House of Commons Hansard #63 of the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was industry.

Topics

HealthOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

The hon. member for Wellington—Halton Hills.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON

Mr. Speaker, today the House will vote on a motion that calls on the government to officially recognize the genocide against the Uighur people. Reports indicate that the Prime Minister and cabinet will abstain from this vote.

Will the government uphold democratic norms, respect the will of the House and the terms of the motion and officially recognize the Uighur genocide?

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount Québec

Liberal

Marc Garneau LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, as I have said very many times in the past, we are very preoccupied with the reports that have come out of China with respect to the treatment of Uighurs. The Conservative Party brought forward a motion. We will vote on that today and I will not try to anticipate or predict the outcome of that vote.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Michael Chong Conservative Wellington—Halton Hills, ON

Mr. Speaker, tomorrow the Prime Minister has a meeting with President Biden. We know that the issue of China will be discussed.

Will the Prime Minister raise the issue of the genocide against the Uighur people in his meeting with President Biden?

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount Québec

Liberal

Marc Garneau LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister and President Biden will discuss a number of issues, some of which are related to international matters and some of which are related to China. I cannot speculate on the specific content of those discussions, but China will certainly be raised.

Official LanguagesOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Alain Rayes Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

Mr. Speaker, last Friday, the Minister of Official Languages once again treated us to plenty of pretty words and good intentions. She put on quite a show as she presented her new working paper to the House of Commons.

One very simple question remains. I hope the minister can provide an answer today for all the organizations that advocate for official language minority communities across the country.

When will she put words into action and introduce a bill to modernize the Official Languages Act?

Official LanguagesOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Ahuntsic-Cartierville Québec

Liberal

Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Economic Development and Official Languages

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to official languages, no one is better at putting on a show than the Conservative Party. A consensus is beginning to emerge. Francophone communities, including the FCFA, the Conseil du patronat du Québec and various chambers of commerce, support the reform.

I would ask my colleague to encourage the Leader of the Opposition and the Conservative Party to join the consensus and support our reform.

Official LanguagesOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Conservative

Alain Rayes Conservative Richmond—Arthabaska, QC

Mr. Speaker, the minister is clearly all talk. I asked her a very simple question but she is just buying time.

Consultations on the modernization of the act have been going on across Canada since 2018. Several organizations, the Senate and the Commissioner of Official Languages have produced reports. More than 300 people even participated in a national symposium in Ottawa in 2019. We do not need a new document. We need an act with more teeth.

I will repeat my question to the minister. Could she stop with the rhetoric and tell us when a bill to finally modernize our two official languages will be introduced? All we want is a date.

Official LanguagesOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Ahuntsic-Cartierville Québec

Liberal

Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Economic Development and Official Languages

Mr. Speaker, we have always been clear that the bill would be introduced this year. We do intend to introduce the bill, but beyond that, my colleague is not answering my question for him. Does he support the reform?

We are a minority government. We will need the support of the opposition parties. Now is not the time for partisanship.

Does the Conservative Party support our reform document? Does it want to gain credibility on official languages? The party does, after all, have a history of cutting services to francophones.

Official LanguagesOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Bloc

Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC

Mr. Speaker, only one official language is in jeopardy in Quebec and Canada and that is French.

In Quebec, we have come up with tools to defend French, starting with the Charter of the French Language. The problem is that federally regulated businesses are not subject to it. Again, Ottawa thinks that it can do better than Quebec.

The solution is simple. Make federally regulated businesses subject to Bill 101.

Why complicate life when it can be so simple?

Official LanguagesOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Ahuntsic-Cartierville Québec

Liberal

Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Economic Development and Official Languages

Mr. Speaker, it is not complicated.

We recognize that French is in decline in Quebec and across the country and we want to protect and promote our beautiful language of Molière. Everyone must do their part, both in Quebec and in the provinces and at the federal level. We will take our responsibilities.

We are acting in good faith and we recognize that we need to secure new rights, including in the private sector, to ensure the right to work and the right to be served in French in our federally regulated businesses. We are heading in the right direction.

Official LanguagesOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Bloc

Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Bloc Québécois actually introduced a bill to make federally regulated businesses subject to the Charter of the French Language, as called for by the Quebec National Assembly, the Government of Quebec and all of Quebec's former premiers, including Liberal and PQ premiers. It seems that they cannot help themselves. The will of Quebec just does not matter to this government.

Why is the minister refusing to listen to Quebec when it is speaking with one voice? Why is she refusing to have the Charter of the French language apply to all Quebec workers?

Official LanguagesOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Ahuntsic-Cartierville Québec

Liberal

Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Economic Development and Official Languages

Mr. Speaker, we all agree that we must protect French, that Quebec's official language is French and that we really must ensure that we look to the Charter of the French Language to protect the right to work and be served in French in our federally regulated businesses.

I had the opportunity to speak to six former Quebec premiers, three former prime ministers and two former premiers of New Brunswick. The consensus is that the federal government must assume its responsibilities.

In this situation, will the Bloc Québécois join us, stop trying to pick a fight, and protect and promote the French language instead of promoting sovereignty?

International DevelopmentOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Peter Kent Conservative Thornhill, ON

Mr. Speaker, for years the Liberal government has accepted implausible assurances from UNRWA that Canadian dollars are not being used to teach Palestinian children to hate. The minister has been duped once again, with proof last week that UNRWA continues to use educational materials that glorifies terrorists and urges children to wage jihad against Israel.

When will the government stop making empty promises to investigate and stop funnelling Canadian tax dollars to a corrupt agency that conditions innocent children to hate and terror?

International DevelopmentOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Burlington Ontario

Liberal

Karina Gould LiberalMinister of International Development

Mr. Speaker, upon receiving these allegations, I contacted UNRWA, and we have been in touch with UNRWA ever since. Canada takes our support for vulnerable people around the world, including Palestinian refugees, very seriously. Of course, there is no place for hate or incitement to violence.

We fund neutrality training, and we are working with UNRWA on this, but more importantly, we recognize that there are 500,000 Palestinian children who rely on UNRWA for their education and for their health care. We will continue to work with UNRWA and with these Palestinian children to ensure that they have access to education and ensure that the education is—

International DevelopmentOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

The hon. member for Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley.

International DevelopmentOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB

Mr. Speaker, on January 27, I asked if the Prime Minister would suspend funding to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, given anti-Semitic classroom materials being distributed to Palestinian students. UNRWA claimed this was all just a big mistake and that offensive materials had been replaced with content adhering to UN values, so the current government just continued with its funding.

New reports show anti-Semitic materials are still being distributed to students. Given this, will the government finally suspend funding to UNRWA and find alternative mechanisms for Palestinian aid?

International DevelopmentOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Burlington Ontario

Liberal

Karina Gould LiberalMinister of International Development

Mr. Speaker, as I have said, there is absolutely no place for hate or incitements of violence. Canada is working with our partners in this regard with UNRWA, and we are getting to the bottom of this.

That being said, I would ask the hon. member to consider that there are 500,000 Palestinian children who rely on UNRWA for access to education. That is 500,000 Palestinian children whose hopes and dreams are reliant on having access to education. We are all committed to a peaceful situation between Israel and the West Bank and Gaza and the Palestinian—

International DevelopmentOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

The hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable.

EthicsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Luc Berthold Conservative Mégantic—L'Érable, QC

Mr. Speaker, this Prime Minister has said before that whistleblowers play an extremely important role in flagging how government can do better.

However, he broke his promise to strengthen the laws to protect them. We know why. The Prime Minister is known for his generosity in helping his friends. He is more worried about protecting his own cabinet's, his own office's, ethical lapses than he is about helping Canadians who want to report wrongdoing.

Rather than hiding behind outdated legislation to cover up his own lack of ethics, will the Prime Minister finally protect those who truly want to serve our country with transparency?

EthicsOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Hull—Aylmer Québec

Liberal

Greg Fergus LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and to the Minister of Digital Government

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to promoting a positive and respectful culture based on integrity and ethics within the public service.

We need to ensure that public servants understand what constitutes wrongdoing and how they can report it.

Whether it is by actively encouraging whistleblowing, making public servants aware of the importance of a diversity of viewpoints, fostering a very inclusive environment within the public service or providing tools and support for mental health, we will continue to promote ethical practices in the public sector and—

EthicsOral Questions

3 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

Order. The hon. member for Brome—Missisquoi.

Official LanguagesOral Questions

3 p.m.

Liberal

Lyne Bessette Liberal Brome—Missisquoi, QC

Mr. Speaker, the official languages reform document is an important milestone for French in Canada.

For the first time, the government will strengthen French across the country, including in Quebec, and will add new rights with respect to language of work and service in federally regulated businesses.

Would the Minister of Official Languages tell us more about our government's plan to protect and promote the French language?

Official LanguagesOral Questions

3 p.m.

Ahuntsic-Cartierville Québec

Liberal

Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Economic Development and Official Languages

Mr. Speaker, I thank my gracious and competent colleague for her question.

French is in decline in Quebec and across the country. To achieve substantive equality of both official languages, we have to do more to protect and promote French all across Canada as well as in Quebec. Our approach gives francophones in Quebec and in regions with a strong francophone presence the right to obtain service in French and work in French without discrimination in businesses under federal jurisdiction.

We must also be an exemplary government, the public service must respect the Official Languages Act, we must support bilingualism, and we need to give the Official Languages Act teeth.

Public SafetyOral Questions

February 22nd, 2021 / 3 p.m.

Conservative

Gary Vidal Conservative Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have introduced legislation based on a political ideology that divides urban and rural Canadians rather than on evidence. Canadians want and deserve to be safe in their homes and their communities. The government should focus on finding solutions to gang crime, an issue that both urban and rural municipalities are struggling with. Going after law-abiding Canadians will do nothing to reduce violent crime.

Can the minister explain how this new legislation will reduce gun crime and gang activity in my community of Meadow Lake and in all of northern Saskatchewan?