Debates of May 5th, 2021

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Timmins—James Bay.

[Members sang the national anthem]

Labour

[Jenica Atwin, Green, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, last week, we observed the National Day of Mourning, celebrated International Workers' Day and, at the same time, the House passed legislation forcing striking employees to go back to work. This is just another example of the inconsistencies between what the government says and what it does.

Today, I want to recognize that some of us have been privileged to work from home, taking refuge from the worst consequences of the pandemic, carried along by its steady current. Those working in hospitals, long-term care homes, fields and stores, often at minimum wage and risking their lives every day, are the ones who had to swim against the current, barely keeping their head above water.

Recognition is not enough. We need to act by providing paid sick leave and paid time off for vaccinations. Every worker in our country must be protected and supported. Until then, are we really all in this together?

COVID-19 Vaccines

[Tamara Jansen, Conservative, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am a big fan of The Pioneer Woman, who blogs about life on the ranch in Oklahoma.

I was scrolling through my Instagram and I saw the gorgeous photos of her daughter's wedding, held last weekend, and the pictures of people dancing and having a great time. Then I wondered why no one was wearing a mask or self-distancing. It turns out that back in January, Oklahomans were vaccinated by the hundreds of thousands, and now have days where they have no new cases of COVID. Here in Canada, almost no one was being vaccinated, and now we are setting records for new cases.

While the U.S. focused on procuring vaccines from reputable pharmaceutical companies early on, our Prime Minister frittered away his time trying to make a deal with China.

Today, we see America opening and getting back to normal, but because of our government's mismanagement, we are seeing stricter lockdowns that are wreaking havoc on our mental health. Canada should have been a leader, not at the back of the line. There will be no weddings and gatherings for Canadians this spring and summer, and we can thank the Liberals for that.

Dutch Heritage Day

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the great pleasure today to rise in the House in recognition of Dutch Heritage Day.

Today, May 5, is Dutch Heritage Day.

Over a million tulips are in bloom in Ottawa, and a few dozen are up here in my garden in Milton as well. Today, Canadians of Dutch heritage from coast to coast to coast are celebrating their culture.

In 1945, the Dutch royal family sent 100,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa in gratitude for Canadians having sheltered the future Queen Juliana and her family from Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during the Second World War. Every year since, the Dutch royal family has sent more tulip bulbs to celebrate the wonderful bond and friendship that our countries continue to share.

In October of 1953, a six-month old Joe van Koeverden, my dad, arrived in Canada with his parents and siblings and started our family's Canadian journey. I am proud of my Dutch heritage, as all Dutch Canadians are. My only regret is that I do not speak more Dutch.

[Member spoke in Dutch]

Red Dress Day

[Yvonne Jones, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, today is red dress day, a day to honour the first nations, Inuit and Métis women and girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people who we have loved and lost. We vow to put an end to this national tragedy that has impacted so many in Canada.

The Liberal budget 2021 proposes historic investments to support families and survivors, indigenous partners and governments to support those on their journey to healing and justice. Together, we will work to prevent future acts of violence in our country.

For example, we have partnered with Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada to fund the construction and operation of shelters across Inuit Nunangat and urban centres. We are investing to support cultural policing and community safety programs. We are working to foster a health care system that is free from racism and discrimination.

On this red dress day, we wear red for the daughters, sisters, mothers, grandmothers and all those whose lives have been affected. Together, we will end violence against missing, murdered and indigenous women in Canada and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people.

Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today, in recognition of Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month, I am participating in the virtual distribution of carnations organized by the MS Society of Canada.

On average, 12 Canadians a day learn that they have multiple sclerosis. This disease can strike anyone, without warning. The best way to combat it is to invest in research. That is how we can develop better treatments, improve the quality of life of our fellow Canadians and find a cure for multiple sclerosis. It is critically important.

I encourage all members to support charitable health organizations, such as the MS Society of Canada, to keep the research momentum going.

Roda Muse

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I recently had the honour of congratulating an exceptional woman from Orléans, Roda Muse, on her appointment as Secretary General of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.

Her career as a school board trustee, vice-chair of the Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario and lifelong public servant has earned her many accolades, including the “professional award” at the 2020 Soirée Saphir gala, an awards ceremony that recognizes female leadership in Ontario.

I am therefore not surprised to see her recognized once again, this time by such a prestigious organization. Her community building skills and her passion for the advancement of peace, diversity and tolerance certainly make her a great asset to that organization.

I congratulate her on this well-deserved recognition and thank her for all she does for our community and our country.

MS Awareness Month

[Kerry Diotte, Conservative, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to talk about my late friend, Ted Marianix. Like more than 90,000 Canadians, Ted was living with MS. Ted struggled with MS, but worked hard to keep his independence.

MS is a terrible disease. Severe episodes come and go without warning. Research shows that people with MS have high unemployment. Sadly, many people who want to work struggle to do so. Bosses need to be more flexible for people with MS.

May is MS Awareness Month. Its symbol is a carnation. Get a virtual carnation online.

Today, I am remembering Ted. Let us support everyone living with MS.

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, MS is the most common neurological disease affecting young Canadians. The incidence is three times higher among women. COVID-19 has amplified the income insecurity faced by women with disabilities.

Diagnosed with MS in 2008, Michelle Hewitt shares how difficult it is to make ends meet. She says, “I regularly speak to women....no longer able to work [WITH] no avenues for income once their medical employment insurance is finished...they are not seen as ‘disabled enough.’ The system is failing them.”

Our government, in the Speech from the Throne, vowed to introduce a new Canadian disability benefit to support Canadians with disabilities and lift them out of poverty.

Today, in honour of MS Awareness Month, I will join with MS Society's carnation pinning campaign to support a world free of MS. I encourage all to join in this effort.

Nova Scotians

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso, NS]

Mr. Speaker, last week, the third wave of COVID-19 found its way to the shores of Nova Scotia, and I rise in the House today to commend Nova Scotians for doing their part to mitigate the spread of the virus in our province.

As soon as it became clear that the virus was finding its way back into our communities, Nova Scotians took swift action to support one another. Whether they are waiting in line for an asymptomatic COVID test, or volunteering at testing sites, or delivering food to those in need or giving up their space to provide child care for front-line workers, Nova Scotians know that we are all in this together, even while we are staying apart.

I want to thank Dr. Strang and his entire team at the Nova Scotia Public Health as well the Nova Scotia Health Authority for their leadership and for taking this pandemic seriously since the very beginning.

We are now at day seven of our two-week province-wide shutdown, and I am so proud of my constituents and all Nova Scotians for doing their part to keep our communities and province safe.

Waves have crashed on our shores before in Nova Scotia, but Nova Scotians always find a way forward.

Red Dress Day

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to speak in support and recognition of today being Red Dress Day. It started with the REDress art installation project by Jaime Black.

Red dresses hung in public spaces are a visual reminder of Canada's missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. It has grown into a national day of awareness. It is a day dedicated to remembering and honouring the precious lives that have been lost and to stand against racism and hate.

The victims of these horrific tragedies and their families deserve justice today. A red dress is on display at each of my three constituency offices to honour these indigenous women and girls. I encourage everyone to wear red today to help raise awareness to support the victims and families of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.

Technology

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Calgary is a dynamic city. It is a resilient city. Analysts know that the advances Canada has led in oil and gas revolve around the development of technology. Despite a tumultuous six years, Calgary's technology industry continues to prosper and is doubling down on growth and opportunities.

Venture capital investment in Alberta tech opportunities has experienced phenomenal growth. In 2020, $455 million was invested in Alberta tech companies, eclipsing all previous records. Infosys has announced plans to create 500 jobs, and mCloud is moving its head office here. Extreme Telematics Corp., Nobal Technology, StellarAlgo and Carbonova present outstanding technology opportunities. I could go on at length.

These new companies build on a business culture that embraces challenges and rewards success. Let me thank all our great tech entrepreneurs who are building our innovative business culture in Alberta.

Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, right now, we are all fighting against COVID-19, but today my thoughts go out to those who are engaged in another daily battle, those who have an autoimmune disease.

May is Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Month.

We all know people close to us who have to cope with multiple sclerosis on a daily basis. The symptoms of the disease vary from person to person and so does the pain. Also, for any one person, symptoms fluctuate from day to day and week to week, and the body does not always react the same way.

It is not unusual to hear that a person with MS has to stay in bed all day because their body can no longer function. Then, a few days later, they seem to be back to normal.

Today, and every day of the year, we need to think of them and be there for them. I invite all Canadians to support people with this type of disease. We must not forget them.

Multiple Sclerosis

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, multiple sclerosis is a disease that impacts all Canadians: not only the individuals living with the disease, but also their families, friends, co-workers and health care teams.

Women are impacted by MS three times more often than men, and nearly 60% of people living with the disease eventually can no longer work. More needs to be done to support women who live with MS and to help them stay in the workforce for as long as they can.

Unfortunately, for too many people living with MS, treatments are not accessible, available or affordable. I support the MS Society's call for improved access to all Health Canada approved treatments. The MS community needs to know that the life-changing treatments that exist will be available to them regardless of where they live or how much money they earn.

Today, in honour of MS Awareness Month, I am participating in the MS Society's Virtual Carnation Pinning to show my commitment to improve the lives of Canadians affected by MS. I hope everyone will join me.

Phoenix Pay System

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, let us guess which employer I am talking about.

One person who retired from working for this employer has to pay tax on income he never received. Another is still waiting on nearly $40,000 in back wages. One employee transferred to another unit and has not been paid in seven weeks. Another has been waiting two years for his pay, and his file just sat there gathering dust because the person who was supposed to handle it spoke only English and did not see fit to transfer the file to someone who could speak French. Thousands of other employees are being taxed on their compensation payments because Treasury Board and the Canada Revenue Agency have not figured out how to talk to each other.

Bingo. I am talking about the Government of Canada and its Phoenix pay system.

If a private company were to do this kind of thing, it would pretty quickly find itself in court. In this case, the government has left its own employees in the lurch for five years now.

Our public servants are dedicated and do not deserve to be treated the way we are treating them, the way the Canadian government is treating them.

Bill C-10

[Matt Jeneroux, Conservative, Edmonton Riverbend, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am here in Ottawa today specifically to push back and fight against the government's bill, Bill C-10, which is an absolute attack on the freedoms we as Canadians enjoy online. This legislation would give sweeping power to the CRTC to regulate the Internet with no clear guidelines of how that power would be used.

The government has now said it would introduce an amendment to make it clear that the content uploaded on social media sites would not be regulated by this bill. However, Canadians still have the right to be concerned. This is unacceptable in a society such as ours that values its freedom.

It could not have been said any better than by the former chairman of the CRTC, who stated that this bill, “doesn’t just infringe on free expression, it constitutes a full-blown assault upon it and, through it, the foundations of democracy.”

This bill has no place in a free and fair society like Canada's, and I will work tirelessly to oppose such a bill becoming law.

Vimy Constituency Team

[Annie Koutrakis, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

Mr. Speaker, an MP is nothing without a passionate team. Today I would like to pay tribute to my own team, the “A-Team”, which has helped me shine as a new MP.

I want to thank Maryse, George and Marlyna for giving the people of Vimy the support they deserve during these difficult times.

I appreciate the hard work of our fully committed interns, Christopher and Angelica.

I want to thank Thomas for supporting me in everything having to do with legislation and the Standing Committee on Finance.

I especially want to thank Sylvie for her knowledge, experience and her leadership, which guides us all.

I know that I speak on behalf of all members when I say that we are all proud of our teams. We owe them a debt of gratitude for the work they do for this great country.

National Defence

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, when General Vance retired, the Prime Minister's Office praised his leadership of Operation HONOUR three full years after his office knew the general had been accused of sexual misconduct. A supportive statement of character for someone who perpetrated sexual misconduct was enough to terminate the special forces commander.

Why is it not enough to terminate Katie Telford?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the harassment, intimidation and assault faced by far too many women and men serving in the military is absolutely unacceptable. As a government, we move forward with measures to create greater support for anyone who comes forward. Measures we have taken since being in government have not gone far enough. We announced in budget 2021 over $236 million to eliminate sexual misconduct and gender-based violence in the Canadian Armed Forces. It is a priority for us to eliminate all forms of misconduct and create a safe workspace. We will continue to work on this all together.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, he says, “continue to work on this”. The Liberals ignored it for three years.

Michael Wernick testified that he sent the Prime Minister's Office a briefing in 2018 giving them the option of ending General Vance's tenure. Instead, the Prime Minister gave him a raise and allowed the general to stay for another two and a half years.

When discussions were being held about extending General Vance's tenure, did Katie Telford tell the Prime Minister there were outstanding allegations of sexual misconduct against him, yes or no?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, allow me to correct the record when the Leader of the Opposition says we have done nothing since we got elected. On the contrary, since 2015 we have listened to survivors, we have strengthened laws against intimate partner violence and we have made investments to prevent and address gender-based violence. We put forward the first-ever federal strategy to prevent gender-based violence in June 2017, with $200 million provided; we put forward a national action plan against gender-based violence with the support of provinces, territories and indigenous partners; and we moved forward on support for gender-based violence prevention during the pandemic, with over $100 million in emergency support.

We have always taken this seriously. We always will.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, did Katie Telford write those notes for the Prime Minister? He did not listen to survivors. Three years ago he ignored one. The Prime Minister's scandals are like the five stages of grief: First is denial, next is explaining, after that let us find a retired Supreme Court judge, then it becomes a learning opportunity for everybody, but there is never any accountability for the Prime Minister. Accountability starts today.

Who is the Prime Minister going to hold to account in his office for covering up sexual misconduct allegations for three years?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, while the Conservatives look for partisan attacks, we will continue to focus on what matters.

The reality is that, as we have seen time and time again, far too many survivors, women and men, do not feel comfortable coming forward and do not get the institutional support they need. That is why we need to make transformational changes to the Canadian Armed Forces and right across the country. Those are the things we have moved forward with over the past many years, but we know we need to do much. No one should feel unsafe in coming forward to share their experiences. There needs to accountability and there need to be consequences. That is what we have always worked on.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, when General Vance retired, the Prime Minister's Office praised his leadership of Operation Honour, three full years after his office learned of the allegations of sexual misconduct against him. That was enough to terminate the special forces commander. Why is it not enough for the Prime Minister to terminate his chief of staff?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the harassment, intimidation and assault faced by far too many women and men serving in the military is absolutely unacceptable.

As a government, we have taken measures to create greater support for anyone who comes forward. We announced in budget 2021 over $236 million to eliminate sexual misconduct and gender-based violence in the Canadian Armed Forces. It is a priority for us to eliminate all forms of misconduct and create a safe workspace. We will continue to work on this all together.