House of Commons Hansard #58 of the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was content.

Topics

Broadcasting ActGovernment Orders

10:45 a.m.

Laurier—Sainte-Marie Québec

Liberal

Steven Guilbeault LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage

Madam Speaker, there seems to be a confusion. The broadcasting bill deals with cultural issues and has nothing to do with issues such as online harm or disinformation. The member for Yellowhead talked about the increase in cost. Netflix has increased its subscription in 20 different countries. Does the member think that increases in subscriptions in those 20 countries are a result of Bill C-10?

The previous Conservative member spoke at great length about how the Conservatives really liked the Australian model. Believe it or not, the Australian model has regulators to enforce the legislation. I have in fact spoken with those regulators. I would like the member to tell me the difference between what Australia is doing, by using regulators, and what Canada is proposing. How is that different?

Broadcasting ActGovernment Orders

10:45 a.m.

Conservative

Gerald Soroka Conservative Yellowhead, AB

Madam Speaker, I do not think we should necessarily be looking at following somebody else's examples. We need to ensure we have our own Canadian-made that fits Canada. A lot of options have to be available to us.

When we are looking at whether service providers, such as Netflix in this case, are raising their fees, it could be for a multitude of reasons. I do not want to get into whether the bill is starting to have an effect on these things, but there is potential when we look at whether the regulatory process will be followed. They possibly do know that they will have to put out more money out to do this. That could be the reason for their increases.

Broadcasting ActGovernment Orders

10:45 a.m.

Bloc

Yves Perron Bloc Berthier—Maskinongé, QC

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. He seems to be arguing for as little regulation as possible.

Does he not think it is important to have certain restrictions, especially rules around francophone content percentages, as the Bloc Québécois is calling for?

I would also like to hear my colleague's thoughts on the fact that community-based media outlets have been all but forgotten in this bill and on the importance of making sure they get at least some recognition. Those media outlets will only get funding if they are mentioned in the bill. There also has to be some element of control and revenue generation.

I would like my colleague to comment on that.

Broadcasting ActGovernment Orders

10:45 a.m.

Conservative

Gerald Soroka Conservative Yellowhead, AB

Madam Speaker, one of my biggest concerns is how Bill C-10 treats local media. When we talk about the Francophone, we need to ensure we have culturally sensitive information. We are a bilingual country. We have to ensure it is entrenched in our communications that we have the proper amount of representation, in English and French, as they are both official languages. I would like to see this strengthened in the legislation. I do not think the bill does enough to strengthen our Francophone communities, and that is another area on which we need to improve.

Broadcasting ActGovernment Orders

10:45 a.m.

Conservative

Arnold Viersen Conservative Peace River—Westlock, AB

Madam Speaker, this is one of my first times speaking over Zoom, so it is a new experience for me. I appreciate much more being able speaking physically from the House, but given the pandemic, that is not possible, so here I am speaking in the House in the Commons from northern Alberta. It is kind of a weird thing. Nonetheless, I have seen many of my friends on Zoom, who are all smiling, so I know they must be doing okay around the world.

Bill C-10, I must admit, is a tough bill to get through given that it amends a whole bunch of other pieces of legislation. It always drives me a little crazy when we are dealing with stuff like this, because there are all of these little chunks of law in the bill that amend this act and that act. It takes a long time to pull it all together and get a full picture of what we are all trying to achieve. What is clear is that it is giving the CRTC new powers and new responsibilities.

I do hear a lot of frustration about the CRTC, about its not doing what it is supposed to be doing and doing other things that people do not appreciate. This is going to be interesting one way or the other. I know that with Internet installation and whoever is bringing the Internet to certain communities, the CRTC gets involved and many times whenever that is happening, there is paperwork to be filled out, phone calls to be made and folks get frustrated with how the CRTC responds, like they do with many other government organizations, such as the CRA. Folks end up in my office saying that the government is not doing what it is supposed to be doing. I have to sort all of that out. Regardless of where this bill goes and how it ends up, there will be more folks showing up in my office complaining about the CRTC's doing something or not doing something when it is supposed to be doing something else. I know that will be a challenge going forward.

Bringing Canadian content to Canadians has been an ongoing challenge. We live next door to a media giant, the United States, which has the budget, the population and Hollywood. They are able to bring content to the world. I do not think this is a unique problem to Canada. Although we are very close to the United States and our culture is similar to theirs, I would imagine that the entire English-speaking world is dominated by American media. We often end up with American content on our local channels, because it is easy and we can get it for a relatively low price.

What is interesting about this is that we do have a national broadcaster dedicated to Canada, paid for by our taxpayer dollars. Over a billion dollars a year goes to the CBC. Canadian content sometimes is very minimal. I never watch the CBC, but I do listen to it on the radio in my pickup. Often, American politics and American stories take up the majority of the news cycle on our national broadcaster. I always find that fascinating. Nevertheless, I do listen to the CBC in my pickup. I have to admit that. I am Dutch. I know that I am paying lots of money to fund the CBC, so for as long as I can stomach it, I listen to the CBC because I think I should get something for all of that money we are paying for the CBC. The CBC comes up in this bill from time to time and I hope that it will be a part of it as well.

The bill talks about the CBC, our national broadcaster, playing a role in our Canadian content. I know that is an important piece of what the national broadcaster is there for and I hope that we start to see a culture change at the CBC so that Canadian content, Canadian topics and Canadian interests are covered and that 75% of the news cycle is not American stories. That drives me a little nuts, to be sure.

I am a unique member of Parliament in the fact that I live hundreds of kilometres from the American border. Many Canadians live within 100 kilometres of the American border and I live nearly 1,000 kilometres from the border, so I do not necessarily have as much to do with Americans every day life as maybe other Canadians do. I am not sure how much interaction the rest of Canada has with the United States, but I know that when I went to university in B.C., in the Fraser Valley, when I lived in Abbotsford, people could spit and hit the American border, as I would always says. We could see it. On the weekends, there would be a long line-up to buy milk and gas just up the road from where I lived, as it went across to the United States. For those living in the Lower Mainland of B.C., interacting with the United States was a common occurrence.

Where I live, the interactions with the United States probably come in the form of Amazon and the things we order having to come across the border. Every now and then we have to pay a little more money because something happened to the package at the border, such as agents opening the package, having a look at it and then charging $12 when we picked it up. That is more typical of the interactions we have due to our relationship with the United States.

I do see a need for local content. The billion dollars we spend on the CBC could definitely be put toward that. The CBC infrastructure where I live, in many cases, is the only radio station people can pick up. That is the repeater infrastructure across northern Alberta. I value that. People do not have cell service for stretches when driving, but they do have CBC radio. It could be that we would have more regional content.

We talk a lot about the Laurentian elite. The CBC is very good and very representative of eastern Canada. It tells the stories in the voice of a central Canadian. Even when they are telling the story of the perspective of northern Alberta or the territories, it is always in the voice of a central Canadian. I do not think it is necessarily intentional, but that is the way it is. There is a central Canadian feel about it. Ironically, I do not think central Canadians even understand what that is, in the same way I do not necessarily know what a western Canadian is or does and an eastern Canadian does not necessarily know what an eastern Canadian says or does from the other perspective. I would love to see the CBC definitely speak with a western voice.

It comes down to the way that we talk and think about things. We see that often. I do not know if it is because the journalism schools are located out east or what the deal is, but we get the general sense that even when our stories from northern Alberta, northern Canada or the territories are being told, it is told in an eastern voice, if that is even a thing. I am not sure an eastern voice is a thing, but it is a term I am going to use that I like.

I am excited to see that the government is going to try to encourage national content. I am always concerned, however, when the Liberals get involved in trying to encourage or discourage anything. That usually means taxing and subsidizing something, which is always a fascinating thing. I think there is something to the effect that if there is a successful company, it should be taxed, but when it is struggling, it should be subsidized. There is a story about that. We have watched that over and over again. The oil sector here in Alberta was doing great—

Broadcasting ActGovernment Orders

11 a.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes

We have to interrupt for Statements by Members.

Robert LabineStatements By Members

11 a.m.

Liberal

Steven MacKinnon Liberal Gatineau, QC

Madam Speaker, we were saddened to learn yesterday of the death of Robert Labine, a former mayor of Gatineau and great champion of our city.

Mr. Labine served as mayor during years of strong growth. We have him to thank for several pieces of municipal infrastructure that define Gatineau's landscape, including the police headquarters and the Gatineau sector city hall.

His contributions to the development of our region continued over the years. For instance, he served as chair of the Outaouais urban community and co-chair of the Quebec Games in Gatineau in 2010.

Mr. Labine helped make Gatineau and our region the vibrant community it is today, recognized throughout Quebec. A man of vision who was passionate about politics, Robert Labine was close to the people and cared deeply about his community and the well-being of his fellow citizens.

My thoughts go out to his wife, Liette Tremblay, his family and his loved ones.

Ronald McDonald House CharitiesStatements By Members

11 a.m.

Conservative

Michael Kram Conservative Regina—Wascana, SK

Madam Speaker, Ronald McDonald House Charities is looking to expand services for families across Canada. When a child becomes sick, it takes a terrible toll on the whole family. This burden is made so much greater by the fact that hospitals with pediatric services are often located a significant distance from the family’s home.

This is where RMHC steps in to provide accommodations, meals, peer support and other services to the entire family while their child is being treated at a nearby hospital. RMHC is seeking federal funding to expand its network of houses across Canada, including a potential location near the Regina General Hospital.

On behalf of the people of Regina and southern Saskatchewan, I would like to salute Ronald McDonald House Charities and encourage the government to support this worthwhile cause.

International DevelopmentStatements By Members

11 a.m.

Liberal

Kamal Khera Liberal Brampton West, ON

Madam Speaker, next week is International Development Week. Reducing extreme poverty, advancing gender equality, responding to humanitarian crises and increasing access to education and health care for the most vulnerable are some of the many global initiatives that Canada has moved forward.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the lives of Canadians in many ways that we could not have imagined, globally the pandemic has regressed advancements made in food security, health, education and gender equality, to name a few. However, Canadians can rest assured in knowing that our government is steadfast in its approach to end this pandemic, not only domestically but globally, all while taking concrete actions toward achieving the sustainable development goals.

I hope my colleagues will join me in thanking all Canadian civil society organizations and Canadians, including public servants, in some of the most challenging places in the world who are making a huge difference in the lives of those most vulnerable.

Status of WomenStatements By Members

11 a.m.

NDP

Leah Gazan NDP Winnipeg Centre, MB

Madam Speaker, on January 28, 1988, the Supreme Court handed down its landmark judgment in R v. Morgentaler, which held that the abortion provision in the Criminal Code violated a woman's right under section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to security of the person.

I wish to take this opportunity to acknowledge some of the powerful women in my riding who advanced the rights of women, including affirming the right to an abortion: Linda Taylor, Susan White, Sandy Rubenfeld, Shelly Blanco, Randa Stewart, Muriel Smith, Myrna Phillips, Wendy Land, Ellen Kruger and the late Loa Henry.

They are icons who serve as some of the greatest mentors in advancing women's rights. We must always continue fight to affirm that abortion is health care. I know our work is not over. Our fight for reproductive justice continues today. These women broke barriers and changed the lives of women across the country. I thank them. I honour their courage.

Damascus Cafe and BakeryStatements By Members

11 a.m.

Liberal

Paul Lefebvre Liberal Sudbury, ON

Madam Speaker, in Sudbury, the road to Damascus leads to 106 Beech Street. It is where a Syrian refugee who immigrated to Canada with his family years ago has set up shop.

The Qarquoz family's Damascus Cafe and Bakery offers both eat-in and takeout Mediterranean and Syrian cuisine. The menu is composed of spinach fatayer, falafel sandwiches, tabouleh salad and some of the best shawarma in Sudbury.

Five years ago, the Qarquoz family arrived to a huge welcome party at the Greater Sudbury Airport. Today the family has grown, has integrated wonderfully into the community and has become self-supporting. They are now giving thanks by giving back generously to the community.

When I stopped in recently for take-out, the owner, Hussein, wanted to talk about how we could work together to help feed homeless people.

In Sudbury, our diversity is not a challenge to be overcome, or a difficulty to be tolerated. Rather, it is a tremendous source of strength. Our multiculturalism is our strength.

I am grateful Hussein brought his family to Sudbury and I am proud—

Damascus Cafe and BakeryStatements By Members

11:05 a.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes

The hon. member for Richmond Centre.

Lunar New YearStatements By Members

11:05 a.m.

Conservative

Alice Wong Conservative Richmond Centre, BC

Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to send best wishes this lunar new year to all Canadians, especially to Canadians of Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese descent.

Lunar new year honours the history and ancient customs of one of the oldest civilizations in the world. This year is the Year of the Ox. The ox traditionally symbolizes prosperity through hard work. With economic uncertainty, all of us need to work tirelessly to bring stability to the economy, maintain jobs and care for the most vulnerable.

Lunar new year celebrations are important community events, not only in Richmond and the Lower Mainland but all over the nation as well.

From my family to yours, happy lunar new year.

Gung hay fat choy. Xin nian kwai le.

Black History MonthStatements By Members

11:05 a.m.

Liberal

Anita Vandenbeld Liberal Ottawa West—Nepean, ON

Madam Speaker, February is Black History Month, when we recognize the contributions of Black Canadians throughout Canada’s history.

It is also a chance to share the stories of today. I would like to pay tribute to Black youth in my riding, who are making their voices heard through “The House” podcast of the Britannia Woods Community House.

“The House” podcast is a platform where the authentic voices of young people are expressed. It takes on social issues and provides a forum to share struggles and success stories, and to build a sense of community.

During Black History Month, I am honoured to highlight the work of these young Black artists and entrepreneurs who play such an important role in creating a better world.

As we celebrate the stories of Black Canadians in our past, we must also ask ourselves what stories future leaders will tell us about today.

Let us make sure that it is a story of justice, inclusion and opportunity. Young people are speaking. Let us all take a moment to listen.

Amar ErryStatements By Members

11:05 a.m.

Liberal

Helena Jaczek Liberal Markham—Stouffville, ON

Madam Speaker, Markham has lost a great community, cultural and spiritual leader. In January, flags were lowered to half-mast at Markham Civic Centre to honour the life and contributions of Amar Erry.

He was a cornerstone of Markham's Hindu community, a champion for diversity and inclusion, and a friend to many. President of the Arya Samaj Mandir since 1980 and president of the Vedic Cultural Centre's board of directors since 1996, he sat on numerous boards and committees, including the Canadian Federation of Intercultural Friendship.

He was a passionate and dedicated community leader who was well liked and well respected. He was thoughtful, kind, and gracious, and an inspiration to those around him. He will be missed by friends and family in Canada and around the world. I will miss him too.

I know these thoughts are shared by my colleague, the member for Markham—Thornhill. Our sincere condolences go out to his family, his friends and the community.

Aviation IndustryStatements By Members

11:05 a.m.

Conservative

Tom Kmiec Conservative Calgary Shepard, AB

Madam Speaker, these have been hard years for Calgary.

Harder still was the past year for aviation workers. After the mergers and downsizing in energy companies, WestJet became our largest corporate headquarters, with 14,000 employees; 5,700 remain today. The job losses in aviation and related fields are in the tens of thousands, with temporary layoffs and furloughs hiding the enormity of the situation.

The former finance minister told the aviation industry that the government “had [their] backs” and were “ready to do anything and everything in [their] power to support those who are suffering.”

Where is this Liberal government now? It is muted and silent. There is no specific support for aviation workers, only empty promises and damaging policies.

Canada’s airline and aviation workers deserve better. They need a plan that will secure their jobs, secure the economy and secure their future. Canada’s Conservatives have that plan: more rapid testing, evidence-based quarantining, and financial support for workers in airports, airlines and aviation.

Black History MonthStatements By Members

11:10 a.m.

Liberal

Emmanuel Dubourg Liberal Bourassa, QC

Madam Speaker, 25 years ago, the hon. Jean Augustine moved a motion to make February Black History Month. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of Viola Desmond's challenge of racial segregation.

Less than a year ago, George Floyd was tragically killed. Since then, the Canadian government has brought in numerous programs to support the Black community, including young people, women, entrepreneurs and organizations run by Black people. However, a lot of work remains to be done to combat systemic racism.

To that end, I invite the various levels of government to do something tangible to ensure that all Canadians can fully contribute to a fairer, more equitable and, above all, more inclusive society.

Happy Black History Month.

Antony AuclairStatements By Members

February 5th, 2021 / 11:10 a.m.

Conservative

Richard Lehoux Conservative Beauce, QC

Madam Speaker, the people of Beauce will be watching Antony Auclair and his team at the Super Bowl. Number 82, born in Notre-Dame-des-Pins, is an irrepressible, passionate player whose determination got him all the way to the NFL. That is the ultimate payoff for Antony's efforts and hard work during his early days with the Notre-Dame-de-la-Trinité Tigers and the Polyvalente Saint-Georges Dragons.

Sunday, Beauce and the entire football community will be proud, as will all the organizers who watched Antony grow up, his coaches, his teammates, who were there for all the ups and downs, his teachers and especially his family, who made sacrifices to be able to guide and motivate him to achieve his goals.

Antony, if you only knew how much you inspire so many young and not-so-young people. Enjoy the moment. You have the privilege of playing with a future legend like Tom Brady. I hope you win the Super Bowl. Just remember, Beauce is rooting for you.

I wish him a good game. As one of my more enthusiastic colleagues would say, Go Tampa Bay, Go Antony!

Residents of Souris—Moose MountainStatements By Members

11:10 a.m.

Conservative

Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK

Madam Speaker, this last year has been an extremely challenging one, and I would like to recognize the great people of Souris—Moose Mountain for their strength and resilience throughout it all. On top of the pandemic, they have now suffered over five years of weak Liberal leadership that has done virtually nothing for the people of Saskatchewan and their communities. Despite this, my constituents have shown who they truly are: hard-working Canadians who want the best for their country.

These are the facts: Our energy workers want to get back to work and they want the option to do so through Canadian pipelines moving Canadian oil; our farmers and ranchers, who have shown incredible environmental stewardship, want credit for that, instead of being penalized with a carbon tax; and our small business owners want to know that they are supported by their government, pandemic or not, given how essential they are to the success of our local economies.

I will continue to fight to secure jobs for the residents of Souris—Moose Mountain and to secure our future.

Financial Circumstances in Newfoundland and LabradorStatements By Members

11:10 a.m.

NDP

Jack Harris NDP St. John's East, NL

Madam Speaker, everyone knows that the financial circumstances of Newfoundland and Labrador are in rough shape. One reason, which we share with other oil-producing provinces such as Alberta and Saskatchewan, is there were no equalization payments because of a loss of revenue following the collapse in oil prices and the lack of demand. Changes to the fiscal stabilization program were held out by former finance minister Bill Morneau as one solution, but all we got was tinkering.

The per capita limit was increased, but the maximum for Newfoundland and Labrador is only $90 million, and for Alberta and Saskatchewan there is not enough to make a dent in the crisis either. It was not retroactive and it was a flop when it came to the rules. Year over year, a drop in revenue had to reach 50% to qualify, so last year's drop of 46% in Newfoundland and Labrador yielded nothing.

The Liberal government could have helped provinces deal with significant revenue losses by sharing the burden with all the people of Canada, as with equalization, but it did not, and Newfoundland and Labrador, as well as Alberta and Saskatchewan, want to know why this government is not there when it is needed.

North Shore Worker Advocacy OrganizationStatements By Members

11:10 a.m.

Bloc

Marilène Gill Bloc Manicouagan, QC

Madam Speaker, just recently, Action-Chômage Côte-Nord launched its campaign to raise awareness about the plight of seasonal workers on the North Shore. I am proud to support this organization, which is calling for the fair and equitable reform of employment insurance for all those who need to use this program at some point.

Too many workers have to go into debt to get through the seasonal gap. The consequences are disastrous for families, businesses and communities, which become poorer or just leave the area. We have the power to change things, however.

I want to reiterate to the House that the Bloc Québécois and I want to work on eliminating the seasonal gap. The industry is seasonal, but the workers are not.

I invite my colleagues to view the Action-Chômage Côte-Nord video clips provided free of charge online, which remind us that elected officials, like employment insurance, must serve the workers.

Wolf William SolkinStatements By Members

11:15 a.m.

Conservative

John Brassard Conservative Barrie—Innisfil, ON

Madam Speaker, I regret that I am not standing in our symbol of democracy this morning to pay tribute to World War II veteran Wolf William Solkin. Wolf passed away at Ste. Anne's Hospital in Montreal on Wednesday, just days before his 98th birthday. He was the last surviving officer of Canada's Algonquin Regiment, which helped to liberate Europe during the Second World War.

NE-KAH-NE-TAH” or “let us lead” is the motto of the Algonquin Regiment and lead Wolf did. In 2016, after Ste. Anne's was transferred from federal to provincial management, Solkin noticed a decline in service, so he took on a class action lawsuit that is still under way. He was fierce, determined and fearless in his advocacy for veterans' rights and dignity and he inspired a new generation of veterans to fight for what they have earned. There is a profound sense of loss today among Canada's veterans community.

To his wife Louise, sons David and Andrew and daughters Cindy and Suzu, on behalf of a grateful nation, please accept our condolences and sincere thanks for Wolf's service to our country and to his fellow veterans. Bravo Zulu.

First RespondersStatements By Members

11:15 a.m.

Liberal

Bobby Morrissey Liberal Egmont, PE

Madam Speaker, I wish to recognize the efforts made by first responders during a recent fire at La Coopérative Le Chez-Nous in Wellington, a seniors facility in my riding of Egmont.

A fire at a seniors residence is extremely frightening. Volunteer firefighters from across the area, in particular the Wellington firefighters, responded quickly, provided comforting words and placed themselves in harm's way to put out the fire and assist each senior resident to safety.

I thank all first responders for their dedication.

HealthOral Questions

11:15 a.m.

Conservative

Gérard Deltell Conservative Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC

Madam Speaker, exactly two months ago in this House, the Prime Minister rose, puffed up his chest and said that this government was delivering medications, that it was delivering the vaccines. That was two months ago. Today, with regard to vaccinations, Canada is the 34th worst country in the world, and it is moving down the list. The prestigious magazine The Economist estimates that if nothing changes, Canada and Canadians will not have access to vaccines until 2022.

Does the Prime Minister realize that rather than guaranteeing the delivery—

HealthOral Questions

11:15 a.m.

Liberal

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes

The hon. minister.