Debates of April 22nd, 2021

Arts and Culture

[Élisabeth Brière, Liberal, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the arts and culture sector was one of the first sectors to have to shut down and will be one of the last to be able to fully reopen.

With vibrant performance venues such as the Théâtre Granada and the Université de Sherbrooke cultural centre, diverse and colourful festivals such as the Fête du Lac des Nations and the Festival des traditions du monde de Sherbrooke, and above all a rich pool of artisans and technicians, Sherbrooke is no exception.

In tabling budget 2021 on Monday, my colleague, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, announced nearly $800 million for rebuilding festivals, concert venues, music and much more. This key funding will help encourage our local artists, musicians and cultural producers.

I am in constant communication with representatives of the arts and culture sector in my riding, and I can tell the House that Sherbrooke is ready for the cultural recovery of Quebec and Canada.

Appreciation for Staffers

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

Mr. Speaker, do you ever have a moment when you say to yourself, “I cannot believe I am here in this place, sitting in this chair, presiding over the House of Commons in the Government of Canada”?

When I first took my seat as the member of Parliament for Yorkton—Melville, there was rarely a day that went by when I did not marvel at the sight of Centre Block as I was quickly walking up that hill to make it in time for House duty or question period. I shared my rookie amazement with a dear colleague, who said to never lose that sense of awe.

Today, I want to thank what I do not doubt is the best team of staffers on the Hill and in my constituency office. They are also a part of my sense of awe and deep appreciation. This year has been challenging. They have missed loved ones, faced illness, worked from home and been a shoulder of reassurance and hope in the midst of very trying times for constituents who have been isolated, unemployed, or working 24-7 to try to save a business that they have poured their hearts into.

They continually go above and beyond. I want to thank Kristen, Kathleen, Gail, David, Tristan and Wyzdom.

London Athlete

[Kate Young, Liberal, London West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to take the time to recognize Londoner Maggie MacNeil. This summer, Maggie will be representing Canada in her first Olympics, in Tokyo, as a member of Swimming Canada’s team.

I spoke to Maggie last spring after the pandemic hit, when many athletic training centres had to close, but she would not let that keep her from training. Her parents set her up in their backyard pool, where she spent months honing her skills.

Maggie, a London Aquatic Club grad, won gold in 2019 at the FINA world aquatics championships in the 100 metre butterfly. In that race, she not only beat the reigning four-time world champion, but set a new Commonwealth, Americas and Canadian record.

At only 19 years of age, Maggie’s skill, hard work and determination show that she has a bright future ahead. I ask members to join me in wishing Maggie and her teammates all the best as they head to Tokyo for team Canada.

Nurses at Victoria General Hospital

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Winnipeg South, MB]

Mr. Speaker, today, I want to recognize the incredible health care workers at the Victoria General Hospital in my community of Winnipeg South.

Last month, I had the pleasure of welcoming the Prime Minister to meet virtually with eight nurses from the Vic. They shared their harrowing experiences of being at the forefront of the pandemic, working long, tiring days, sometimes holding the hands of elderly patients during their last moments, and grieving the loss of so many they cared for. I hope that we, as a community and as a country, will never forget the endless sacrifices that our health care workers have made for us.

To the wonderful nurses we met, Doris Dong, Tina Friesen, Doris Paquette, Emily McLeod, Katie Bryant, Milika Pillman, Cassandra Szczepanski, and John Patrick Hernandez, all of their character, strength and bravery exemplify the Vic’s motto of a small hospital with a clear vision and a big heart. Our community is so grateful for their heroic actions.

Health

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is in the middle of a third wave of COVID. It did not have to be this way, but for the catastrophic failure of leadership on the part of the government. From the outset of this pandemic, the government failed to close the border until it was too late, failed to secure PPE and failed to secure vaccines.

In December, the Prime Minister had the audacity to say, “we ended up in such a great situation with vaccines.” If that had been true, we could have avoided a third wave, as other countries have. Instead, a mere 2% of Canadians have been fully vaccinated, compared to nearly 30% in the U.S. and nearly 20% in the U.K.

After more than a year, it seems that the government's only plan is to keep Canadians locked down and to bribe them with their own money. Canadians deserve so much better.

Sports and Canada's Active Recovery

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, budget 2021 was announced this week. I was really happy to see that $80 million is being invested in Canada's active recovery.

With facilities closed and events cancelled, physical activity is at a standstill. Sports have a way of bringing people together and promoting fair play among Canadians of all backgrounds. The sports community has stayed positive throughout the pandemic. We now have a golden opportunity to make sports better than ever by removing barriers to accessing physical activity, by stimulating participation and by improving sports programs.

When it is safe to do so, let us all play an active role in Canada's active recovery.

Conservative Plan

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, while the pandemic is causing human and social devastation, the Liberals do not have a plan. Actually, they do have one. They plan to max out our credit card and leave future generations up to their eyeballs in debt.

We, the Conservatives, have a responsible plan to create long-term prosperity by recovering the one million jobs that have been lost. We plan to put an end to Liberal cronyism and Liberal friends lining their pockets with taxpayers' money. We plan to work with the provinces to come up with an action plan to finally address mental health issues. We plan to protect Canadians' health by creating a strategic stockpile of essential products and building the capacity to manufacture vaccines at home. Lastly, we plan to protect future generations by implementing responsible measures and balancing the budget over the next decade.

It is simple. I am saying no to Liberal excess and yes to a responsible Conservative plan that will leave no Canadian behind, now or in the future.

The Environment

[Brad Redekopp, Conservative, Saskatoon West, SK]

Mr. Speaker, today we are celebrating Earth Day. All Conservatives know how important the health of our planet is. The leader of our Conservative Party recently announced our plan to secure the environment. This comprehensive plan would achieve about the same emissions reductions by 2030 as the government's current plan. However, our plan would create jobs and grow the economy, as compared to the Liberal plan, which would destroy entire industries.

Our plan would lower industrial emissions, backed up by border carbon adjustments to level the playing field with countries that have lower emission standards, like China. Our plan would focus on technology like carbon capture and storage, a technology where we in Saskatchewan lead the world. We would also encourage small modular reactors to deploy zero-emissions electricity across the country. Our plan would also recognize and build on the world-leading sustainable practices of Canada's agriculture and forestry sectors, and ensure producers have access to carbon credits.

This is a Conservative plan to secure our environment, secure our jobs, and secure our future.

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, since the Liberals were elected, Canada's greenhouse gas emissions have increased by 1%, and we are the only G7 nation that failed to meet the Paris target.

On the first day of Biden's presidency, his first act was to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline. In Canada, the Prime Minister went and bought a pipeline.

Today, on Earth Day, his Holiness the Dalai Lama and 100 other Nobel laureates are calling for an end to the new expansion of oil, for a phase-out of existing production, and for leaders across the globe to invest in a transformational plan to clean energy.

Canada needs to play its part. We need a total economic mobilization to bring about a green new deal just recovery to make Canada greener, more sustainable, more resilient and ultimately more just. We need a just transition act. We need a jobs guarantee. We need a climate accountability act. The government must uphold indigenous rights. If we do not take action now, every generation that comes after us will pay the ultimate price.

Climate Change

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today is Earth Day, a day to remember that not only is climate change real, but that it is already having a major impact on our health. The consequences are not something that will happen in the distant future. They are happening now and affecting our loved ones.

Climate change is causing increasingly intense heat waves, which could have serious consequences for seniors this summer. It is disrupting animal migration, which has consequences, such as the emergence of Lyme disease in Quebec. It is exacerbating air pollution, which has a major impact on the development of respiratory diseases like asthma. It is making epidemics more frequent. I do not have to draw members a picture. Everyone understands the consequences.

On this Earth Day, let us be sure to make the fight against climate change as much a part of our daily lives as the impact it is having on the health of the people around us.

Earth Day

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on this Earth Day, I want to share the story of a prime minister who visited each province to work with them on setting bold climate targets that worked for everyone.

Sadly, it was not our current Prime Minister but our former one.

On this Earth Day, the current Prime Minister has announced targets without working with provinces and instead dictating to them by fiat. That is not leadership. That will not get us to where we need to be. Our bold plan to secure the environment will reach our national commitments by working with provinces, all the while ensuring better economic growth.

The spirit of Earth Day is about coming together to protect those things we all care about: our soil, air, water and everything that depends on them. Sadly, the Prime Minister has forgotten about the spirit of coming together when it comes to the provinces.

I wish everyone a happy Earth Day, and we on our side look forward to securing our environment together.

Bayview Village Association

[Han Dong, Liberal, Don Valley North, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate Earth Day today I want to bring attention to the Bayview Village Association in my riding of Don Valley North and the work it does to help the beautiful ravines in our neighbourhood.

When we think of environmental protection, we often think of more rural areas and the vast, scenic woodlands and lakes that Canada is famous for, but Don Valley North, located in the heart of Toronto, is also home to scenic ravines, trails and creeks. These outdoor spaces are made even more precious because of COVID-19.

I want to thank Bayview Village Association president Jane Robertson, environment committee co-chairs Sharon Johnson and Monty McDonald, and all BVA members and volunteers for their tireless work in protecting the ravines and trails in Don Valley North.

I wish all my hon. colleagues a happy Earth Day.

Health

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

Mr. Speaker, the government was first asked about travel restrictions for COVID-19 in January of last year. It is 15 months later, and the Liberals still have not learned anything.

In the last two weeks, more than 100 flights have landed in Canada with at least one positive COVID-19 case on board. When are Canadians going to get a serious plan to secure the border?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, every step of the way the government has added measures to protect Canadians from the importation of COVID-19.

In fact, infections resulting from international travel represent just over 1% of total infections in this country. Those infections are caught because we have a rigorous process. Travellers must submit to a pre-departure test, a post-arrival test, a stay in a government quarantine facility, a further quarantine of up to 14 days, and a test on day 10.

We will stop at nothing. We constantly review the data. We will add more measures if necessary.

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

Mr. Speaker, the government will stop at nothing except closing the border to keep out dangerous variants.

In fact, travel restrictions are an example of a plan that works. The Atlantic Canada bubble is an example of that. British Columbia and Quebec have now both registered cases of the double-mutation variant from India.

Is the Prime Minister going to immediately stop flights from COVID hotspot countries, yes or no?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to first of all start by thanking and commending Atlantic Canada and the premiers of those provinces for taking bold action on COVID-19, including keeping measures in place until cases are so low as to be sure that they will not rebound, making sure that they have strong measures to isolate people, and to protect people while they are isolating to ensure those people are in fact staying home and not spreading COVID in communities.

That is the work that we need to do together across this country. I will reiterate, we have some of the strongest measures in the world. We will stop at nothing to protect Canadians.

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

Mr. Speaker, the health minister is thanking the Atlantic premiers for the leadership that her Prime Minister fails to take at the border.

It is ironic, but it should not be a surprise from this health minister, who ignored travel restrictions on the first wave of the pandemic, and Canadians paid the price. Now we find out the most dangerous variants are coming in. We are not properly vaccinated, because of her failures, and the government is not taking restrictions now.

When will that minister stop failing Canadians?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, what Canadians want right now, more than anything else, is for their elected leaders to work together to protect their lives. That is exactly what we have done every step of the way, with provinces and territories, no matter where a Canadian lives.

In regard to borders, we have some of the strongest measures in the world. As I mentioned, travellers go through a rigorous process of testing and quarantine. We will stop at nothing. We continue to monitor data. We will add additional measures if necessary.

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

Mr. Speaker, our neighbours to the south have started to reopen. Sports stadiums are filling up, and people are reuniting with families and friends. All this is possible because the United States is manufacturing its own vaccines. Canada is in a crisis because the Prime Minister was unprepared and had no plan to manufacture vaccines here.

Will the Prime Minister admit that the third wave of COVID-19 is his fault?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the Leader of the Opposition for his question.

Let us look at the facts. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared a pandemic. Within 12 days, Canada had invested more than $200 million in biomanufacturing. Within 30 days, we had invested $600 million in biomanufacturing to keep Canadians healthy and safe. Our investments paid off. Just look at Medicago in Quebec City and AbCellera in Vancouver.

We will continue investing to keep Canadians healthy and safe.

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

Mr. Speaker, the government continues to ignore the border. The variants are now a daily concern. The Liberal government must stop flights from Brazil and India. International flights from hotspot countries continue to land as usual. The Prime Minister's slowness in addressing this crisis poses a risk to the health and safety of Canadians.

When will the Prime Minister stop flights from hotspot countries?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition should pick a lane. One week, they are arguing for opening up the borders; this week, they are arguing for tighter restrictions at the borders. I will tell him what we will do. We will continue to use science to guide us and to protect Canadians.

Every step of the way, we have added measures to protect Canadians. We have some of the most rigorous measures in the world, a combination of testing and quarantine, including checks on people in quarantine. We will continue to do that, and we will not hesitate to do more if necessary.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, what is happening at the border with the Brazil and India variants is very worrisome. Every day, planes are arriving from India full of COVID-19 cases.

This morning, the Premier of Quebec announced that he was writing a letter asking Ottawa to take action. Why? It is because Ottawa is asleep at the wheel. Fortunately, it just received the letter.

Once again, the federal government is waiting to be told what to do. It just cannot do its job. We need to ban flights from India today. We do not need a plan or an announcement, but an immediate stop.

What is the government waiting for?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, let me be clear. Since the beginning, we have added measures at our border to protect Canadians from the importation of COVID-19, and we have been successful. Of all of the incoming travellers from February 21, 1.8% have been positive for COVID, and those have been captured by the testing and quarantine regime.

We know that we need to work together to protect Canadians from COVID in their communities across the country from coast to coast. We will stop at nothing to be a partner to provinces and territories.

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, if the federal government were doing its job, it would not matter so much that there are COVID-19 cases on these flights, because travellers are subject to supervised quarantines on arrival. However, cases are spreading in British Columbia and now Quebec. Why? Because we now have community transmission. Why? Because people getting off planes are not quarantining. Why? Because this government is incapable of managing quarantines effectively.

When will the government understand that its incompetence has devastating consequences for Canadians' health?