Debates of April 13th, 2021

Strengthening Environmental Protection for a Healthier Canada Act

[Jonathan Wilkinson, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-28, An Act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999, to make related amendments to the Food and Drugs Act and to repeal the Perfluorooctane Sulfonate Virtual Elimination Act.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Environment and Sustainable Development

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, entitled “The Road Ahead: Encouraging the Production and Purchase of Zero-Emission Vehicles in Canada”.

This study, which is extremely relevant in today's context where we are making the transition to a greener economy, was proposed by the member for Repentigny.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

I would also like to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development in relation to Bill C-204, an act to amend the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999 (final disposal of plastic waste). The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with amendments.

Health

[Ron McKinnon, Liberal, Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following seven reports of the Standing Committee on Health.

The fifth report is entitled “Bill C-237, An Act to Establish a National Framework for Diabetes”. The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with an amendment.

The sixth report is “Request for Government Response to the 23rd Report from the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session”, entitled “A Diabetes Strategy for Canada”.

The seventh report is “Request for Government Response to the 24th report from the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session”, entitled “Tackling the Problem Head-on: Sports-Related Concussions in Canada”.

The eight report is “Request for Government Response to the 26th Report from the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session”, entitled “Impacts of Methamphetamine Abuse in Canada”.

The ninth report is “Request for Government Response to the 27th Report from the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session”, entitled “Get Canada's Youth Moving!”

The 10th report is “Request for Government Response to the 28th Report from the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session”, entitled “The Health of LGBTQIA2 Communities in Canada”.

The 11th report is “Request for Government Response to the 29th Report from the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session”, entitled “Violence Facing Health Care Workers in Canada”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to its sixth, seventh, eight, ninth, 10th and 11th reports.

Foreign Influence Registry Act

[Kenny Chiu, Conservative, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-282, An Act to establish the Foreign Influence Registry.

Mr. Speaker, we are all aware of the instances of foreign interference in Canada and the threat of further intimidation and corruption. For years, we have heard the dangers of such foreign interference, cautioned by Canada's National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians and the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. Beyond calls for action and attention, the government has suggested no other plan to counter interference operations.

Today, I present my private member's bill, an act to establish a foreign influence registry. This is directly inspired by Australia, our Five Eyes ally, in its efforts to address its own problems with foreign interference. This bill is only the first step in improving domestic safety measures. I pray our nation will come together to recognize and increase vigilance to shine a light on harmful interference from abroad.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Fight Against Food Waste Act

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-283, An Act to establish National Food Waste Awareness Day and to provide for the development of a national strategy to reduce food waste in Canada.

Mr. Speaker, I am incredibly proud to be here today tabling my bill, an act to establish a food waste awareness day and to provide for the development of a national strategy to reduce food waste in Canada.

I want to thank the member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford for seconding my bill today, and I also want to knowledge Ruth Ellen Brosseau, who tabled this bill in the last Parliament.

Every year, about 11.2 million metric tons of edible food is wasted in Canada, costing more than $49 billion. This waste goes into landfills, and about 20% of Canada's methane emissions come from landfills. A day set aside in Canada to recognize the impacts of food waste on the environment is a strong step in developing awareness and in creating meaningful solutions.

The other part of this bill is to develop a national strategy to address food waste. Currently, 79% of food items that can be rescued and distributed are perishable. Having a national strategy to address this is imperative. When over four million Canadians do not have enough food to eat every day, having a national strategy is a better way of planning to keep people fed.

I want to thank the many local organizations in North Island—Powell River that support this bill.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Department of Industry Act

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-284, An Act to amend the Department of Industry Act (financial assistance).

Mr. Speaker, this pandemic has required extraordinary support for business and industry, which will be an obligation on current and future taxpayers. An example, of course, is the airline announcement of yesterday.

While we support many of the measures, government transparency and accountability are essential. My private member's bill, an act to amend the Department of Industry Act, financial assistance, would require annual publication of all grants, loans and contributions that total over $100,000. I picked $100,000 so that we would not be capturing all the small businesses that were seeking much-needed support.

Parliamentarians and all Canadians have a right to know the status, terms and conditions, especially for repayable loans. This bill is not only about greater transparency and accountability, but it is also about our ability to scrutinize the effectiveness of spending and, more importantly, the ethics of the spending.

Certainly, I want to thank the member for Carleton for seconding this bill, and I think it should have the support of all members in the House for us to do the critical work that we need to do.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Industry, Science and Technology

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I move that the third report of the Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Technology, presented on Friday, November 27, 2020, be concurred in.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Is the House ready for the question?

[Some hon. members]

Question.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The question is on the motion.

If a member of a recognized party present in the House wishes to request a recorded division or that the motion be adopted on division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.

The hon. member for Kingston and the Islands.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I would request a recorded vote.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Pursuant to the order made on Monday, January 25, the division stands deferred until later this day, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions.

Human Rights

[Emmanuel Dubourg, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present to the House today.

The first petition, which has been signed by 101 petitioners, states the following: “Whereas: The Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act sanctions foreign officials responsible for gross human rights violations or acts of corruption”. The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to deploy all legal sanctions, including freezing of assets and barring of entry to Canada, against the perpetrators of these crimes.

The second petition, which has been signed by 203 petitioners, also has to do with the Magnitsky Law. The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to apply all sanctions, including freezing of assets and barring of entry to Canada, as well as refusing visitor visas and permanent resident visas, to the perpetrators of persecution in China.

Fortress Real Developments

[Doug Shipley, Conservative, Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today and present my first petition since becoming an MP. This one was started by Rose Ray in the city of Barrie. Rose was part of a group of people, and this petition has been signed by over 1,200 people who invested and lost their life savings. They worked hard for their money and they have lost it all, many losing everything they have worked for over their lives, so they have started this petition.

The petition is calling for an independent public forensic inquiry to investigate the financial records and assets of Fortress and principals, its brokerages, executives and trustees, including Sorrenti Law; ensure that the RCMP integrated market enforcement teams have the resources and funds to continue their investigation; review the Standing up for Victims of White Collar Crime Act and increase the current punishment and imprisonment if the fraud exceeds $1 million; and mandate communication across all financial Canadian regulators to reduce loopholes and protect investors.

COVID-19

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

Mr. Speaker, I present a petition started by a number of my constituents, but with wide support across Canada.

It deals with the critical ongoing health issue of thousands of Canadians who experienced COVID-19 and are now considered not infectious, but they certainly are not recovered. They are sometimes referred to as long haulers. Sometimes people refer to the illnesses they suffer as long COVID. The petitioners urge the House to consider the many ways in which they are not able to access help or benefits. One of the problems, of course, is referring to someone who no longer has active COVID as recovered. It is completely inaccurate.

The petitioners ask, in brief, for the following things. They ask that the Government of Canada recognize this is a health condition with serious implications, and that it be labelled as such so that people who are suffering have somewhere to go to identify their problem; they ask that there be a registry so that Canadians from coast to coast to coast can be accurately counted, and so we know the extent of the problem; they ask for research into how they can be treated and helped; and they ask for clinics for people who are suffering, because the health effects range from mental confusion and significant damage to organs to being unable to work for months. In fact, some people have been unable to work for more than a year at this point.

The petitioners ask the Government of Canada to move, to help and to provide much-needed medical assistance and financial support to people suffering from COVID many months after they are no longer infectious.

Pefferlaw

[Scot Davidson, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, have you ever been to Pefferlaw? We would love to have you stop in. It is a great small town in the great riding of York—Simcoe.

I rise today to present a petition on behalf of the residents of Pefferlaw. The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to rehabilitate the historic Pefferlaw Dam and to ensure the Pefferlaw River flows again. Built in the 1820s, the Pefferlaw Dam has a cultural, historical, environmental, economic and recreational significance to Pefferlaw's residents and visitors.

Yemen

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

Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to present three petitions.

The first petition was signed by hundreds of people who are concerned about the civil war and the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. The people of Yemen have been suffering since 2015. The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to encourage both sides in the conflict to seek a long-term, peaceful and democratic resolution and to provide another life-saving allocation to support the humanitarian response in Yemen.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

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

Mr. Speaker, the second petition concerns a group of immigration applicants who have been living in Quebec for some time. Wait times have become extremely long, exceeding 30 months in some cases. This situation is putting them at risk and making their lives extremely difficult. The group is asking the Government of Canada to grant a bridging open work permit to persons who have applied for permanent residence in Quebec until a final decision has been made. The group is also asking the Government of Canada to include the delay in wait times for permanent residence in the citizenship calculation, to propose reasonable compensation and to give them a realistic completion date and make a commitment to meet it.

The third petition concerns Mamadou Konaté, who arrived in Quebec in 2016. He worked as an orderly at a CHSLD, a long-term care facility, and contracted COVID-19 but is now facing deportation. Hundreds of people are calling on the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to lift the deportation order against Mamadou Konaté and to grant him a work permit and a temporary resident permit pending the granting of permanent residence.

Sex Selection

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to present a petition today signed by 440 individuals who are calling upon the government to pass a Criminal Code prohibition of sex-selective abortion. Their rationale is that sex-selection abortion is legal in Canada as Canada has absolutely no restrictions on abortion. We are the only democratic country that does not. The only other is North Korea.

Sex-selective abortion is antithetical to our commitment to equality between men and women. A 2019 DART & Maru/Blue poll conducted for the National Post showed that 84% of Canadians believed it should be illegal to have an abortion if the family does not want the child to be a certain sex. International organizations such as the World Health Organization, United Nations Women and the United Nations Children's Fund have identified unequal sex ratios at birth as a growing problem internationally. As well, Canada's health care profession recognizes that sex-selection abortion is a problem in Canada.

Human Rights

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

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure for me to be presenting four petitions in the House today.

The first petition highlights the ongoing genocide of Uighurs and other Turkic Muslims in East Turkestan and China. It calls on the Government of Canada to respond to that by recognizing the genocide and by holding all of those responsible accountable through the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act: the Magnitsky Act.

The House of Commons has undertaken this action of recognition, but there is still much more work to do, including directly by the government.

Ethiopia

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

Mr. Speaker, the second petition highlights the situation in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. Recent armed conflict between the TPLF and Ethiopian government forces, as well as the involvement of Eritrean forces, has led to significant human rights abuses as well as humanitarian costs.

This petition has received a very strong response. It calls on the government to step up its engagement with that situation and to support investigation, humanitarian access and independent monitoring; to be engaged in the long term to promote short, medium and long-term elections monitoring in Ethiopia; and to engage directly with the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments on the conflict.

Human Organ Trafficking

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

Mr. Speaker, the third petition highlights Bill S-204, proposed in the other place by Senator Ataullahjan. This bill would make it a criminal offence for a person to go abroad and receive an organ for which there has not been consent.

Petitioners want to see the government pass this important bill. It has been over 10 years in the making and it received unanimous consent at different times from this and the other place, but has not yet been able to pass in identical form in the same Parliament. Petitioners are hoping this Parliament will be the one that finally gets the work done.

Conversion Therapy

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

Mr. Speaker, the fourth and final petition I am tabling today is with respect to Bill C-6, the government's conversion therapy bill, which we are scheduled to be debating tomorrow.

Petitioners are supportive of initiatives to ban conversion therapy. However, they are concerned about drafting problems with this bill, in particular the poorly written definition of “conversion therapy” and the fact that, as drafted, the bill would effectively ban many conversations people might enter into that really have nothing to do at all with conversion therapy.

Petitioners want to see the government have the humility to recognize when drafting errors have occurred and to try to build consensus by fixing the definition and then proceeding with a conversion therapy ban.

Human Rights

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

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour and privilege to table two petitions from constituents here in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith.

The first petition outlines a series of human rights abuses sanctioned and perpetrated by officials of the Chinese Communist Party. Petitioners urge the Government of Canada to deploy all legal sanctions against these perpetrators under the Magnitsky Act, including freezing assets and barring entry to Canada.

Health

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

Mr. Speaker, the second petition highlights that proactive holistic health practices play an important role in building immune system strength and help to keep people healthy, and that there is not enough focus on proactive health and wellness care.

Petitioners request the Government of Canada increase the focus on educating and empowering Canadians on holistic approaches to optimize and maintain their natural immunity and well-being. They call on the government to include proactive health and wellness care practices in the Canada Health Act and enhance access to these services.