House of Commons Hansard #12 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was chair.
Mary Ng LiberalMinister of International Trade
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and congratulate him on his re-election.
Black business owners make important contributions to the Canadian economy. Their success is a priority. A total of $10.7 million has already been distributed to support Black entrepreneurs in Montreal, like those in Bourassa, through the Black entrepreneurship program's national ecosystem fund.
I look forward to sharing some news about other successful projects in the near future.
Mike Lake Conservative Edmonton—Wetaskiwin, AB
Mr. Speaker, 361 days ago, the House came together to vote unanimously on the motion put forward by the member for Cariboo—Prince George to take immediate action to establish a nationwide three-digit 988 suicide prevention hotline. In a world where we can hold a $600-million election in the midst of a global pandemic, surely we can activate a three-digit telephone number that nobody is using and work with dedicated stakeholders on an initiative everyone agrees is a priority.
This is important and it should be easy. Why is it taking so long?
Carolyn Bennett LiberalMinister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health
Mr. Speaker, our government supports a national three-digit hotline for Canadians in crisis, and I thank the member for Cariboo—Prince George for his tireless advocacy on this issue.
The CRTC is currently considering public input from consultations that concluded on September 1. We believe that such a line should have the capacity to connect people to the most appropriate support in the most appropriate way.
Our government remains committed to fully funding a national three-digit mental health crisis and suicide prevention hotline.
Gary Vidal Conservative Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK
Mr. Speaker, this government is out of touch with rural Canadians. My constituents in northern Saskatchewan are frustrated with the made-in-Ottawa greener homes grant. Because they live a long way from urban centres, the cost of the inspection process nearly equals the grant. This simply does not make any sense. Unlike the Liberals, my constituents cannot afford to not think about monetary policy and just print money to pay for their bad decisions.
Is the Liberal government intentionally designing programs that exclude rural Canadians?
Ahmed Hussen LiberalMinister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion
Mr. Speaker, our national housing strategy has a rural lens to it. That is why 38% of the rapid housing initiative projects are in rural and indigenous communities where the need is the greatest. We make sure that in the National Housing Council there are representatives who bring a rural lens to everything that we do through our national housing co-investment fund and other investments that we make in affordable housing in Canada.
Scot Davidson Conservative York—Simcoe, ON
Mr. Speaker, residents of York—Simcoe have many concerns about a proposed aerodrome in the town of Georgina. In Greenbank, Burlington, Tottenham and elsewhere, corporations have used a loophole in the federal aerodrome regulations to exploit municipal soil laws. They use the pretense of building or expanding an aerodrome to dump tonnes of contaminated fill at significant cost to the environment and to local taxpayers.
What has the Liberal government done to close the loophole, and can the Minister of Transport guarantee this will not happen again in Pefferlaw or anywhere else?
Omar Alghabra LiberalMinister of Transport
Mr. Speaker, I can guarantee to my hon. colleague that I will always be open to speaking with him and other colleagues about the issues they have of concern in their own communities.
I have spoken with my hon. colleague on a couple of occasions on this issue, and I committed to him to continue to follow up with him on his concerns and on the concerns of the local community. We want to make sure that we build a better Canada for everyone.
George Chahal Liberal Calgary Skyview, AB
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the people of Calgary Skyview for the honour and privilege of serving as their member of Parliament after serving as their city councillor.
Throughout the campaign, I heard from many seniors about the struggles they—
SeniorsOral Questions
The Speaker Anthony Rota
I am going to ask the hon. member to pause for a moment. I just want to make sure that we can all hear the question. It is rather difficult to hear the question.
I will get the hon. member to start from the top so that we can all hear his question.
George Chahal Liberal Calgary Skyview, AB
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the people of Calgary Skyview for the honour and privilege of serving as their member of Parliament after serving as their city councillor.
Throughout the campaign, I heard from many seniors about the struggles they have endured due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Northeast Calgary seniors are community leaders and beloved members of our families. Their health, social and financial well-being must continue to be a top priority for our Liberal government.
Can the new Minister of Seniors tell the seniors I represent about what we are doing to support them in their communities?
Kamal Khera LiberalMinister of Seniors
Mr. Speaker, I would first like to congratulate my new colleague on his election. I think he will make a fantastic representative for his constituents.
I would also like to thank him for giving me the opportunity to highlight an important program that benefits seniors across Canada. As the Minister of Seniors, I am very excited to announce this year's—
SeniorsOral Questions
The Speaker Anthony Rota
I am sorry, but I have to interrupt the hon. minister. I am trying to hear her answer. She is very close, but I still cannot make it out. I know that I am getting old and my hearing is starting to go, but I do not think that is the problem today.
I would ask the hon. minister to start from the top.
Kamal Khera Liberal Brampton West, ON
Mr. Speaker, I would first like to congratulate my new colleague on his election. I think he will make a fantastic representative for his constituents.
I would also like to thank him for giving me the opportunity to highlight an important program that benefits seniors across Canada. As the Minister of Seniors, I am very excited to announce that this year's New Horizons for Seniors program call for proposals is now open. I encourage all members to connect with organizations in their own ridings that serve seniors to apply.
I would like to thank in advance all organizations for the work they do to support seniors.
Don Davies NDP Vancouver Kingsway, BC
Mr. Speaker, only 6% of people in low-income countries have received a COVID-19 vaccine. The African continent needs hundreds of millions of doses just to get 40% of its people vaccinated, yet deliveries were slashed because of supply shortages, putting us all at risk.
Global vaccine production must expand immediately, but Liberals are blocking WTO efforts to get this done. Will the government finally support the TRIPS patent waiver to help countries produce desperately needed vaccines, yes or no?
Harjit S. Sajjan LiberalMinister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada
Mr. Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic does not recognize borders and will be overcome through coordinated global action. We have been clear from the start that no one is safe until everyone is. That is why we committed over $2.6 billion to the global COVID-19 response in 2020 and we have an additional $1 billion for the International Monetary Fund. We will work with our allies and international partners to get this done.
Heather McPherson NDP Edmonton Strathcona, AB
Mr. Speaker, that was not an answer. It certainly was not the answer we were looking for.
The Liberals say they are proud of the actions delivering vaccines globally, but this is the government that pledged 200 million doses for countries in need by the end of next year and they have not even delivered 20% of that. This is the government that refuses to waive the vaccine patents to allow poor countries to vaccinate their populations.
We will continue to see dangerous COVID-19 variants until everyone is vaccinated. When will the Liberals do their part to end the global health pandemic?
Harjit S. Sajjan LiberalMinister of International Development and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to working with the hon. member on this issue and other topics as well.
As I stated, the pandemic does not recognize borders and we will only overcome this with coordinated global action. We have donated the equivalent of 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses. I have had discussions with my other COVAX colleagues. We will work with our international partners and our allies to get this done.
Kristina Michaud Bloc Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC
Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties and if you seek it, I believe you would find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion:
That, given the increase in gun violence and the numerous deadly shootings in the streets of Montreal and the metropolitan area in recent weeks, and notwithstanding any standing order, special order or usual practice of the House:
(a) the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security be instructed to undertake as a priority a study on gun control, illegal arms trafficking and the increase in gun crimes committed by members of street gangs;
(b) the members to serve on the committee be appointed by the whip of each recognized party depositing with the Clerk of the House a list of his or her party's members before the adjournment of the House;
c) the Clerk of the House shall convene a meeting of the committee on a priority basis no later than Wednesday, December 8, 2021; and
(d) the Minister of Public Safety, as well as representatives of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, appear before the committee as witnesses for a period of three hours each as the committee sees fit.
Gun ViolenceOral Questions
The Speaker Anthony Rota
All those opposed to the hon. member moving the motion will please say nay.
Okay. The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay.
I declare the motion carried.
(Motion agreed to)
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties and if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion:
That, notwithstanding any Standing Order, special order or usual practice of the House, Members, Senators and departmental and parliamentary officials appearing as witnesses before any standing, standing joint, special or legislative committees may do so in person.
Committees of the HouseOral Questions
The Speaker Anthony Rota
All those opposed to the hon. member's moving the motion will please say nay. Hearing no dissenting voice, it is agreed.
The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay. Hearing no dissenting voice, I declare the motion carried.
(Motion agreed to)
Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order.
I want to point out that the House is governed by rules that we are all called upon to follow. For example, when we ask a question, we stand up. We must also abide by a certain code and listen to the answer given, if any, of course. We must always respect that.
Since the House resumed sitting, there has been a lot of background noise, as there are more members present in the House. We recognize that. That was not the case in the last six months of the previous Parliament, from January to June, when there were only a handful of government members and a few dozen opposition members. We admit that the noise was less intrusive then.
We also recognize that when someone rises to answer a question and we hear some heckling, the Speaker frequently rises to call members to order, as he should. Mr. Speaker, I would urge you to be very careful about inviting members giving an answer to start over from the beginning. Inevitably, their speaking time is much longer, allowing members to repeat exactly the same argument. However, the people at home have heard the answer because the microphones picked it up, particularly when the question comes from someone who is not physically present in the House.
I therefore invite everyone to follow the Standing Orders very strictly, which state that we should not heckle and that we should listen carefully to the person speaking.
Unfortunately, breaches can occur, because we are human. People who have things to say must be able to say them, provided that we hear them properly. If, unfortunately, there is too much noise at the start, we can stop and start again at the beginning, but not at the end.
Noise in the HousePoints of OrderOral Questions
The Speaker Anthony Rota
I would like to thank the hon. member for his observation. He is right that members of the House need to listen to each other. That is something we have to do. We must show respect. It creates problems when the answer cannot be heard. The House proceedings are for the benefit of the House. This is not a show for the people at home. I want to make sure that the members of the House can hear the question and the answer. That way, we will all be on the same page.
The Leader of the Government in the House of Commons.
Mark Holland LiberalLeader of the Government in the House of Commons
Mr. Speaker, I would just posit that there is a very simple solution. If the member is concerned with the matter that he has raised for my hon. colleague, of course they could just listen to the question that was posed and not scream and yell at the person trying to answer and create a ruckus in the House. It is among the Standing Orders that somebody is supposed to be given the opportunity to speak.
There have been many instances where I can barely hear the answer myself because there is so much screaming and hooting and general buffoonery happening on the other side, and I would suggest that is not good for this place.