Debates of Dec. 9th, 2022

Firearms

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

Madam Speaker, veterans, indigenous people and hunters are contacting my office with serious concerns about the last-minute amendment to Bill C-21, and yesterday, the AFN voted unanimously against it. The government needs to listen and reverse course. It feels like a target on rural communities and has distracted from the original purpose of the bill.

It is time for the Prime Minister to see his mistake and fix it. Will he?

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness]

Madam Speaker, I think all members will agree that Canadians expect their communities and homes to always be safe. They want to ensure that deadly military-style assault guns are not available on our streets. That is the commitment that we made to Canadians.

What we are not targeting are lawful hunters. This is a complex piece of legislation. We need to make sure that we take the time to review it carefully so that we can take deadly military-style assault guns off our streets.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Madam Speaker, the Liberals promised they would keep people safe from handgun violence. However, at the very last second, the Liberals added an amendment to Bill C-21 that is not about keeping our city centres or children safe, but instead would hurt rural and coastal communities. This bill was supposed to protect people, not go after hunters, farmers or indigenous peoples.

Will the Prime Minister listen to the outpour of concerns and clean up his mess?

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

Madam Speaker, as a first nations person, I know that hunting is a constitutional right that is integral to many nations. Bill C-21's intent is to ban handguns and assault weapons, like AR-15s, full stop. There has been some confusion and there have been some concerns raised, but the committee will get it right.

We will always respect indigenous hunters and their right to pass on that knowledge to their children, like I plan to pass on to my son.

Foreign Investment

[Chad Collins, Liberal, Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, ON]

Madam Speaker, foreign investment is key for our economy and supports the creation of employment opportunities across the country. We know that national security goes hand in hand with this type of investment.

Can the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry update the House on what our government is doing to strengthen our investment requirements?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Madam Speaker, we know that economic security is national security—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

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

I would ask the hon. members to please allow the minister to answer the question.

The hon. minister.

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Saint-Maurice—Champlain, QC]

Madam Speaker, I can see the enthusiasm on the other side for what we tabled just this week.

As I was saying, we know that economic security is indeed national security, something that our colleagues raised this morning. Earlier this week, I was proud to table a bill that would amend the Investment Canada Act so that our government can act more decisively when it comes to foreign investments and national security.

We will continue to ensure—

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

The hon. member for Sturgeon River—Parkland.

Firearms

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Madam Speaker, opposition to the Liberals' proposed ban on hunting rifles and shotguns is growing. Yesterday, the Assembly of First Nations issued a declaration opposing Bill C-21 because it attacks treaty hunting rights. The Liberal government claims that there is no relationship more important than that with indigenous peoples, but it failed to consult with first nations, Métis and Inuit.

When will the Liberals admit that they failed to respect the rights of indigenous peoples and scrap Bill C-21?

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

Madam Speaker, for more than 20 years I have been going to the Assembly of First Nations. I have been a part of the resolutions. I have been a part of drafting those resolutions. I have been a part of voting on those resolutions.

I applaud the proactive advocacy of first nations when they hear something that they do not quite understand, but I want to make it clear that first nations' hunting rights will always be respected by this government. We know it is a constitutional right. We know there is a constitutional element to this. We will get it right and indigenous hunters will continue into the future.

[Chris Lewis, Conservative, Essex, ON]

Madam Speaker, I spoke with Joe this morning, a local hunter and manufacturer of parts for legal hunting rifles. He recently purchased a CNC machine and hired skilled trade workers. Now the Liberal government is threatening to shut the doors on his business and take away his firearms. One must assume that hundreds of thousands of dollars for CNC machines are part of the buyback program that does not exist. While law-abiding Canadians are on the right side of history, the Liberal government is the outlier.

When will the Liberals stop targeting hunters and farmers like Joe?

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness]

Madam Speaker, I am sure that Joe would agree that there is no place in our society for deadly military-style assault guns, the kind that were used for the shootings at École Polytechnique, the Quebec mass shooting or, most recently, the two police officers who were killed in South Simcoe.

We are not targeting lawful rifles that are used by hunters. This is a complex piece of legislation. That is why it requires careful review and scrutiny. I am very thankful to Bloc and NDP members who gave their permission to have emergency meetings so that we can get this legislation right.

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Madam Speaker, farmers and hunters are not responsible for the increase in violent crime, nor are they the source of illegal firearms pouring in from the United States.

Time and time again, the Prime Minister blames law-abiding firearms owners for his government's failure to make our communities safer. Will the Prime Minister do the right thing, stop targeting our farmers and hunters, and go after the criminals and gangs that are to blame for the increase in violent crime?

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness]

Madam Speaker, I want to assure the member opposite that we respect all our hunters and indigenous peoples who rely on hunting. We respect the sustenance rights of indigenous peoples. We are not targeting those rights whatsoever.

What we are going after, what we are banning, what we are trying to take off our streets, are deadly military-style assault guns, the kind that are made to be used on the battlefield. They have no place on our streets. We are going to make sure that we review this legislation carefully and get it right, so that our neighbourhoods are—

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

The hon. member for Langley—Aldergrove.

[Tako Van Popta, Conservative, Langley—Aldergrove, BC]

Madam Speaker, Marissa from Langley shared with me recently her deep concern about the Liberal Party's direct attacks on hunters like her, farmers and sport shooters. She also shared with me her concern about gun violence, and urges me to support common-sense gun controls. In her own words, she says, “I can detect no sign of that in Bill C-21.”

On behalf of Marissa and the hundreds of others who have written to me recently on this topic, when will the Liberal government stop targeting law-abiding hunters and farmers?

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, let us be absolutely clear. We are targeting deadly military-style assault guns that are made for battlefields. They have no place on our streets, in any community, whether it is a rural community or an urban community.

We are not targeting and, in fact, we respect hunters and indigenous peoples who rely on hunting. That is not the intention of this legislation. It is a complex piece of legislation. Members know this. It is quite lengthy. That is why we are going to take the time to review it and get it right, so that we could ban military-style assault guns—

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

The hon. member for Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou.

Child Care

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Madam Speaker, Quebec's early childhood centres are a child care model that is unique the world over. Quebeckers are right to be proud of these centres. Not only do they foster children's socialization exceptionally well, but since they were created, they have enabled millions of Quebec women to have better access to work. Quebec's child care centres are universal, egalitarian and beneficial to Quebec, which is crazy about its children.

Can the minister commit to respecting the expertise of this Quebec model of child care in Bill C‑35?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families]

Madam Speaker, I thank my Bloc Québécois colleague for the question.

Quebec has led the way for 25 years in what good, affordable, high-quality child care means to Canadian families. I am pleased that every province and territory in this country has now signed on in understanding how affordable child care is needed and demanded by families across this country to give our children the best start in life.

Bill C-35 respects the jurisdictions of every province and territory in how they run their affordable child care systems. We continue to learn from Quebec. We are so happy that provinces and territories have signed on board.

[Sylvie Bérubé, Bloc, Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC]

Madam Speaker, promising to respect Quebec's jurisdiction over child care means not imposing conditions. It means enshrining the right to opt out with full compensation. We know the Liberals want to protect their Canada-wide child care program going forward, and they want other jurisdictions to copy the Quebec model, but imposing conditions on Quebec's way of doing things is out of the question.

Can the minister guarantee that Bill C‑35 will not impose any conditions on Quebec and that it will contain the right to opt out with full compensation?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families]

Madam Speaker, I will emphasize again that the legislation that we are putting forward is to ensure what is in place stays in place, including the wonderful model that Quebec has put in place for their citizens for the last 25 years. We want to respect the jurisdiction of all provinces and territories in running their early learning and child care systems, and we want to make sure that every child in every part of this country, no matter where they live, has the best start in life.

Carbon Pricing

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Madam Speaker, winter is already a hard time for so many Canadian families, and this year is going to be especially tough with rising interest rates and inflation. Heating costs are expected to double this winter, which will leave more families making a hard choice between heating and eating. The carbon tax is not working. It is a tax plan that is driving up the cost of everything, from gas to groceries.

Will the Liberals stop forcing their failed carbon tax on Canadian families?