House of Commons Hansard #106 of the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was women.
The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes
I thank the members for their remarks. Given that this has happened several times now in the House, I will allow the parliamentary secretary to respond.
I encourage everyone who wants to ask or answer a question to be ready, especially if they are participating remotely. Any technical problem can be raised immediately afterward.
This is my decision: I will allow an answer to the question. I thank the members.
The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health.
Jennifer O'Connell Liberal Pickering—Uxbridge, ON
Madam Speaker, we are committed to ensuring that individuals who require cannabis for medical purposes have reasonable access to it.
That being said, individuals who are authorized to produce cannabis for their own medical purposes must follow the law and operate within the local authorization as well. It is illegal for these individuals to provide or sell cannabis to anyone else.
We are continuing to move forward on this file. Consultation just ended and we look forward to the results of that to make additional improvements to the cannabis file.
The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes
Following discussions among representatives of all parties in the House, I understand that there is an agreement to observe a moment of silence.
I would now invite members to rise and observe a moment of silence following the tragic discovery of the remains of 215 children at a former residential school in British Columbia.
[A moment of silence observed]
Julie Dabrusin LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage
Madam Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties and if you seek it, I hope you will find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion:
That, notwithstanding any Standing Order, special order or usual practices of the House, Bill C-5, An Act to amend the Bills of Exchange Act, the Interpretation Act and the Canada Labour Code (National Day for Truth and Reconciliation), be disposed of as follows:
(a) the bill be deemed concurred in at the report stage; and
(b) when Government Orders is called later today, the bill shall be considered at third reading, that a member of each recognized party and a member of the Green Party be recognized to speak for not more than 10 minutes each following by 5 minutes for questions and comments and, at the conclusion of the time provided for debate or when no member rises to speak, whichever is earlier, the bill be deemed read a third time and passed.
The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes
All those opposed to the parliamentary secretary moving the motion will please say nay.
The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay.
Hearing none, I declare the motion carried.
(Motion agreed to)
Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary 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, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(a) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 13 petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.
Pat Finnigan Liberal Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB
Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, entitled “Main Estimates 2021-22: Vote 1 under Canadian Dairy Commission, Vote 1 under Canadian Grain Commission and Votes 1, 5 and 10 under Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food”.
The committee has considered the estimates referred by the House and reports the same without amendment.
Government Operations and EstimatesCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
Conservative
Robert Gordon Kitchen Conservative Souris—Moose Mountain, SK
Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the third report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates on the main estimates, 2021-22.
The committee has considered the estimates referred by the House and reports the same back without amendment.
Helena Jaczek Liberal Markham—Stouffville, ON
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-303, An Act to establish a national strategy for health data collection.
Madam Speaker, it is my pleasure to introduce my private member's bill, an act to establish a national strategy for health data collection. This enactment would require the Minister of Health to develop a national strategy in consultation with representatives of provincial and territorial governments, indigenous governing bodies as well as with health researchers and public health experts for the collection of health data to ensure that such data is available in a consistent manner across Canada for research and policy development.
As a physician and former chief medical officer of health for York Region, my goal in introducing the bill is for the development of a national strategy for health data collection that supports the work of health care providers and researchers to lead to improved health outcomes for all Canadians.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Jasraj Singh Hallan Conservative Calgary Forest Lawn, AB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-304, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (grooming).
Madam Speaker, it is a great honour to introduce an act to amend the Criminal Code. I would like to thank my colleague, the hon. member for Lakeland, for seconding this proposed legislation and for her great advocacy in protecting children and the vulnerable from predators.
This Conservative bill would make grooming an aggravating factor that the courts would take into account when handing down a sentence for individuals convicted of sexual offences toward young persons. If a court decides not to give effect to the presence of this aggravating factor in any case, it must give a reason for its decision.
For the purpose of the bill, grooming would include communication with victims or conduct in relation to them by a predator such that it makes the victims more susceptible to sexual abuse by the predator.
Grooming is an evil practice that has enabled and continues to enable the victimization of many children. Although the Supreme Court of Canada recognized grooming as an aggravating factor in R. v. Friesen, there are still cases in which the courts have not recognized grooming.
The bill would codify grooming as an aggravating factor, and it is an important step toward tougher punishments for those who choose to use this disgusting practice.
I call on all parliamentarians to work toward tougher punishments for grooming and to increase the protection of children by supporting this bill.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes
The following motion in the name of the hon. Leader of the Opposition was put on the Order Paper:
That, pursuant to Standing Order 81(4)(b), consideration by the Standing Committee on National Defence of all votes under Department of National Defence in the Main Estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, be extended beyond May 31, 2021.
(Motion agreed to)
Peter Julian NDP New Westminster—Burnaby, BC
Madam Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties and if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion:
That, notwithstanding any Standing Order, special order or usual practice of the House, during the debate on the business of supply pursuant to Standing Order 81(4) on Monday, May 31, 2021, the time provided for consideration of the main estimates in committee of the whole be extended beyond four hours, as needed, to include a minimum of 16 periods of 15 minutes each.
The Assistant Deputy Speaker NDP Carol Hughes
All those opposed to the hon. member's moving the motion will please say nay.
The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay.
(Motion agreed to)
Rachel Blaney NDP North Island—Powell River, BC
Madam Speaker, I am here today to table two petitions, both of them relating to the opioid crisis, which really indicates what a serious concern this is for my constituents.
The first petition had over 40 signators. They call on the Government of Canada to, one, declare the current opioid overdose and fentanyl poisoning crisis a national public health emergency under the Emergencies Act in order to manage and resource it, with an aim to reduce and eliminate preventable deaths; two, reform current drug policy to decriminalize personal possession; and, three, create with urgency and immediacy a system to provide safe, unadulterated access to substances so that people who use substances experimentally, recreationally or chronically are not at imminent risk of overdose due to the contaminant source.
The second group of petitioners, again on the opioid crisis, call upon the government to declare the overdose crisis a national public health emergency so that it is taken seriously and funded appropriately; and to immediately work with provinces and territories to develop a comprehensive pan-Canadian action plan that includes full consideration of reforms that other countries have used to significantly reduce drug-related fatalities and stigma, such as legal regulation and decriminalization for simple possession of illicit drugs. This petition was signed by 88 constituents. I want to thank Darlana for her hard work on this file.
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
Madam Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.
The first petition is from individuals in our country who are calling on the House of Commons to pass a Criminal Code prohibition of sex-selective abortion. The petitioners' argument is that it is legal in Canada because we have no laws; it is antithetical to our commitment to human rights, to equality between men and women; and 84% of Canadians believe it should be illegal to have an abortion if the sole purpose is due to the family's not wanting a specific sex. As well, Canada's health care professionals have indicated that sex selection is a growing problem in Canada.
Cathay Wagantall Conservative Yorkton—Melville, SK
Madam Speaker, the second petition is in regard to the Tigray people and specifically brought to me by members of the Ethiopian community in Canada. They are very concerned about the current conflict that is going on in that region, and are calling on Canada to become involved in ending this violence. They call for humanitarian access to the region; for independent monitoring to be allowed; and for investigation into credible reports that are out there on war crimes and gross violations of human rights laws. They ask Canada to engage directly and consistently with the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments on this conflict, and to promote short-, medium- and long-term elections monitoring in Ethiopia. They are calling on our government to take action.
Paul Manly Green Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC
Madam Speaker, it is an honour to table this petition today. It is initiated by Adrian Hough in Nanaimo—Ladysmith and has had more than 15,000 signatures with the e-petition and the paper petitions combined.
The petitioners are deeply concerned about the ongoing logging of endangered old-growth ecosystems, an ecosystem that has less than 3% of it remaining in British Columbia. Threatened screech owls have been found in the areas that are being logged. More than 130 people have been arrested, including first nations youth from the Pacheedaht First Nation, whose territory this lies within, and seniors who are lining up to be arrested as well.
The petitioners are calling upon the Government of Canada to work with the provinces and the 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, which is another thing that is happening in British Columbia and is not climate friendly at all.
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Madam Speaker, I have three petitions to present to the House today.
The first petition highlights the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners by the Government of China. Petitioners note that this persecution has been going on for some two decades, in spite of the fact that Falun Gong practitioners are only seeking to stay true to their spiritual beliefs and their commitment to truthfulness, compassion and tolerance.
The petitioners ask the government to take a stronger response to these and other human rights abuses in the People's Republic of China. In particular, they want to see the use of Magnitsky sanctions against those involved in human rights abuses in the PRC.
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Madam Speaker, the second petition highlights the situation in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. The petitioners are very concerned about human rights abuses that have been taking place there, the ongoing violence and the horrific impact that violence has had on civilians. The petitioners want to see an end to violence, humanitarian access to the region, and independent, credible international investigations of war crimes and gross violations of human rights. They want to see the Government of Canada engage directly and consistently with the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments on this conflict and also support short-, medium- and long-term election monitoring in Ethiopia in light of upcoming elections.
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Madam Speaker, the third and final petition is on Bill C-6, the government's bill that purports to seek to ban conversion therapy. The petitioners are supportive of efforts to ban conversion therapy. However, they are very concerned about the definition in the bill, a definition which, in substance, would ban many things that are not and have nothing to do with conversion therapy, including private conversations in which views on sexuality and gender expression might be expressed.
The petitioners call on the government to ban coercive, degrading practices that are designed to change a person's sexual orientation or gender identity, to amend Bill C-6 to fix the definition of “conversion therapy”, thus banning conversion therapy without banning voluntary counselling or criminalizing conversations. The petitioners want to see the government allow parents to speak with own children about sexuality and gender and to set house rules about sex and relationships.
Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary 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, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 598, 600, 601, 604 and 606.
Jamie Schmale Conservative Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON
With regard to the ban on the importation of goods made with coerced labour since January 1, 2020: (a) how many times have such goods been seized by the Canada Border Services Agency; and (b) what are the details of each seizure, including the (i) date, (ii) description of goods, including the quantity, (iii) estimated value, if known, (iv) location where suspected coerced labour occurred?
Question No.598Questions on the Order PaperRoutine Proceedings
Louis-Hébert Québec
Liberal
Joël Lightbound LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is committed to upholding human rights and international labour standards. Forced labour in any form, anywhere in the world, is completely unacceptable. The CBSA actively collaborates with Employment and Social Development Canada to monitor and research evidence related to problematic supply chains. Shipments containing products suspected of being produced by forced labour will be detained at the border for inspection and will be prohibited when it has sufficient evidence to do so. All goods entering Canada may be subject to a more in-depth secondary examination. The government has made amendments to prohibit products that are mined, manufactured, or produced wholly or in part by forced labour from entering Canada. Additionally, the government has prohibited the import of goods suspected of being made using forced labor in China's Xinjiang region.
Marilyn Gladu Conservative Sarnia—Lambton, ON
With regard to the prorogation of Parliament in August 2020: (a) respecting the Privy Council Office being informed that it was the Prime Minister’s intention to recommend to the Governor General that the Parliament be prorogued, (i) who participated in the communication, (ii) on what date and time, (iii) by what medium (e.g. in-person meeting, videoconference meeting, telephone call, email); (b) did the Prime Minister informally advise the Governor General, ahead of presenting a formal Instrument of Advice, of his intention to recommend that Parliament be prorogued, and, if so, (i) on what date and time, (ii) by what medium (e.g. in-person meeting, videoconference meeting, telephone call, email) did this occur; (c) did the Privy Council Office informally advise the Office of the Secretary to the Governor General that the Prime Minister would be recommending to the Governor General that Parliament be prorogued, and, if so, (i) who participated in the communication, (ii) on what date and time, (iii) by what medium (e.g. in-person meeting, videoconference meeting, telephone call, email) did this occur; (d) on what date and time was the Instrument of Advice recommending the prorogation of Parliament, (i) provided by the Privy Council Office to the Prime Minister or his office with a draft, (ii) signed by the Prime Minister, (iii) tendered by the Prime Minister to the Governor General, (iv) accepted by the Governor General; and (e) when the Prime Minister tendered the Instrument of Advice to the Governor General, (i) who was present, (ii) by what medium (e.g. in-person meeting, videoconference meeting, telephone call, email, fax, courier)?
Greg Fergus LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister
Mr. Speaker, with regard to the prorogation of Parliament in August 2020, on February 16, 2021, the deputy secretary to the cabinet (governance) and the Canadian secretary to The Queen and director of policy, machinery of government from the Privy Council Office, PCO, appeared at the procedure and House affairs committee, PROC, and provided information responsive to these questions.
On October 28, 2020, the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons tabled a report to Parliament outlining the reasons for the prorogation of the first session of the 43rd Parliament. On August 18, 2020, the two instruments of advice, one to prorogue the Parliament of Canada and the other to summon Parliament to meet for the dispatch of business, were signed. Furthermore, the Governor General signed the corresponding proclamations aided by the assistant clerk of the Privy Council. Once approved, the proclamations are published in the Canada Gazette, and are available at: www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2020/2020-08-19/html/si-tr58-eng.html and www.gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2020/2020-08-19/html/si-tr59-eng.html
Leading up to the prorogation, the Privy Council Office supported the government by providing procedural information and advice.