Debates of March 22nd, 2021

Scrutiny of Regulations

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

All those opposed to the hon. member moving the motion will please say nay.

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)

Private Members' Business

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

Mr. Speaker, I move:

That, notwithstanding any Standing Order, special order or usual practice of the House, until Wednesday, June 23, 2021, during the taking of a recorded division on a Private Members' Business, when the sponsor of the item is the first to vote and present at the beginning of the vote, the member be called first, whether participating in person or by videoconference.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

All those opposed to the hon. member moving the motion will please say nay.

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)

The Environment

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, as an Albertan and someone who grew up hiking, skiing and playing in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, I am deeply honoured to table this petition, which is signed by over 18,000 Canadians.

These Canadians are urging the environment minister to ensure that there is a fulsome assessment of the impacts of all proposed coal developments and exploration activities in the Rocky Mountains. In particular, the petitioners wish to see the government ensure treaty and aboriginal rights, water quality, species at risk and environmental impacts are assessed and adequately protected.

In addition, until the federal government does such a study, on behalf of the over 18,000 Canadians who have signed this petition, I urge the minister and this government to delay a decision regarding the proposed Grassy Mountain coal project until the cumulative impacts of all mining activity in the region have been adequately considered.

Foreign Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, in full solidarity with the Haitian people, I am tabling petition e-2448, signed by 148 citizens, to shed light on the role played in Haiti by the Canadian government and member countries of the “Core Group”, which many believe are propping up the current prime minister of Haiti, who is accused of corruption and repression, not to mention all the horrors to which the Haitian people are currently being subjected.

The petitioners are calling on the government to publish all documents relating to what is known as the “Ottawa Initiative on Haiti”, which was described on the Radio-Canada program Enquête, and to hold a hearing of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development to learn everything there is to know about the “Ottawa Initiative on Haiti”, including its link to the “Core Group”. In closing, I would like to congratulate Josephe Turenne, who officially started this petition.

Indigenous Affairs

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

Mr. Speaker, today I am presenting a petition signed by over 32,000 Canadians, including 471 of residents of NWT.

This petition was sponsored by the Yellowknives Dene First Nation and calls upon the Government of Canada to apologize for its role in the harmful legacy of Giant Mine. It also calls upon the government to ensure that the YKDFN are properly compensated and are able to fully participate in the site's remediation.

Human Organ Trafficking

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to be back in the House. I am presenting six petitions today.

The first petition is in support of Bill S-204. It is a petition that seeks to combat forced organ harvesting and trafficking. I am very pleased to share that this bill has now passed second reading in the Senate, and will now be going on to be studied at committee.

Public Safety

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition I am presenting is with respect to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or the IRGC. The petition notes that, in 2018, the House of Commons passed a motion to immediately list the IRGC as a terrorist entity. It also notes that, in response to the storming of Capitol Hill in January 2021, the Liberal government listed Proud Boys as a terrorist organization within less than a month, thus demonstrating that listing a group as a terrorist organization can be done quickly and efficiently. As well, the petition notes that it has been three years since the motion to list the IRGC was passed. Therefore, petitioners call on the government to immediately list the IRGC as a terrorist organization, and to explain why there has been a three-year delay.

Medical Assistance in Dying

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the third petition deals with Bill C-7. The petitioners are very concerned by the fact that this bill has removed vital safeguards associated with the euthanasia regime, safeguards which the government said were essential only a few short years ago.

The petitioners call on the government to restore the 10-day reflection period, restore the original requirement that a person must give consent to a life-ending procedure immediately before it is performed, restore the requirement for two independent witnesses, require medical professionals to do everything possible to enable the person to access life-affirming services to relieve their suffering, and accommodate persons with communication disabilities by clarifying their refusal of or resistance to administration of physician-assisted death.

Human Rights

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the fourth petition deals with the horrific genocide of Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims in China. Petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada, not just Parliament, to recognize the genocide and to use the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, the Magnitsky act, to sanction all of those responsible.

We have seen some tentative steps in that direction today, but the government needs to actually and finally join our allies in recognizing the genocide and holding accountable all those responsible.

Conversion Therapy

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the fifth petition deals with Bill C-6, the government's conversion therapy bill. Petitioners note that they are opposed to conversion therapy and would like to see legislation banning it. However, they note that the government's definition of conversion therapy in Bill C-6 is deeply flawed and has many unintended consequences.

Petitioners join the calls from many groups and Canadians for the government to address the drafting errors, fix the definition, make sure the bill actually only applies to conversion therapy itself and then proceed with banning conversation therapy once there is a fixed, clarified definition.

Human Rights

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the sixth and final petition is with respect to the situation in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Petitioners are concerned about human rights violations as well as the humanitarian situation. They are calling for an end to violence, humanitarian access and international investigations. They are calling on the Government of Canada to engage directly and consistently with the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments with respect to the issues around this conflict, and to promote short, medium and long-term election monitoring in Ethiopia.

I commend these petitions to the consideration of all hon. members.

COVID-19 Vaccines

[Derek Sloan, Independent, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House this afternoon to present e-petition 2961, with over 41,000 signatures of concerned Canadians. This petition calls for greater awareness and action overseeing all aspects of the COVID vaccination program across Canada currently under way.

The main points of the petition call upon the federal government to protect the ethical, legal and moral rights of Canadians to informed consent; to ensure COVID-19 vaccines are voluntary as opposed to mandatory, and the choice must be without prejudice; create an independent committee with a broad range of stakeholder representatives, including citizen vaccine safety advocates; ensure no committee member has intellectual or financial conflicts of interest with the pharmaceutical or medical industry; and grant this committee the power to independently review applications for approval of all vaccines, including those for COVID-19.

One of the key points within this petition is to develop a vaccine injury compensation program related to compensation for those injured or killed by vaccines, and this was actually acted upon by the federal government shortly after I authorized this petition in December of 2020.

Medical Marijuana

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition on behalf of concerned Canadians, including my own constituents, who are tired and frustrated with inaction by the government to clamp down on illegal marijuana production, including the exploitation of medical marijuana permits. Our communities are becoming less safe and less liveable as organized crime outfits are taking advantage of a system full of loopholes and absent of any real compliance and enforcement measures.

A simple Google search on the topic reveals numerous paid ads from companies guaranteeing access to production permits even without a demonstrated medical need. This needs to be fixed now.

The petition calls for the Government of Canada to reform the licensing and oversight of the production of cannabis for personal medical use and to grant resources and authority to provinces and municipalities to regulate and enforce the production of cannabis for personal medical use.

Indigenous Affairs

[Paul Manly, Green, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present this petition today, which is World Water Day. The petitioners note that almost all community drinking watersheds on the east coast of Vancouver Island are privately owned because of the E&N land grant, which was part of the agreement to bring B.C. into Confederation 150 years ago this year. They point out that the E&N land grant violated aboriginal rights and title. They also observe there is a high risk of drinking water contamination due to industrial and human activity in these watersheds.

The petitioners are calling on the government to work with first nations, all levels of government and private landowners to begin the process of bringing these community drinking watersheds under public ownership and control to maintain a secure source of clean drinking water for future generations.

I would like to thank the members of my constituency in Nanaimo—Ladysmith for putting forward this petition.

Human Rights

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present a number of petitions today.

The first petition is signed by Canadians from across Canada. They are calling on the government to recognize the genocide happening to the Uighur people in China and to use the Magnitsky act to hold those who are perpetrating this heinous genocide to account.

Human Organ Trafficking

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from Canadians from across Canada who are concerned with the illegal organ harvesting that is happening around the world. The petitioners are calling for the speedy passage of Bill S-240.

I believe it has passed through the Senate. I look forward to it coming to this place.

Mental Health

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I present the third petition on behalf of Albertans who want to draw to the attention of the House a recent StatsCan report, which highlights that a disproportionate number of young men died between May and October. The petitioners are calling on the government to recognize that men are three times more likely to commit suicide.

Albertans have suffered an energy downturn, an oil price war and a federal government that is unwilling to support major pipeline and investment projects. Alberta has one of the highest unemployment rates in Canada.

The petitioners are asking the House to approve shovel-ready projects across the country to get Albertans back to work and ensure that the Trans Mountain expansion is completed, that local communities and organizers are supported and that the 988 national suicide hotline is quickly created.

Pornography

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the fourth petition is from Canadians from across the country who are concerned about the accessibility and impacts of violent and degrading sexually explicit material online and its impact on public health, especially the well-being of women and girls. The petitioners recognize that we cannot say we believe in preventing sexual violence toward women while allowing pornography companies to freely expose our children to violent, explicit sexual imagery day after day, which is a form of child abuse. As such, they note the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child requires Canada to develop the means to protect children from forms of media that are injurious to their well-being. As such, the petitioners are calling on the House of Commons to require meaningful age verification on all adult websites.

Conversion Therapy

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the fifth petition is from Canadians who are concerned about the current definition of “conversion therapy” in Bill C-6. The petitioners, like most Canadians, want coercive and degrading therapies banned. They are concerned that private conversations would be limited and ask the government to avoid criminalizing voluntary services, including professional and religious counselling. They ask for a clear and fixed definition of “conversion therapy”.

Firearms

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the sixth petition is from Canadians from across Canada who want to support the health and safety of Canadian firearms owners. The petitioners recognize the importance of owning firearms. They are concerned about the impacts of hearing loss due to the damage caused by the noise levels from firearms. They acknowledge the need for noise reduction and that sound moderators are the only universally recognized health and safety device that is criminally prohibited in Canada. Moreover, the majority of G7 countries have recognized the health and safety benefits of sound moderators and allow them for hunting and sport shooting and to reduce noise pollution. The petitioners are calling on the government to allow legal firearms owners to purchase and use sound moderators for all legal hunting and sport shooting activities.

Medical Assistance in Dying

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the last petition I am presenting today is with respect to the importance of the lives of the elderly and the passing of Bill C-7. The petitioners are calling on the government to support measures to protect human life, as all life should be regarded with great respect. They believe we should support the most vulnerable and defenceless Canadians instead of facilitating their death. The petitioners are concerned about the passage of Bill C-7, especially with the inclusion of mental health.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Questions Nos. 360-362, 369 and 370, 372-378, 380-385 and 389.

Question No.360

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

With regard to the support units and bases of the Canadian Armed Forces and subcontracts, broken down by fiscal year since 2011-12: (a) what are the details of each contract, including (i) the supplier, (ii) the amount, (iii) the commodity description, (iv) the sourcing, sole or not; and (b) for each contract in (a), why was this work not performed by the Department of National Defence?

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the Department of National Defence issues thousands of contracts each year to facilitate its operations and to better serve Canadians at home and abroad. These contracts are subject to national defence’s procurement processes, which allow the department to deliver the right equipment and quality service to the Canadian Armed Forces in a timely manner.

As part of its commitment to openness and transparency, the Department of National Defence proactively discloses all of its contracts over $10,000. Details of these contracts, ranging from 2011 to 2020, can be found at the Open Government website using the following link: https://open.canada.ca.

National defence does not centrally track subcontract data broken down by location. Providing the requested details would require a manual search and validation of over 160,000 contracts, which could not be completed in the allotted time.