House of Commons Hansard #102 of the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was c-15.

Topics

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

NDP

Niki Ashton NDP Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, MB

Madam Speaker, yesterday, the Manitoba government violated the constitutional rights of O-Pipon-Na-Piwin and Tataskweyak Cree Nations by approving a final licence to Manitoba Hydro that includes parameters to further devastate these communities.

In the past, the federal government has helped first nations to defend their rights. This led to the negotiation of the historic Northern Flood Agreement, but what about today in this era of reconciliation? Where is the federal government?

Will the federal government step in and support OPCN and TCN as they defend their rights and protect their nations?

Indigenous AffairsOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Parkdale—High Park Ontario

Liberal

Arif Virani LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada

Madam Speaker, we take very seriously the constitutional rights of indigenous peoples, including in the case that has been mentioned by the member opposite. I would be happy to follow up with her at a later date to get more details about the matter and see what can be pursued.

HousingOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Liberal

Yvan Baker Liberal Etobicoke Centre, ON

Madam Speaker, every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home, but far too many people in my riding of Etobicoke Centre are forced to make the impossible choice between paying their rent or buying groceries. That is why this week I was so proud that our government announced $30.5 million in new funding to build 113 new affordable homes as part of a new project located at 75 Tandridge Crescent in Etobicoke. This new project will build affordable homes for those who need them most, including those who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development (Housing) update the House on what the government—

HousingOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Liberal

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

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

HousingOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Spadina—Fort York Ontario

Liberal

Adam Vaughan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families

Madam Speaker, the rapid housing initiative has been a remarkable success. In just over six months, we have created the $1-billion investment for close to 4,700 housing units that will house well over 5,000 people who were previously homeless or at risk.

In budget 2021, we added another $1.5 billion to the rapid housing initiative. This will hopefully make even further inroads into eliminating chronic homelessness in the country, in particular in places like Etobicoke where the member comes from.

I will also add that the previous question asked about what we did in Nunavut. There were three projects under the rapid housing initiative approved in Nunavut, all with the Nunavut Housing Corporation. We are making a difference in people's lives—

HousingOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Liberal

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

The hon. member for South Surrey—White Rock.

Statistics CanadaOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Conservative

Kerry-Lynne Findlay Conservative South Surrey—White Rock, BC

Madam Speaker, last week, Al in my riding received his census form in the mail, only to learn that it must be completed online by this week. Al and other constituents, particularly seniors, do not have a computer in their home. With public health restrictions in place, they cannot go to a library or a friend’s house to access one. That is more stress for Canadians in the middle of this preventable third wave.

When will the Liberal government stop leaving Canadians behind?

Statistics CanadaOral Questions

12:10 p.m.

Willowdale Ontario

Liberal

Ali Ehsassi LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation

Madam Speaker, I would be very happy to reach out to the member and ensure we take down the information and do everything we possibly can.

Statistics CanadaOral Questions

12:10 p.m.

Conservative

Jeremy Patzer Conservative Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK

Madam Speaker, farmers back home are working long hours to get their crops in the ground. Many of them have reached out to report that StatsCan workers are going around farm to farm with the 2021 census and are needlessly holding up production. To make matters worse, they show up the day before the census is due, making it impossible for it to be filled out on time. This is no way to treat farmers who are in the middle of their busy season.

Why can StatsCan not send surveys in the mail, on time, instead of driving around rural Saskatchewan?

Statistics CanadaOral Questions

12:10 p.m.

Willowdale Ontario

Liberal

Ali Ehsassi LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation

Madam Speaker, we understand full well how incredibly important it is to make informed decisions. We have made every effort to ensure that Canadians are aware and that this information is put to good use.

However, I will undertake to reach out to my friend to ensure we do an incredible job in receiving information from our farmers.

HealthOral Questions

12:10 p.m.

Conservative

Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Madam Speaker, federal leadership on this pandemic has been confusing and chaotic every step of the way. The risk is low, the risk is high; do not wear masks, wear masks; we are not closing the borders, we are closing the borders. Canadians just want their lives back.

Yesterday, the CDC issued guidance that fully vaccinated Americans could ditch the mask if they were outdoors or indoors. That is how we combat vaccine hesitancy. In Canada, we are just not that fortunate.

How do the lives of half-vaccinated Canadians change? Does anything change? Is there any guidance on this or is that too much to ask?

HealthOral Questions

12:10 p.m.

Liberal

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

The hon. member for Saint-Jean on a point of order.

HealthOral Questions

12:10 p.m.

Bloc

Christine Normandin Bloc Saint-Jean, QC

Madam Speaker, there was no interpretation during the last intervention.

HealthOral Questions

12:10 p.m.

Liberal

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

The translation does not seem to be working. It is working now.

I would ask the member for Cariboo—Prince George to restart his question.

HealthOral Questions

12:10 p.m.

Conservative

Todd Doherty Conservative Cariboo—Prince George, BC

Madam Speaker, federal leadership on this pandemic has been confusing and chaotic every step of the way. The risk is low, the risk is high; do not wear masks, wear masks; we are not closing the borders, we are closing the borders. Canadians just want their lives back.

Yesterday, the CDC issued guidance that fully vaccinated Americans could ditch the mask if they were outdoors or indoors. That is how we combat vaccine hesitancy. In Canada, we are just not that fortunate.

How do the lives of half-vaccinated Canadians change? Does anything change? Is there any guidance on this or is that just too much to ask?

HealthOral Questions

12:10 p.m.

Pickering—Uxbridge Ontario

Liberal

Jennifer O'Connell LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health

Madam Speaker, every country around the world is looking at life post-COVID, and Canada is no exception. We all want to return to normal.

Our government has been working hard with provinces and territories to provide the best science and evidence-based guidance. In fact, we will have more to say on this later today.

However, I want to remind Canadians that the best way to get through this pandemic is to keep signing up for vaccinations and to follow local public health measures.

Violence Against WomenOral Questions

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Jacques Gourde Conservative Lévis—Lotbinière, QC

Madam Speaker, the fight to end violence against women is a critical issue for our country and one that requires action and political decisions. All leaders in the House of Commons and the Senate need to set partisanship aside and take a firm stand on this issue.

Will the government support Bill S-231 and Bill C-293 and help move them forward as quickly as possible before this session of Parliament ends?

Violence Against WomenOral Questions

12:15 p.m.

Long Range Mountains Newfoundland & Labrador

Liberal

Gudie Hutchings LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development

Madam Speaker, everyone has a right to live free of violence and our hearts go out to everyone who has been impacted by this. Our government is fully behind the address to end and support a national action plan to end gender-based violence. Our investments alone support over 1,500 organizations that deliver essential services to end gender-based violence.

We will work tirelessly to end gender-based violence.

Official LanguagesOral Questions

12:15 p.m.

Bloc

Kristina Michaud Bloc Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC

Madam Speaker, while legislation to protect the French language is being introduced in Quebec City, the decline of services in our language continues in Ottawa.

We see this at the RCMP. Access to information requests take a very long time at the RCMP. It is far from a model of transparency. The situation is even worse on the French side, as the organization openly admitted to La Presse. It candidly admitted that most employees speak only English, which means that only a few people can handle French requests.

Will the government take action to ensure that the RCMP treats francophones with the respect they deserve?

Official LanguagesOral Questions

12:15 p.m.

Ahuntsic-Cartierville Québec

Liberal

Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Economic Development and Official Languages

Madam Speaker, francophones are absolutely entitled to the same respect as all anglophones in Canada. That is why we decided to modernize the Official Languages Act and introduce an ambitious reform document that will give the public service more resources and tools to ensure that institutional bilingualism is implemented and respected. It will be a pleasure to work with my colleague on this issue.

Official LanguagesOral Questions

12:15 p.m.

Bloc

Mario Beaulieu Bloc La Pointe-de-l'Île, QC

Madam Speaker, at a time when Quebec is rallying and its government is introducing a bill on its national language, in Ottawa, the provision of federal services in French continues to decline.

The current act requires federal departments and agencies to report on their services in the official languages. Half of them are not even doing it. They would rather break the law than report on their services in French.

The Liberals talk a good game, but what is preventing them from taking action and enforcing the existing act?

Official LanguagesOral Questions

12:15 p.m.

Ahuntsic-Cartierville Québec

Liberal

Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Economic Development and Official Languages

Madam Speaker, it goes without saying that we enforce the Official Languages Act.

However, we do need to give it more teeth, which is why we made a historic decision this winter to make ambitious reforms to the act. We want to provide more tools to enforce language rights in Canada, and in particular to protect the French language, which is a minority language.

That is why I will have the opportunity to work with the President of the Treasury Board to enforce the act, but I hope that I will have the support of the Bloc Québécois when we introduce the bill to modernize the Official Languages Act.

Parks CanadaOral Questions

12:15 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

Madam Speaker, one year later and the illegal occupation of the Lake Audy Campground in Riding Mountain National Park continues. This occupation violates the National Parks Act. However, Parks Canada has failed to act and instead deprived Canadians access to a national park.

Barricades, vandalism, theft and the prohibited use of cameras are only some of the consequences of this illegal occupation, not to mention numerous safety hazards.

Why has the minister failed to end this illegal occupation in Riding Mountain National Park?

Parks CanadaOral Questions

12:15 p.m.

North Vancouver B.C.

Liberal

Jonathan Wilkinson LiberalMinister of Environment and Climate Change

Madam Speaker, certainly it is an important time for Parks Canada as we begin to reopen for the coming year, and it is important that all Canadians have the ability to access our parks.

This is an ongoing issue, as the hon. member knows. We have discussed this in the past. It is something we are working through to try to find a mutually acceptable and appropriate solution to this ongoing challenge.

Parks CanadaOral Questions

12:20 p.m.

Conservative

Dan Mazier Conservative Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB

Madam Speaker, that is not good enough.

Documents reveal that local law enforcement raised public safety concerns many times to Parks Canada, and that conflict has already occurred. We now know there is no plan to fully reopen the Lake Audy Campground. If public safety is further compromised because Parks Canada refuses to act, the minister will be directly responsible.

Why has the minister ignored public safety concerns and failed to ensure all Canadians can safely enjoy their national parks?