the week after that there will be even fewer. The fact is that compared with our neighbours to the south, even when accounting for population size, the United States has vaccinated three times more people than we have.

Canada is sitting 22nd in the standings and looking for leadership. It is time for the Prime Minister to stop sending out others to give Canadians the bad news and start showing leadership and doing his job. Conservatives are ready to show that leadership to secure our health care, to secure our economy and to secure our future.

Religious FreedomStatements by Members

11:10 a.m.

NDP

Laurel Collins NDP Victoria, BC

Mr. Speaker, today marks four years since the horrific attack on le Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec, the Quebec City mosque massacre. Fuelled by Islamophobia and hate, an armed man walked into the mosque during peaceful prayer and took the lives of six people, wounding many others.

In the wake of the news of this terror, which devastated Muslim communities, many Canadians and many diverse faith groups rallied together. Here in Victoria, people joined hands to create a circle of protection around our Muslim neighbours, but since that attack, we have continued to see a frightening rise in extremism, white supremacy and anti-Muslim views in Canada, as well as a troubling increase in anti-immigrant rhetoric and policies, primarily targeting Muslims, around the world.

While today we remember those who lost their lives and those who were impacted by this tragedy, we must also stand up and speak out against hate in our communities, online and wherever we find it. We have a duty to send a clear message that racism and Islamophobia have no place here.

Religious FreedomStatements by Members

11:10 a.m.

Bloc

Marie-Hélène Gaudreau Bloc Laurentides—Labelle, QC

Mr. Speaker, today is the four-year anniversary of the atrocity at the Quebec City mosque.

On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to honour the memory of the six men whose lives were stolen for the sole reason that they were Muslim. We stand with their loved ones, their families, the wounded and everyone who was there at the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec on that dark January 29.

I want to stress that every Quebecker must be able to practise their religion freely and without fear if they so choose.

I want the Muslim community of Quebec, and of Quebec City specifically, to know that they can count on all of us as allies to ensure that such violence never happens again.

Our thoughts are with you today and in the future.

Religious FreedomStatements by Members

11:10 a.m.

Conservative

Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC

Mr. Speaker, the duty to remember is a duty of honour and respect.

Four years ago, six Canadians in Quebec City, brought together by their faith, were shot to death by a murderer. This was an act of terrorism inspired by Islamophobia.

This was an unspeakable tragedy that will stay with us forever. It shook us to our very core as human beings. Islamophobia and all forms of violence, all phobias based on religious beliefs, have no place here and must be unreservedly condemned and denounced.

We have a duty to identify and bluntly condemn all forms of violence, whether it be armed violence, physical violence, verbal violence, psychological violence or violence on social media. Discrimination in all forms will never be acceptable in Canada.

Mamadou Tanou Barry, Ibrahima Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzedine Soufiane and Aboubaker Thabti, we will honour your memory and remember you always.

Religious FreedomStatements by Members

11:15 a.m.

Liberal

Sameer Zuberi Liberal Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC

Mr. Speaker, four years ago, a peaceful place of worship was rocked by an act of terror.

Ibrahima Barry, Mamadou Tanou Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzedine Soufiane, Aboubaker Thabti. They were fathers and husbands, loved by many.

Yesterday, our government announced its intention to make January 29 a national day of remembrance of the Quebec City mosque attack and action against Islamophobia.

We are wearing a green square to honour the lives that were lost. Mine was made by Alina, my seven-year-old daughter. My dream is for her to live in safety and free from discrimination.

Today we are united in remembrance and solidarity. By marking this day, we are pledging to fight Islamophobia together.

Religious FreedomStatements by Members

11:15 a.m.

Conservative

The Deputy Speaker Conservative Bruce Stanton

Following discussions among representatives of all parties in the House, I understand there is an agreement to observe a moment of silence in memory of the victims of the attack at the Centre Culturel Islamique de Québec four years ago.

I invite hon. members to rise and observe a minute of silence.

[A moment of silence observed]

HealthOral Questions

11:15 a.m.

Conservative

Richard Martel Conservative Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC

Mr. Speaker, today we learned that the European Union is going to require vaccine manufacturers to obtain authorization before exporting those vaccines. That is very bad news for Canada, which is already behind schedule. Quebec is ready to administer 250,000 doses per week.

How many Quebeckers will be deprived of the vaccine because of this decision?

HealthOral Questions

11:15 a.m.

Markham—Thornhill Ontario

Liberal

Mary Ng LiberalMinister of Small Business

Mr. Speaker, our government and I have been in contact with my EU counterpart. As the Prime Minister said in this House, the EU measures will not affect the shipment of vaccines to Canada. We will continue to work with the European Union, as we have throughout this pandemic, to ensure that critical health and medical supply chains remain open and resilient.

We share the sense of urgency Canadians have to ensure access to vaccines as rapidly as possible, and our government is operating with this sense of urgency every single day.

HealthOral Questions

11:15 a.m.

Conservative

Richard Martel Conservative Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC

Mr. Speaker, there is no point in telling us over and over again that Canada bought the most doses, when the government cannot get its hands on them.

We need 60 million doses in order to vaccinate all Canadians by the end of September. We are now ranked 20th for vaccine doses administered, and we are falling further and further behind every week. The contracts were poorly negotiated, and this is endangering people's lives.

What will it take for the government to wake up?

HealthOral Questions

11:20 a.m.

Gatineau Québec

Liberal

Steven MacKinnon LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement

Mr. Speaker, obviously, we are taking urgent action to get the vaccine doses.

We have clearly shown Canadians that we can procure vaccines. We will receive six million doses by the end of the first quarter of 2021, and we will have a sufficient number of already approved doses by the end the third quarter, the end of September, to ensure that every Canadian who wants the vaccine will have access to it.

HealthOral Questions

11:20 a.m.

Conservative

Richard Martel Conservative Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC

Mr. Speaker, 60 million doses, two doses per Canadian, is what is needed to meet the target set by the government. That means two million doses a week. We know that we are not receiving any doses this week and very few next week.

How does the Prime Minister plan to catch up on this unacceptable delay?

HealthOral Questions

11:20 a.m.

Gatineau Québec

Liberal

Steven MacKinnon LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement

Mr. Speaker, we have informed all the provinces and territories, as well as all Canadians, of the number of doses we are expecting.

We will receive enough doses by the end of the third quarter with the two approved vaccines alone. We will be able to provide the vaccine to every Canadian who wants one by the end of September.

Canada-U.S. RelationsOral Questions

11:20 a.m.

Conservative

Candice Bergen Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB

Mr. Speaker, our oil is not flowing, and our vaccines are not landing. The buy American policy is set to put thousands of Canadians out of work. President Biden had these policies as a key part of his campaign platform. The Liberals had plenty of time to prepare for this possibility.

Will the Prime Minister do something for Canadian workers and immediately act to protect Canadian jobs?

Canada-U.S. RelationsOral Questions

11:20 a.m.

Markham—Thornhill Ontario

Liberal

Mary Ng LiberalMinister of Small Business

Mr. Speaker, we will always stand up for the interests of Canadians.

The Prime Minister spoke with the President and underscored that workers must benefit from our integrated supply chains. The Prime Minister and the President agreed to communicate with one another to avoid limiting trade between our two countries. We are working together to support a sustainable economic recovery.

Canada-U.S. RelationsOral Questions

11:20 a.m.

Conservative

Candice Bergen Conservative Portage—Lisgar, MB

Mr. Speaker, there is a pattern here. The Prime Minister just surrendered on Keystone XL, and he is surrendering on Line 5. Now he is throwing his hands up and doing nothing to protect Canadian jobs from this buy America policy. Our previous government worked with the Obama administration to get an exemption from its buy American policies.

To get our economy back on track, Canadians need a government that will secure jobs now and for the future, so will the Liberals push for an exemption, yes or no?

Canada-U.S. RelationsOral Questions

11:20 a.m.

Markham—Thornhill Ontario

Liberal

Mary Ng LiberalMinister of Small Business

Mr. Speaker, our government will always stand up for Canadian businesses and Canadian workers. The Prime Minister and the President have agreed to consult closely to avoid any measures that may constrain economic growth in and bilateral trade between our two countries. Canada is the largest export market for the United States. We buy more goods from the U.S. than we do from China, the U.K. and Japan combined. Canada is the number one customer for more than 32 states.

Yes, we will continue to work to stand up for Canadian businesses and the Canadian people so we can grow middle-class jobs here in Canada.