Debates of June 18th, 2021

Statements by Members

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

On the point of order from the hon. member for New Westminster—Burnaby, I want to remind him on the procedure that is before the House when tabling these types of motion under a point of order. My first intervention was asking whether someone was against the hon. member moving the motion to please say nay and there were no nays on moving the motion. Then the following step is asking if the House has heard the terms of the motion and whether or not they agree with the motion, which is all those opposed to the motion, will please say nay, and it was not carried.

Therefore, it is not a point of debate at this point.

The hon. member for New Westminster—Burnaby has another point of order.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Madam Speaker, just on this point of order, I would ask the Table to very clearly check the precedent from 2015. The Speaker ruled at that time, and that is the precedent and the jurisprudence, that when the motion is allowed to be moved unanimously and then the adoption of the motion is denied, then the House proceeds to a vote on adoption of the motion. That is the clear precedent. I will give the Table time to look at the precedent, but it has been clearly set and I would ask you, through the Table, to look at that precedent and then come back with an ulterior ruling.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I appreciate the additional information that the hon. member has provided. We will certainly look into this some more and will get back to the House briefly, if need be.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Speaker, on a point of order, as we have known with the virtual Parliament, when a member, for technical reasons, was not able to complete their S.O. 31, the Speaker has had the ability to indicate to the member to start again. When that does not occur, for whatever reasons, members have stood up and explained themselves.

This is something that is beyond the member's control and there might have been some confusion. The member was not asking to repeat because of something that he had said; he was asking to repeat the S.O. 31 because there was a technical problem. In the past, we have always granted leave for that, so I just want to make sure the members understood it was not the member, it was a technical problem from the system.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member is correct. After reviewing the request, I will grant the hon. member's request to redo his S.O. 31.

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Central Nova, NS]

Madam Speaker, I rise to speak to the same point of order. You seem to have granted what is an appropriate remedy.

I would only point out that it may actually impinge on a question of privilege if, due to problems with translation, a member is unable to give their statement. However, I believe you have granted the appropriate remedy, so thank you.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Vaudreuil—Soulanges.

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Madam Speaker, one thing that unites Canadians from coast to coast to coast is their love of hockey. It is June, the outdoor rinks in Vaudreuil—Soulanges have long disappeared, and the skates have been replaced by bathing suits.

None of that matters, though, because the NHL playoffs are under way. One Canadian team is still in contention to win the Stanley Cup, and we are all cheering them on.

The Montreal Canadiens, hockey's most storied franchise, are in the conference finals against the Vegas Golden Knights. While those in Vegas may be all in, supporting their team, we know that in Vegas going all in can come with a price. What kind of price, members may ask. Well, it is a big price. If they have not factored in that price, that price may just be too much to handle. After every game, it feels more like 1993, and the only thing left to do is to bring that cup back to Montreal.

On behalf of the entire House and all Canadians, I say, “go for it, guys”.

Go, Habs, go!

Government Response to Petitions

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary 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 16 petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.

International Trade

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, Humber River—Black Creek, ON]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the ninth report of the Standing Committee on International Trade, entitled “Reform of the World Trade Organization: Some Canadian Views and Priorities”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Madam Speaker, I am standing on behalf of the Conservative committee members on the trade committee to present our supplementary opinion, which is attached to the report on WTO reform.

As this is likely to be the final report tabled by the committee before we return in September, I would like to thank the clerk, the analysts and the technical staff of the committee for all their hard work in ensuring our meetings ran smoothly during this extraordinary time. I also want to thank the chair and all committee members for their work and contributions over the session.

In our supplementary opinion, we highlight the important role the WTO has when it comes to free and fair trade globally. The pandemic has shown some gaps where the WTO could be reformed or better utilized, including in recent cases such as the dispute settlement process via the WTO's appellate body, as well as when it comes to finding a common-ground solution via the TRIPS council on intellectual property rights around COVID‑19 vaccines.

Conservative committee members also highlight an observation we heard from Global Affairs Canada officials on the definition of “developed” and “developing” countries at the WTO, with each country getting to define itself as it chooses, with both of these salutations having different rights. We believe the Government of Canada's work in the Ottawa Group on WTO reform could also look into this definition to help standardize it to improve fair trade globally.

We have also included recommendations in the supplementary opinion, which we hope the government will take into account.

Procedure and House Affairs

[Ruby Sahota, Liberal, Brampton North, ON]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 18th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, entitled “Report on the Government’s Report to Parliament: August 2020 Prorogation—COVID-19 Pandemic”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Madam Speaker, the official opposition generally agrees with the committee's findings and recommendations on the government's claims for why it prorogued Parliament last August. It was clear to Conservatives that the Liberals shut down Parliament last summer to cancel four committee investigations into the WE scandal and to prevent the ethics committee from learning how profitable the Trudeau family name has been for the Prime Minister's mother and brother.

We deeply regret that the Liberals mounted a filibuster for over 100 days, preventing the committee from hearing from the Prime Minister and anyone else who had a role in his decision to shut down Parliament. With the help of the New Democrats, the Liberals managed to avoid any further scrutiny in committee.

Where Conservatives part company with the committee's report is that we think the committee should actually finish the study by hearing from the Prime Minister. We think the committee should be empowered to order the Prime Minister to give testimony, and for the committee to see the PMO's emails and text messages about the plan to shut down Parliament.

The committee report and the Liberal filibuster add another chapter to the current government's record. More scandals, more corruption and more cover-ups are what Canadians can expect from the Prime Minister and the Liberals.

There is only one choice to end this corruption and secure accountability in Ottawa: Canada's Conservatives.

Environment and Sustainable Development

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the seventh report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development, entitled “The Volkswagen Defeat Device Case and Enforcement of the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, 1999”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

Income Tax Act

[Dan Albas, Conservative, Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-317, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (assistance for repayment of student loans).

Madam Speaker, today I rise in my place to table a bill that proposes a new way that we can help support students who are struggling with student debt. My bill proposes to amend the Income Tax Act so that employers can voluntarily enter into an arrangement in which part of the employee's remuneration would go toward student loan repayment as a tax-free benefit.

Currently, if an employer wanted to help employees pay off their apprenticeship or student loan, that help would be taxed as regular income. That does not provide the needed and necessary help to students struggling with student debt. Student loan balances are often listed by young adults as a major reason for suffering from economic anxiety.

Allowing employers and employees to voluntarily enter into an agreement in which part of the employee's remuneration would go toward apprenticeship loan or student loan repayment as a tax-free benefit would help young people pay down debt and start saving for the future by encouraging good financial management habits.

I want to thank all of my constituents, particularly those young students who shared with me the pressure they are under, and I am hopeful that all members of this place will help support this initiative.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I see that there are quite a few petitions, so I would remind members to keep their interventions short in order to ensure that as many individuals as possible can present petitions. If there is not enough time, those petitions will have to be taken up the next time we do petitions before the House.

Falun Gong

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Madam Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to present two petitions.

The first one is this. The Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, or the Magnitsky Law, sanctions foreign officials responsible for gross human rights violations or acts of corruption. For over 21 years, China's Communist Party officials have orchestrated the torture and killing of large numbers of people who practise Falun Gong, a spiritual discipline promoting the principles of truth, compassion and tolerance. This includes the killing of practitioners on a mass scale for their vital organs to fuel the communist regime's organ transplant trade.

The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to deploy all legal sanctions, including the freezing of assets and the barring of entry into Canada, against, but not limited to, the many listed in the petition.

Ethiopia

[Jasraj Singh Hallan, Conservative, Calgary Forest Lawn, AB]

Madam Speaker, the second petition says that the undersigned citizens of Canada draw the attention of the House of Commons to the following: Ethiopia has experienced alarming bouts of unrest and violence in the last year; conflict has engulfed the Tigray region of Ethiopia, leading to egregious human rights abuses and a humanitarian crisis; and humanitarian actors and independent journalists and researchers have almost no access to the affected regions. They are being shut out from human rights, and many human rights violations have been going on. There are many other things listed in this petition.

Cameroon

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present two petitions.

The first petition was sent to me by Lynn Cockburn and the Canadians for Peace in Cameroon, which addresses the continuing violence in the northwest and southwest regions of Cameroon and reports that the Canadian-made technology from L3 Wescam has reportedly been used by the Cameroonian government to carry out reconnaissance and surveillance missions to suppress peaceful protests and provide information to government security forces that are accused of committing human rights violations and war crimes.

The petition calls on the government to ensure that no further Wescam systems, spare parts or training support services are exported to Cameroon and that no other Canadian-made military or dual-use technologies are exported to Cameroon until there is a peaceful resolution to the anglophone crisis.

Yemen

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, the second petition, e-3122, concerns the ongoing humanitarian tragedy in Yemen. The civil war has killed hundreds of thousands of people and has left an estimated 24 million people and nearly 80% of the population in desperate need of humanitarian support.

The petitioners call on the government to immediately halt arms to Saudi Arabia, participate in international efforts to immediately end Saudi-led attacks on Yemen civilians, and support international partners in lifting the siege on Sanaa airport and Hadhramaut airport in order to ensure that humanitarian assistance can be delivered.

Rights of Children

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, I would like to present e-petition 3312, which has been signed by nearly 5,000 people across Canada. The petitioners note that the protection of the rights of children around the world is a priority of the government and they note that all signatories to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child have the obligation to ensure basic due process rights for children in accordance with international juvenile justice standards.

The petitioners point to the 2019 United Nations report on children and armed conflict, which they say raised concerns about the detention of children in Israel's justice system, and they call on the House of Commons to urge the Subcommittee on International Human Rights to urgently study this issue.

Pefferlaw Dam

[Scot Davidson, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Madam Speaker, in Pefferlaw, we believe in rolling up our sleeves to help each other and in the power of our voices, and I am happy to rise today on behalf of the residents of Pefferlaw.

The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to rehabilitate the historic Pefferlaw Dam and ensure the Pefferlaw River flows again. Built in the 1820s, the Pefferlaw Dam has a cultural, historical, environmental, economic and recreational significance to the visitors and residents of Pefferlaw.

Sex Selection

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present these petitions. These individuals have indicated that sex-selection abortion is legal in Canada because we have no restrictions to date, in spite of the fact that 84% of Canadians believe it should be illegal to have an abortion simply when the sex of the child is not favoured.

International organizations, including the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and The United Nations Children's Fund, have identified unequal sex ratios at birth as a growing problem internationally, and our medical associations have indicated that in Canada as well. The petitioners are calling on the government to bring forward a Criminal Code prohibition on sex-selective abortion.

Opioids

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to present a petition from 165 Canadians, who point out that the opioid crisis is one of the most deadly public health emergencies of our lifetime. They ask the government to take steps to end overdose deaths and injuries; to immediately collaborate with the provinces and territories to develop a comprehensive action plan; to ensure that any plan considers reforms that other countries have used, such as legal regulations of drugs to ensure safe supply, decriminalization for personal use, changes to flawed drug policy and policing; and to ensure that this emergency is taken seriously, with adequately funded programming and supports.

Forestry Industry

[Paul Manly, Green, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to present this petition today. This is part of a large stack I have, with over 15,000 signatures now. People are really concerned about the trashing of the last remaining old growth forests in British Columbia, with less than 3% left.

The petitioners call on the government to work with the province and first nations to follow through on our international commitments to protect biodiversity and to save these forests as part of our climate action plan and reconciliation with first nations; to refocus on second and third growth forests with value-added logging; to stop the export of raw logs; to stop the grinding up of whole trees for biofuel pellets; and to protect our old growth forests.