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

Diversity and InclusionOral Questions

11:50 a.m.

Liberal

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

I would remind the hon. member that I made no promises.

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

Diversity and InclusionOral Questions

11:50 a.m.

Pickering—Uxbridge Ontario

Liberal

Jennifer O'Connell LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health

Madam Speaker, leave it to the Conservatives, when we agree this practice is discriminatory and want to change it, to consider that virtue signalling. May I remind members that a member of the Conservative Party recently had to apologize for calling the LGBTQ2+ community “unclean”?

We take no lessons from the Conservatives when it comes to ending the discriminatory practice in this country. They sat on this for more than 10 years. We are actually moving forward to end this discriminatory practice.

Diversity and InclusionOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Michelle Rempel Conservative Calgary Nose Hill, AB

Madam Speaker, the federal Liberal government has taken no action to end the discriminatory and homophobic gay blood ban. Health Canada is the regulator of the blood system, and the law states that the health minister may remove a condition around giving blood if she determines the condition is no longer necessary. There is no scientific basis for the ban. The law states that the health minister can make this change today. Instead, the Liberals are blocking Christopher Karas in court.

The minister should exercise her powers today and end it. Why will she not? Why is she perpetuating this homophobic practice?

Diversity and InclusionOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Pickering—Uxbridge Ontario

Liberal

Jennifer O'Connell LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health

Madam Speaker, if the practice could have been ended simply by a stroke of the government's pen, why did the member opposite not do so when she sat around the cabinet table? It is because this process has to move forward with Héma-Québec, as well as Canadian Blood Services. However, we actually did fund more than 15 projects to move forward in ending this discriminatory practice because we are committed to doing so, unlike the Conservatives, who are trying to clean up a mess on this file where they have made outrageous and horrifying comments—

Diversity and InclusionOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

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

The hon. member for Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry.

Diversity and InclusionOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Conservative

Eric Duncan Conservative Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry, ON

Madam Speaker, the parliamentary secretary is trying to pivot away, but it is her record. It is the ability of the Liberal government, Health Canada and the health minister that can end it. She just heard how the health minister can end the blood ban right now, whenever the Liberals choose to.

The government did not promise to study it, do more research or take six years. It promised to end it because it is discrimination. She knows the answer. The Canadian Medical Association, the All Blood is Equal campaign and Canadians everywhere agree that this needs to go, not after more studies; they want action now. On what date will the government keep its promise, end the court cases—

Diversity and InclusionOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

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

The hon. parliamentary secretary.

Diversity and InclusionOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Pickering—Uxbridge Ontario

Liberal

Jennifer O'Connell LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health

Madam Speaker, once again, the Conservatives are trying to pretend that the process that exists does not include anyone outside of government. If government could have made this change alone, why did the Conservatives in 10 years not do so? This process has to be made in conjunction with an application through Héma-Québec and Canadian Blood Services. It is a discriminatory practice that we absolutely want to end, and that is precisely why we have moved forward with it, including reducing the months down to three, again, something Conservatives never did in 10 years. I take no—

Diversity and InclusionOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

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

The hon. member for Berthier—Maskinongé.

Official LanguagesOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Bloc

Yves Perron Bloc Berthier—Maskinongé, QC

Madam Speaker, while Quebec is introducing a bill to protect French, French language services in Ottawa continue to decline.

Ottawa gave Switch Health the task of testing travellers for COVID-19, but the company is unable to provide services in French and is forcing Quebeckers to quarantine for up to a month before giving them their results. We already knew this spring that Switch Health had failed to properly manage COVID-19 testing for foreign workers, so it was clear the company was not going to be able to properly manage the testing for all of Quebec.

When will the government replace Switch Health with a company that can operate in French?

Official LanguagesOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Pickering—Uxbridge Ontario

Liberal

Jennifer O'Connell LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health

Madam Speaker, we absolutely agree that testing needs to be done in a safe, fast and efficient manner in both official languages. This is precisely why we worked with Switch Health originally to make sure that any issues were being dealt with. However, we have also moved forward with additional service providers, because, again, our commitment to making sure that we get through this pandemic is ensuring that we have all the tools being utilized, and those tools need to be utilized in both official languages in an efficient—

Official LanguagesOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Liberal

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

The hon. member for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles.

Official LanguagesOral Questions

11:55 a.m.

Bloc

Luc Desilets Bloc Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC

Madam Speaker, while Quebec is introducing a bill to protect French, French language services in Ottawa continue to decline. That is the case for our veterans.

In 2018, the veterans ombudsman showed that it took 19 weeks to process a claim in English and 52 weeks to process the same claim in French. That is a year of waiting. Three years later, the minister admitted in committee that this unfair situation still persists.

After three years with no results, what is the minister doing today to ensure that French language services—

Official LanguagesOral Questions

Noon

Liberal

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

The hon. minister.

Official LanguagesOral Questions

Noon

Ahuntsic-Cartierville Québec

Liberal

Mélanie Joly LiberalMinister of Economic Development and Official Languages

Madam Speaker, here in Ottawa, we take our responsibilities seriously, and we know we have to do more for French.

That is exactly why we will make sure that complaints in both French and English receive equal treatment. We will make sure the public service meets its obligations in terms of bilingualism. We will try to improve coordination significantly by creating a new central agency, and we will strengthen the Commissioner of Official Languages' powers.

Here in Ottawa, we take our responsibilities seriously.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

Noon

Conservative

Marty Morantz Conservative Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB

Madam Speaker, violence has erupted in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. Hamas has fired thousands of rockets into civilian areas, demonstrating its obvious intent to kill as many Israeli citizens as possible. This, along with deliberatively setting up bases in civilian areas using Palestinian civilians as human shields, constitutes war crimes.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs' statements to date on this violence have been ambiguous at best. Will the minister state unequivocally today that he supports Israel's right to defend itself, just as President Biden has done?

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

Noon

Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount Québec

Liberal

Marc Garneau LiberalMinister of Foreign Affairs

Madam Speaker, our comments and statements have been crystal clear. The indiscriminate barrage of rocket attacks fired by Hamas into populated areas of Israel is absolutely unacceptable and must cease immediately. Canada supports Israel's right to live in peace with its neighbours within secure boundaries and recognizes Israel's right and duty to ensure its own security. Canada remains fully committed to the goal of a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in the Middle East. Canada remains a steadfast ally of Israel and a friend to the Palestinian people.

Airline IndustryOral Questions

Noon

Conservative

Stephanie Kusie Conservative Calgary Midnapore, AB

Madam Speaker, the U.K. has announced its restart plan for international travel, using the traffic light system, but here in Canada we are still stuck under the Liberals' third wave and the hotel quarantine program, with no end in sight. It is not just like flipping a light off and on; both airports and airlines will need time to get things up and running again.

When will the government do the right thing, provide some hope for Canadians and come up with a comprehensive restart strategy for air travel?

Airline IndustryOral Questions

Noon

Hochelaga Québec

Liberal

Soraya Martinez Ferrada LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport

Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague for her question.

The Minister of Transport has worked on a number of files that are important to Canada, such as support for the air transportation sector and the fight against COVID-19, as well as on projects that are national in scope to develop a safe, efficient transportation system.

The minister will be looking at this very issue, and I would be happy to work on it with my colleague going forward.

The EconomyOral Questions

Noon

Conservative

Scot Davidson Conservative York—Simcoe, ON

Madam Speaker, clearly no one in the Liberal government has had to buy a two-by-four lately. Even the most essential items have become unaffordable, like plywood to fix a roof or food to go on the barbecue. It is unbelievable. The Liberals' out-of-control spending is putting inflationary pressures on the middle class, students and seniors, who are struggling just to make ends meet.

Why is the Liberal government forcing working Canadians to pay a hidden tax through growing inflation and the rising cost of living?

The EconomyOral Questions

Noon

Central Nova Nova Scotia

Liberal

Sean Fraser LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance

Madam Speaker, with respect to the hon. member's assertion, I would point him to the testimony of the Governor of the Bank of Canada, who appeared before the finance committee and explained in clear terms that the inflation we have seen in the Canadian economy is precisely where he predicted it would be and is well within the 1% to 3% goal.

I would remind the hon. member, however, that his solution to this problem, to stop government spending, would result in the government removing essential benefits that are helping support families and businesses in their time of need. Canadians can rest assured that our government will be there for them, as long as it takes, no matter what it takes, unlike the Conservatives.

HousingOral Questions

Noon

Conservative

Eric Melillo Conservative Kenora, ON

Madam Speaker, Canadians have been shocked by the housing crisis in Nunavut, where thousands of families are on wait-lists and many homes are overcrowded, in poor condition or riddled with mould. Yet, somehow Nunavut's housing needs have been completely overlooked under the rapid housing program and are once again underfunded in the latest Liberal budget.

Why is the government so reluctant to support northern housing?

HousingOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Spadina—Fort York Ontario

Liberal

Adam Vaughan LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families

Madam Speaker, let me first correct the record. Our government has made historic investments in housing, not just in Nunavut but also in the Northwest Territories and the Yukon. With the rapid housing initiative, close to 40% of the projects went to indigenous-led housing providers.

The north presents some challenges. We await the tabling of the HUMA report on the urban, rural and northern housing strategy to take next steps. The minister has engaged the housing advisory council to create this new program, which will provide additional support for those people in the north looking for housing, in particular in Nunavut.

We look forward to the progress we are making and will build on the $70-billion national housing strategy, which commits to success in just this area.

Public SafetyOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

NDP

Richard Cannings NDP South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC

Madam Speaker, flooding along the Mackenzie River has already devastated Fort Simpson and Jean Marie River, and is threatening four more communities. Yesterday, people from nearby communities generously organized an airlift of vital supplies into the flooded towns. Meanwhile, the Liberal government's response is that it will consider future funding requests.

Will the government act immediately to help the people in Northwest Territories who have been flooded out of their homes?

Public SafetyOral Questions

12:05 p.m.

Louis-Hébert Québec

Liberal

Joël Lightbound LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

Our government is actively monitoring the flood levels. We need to determine which measures to take, and we will certainly support the provinces and territories if they ask for help.

Through the Government Operations Centre, Public Safety Canada is closely monitoring high-risk zones, including in British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and across the country. We are certainly ready to support the provinces and territories that might need the federal government's help in case of flooding.