Debates of Oct. 5th, 2022

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation.

[Members sang the national anthem]

Come From Away

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, what started as an idea of my friend Michael Rubinoff became the most successful Canadian musical in history, which features five days, 19 animals, 7,000 strays and one small town that welcomed the world. Come From Away ended its five-year Broadway run on Sunday, but the story of the 7,000 plane people, who landed in Gander after 9/11 and were lovingly cared for by the community, will continue to warm hearts in productions around the world.

I am proud to say I was there from the start of a moment. Written by Irene Sankoff and David Hein, it was first workshopped at Sheridan College in Oakville in 2012. Its themes of kindness and of welcoming strangers in need resonates as much today as it ever did. Come From Away is a great example of the importance of investing in the arts. When I was in Gander recently, I heard about the economic impact this musical has had on the province.

I thank everyone involved. Canada is proud of them.

Ottawa Senators

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

Mr. Speaker, let me be perfectly clear that I am a Vancouver Canucks fan. However, today I want to say something nice about another NHL team, the Ottawa Senators, and give special thanks to former defenceman Wade Redden, who 25 years ago made it his mission to visit sick kids at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

One of those sick kids was my then young nephew, Julian, who was fighting cancer at 13 years old. Julian has fond memories of those visits. Such a small gesture for an NHL star had such a huge impact on a kid's life.

Today, 25 years later, Julian is a healthy, happy and vibrant 38-year-old man. He is a husband and a father of three children. Just the other day, Wade and Julian were reunited at the Canadian Tire Centre at the home opener game against the Montreal Canadiens. It was a very happy reunion.

I give a big shout-out to the Senators, Mr. Redden and CHEO for working with our sick kids.

Website Accessibility

[Tony Van Bynen, Liberal, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to rise today to celebrate the launch of my all-new accessible website, which is compliant with Canada's accessibility guidelines and can now be used by more people in our communities and from across Canada.

The new design can be optimized for a wide range of impairments, including those that affect visual, auditory, motor and cognitive skills. My website features a seizure-safe profile, a vision impaired profile, an ADHD-friendly profile and a cognitive disability profile, as well as keyboard navigation and screen readers.

Ensuring that everyone has equal access and opportunity to contact me or visit my website is extremely important to my team. I hope that by initiating this change, we will inspire other MPs to begin to follow suit and ensure users with impairments and other limitations can experience their websites the same as any other user.

35th Anniversary of Local Newspaper

[Xavier Barsalou-Duval, Bloc, Pierre-Boucher—Les Patriotes—Verchères, QC]

Mr. President, 35 years ago in Vieux‑Boucherville, Charles Desmarteau Sr. founded a newspaper and called it La Relève. It was a bold move given that another well-established weekly paper, La Seigneurie, had already occupied the market for over 20 years.

Thus, a rivalry began. It continued until 2018, despite the difficult environment that the news media are facing. They are not on a level playing field with the web giants.

Despite the challenges and hurdles, La Relève has stood the test of time. Today, Charles Desmarteau Jr. has taken over from his father, maintaining the newspaper's recipe for success: Produce quality information by staying in touch with the community.

The people of my riding identify with their newspaper and are proud of it. Having been a paperboy myself, I also feel that I was part of this success.

Bravo to the passionate and incredibly dedicated employees, and happy 35th anniversary to La Relève.

National Seniors Day

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, October 1 marked National Seniors Day, and I had the pleasure of celebrating with a group of people whose heads are far greyer than mine.

Supporting our seniors has always been at the forefront of our priorities. That is why we increased old age security for seniors aged 75 and over by 10%; increased funding for the new horizons for seniors program by $20 million; made dental care free for seniors as of 2023; invested $6 billion to improve home care; allocated $20 million to dementia research; and introduced a multi-generational home renovation tax credit.

In short, we are putting in place measures to limit the impact of inflation on everyone, particularly on our seniors.

Evelock Clowater Gilks

[Jake Stewart, Conservative, Miramichi—Grand Lake, NB]

Mr. Speaker, it is with a heavy heart that I rise today to acknowledge the sudden passing of a man who impacted many lives for the better, who improved his community, and did so with kindness and flare.

I have stated before that the people of Miramichi have long been known for our large personalities, our sense of humour and our ability to turn a phrase.

Evelock Clowater Gilks stood out, and he will be fondly remembered as a legend and an institution on our river. Evelock was born on April 4, 1948, in Blissfield, New Brunswick. He was a loving husband and father, an avid golfer, a proud legion member, and an accomplished fisherman who was passionate about the Miramichi River, the people and communities who live along it, and the Atlantic salmon who call it home.

The river at home feels a little empty since his passing. The unfortunate curse of a personality as large as his is the silence that is left behind. I would like to express my deepest condolences and send these words of comfort to his wife, Eleanor, and his children.

International Day of Older Persons

[Lisa Hepfner, Liberal, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Mr. Speaker, when Sharron Harley prepares for her day, she slips a photo of her late husband Charlie into her uniform and heads into the same spot she has worked at since 1977, the McDonald's on Upper Gage and Mohawk, in my riding of Hamilton Mountain.

A familiar and friendly face to many, Sharron turned 75 this year, and she credits her job with keeping her active and engaged with her friends and community. Sharron is the social connector for many seniors who live in the area. She draws them in to socialize over coffee, food and great company.

It is critical for seniors to stay healthy and remain involved in their communities. Two days shy of International Day of Older Persons, I was thrilled to present Sharron with two certificates, one commemorating her 75th birthday and the other acknowledging her incredible 45-year career at McDonald's.

I send my congratulations to Sharron.

Andrew Hong and Travis Gillespie

[Paul Chiang, Liberal, Markham—Unionville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise in the House to pay tribute to two Canadian heroes who tragically lost their lives as members of municipal police services in the GTA.

Constable Andrew Hong of the Toronto Police Service was shot and killed in an ambush on September 12 in Mississauga. He leaves behind two teenage children and will forever be remembered as a larger-than-life personality who got along with everyone and cared deeply for his community.

Constable Travis Gillespie of the York Regional Police was killed in a collision with an alleged impaired driver on September 14. He has been remembered by friends, family, and co-workers as someone who demonstrated “true leadership by leading from the front and always showing strength for the team.”

Emergency services personnel around Canada put their lives on the line every day to protect their communities and keep Canadians safe. As a retired police officer of the York Regional Police, and as someone who currently has a son-in-law in policing, I offer my sincere condolences to the families and friends affected by these tragedies. We will always remember their sacrifice.

Retirement Congratulations

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to pay tribute to a long-standing member of the Speaker's team who has decided to take a well-deserved retirement from this institution. Becoming a bit of an institution herself, Heather Bradley has served five speakers as director of communications. We, and I, have benefited from her wisdom and expertise.

MPs are elected as members of a political party and sit as a caucus. As such, each member has a tremendous amount of support when it comes to communications, but speakers leave those teams and can no longer count on that network, so the need to have an effective communications director is all the more important.

Heather was an absolute joy to work with. Her extensive knowledge of the precinct, members and historical precedence was invaluable. Her ability to interact with journalists, and the trust she had built with all parties over the years, was essential in assisting the Speaker as part of a non-partisan office in the backdrop of a highly partisan environment.

I could always count on her for excellent advice, from issues of the board to the modernization of disclosure. She was there for Parliament's big move out of Centre Block, and, of course, the tragic shooting that occurred there. She was always calm, thoughtful and rational, and had an impeccable track record of honesty and transparency.

I would like to thank Heather for her many years of service to Parliament, supporting speakers dating back to 1994. I also would like to thank her husband, Mike, and her boys, Nick, Jake and Sam, for lending her to us. We are all the better for it. I wish her all the best in her retirement.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

Canadian Beer

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

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to recognize the contribution of beer and brewing in Canada on this 4th annual Canadian Beer Day.

Brewing beer here from locally grown barley and other grains predates Confederation by over 200 years and remains a source of pride for Canadians as a symbol of Canada around the world. Widely known as a drink of moderation and of social gatherings, beer helps bring neighbours together and is a part of celebrations of important life milestones.

Canadian beer is now brewed from coast to coast to coast in communities large and small, and it is a true Canadian agri-food success story that should be celebrated and protected for future generations.

I want to thank Beau's, Wood Brothers, Tuque de Broue, Étienne Brûlé and Cassel, all local breweries in my riding, for their excellent beer.

I say cheers to beer's economic, social and community contributions, and happy Canadian Beer Day.

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

Mr. Speaker, Canadian Beer Day is an occasion to celebrate Canadians beer, and the men and women who brew it, sell it, deliver it, serve it and, most importantly, enjoy it. From the prairie farmer to our neighbourhood pub staff, the production and sale of beer helps support over 149,000 jobs in Canada, and 88% of the beer consumed in Canada is brewed in Canada.

Sharing a beer with one's friends is one of life's great pleasures, and it should remain an affordable activity for generations to come. Sadly, this is no April Fool's joke, but every April 1, our favourite pints will be hit with an automatic Liberal escalator tax. Even without a vote in this place, beer is going to get more expensive.

Raise a glass and thank a Liberal for making it more expensive today. People may not believe it, but it is Trudeau. If everyone would raise their glass, we will say cheers to the Liberals for making beer more expensive.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Once again, I want to remind hon. members that using another member's name in the House is not permitted. When referring to someone, do it by their title or by their riding. If members are going to try to be clever, try to be a little less obvious.

The hon. member for Fort McMurray—Cold Lake.

Energy Industry in Alberta

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the new Conservative leader will put people first: their savings, their paycheques, their homes and their country. Canada has the third-largest oil reserves in the world, yet due to Liberal policies, we import 130,000 barrels of oil a day because Liberals prefer to support dirty dictator oil as opposed to responsible Canadian energy.

Conservatives understand that when Fort McMurray works, Alberta works. When Alberta works, Canada works. Only Conservatives are fighting for pipelines and energy corridors to secure the long-term viability of Alberta energy and to get Alberta energy to the world. Conservatives will repeal Liberal anti-energy laws and replace them with a law that will protect our environment, consult first nations and get things built. We will support economic reconciliation with indigenous communities and, within five years, we will set a goal to end dirty dictator oil in Canada altogether.

We will not back down from politicians in this country and in this chamber who seek to land-lock and firewall our energy, leaving our workers without jobs. Canada and the world need Alberta energy.

Human Rights in Iran

[Sameer Zuberi, Liberal, Pierrefonds—Dollard, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on October 1, people around the world demonstrated in solidarity with Iranian women. These people have been rising up since the tragic death of Mahsa Amini.

In Montreal, I joined thousands on the streets who called for freedom and justice. Mahsa Amini was a vibrant 22-year-old Iranian woman. She was arrested by Iran's morality police and died a short while after, while in custody.

According to Amnesty International, more than 75 people have been killed.

More than 1,200 have been arrested. The government has cut off Internet access. Iranians' voices will not be silenced. They are being heard clearly and loudly across the globe. We must support them. We do support them in their struggle for freedom and justice.

Savanna Pikuyak

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, Savanna Pikuyak moved from my riding to Ottawa in pursuit of becoming a nurse. Savanna was murdered before the school year began. We all have failed her, her family and all indigenous girls, women and two-spirit people.

Words of empathy are not enough. As parliamentarians, we need to do better. We must work in our constituencies to seek justice for Savanna and for all missing and murdered indigenous girls, women and two-spirit people.

As parliamentarians, we need to take action. As parliamentarians, we all must take steps to end genocide. We must heed the calls for justice as recommended by the MMIWG commission.

Andrée Ferretti

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Andrée Ferretti, a staunch separatist from start to finish, passed away on Thursday.

On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I want to offer my condolences to her children Lucia and Vincent, and her immediate family and friends.

Born Andrée Bertrand in a working-class neighbourhood in Montreal, Andrée Ferretti discovered very early a common thread that she would follow her entire life: freedom for the people of Quebec, which would lead her to join the Rassemblement pour l'indépendance nationale in 1963, then fight her entire life to make Quebec a country; the freedom of words, discovered alongside Miron, Aquin and so many others, developed in her novels, her essays and her articles; freedom for workers, doubly exploited as labour and as Quebeckers; and freedom for women, in politics and anywhere else.

Named patriot of the year in 1979, Andrée Ferretti also made a name for herself by winning several literary awards.

Today we bid a final farewell to Andrée Ferretti, separatist, writer, activist and free woman.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the new Conservative leader will put the people first: their paycheques, their savings and their country. After years of government mismanagement and Liberal-made backlogs, it is time to get the gatekeepers out of our immigration system.

Conservatives are bringing hope to doctors, nurses and newcomers who are dreaming of coming to our country but are blocked from working in their profession simply because of the country they come from. We will team up with the provinces to fix the broken foreign credential recognition system by guaranteeing within 60 days that immigrants applying for work in their profession will get an answer based on merit, not on their country of origin.

As Canada faces a labour shortage, we need to empower workers to fill the gaps in our workforce. Red tape and bureaucracy should not stop newcomers from achieving their dreams.

Enough talking, enough empty rhetoric and enough broken promises. It is time to remove the gatekeepers and get more doctors, nurses, skilled workers and inflation-protected paycheques for our hard-working and skilled immigrants.

Retirement Congratulations

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Ottawa Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a resident of my community of Ottawa—Centre who has been an invaluable resource to the House of Commons.

That person is Heather Bradley, Director of Communications at the Office of the Speaker, who is leaving us after 28 years of service to begin her well-deserved retirement.

Throughout her time on Parliament Hill, Heather Bradley has served five Speakers over 10 parliaments. She has seen it all. Despite the often hectic pace of the House, she has been calm, competent and always kind.

Our success as parliamentarians depends on the quality of the staff who support us. Ms. Bradley was one of the best.

I thank Heather for her service. She leaves behind a legacy of excellence and hundreds of grateful colleagues who will miss her.

[Anthony Rota, Liberal, Nipissing—Timiskaming, ON]

I would like to take a moment to add to the remarks of hon. members in recognition of Heather Bradley's upcoming retirement.

In my role, I was privileged to receive advice from Heather, a consummate professional with the gift of wisdom, intelligence and tact.

Heather has that singular gift of great leadership to steer one in the right direction without feeling pushed in any way.

Under Heather's leadership, we also achieved greater transparency and efficiency in our communications. She helped Speakers of the House fulfill their roles more effectively and become more informed about parliamentary procedure and traditions.

Heather almost always had the answers, and if not, she knew exactly who to talk to. Her contact list was amazing, a veritable who's who of Parliament Hill.

We thank Heather for her decades of service. We hope that retirement brings her time to enjoy her beautiful family and many friends, as well as time to reflect on the legacy of excellence, kindness and everything else that she brought to this place.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

Taxation

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, according to Le Journal de Montréal, growing numbers of students affected by the rising cost of food are turning to food banks. A survey showed that the majority of Canadians—51%—are struggling to feed themselves. The carbon tax is a tax on food because it is a tax on farmers and the truckers who deliver our food.

How much will groceries cost families when the Prime Minister implements his plan to triple the carbon tax again and again and again?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, students and families across this country know full well that climate change is real and that we must fight it. At the same time, they also know they need help to buy groceries and gas. That is why our price on pollution is returning more money to the families who need it than it costs them. That is why we continue to put families first, to protect the future. Unfortunately, the plight of Atlantic Canadians shows just how costly climate change is. Inaction costs more. We will support families at the same time.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, I was at the Metcalfe Fair over the weekend and a farm family told me that they spent $12,645 on carbon taxes in July alone. Obviously, that gets passed on to customers. That is $12,645 in one month. Now the Prime Minister wants to triple the tax on that family, which they will have to pass on in even higher food prices, which have already gone up more than at any time in 40 years.

How much will this family have to spend on carbon taxes when the Prime Minister triples them?