House of Commons Hansard #98 of the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was election.
Marco Mendicino LiberalMinister of Immigration
Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for that very constructive question.
Temporary foreign workers are critical to our businesses, which is why we have facilitated the arrival of essential temporary foreign workers throughout the pandemic. Last year, we welcomed more than 85% of the agricultural workers we were expecting, and even more will arrive this year.
I will continue to work with my colleague.
Lianne Rood Conservative Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON
Mr. Speaker, two days, that is all the time that is left before the Line 5 pipeline is set to shut down. My constituents in Lambton—Kent—Middlesex and farmers across southwestern Ontario are worried. Farmers depend upon propane supplied by Line 5. Where and how will they get their propane to heat their barns and greenhouses, and dry their grain?
Will the Prime Minister get on the phone with President Biden and stress the urgency and importance of keeping Line 5 open? There is less than 48 hours left.
Seamus O'Regan LiberalMinister of Natural Resources
Mr. Speaker, I can assure the House and the hon. member we are looking at all our options. We will leave no stone unturned in defending Canada's energy security. We are working at the political level, we are working at the diplomatic level, we are working at the legal level and we will be ready to intervene at precisely the right moment. We will stand up for energy workers and for energy consumers in the country. We are standing up for Canada's energy security. People will not be left out in the cold.
Kevin Waugh Conservative Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK
Mr. Speaker, for weeks, the Liberals have continued their attack on freedom of speech online. As it currently stands, Bill C-10 would grant the CRTC the ability to regulate content that is posted online by individuals who are not even considered broadcasters. This is not disinformation; these are serious concerns that have been raised by former CRTC chairs and highly respected academics.
Will the minister agree to stringent and in-depth protections for user-generated content in Bill C-10?
Steven Guilbeault LiberalMinister of Canadian Heritage
Mr. Speaker, I would like to quote members of the Coalition for the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, who state, “Bill C-10 in no way infringes on the freedom of expression, nor does it represent censorship of the Internet.”
The cultural sector is very clear. It wants this bill. Hundreds of millions of dollars for art creators, artists and art musicians are at stake. We are asking the committee to accelerate the completion of its work on Bill C-10 so it can be brought back to the House.
Annie Koutrakis Liberal Vimy, QC
Mr. Speaker, the vaccine rollout is in full swing, with millions of vaccines arriving in Canada every week.
Starting Friday, residents of Quebec aged 18 and up can receive their first dose. As more and more Canadians become eligible to receive a vaccine, it is important that we continue to encourage them to get vaccinated when it is their turn.
Would the hon. Minister of Health tell the House what the government is doing—
The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota
Order. I must interrupt the hon. member as we have a problem with interpretation again. It only seems to be working in the House.
The interpretation now seems to be working for everyone. I would ask the hon. member to repeat her question.
The hon. member for Vimy.
Annie Koutrakis Liberal Vimy, QC
Mr. Speaker, the vaccine rollout is in full swing, with millions of vaccines arriving in Canada every week.
Starting Friday, residents of Quebec aged 18 and up can receive their first dose. As more and more Canadians become eligible to receive a vaccine, it is important that we continue to encourage them to get vaccinated when it is their turn.
Would the hon. Minister of Health tell the House what the government is doing to combat vaccine hesitancy?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I agree with my colleague. The vaccines are an important tool in the fight against COVID-19.
In February, we announced $64 million to help Canadians get reliable information about vaccines. All of the vaccines are approved by Health Canada as safe and effective against COVID-19.
I encourage all Canadians to get vaccinated because the vaccine protects them and their loved ones.
Cheryl Gallant Conservative Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON
Mr. Speaker, today, media reports state that Canadian Armed Forces members saw video evidence of war crimes committed by the very Iraqi soldiers they were ordered to train in Operation Impact. Our troops, my constituents, immediately reported seeing videos of prisoners being tortured, raped and murdered to their superiors. They first reported what they saw in September of 2018, yet there is no proof these reports were ever acted upon despite follow-ups as recently as last year.
Did the minister know about this video evidence of war crimes?
Harjit S. Sajjan LiberalMinister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, Canada is contributing to the greater peace and security in the world and remains a strong partner in the fight against Daesh. We are committed to meeting our obligations under international and domestic law.
Our government takes allegations of this nature extremely seriously, and we are actively looking into this troubling allegation, which we just heard of now.
Tony Baldinelli Conservative Niagara Falls, ON
Mr. Speaker, the government announced the highly affected sectors credit availability program in late November and waited two months to open applications. According to the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario, only 4% of its members have taken up HASCAP. Businesses have told us increased debt loads, higher interest rates and continued issues with the criteria are the reasons for the program's failure.
With an unemployment rate of 13% in the tourism sector in March, why is the government failing those hardest-hit businesses and workers who desperately need support to survive through this pandemic?
Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Economic Development and Official Languages
Mr. Speaker, of course, we understand that the tourism sector is undergoing great difficulties, and that is exactly why we have been there. We have been there to support people through the wage subsidy, the rent relief program, the CEBA, all the different support we got through the regional development agencies and also through the HASCAP.
At the same time, we know that we have to do more, and that is exactly why we are doing more. In the budget that the Minister of Finance tabled a couple of weeks ago, we have $1 billion more to support our tourism operators, hoteliers and the great workers who make sure that this sector will be able to be relaunched in the couple—
Rob Morrison Conservative Kootenay—Columbia, BC
Mr. Speaker, the vaccine injury support program was first announced in December, yet it is still not up and running. In fact, a simple search shows a call for applications for a third-party administrator remains open. The minister's own office has confirmed the program is not ready. They know the support would eventually be needed, which is why it was announced back in December.
I already have constituents contacting my office about the program who need help. Why is it not up and running?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, every step of the way we have provided for Canadians, including with the launch of a vaccine injury support program. I would encourage the member opposite, if he does have constituents who are looking for answers about the program, to ensure he communicates with my office and we will make sure that they get the information they need. Also, any claims will be retroactive to the beginning of our immunization program.
We will continue to be there for Canadians in the extremely rare event of a serious side effect.
Majid Jowhari Liberal Richmond Hill, ON
Mr. Speaker, while the pandemic has affected all Canadians, many Black, indigenous and racialized groups have been at the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic, filling roles in health care, personal support work and other essential services. These groups have disproportionately faced the impacts of COVID-19 and may be facing worsening mental health outcomes as a result.
As last week was Mental Health Awareness Week, could the Minister of Health update us on how the government is working to improve access to mental health services, particularly for racialized and vulnerable Canadians?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for his ongoing and consistent advocacy for people who struggle with mental health issues and for excellent care no matter where people live.
Budget 2021 proposes to provide $100 million to support projects for innovative mental health interventions for populations that have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19, including health care workers, front-line workers, youth, seniors, indigenous, racialized and Black Canadians.
In the conversations I had with stakeholders from coast to coast to coast last week, they expressed great gratitude to our finance minister and our government for including mental health so profoundly in the budget. We look forward to working with them all to ensure every Canadian gets—
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
Mr. Speaker, cross-border vaccination deals have been made by Manitoba with North Dakota, Alberta with Montana and Ontario is negotiating with Michigan. The federal government has completely failed to help on this, like it did with delivering vaccines in time to avoid a third wave.
For months, I have been requesting the establishment of a border task force to ensure businesses and families are part of developing a safe border plan. Now the U.S. Senate majority leader has engaged Congress in demanding a border plan.
When will the Prime Minister finally do his job and establish a safe border task force instead of him and a select few making it up on the fly?
Patty Hajdu LiberalMinister of Health
Mr. Speaker, every step of the way we have worked very closely with our United States counterparts to protect the health and safety of Canadians and indeed of our American cousins and neighbours.
I want to speak a little about vaccines though. It is a great day. Over 18.4 million vaccines have been shipped to provinces and territories to date. As of May 7, 16 million had been administered across the country. We can see the finish line, and I want to thank all Canadians for stepping up to get vaccinated when their turn arrives. This is great news for Canada, and this is great news for the United States. We will continue to work closely with our American cousins and neighbours.
Paul Manly Green Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
Mr. Speaker, when we use GDP as the measure of our economy, the emergency response to an oil tanker spill or a major car accident counts as economic growth. When we use GDP as the measure of our economy, an old-growth forest sequestering carbon and supporting biodiversity has no value until it is converted to lumber.
Instead of measuring the accumulation of wealth, a well-being economy measures success through the health of people and the planet.
Will the government stop using GDP and measure our success by well-being?
Mona Fortier LiberalMinister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance
Mr. Speaker, since the beginning, we have been focusing on Canadians' quality of life because we know it is the right thing to do for Canadians. Going beyond GDP is also an approach adopted by other major economies including Scotland and New Zealand.
As a recent OECD survey on Canada observed, policy-makers should consider how policy development and implementation can be improved to help Canada achieve a resilient and healthy post-COVID economy and society. Specifically, the approach should more explicitly incorporate aspects such as work-life balance, job quality, social capital, trust and resources for future well-being as well as for distributional considerations.
That is great advice from the OECD. We are putting, and will continue to put, Canadians' quality of life at the centre of our decisions.
Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary 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, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(a) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 31 petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.
Lawrence MacAulay LiberalMinister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
Mr. Speaker, more than 118,000 Canadians and Newfoundlanders have given their lives in service to Canada. We have lost them in the muddy trenches of Flanders, on the shores of the Normandy coast, along the streets of Kandahar and while training right here in Canada. Some were senior officers and others were kids who never even shaved. They are more than 118,000 fathers, mothers, sons and daughters.
With numbers like that, the fallen can become a mere statistic as time moves on. The Books of Remembrance are one of the ways we prevent that from happening. With the turning of a page each morning, we see the names of those lost to history. With the turning of the page, we can remember them.
There are eight Books of Remembrance. These commemorate those who fell during the War of 1812 and the South African War/Nile Expedition. There are four books to commemorate Canadians and Newfoundlanders who gave their lives during the First World War and the Second World War, and to remember the members of the Merchant Navy who served and died alongside them. There is a book for the 516 Canadians killed in Korea. Finally, there is the In the Service of Canada book, which contains the names of members of the Canadian Armed Forces lost at home and abroad since October 1947.
Volume II of that book was recently returned to the House, and this morning it turned to a new page that bears the names of nine Canadians we lost last year: Leading Seaman Eric Keen, Master Corporal Matthew Cousins, Sub-Lieutenant Abbigail Cowbrough, Captain Kevin Hagen, Captain Brenden MacDonald, Captain Maxime Miron-Morin, Sub-Lieutenant Matthew Pyke, Captain Jennifer Casey and Master Sailor James McCourt.
These nine names are a reminder of the risk those in uniform take every day, even in times of peace. They step forward to wear our flag on their shoulders with the understanding that the cost of doing so might be the ultimate one. They represent the very best of us. We mourn with their families and friends and we remember them today. On the morning when the page turns to the one that bears their names, we know we will remember them for generations to come.