Debates of Dec. 7th, 2022

Public Services and Procurement

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in light of China's political interference in political party financing, the espionage at Hydro-Québec, the Winnipeg laboratory and the secret police stations, we would have thought that the RCMP would have started monitoring Chinese operations in Canada, but no, China has been monitoring RCMP operations.

The company has been charged with 21 espionage offences in the United States and the government did not even conduct a security check. The contract could have been awarded to a company in Boucherville, but no. It was given to China instead of Quebec.

Seriously, are they doing this on purpose?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, the government takes very seriously all threats caused by foreign interference. The RCMP has already acted on some threats caused by foreign interference. On this side of the House, we will continue to provide all the tools and intelligence the public safety community needs to protect all our democratic institutions.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it has not even been two weeks since the government announced its about-face on China in its Indo-Pacific strategy, and we have learned that the Liberals awarded a contract for RCMP communications equipment to a company with ties to the government in Beijing.

Sinclair Technologies was awarded the contract for a system meant to protect the RCMP's land-based communications from eavesdropping. Here is the problem. Sinclair Technologies' parent company is owned, in part, by the Chinese government, and it is charged with 21 espionage offences. There is nothing to review. Will the government terminate this contract today, yes or no?

[Helena Jaczek, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, of course we are aware of the concerns surrounding the RCMP's contract with Sinclair Technologies. Our government is looking into them and is examining all potential options. We do take very seriously all measures to ensure the integrity of our infrastructure.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, here is an option: terminate it. The government admitted that it did not take security concerns or Sinclair's ownership into consideration during the bidding process. Worse yet, Sinclair's main competitor for the RCMP contract was a Quebec-based firm called Comprod. The government chose made-in-China instead of made-in-Canada, and the difference between Sinclair and Comprod was less than $60,000.

The U.S. blacklisted Sinclair's parent company last year, and Canada just gave it a contract. Did the government really just sell national security for 60 grand?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, as we have said on a number of occasions, we are obviously looking extremely carefully at the details of how this contract was awarded, but I assure my colleague—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Order.

The hon. minister from the top, please.

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as I was explaining to colleagues in this chamber, of course we are extremely concerned with the revelations about this contract, which is why we are reviewing it very carefully. Obviously, we have put in place very rigorous protocols to guard against any threats to national security. Those are protocols that this government continues to reinforce with additional supports for law enforcement and national security, as well as additional supports to make sure we are protecting all of our democratic institutions, including the critical infrastructure that supports our police.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Before going on, I would like to remind the hon. members that, at times, when they shout out something, it is very clear to the Speaker that it is not parliamentary. I will not call anyone out now, but I would like to put it out there that, the next time I hear something like that, I am going to have to call the person out, and nobody wants to be embarrassed in front of their peers or the constituents who put them here. Hopefully constituents will be proud of the members here because they are being civil to each other.

The hon. member for Charlesbourg—Haute‑Saint‑Charles.

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

Mr. Speaker, is there any country in the world where the prime minister allows the Chinese communist regime to have access to its secrets? I know of one: Canada.

Two years ago, the Prime Minister awarded a contract to Nuctech, a company with ties to the Chinese communist regime. It was hired to install systems in our embassies around the world. Luckily, this contract was cancelled.

Today, we learned that the Prime Minister gave a contract to a company that has been charged with 21 counts of espionage. It was hired to install equipment in the RCMP's telecommunications system, where the devices must be as secret as possible. Even the Prime Minister's security detail uses this system.

Why does the Prime Minister give contracts to the Chinese communist regime?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect, since this is the same question, I will give the same answer.

We have instructed our independent officials to do a review of this particular contract involving the RCMP.

What is more important is that all members in the House understand that we have made investments to provide all the tools that the public safety community needs to protect our democratic institution.

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

Mr. Speaker, Canada has a major problem with its contracting. Two years ago, when the Nuctech issue came to light, there were specific recommendations to halt purchasing from companies with close ties to the Chinese communist regime.

How could the government have awarded a contract to a company tied to the Chinese communist regime for, of all things, security devices as important as the RCMP's communications systems?

Is there even anyone in charge in this government, or does everyone do as they please?

[Helena Jaczek, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, of course, as my colleagues have said, and I have said as well, we are taking these concerns extremely seriously. We are looking at all options. We are reviewing processes. Our concerns are with the member on this particular issue.

Health

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Alberta Children's Hospital is operating at over 120%. Children's hospital staff are being overwhelmed, and as emergency rooms fill up, families are forced to wait outside in trailers to get the care they need. Can members imagine that?

The government points fingers at everyone else and is letting Premier Smith do whatever she wants to our public health care system. Canadians are fed up being told that it is someone else's problem. When will the government do its job and uphold the Canada Health Act?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the Canada Health Act is one of the most important emblems of our country ensuring access to publicly funded quality health care. It is extraordinarily important that we all do our part to help pediatric institutions by doing what has been asked by public health, such as washing our hands, keeping a distance and wearing a mask when we are in crowded indoor spaces. It is also important for us to work with provinces and territories on the health human resources crisis and on adequate funding as we go forward.

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, well, that answer was not enough from the minister. There is an influx of sick kids in Ontario and parents are panicked. Canada's health care system is in a state of crisis that the Prime Minister cannot ignore any longer. CHEO is calling in the Red Cross to help. Kingston Health Sciences Centre is taking kids from Hamilton and London as their children's hospitals are overrun and understaffed. Conservative premiers are gutting health care, and the government is allowing it to happen.

What will it take for the government to finally sit down with the provinces and provide the funding needed so sick kids can get the care they need?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, we are worried, as are the parents of kids across this country, and our hearts are with them, but we all need to do everything we can do to keep people well and to observe the public health measures of the public health authorities.

Our government has a long track record of working with provinces and territories, not only to provide them funding, but also to ensure the national vision for a health care that delivers for Canadians. Our government has made significant investments to support health systems, including $72 billion over the course of the pandemic. We will increase the Canada health transfer by 10% in March, as we increased it by 5% earlier—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Whitby.

Persons with Disabilities

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we know persons with disabilities are disproportionately under-represented in the labour force and face a range of physical, attitudinal and institutional barriers that prevent access to the workforce. That is why our government is taking action to increase accessibility and inclusion in Canadian businesses and workplaces. Yesterday, the hon. Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion announced the creation of a Disability Inclusion Business Council.

Could the minister please share with the House more information about the council?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, the creation of the Disability Inclusion Business Council marks a significant step toward prioritizing accessibility and disability inclusion in the workplace. The council is composed of business leaders from across Canada who are dedicated to promoting disability inclusion in their workplaces. Through this joint effort, we are working to ensure Canadians with disabilities can fully participate in the workforce and we can benefit from their innovation, creativity and hard work.

Firearms

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives have been saying for weeks that the Liberal government is going after the tools used by hunters and farmers with Bill C-21, but the Liberals called it fearmongering and misinformation. They say that it is not a hunting rifle ban.

However, the Liberal MP for Yukon has publicly said that he will vote against Bill C-21. He agrees with Conservatives on this, and I know there are many more rural and northern Liberal MPs who agree with us as well. Therefore, who is spreading misinformation? Is it the Prime Minister or his rural MPs? Who is lying?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, the answer is that the Conservatives are.

The reason is that we have been consistent all along in that we are not targeting law-abiding gun owners. We are not targeting guns that are commonly used for hunting. Rather, we are targeting guns that have been used in some of the worst mass shootings in this country's history, including at Polytechnique, where yesterday, the Prime Minister, a number of colleagues and I were able to grieve and stand in solidarity with those victims from Polytechnique.

I think we need to be united behind the cause of doing better in honour of the legacy of those victims, and that is precisely what Bill C-21 would do. It is high time for the Conservatives to reverse their position and support that bill.

[Clifford Small, Conservative, Coast of Bays—Central—Notre Dame, NL]

Mr. Speaker, the amendments to Bill C-21 have caused great concern in Newfoundland and Labrador. Many in my province are avid hunters, either for sport or to put food on the table. This past year, 28,000 of the nearly 70,000 law-abiding gun owners hunted moose back home. I would like to know if the Liberal MPs from Newfoundland and Labrador will take the same stand as the Liberal MP for Yukon.