Debates of March 10th, 2021

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Glengarry—Prescott—Russell.

[Members sang the national anthem]

Armenian Genocide

[Fayçal El-Khoury, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, 33 years ago, innocent Armenian men, women and children lost their lives in the tragic events at Sumgait, Azerbaijan.

Many residents of my riding, Laval—Les Îles, remember these events and the horrific impact they had on Armenians in the region and around the world.

The Sumgait pogrom was a response by nationalist forces in Baku to suppress Armenians' rightful demands to live freely in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Unfortunately, until today, too many issues remain unresolved. Canada must continue to stand up and work with our international partners to support the Armenian people during this most difficult time and with whom we share strong people-to-people ties and values.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the excellent work of the relatively new director general for the DFO for the Central and Arctic Region, Dr. David Nanang, and his team.

My riding of Chatham-Kent—Leamington is the proud home of the world's largest freshwater commercial fishing harbour. To sustain such a renewable aquaculture resource requires an understanding of science, responsiveness and infrastructure, and I am pleased to say that David exemplifies this understanding of all three.

Dr. Nanang personally led his team to our area last fall. He even hopped onto a fishing tug to witness the challenge that the entrance to the Wheatley Harbour could be.

I thank Dr. Nanang and his excellent EA Cindy Scale, with a special shout-out to Thomas Hoggarth, the regional director for ecosystems management, who walked into a room of angry residents and now has them engaged in a resolution process for which they are most appreciative. I thank them all.

Charles Palmer

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House in honour of Sir Charles Palmer, who passed away in February, shortly after his 100th birthday.

Charlie was an exceptional man. He served in the Second World War and was honoured with many medals, including the highest medal of service awarded by the Republic of France, which gave him the title of Knighthood.

Charlie will always be remembered for his passion for his community. He was an alderman for 27 years, during which time he served as deputy mayor and the president of the Union of Nova Scotia Municipalities. His presence will remain strong in the Cape Breton Regional Municipality council chambers.

It is my hope that we can carry forward Charlie's passion for helping others, his dedication to making our community the best it can possibly be and, of course, his love for relaxing afternoons on the Mira.

On behalf of Cape Breton—Canso constituents and the members of the House, I wish to offer my sincere condolences to Sir Charlie's family and his loved ones.

Frances Allen

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I wish to recognize the appointment of Lieutenant-General Frances Allen as vice chief of the defence staff. She is the first woman to become second-in-command of the Canadian Forces.

This is great news, because on Monday we celebrated International Women's Day. It is also great news in a week marked by what appears to be a culture of sexual misconduct in the military running rampant up to the highest echelons.

The allegations against the former chief of defence staff and his successor reflect, at best, a hostile environment towards women and at worst, a dangerous one.

The fact that the Minister of National Defence, who is in the military himself, may have ignored these allegations reveals the extent of the culture of silence that needs to be eliminated.

Ms. Allen's appointment should therefore in no way serve to defuse the crisis. On the contrary, this woman has a colossal job ahead of her and, as the Bloc Québecois critic for the status of women, I would like to offer her my full support and warm congratulations.

Informal Caregivers

[Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Liberal, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to share with the House an excerpt from a letter I received from a mother who is also an informal caregiver:

I am physically and mentally tired.

My 35-year-old son lives with me full time.

I prepare meals, do the laundry, do the dishes and so on.

He still gets excited at bedtime, which is at 9 p.m. He turns the lights off and on, goes up and down the stairs, and so on.

My stress level rises, and I seek refuge in the basement.

I stay there until things calm down. At 11:15 p.m., I come up from the basement...

I am unhappy, I have no energy.

I apologize for unburdening myself to you, but I need to get it off my chest.

I need help.

In Quebec alone, 965,700 women, including my mother, provide unpaid support to a loved one with a physical or mental disability, illness, injury or loss of autonomy.

This invisible work places a huge mental, physical, emotional and financial burden on women.

This invisible work must be made visible.

Joseph Shenouda

[Bob Saroya, Conservative, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it with a heavy heart and sadness that I announce the passing of Mr. Joseph Shenouda, who departed on Monday, March 8.

Mr. Joseph Shenouda was a beloved member of the Coptic Orthodox community of the GTA. He leaves behind his wife Nadia and children Ramzi, Gihan, George, Rania and Gina as well as his 10 beautiful grandchildren, with whom he so loved spending time.

Mr. Joseph Shenouda is known for his outstanding work with the Coptic community. He will be truly missed by the entire community.

On behalf of my colleagues in Parliament, I wish to extend our deepest condolences to the entire Shenouda family. As we speak, his funeral is taking place at St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church in Markham. May my friend rest in peace.

COVID-19 Emergency Response

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I have good news. Last year, the government signed agreements to ensure that Canada would have six million vaccine doses delivered by the end of March. Well, we will be exceeding our commitment from six million doses to eight million doses, and that is before the end of this month.

We can see light at the end of the tunnel, but vaccines are not the whole story. Economists recognize that Canada is in a good position to spring into recovery because of all the supports we have put into place to help people. The wage subsidy program alone has protected millions of jobs, while the Canada emergency response benefit helped close to nine million people. Because we have supported real people and businesses, we will be in a better position to build back better.

In the meantime, we are going to continue focusing on doing whatever it takes to protect the health and general well-being of all people.

Riding of Glengarry—Prescott—Russell

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to acknowledge the work of a few organizations in Glengarry—Prescott—Russell.

First, I wish to highlight the work of Leadership féminin Prescott-Russell, an organization that advocates for an egalitarian society and the promotion of women in leadership positions. Leadership féminin Prescott-Russell plays a vital role in our community, whether in politics, at the boardroom table or on behalf of young women seeking leadership roles. I want to say a huge thank you to Marie-Noëlle Lanthier and the board of directors for their efforts.

I also wish to highlight the work of the Eastern Ontario's Women in Ag Network, a brand new organization that was founded by Vicki Brisson and has already grown to 400-plus members. The network provides a space for them to discuss issues affecting women in agriculture. Well done.

Finally, I wish to highlight the work of Anne Jutras, executive director at the Centre Novas, an organization that provides a range of assistance and support services for survivors of sexual assault in an effort to eliminate violence against women. I want to thank Ms. Jutras for her nine years of service.

You are all an inspiration for women and girls everywhere.

Enhance Energy

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Mr. Speaker, last week, my colleagues for Red Deer—Mountain View and Battle River—Crowfoot joined me for a visit to Enhance Energy's carbon capture project in my riding of Red Deer—Lacombe. I am very proud to report that, just yesterday, this company celebrated one million tonnes of carbon captured and sequestered near Clive, Alberta.

Enhance Energy is sequestering CO2 at a rate that is the equivalent to taking over 350,000 cars off the road. It captures the carbon in the industrial heartland of Alberta from a refinery and fertilizer plant. Enhance then compresses and ships it down the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line to Clive, where it is pumped back into the ground. This CO2 then helps produce some of the lowest carbon oil on our planet, and Enhance Energy has only scratched the surface of what is possible. We have the capacity to do much more with carbon capture and sequestration.

I send my congratulations to Enhance Energy, an Alberta company leading the way.

Kevin Lowe

[Stéphane Lauzon, Liberal, Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today I want to acknowledge something that makes the people of my riding, Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, very proud. Legendary hockey player Kevin Lowe, originally from Lachute, back home, was named to the Order of Hockey in Canada.

The Order of Hockey in Canada is a Hockey Canada initiative that was established in 2012 to celebrate individuals for their outstanding contribution to the development and growth of hockey in Canada.

Kevin Lowe played more than 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, tallying 84 goals and 374 assists for a total of 431 points over 1,254 games. He also won the Stanley Cup six times over the course of his impressive career. He was also involved off the ice, notably as a member of Canada’s management group at four Olympic Winter Games. He won the World Cup of Hockey as Team Canada's assistant executive director in 2004.

He is a true inspiration to all young hockey players in Canada and Quebec.

Public Safety

[Rob Morrison, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the extent the government is willing to go to divide rural Canada from the rest of the country is concerning, and its latest gun legislation is no exception. Law-abiding gun owners are being targeted while criminals charged with illegal gun offences are being let off the hook with new reduced sentencing measures.

Just yesterday, while the government's back was turned, busy plotting to take legal guns away from law-abiding Canadians, a known criminal smuggled 249 illegal guns into a Quebec town near the U.S. border. Thanks to the government's new legislation, this criminal can now look forward to reduced sentencing. It is shameful the government voted against and defeated Bill C-238, a Conservative bill that would have imposed tough sentences on smuggling guns.

I have received hundreds of messages from law-abiding citizens of Kootenay—Columbia on this issue and they are frustrated. They are speaking out, but the government is not listening. My constituents are growing tired of waiting for the government to start listening to rural Canadians and legal gun owners.

COVID-19 Emergency Response

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Mr. Speaker, a year ago today, I flew home mid-week for an MRI, which I was fortunate to receive given that the pandemic was declared the very next day. Back then health experts, together with governments, asked for two weeks to flatten the curve. Canadians have given it a year. What has been the government's response these past 12 months? It has been mismanagement. From its mismanagement of border closures, government assistance programs, PPE procurement and, most recently, vaccine procurement, Canadians are paying a high price.

Under the Liberal government, Canada has had record deficits, the highest unemployment in the G7 and the worst economic growth per capita since the Great Depression. A year into the pandemic, the government has failed to put forward an economic plan that will get Canadians back to work.

While Canada is a strong, resilient country, we need a plan for a safe reopening. Canadians know they can count on Conservatives to secure our future.

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to tell colleagues about my constituent Nancy Gatten. Nancy works at a grocery store in London and, like so many other women, she is a front-line worker in the service sector. Nancy is 63 years old and has diabetes. Her doctor told her to stay at home because she is at high risk for contracting COVID-19.

Nancy accessed the CERB and was grateful for that support, yet despite the fact that the pandemic is far from over, and in London we are seeing the spread of variants, Nancy is not eligible for the recovery sickness benefit. Nancy must return to a very public workplace with no clear indication of when she will get a vaccine.

Nancy said she had had high hopes because the Prime Minister had said that the government would protect vulnerable Canadians, help seniors, and that he cared for women working on the front lines, but because of his failure to make supports universal, Nancy and many other Canadians are sadly being left behind.

Purple Day

[Marilène Gill, Bloc, Manicouagan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, March is epilepsy awareness month, and March 26 is Purple Day, which is celebrated to encourage worldwide support for people with this disorder.

In Canada, one in 100 people have epilepsy and nearly one-third of them are children, including my three-year-old son Ulysse.

On March 26, I invite my colleagues, along with all Quebeckers and Canadians, to proudly wear purple in support of the individuals and families affected by this disorder.

The Bloc Québécois, my husband, who is the member for Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, and I hope that raising awareness will lead to more research so that a cure can be found and so that young and old can live without worrying about the consequences of another episode.

Dear Ulysse, daddy, mommy, Charlotte and Loïc love you.

National Defence

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

Mr. Speaker, last week we heard shocking testimony from the former military ombudsman detailing evidence presented to the minister of defence of sexual misconduct, allegedly perpetrated by Canada's top soldier. Instead of receiving the information and acting on it, the minister pushed away from the table and sent the ombudsman to the Prime Minister's department.

It is clear that the Prime Minister and his defence minister failed to take action. Instead, the government undertook a coordinated campaign to silence a whistle-blower. We ask members of our Canadian Armed Forces to serve Canada with unlimited liability. The very least that we can do is to ensure an environment that is free from sexual misconduct and that any complaints are investigated and free of reprisals.

The Prime Minister and his defence minister have failed to create an environment that has zero tolerance for sexual misconduct. They have failed to protect the members who brought their stories forward. We owe it to all members of the Canadian Forces to find out exactly how allegations of sexual misconduct were covered up by the Liberal government.

Women in Politics

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this month we honour incredible women, and I would like to recognize former Oakville MP Bonnie Brown, who turned 80 years old on March 2.

Bonnie served in this House from 1993 to 2008. Prior to being elected federally, she served as a school board trustee and then was elected as a municipal councillor. This year's theme for International Women's Day is “Choose to Challenge”. Bonnie Brown has never been afraid to challenge. She has spoken passionately about climate change, child care, pharmacare and so much more. I know that Bonnie is especially proud of being the first parliamentarian to speak out against the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Bonnie cherishes her family, and her children and grandchildren have made her proud. She was and is a trailblazer and shows no signs of slowing down. I thank Bonnie for her leadership and inspiring women like me to walk in her footsteps.

National Defence

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, “Once again, seriously this time, can the Prime Minister tell us why he did not immediately demand that the Chief of the Defence Staff resign?” That was the Prime Minister's attitude in 2015 in reaction to comments made by General Tom Lawson.

Once again, seriously this time, can the Prime Minister tell us why he did not immediately demand that the Chief of the Defence Staff resign when he learned of allegations against him in 2018?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as a government, we have always taken allegations of sexual misconduct very seriously. No one should ever feel unsafe at work. It is clear, though, that the many measures we have taken since being in government have not yet gone far enough and they have not moved fast enough.

As I said yesterday, we need to move faster and we will do more.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

That is taken very seriously, Mr. Speaker.

Michael Wernick, the former clerk of the Privy Council, has admitted he was aware of the allegations. Elder Marques, the senior adviser to the Prime Minister, was made aware.

In 2015, the Prime Minister told the House that sexual harassment in our military was unacceptable, so why was it acceptable for him to ignore it in 2018?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, that is simply not true. We take all allegations seriously and ensure they are followed up on by the appropriate independent authorities. That is exactly what happened in this situation.

After the defence ombudsman received a complaint, the minister directed him to independent officials who could investigate. My office was aware of the minister's direction to the ombudsman. Those officials never received further information, so were unable to move forward with an investigation.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister needs to demonstrate leadership. In 2015, inappropriate comments from the Chief of the Defence Staff were enough for this Prime Minister to demand a resignation. In 2018, an allegation of sexual misconduct itself was not even enough for him to demand an investigation.

Which Prime Minister is it in 2021: the one who demanded accountability in opposition, or the one who is supporting a cover-up as Prime Minister?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have always taken allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and referred them to the appropriate authorities. When the ombudsman came forward to the minister to say he had heard allegations, the minister directed him to those independent authorities who could follow up on an investigation. Those are the people who need to do the independent, rigorous investigations. We have always ensured those people are able to do rigorous follow-ups. In this case, there was not enough information to continue with the independent investigation.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is talking about the rigorous follow-ups from 2018. Everyone around the Prime Minister was aware of the sexual harassment allegations in 2018.

Why, in 2019, did the Prime Minister extend the contract of the Chief of the Defence Staff and give him a promotion?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, in 2018, my office was aware of the minister's direction to the ombudsman, but my office and I learned of the details of the allegation through news reporting over the past months.