Debates of June 21st, 2021

National Defence

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to the work of the committee, it makes its own decisions, but I look forward to the recommendations on which the members have been working. I know our members of the committee are absolutely committed to supporting survivors. The antics that the opposition continues to make are to prevent that work.

Our government has worked since we formed a government on providing support to survivors, with the passing of Bill C-77. We know that we have a lot more work to do and we will continue to do so.

International Trade

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian farmers, producers and processors are worried about market access to international markets. They are unsure whether their current market access will continue. They also want to know if they will regain access to markets that have been closed to them. I have met with many stakeholders who are very concerned that the government does not have their backs on this.

Will the government assure the House that it is actively working to guarantee and open market access for Canadian farmers, producers and processors?

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Small Business]

Mr. Speaker, let me just repeat, if the member is not aware, that Canada has actually been playing a leadership role since the very beginning of this pandemic, whether at the World Trade Organization or elsewhere, to ensure that we keep our supply chains open, that no country turns inward and that we keep our rules-based international trading system intact.

We will continue to advocate for free trade right across the world and we will take every action necessary to defend our farmers and all our exports in Canada.

Tourism Industry

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, now that Canada is finally starting to catch up to the rest of the developed world on immunization, provinces, territories and municipalities are beginning to reopen. However, Canada's borders are under federal jurisdiction and there is still no clear plan for a permanent safe reopening. Thousands of small businesses are dependent on tourism and they are being left behind by the federal government.

Once again, when will the government finally table a comprehensive, detailed reopening plan?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, first, over 36.3 million doses of vaccines have been shipped and 32.2 million doses administered. We are, indeed, making progress.

Today, there is good news for fully vaccinated Canadian travellers and others with right of entry to Canada: Because of their full vaccination status, they will be able to avoid some measures of quarantine, including the obligation to stay in a hotel. We will always use science and evidence to guide our next steps on the border, and we thank Canadians for stepping up and getting vaccinated in such incredible numbers.

The Economy

[Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

Mr. Speaker, more than 265,000 jobs were lost in the past two months. In April, the number of Canadians receiving regular employment insurance was up nearly 10% overall, but up more than 22% for women. Women in South Surrey—White Rock who had jobs do not want EI; they want to work.

Does the Prime Minister accept any responsibility for these job losses?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, when the hon. member refers to job losses in the past couple of months, she ignores the fact that after the previous wave, we actually saw more than 560,000 jobs created. When she is talking about the specific measures that are designed to help women take part in this economic rebound, I will acknowledge women have disproportionately been impacted.

That is specifically why we have made great game-changing investments in child care to allow more women to enter the workforce. It is why we made new investments to encourage women entrepreneurship to help kick-start economic growth. It is why we are going to continue to put supports in place that have undergone a gender-based analysis so we can understand the impact of our investments and how they impact women and men differently.

With respect to the hon. member, the best thing she can do, if she wants to support women's participation in this recovery, is to get out of the way, stop obstructing Bill C-30 so these supports can reach the people who need them.

Housing

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

Mr. Speaker, the pandemic has made the need for safe and affordable housing more obvious than ever.

My constituents have told me that affordable housing is an urgent priority. Students, young families, and seniors all need affordable housing to support their well-being and to help them meet their goals.

Could the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development tell the House what has been done to make affordable housing a reality?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, the federal government is committed to helping Quebeckers and Canadians with their housing needs.

Since 2015, our government has invested more than $4 billion in housing in Quebec. On June 3, we announced more than $20 million for affordable housing for students in Montreal. We will continue to work tirelessly for Canadians and Quebeckers.

Fisheries and Oceans

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

Mr. Speaker, the Pacific salmon strategy of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans is nothing but more empty promises. The Liberal government has been in power for six years and, once again, it has failed to listen to our B.C. fishers to develop and implement an effective plan to conserve and restore Pacific salmon. We do not need anymore studies. We do not need anymore stall tactics. We have experts on the water who know what needs to be done, and it needs to be done now.

When is the minister going to start listening to B.C. anglers and get to work on restoring our B.C. public fishery?

[Bernadette Jordan, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, I actually agree with my hon. colleague. We absolutely have expertise on the west coast with regard to the wild Pacific salmon, the declines that we are seeing. That is why we are developing, in collaboration with those organizations, communities, first nations and the Province of British Columbia, the Pacific salmon strategy. This government is very proud of the fact that we are investing $647 million in that strategy.

We know we have to do everything we possibly can to restore wild Pacific salmon.

Infrastructure

[Steven Blaney, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, with the closing of the Pierre‑Laporte bridge for repairs in a few days, construction of a third link is more important than ever to maintain the flow of traffic between Quebec City and Lévis.

What are the Liberals waiting for to follow our lead? The Conservatives are giving their support for the third link, which will help our regions and our motorists.

Will the Liberals finally make a decision and support the third link, which is essential for regional urban mobility?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities]

Mr. Speaker, as everyone knows, we are making historic investments in Quebec. I was there with the member from Quebec and the Quebec premier when a certain announcement was made last week.

With regard to the third link, we are still waiting for a proposal. We would like to see project proposals at our offices. We will continue to invest in Quebec and throughout the country.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

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

Mr. Speaker, for the 2020 parent and grandparent sponsorship application term, 209,174 applications were submitted. To date, zero applications have been processed. Even worse, this current processing time is estimated to be 28 months. This Liberal-made backlog mess is hurting young families, minorities and our economy, while the Liberals pile on more platitudes and election promises.

When is the government going to fix its failed application system?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, our government has an exceptional track record in meeting our immigration goals. We welcomed tens of thousands of temporary workers to keep our economy going, adding $100 million to protect their rights. We have reunited tens of thousands of families, showing compassion where we can. We have created new pathways for refugees, demonstrating global leadership on human rights.

Even in the face of the pandemic, we have a plan that shows how immigration creates jobs and growth, and that is in stark contrast to years of failure under the last Conservative government.

Public Safety

[Lenore Zann, Liberal, Cumberland—Colchester, NS]

Mr. Speaker, Nova Scotians have been forever impacted by gun violence. Many constituents here in Cumberland—Colchester, particularly women, have told me that they support fully implementing Bill C-71, which addresses domestic violence with red flag legislation through lifetime background checks, helps law enforcement trace firearms and addresses the sale of firearms to those without a licence.

Meanwhile, worryingly, the Conservative leader is promising to weaken background checks, remove support for our police and return military firearms to the streets.

Could the Minister of Public Safety please reassure women and other concerned citizens by updating us on measures to bring Bill C-71 into force?

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. minister.

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I most certainly share the member for Cumberland—Colchester's concern about Conservative promises to weaken gun control. I want to assure the House that our government is listening to all those who are concerned about gun violence and we are responding to the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police that have deemed Bill C-71 essential to public safety.

Earlier today, we tabled regulations that would strengthen licence verification and record keeping in Canada. These measures would enable strong action to prevent the sale of firearms to those who are not legally authorized to possess them and they will provide enhanced support to law enforcement to hold criminals to account.

Together, these measures will prioritize public safety and empower effective police work.

Health

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the border between the United States and Canada has been closed for the past 16 months due to the COVID pandemic and following the science to protect public health. Now, with Canadians and Americans being fully vaccinated, it is time to follow the science and begin the reopening for families who have been separated for a long time and for businesses that are struggling to survive. We need no more half measures and inadequate responses. People have sacrificed and suffered enough.

When will the government follow the science and open the border to Canadians and Americans who are fully vaccinated? Canadians need a clear plan. When will the Liberals do it?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, that is exactly what we have been doing on this side of the House. We have been following the science and the evidence. We have been working hard to make sure that the sacrifices Canadians have made over the past year and a half are not wasted.

We will continue to take prudent measures to relax measures on the border based on science and evidence. Today is a good day. Starting July 5, fully vaccinated travellers who are currently permitted to enter Canada will not be subject to the existing quarantine requirements. We can see the finish line. Let us get there together.

Canada Revenue Agency

[Yasmin Ratansi, Independent, Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a recent report by the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group says that a secretive division of the CRA is unfairly targeting Muslim charities with audits amounting to discrimination. The report found that 75% of the charities audited and whose status was revoked were Muslim charities, despite them representing only 0.47% of the overall sector.

Could the minister explain what is being done to stop this harassment?

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, our government will continue to work to end discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and disability. The CRA monitors the operations of registered charities and ensures compliance through a balanced program of client service, education and responsible enforcement, including audits to protect the integrity of the charitable sector.

The CRA does not select registered charities for audit based on any particular faith or denomination. The Minister of National Revenue does not instruct the CRA to begin audits, nor does the minister intervene in audits that are under way.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The time for question period has expired.

The hon. member for Beloeil—Chambly on a point of order.

Residential Schools

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I am at the Maison amérindienne in Mont‑Saint‑Hilaire. There have been discussions among the parties and if you seek it, I think you will find unanimous consent for the following motion:

That the House, recognizing the importance of historical truth in the process of healing grieving families and nations, insist that the government deploy, for the benefit—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I apologize to the hon. member for interrupting, but there is a problem with the interpretation.

While we wait for the problem to be resolved, I give the floor to the hon. member for Louis‑Saint‑Laurent, who also wishes to rise on a point of order.