Debates of Dec. 9th, 2021

Justice

[Arielle Kayabaga, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, for far too long, many people, especially indigenous, Black and marginalized Canadians, have experienced, and continue to experience, systemic racism rooted within our criminal justice system.

Could the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada inform the House on what steps the government will take to address this systemic discrimination and strengthen the confidence of all Canadians in the justice system?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the numbers speak for themselves. Past failed policies did not protect our communities, but targeted indigenous, Black and marginalized Canadians. This week I introduced Bill C-5, which will help our justice system become fairer and more effective. It shows that our government is committed to building a more equitable and inclusive Canada for everyone.

I encourage members across the aisle to join us in turning the page on failed policies and move forward in this positive fashion.

Official Languages

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we have been waiting six years for the bill to modernize both official languages. All the consultations have taken place. All the organizations across the country have been consulted, and they are only asking for one thing: that Treasury Board be the central agency for enforcing the law with all the necessary tools.

When the minister introduces the bill, can she confirm that Treasury Board will be that agency, and that it will be fully empowered to enforce the act?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his question.

I was very pleased this week to have a conversation with my colleague about modernizing official languages legislation. As I told him, protecting and promoting the French language is a top priority for this government and for me as minister. I look forward to reintroducing the bill shortly.

[Alain Rayes, Conservative, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad that the minister is talking about the importance of this bill. However, one figure stands out: Since the commissioner took office, there have been 60,000 complaints across the country, but nothing has changed.

Organizations are asking for Treasury Board to be given the responsibility to legislate and oversee this legislation, to enforce it, and to have all the necessary tools. Organizations across the country that advocate for minority communities have been calling for this.

My question is simple. Will Treasury Board have this role and all the necessary tools, yes or no?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to thank my colleague for his question.

We have always said that both official languages are central to our identity, our culture and the future of our country. We will do all we can to reintroduce this bill as soon as possible.

Once again, as a proud Acadian, I am aware of the importance of protecting and promoting our official languages, and I look forward to reintroducing the bill. I hope that the opposition parties will support it.

Canada Revenue Agency

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I ask members to imagine a member of the Liberal caucus being accused of directing his constituents on how to fraudulently claim the CERB. According to a caller on a talk radio show the day after the election, the member had encouraged numerous people to claim CERB when they did not qualify by splitting self-employment income with family members. In fact, in one area of the member's riding, seven in 10 residents over the age of 15 received the CERB, which is one of the highest concentrations in Canada, according to a Canadian Press report.

If this is true, how seriously would the Prime Minister take claims of advising people to commit fraud against one of his MPs?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure this House that the government has zero tolerance for fraud. We are systematically following up on every active case and every issue that we address through CERB. We said from the beginning we would give Canadians, eight million of them, CERB. At the end, we are enforcing our integrity and compliance measures. We have no tolerance for fraud.

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am awfully glad to hear the minister say that there is no tolerance for fraud.

The caller also stated that he had, for that savvy advice, given the member of Calgary Skyview his vote, and he was telling everyone to do the same. Asked by the host what he would do if the CRA came knocking, he said that he would send them straight to his office because it was all his idea, and everybody in Skyview did it, everyone 15 years of age and older.

Does the Prime Minister agree that CERB fraud is a serious issue, and that the possibility of a member of the Liberal caucus directing people to commit fraud requires an investigation?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, I can assure this House that my office and my department follow up on every allegation of fraud, and this would be no exception.

Employment Insurance

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Émilie Sansfaçon lost her battle to cancer in 2020, but the other battle she started, for an employment insurance system that supports workers with serious illnesses through their treatments, carries on.

Tomorrow will mark two years since Émilie met with the Prime Minister, who promised her that he would increase the number of weeks of benefits. Since then, nothing has changed.

Fifteen weeks is not enough, nor is 26 weeks. When will the government realize that workers who are sick need 50 weeks?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, we offer our condolences to Émilie Sansfaçon's family. I was at that meeting with the Prime Minister. That is why, in budget 2021, we committed to expanding benefits from 15 to 26 weeks. We are now engaged in a consultation on modernizing the EI system. Everything is on the table.

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Jessica Mimeault is among those who are continuing Émilie Sansfaçon's fight. She is in Ottawa and is in a good position to see whether the government is taking its commitment seriously.

The Prime Minister promised Émilie Sansfaçon that he would extend the benefits. He has a duty to honour that promise for all other sick people like Ms. Mimeault. They need 50 weeks of EI to recover.

Will the government finally meet their needs?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, of course we know that people who are sick need more weeks of EI sickness benefits, which is why we committed to extending the benefits from 15 weeks to 26 weeks. With the consultations on EI modernization, we will certainly put everything on the table.

I fully understand. As I told those I spoke to before question period, I look forward to meeting the woman.

Health

[Shelby Kramp-Neuman, Conservative, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Brian Laird left his home in Amherstview on December 1 to do some Christmas shopping in the U.S. On his way back into Canada, ArriveCAN crashed. Because of the government's refusal to accept paper or digital proof of vaccination, a position it now admits was wrong, Brian was forced into an eight-day quarantine, despite being double-vaxxed.

The minister is now taking a big victory lap on this, but it is still happening. Yesterday, Brian was told 14 days. This does not make sense. When will the government release Brian from quarantine, and other—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. Minister of Public Safety.

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, this government will never hesitate when it comes to taking the measures that are necessary to protect the health and safety of all Canadians, especially now as we deal with the new variant of concern in omicron.

The ArriveCAN app is a vital tool in the fight against this pandemic. Over four million Canadians have already uploaded it, and it is increasingly important as we ensure that we are taking the steps that are necessary to fight against COVID. These decisions are informed by evidence, science and our top public health care experts. We will never hesitate to do what is necessary to protect Canadians.

Foreign Affairs

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in recent years, Russia has refurbished and built over 30 Arctic bases, 14 operational airfields, 16 deepwater ports and over 50 military icebreakers. Further, the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, also recently warned Canada that all the resources beneath the melting ice in the Arctic sea belong to the Russian government. When is the Liberal government going to stand up to this Russian aggression?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to answer this question on behalf of the Minister of National Defence. She is obliviously very mindful and on top of this file, and I know she is in contact with the parliament and will provide appropriate details.

Seniors

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our seniors are struggling with the cost of inflation adding a strain to their finances. Mr. Frank Pellicori, an 80-year-old senior who lost his job due to the pandemic, is now facing the challenge of selling his home to ensure that he has enough funds to cover his wife's medical expenses.

Mr. and Mrs. Pellicori immigrated to Canada over 45 years ago and have worked hard to support their family. When will the government put the needs of our seniors first, or leave them behind?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Minister of Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, our government's priority has always been to support seniors, especially the most vulnerable. When it comes to supporting seniors, I am proud of our record. One of the first things we did was to restore the age of eligibility for OAS back to 65. We have enhanced the CPP. We have strengthened the OAS and GIS.

We have an ambitious agenda for seniors, and I look forward to encouraging the member to ensure we implement that ambitious agenda.

The Environment

[Patrick Weiler, Liberal, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the people of West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country are concerned about climate change and the environment. It was one of the concerns I heard most often during the election campaign.

Climate change is real, and it poses real challenges for communities across the country.

Can the Minister of Environment and Climate Change update the House on the government's progress in addressing climate change and protecting the environment?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country for raising this important issue and for doing so in French.

In the last election, Canadians clearly told us that they wanted the government to move faster and do more to address climate change.

Whether it is our 2030 targets, reaching net zero by 2050, protecting 25% of our lands and oceans by 2025 and 30% by 2030, building greener homes and housing, or shifting to electrified transportation and public transit, that is the agenda we set for Canadians—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for St. Albert—Edmonton.

Foreign Affairs

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Communist China has upped the ante against democratic Taiwan with provocative military pressure. The U.S. Secretary of State has warned China that any move to invade Taiwan will have serious consequences. The government has been absolutely silent.

Will the government join our allies and call on China to stop its campaign of aggression, and stand with Taiwan?