Debates of Dec. 14th, 2022

Hon. Jim Carr

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, we lost Jim Carr. We heard the news a couple of hours later here in the House and held a moment of silence.

It is news that none of us wanted to hear, news that we were not expecting.

Jim was fighting multiple myeloma and kidney failure, but he always had energy and was able to bear a heavy burden.

Jim stood in the House last week and talked about how much he loved his country. He said, “I love this country, every square metre of it, in English, in French, in indigenous languages and in the languages of the newly arrived.”

He said this as part of one of his final moments in the House, which were marked by the triumph of passing his private member's bill, the building a green prairie economy act. It is an act that is about preserving a way of life in the Prairies and unleashing a new potential. It is an act that makes sure prairie people see themselves represented in national policy, and not just political leaders but workers' unions, indigenous people, farmers and businesses. It is an act that seeks to leave behind a healthier environment. It is an act of hope for the future and an act of love for his country.

It is also an act of courage. Jim understood that this would not be his future, but that it was ours, his kids' and his grandkids'.

In October, Jim told me that he was stopping treatment. It was a private moment in his hometown. Jim knew it was for the best, but he never let up on his commitment to serving Winnipeggers, western Canadians and all Canadians and to building a better future.

Each of us has only one life. Jim showed us how to live it right, how to live it with decency and integrity, how to give of ourselves to others and how to leave the world a better place than it was when we came into it.

We will miss Jim in caucus and at the cabinet table, but his family are the ones who will miss him most.

Jim embodied the unique set of characteristics that distinguish people from the Prairies: his clear-headedness, his pragmatism and his decency. Our government will forever be better for it. All the staff who worked for him were drawn in by his warmth, and the members of the public service too. Jim was a gentleman. He was a mentor. Jim was a friend to many. Jim was a great Canadian.

Jim dedicated himself to public service right up until the very end of his life, but Jim lived many lives and distinguished himself in many ways.

He was an oboist in the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and he was passionate about music. He was a journalist and a strong believer in the essential role that a free press plays in a strong democracy. He was a devout believer of Jewish faith and a leader in his spiritual community.

Most importantly, he was a husband to Colleen; a father to Ben, Rachel, Rebecca, Kiernan, Daniel and Jesse; and a grandfather to Michelle, Sophia and Markian. To his family, I hope that the gratitude of all Canadians for Jim's service, thoughtfulness, kindness and generosity up until the very end can comfort you as you grieve. May his memory be a blessing.

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Mr. Speaker, “I am encouraged, excited and optimistic about how we can strengthen our federation in ways we have strived to achieve as a nation for decades.” These were words from the speech delivered just this year on his private member's bill. Jim was a nation builder and a gentleman, but most of all, Jim was a true mensch.

It is not easy for members to get their bills passed around here. It is a rare accomplishment. It is a blessing Jim lived to see his bill pass the House. His bill was the building of a green economy in the Prairies act. It just passed the House last week.

Although it is a rare accomplishment for any MP, for Jim it was one of many great accomplishments in his life. Jim was a husband, a father, a politician, a journalist and an accomplished musician. In fact, he was an oboist who played with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra. He would always greet people with a great big smile, and he was always interested in how he could help them. As a politician, he was first elected to the Manitoba legislature in 1988 as the MLA for Fort Rouge and then Crescentwood in Winnipeg, where he served as the deputy leader of the official opposition for the Manitoba Liberals.

Jim left provincial politics in 1992 to become a well-respected editorial writer and columnist. In 1998, he co-founded the Business Council of Manitoba, where he served as its president and CEO until 2015.

It was in 2011 when he and I first met. I had decided to run in the 2011 provincial election, and I asked to meet with him in his capacity as head of the Business Council of Manitoba to discuss its policies. He immediately agreed to the meeting, and I am pretty sure we met for over two hours that day, debating the nuances of the Manitoba economy and the importance of well-developed policy. In fact, I remember a long discussion over whether the provincial sales tax should be increased from 7% to 8%. Of course, as a good Tory, I argued against this increase. In the end, a gentleman throughout, Jim agreed to disagree with me on that one.

During that meeting, Jim and I also discussed his admiration for former Manitoba premier Duff Roblin. Jim admired Roblin for bringing in transformative education reform in the 1960s, and of course everyone admired Premier Roblin for getting the Red River Floodway built, what Manitobans affectionately call “Duff's Ditch.”

During that meeting, Jim told me that he and Premier Roblin were in fact close friends. Premier Roblin had just passed away. Jim also told me he had assisted Premier Roblin in the writing of his memoir and was a close confidant of the former premier. Even then, Jim was building bridges. Premier Roblin was a Progressive Conservative and Jim was a Liberal, but it did not matter what one's political party was for Jim. What mattered was what could be accomplished together.

When Premier Roblin passed away in 2010, Jim gave the eulogy, saying “throughout his long stint in public life, Roblin never had an ill word to say about anybody...Civility and respect were never compromised.” Today, I am saying that about Jim.

In 2015, 23 years after he left the Manitoba legislature, Jim was elected as the member of Parliament for Winnipeg South Centre, a role he cherished. He loved serving his constituents and he loved solving problems. He served in cabinet as Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of International Trade Diversification and special representative for the Prairies.

It goes without saying that Jim had the respect of all members of the House regardless of their political affiliation. He was a fearless advocate for the interest of Winnipeg, Manitoba and Canada.

Just three weeks ago, I was with him at the grand opening of The Leaf at Diversity Garden in Assiniboine Park in Winnipeg, where he spoke optimistically about the future of Winnipeg. Jim was always an insightful and thoughtful speaker, and I always enjoyed very much listening to his words.

Jim was also a strong supporter and well-respected member of Winnipeg's Jewish community. He would regularly attend community events and give remarks. He was a fighter against all forms of racism, including anti-Semitism, but in true form, always the bridge builder, he joined Winnipeg's Arab Jewish Dialogue, where members of both communities would meet regularly together to discuss and try to solve issues.

In the speech Jim gave about his bill, he started it by talking about how he had won the private member's bill lottery. He said, “one does not plan in life to win the lottery, but when one does, one is left with decisions about how to take advantage of the good fortune.” I think it is safe to say that all Canadians won the lottery for having Jim share his life with us. It was our good fortune.

On behalf of my Conservative colleagues, I want to offer our sincerest condolences to his spouse, Colleen Suche, his children, grandchildren and his extended family.

In Judaism, there is a concept called tikkun olam. It literally means repair the world to make it a better place. There can be no doubt that Jim Carr left this world a far better place.

May his soul be bound up in the bond of eternal life and may his memory be a blessing.

[Member spoke in Hebrew and provided the following translation:]

Blessed are you, Lord, our God, king of the universe, the judge of truth.

[English]

Jim will be missed.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, on behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I would like to offer our most sincere condolences to the family of the Hon. Jim Carr, to his friends and to his colleagues in the House, especially his colleagues in the Liberal Party.

Some words are harder to speak than others. I wish our colleague Jim could have heard the kind words we had for him today, but life decided otherwise. It is with a heavy heart, but with the greatest pride, that we pay tribute to him.

When I was asked to speak, I gave a great deal of thought about how to do it properly. I could begin by praising his poise, his sincerity and his sense of duty as a parliamentarian. I could highlight his early political career at the provincial level in Manitoba, where it quickly became clear that a formidable leader, proud of his roots and the people he represented, was emerging.

I could highlight his work as the special representative to the Prairies, as minister of international trade diversification or as minister of natural resources, where he undertook extensive work to ensure that our country would develop its resources in a way consistent with our environmental targets and the challenges of climate change.

In fact, he recently saw his own bill pass through third reading in the House and first reading in the Senate. He was determined that “his” prairies, which he held so dear, would become greener.

In politics, we have debates. We see the problems and the challenges facing our society, and we look for solutions. We rarely agree, and that is a good thing. The multiple ideas at play and the different perspectives help us reflect. From time to time, when we listen to one another, when we speak to one another without partisanship and with goodwill, we can come up with good ideas that serve the public interest.

Jim Carr was a politician who knew how to listen and who, as we saw last week in his last speech, respected his political opponents. We, in turn, respected him.

I could have just spoken about his political journey in the House. However, I would have missed what was important. Jim was first and foremost an extraordinary person. He was a good, gentle, generous and brilliant man. He was a man whose heart was in the right place. Jim saw the human being behind the parliamentarian no matter their political stripe.

I met Jim about a year ago. He had just been appointed chair of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security, and he wanted to get to know the MPs he would be working with. We had a Zoom meeting one Tuesday in January, to talk about this and that, and to get to know one another. We talked about our lives, our backgrounds, our families and our interests.

With how busy our lives are all the time, I found it amazing that this gentleman took the time to do that. I enjoyed that time and all the time we had together. When he stepped down as chair of the committee a few months ago, we became even closer. We were both in the House on Wednesday afternoons, so that became our time to check in with one another. Jim wanted to be in Parliament until the very end, and he was. He was truly passionate, but more importantly, he was a fighter. I see Jim as a model of honesty and kindness. The time I spent with him is etched in my memory, and I will think of him every time I set foot in the House. I will no longer see his focused and caring gaze, but I know he will watch over us.

When we lose a loved one, we always immediately think of the last time we saw them and the last words we said to them. We want to turn back the clock and have more time. I will always cherish one of the last things he said to me.

He said, “You are a rising star in Parliament, and it is fun watching you grow day by day. I will see you in the House.”

To my dear friend Jim, you were a great inspiration to me and I will miss you terribly. Rest in peace.

I will see you in the House.

Once again, I offer my deepest condolences to all those who loved him.

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon with sadness to pay tribute to our friend and colleague Jim Carr. Jim was very much a friend and colleague to everyone here. In my experience, he was the best kind of politician, someone who truly believed in serving his community, his province and his country. He was someone who was always trying to reach across the aisle to work together with all sides and who sought to bring people together.

I think some of those characteristics came from his varied career path. He used to say he was a bit of a hippie in his youth. He was even a member of the NDP for a while.

He was a professional musician, playing oboe with the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra and was a journalist with the Winnipeg Free Press.

For a number of years he was a member of the Manitoba legislature. He was also the president of the Business Council of Manitoba and an early advocate for a clean energy strategy for Canada. That is the kind of background that really allows someone to see all sides of an issue and different ways of solving problems.

I got to know Jim when I was the NDP critic for natural resources and he was the minister. We travelled together several times. I did not always agree with him, but he always treated me with complete respect. To my mild discomfort, he several times introduced me at conferences as his “nice critic”. I was a bit torn about that representation, but it really did reflect the collegial relationship we had.

Jim was someone who really wanted to bring people together. In 2017, he organized the Generation Energy conference in his home town of Winnipeg. Jim was very proud of that conference and how it brought together people from all over North America and, indeed, the world in his home town to talk about the shift to clean energy.

In the middle of the conference he invited many attendees to his own house for a party, which turned out to be his birthday party. I do not think the conference was planned to coincide with his birthday, but it was certainly a great way for us to meet interesting people who had come to tackle some of the difficult questions of our time, all the while enjoying Jim and Colleen's hospitality.

The following year, I travelled with Jim to the G20 energy summit in Argentina. There, he was very proud of the hard work he and his team put in to bring the United States on board, with a communiqué that talked of the climate crisis and the need to shift to a greener, low-carbon future. We should remember that this was in the middle of the Trump presidency.

Jim moved into the international trade portfolio later that year, so I did not see so much of him after that. By all accounts, he brought the same energy and conviction to that file as he did with natural resources, having faith that parties that seemed far apart on important issues could be brought closer together with honest dialogue. He was also a great chair at meetings and made sure that the honest dialogue actually led to meaningful action whenever possible.

Jim was so happy to see his private member's bill on building a green economy on the Prairies pass through the House of Commons last week. Despite his long battle with cancer, he looked great and spent time thanking all of us who had supported him. He knew his cancer was terminal, but, as he often said, “Every day counts.”

Jim loved his country. He cared about his community. He went out of his way to encourage new MPs of all parties. We need more people like Jim Carr in this place and at every level of government in Canada.

On behalf of the New Democratic Party caucus, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to his wife Colleen and all of his family. I would like to thank them for sharing him with us these past seven years.

To Jim, I would like to say, “Farewell my friend. God speed. Shalom.”

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

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful to all my colleagues for their tributes to our colleague and friend, Jim Carr. I am especially grateful to the Prime Minister, the member for Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, the member for Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia and the member for South Okanagan—West Kootenay for their words.

I think everyone felt the same feelings because we lost someone dear to us, someone we all loved very much.

I had the great honour to know Jim for quite a long time. We got to know each other through an organization that is playing quite a role here at COP15. The International Institute for Sustainable Development is based in Winnipeg. Jim was a member of the board, and I overlapped with him on the board for five years, beginning in 2000. He went on to be the vice-chair of the International Institute for Sustainable Development, and I saw the influence of that experience in working on sustainable development in his work in Parliament. It bound us together as friends before we met in the chamber as fellow members of Parliament.

There have been many words said about Jim's enormous depth of character and his range of interests, none of them superficial. Imagine being interested in music and being able to play oboe at a symphony orchestra; being concerned with the rights of people around the world and serving to meet those ends in Parliament.

In his work for the community, particularly to the member for Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley I want to mention knowing what a strong advocate for the Jewish community Jim Carr always was, with his Russian-Jewish ancestors having come to Canada in 1906. He never forgot those roots.

Jim was also, of course, a journalist. So much has been mentioned that I can think of only one thing that has not been shared yet, but I think a lot of us knew it. Jim was really funny. He had a killer sense of humour. He could perhaps have been a professional impersonator. I do not know how many members ever got to see his quite killing imitation of JFK. He had Kennedyesque looks, and he pulled off a Boston accent like nobody's business. He was enormously gifted, and he shared those talents with us all.

The president of the International Institute for Sustainable Development, Richard Florizone, said in the statement from that organization that Jim was “the rare polymath”. That is a tribute to the ways in which he was able to come into our lives, into policy, into politics, into the arts, into community, into business, and never superficially. He has left an enormous impact throughout his life on so many different facets of our society. No doubt, the Prime Minister is exactly right: He loved this country, every inch of it.

I will cherish the memory, but it is almost impossible to believe it was only seven days ago that I hugged Jim next to his desk when Bill C-235 passed. It was a distinct honour, and one I do not take for granted, that he asked me to be his official seconder. It is rare to ask someone who is not in one's own party to second one's bill, but I hold it as a cherished memory. I never would have believed that when I hugged him to congratulate him on Bill C-235, the building a green prairie economy act, it was the last time I would get to hug him.

We knew his days were not many, but each day made a difference, as he said every day he passed my desk to walk down to take his spot in the front row. I would say, “Jim, how are you?” He would say, “Every day is a blessing.” Let us remember his words and live our lives to be worthy of that knowledge, that every day is a blessing. Let us use each day as a blessing in the service of our Lord, whatever faith we follow. Let us remember that every day is a blessing.

We are honoured to have known Jim and to have loved him. I will miss him. I give my deepest condolences and sympathy to Colleen and all the family.

I thank all my colleagues for this opportunity to share a few words in honour of the great human, the great Canadian, the mensch we lost.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Hon. colleagues, it is with heavy hearts that we mark the passing of a great man and an exceptional parliamentarian, the Hon. Jim Carr.

Musician, journalist, business leader and politician, Jim was a Renaissance man. He excelled at whatever he chose to do. Luckily for those of us here today and for Canada, he chose a life of public service.

With intelligence, kindness and hard work, he committed to making the world a better place for the people of Winnipeg South Centre, Manitobans and all Canadians. His heart was as big as his beloved Prairies.

Jim was a man of passion and action dedicated to making Canada a better country. He was an inspiration to us all. With his smile and his calm and gentle demeanor, he showed us not only how to do politics, but how to live life.

When Jim had something to say, we all listened. He led by example, always ready to tackle the tough challenges of our time. He was a great communicator and a bridge-builder, not only between individuals but also between different interests and sectors.

He always saw the big picture and kept his focus on what really mattered. He was a wonderful friend and colleague who will be greatly missed.

I hope that in the midst of their grief, Jim's family finds comfort in knowing that his legacy will be deep and enduring in this place and across the country, this Canada that he so much loved.

I invite the hon. members to stand and observe a moment of silence in honour of our dear colleague, the hon. Jim Carr.

[A moment of silence observed]

Alleged Misleading Statement by the Member for Burlington—Speaker's Ruling

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I am now ready to rule on the question of privilege raised on December 13, 2022, by the member for Haldimand—Norfolk concerning an accusation made by the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development.

The member argued that the minister falsely accused her of having used an offensive word, specifically “anti-Semite”, in relation to another member. She emphatically denies having made such a statement and feels that the minister's accusation has damaged her reputation. She also asked for an apology.

The Chair takes seriously all situations where the reputation of a member is at play. I understand how certain words or accusations can cause offence and the Chair does not doubt that the member from Haldimand—Norfolk felt that way.

After this matter was first raised on December 8, I undertook to review the Debates and audio recordings, not having heard the alleged comment myself that day.

The Chair can report that the word in question could not be heard through the audio. Since the alleged unparliamentary language could not be confirmed, the Chair is left with two versions of the same event and the impossible task to determine what was said.

Faced with a similar situation, Speaker Milliken stated, on October 30, 2006, in a ruling found at page 4414 of the Debates:

...requesting an apology or a withdrawal—is predicated on a common agreement about what actually took place, either because the exchange appears in the official record or because both parties acknowledge that the exchange took place.

In this case, the official record is not helpful and the Speaker is faced with a dispute, indeed a contradiction, about what actually happened.

Further down, at page 4415 of the Debates, Speaker Milliken added, and I quote: In the case before the House now, the remarks may or may not have been said. However, it is not for the Speaker to decide where the truth lies.

There is nothing in the parliamentary record that allows for the Chair to determine whether such a comment was made and by whom. The member for Haldimand—Norfolk has denied making this comment and her denial is on the record. It is not clear to the Chair, though, how this situation prevented the member from accomplishing her parliamentary work.

Consequently, the Chair cannot find a prima facie case of privilege, and therefore cannot give the matter priority over all other proceedings.

The Chair takes this opportunity, once again, to ask all members to conduct themselves in a dignified manner and to show continued respect for one another. All members need to be judicious in their choice of words, on and off the record.

I thank all members for their attention.

Veterans Ombudsman

[Lawrence MacAulay, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the Veterans Ombudsman's annual report for 2021-22.

Environment

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

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to table “2020-2021 Reports by Federal Authorities with Obligations under Section 71 of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, 2012”. The report is to be forwarded to the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development pursuant to Standing Order 32(5).

Government Response to Petitions

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary 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 two petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.

Department of Employment and Social Development Act

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C‑37, An Act to amend the Department of Employment and Social Development Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts (Employment Insurance Board of Appeal).

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Indian Act

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C‑38, An Act to amend the Indian Act (new registration entitlements).

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Natural Resources

[John Aldag, Liberal, Cloverdale—Langley City, BC]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the seventh report of the Standing Committee on Natural Resources, entitled “A Study into the Government of Canada's Promise to Cap Greenhouse Gas Emissions of the Oil and Gas Sector“.

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Madam Speaker, on behalf of the members of the Conservative Party on the natural resources committee, I have the honour to table our dissenting report.

The report fails to mention the world-leading standards Canada has. It also fails to address issues like carbon leakage and to give credit to what rural, remote and indigenous communities provide when it comes to service work in the energy sector.

Canada has what the world needs, and that is clean, reliable and affordable energy, and the Liberal emissions cap will substantively prohibit Canada from being able to take its place as a world leader in energy production.

Veterans Affairs

[Emmanuel Dubourg, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs, entitled “Survival Retirement Pension Benefits (Marriage After 60)”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

Health

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Charlottetown, PE]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the ninth report of the Standing Committee on Health regarding Bill C-224, an act to establish a national framework for the prevention and treatment of cancers linked to firefighting.

The committee has studied the bill and has decided to report the bill back to the House with amendments.

We who work in the standing committees are privileged to have the support of some professional support folks from the House of Commons and the Library of Parliament, and I would like to recognize the clerk of the health committee, Patrick Williams, and the analysts from the Library of Parliament, Sarah Dodsworth and Kelly Farrah, and wish them a joyous and peaceful holiday season.

Status of Women

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fifth report of the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, entitled “Responding to the Calls for Justice: Addressing Violence Against Indigenous Women and Girls in the Context of Resource Development Projects”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

I would like to take the opportunity to say thanks for the incredible work that was done by the staff in this committee, with a special thanks to Alexie Labelle. She has served as our clerk for two years and will be graduating out of FEWO and continuing on her great journey.

I thank so much Dominique and Clare, the analysts. It has been wonderful working with everybody, and I am so proud to table this report on behalf of the committee members.

Public Accounts

[John Williamson, Conservative, New Brunswick Southwest, NB]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 22nd report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts in relation to the motion adopted on Friday, December 9, regarding the 2022 reports 9 and 10 of the Auditor General of Canada. The motion reads, “That the committee report to the House that the committee affirms its support for the Auditor General and the independence and integrity of the office and that the committee also request a government response pursuant to Standing Order 109.”

I am also tabling the 23rd report of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts entitled “Access to Benefits for Hard-to-Reach Populations”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to each of these two reports.

Like many other members in this House, I am looking forward to the Christmas recess to catch up, but I want to thank the staff of the House and, of course, my assistants on the public accounts committee, the clerk and the analysts.

I wish everyone a merry Christmas.

Procedure and House Affairs

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Waterloo, ON]

Madam Speaker, in this place we often talk about firsts, but we do not always get to talk about lasts. As the person who was the last seatmate of the Hon. Jim Carr in the House of Commons, I share my condolences with his family and with all of his team members. I want them to know that he adored them, and because they adored him, I want them to be assured that I adore them, and I will do whatever I can to ensure we get through this challenging time.

I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 19th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs entitled, “Protecting the Parliamentary Precinct: Responding to Evolving Risks”.

I would like to take a moment to thank all colleagues on PROC. Believe it or not, as it is sometimes tough, I really do appreciate all members on PROC, past and present. PROC members would like to thank Justin, our clerk, as well as Laurence and Andre, our analysts. We also appreciate the witnesses. PROC members also thank all support staff, including those in our teams, in the AV and IT crews. I would also like to thank the interpreters, those in food services and all involved in supporting the work that we do.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

We would also like to thank you, Madam Speaker, and your crew. We would like to thank the House administration, all pages and everyone involved in making this place functional to the best of its ability. We hope all keep well and safe, and we look forward to seeing everyone again in 2023.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Madam Speaker, from the outset, Conservatives wish to acknowledge and thank our security and policing professionals for their hard and important work keeping our Parliament safe, secure, open and accessible, as these are important hallmarks of any democratic Legislature.

While I am on my feet, I would like to thank each and every one of those people, and wish them a very merry Christmas and a happy new year.

During the study, the committee heard testimony about the implications the closure of Wellington Street has had on local businesses in downtown Ottawa, which are already suffering from the pandemic and the Liberal government keeping public servants working at home, as well as the disruption it brought to Ottawa and Gatineau's public transit operators.

At the committee table, we also heard a lot about the importance of communication, coordination and collaboration among the assorted police and security services with responsibilities in the national capital region. The importance of taking time to get things right among stakeholders was stressed by witnesses, even by the Liberal public services minister who appeared.

What we did not hear was a call for politicians to decide security arrangements and impose them on the professionals. That is why Conservatives are dissenting from this report. Put simply, we think the majority on the committee is going too far and too fast with its prescriptive recommendations. We would have preferred the professionals collaborate on developing a coherent plan which reflects a consensus of implicated stakeholders subject to parliamentary oversight.

Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities

[Bobby Morrissey, Liberal, Egmont, PE]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities on Bill C-22, 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.

I would like to thank the staff of the committee and all the committee members from all parties who sat on the committee to review this important and historic piece of legislation.

Criminal Code

[Gary Vidal, Conservative, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. In regard to the vote on Bill S-233, I am asking for the consent of the House to reflect on the record that the vote in the House was unanimous in its opposition to organ harvesting. I erred when I used the app in my vote. I am looking for the consent of the House to make that vote unanimous.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

Does the hon. member have the consent of the House?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

Unsolicited Telephone Calls

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

Madam Speaker, before I begin, let me just wish you a merry Christmas. If I may be indulged, I would like to extend that merry Christmas to all Canadians and especially my constituents in Canada's number one riding, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon. I also have a big special thanks to my alma mater Robert Bateman for winning the AA boys football provincial championships. Congratulations to them in their undefeated season. I will now turn to parliamentary business.

Today I am tabling a very important petition signed by constituents in Canada's number one riding about spam calls. Sitting here in Parliament today I had a call from China, from Yunnan province, and it was a spam call. Constituents are demanding that the telecom companies in Canada, and the Government of Canada through regulation, put in force strong anti-spam measures so people can use their home phones again and not be afraid to pick up the phone to hear from someone who should not have their number in the first place.