House of Commons Hansard #123 of the 43rd Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was budget.
The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota
I wish to lay upon the table a letter received earlier today from the president of the Public Health Agency of Canada in relation to the order made Thursday, June 17, 2021.
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
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(a) I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to five petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.
Carla Qualtrough LiberalMinister of Employment
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-35, An Act to reduce poverty and to support the financial security of persons with disabilities by establishing the Canada disability benefit and making a consequential amendment to the Income Tax Act.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Wayne Easter Liberal Malpeque, PE
Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1) I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the report of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group concerning its participation at the Canadian American Border Trade Alliance Spring Virtual Conference by video conference on May 3 and May 4, 2021.
Judy Sgro Liberal Humber River—Black Creek, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 10th report of the Standing Committee on International Trade on Bill C-216, an act to amend the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Act (supply management).
Environment and Sustainable DevelopmentCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
Liberal
Francis Scarpaleggia Liberal Lac-Saint-Louis, QC
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development on Bill C-230, an act respecting the development of a national strategy to redress environmental racism.
The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with amendments.
Salma Zahid Liberal Scarborough Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the eighth report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration entitled, “Immigration Programs to Meet Labour Market Needs”.
Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to the eighth report.
John McKay Liberal Scarborough—Guildwood, ON
Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, two reports of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. The seventh report is entitled “Concurrence in the Findings and Recommendations of the Final Report on the Implementation of the Merlo Davidson Settlement Agreement by the Hon. Michel Bastarache”.
In my many years in Parliament, I have seldom been more disturbed by the testimony of a witness. Justice Bastarache came before the committee with his report and laid out the cold, hard facts of the Merlo Davidson settlement, which had over 3,000 claims, of which 2,300 were paid out, for a total of $125 million. All members of the committee were very disturbed by the report.
We have not asked the government for a response, but we did receive a response late yesterday from the commissioner of the RCMP, which we have included on the committee website and hyperlinked to within this report.
I also have the honour to table the eighth report of the committee entitled, “Parole Board of Canada and the Circumstances that Led to a Young Woman's Death”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to the eighth report.
Public Safety and National SecurityCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
Conservative
Shannon Stubbs Conservative Lakeland, AB
Mr. Speaker, in January 2020, Marylène Levesque was killed by a convicted murderer who had killed his wife in 2004 and was out on day parole. Ms. Levesque was failed by the system. She was failed by Correctional Services. She was failed by the Parole Board, and she was failed by the government.
The threat to Canadians by dangerous and repeat offenders on parole or after release is experienced by far too many innocent Canadians. The committee's report outlines these failings, but does not go far enough. For that reason, Conservatives are tabling a dissenting report that outlines the severity of the systemic gaps that made the victim vulnerable and allowed the convicted murderer to kill again.
Conservatives are presenting multiple recommendations for action in order to do justice for the victim, prevent other tragic crimes like it and protect the safety of all Canadians.
Public Safety and National SecurityCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
Oakville North—Burlington Ontario
Liberal
Pam Damoff LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services
Mr. Speaker, I seek unanimous consent to speak to the Levesque report in the House. We tabled a supplementary report.
The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota
All those opposed to the hon. parliamentary secretary moving the motion will please say nay. It is agreed.
The House has heard the terms of the motion, all those opposed to the motion will please say nay.
Agreed and carried.
(Motion agreed to)
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to speak to the supplemental report tabled by the Liberal Party today as part of the eighth report from the standing committee on the tragic death of Marylène Levesque. I will begin by expressing our condolences to the family and friends of Marylène Levesque.
Immediately after this tragic event, a board of investigation was called and led by two co-chairs independent of the Parole Board of Canada and Correctional Services Canada. The board of investigation made five recommendations to Correctional Services Canada, which were accepted, and no recommendations for the Parole Board of Canada. We support implementing all recommendations.
We were disappointed that some of the witness testimony was partisan in nature and unfortunately, the Conservative recommendations reflect that. I was particularly upset when the member for Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles declared that our government's merit-based appointment process to the Parole Board of Canada was part of “ideology that wants to make changes in the name of diversity, by including indigenous women, for example”.
As retired director general of corrections and criminal justice at Public Safety Canada, Mary Campbell, said, “In terms of what would address, or what would have changed what happened here, there is one person to blame here, and that is Mr. Gallese.... As I said, if you can show me in the Parole Board decisions where an error was made, I'd love to have that discussion.
In response to the board of investigation report, Correctional Services Canada has testified that it will move to a single community supervision model for federal offenders across the country and strengthen community supervision policies. It will be strengthening monitoring tools and practices to support effective information collection and sharing throughout the offender's sentence. CSC will be introducing new mandatory intimate partner violence training.
In 2019-20, 99.9% of offenders on day parole completed their supervision period without committing a violent offence. That is just a fact. As David Henry, director general of L'Association des services de réhabilitation sociale du Québec—
The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota
I am going to interrupt the hon. parliamentary secretary for a moment. We have a point of order from the member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan.
Public Safety and National SecurityCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would like to clarify that the motion adopted to give the member special permission to present a supplementary report was to present the report, not to read the entirety of the report.
The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota
I was getting there. I would like to remind the hon. parliamentary secretary to be as concise as possible. I will let her continue.
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
Mr. Speaker, I am almost finished.
Mr. Henry said, “parole is a key social rehabilitation measure. Giving someone parole, guidance and supervision in the community ensures the safety of our communities.... The statistics speak for themselves.”
Committee members heard from the Union of Safety and Justice Employees, represented by David Neufeld, that major cuts under the previous—
The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota
I have to interrupt again. I have another point of order.
The hon. member for Banff—Airdrie.
Public Safety and National SecurityCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
Conservative
Blake Richards Conservative Banff—Airdrie, AB
Mr. Speaker, I understand that you are attempting to give the member some latitude here, but this time is intended to present a dissenting report or supplemental report. There have been attacks on other parties, and there have been all kinds of commentary here. I really do think, Mr. Speaker, it might be time to consider that it has been enough.
The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota
I understand the parliamentary secretary is wrapping up, so I will give her a bit more time and then we will go from there.
Pam Damoff Liberal Oakville North—Burlington, ON
Mr. Speaker, the Union of Safety and Justice Employees representative David Neufeld said in committee that major cuts under the previous Conservative government's deficit reduction action plan eliminated counselling for offenders in the community.
While community resources have been increasing over the past four years, it is clear that more needs to be done. We recommend better supports for parole officers in the community and enhanced vocational programming for prisoners. We support enhanced training on domestic and intimate partner violence, and sex work and sexual assault, in consultation with sex workers, women and gender rights organizations.
Last, the Harper changes to sex work legislation has put women in precarious and dangerous situations, which is why we feel that the government should examine sex work laws.
Public Safety and National SecurityCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
Conservative
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Mr. Speaker, I am rising on a point of order.
I seek the unanimous consent of the House, in all fairness, for the member for Lakeland to be able to share a few more comments about the Conservative dissenting report. I am sure she also has more to say. I wonder if there is unanimous consent to do that.
The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota
All those opposed to the hon. member's moving the motion will please say nay.
Public Safety and National SecurityCommittees of the HouseRoutine Proceedings
Some hon. members
Nay.
Daniel Blaikie NDP Elmwood—Transcona, MB
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-319, An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (prorogation).
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present a bill inspired by the work of retired procedural clerk, Thomas Hall, which was published in the Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law in July 2020, entitled “Taming the Power to Prorogue Parliament”.
The bill goes hand in hand with my private member's motion, Motion No. 93, which seeks to establish some more explicit instructions on how the prime minister can judge whether he or she has the confidence of the House. However, this bill in particular would do three things that are meant to constrain the very broad power of prorogation the prime minister currently holds, without requiring a constitutional amendment.
Those three things are to ensure that prorogations do not last more than 10 sitting days, according to the House of Commons calendar; Parliament cannot be prorogued more than once in any 12-month period following the opening of the first session of Parliament; and Parliament cannot be prorogued between the day any estimates are presented to the House and the final supply day in that supply period.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)
Brian Masse NDP Windsor West, ON
moved for leave to introduce Bill C-320, An Act to amend the Textile Labelling Act (animal skin, hair and fur).
Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to reintroduce this bill, an act to amend the Textile Labelling Act to allow for a practice that is not in Canada right now, which should be.
As a consumer, an individual should be aware when they are purchasing dog or cat fur in clothes or children's toys. The United States and other countries have moved forward with similar legislation. This would bring us on par, at least, to having this awareness, as right now, over two million dogs and cats are slaughtered each year and used in products across Canada from various sources.
This bill would bring us into compliance with the United States and other countries and, more important, would allow consumers the right to choose. If they are going to have dog or cat fur in their or their children's coats or in toys for their children, they should at least have that knowledge.
(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)