Debates of May 12th, 2021

Volunteer Service Medal

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Abbotsford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour of tabling a petition signed by many Canadians, who draw the attention of parliamentarians to the fact that at one time the Government of Canada used to issue a Canadian volunteer service medal to recognize Canadians who served voluntarily for a minimum of 18 months of uninterrupted service in the Canadian Forces.

Since the cessation of that medal in 1947, which was quite a while ago, there has not been any formal medal to recognize certain Canada's veterans who have served honourably since the end of World War II, including Cold War veterans and those who provided volunteer service periods of not less than 18 months, and in some cases, are even serving honourably today.

The creation of a Canadian Forces service medal would restore the dignity, inclusivity and recognition of all our veterans and troops that have honourably served in the Canadian Forces since the end of World War II.

The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to recognize the service by Canadians in the regular forces, reserve military forces and others who have taken the oath and sworn to defend our nation and who have completed 18 months of uninterrupted, honourable duty in the service of their country since September 2, 1945 to the present day and in perpetuity, by creating, designating and issuing a new Canadian military service medal.

Solitary Confinement

[Randall Garrison, NDP, Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, BC]

Madam Speaker, I rise virtually today to table e-petition 3023, though this is something I would rather not have to be doing.

Petition e-3023 has been signed by citizens across the country who are concerned about the federal government's failure to stop the cruel practice of long-term solitary confinement, a practice that is not only harmful to those subjected to it but also undermines the rule of law and violates the charter.

The signatories are calling on the Government of Canada to take several actions, including, among other things, putting an immediate end to the use of prolonged solitary confinement; establishing a commission of inquiry to examine solitary confinement to ensure prisoners' rights are safeguarded; promote transformational change in the culture of Correctional Service Canada regarding its use; and funding legal aid for federal prisoners to ensure access to legal counsel.

Just this week, we heard further evidence that federal inmates who were placed in so-called structured intervention units were still being subjected to prolonged solitary confinement, which is defined as torture by the United Nations.

I look forward to a timely and fulsome government response to this important petition.

Forestry Industry

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

Madam Speaker, it is an honour to table this petition initiated by constituents in Nanaimo—Ladysmith.

The petitioners are deeply concerned about the B.C. government failing to follow through on an expert report and an election promise to protect British Columbia's endangered old-growth forests from logging.

The petitioners call upon the government to work with the province and first nations to immediately halt logging of endangered old-growth ecosystems; fund the long-term protection of old-growth ecosystems as a priority for Canada's climate action plan and reconciliation with indigenous people; support value-added forestry initiatives in partnership with first nations to ensure Canada's forestry industry is sustainable and based on the harvesting of second and third-growth forests; ban the export of raw logs and maximize resource use for local jobs; and ban the use of whole trees for wood pellet biofuel production.

Falun Dafa

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

Madam Speaker, I have four petitions to present today.

The first petition is in anticipation of the 29th Falun Dafa day tomorrow.

The petitioners highlight the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners and they call for a stronger response from the Government of Canada, including the use of targeted sanctions, Magnitsky sanctions, against those responsible for the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners.

I note that Antony Blinken, the Secretary of State in the United States, just announced the sanctioning of a senior official involved in the persecution of Falun Dafa practitioners.

While we sombrely seek justice and accountability for people involved in this persecution, I do want to wish everyone who is celebrating tomorrow a happy Falun Dafa day.

Conversion Therapy

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

Madam Speaker, of the remaining three petitions, the first one is with respect to Bill C-6, the government's legislation on conversion therapy.

While the petitioners support efforts to ban conversion therapy, they ask the government to fix the definition and to revise the language in the bill to ensure that we are actually banning conversion therapy and not creating unintended consequences that are really unrelated to the stated purpose of the bill.

The petitioners want the government to support reasonable amendments along those lines that ban conversion therapy and do not criminalize private conversations that are unrelated.

Human Organ Trafficking

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

Madam Speaker, the third petition I am tabling is with respect to Bill S-204, a bill that would make is a criminal offence for a person to go abroad and receive an organ without consent.

The petitioners want the government to support the passage of Bill S-204 as quickly as possible. The bill has already passed the Senate and is currently before the House. It is identical in form to Bill S-240, which passed in the House unanimously in the last Parliament.

Ethiopia

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

Madam Speaker, the fourth and final petition is on the human rights and humanitarian situation in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.

The petitioners call on the Canadian government to engage to a greater extent in response to those events, to support investigations into atrocities and crimes, to support humanitarian access and to be engaged in a sustained way with the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments as well as other stakeholders that are involved.

This is an issue I know members are hearing about in growing numbers, as concern grows about the situation in Tigray and other parts of Ethiopia.

I commend all these petitions the House's consideration.

Conversion Therapy

[Ted Falk, Conservative, Provencher, MB]

Madam Speaker, today I am presenting a petition signed by Canadians who are concerned about the definition of conversion therapy in Bill C-6.

The concern is that the broad definition misapplies the label of conversion therapy to a range of practices that include receiving counsel from parents or other trusted authority figures. The petitioners want a clear call to ban coercive degrading practices that are designed to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity. They also want to ensure that no laws discriminate against Canadians by limiting the services they can receive based on their sexual orientation or gender identity.

The petitioners therefore call on the House of Commons to allow free and open conversations about sexuality and sexual behaviour. They call on legislators to avoid criminalizing professional and religious counselling voluntarily requested and consented to by Canadians.

These issues can and should be addressed. I encourage members to work together to fix the definition of conversion therapy in Bill C-6.

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]

Madam Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Order. It is my duty pursuant to Standing Order 38 to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the hon. member for Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, Taxation; the hon. member for Edmonton Strathcona, Government Programs; the hon. member for Calgary Midnapore, Airline Industry.

I wish to inform the House that because of the deferred recorded divisions, Government Orders will be extended by 66 minutes.

The House proceeded to the consideration of Bill C-15, An Act respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, as reported (with amendments) from the committee.

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

There being no motions at report stage, the House will now proceed, without debate, to the putting of the question on the motion to concur in the bill at report stage.

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice]

moved that the bill be concurred in.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

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.

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

Madam Speaker, I believe if you seek it, you will find that the motion carries on division.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon members]

Agreed.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I declare the motion is carried on division.

(Motion agreed to)

[David Lametti, Liberal, LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC]

moved that the bill be read the third time and passed.

Madam Speaker, I was not planning to speak. Naturally, I support this bill. I could talk about it for days if necessary.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

There was a technical issue with the screen. I apologize to the minister. I understand he was not first up to speak.

Resuming debate, the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations

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

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order, I am a bit confused about the process. The minister did rise. He did speak during debate, and I have questions for him. Was he not recognized? It seemed that he rose, was recognized, spoke and then concluded his remarks, albeit briefly.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

There was confusion due to a error in the text showing on the screen. The hon. minister was actually there to propose the motion. Due to a technical problem at this end, I recognized the wrong member of Parliament. It was the hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations who had the right to speak, but there was some confusion because of the technical issue on the screen.

I trust that the hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan is satisfied with that response.

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

Madam Speaker, on that same point of order, I will not press the point if the minister does not wish to speak. That is fine. However, I do think it is important to note in the process of your ruling that the right to speak is not invested in the screen or the list. The right to speak is dependent on an individual rising, seeking the acknowledgement of the Chair and receiving the acknowledgement of the Chair.

Whatever was or was not on the screen, it is a question of whether ministers seek recognition, wish to speak and whether they are recognized. It seems the minister did not intend to speak, and I do not want to press this point in this particular case, but I hope it is continues to be the practice that it is not the screen by which members come to be recognized, but by the Chair, regardless of what lists have been provided.