Debates of June 2nd, 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]

Italian Heritage Month

[Patricia Lattanzio, Liberal, Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, June has been officially recognized as Italian Heritage Month. As such, I would like to turn our attention toward the contributions made by Italian Canadians not only within their local communities, but across Canada.

Within just the last few generations, there have been many Italian Canadians who have worked tirelessly and have been successful in the fields of business, science, education, law and politics. Every day, because of their dedication and innovative characters, they have made invaluable contributions to lives of countless Canadians and have shaped the societal, economic and cultural landscape of Canada as we know it today.

I am incredibly honoured to represent my riding of Saint-Léonard—Saint-Michel, which is home to one the largest Italian communities in Canada. This vibrant community serves as a constant reminder of the incredible ways in which new immigrants to our country can have an everlasting impact.

Happy Italian Heritage Month. [Member spoke in Italian]

[English]

Filipino Heritage Month

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my warmest congratulations to all Filipino Canadians as they celebrate the first official Filipino Heritage Month here in Ontario.

I want to comment the wonderful contributions that Filipinos have made to communities in Ontario and throughout Canada. Filipinos are known for being incredibly warm, hard-working and compassionate, which has naturally drawn Filipinos to successfully work in many frontline jobs such as nursing, health care, child care and caregiving. This allows them to help all Canadians, starting from childhood all the way up to our esteemed leaders. Filipinos have also consistently ranked first in the independent immigrants category, a group selected on the basis of their skills and ability to contribute quickly to Canadian society and the Canadian economy.

I am proud to represent over 600 Filipinos who have made their home in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock and of the ongoing contributions they are making to improve their community.

Red Shirt Day

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

Mr. Speaker, today, June 2, is Red Shirt Day, an annual event when people across Canada come together and wear red to show their support for persons who are living with disabilities.

An initiative of Easter Seals Canada, Red Shirt Day takes place each year on the Wednesday of National AccessAbility Week, which this year runs from May 30 to June 5. Wearing red today represents a pledge that we will help create a fully accessible and inclusive society by educating ourselves, by removing barriers, whether they are physical, social or systemic, and by honouring and valuing the contributions of people of all abilities, in all aspects of life in Canada.

I encourage my fellow parliamentarians and all Canadians to don something red today. They should be sure to share their photos when doing that on social media using #RedShirtDay or #EasterSeals.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

[Marie-Hélène Gaudreau, Bloc, Laurentides—Labelle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today, June 2, is Lou Gehrig Day, and I would like to share something about myself.

Twenty-three years ago, my father, Gaston Gaudreau, was diagnosed with a fatal disease at the age of 54: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS.

This horrible disease is a long, slow road to death. Every muscle in the body atrophies, rendering the person immobile. As my father used to say, “I am alive in my coffin”. He died three years ago, but he never stopped hoping that a cure would be found for this fatal disease.

That day has finally come. There is now a treatment for ALS. Unfortunately, it is taking a long time for this treatment to become available here in Quebec and Canada. These people cannot wait. Time is running out for them.

I implore the government to act now because this is urgent.

I would like to pay tribute to all those who are living with this disease, as well as to their families and caregivers, like my mother, Françoise Lajeunesse.

Lou Gehrig Day

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today is Lou Gehrig day and June is ALS awareness month. Every year, more than 1,000 Canadians are diagnosed with ALS and 1,000 pass away from this terrible disease.

The life expectancy after diagnosis for a person with ALS is two to five years on average.

There are only two medications for ALS that have been approved in Canada.

It is important that all governments fund research to make ALS a treatable disease. There are currently 16 clinical trials in Canada. It is important all governments work together to reduce the time frame for drugs approval in Canada as patients do not have the luxury to wait.

I thank the Major League Baseball and Baseball Canada for raising ALS today through Lou Gehrig day. I encourage all Canadians to get involved in their local ALS walks and get their neighbours to donate.

Finally, I thank my colleagues from all parties who are part of the ALS caucus and are advancing issues on behalf of the ALS patient community.

Canadian Fairs and Exhibitions

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Speaker, before the onset of COVID-19, Canadian fairs and exhibitions generated an estimated $2.9 billion in annual economic impact. With over 17,000 events and programs held across Canada every year, these fairs and exhibitions would attract over 35 million visitors annually.

However, since the pandemic began, Canadian fairs and exhibitions have been among the hardest hit. Many of them are seasonal operations run by non-profit community boards, which depend on mass gatherings to operate and generate the revenues they need to continue. In fact, the Canadian Association of Fairs and Exhibitions, CAFE, believes its industry members will only reach a recovery next summer, the summer of 2022.

Despite this pandemic lasting nearly 15 months now, no federal funding has yet been made accessible to the majority of CAFE members. Canada's Conservatives recognize the great importance and impact fairs and exhibitions have on our tourism sector and on our local communities. As such, we call on the federal government to provide better access and greater support for Canadian fairs and exhibitions through these most challenging of times.

Dave Brenton

[Churence Rogers, Liberal, Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, NL]

Mr. Speaker, today I want to pay tribute to a constituent of mine, Mr. Dave Brenton, of Marystown.

Dave was a strong community leader and always strived to make things better. He was a mentor to many and an advocate for all. He was a high school teacher and principal. He formed local sports teams. He was a lifetime member of the Kinsmen Club of Canada and a member of the Marystown town council for years. As a member of his local health care foundation, he helped raise millions of dollars through radiothons and other initiatives to better the health care system on the Burin Peninsula.

I would need much more time to go into a full list of Dave's accomplishments. His loss leaves a large void among his community and all who knew him. Please join me in sending sincere sympathies to his wife Anne, their three children and grandchildren and to everyone in Marystown and the surrounding region who were so positively affected by his hard work and goodwill.

May he rest in peace.

Italian Heritage Month

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Italian Heritage Month has arrived in Canada. Today on June 2, Italy celebrates the 75th Festa della Repubblica and the founding of the Italian Republic.

[Member spoke in Italian and provided the following text:]

Buona Festa della Repubblica a tutti.

[English]

Here in Canada, we proudly celebrate and share our Italian heritage, as well as our vast contributions to building this country we are blessed to call home.

[Member spoke in Italian and provided the following text:]

Ma anche quest’anno, rispettiamo e onore il passato. Il 27 maggio, il nostro Primo Ministro ha presentato

[English]

the formal apology for Italian Canadians interned during the Second World War.

This Italian Heritage Month, I wish to honour the resilience of these immigrants who endured so much.

As the Prime Minister stated:

What better way to prove that they loved the country they had chosen to call home. It would have been so easy to turn their backs on Canada. Instead, they put their backs into building it.

Happy Italian Heritage Month.

[Member spoke in Italian]

Government Accountability

[Martin Shields, Conservative, Bow River, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is no secret the government lacks accountability. Last week, we learned that third party consultation fees cost $1.3 billion more than an earlier estimate of just two months ago, totalling $17 billion in 2022.

Since the Prime Minister took office, the public service bureaucracy has ballooned by 10,000 employees per year, totalling 380,000 employees and costing $47 billion alone in 2020.

The government believes it can spend its way out of trouble using money taken from the people it governs, then the Prime Minister tells people that they are taking on the burden so that we do not have to. Well, these are hard-earned dollars of the taxpayers, not the government's money.

The Conservative Party has a plan to secure accountability in government and reel in this irresponsible spending so that government serves its people once again, not the reverse.

Filipino Heritage Month

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Winnipeg North is the heart of Canada’s Filipino heritage community.

Yesterday morning, I was on the corner of Keewatin and Adsum, below the Dr. Jose Rizal statue, and only a couple of blocks from the Dr. Jose Rizal Park. Three blocks south of me, on Keewatin Street, the local MLA, Cindy, who happens to be my daughter, was in a jeepney. We participated in a live social media event as we wanted to encourage people of all backgrounds to take note that June was national Filipino Heritage Month in Canada.

Today, Canada has approximately one million people of Filipino heritage. From coast to coast to coast, the community is growing and contributing to Canada in a very real and special way.

For over 30 years, I have been attending fiestas, debutants, birthdays, spiritual events, concerts, pavilions, homes, workplace environments and so on, where I have witnessed kindness, hard work, love, fun and so much more.

I would encourage all Canadians to recognize the true value of how our Filipino heritage community has made Canada a better country to call home.

Pride Month

[Kyle Seeback, Conservative, Dufferin—Caledon, ON]

Mr. Speaker, June is pride month and every June we celebrate and embrace the values of pride. It is also a time to remember the many struggles that have been overcome and the considerable achievements made, but also the work that still needs to be done to achieve equality and inclusivity. While we celebrate the many achievements of the LGBTQ+ community and how far we have come as a society, let us not forget our work is not done.

In Dufferin—Caledon, we are extremely fortunate to have community groups that continuously strive for inclusivity, equality and diversity for all. I want to express my gratitude to groups like Pride Orangeville, LGBTQ+ Dufferin County and Jim Waddington who organizes Orangeville pride. Their tremendous efforts are building strong, more inclusive communities, and their hard work inspires us all.

I wish Dufferin—Caledon a happy pride day.

The Environment

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

Mr. Speaker, this is Canadian Environment Week, and it is a great time to remind ourselves that our country's natural beauty needs protection. That is why the Conservative Party released its plan, “Secure the Environment”.

This plan will protect our environment and uphold our commitments without pitting one region against another, the way the Liberal government does. We will ban the disposal of plastic in our oceans thanks to the bill introduced by the member for York—Simcoe.

Bill C-204 would ban the export of plastic waste to other countries to be dumped in the ocean and instead handle it here at home. Sadly, the Liberals oppose the bill and would rather see us export our plastic waste around the world.

The Liberal government sees the environment as a way to create divisions between Canadians. On our side, we will secure the environment and secure the future for all Canadians.

I wish everyone a happy Environmental Week.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, ALS is a devastating disease that affects thousands of Canadians. Today, on Lou Gehrig day, we think about the brave people who faced ALS with profound dignity and strength, people like Gehrig, like Stephen Hawking and jazz great, Charles Mingus.

Today, I would like to recognize those who tend to remain unseen and unheralded, the caregivers. the ones caring for their parents, spouses and children who are battling this disease. These are often women facing daunting physical and emotional challenges, women like Marie-Christine Tremblay who supports her husband with ALS and her mother with Alzheimer's. These women hold their families together through love and determination, and through back-breaking and heart-wrenching work.

Since ALS is such a relentless disease, robbing their loved ones of their most basic functions day by day, their struggles are often overlooked. We thank them for their commitment in the face of unimaginable obstacles. They share the strength Gehrig, the determination of Hawking and the creative genius of Mingus.

Catherine Raîche

[Denis Trudel, Bloc, Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week, another glass ceiling was shattered in the world of sports. Quebec's Catherine Raîche became the first woman in NFL history to be named vice president of football operations by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Originally from La Prairie on Montreal's south shore, Catherine studied law at the Université de Sherbrooke and earned a master's degree in taxation. Her career changed course when she did an internship with the Montreal Alouettes in 2015. By 2017, she was the team's assistant general manager. Now promoted to the rank of vice president of football operations for the Philadelphia Eagles, Catherine Raîche will be involved in all areas of football operations for the team.

Her recent promotion serves to inspire all women and girls who want to work in pro sports, an industry still heavily dominated by men, unfortunately. Catherine Raîche is open about her ambition to become the NFL's first female general manager someday. It is thanks to hard-working, ambitious women that things change.

Congratulations, Catherine, and keep it up. Quebec is behind you all the way.

The Economy

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, provinces will be reopening soon. There are signs of hope again despite all the many losses associated with COVID-19 and living under prolonged restrictions.

For almost a year and a half now, families, seniors, youth, workers and many vulnerable groups have struggled. Canadians have already been through so much, and there is still a lot of work left to be done. It was always true that when the worst fears and immediate damage from COVID were over, more people would need attention and support as they worked through the aftermath.

A full recovery for Canada will take time and serious effort. It cannot be done without ensuring we bring back the million jobs that were lost. This has to be done in every sector and every region of the country. However, the Prime Minister’s mind is elsewhere, trying to “reimagine” the economy instead of focusing on the basics.

Canadians can count on the Conservatives based on our strong record in the last recession. We will work to make it happen for small business, women, youth and all Canadians in one year.

This is our recovery plan: secure jobs and secure the future.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission

[Michael McLeod, Liberal, Northwest Territories, NT]

Mr. Speaker, today marks the anniversary of the release of the TRC's 94 calls to action, which was an appeal to mobilize all levels of government, organizations as well as individuals to advance reconciliation through concrete changes in society.

Today, we acknowledge the courage of the former students and families that came forward to share their truth and leadership, and the guidance of the commissioners who provided us with a path forward.

The commission's findings revealed the heartbreaking details of the role that residential schools played in the unacceptable colonial history of Canada and the tragic legacy that continues today. While almost 80% of the calls to action under the sole responsibility of the federal government, or a shared responsibility with provinces, territory governments and other key partners, are completed or well under way, we are committed to accelerating progress on these essential steps toward reconciliation.

Today, we honour and support the survivors and reflect on how all Canadians can support reconciliation.

Indigenous Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, we do not think of Canada as a country with mass grave sites and because we do not, this week has changed us all. However, we were warned they were there. Children disappeared from families without any closure of what happened to them.

Will the government commit to urgent action on calls to action 71 to 76 from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report so these families can have some closure?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we have fully accepted all the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which includes working with indigenous communities to locate their missing loved ones and their unmarked burial places in a culturally informed way.

In 2019, we invested $33.8 million in this work, and have been engaging with indigenous communities impacted by residential schools on how best to proceed. We will continue to move forward, recognize the horror and the tragedy of the past, and fix the wrongs of the present in partnership with indigenous peoples.

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

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister, in 2015, said that he would move on all calls to action. This morning, the minister reannounced funding that was two years old: no new plan, no new resources, no sense of urgency.

This week has changed the country. Canadians need to know that it has also changed the urgency with the government.

Again, will the Prime Minister commit to announcing a plan to deliver on calls to action 71 to 76, dealing with missing children, from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report by Canada Day?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, yes, we have been and we will continue to be. From 2015 onward, we have taken this extraordinarily seriously and have worked with the partners in indigenous communities across the country on the important work of reconciliation. We accepted all the TRC recommendations and calls to action. We have been moving forward on them. We will continue to do that.

We recognize the fresh urgency that non-indigenous Canadians are feeling because they are seeing this tragedy, which, unfortunately, is horrific and is terrible, but is not a tremendous surprise to many indigenous families that have known this reality for far too long.

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

Mr. Speaker, what is not a tremendous surprise to families, indigenous communities and many Canadians is that we hear nothing but talk in Ottawa, including from the Prime Minister who, six years ago, said he would move on all plans.

These children, the families and the communities deserve a precise and clear road map, with funding and timelines, to deliver on calls to action 71 to 76 dealing with these sites. If we are really going to embrace the country that is Canada, the Prime Minister needs to announce this before Canada Day.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, once again, since 2019, we have been working on this issue with indigenous communities, with indigenous leadership to ensure we are moving forward in a culturally appropriate trauma-informed way.

We understand that there is new urgency and pressures to move on this, and we will continue to invest as much as is necessary to support communities on that path forward.

I will not take lessons from the Conservatives on this. They were the ones who refused to give any money at all on this issue, refused $1.5 million to help with this. We have been there, and we will continue to be there.

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

Mr. Speaker, with respect to the Prime Minister, we all need to take lessons from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission report, the recommendations on which, six years ago, the Prime Minister said he would act and deliver. We have, collectively, not done that.

I wrote to him on moving forward on Bill C-8, and I appreciate the effort to move that forward. However, we need to show urgency now to give closure to these families and to indigenous communities. It is not the time for political rhetoric in Ottawa; it is time to come together with a plan.

Will the Prime Minister commit to delivering that plan to Canadians ahead of Canada Day?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as a government, we will continue to move forward on this reconciliation journey in partnership with indigenous peoples. That means, yes, moving forward on Bill C-8, and I appreciate the Leader of the Opposition's support on that, but it also means moving forward on the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which is still problematic for the Conservative Party.

It means continuing to move forward on ending boil water advisories, which we are working hard on and will continue to. It means continuing to respect indigenous languages and indigenous culture and fighting systemic racism right across the country, and doing it at all orders of government.