Debates of Nov. 24th, 2022

Infrastructure

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I do not share my Bloc colleague's pessimism. As my colleague the Minister of Canadian Heritage has said in this place several times, and rightly so, the member is desperate to pick a fight.

The good news is that we are trying to work collaboratively. In the nine other Canadian provinces, we have found the right way to invest this money together with the provinces, and we will do exactly the same thing with the Government of Quebec.

I look forward to visiting Quebec with my colleagues and sharing this good news with Quebeckers.

Public Safety

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are terrified. Last year we witnessed the largest number of murders in Canadian history. Fifteen Canadians are being murdered every single week. Since the Prime Minister took office, gang-related killings have doubled. Instead of fighting crime with tougher punishments, the Liberals are making it easier for criminals to get back on our streets to reoffend.

Will the Liberal government stop its soft-on-crime agenda?

[David Lametti, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, nothing could be further from the truth. What our party is doing in a variety of its policies is focusing our judicial and police resources on serious crime, with anti-gang measures, with tougher laws on guns, by eliminating certain minimum mandatory penalties and by allowing for conditional sentence orders in cases where there is no threat to public security so we can use resources on serious crime.

Serious crime will always carry with it serious consequences. That is a more just and equitable solution.

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our justice minister is tone deaf. Despite their arbitrary bans and complicated buyback program, gun crime has gone up steadily every year since the Liberals were elected. Gun smugglers, drug traffickers, drive-by shooters and kidnappers can thank the Liberal government, because now they can serve their sentence in the comfort of their own homes.

Once again, will the Liberals stop their soft-on-crime policy and focus on making our streets safer?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, it is somewhat surprising to hear that colleague from the Conservative Party take issue with the $137 million we just invested in the CBSA to further tackle illegal smuggling, which the Conservatives voted against.

Let us stack their record against the record of those on this side of the House. It is one that will continue to equip CBSA with the tools it needs to tackle gun smuggling, one that will raise maximum sentences against hardened criminals who traffic and terrorize our communities with guns and one that will also address root causes of gun crime with $250 million for the building safer communities fund.

It is time for the Conservatives to get on the right side of this issue, and that is now.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Laval police have just launched a major investigation into violent crime. About 150 officers are being assigned to this investigation, including personnel from the Sûreté du Québec, the RCMP and other police forces.

Everyone is working together to fight gun violence, except the Prime Minister. His soft-on-crime strategy has resulted in a 32% increase in violent crime across the country.

Does the Prime Minister realize that he is contradicting all police forces when he says, for example, that when a member of organized crime discharges an illegal firearm, it is not a serious crime?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, that is exactly why we introduced Bill C‑21. The Conservatives have been quibbling with it since day one.

We need to pass this bill, which targets members of organized crime, aims to hand down very severe punishments to criminals and gives police more tools.

We will continue to bring forward legislation that makes sense, and we will continue to make investments to help our police and our forces at the border.

Climate Change

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the pace of climate change will make part of the planet unhabitable and intensify natural disasters here at home. The most vulnerable will suffer. What was the Minister of Environment and Climate Change's mandate at COP27? There was none. It was to maintain the status quo, salvage whatever we can and keep the oil companies happy. One environmental expert said that what happened in Egypt highlighted incongruities, contradictions, in Canada's positions. Canada has the highest per capita GHG emissions.

Is the Minister of Environment proud to be the worst?

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I beg to differ with the hon. member. We received praise coming out of COP27 for our climate finance measures; for setting up a fund to help developing nations adapt to climate change; for committing to eliminating coal, eliminating fossil fuel subsidies and capping oil and gas emissions; and very importantly, for investing in the clean economy, with $9.1 billion in our emissions reduction plan. We will ensure our emissions come down and we build the economy of tomorrow.

Health

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Conservative premiers want to take us back to the dark days of private health care. Ontario's Doug Ford openly talks about privatizing services. Heather Stefanson in Manitoba included it in her throne speech, and now Danielle Smith in Alberta wants patients to fundraise for their care. This is wrong. They threaten the very basis of universal public health care and make access dependent on wealth and privilege.

Will the health minister condemn these measures, enforce the Canada Health Act and protect patients across our country?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased to hear that question. First, I acknowledge the very severe pressure health care workers throughout our country are under; second, I recognize the pressure on patients, with backlogs in surgeries and backlogs in diagnostics; and third, we are also very concerned with the pressure and the ambition we see across Canada around the privatization of our health care system. We want to maintain accessibility, universality and fairness in the health care system across our country.

Foreign Affairs

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, speaking truth to power is not always easy, but it is necessary. Canadians take inspiration from human rights defenders and leaders like Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who have the courage to speak up for what is right. Her actions, as well as those of Ukrainians, serve as a reminder that we must work together to create the world we want to live in.

Can the Minister of Foreign Affairs update the House on the visit of the Belarusian opposition leader in Canada this week and measures our government is taking to hold Lukashenko's regime accountable?

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, this week I had the pleasure of seeing my good friend from Belarus, Sviatlana. We had the chance to discuss our new sanctions against Lukashenko's regime with respect to its complicity in Russia's war of choice. We also talked about the brutal disregard for human rights by the Lukashenko regime. Of course we want to do more, and we will do more to amplify the democratic voices within Belarus.

Impunity is not an option for those who commit human rights violations. There must be accountability, and Canada will seek it.

Public Safety

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, do the Liberals believe it is acceptable for Iranian Canadians to have to drive to a location far away from their homes to speak to their MP with a blurred background about their fear of reprisal for protesting Iran's brutal regime?

That is what is happening in Canada. We know Canada's spy agency is investigating credible death threats from the same regime against our citizens, who are begging for the government to keep them safe. What more does it need in order to act? When will it finally use the Criminal Code, list the IRGC as a terrorist organization and shut down its operations in Canada?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I want to be unequivocally clear that on this side of the House, we stand with the women in Iran who are marching for their rights. That is why we designated the entirety of the Iranian regime using a sparingly used power under IRPA. This will allow us to go after those who are the most responsible, the senior echelons and the architects of these transgressions of human rights, including the members of the IRGC, whom my hon. colleague continues to underline here. We will give police enforcement all the tools it needs to make sure Canada is never a safe haven for any support for that regime.

Democratic Institutions

[Michael Chong, Conservative, Wellington—Halton Hills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our questions are not about the overall integrity of the 2019 and 2021 elections, nor questioning whether overall our elections are free and fair. We are asking who knew what, when, about Beijing's interference in our elections.

The Prime Minister said, in response to questions, “I do not have any information, nor have I been briefed on any federal candidates receiving any money from China.”

The government is parsing its words and is obfuscating, so let me ask this question. Has the government received any information about election interference by Beijing?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I would begin by echoing the concerns that my colleague raises in the House when it comes to allegations of foreign interference. That is why we want to work together with all members in the House to assure Canadians that we will do whatever it takes to protect the integrity of our elections.

My colleague knows we have had independent reviews of both the 2019 and the 2020 election, which have confirmed that those elections were free and fair. We will continue to make sure our national security apparatus has all the tools it needs to make sure Canadians have their voices represented in the chamber.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister told the media that he has directed his security officials to share all the information they can with PROC about Beijing's election interference. However, at PROC, the Liberals gutted our Conservative motion for the production of documents by removing expressed mention of the PMO.

Will the Prime Minister assure the House that his office will hand over all relevant documents, or does he have something to hide?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, once again, I want to assure my colleague and all Canadians that we are equipping our national security apparatus with all of the tools it needs to ensure that elections are free and fair. We are cracking down on foreign funding through the introduction of Bill C-76. We are providing additional resources to backstop the cuts that were made when the Conservatives were last in government. We will do whatever is necessary to continue to have a system that is transparent and accountable. Yes, that means working with the independent bodies within Parliament so that we can have elections that are free and fair.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister quoted the Chief Electoral Officer a number of times when explaining his refusal to turn over documents pertaining to foreign influence to the House.

Here is another quote from the Chief Electoral Officer: “We do not know what happened or which riding it happened in. We don't know if money went to candidates”. He also said, and I quote, “these are potentially very serious violations of the act that could significantly compromise the election”.

Will the Prime Minister be transparent and hand over the relevant documents to the committee, or will he continue to hide?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, as the Prime Minister said, we will work with the parliamentary committee. I would emphasize that two independent, non-partisan reviews confirmed that the 2019 election results and even the 2021 results were free and fair. That is the most important thing.

Yes, there is a threat of foreign interference, which is why we are making the necessary investments in our national security apparatus. We will continue to collaborate with all members of the House.

Sports

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Liberals opposed establishing an independent commission of inquiry into the toxic culture in sport organizations. I am shocked.

Seriously, after the Hockey Canada scandals, after the gymnasts' testimony, including in committee, on the sexual abuse they suffered, after the group Global Athlete warned us about cases of abuse in football, skiing, swimming, figure skating—the list goes on and on—what more will it take for the government to launch an independent commission of inquiry into the abuse happening in all sports?

[Pascale St-Onge, Liberal, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec]

Mr. Speaker, I want to commend the courageous athletes who told their story and testified about the abuse they suffered in the sports system. I want them to know that I hear them, I see them and I believe them.

At the national level, we have created the Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner, which can investigate cases of abuse, but also investigate the culture in certain sports.

What is more, I am working with my provincial and territorial colleagues to ensure that every athlete, no matter what level they are at in the sports system, whether it is at the local, provincial or national level, knows where to turn to report cases of abuse or mistreatment.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Mr. Speaker, that is not what they want. The truth is that the victims have lost confidence in this system and they are losing confidence in this government. They are the ones who are asking the government to go one step further and to set up an independent commission of inquiry. These victims want all sport organizations to clean house.

There is already an investigation into Hockey Canada. Now, gymnastics is in the hot seat in committee. We cannot go through all of the sports one by one as cases of abuse make the headlines. We need general recommendations to change the widespread toxic culture in sport federations.

When will an independent commission of inquiry be set up?

[Pascale St-Onge, Liberal, Minister of Sport and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec]

Mr. Speaker, we are hearing some truly heartbreaking stories from athletes, including gymnasts. I stand in solidarity with those people every day.

Obviously, the sports community should be a place that is good for a person's mental and physical health. Every component of Canada's sports system needs to do better.

That is why I am continuing to work with all partners to ensure that everyone takes this situation seriously and that everyone is doing everything in their power to completely eradicate abuse and mistreatment in sports.