Debates of Nov. 2nd, 2022

Business of Supply

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I declare the motion carried.

The House resumed from October 28 consideration of the motion that Bill S-207, An Act to change the name of the electoral district of Châteauguay—Lacolle, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

An Act to Change the Name of the Electoral District of Châteauguay—Lacolle

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

Pursuant to order made on Thursday, June 23, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at second reading stage of Bill S-207 under Private Members' Business.

(The House divided on the motion, which was negatived on the following division:)

Vote #208

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

I declare the motion defeated.

The House resumed from November 1 consideration of the motion that Bill S‑227, An Act to establish Food Day in Canada, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Food Day in Canada Act

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Pursuant to order made on Thursday, June 23, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at second reading stage of Bill S‑227, under Private Members' Business.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #209

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I declare the motion carried. The bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food.

(Bill read the second time and referred to a committee)

I wish to inform the House that because of the deferred recorded division Government Orders will be extended by 38 minutes.

Veterans' Week

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Following discussions among representatives of all parties in the House, I understand that there is an agreement to observe a moment of silence to commemorate our war veterans.

I invite hon. members to rise.

[A moment of silence observed]

[Anita Anand, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise on behalf of the hon. Minister of Veterans Affairs to pay tribute to all the Canadians who have so selflessly served our country in uniform.

When I was a little girl growing up in Kentville, Nova Scotia, where I was born, our province and town were steeped in military history. The history was palpable in our schools, on our class trips and at public gatherings. I remember visiting Historic Properties, the jetty in Halifax Harbour and Camp Aldershot, which is in Kentville.

Veterans' Week begins Friday. In the days leading up to Remembrance Day on November 11, Canadians across the country will pay tribute to those who have done so much to preserve our peace and security.

We must remember that this year we mark the 105th anniversaries of the battles of Passchendaele and Vimy Ridge.

We will also be commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Dieppe raid.

We mark the 30th anniversary of the United Nations protection force in the former Yugoslavia, and 25 years since 8,500 Canadian Armed Forces personnel deployed to Manitoba in Operation Assistance.

We are truly so fortunate to live here and to have the opportunity to represent our ridings and our constituents in Ottawa as democratically elected members of Parliament. However, we must not forget that this privilege was born of the service and the sacrifice of those who came before us.

This peaceful, democratic country of ours was built by thousands of people who went off to war and never came back, and by those who returned but were never the same.

It has since been protected by every new generation of Canadian Armed Forces personnel, who so willingly and so selflessly assume the risks and responsibilities of military life.

The Canada of today exists because between 1914 and 1918, more than 650,000 men and women volunteered to serve, knowing full well that crossing the Atlantic could mean never coming back to their families, their mothers, their fathers, their communities and their loved ones.

The Canada of today exists because, for six long years from 1939 to 1945, our people once again answered the call, this time to help defeat Nazi Germany in Europe.

It exists because Canadians fought so valiantly for peace and democracy in the Korean War. It exists because of their service in the Middle East and Afghanistan. It exists because they have been instrumental in restoring and maintaining order and security as gatekeepers and peacekeepers.

It exists because they have always been there for the people of this country, never hesitating to go anywhere in the world to help Canadians overcome difficult situations.

Hundreds of thousands of Canadians have given their lives in service of this nation, and we are forever indebted to them and their families.

I ask our veterans and the members of our armed forces, on behalf of the Government of Canada, to please accept our profound gratitude for their service and sacrifice.

In our schools, our towns and our cities across this great country, from Kentville to Kamloops to Cambridge Bay, lest we forget.

[Blake Richards, Conservative, Banff—Airdrie, AB]

Mr. Speaker, 66,349 is the number of Canadians who laid down their lives during the First World War. The number of Canadians who made the ultimate sacrifice in the Second World War is 44,090. The number of Canadians who gave their lives during the Korean War is 516. The number of Canadian Armed Forces members who lost their lives in Afghanistan is 158.

Those are the numbers, the statistics, but they are not just numbers or statistics. They represent real people who laid down their lives for our freedoms. They left behind families, who mourned them. They were someone's brother or sister, son or daughter, mother or father. They were young men and women who had hopes and dreams that will forever go unrealized.

They did it for all of us so that we can continue to live in freedom. They did it voluntarily, in the ultimate act of courage and sacrifice. It is a debt that we can never repay.

In much the same way, there is never enough we can do or say to thank those who served this country and came back forever changed. Whether their injuries are physical, psychological or emotional, they leave deep scars and often have a lasting impact on their relationships, on their families and on their futures. We owe it to them to listen, to seek to always do what is right by them and to ensure that what they fought for is never taken for granted.

We pay tribute to them for their loyal service and sacrifice. It is a great honour for me to be here today to express, on behalf of the official opposition, Canada's Conservatives and all Canadians, our appreciation, admiration and deep respect for them and to promise that we will always be there for them, like they were there for us.

Now, If I can, for a moment I will speak to a date that all Canadians should know well: April 9, 1917. It is said that from a Canadian perspective, World War One was both our greatest sorrow and our finest hour, and perhaps no battle symbolized that better than Vimy Ridge.

During four days in April 1917, four divisions of Canadians, fighting together for the very first time as a unified force, did what many felt was impossible: They took Vimy Ridge. It was our coming of age as a nation. It was a defining moment in Canadian history. As Canadian Brigadier-General A.E. Ross said of the victory, “[I]n those few minutes I witnessed the birth of a nation.” However, we should remember that while it was our finest hour, it was also our greatest sorrow. Not only was it our greatest victory, but April 9, 1917, was also the bloodiest day in Canadian history. Over 2,500 Canadians gave their lives that day.

If Canadians ever have the chance to visit Vimy Ridge, which is something I wish all Canadians could do, I would ask them to do something: Take a few moments to reach down and feel the grass. That is the life that grows from dirt and mud soaked by the courageous blood shed by young men in the cause of freedom.

April 9, 1917, is a date we should all know well, as are August 19, 1942, the Dieppe raid; June 6, 1944, when Canadians landed on Juno Beach during D-Day; and April 24, 1951, when Canadians held the line in the Kapyong Valley by calling in an artillery strike on their own location to hit the enemy soldiers among them.

These are all significant dates in Canadian history and they are significant dates for the world. On these dates, Canadians helped shape the course of world history. They are events that we should all take pride in, just as all Canadians should take pride in the valour of fellow Canadians who have served and sacrificed all over the globe in the time since, in UN missions in places such as Croatia, Bosnia, Somalia, Rwanda, Cyprus, Kosovo, the Congo, the Golan Heights and many others; in Vietnam; in the Persian Gulf; in Libya; in Afghanistan, which was the longest deployment of our troops since World War II; and right up to the present day in Operation Impact. All of the Canadian men and women who served in these places and others should know that their fellow Canadians owe them so much.

I stand here to acknowledge that governments can do better. We must do better. It will not be enough until every single veteran feels heard and understood, supported and cared for, appreciated and honoured. Much needs to be done at the political level, and that conversation must and will continue because no veteran should suffer in silence, not know where to turn or feel like the government is not there for them.

If I can, I will speak directly to all of Canada’s veterans. We must acknowledge the profound impact that their service all too often has. We must be there to care for their injuries, especially those we cannot see and may not understand. We have to ensure the necessary supports are there for their transition to civilian life and to support their families. Most of all, we need to listen and seek to understand so we can serve them as they have served us.

We all have a role to play in showing our respect. We should express that respect at all times and in all places. Whether big or small, every gesture and every show of support counts. It is important to wear the poppy, which is the symbol of remembrance, and to participate in local Remembrance Day activities.

It is not just during one event or one day or one week that we should be thinking about our veterans. We need to remember them every day of our lives.

If we were to ask any of our veterans to tell us the single most important thing we could do to repay them, I am sure they would all say the same thing: to never take for granted that which they fought for, our freedoms.

Please join me and my colleagues in Canada’s Conservative Party in making that commitment today. We pledge to uphold those freedoms. It is how we will honour their memories, thank them for their service and show our respect for their sacrifice. Freedom came at all costs and at all costs we must ensure it is maintained.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

[Luc Desilets, Bloc, Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, what is a commemoration? It is the act of remembering a person or an event, often in a very ceremonial manner. That is a simple and brief definition, but it carries a lot of meaning. It carries a lot of meaning because it is related to maintaining and adding to the collective memory of a people.

Through commemoration, we write our history. We write our history, and we define part of our identity. Through commemoration, we also define the things that are important to us, the things that we do not want to forget and the things that we must not forget.

Today, of course, we are commemorating Remembrance Day. Remembrance Day is observed on November 11 because that is the date when the armistice was signed to end the First World War in 1918. However, Remembrance Day is not just about honouring the memory of those who fought and died in the Great War.

In Quebec and in Canada, November 11 is a day to honour all our soldiers in all conflicts who willingly made the ultimate sacrifice. It is dedicated to the memory of all Quebeckers and all Canadians who died so that we could live, live free, live in peace, and just live.

It is with humility and the greatest respect that I and my Bloc Québécois colleagues pay tribute today to the sacrifice of the Quebec and Canadian men and women who died serving the nation or for the nation.

Do my colleagues know that 2022 was an especially important year for commemorations? At each commemoration, Quebeckers were honoured. I am thinking of the soldiers of the Royal 22nd Regiment who, 105 years ago, during the Second World War, gave everything for victory at Vimy. I am thinking of the selfless soldiers in the Fusiliers Mont-Royal regiment who, 80 years ago, took part in the Dieppe raid, the deadliest event in the Second World War. I am also thinking of the soldiers of the Royal 22nd Regiment who, 70 years ago, during the Korean War, served with distinction in the Battle of Hill 355. I am thinking of all those who, 20 years ago, went to fight for peace in the Balkans during the UN mission. In each of these conflicts, as well as in Cyprus, Rwanda and, recently, Afghanistan, Quebeckers and Canadians were there.

Quebeckers were killed. Many Quebeckers were killed.

We have been blessed with an unprecedented period of peace and prosperity over these last few decades. There is no doubt in my mind that we owe this period of prosperity to our veterans. It is important that we do not forget their sacrifices.

As a side note, the saying “Je me souviens” is not only the motto of Quebec and Quebeckers, it is also the motto of the Royal 22ng Regiment, the first French-speaking unit to be created within the British Empire in 1914.

In preparation for November 11, the Bloc Québécois invites all Quebeckers to wear the poppy, donate to a veterans' organization, speak to a veteran and take a moment to reflect on and remember the contributions and sacrifices made by these men and women, our veterans.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to stand in this place on behalf of my New Democrat colleagues to recognize the sacrifices Canadians have made to pay for the freedom and democracy of our home and the homes of those in other countries. On November 11, we honour those who dedicated their lives in service for Canadians. We remember those who lost their lives in the line of duty, and we show our respect to those who continue to serve in war and peace, both at home and abroad, in protection of our rights and freedoms.

On November 8, we honour indigenous veterans. Back home in my riding on Vancouver Island, the plane of reconciliation hangs in the Comox Valley Airport. It is a unique commemoration of the substantial contributions made by indigenous veterans to Canada, who sacrificed not only their lives, but also their status and rights if they returned home. This history must not be suppressed. We must remember their bravery and their stories to ensure a better future for everyone who serves today.

As the NDP critic for veterans affairs, I am always deeply humbled and moved when I hear the stories of brave Canadian soldiers who endured significant burdens to do as they are called upon for our country. I have heard from generations of soldiers, and every single story is important for us to hear. It is in the remembering and the knowing that we do not forget.

This year, when I laid a wreath on behalf of the Parliament of Canada at Vimy Ridge with the member for Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, I was deeply humbled by the love for Canadian soldiers in France. Driving through those communities and seeing both poppies and Canadian flags in the windows gave me a deep appreciation of the sacrifice, and the gratitude for that sacrifice.

Standing over the graves of so many young Canadian soldiers has also left me with a tremendous respect for those who wear the uniform and a deep confirmation that the cost of war is far too great. It is a cost that cannot ever be taken without the deepest of consideration. As we see the conflict of our planet, we must always consider the preciousness of every single life and the sacrifice we are asking for when we ask them to protect us. When I was a young person, my neighbours were a couple who had fled Nazi Germany. I remember Mary telling me, “We must pray for peace unceasingly.” Every year of my life, I understand this more fulsomely.

The cost of war is high, and there are many ways to remember and thank those who paid the ultimate price, as well as those who came home with wounds, which we often cannot see, but often there are ones that we can. There is also the sacrifice of those who loved them the best. Remembering is a commitment every Canadian must dedicate themselves to, and not just for a week a year during Veterans Week, but every single day. History repeats itself unless we learn collectively and remind ourselves what sacrifice is.

Canadians from all walks of life and diverse backgrounds have served and continue to serve today, from serving in the major wars of the first half of the 20th century to fighting in Afghanistan and the Middle East, and from peacekeeping in overseas operations to helping right here at home combatting the COVID-19 pandemic, floods and forest fires. Those are the many contributions the armed forces have made.

When the call is made for them, whether it is domestically or away, I hope we in this place and every Canadian all remember the body in each of those uniforms, and that each soul has loved ones who stand beside them. They know the risk and are willing to carry it in service of our country.

Earlier this year, on May 14, our riding lost 100-year-old veteran James “Stocky” Edwards, a Canadian fighter pilot during World War II and a community touchstone. We all miss him so very much. Many soldiers from the Second World War have left us. It falls on us to carry their stories and their history, which is our history, and learn and understand the history of every task and battle put before our Canadian Armed Forces, for which they rose to the challenge.

On this Remembrance Day, to all members of the Canadian Armed Forces, past and present, I thank them deeply for their service. I thank them for getting up every day and protecting our country, both in the past and the present. I call on all civilian Canadians to take on their responsibility to learn and understand so that we remember, lest we forget.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I request unanimous consent to offer some thoughts today.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

Is it agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour for me to rise today among all my colleagues to mark Remembrance Day.

Each one of us has been touched deeply and personally by the sacrifices of people within our own families and in our communities. I want to thank the minister for her words. I want to thank the hon. member for Banff—Airdrie for his thoughtful comments, as well as the member for Rivière-des-Mille-Îles and my friend, the member for North Island—Powell River.

The member for North Island—Powell River anticipated some of what I wanted to share of that feeling we have every year, and now we are coming out of COVID and can gather together again in person, of going to the cenotaph and having the honour of placing a wreath in the memory of those who have fallen to ensure us the life we have, the liberties and the freedoms.

In that moment, we look around, and every year we see fewer veterans. These are the brave men and women who have served in numerous wars, and each year, gathering at the cenotaph, there are fewer of them. We do, as the hon. member for North Island—Powell River said, miss them. I am going to try to get through this, because I want to speak of one of my favourite friends, who is in that category.

First, I want to thank Peter Chance, who is one of the members of my riding who is coming up to his 102nd birthday. He served in the Royal Canadian Navy and is a commander retired. He served in the Battle of the Atlantic, D-Day and the Korean War. He will be there on November 11 at the cenotaph in Sydney in British Columbia. He is doing remarkably well, and he enjoys sharing the stories of his time with those younger people who need to know what it was like.

One of our other major local heroes, Major Charles “Chic” Goodman, retired, is certainly well known to the member for Durham, who went with Chic Goodman to the memorials for the role of the Canadian military in liberating the camps in the Netherlands. Chic served in France and Belgium, and was wounded in the Netherlands. As a member of the South Saskatchewan Regiment, he was part of the original Canadian group to liberate Kamp Westerbork.

I mention this now because there is something I hope the minister and her colleague, the Minister of Finance, will do for our veterans while there is still time. My dear friend Chic Goodman, who is now 96, is in palliative care. His wife gave me permission to share this with the House. She is standing vigil with him. He is not expected to last many more days, and I do not think he will be with us at the cenotaph. However, his most profound wish is that his wife of 36 years would get a veterans pension. She falls under what we call, and the member for North Island—Powell River knows this well, the “gold diggers clause”. All we would need to do is lift it.

We speak these words to honour our veterans. There is something tangible we can do, and Chic Goodman would certainly like to know, before he breathes his last breath, that his dear wife Nancy, his wife of 36 years, so not a gold digger, would have a pension from the government for the service of her brave husband, a real war hero.

I will not say more now; I am not sure I could. As all of us gather, we must never forget. Also, as we remember, we must do what we can to be of service to those who sacrificed so much for us.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

I would like to thank all members for their interventions.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

Falun Gong

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.

The first is a common petition that has been presented over the last number of weeks with respect to some of the atrocities we are witnessing in China. The specific requests of the petitioners are that Parliament pass a resolution to establish a means to stop the Chinese Communist regime from systematically murdering Falun Gong practitioners for their organs, amend Canadian legislation to combat forced organ harvesting and publicly call to an end the persecution of the Falun Gong in China.

Howe Island Ferry

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition I am presenting today relates more directly to my riding of Kingston and the Islands. One of the islands is Howe Island. There is a ferry service to access the island, but in recent weeks, the number of vehicles on the ferry has been reduced pretty much without warning.

The petitioners understand that there are some requirements of the Ministry of Transportation to re-establish it to full capacity. However, they are asking the minister to directly work with the vessel operator so that the maximum capacity can be temporarily reimposed and give the vessel operator the opportunity to properly modify the vessel so it would be in compliance with the requests of the Ministry of Transportation.

Salmon Fisheries

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today I rise to table a petition on behalf of British Columbians who are concerned by the number of B.C.-bound salmon being caught by ever-expanding Alaskan fisheries. According to Watershed Watch, more than 15 million U.S. dollars' worth of sockeye, chinook and coho salmon are caught each year by Alaskan pink fisheries. With the Pacific Salmon Commission meeting early next year, these residents hope the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans will raise their concerns.

The signatories call on the Government of Canada to demand a renegotiation of the Pacific Salmon Treaty to address the expansion of Alaskan fisheries and other interceptions of B.C.-bound Canadian salmon.

Corporate Social Responsibility

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.

The signatories of the first petition are calling on the House of Commons to adopt human rights and environmental due diligence legislation that would require companies to prevent adverse human rights impacts and environmental damage throughout their global operations and supply chains; require companies to do their due diligence, including carefully assessing how they may be contributing to human rights abuses or environmental damage abroad; establish meaningful consequences for companies that fail to carry out the report; and establish a legal right for people who have been harmed to seek justice in Canadian courts.

Agriculture

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is with regard to multinational seed companies gradually replacing the immense diversity of farmers' seeds with industrial varieties. The petitioners call on the House to adopt international aid policies that support small family farmers, especially women; recognize their vital role in the struggle against hunger and poverty; ensure that Canadian policies and programs are developed in consultation with small family farmers; and protect the rights of small family farmers in the global south to preserve, use and freely exchange seeds.

Government Accountability

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition today, in which the petitioners are looking for transparency and accountability in government. They acknowledge that transparency and accountability are the two main pillars of good governance and that the Liberal government has no external tools to hold elected officers accountable. They note this is at least partly based on the lack of proportional representation for fair voting.

The petitioners believe the situation would be improved with the creation of an arm's-length integrity committee to report to the public on a regular basis, and ensure elected officials are accountable and transparent and exhibit good governance. They call on the government to create such an arms'-length integrity commission.