Debates of March 8th, 2021

Health

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the minister said that international farm workers arriving on flights would be exempt from hotel quarantine until March 15, but now we are hearing from farmers from the Prairies and the Maritimes that the Liberal government is forcing workers to quarantine in Toronto hotels before they proceed to farms. Left hand, right hand. As the largest number of farm workers is due to arrive now, will the minister do the right thing and give farmers certainty about getting workers straight to their farms without delay?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the provinces, territories and indeed my ministerial colleagues for working so hard to ensure the arrival of temporary foreign workers so they can do their important work for Canadians in a safe manner. This is an all-hands-on-deck approach where we are making sure that temporary foreign workers have a safe place to quarantine and have supports from the provinces, territories, and indeed the farmers, and of course the federal government will continue that hard work.

Justice

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

Mr. Speaker, citizens across Canada, including constituents in my riding, have been writing me to express their horror at the Senate amendments to Bill C-7. Canadians affected with mental illness want hope, not death. Why is the government opening the door for their untimely death rather than providing legal protection and hope?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, the Senate reviewed the bill, did its homework by proposing very thoughtful amendments to the bill, and we have responded.

Mental illness is a very serious illness. It is an illness. It needs to be treated as an illness. It was always going to be looked at in the second stage of the bill. We are going to continue to do that, but this time within the frame of the Senate amendment.

Health

[Alice Wong, Conservative, Richmond Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today is International Women's Day, the day we should be celebrating the achievements of women across Canada. Instead, we read headlines about women being the victims of sexual assault in government-mandated quarantine facilities. When will the government reverse its practice of turning a blind eye to sexual assault? When will it take steps to protect our vulnerable women in government-sanctioned quarantine facilities?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, every woman deserves to live a life free of violence and harassment. Our government takes these allegations very seriously. They are being fully investigated and we have put into place processes to ensure this does not happen again.

Employment

[Lenore Zann, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, happy International Women's Day.

From the beginning of COVID-19, our government has been doing everything we can to keep Canadians healthy, safe and supported. However, many workers continue to face challenges in these uncertain times, particularly when they are laid off in the middle of a pandemic. Last week, I met with employees of Stanfield's garment factory here in Truro after they suddenly received layoff notices. Many them are women who have worked there for decades. As their MP, I am very concerned.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion please provide an update on our government's extension of EI benefits that will help hard-working Canadians like my constituents—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

[Irek Kusmierczyk, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to keeping Canadians safe and supported during the pandemic. That is why we introduced Bill C-24, which extends the number of weeks available under EI regular benefits. With some workers beginning to exhaust their benefits in late March, this bill will ensure that Canadians have the support they need.

We will be debating Bill C-24 this afternoon. It is a straightforward bill that all members have had before them since February 25. I hope all parties recognize that the allotted time for debate is sufficient and send this bill to committee for further study this week so we can get Canadians the support they need.

International Development

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, humanity is facing one of the biggest ethical issues of our time to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines everywhere in the world. If we do not get this right, 30% more people will die, Canadians will be exposed to more dangerous variants and our global economic recovery will be delayed by years. Now, when the world needs Canada to step up and support the waiving of intellectual property rights so that poor countries can access vaccines, the Liberals have sided with big pharma once again. Will the government vote to waive IP rules this week?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Minister of International Development]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member mentioned, equitable access to vaccines is the top priority for our government. In fact, I am pleased to note that COVAX, over the past couple of weeks, has delivered millions of vaccines to dozens of countries in the developing world. It is a good-news story that vaccines are being distributed right around the world.

When it comes to intellectual property, we have been very open to this conversation and have been open to hearing from the proponents of this proposal since the very beginning.

Public Safety

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, terrible news: Another indigenous person has been killed in the course of a wellness check; another member of the Tla-o-qui-aht Nation, the same nation to which Chantel Moore belonged when she was killed by the Edmundston, New Brunswick, police. The killing over the last weekend in February was on Meares Island on the traditional territory of the indigenous people of the Tla-o-qui-aht Nation. That nation issued a statement pointing out so tragically that there have been more members killed in wellness checks by police and RCMP than have died from COVID.

When will the minister take responsibility? When will this government call an inquiry and end the threat that wellness checks pose to Canadians, indigenous and non-indigenous?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I share the member's sadness and concern about this tragedy, and our thoughts are with the community.

In situations such as this, it is absolutely essential that there be a timely, transparent and independent investigation in order to provide answers to the many difficult questions that the people of that community quite rightly have.

We welcome and support the appointment of an indigenous civilian monitor for the first time to help oversee that investigation, and he will have full access to the investigation. We will continue to monitor this situation, and we are working with the RCMP and police right across the country to find a better response to these tragic situations and to help keep people safe.

The House resumed from February 25 consideration of the motion.

Opposition Motion—Financial Situation of the Elderly

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

It being 3:07 p.m., pursuant to an order made on Monday, January 25, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion of the member for Shefford relating to Business of Supply.

Call in the members.

And the bells having rung:

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

On Thursday, February 25, the House leaders of the recognized parties informed me that they were satisfied that the new electronic voting system is ready to be used. Accordingly, I would like to take this opportunity to share some information that members may find useful on the new process for the taking of recorded divisions.

Voting is one of the most fundamental rights of a member of Parliament. The ability of members to participate fully in this process is of the utmost importance. This first hybrid vote using the electronic voting system marks another adaptation of our normal practices and procedures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

As per the terms of the special order, votes will continue to take place as per the usual process for those in the chamber. Members present in the House must stay in their seat for the duration of the voting period and should not vote via the electronic system.

For members participating remotely, the new process will be as follows.

Members will receive notifications informing them of the upcoming vote. Once the vote starts, they will have 10 minutes to cast a vote via the electronic system, indicating whether they are for, are against, or are abstaining from voting on the motion.

Members will then be required to take a photo to validate their identity and submit their vote.

Members may change their vote during the 10-minute period, but all attempts must be completed before the end of the voting period for the vote to be recorded.

After the in-person vote is completed, members may continue to vote via the electronic system for the remainder of the voting period. During this time, votes cast via the system will be displayed on the broadcast feed and no points of order or interventions are permitted during this period.

When the House resumes its business, I will invite any members who encountered technical difficulties to identify themselves using the “raised hand” feature to cast their vote.

In accordance with the motion adopted on February 22, 2021, I will then entertain any concerns raised by a House officer of a recognized party regarding the visual identity of a member voting remotely, where a possible issue has been indicated by the system. It is the responsibility of members to be ready to respond should concern be raised about their photo, failing which, as per the terms of the motion, the vote will not be recorded.

Once these steps are completed, the table will then compile the results of the vote and the Clerk will announce the final results to the House.

IT ambassadors are available before, during and after a vote to assist members if they encounter difficulties with the system or for any technical matter related to the virtual sitting.

It remains the responsibility of members to ensure that they have adequate connectivity to fully participate in the parliamentary proceedings and that they fully complete all steps of the voting process.

Finally, decorum remains an important part of any sitting of the House, whether members are participating in person or virtually. I would ask that members continue to demonstrate respect for the dignity of the House when participating or intervening in proceedings, including being judicious in the backgrounds they choose and their attire.

I would like to thank members for their participation in the simulations and for their feedback regarding the electronic voting system. As we continue to learn and adapt to the constraints of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am continually impressed by the innovation, creativity and resilience of members and their staff, as well as the administration employees who support us as we serve our constituents through this difficult period.

We will now proceed to the taking of the first recorded division using the new electronic voting system.

The 10-minute period for members voting electronically has started.

The House will now proceed to the vote for members participating in person.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #62

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I declare the motion carried.

The House resumed from February 26 consideration of the motion that Bill C-14, An Act to implement certain provisions of the economic statement tabled in Parliament on November 30, 2020 and other measures, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Economic Statement Implementation Act, 2020

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Pursuant to an order made on Monday, January 25, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at second reading stage of Bill C-14.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #63

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I declare the motion carried. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Finance.

(Bill read the second time and referred to a committee)

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

In the past year, the employees of the House of Commons administration helped set the stage so that members of Parliament could meet a challenge like no other: continuing their work during the global pandemic. Thanks to the talents and dedication of the men and women across the entire organization, the House has been able to conduct its business on behalf of Canadians, even if we cannot be together in person for the time being. I am very proud of this.

Today, for the first time, members were able either to vote in person or to submit their vote through the electronic voting system. This solution offers the House another secure and reliable way to conduct its business over the next few months despite the constraints of the pandemic.

Over the past few months, the House of Commons has demonstrated that it can adapt to temporary constraints imposed by the pandemic. One day soon, I hope, we will come together in person in the House to continue our work on behalf of Canadians.

In the meantime, I would like to express my profound gratitude to the employees of the House administration. They have worked, and continue to work, tirelessly to ensure that we can work for our constituents. We could not have done this without them.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I want to take a moment, with your indulgence, to extend on behalf of all members of Parliament and all Canadians a massive thanks to the House administration. What we just saw in the last vote, with not a single technical error, was an absolute flawless execution of an incredibly difficult task. We were able to watch for months as the House administration not only helped us in this incredible change, but dealt with the adaptations as a result of COVID across the board. We are deeply in their debt, every day, for all the ways in which they serve us.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs for their extraordinary work in getting us to this point.

Lastly, I want to thank my colleagues, the whips for the Bloc, the Conservatives and the New Democrats, who were extraordinary to work with through this. This was all able to be achieved through unanimous consent, which is no small thing.

Oral Questions

[Greg Fergus, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board and to the Minister of Digital Government]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I apologize for not raising this immediately, but I failed to get your attention and did not want to interrupt the votes.

My point of order arises from question period. Mr. Speaker, you rose to remind members about the importance of using parliamentary language, and some unparliamentary language was used by the member for Lakeland. I have sat in the House with the member, who is a vigorous debater and an honourable member, and I would like to offer her an opportunity to withdraw the unparliamentary word. I remind all members to heed your advice to stay well within the bounds of acceptable language in the House.