Debates of Nov. 26th, 2021

The Economy

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, one of the things our government is moving forward on is affordable child care across the country. This is something that is so important to address affordability for families right across the country. As a parent, I know the high costs of child care are limiting for so many people.

We will continue to work hard to make sure child care is affordable, so families have access to additional resources so they can provide for their children.

Child Care

[Élisabeth Brière, Liberal, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Speaker, getting their child a spot in day care helps women build their careers. Access to affordable, inclusive day care makes life more affordable and helps create jobs.

Several agreements have already been signed. Can the Minister of Families give us an update on what is being done to make good on our promise?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from Sherbrooke for this question. I am pleased to give the House an update today.

So far, we have signed nine agreements with the provinces and territories to reduce child care fees, which will help 60% of children in Canada. That is absolutely fantastic.

It will help women, in particular, return to work, while also helping both our economy and Canada.

Indigenous Affairs

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

[Member spoke in Inuktitut and provided the following text:]

ᐅᖃᖅᑎᑦᑎᔨ

ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥᐅᑕᐃᑦ ᐃᓐᓇᑐᖃᐃᑦ ᐱᕕᖃᖅᑎᑕᐅᓇᓂᒃ ᓅᑕᐅᕙᖕᒪᑕ ᓄᓇᕘ ᓯᓚᑖᓄᑦ ᕿᒪᐃᑎᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᐃᓚᒥᓐᓂᒃ ᓄᓇᓕᖕᒥᓐᓂᓪᓗ, ᐱᔾᔪᑕᐅᓂᕋᖅᑕᐅᓪᓗᑎᒃ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᖏᒻᒪᑕᒎᖅ ᓄᓇᕗᒻᒥ.

ᑕᐃᒪᖓᓂ 2017ᒥᒃ ᐃᓐᓇᑐᖃᒃᑯᕖᑦ ᑕᑕᐅᔾᔨᓯᒪᓕᖅᑲᒻᒥᖅᑐᑦ. ᐅᕙᓂ ᒪᓕᒐᓕᐅᕐᕕᔾᔪᐊᕐᒥᒃ, ᐱᖁᔨᕗᖔᕈᑎᓂ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐱᓂᐊᕐᓂᕋᑕᐅᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᑕᖃᐅᖅᑐᒻᒪᕆᒃ. ᑭᓯᐊᓂ ᐊᒥᓲᓗᐊᖅᑐᑦ ᐊᑐᓕᖅᑕᐅᓯᒪᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᐃᑲᔪᖅᑐᖅᑕᐅᕙᓪᓕᐊᖏᑦᑐᑦ ᐃᓐᓇᑐᖃᐃᑦ ᑐᕌᖓᔪᓂᒃ ᐱᖁᑎᖅᔪᐊᓂᒃ.

Prime Minister ᐃᒃᐱᓂᐊᕆᑦᑎᐊᖅᔪᒥᓂᐊᖅᐱᒌ ᐃᓐᓇᑐᖃᐃᑦ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᓄᓇᖃᖅᑳᖅᓯᒪᔪᓄᓪᓗ ᐅᑭᐅᖅᑕᖅᑐᒥᐅᓄᓪᓗ ᑲᑎᒪᔨᕋᓛᖏᑦ ᐊᑐᓕᖅᑎᑦᑎᓗᑎ ᐃᓐᓇᑐᖃᒃᑯᕕᖏᓂᒃ ᐊᒻᒪᓗ ᑲᒪᒋᔭᐅᕕᖏᓐᓂ ᓄᓇᕘᒥ?

[Inuktitut text interpreted as follows:]

Mr. Speaker, our elders in Nunavut are being exiled from their families, their homeland and their communities because they cannot access care in the territory.

Our elders care homes in Nunavut have been at full capacity since 2017. We have seen in the House countless recommendations and promises made, but we have seen little to no action to help elders and invest in elders' infrastructure in Nunavut.

Will the Prime Minister respect elders in Nunavut and the indigenous and northern affairs committee and follow through on accelerating construction on long-term care facilities and seniors homes in Nunavut?

[Dan Vandal, Liberal, Minister of Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I sincerely look forward to working together with the hon. member for Nunavut to solve these many concerns that were brought up. I am proud that I am the first-ever Minister of Northern Affairs to give the attention to the infrastructure, the housing, the health care and seniors, a whole gamut of issues in which our government is engaged. We are committed to working with the hon. member to solve these problems into the future.

Oral Questions

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am rising on a point of order. I am not sure if it was to receive instructions from the PMO that he was passing along to the government House leader, but the member for Winnipeg North, sitting beside the government House leader today during question period, was seen with an ear bud in his ear and speaking actively into a telephone throughout question period.

I think you, Mr. Speaker, should remind him that this is not allowed or permitted in the House. I certainly would hope that he is not receiving instructions from the PMO on who should be answering and how they should be answering questions.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the opposition whip for his concern. This has been discussed. As we are in a virtual proceeding, there will be instances where folks are at a distance and therefore we need to be able to communicate to them. The Speaker's office was aware of this. The House leader for the opposition was aware of this as well. We are happy to have discussions. It was our understanding in our conversations with the opposition that this was something it was not only aware of but understood was necessary as part of a virtual proceeding.

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to express the Bloc Québécois's concern about what was just said here. There is a rule that members are not allowed to use telephones in the House. However, we were just told that because this is a virtual proceeding, members can use a phone.

I would ask the Chair to share its opinion with the House on this matter, because the other parties have just changed the rules in a big way. Will members now be allowed to spend long stretches of time on the phone in the House, answering constituents' questions? That is very worrisome, and there are other ways to communicate.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to join my voice with the Conservative whip on this issue.

This is a sacred place. During the time of the pandemic, I absolutely understand that we must ensure we are safe and that the people who work here are safe, but to disrespect this place that has a long history is absolutely inappropriate. I hope to never see that happen again in the House.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I can truly say that I had no intentions of offending anyone or any rule. In the last hybrid session, in order to facilitate ministers who were virtual, I was afforded the opportunity to do exactly what I did earlier today. No offence was made, and I did get the opportunity to at least share what I was going to be doing with the opposition House leader, as I did not want to surprise him. I apologize for not extending the same courtesy to the NDP and the Bloc, but it is no different than what we did during the hybrid sittings last summer.

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after that comment by my colleague from Winnipeg North, I would sure like to know if he was authorized to do such a thing. As far as I know, it was not discussed anywhere, not among the whips or the leaders or at the Board of Internal Economy, and there was no motion about it. I would sure like to know where that troubling information comes from.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, if the member for Winnipeg North has been doing this before and was doing this in the last Parliament, all the more is the shame. I was not aware that members were taking phone calls in the House of Commons. It is completely unacceptable, particularly when, if it does have to do with organizing the Liberal caucus, they can take those phone calls in the lobby, they can pass notes into the chamber, and they can take the call in the lobby and then come into the House and speak to people in the House. There are many ways that the Liberals can organize themselves. If they find it too difficult, that is on them. However, beginning a tradition of taking phone calls in the House of Commons is an absolutely unacceptable way of managing their own problems.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

Mr. Speaker, let me reiterate what my colleague from Winnipeg North said. No offence was meant to the House. This had been a practice. We will end it.

I have heard, loud and clear, from the House today that members do not feel this is appropriate. I apologize. My understanding was that this was a matter that had been decided and that we were okay to operate on that basis. However, it is essential to me that this place function well. I have heard members. It will not happen again. I appreciate their feedback.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would note that, with respect to other matters that have been brought before the Speaker during this session, there was a lot of discussion with respect to practices, items and debate from the previous session. The member for Winnipeg North said that past practices and discussions from the previous Parliament should be part of this consideration, and I am looking to see if the Chair can also advise the House on whether that includes the questions of privilege and points of order that were raised by the official opposition.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

We will take this under advisement. I would urge the House leaders and the whips to get together to discuss this. If a decision needs to be made, the Speaker, of course, will come back to the House with that decision.

Commissioner of Lobbying

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

I have the honour to lay upon the table the annual reports on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act of the Commissioner of Lobbying for the year 2020-21.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h), these reports are deemed permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.

[Daniel Blaikie, NDP, Elmwood—Transcona, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Winnipeg North does not have the floor and is not wearing his mask. It is important that we all follow that rule.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

I will remind members that if they are not speaking, they have to wear their masks.

There being a message from Her Excellency the Governor General, I would ask members to rise.

A message from Her Excellency the Governor General transmitting supplementary estimates (B) for the financial year ending March 31, 2022, was presented by the President of the Treasury Board and read by the Speaker to the House.

Supplementary Estimates (B), 2021-22

[Mona Fortier, Liberal, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the supplementary estimates (B), 2021-22.

Criminal Code and Canada Labour Code

[David Lametti, Liberal, LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-3, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Canada Labour Code.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Barbados

[Alex Ruff, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition on behalf of my constituents, who are calling on the Government of Canada to recognize that the country of Barbados has suffered from COVID-19 like the rest of the world, but unlike most developed countries has limited access to vaccines and has a shortfall. At the time of the signing of this petition, less than 50% of the country of Barbados had been vaccinated.

As such, the petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to increase the number of COVID-19 vaccines being donated to Barbados to at least 100,000 doses.

Indigenous Affairs

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to present petition no. 10672059.

The petitioners call on the House of Commons to commit to upholding the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action by immediately halting all existing and planned construction of the Coastal GasLink project on Wet'suwet'en territory and ordering the RCMP to dismantle its exclusion zone and stand down, schedule nation-to-nation talks between the Wet'suwet'en nation and federal and provincial governments, and prioritize the real implementation of UNDRIP.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

I just want to remind members to bring the petitions to the table, as we do not want everyone circulating throughout the chamber.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the work the pages do, bringing our petitions to the table. Now that we are under the new rules, I guess it does not work.

I am presenting a petition on behalf of Canadians who suffer from ALS. The petitioners are friends and families of these people, and they want Canada to be a leader in ALS research and treatment.

The petitioners note that ALS currently has no cure and people have a life expectancy of two to five years from diagnosis. Once ALS is diagnosed, it is not only the individual but also the friends and families who are greatly affected. The petitioners are calling on the government to pursue the successful trials of some of the drugs that are taking place across Canada. If the government could help pursue them, that would be great.

There is a new drug called AMX0035. It was submitted three to six months ago, and the petitioners are hoping that Canada will get that drug approved.