Debates of May 26th, 2021

Seniors

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, people are still angry about the Prime Minister's decision to increase old age pensions for seniors 75 and over.

Today, FADOQ, the Canadian Association of Retired Persons and the National Association of Federal Retirees have all three condemned the creation of two classes of seniors. FADOQ president Gisèle Tassé-Goodman said, “Financial insecurity does not discriminate based on age”.

All seniors deserve a pension increase starting at 65. Will the Prime Minister fix this now that it is clear people will not stand for the creation of two classes of seniors?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have always been there for seniors, and we will always be there for them.

We increased the guaranteed income supplement by 10% for the most vulnerable seniors. That was one of the first things we did when we took office in 2015.

Ever since, we have continued to be there to help the most vulnerable seniors and acknowledge the challenges they face.

We realize that those who are older have many more expenses, so we are going to increase by 10% the old age pension for seniors 75 and up.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, some people have been overlooked.

Everyone agrees that pensions need to be increased for all seniors aged 65 and above.

FADOQ, the Canadian Association of Retired Persons and the National Association of Federal Retirees are asking for this today. All the parties in the House are demanding it.

Everyone agrees, except the Liberal Party. The Prime Minister is alone. He alone is insisting on creating two classes of seniors. The people who built Quebec and Canada deserve proper support.

When will the Prime Minister finally listen to reason, come around to everyone's way of thinking and increase pension payments for all seniors?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have been there for seniors and we will continue to be there for them.

We understand that there are many seniors who are worried they may outlive their pension and their savings. People are living longer and longer, which is a good thing.

We recognize that starting at age 75, certain costs increase, and that is why increasing old age security for seniors aged 75 and over is a good thing.

We will also continue to invest to help seniors with housing and pharmacare, and we will offer supports and projects to provide for them throughout their golden years.

Public Safety

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, we have a problem in this country when operatives who are part of the Communist China regime are allowed into our very sensitive labs here in Canada, specifically in Winnipeg. We have an even greater problem when our Prime Minister does not realize how dangerous that is.

Again, will the Prime Minister commit today to ending research co-operation with Chinese Communist military?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I can confirm that the two scientists in question are no longer employed by the Public Health Agency of Canada. We cannot disclose additional information nor comment further for privacy reasons and confidentiality. We are committed to supporting open, collaborative research while also protecting our research, national security and economic interests.

In March, we announced that we would take further steps to better integrate national security considerations into the evaluation of federally funded research projects. We will continue to work with all of our intelligence agencies to keep Canadians safe.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, well, the problem is, and the Prime Minister maybe does not realize this, that Communist China cannot be trusted. I know that he admires their basic dictatorship, I know he liked to do fundraisers with them over the years, I know he thought they were the first go-to for vaccines, but at this point, we would hope that he would learn a lesson and put the safety, security and protection of Canadians above this fascination he has with the Communist regime.

Again, will the Prime Minister commit to ending this research and this co-operation with the regime that not only does not have our interests in mind, but actually wants to hurt Canada?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, yes, from the beginning of my career onwards, I have worked with many Chinese Canadians and indeed had fundraisers with them. The rise in anti-Asian racism we have been seeing over the past number of months should be of concern to everyone. I would recommend that the members of the Conservative Party, in their zeal to make personal attacks, not start to push too far into intolerance towards Canadians of diverse origins.

We will continue to stand up to defend Canadian interests and Canadian security. We will continue to make sure that we are doing everything we can to keep Canadians safe while participating in the global research community, and stand up for tolerance and diversity.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Order. I want to remind hon. members that if they are going to have discussions to please do it through the Chair and not directly across, which seems to be a basic rule in this chamber, although these days I kind of wonder myself whether the rules are being followed.

I am not sure who it was, they did not pop up and I am not sure how they did it, but there were some voices coming out over the speakers from outside, and that really does cause quite a few problems. I would remind all members who are joining us virtually to please not talk while someone is either asking a question or answering a question. It really does make it difficult for everyone, not only here in the chamber but at home, and there are a lot of people who are interested in hearing the questions and the answers.

The hon. member for Portage—Lisgar.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, a point of order.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

There are no points of order unless it is a technical issue.

The hon. parliamentary secretary to the government House leader.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, only because it is not the first time, but Mr. Genuis has in fact interrupted and it does—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I am going to interrupt the hon. member for Winnipeg North, as that is something he can bring up after question period.

We will start the clock over again. The hon. member for Portage—Lisgar.

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Portage—Lisgar, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I am not surprised that the Prime Minister just hurls insults of racism; it is his usual tactic.

I am not talking about Chinese Canadians. I am talking about a Communist regime that nobody in the world trusts except, it would appear, the Prime Minister of Canada. I again will ask him about the Communist regime and the military that supports that regime. Will he stop research co-operation with that military, seeing the danger it poses not only to Canada but to the world, yes or no?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, espionage and foreign interference pose real threats to Canadian research security, intellectual property and business interests. This is a threat our government takes seriously.

In March, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry requested the development of specific rules that integrate national security considerations into research partnerships. Public Safety and CSIS are leading outreach to universities to help them keep research safe. Canadian universities and research organizations must remain vigilant to protect their intellectual property and we have not hesitated to support them. We will continue to.

Tourism Industry

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Mr. Speaker, this week is Tourism Week. Tourism is a sector of our economy that supports nearly two million jobs from coast to coast to coast.

Back home in Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, tourism supports countless fun activities typical of summer in the Maritimes. Magnetic Hill is a prime example.

However, over the past year, people had to stay home because of the pandemic, and the tourism industry was one of those hardest hit.

Could the Prime Minister tell the House how our government is supporting our tourism sector during the pandemic and beyond?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe for highlighting the importance of the tourism sector in Canada.

Tourism businesses shown tremendous resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have been there for them with more than $15 billion in support. In budget 2021, we announced that we are investing an additional $1 billion to help businesses get ready to welcome tourists as soon as it is safe to do so.

I thank the tourism businesses for doing everything in their power to keep Canadians safe.

National Defence

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Major-General Dany Fortin, the general in charge of Canada’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, is under investigation and has been removed from his position. The Prime Minister and his defence minister say they knew about these serious allegations weeks before he was suspended.

Major-General Fortin served closely in Afghanistan alongside General Vance and the Minister of Defence. Did the Prime Minister leave Major-General Fortin in his position for weeks because he is another Afghanistan war buddy of the defence minister just like General Vance?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we are committed to building a true culture of inclusion in our Canadian Armed Forces. We became aware of an ongoing CFNIS investigation involving Major-General Fortin. As it is an ongoing investigation, I am not able to comment further, but we remain focused on the vaccine rollout with millions more vaccines arriving every week.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear. General Vance served alongside the defence minister in Afghanistan and the Prime Minister left him as chief of the defence staff for three years after the government was told of allegations of sexual misconduct. Major-General Fortin also worked closely with General Vance and the defence minister in Afghanistan and was left in charge of our vaccine rollout for weeks after the Prime Minister learned of the investigation into his misconduct.

However, Admiral Art McDonald who never served with the defence minister was shown the door within hours. Why is the Prime Minister helping the defence minister cover up sexual misconduct for his war buddies?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we know that our institutions are not living up to the needs of those who have experienced misconduct. That includes the military justice system. That is why we have taken concrete actions to address this. We named Lieutenant-General Jennie Carignan as the chief of professional conduct and culture. We named Morris Fish to conduct the third independent review of the entire military justice system. We also recently appointed Louise Arbour to conduct an independent review of the treatment of sexual misconduct.

These are just the first steps. We know there is much more to do and we will do it to ensure that every woman and man who serves in the Armed Forces is properly supported.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the claim by the Prime Minister that they take sexual misconduct in the forces seriously is a myth and that was destroyed by his deputy minister of national defence. Jody Thomas said that Justice Deschamps' report was treated as a mere checklist. The Prime Minister wrote in the defence minister's mandate letter to establish a workplace free from harassment, but we now know the Liberal government conspired to do nothing to implement Justice Deschamps' report.

Will the Prime Minister admit that he and the defence minister failed to protect the women and men in our Canadian Armed Forces from sexual misconduct?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we know that going back decades there has been a real challenge at the Canadian Armed Forces in terms of supporting people who come forward with allegations of misconduct, with unacceptable experiences and that is why we need to change the culture.

We have taken significant steps since we arrived in 2015 to improve the culture at the Canadian Armed Forces, but we recognize there is much more to do. We are committed to doing that. We are not going to point fingers or attack others for choices that they have made. We are going to make sure that the support is there for women and men who actually serve in the Armed Forces.

Post-Secondary Education

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

Mr. Speaker, since 2015, our government has been a champion for students and young Canadians. When the pandemic struck, we were there to make sure they had the supports they needed.

As we move toward a strong economic recovery from this pandemic, it is important we make sure young Canadians and students have the supports they need to continue going to school and starting their careers.

Despite the fact that the Conservatives find this funny, I would ask the Prime Minister to please inform the House about our government’s efforts to support students and young Canadians through budget 2021.