Debates of May 14th, 2021

National Defence

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Madam Speaker, I will let the member opposite continue on with the partisan attack. We are going to stay focused on making sure that we have an inclusive environment inside the Canadian Armed Forces. That is why we have implemented the path to dignity and respect, a strategy for long-term culture change to eliminate sexual misconduct within the Canadian Armed Forces.

We know we have a lot more work to do. We also have a lot more work to do when it comes to systemic racism, which is why we have an independent panel working on that as well. We will get this done.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Madam Speaker, it is not partisan to state the facts.

The fact is that the Deschamps report was filed in 2015, and it spelled out everything. The Prime Minister did not do anything, and neither did his Minister of National Defence. In 2018, everyone was aware that there were allegations against General Vance, but we are being asked to believe that the Prime Minister knew nothing.

Does he honestly take Canadian women for fools?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Madam Speaker, as we have stated, any time information was brought forward on any type of allegations, we always immediately forwarded it to the appropriate agencies for the appropriate action, which is something the member opposite and the former government also did when allegations were brought forward. However, the Conservatives still appointed General Vance when there was an investigation going on at that time.

We know that we have a lot more work to do. It is something that we, as a government, are absolutely committed to.

Canadian Heritage

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Madam Speaker, when it comes to content creation on YouTube, Canadians punch above their weight. Now, the government wants to step in and determine who gets to be noticed and who has to be hidden; who gets to succeed and, well, who gets to lose.

If Bill C-10 had been in place when Justin Bieber was just a kid posting his music on YouTube, he probably would not have been discovered because his songs just are not Canadian enough, according to the government's approval test. I ask members to let that sink in, for just a moment. Why is the minister moving ahead with a bill that punishes young artists?

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Madam Speaker, we are modernizing the Broadcasting Act, which has not been updated in 30 years, since we rented videos from video stores. We are asking web giants who profit in Canada to contribute to the creation of Canadian stories and music. This would support creators across our country.

The bill would apply to social media companies only. It would ask social media companies to advise us of Canadian revenues, contribute a portion of those revenues to Canadian cultural production funds and make our creators discoverable. Individuals posting to social media are excluded.

[Rachael Thomas, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Madam Speaker, let me clarify: When the member says that the bill would make certain artists discoverable, what she means is that it would move some up in the queue and some down in the queue; it would pick winners and losers. It is sneaky, controlling and wrong.

If this bill had been in place when Shawn Mendes was a young, aspiring artist posting to YouTube, where his popularity began, the government's Internet czar likely would have demoted him because his songs are, well, just not Canadian enough.

Will the minister truly support Canada's young artists and cancel Bill C-10? The question is for the minister, please.

[Julie Dabrusin, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Madam Speaker, Canada's analysis confirms that Bill C-10 remains consistent with the Charter's guarantee of freedom of speech. As a government, we have upheld, and we will continue to uphold, Canadians' fundamental rights.

I would like to confirm once again that individuals posting to social media are specifically excluded in Bill C-10. Also, to be clear, of the obligations for social media companies in the bill, none would require them to restrict or review posts by individuals.

Official Languages

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Madam Speaker, yesterday, Quebec introduced a bill to promote and protect the French language. Many Quebeckers have the future of French at heart, but obviously not all. The Minister of Indigenous Services said that the bill was worrisome. He believes that promoting our common language is being done at the expense of minorities. However, his own government recognizes the special situation of French speakers in an ocean of more than 360 million people, most of them English speakers.

Will the Prime Minister correct his minister?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages]

Madam Speaker, I would like to clarify for my colleague that the protection and promotion of the French language in Quebec and across Canada is a priority for the government.

We tabled a reform document in the House and, for the first time ever, the federal government has said that we must do more to protect the French fact. That is why we intend to take the necessary steps, in our area of jurisdiction, to protect the French fact.

At the same time, we will do so by protecting—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Saint-Jean.

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Madam Speaker, my question was about the statement made by the Minister of Indigenous Services who, I must say, made a mistake. He thought he was defending a minority, but yesterday he took the side of the huge anglophone majority in North America over the future of a minority language that is the common language in Quebec alone.

Once again, we are forced to remind members that the only official language at risk in Canada is French.

I cannot believe this needs to be repeated once again, to a minister from Quebec no less.

Will the Prime Minister give his minister a reality check?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages]

Madam Speaker, my colleague is trying to make something out of nothing.

What is most important is that we all recognize that protecting and promoting the French language is important and that we ensure that linguistic minorities in Quebec and across the country are protected.

That is what we said and that is what we are doing. We are walking the talk and we are the first federal government in history to do so.

Natural Resources

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

Madam Speaker, Hydro-Québec is a renewable energy pioneer and it thinks big. It intends to provide electricity to Boston and New York City, and Quebec is very proud of that.

However, we have learned that the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is getting in Hydro-Québec's way by funding a gas company in Texas that is challenging Hydro-Québec's new transmission lines.

Will the government commit to finally letting Hydro-Québec grow, create good jobs and thus reduce our overall greenhouse gas emissions?

[Pablo Rodriguez, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, my colleague knows full well that the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board is completely independent. I hope that he is not telling us that politicians should be deciding how to invest Canadians' pensions, because that is not our job.

Hydro-Québec's project in Maine is a very good project for the environment, for Quebec and for all of New England. Everyone here is in favour of that project.

I want to reassure my colleague that we are on the same team.

Indigenous Affairs

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

Madam Speaker, access to clean water is a basic human right. In this country, indigenous communities have repeatedly been promised that this would be honoured.

In 1991, it was promised that by 2001 there would be clean water. It did not happen. The Prime Minister promised it by 2021, 20 years later. Oh wait, he meant 2023. I ask the minister to stop explaining. The point is the promise has been broken too many times.

When will the government ensure that this basic human right is honoured for every human being in this country?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services]

Madam Speaker, the member failed to note that there are now no longer any long-term water advisories in the province of British Columbia, thanks to the work that has been done and the plans put into place throughout the past years. This includes the Semiahmoo first nation, which lifted its advisory last month.

There is much more to be done. We continue to invest in indigenous communities to ensure they lift their long-term water advisories and that the safety and security of clean water in communities is assured well into 2023, 2024, 2025—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable.

Diversity and Inclusion

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Speaker, despite the Liberals' lip service and lofty promises, gay men are still stigmatized when it comes to giving blood.

The Prime Minister promised in 2015, and again in 2019, that he would put an end to the ban on gay men donating blood. This ban, based on sexual orientation rather than high-risk behaviours, is discriminatory.

Why is the Prime Minister fostering homophobia by not keeping his word?

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Madam Speaker, we agree the blood ban is discriminatory. That is precisely why we worked and provided the funding needed to Héma-Québec, as well as Canadian Blood Services, to make these changes. We look forward to their bringing forward an application. It is not a decision the government can make on its own, but we encourage Héma-Québec and Canadian Blood Services to make this application so we can finally end this discriminatory practice.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Speaker, why should a man who has been in a relationship with the same man for 20 years be banned from giving blood, even if he has not been abstinent for three months?

Giving blood means giving life, and gay men have just as much right as anyone to fully participate in our society without being prejudged just because they are gay.

Monday is the International Day Against Homophobia. Will the Prime Minister keep his promises by lifting the ban on gay men donating blood and putting an end to this unfair discrimination that is depriving Canadians of blood that could save lives?

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Madam Speaker, yes, we absolutely agree this is a discriminatory practice. That is precisely why we put in place the funding needed for Héma-Québec and the Canadian Blood Services to do the studies that were needed.

I will not take lessons from the Conservatives, who continually talk in this House against LGBTQ2+ rights. They have sat on this issue for more than 10 years. We took action right away and we worked to end—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member for Calgary Nose Hill.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Madam Speaker, the federal government has been trying to block Christopher Karas's court challenge, which argues that Health Canada discriminates against him on the basis of sexual orientation because Health Canada is preventing him as a gay man from donating blood.

Subsection 13(5) of the blood regulations annex of the Food and Drugs Act clearly lays out that the Minister of Health may remove the ban on accepting blood from gay men. This is not about the provinces; this is about the Minister of Health not acting. Why has she not?

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Madam Speaker, the decision to change the discriminatory practice of the blood ban is not one the government can do on its own; it has to be done in conjunction with Héma-Québec and Canadian Blood Services. We want this decision to be made. That is why we provided the funding.

I would ask the member opposite this. When she sat around the cabinet table with the Harper Conservatives, why did they do nothing to end this discriminatory practice?

We are taking action and moving forward.

[Eric Duncan, Conservative, Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON]

Madam Speaker, I am waiting for the day the member calls me homophobic or something, but here is the absolute truth about the current Liberal government: It wants the votes of gay men; it just does not want their blood. The Liberals are the first people to show up to a photo op or attack a premier or somebody else, but it is their record that is under scrutiny because of their virtue signalling and broken promises.

Stop the holding lines, stop the legal proceedings and keep your promise. On what date will you keep your promise and allow gay men to finally donate blood in this country?