House of Commons Hansard #148 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was everyone.

Topics

Veterans AffairsOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, again, they are going after the innocent people rather than the real problem.

I will move on to the heroes who protect our country and go to Veterans Affairs to get the services to which they are entitled. The government is now racking up an embarrassing and shameful record of having recommended medical assistance in dying. At least half a dozen veterans now report that they have been advised that medical assistance in dying might be the best solution for them.

Can the Prime Minister, having had time now, tell us exactly how many veterans have had it recommended to them that their lives come to an end?

Veterans AffairsOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, as I have said a number of times, this is absolutely unacceptable. Veterans Affairs Canada is taking serious measures to ensure not only that this never happens again but that any Veterans Affairs officers who have been making those recommendations irresponsibly, and on their own, no longer are in a position to make those.

I will highlight that we have invested over $10 billion in support for our veterans after 10 years of the previous Conservative government nickel-and-diming them and using them for photo ops. We will continue to support our veterans and respect the work they have done.

Veterans AffairsOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, this is from the Prime Minister who said that veterans are asking for more than he can give. This is from the first prime minister who has ever presided over a Veterans Affairs department and who recommends that the heroes who served our country should get medical assistance in dying instead of being given a good life, the one they have earned. One former soldier, a current veteran, said that the policy is triple D: delay, deny and dead veterans.

The question is very specific. How many veterans have been given the recommendation that they should go to medical assistance in dying? Give the number, please.

Veterans AffairsOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, even one would be too many. That is why we condemn, in the strongest terms, anyone who has recommended that to our veterans. Our veterans have lived a life of service and deserve the utmost quality of care from our governments. That is why we invested $10 billion after the previous government chose to shutter Veterans Affairs offices across the country and nickel and dime veterans every chance it could get.

We respect our veterans, which is why we are taking seriously the reports that this unacceptable behaviour happened within Veterans Affairs. Our veterans deserve the very best and that is what we will continue to give them.

Official LanguagesOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Bloc

Denis Trudel Bloc Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the member for Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Westmount commented on Bill C-13 and the French language and said, “It would be a big mistake for us, as federal MPs...to give Quebec free rein to do whatever it might want to do with respect to language in that province”.

He clearly said that Quebec's hands should be tied when it comes to protecting French, and indeed, what Bill C‑13 does is prevent Quebec from imposing the Charter of the French Language on federally regulated businesses.

Why is the Prime Minister protecting English in Quebec when French is the language that is at risk?

Official LanguagesOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we are the first federal government to recognize that we have a responsibility to protect French across Canada, including Quebec. Protecting French across Canada is also one of our responsibilities. That is why we introduced measures through Bill C-13 that will ensure that federally regulated businesses in Quebec and across the country promote the use of French. That is a way of ensuring that we remain a country where French is spoken proudly from coast to coast to coast.

Official LanguagesOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Bloc

Denis Trudel Bloc Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, QC

Mr. Speaker, let us recap. First, Quebec introduces its Bill 96, which imposes the Charter of the French Language on federally regulated businesses. Then, suddenly, Ottawa just happens to introduce its own reform of the Official Languages Act with Bill C‑13. This is neither a coincidence nor something that came out of thin air, judging by what the Liberals said in committee yesterday. Bill C‑13 is a response intended to prevent Quebec from making French the only language of work.

Why is the Prime Minister refusing to accept a Quebec where everyone works in French, the only common language of Quebec?

Official LanguagesOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, for several years now we have recognized that the federal government has a role to play in protecting the French language in Quebec. Yes, the Government of Quebec has its own responsibility, but the federal government does too. We will always respect the areas of jurisdiction.

That is why we are ensuring that federally regulated businesses respect the principle of French first in Quebec, as well as in all the french-speaking communities across the country.

That is one way to protect French from coast to coast to coast and we are proud of that.

HealthOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, our hospitals are overflowing, children's hospitals being the worst case. I have seen it myself when taking my daughter to an emergency room. We were waiting with other small kids while there is a shortage.

Ironically, we have the doctors. In fact, we bring in thousands of immigrant doctors to the country every single year, but only 41% of them are able to practise in this country. Only 36% of immigrant nurses have the licence to practise.

The federal government could encourage provinces to speed up recognition of foreign credentials, as we successfully did under the previous government. Why has the Prime Minister failed so miserably at doing so?

HealthOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to encouraging the provinces to make improvements in health care, we are doing more than just encouraging them. We are saying that we will flow significantly more money to the health care systems across the country if they can ensure better results for Canadians, if they can ensure better outcomes and if they can ensure that health human resources take advantage of the thousands of people who come here from around the world wanting to work and build a better life in this country, including in our medical system.

We are serious about improving results for Canadians in health care systems across the country, and that is what we are standing firm on with the provinces.

HealthOral Questions

2:45 p.m.

Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has had seven years to get results and he has gotten none. All he can do is brag about much money he spends without actually achieving real outcomes. Meanwhile, immigrants are forced to work in low-wage jobs even though they are qualified to serve as doctors and nurses in high-pay positions in desperately needed places within our medical system.

Less than half of nurses and doctors from abroad actually get a chance to work. The Prime Minister could make this possible by facilitating future immigrants to prepare for credentialing before they even get here, by providing small study loans for them to do that and by getting the province to speed up the recognition of credentials. Why will he not?

HealthOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to getting provinces to speed up the recognition of credentials, I will highlight that it is an NDP government in British Columbia that has just taken significant measures to do that. If the member opposite thinks he can convince his fellow Conservatives, who happen to be premiers of some provinces, to accelerate those processes, it would be a welcomed change from the kind of obstructionism and two-tier health care that the Conservatives continue to push.

We are going to continue to stand with Canadians to ensure that we are improving and increasing opportunities for Canadians to get good health care and opportunities for new arrivals to work in the industries in which they are trained.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, there are now reports of Beijing-controlled police stations on Canadian soil. This, of course, would be a violation of international law. It is illegal for a foreign government to open a law enforcement office in another country without permission. The last we checked, there is no permission for that to happen.

My question to the Prime Minister is very simple: How many diplomats from Beijing involved in these police stations has he ordered expelled from Canada?

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, foreign actors attempting to monitor, intimidate or threaten Canadians is completely unacceptable. The allegations detailed are concerning, which is why we will never tolerate threats to Canada's national security or to the safety of our citizens and residents.

The RCMP has announced that it is investigating these allegations, and I have asked officials to examine them very carefully. We will continue to work closely with our allies around the world to respond to illegal and unacceptable behaviour by authoritarian states like China.

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeLeader of the Opposition

Mr. Speaker, the question was “how many”.

There are reports of foreign-controlled police stations here in Canada. That is illegal. It is illegal for a foreign government to have police stations here in Canada. The Prime Minister has been aware of this situation for at least a month.

I will ask the question again. How many diplomats have been expelled from Canada since the Prime Minister learned of the existence of these police stations?

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, the details of the allegations of interference are concerning. That is why we will never tolerate threats to Canada's national security or to the safety of our citizens and residents.

The RCMP has announced that it is investigating these allegations, and I have asked officials to keep a close watch on it.

The Chinese Canadian community is all too often the victim of foreign interference by China. We need to emphasize that Chinese Canadians continue to deliver extraordinary benefits to Canadians as proud Canadian citizens. We will continue to stand with the community that is the victim of interference, rather than perpetrators—

Foreign AffairsOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Speaker Liberal Anthony Rota

The hon. member for Burnaby South.

HealthOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC

Mr. Speaker, we are in a pediatric health crisis. The Prime Minister promised $3.2 billion to hire 7,500 new doctors and nurses. It is a promise that could help us deal with this crisis.

I have a simple question. Where is that money?

HealthOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, we have made commitments to ensure that Canadians have access to family doctors, and we are delivering on those commitments.

We have the money to invest in health care systems across the country, but we need the provinces to make commitments and demonstrate that they will deliver the results Canadians expect.

For too long now, people have been waiting in emergency rooms, waiting for health care and waiting to get a family doctor. We need to see results. That is why we will be there with the money when we see promises to deliver results.

HealthOral Questions

2:50 p.m.

NDP

Jagmeet Singh NDP Burnaby South, BC

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is ducking his responsibilities as well as his promises.

Here is another promise the Prime Minister made: He promised $4.5 billion to establish the Canada mental health transfer.

Here is another simple question: Where is that money?

HealthOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I am very pleased that my NDP colleague is highlighting all the investments we are preparing to make in health care systems. However, Canadians know full well that we cannot just give the provinces blank cheques.

We need results. We need to see improvements in services to citizens, to families, to people who need those services.

That is why we are working with health ministers across the country. We want to make sure we are delivering real results to Canadian families.

The EconomyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Liberal

Arielle Kayabaga Liberal London West, ON

Mr. Speaker, my constituents in London West and all Canadians have been through a lot this year, whether it is the pandemic, global inflation, the devastating effects of climate change or the growing uncertainty on the world stage.

Canadians are looking to their government for both stability and solutions. As we approach this holiday season, can the Prime Minister inform us of the steps the government is taking to ensure that we have an economy that works for everyone in Canada?

The EconomyOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for London West for her hard work on behalf of her constituents. I know that she will be pleased to welcome another strong advocate to the Ontario caucus in the newly elected Liberal member for Mississauga—Lakeshore.

Together, this government will continue to deliver results by putting more money back in the pockets of Canadians who need it most. People in Mississauga and across Canada reject the Conservative leader's reckless proposal to opt out of inflation with cryptocurrencies and are instead opting in to the government's plan to make life more affordable, to make our communities safer and to protect our environment.

JusticeOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Conservative

Shelby Kramp-Neuman Conservative Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON

Mr. Speaker, we have warned Canadians about the government's medical assistance in dying legislation. The bottom line is that this literally life-or-death legislation deserves thorough review.

We must ensure vulnerable people are protected. It is very disappointing to see that the Liberal government is offering state-sanctioned suicide to our military heroes instead of providing them with the care they need. This is so wrong on so many levels.

Will the Prime Minister please press pause on this deeply flawed legislation?

JusticeOral Questions

2:55 p.m.

Papineau Québec

Liberal

Justin Trudeau LiberalPrime Minister

Mr. Speaker, medical assistance in dying is a deeply personal and complex choice that touches people and families at an extremely difficult time in their lives.

Since day one, our focus has been on creating a framework that has strong safeguards, that protects the most vulnerable and that remains compassionate. We will continue to make that our focus at every step and will continue to work closely with provinces, territories, medical experts and indeed all parliamentarians as we move forward on this process.