Debates of Feb. 3rd, 2022

House of Commons

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I invite the House to take note that today we are using the wooden mace.

It serves as a reminder of the fire that took the lives of seven people and destroyed the original Parliament buildings the night of February 3, 1916.

Among the items destroyed in that fire was the old mace. The wooden copy that you see today was subsequently made and used temporarily until the current one was given to us by the United Kingdom in 1917.

Canada Elections Act

[Don Davies, NDP, Vancouver Kingsway, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-227, An Act to amend the Canada Elections Act (voting age).

Mr. Speaker, today I am honoured to introduce legislation that would extend the right to vote to all Canadians aged 16 and over. I would like to thank the hon. member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley for seconding this bill and for his tireless efforts to move this important initiative forward.

The history of the franchise in Canada is one of constant expansion. At the time of Confederation, voting was restricted to male British subjects who were at least 21 years of age and owned property. However, as our country progressed over subsequent generations, voting rights were extended to women, Asian Canadians, indigenous people, those without property and those under 21 years of age, now 18.

I believe it is time to give young people the full rights and responsibilities of citizenship as well. Young Canadians are engaged, well informed and passionate advocates for a brighter future, their future. They work and pay taxes, but they have no say in how those tax dollars are spent. This disenfranchisement is unjustified and must change.

I call on all parliamentarians to make young people equal participants in our democracy by supporting this vital legislation.

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

Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-228, An Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act, the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act and the Pension Benefits Standards Act, 1985.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise to introduce my bill.

The pension protections act would ensure that people who have worked and paid into pension funds would actually receive that benefit. We have all heard so often about companies going bankrupt and leaving their employees with no pensions or pennies on the dollar. My bill would address this by requiring a report on the solvency of the funds to be tabled here in Parliament for greater transparency. It would create a mechanism to transfer money into a fund to make it solvent without tax implication or to get insurance on the insolvent part and, in the case of bankruptcy, it would pay out pensions in priority before big executive salaries and large creditors.

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

Banning Symbols of Hate Act

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-229, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (banning symbols of hate).

Mr. Speaker, last weekend we all saw the appalling images of Nazi flags being waved on Parliament Hill, just steps away from the sacred Hall of Honour where we commemorate the 45,000 Canadians who gave their lives fighting Nazism. Today I am tabling an act to amend the Criminal Code to ban symbols of hate.

All parliamentarians must support this bill and speak with one voice to ensure that swastikas can no longer be legally displayed in the very seat of our democracy.

These despicable Nazi and vile racist symbols of hate signify the worst depravity in human history: the Holocaust, with millions of victims of the most unspeakable acts of racism and hate.

Other countries have banned these symbols to preserve their democracy. It is time for Canada to do the same. I hope all MPs will come together for the speedy passage of the bill, so that never again will Nazi flags fly legally on Parliament Hill or anywhere else in Canada.

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

Effective and Accountable Charities Act

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

moved that Bill S-216, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (use of resources of a registered charity), be read the first time.

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise today on Bill S-216. I would like to thank Senator Omidvar for her terrific work and tireless advocacy on behalf of charitable organizations around the world and specifically here in Canada.

I would also like to thank the member for Edmonton Strathcona for seconding the legislation and for her tireless work on behalf of charitable organizations.

I am very excited to introduce this legislation, because it would help charities do their great work around the world. Currently, charities are unfortunately encumbered by significant red tape and bureaucracy. This legislation would go from a granular control, where charitable organizations in Canada have to okay nearly every decision of the partners they work with around the world or in Canada, to a system of accountability and transparency that will increase accountability for charities while giving them the autonomy to do their great work.

I am in the House to do work on behalf of vulnerable people in Canada and around the world, so it is a great honour to present this bill.

(Motion agreed to and bill read the first time)

Access to Midwives

[Eric Melillo, Conservative, Kenora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour for me to rise today and present a petition that originated in my riding, from the town of Dryden. The petition looks to bring to the attention of the House the lack of midwifery care and services available in the Dryden area and across northwestern Ontario.

Petitioners are hoping to see the federal government take a leadership role in providing stronger support for midwifery in the Kenora district and the Rainy River district specifically.

Charitable Organizations

[Bob Zimmer, Conservative, Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I bring forward today a petition from people who are concerned about the Liberal Party of Canada, as promised in its 2021 platform, denying charitable status to organizations that have convictions about abortion and that the Liberal Party views as dishonest. Further, this may jeopardize the charitable status of hospitals, houses of worship, schools, homeless shelters and other charitable organizations that do not agree with the Liberal Party.

I spoke to somebody at the Pregnancy Care Centre, Linda, who is very concerned about this very thing occurring. Therefore, petitioners call upon the House of Commons to protect and preserve the application of charitable status rules on a politically and ideologically neutral basis, without discrimination on the basis of political or religious values and without the imposition of another values test, and affirm the rights of Canadians to freedom of expression.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. As we are back in session and petitions are being presented again, I ask that the Speaker review the previous presentation with the idea that we are supposed to be succinct with the comments. I do believe the member presented somewhat more of a political commentary on the petition, rather than the content of the petition itself.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

That is a good point. In the Standing Orders, presenting petitions is to involve a concise, short synopsis of what the petition is about, not a commentary or a long speech on it.

Human Rights

[Dave Epp, Conservative, Chatham-Kent—Leamington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured, on behalf of the citizens of Canada, to bring forth a petition calling upon the Government of Canada to call out the ongoing genocide of the Uighur people by the Communist Party of China.

Citizens are calling for Canada to not remain silent in the face of this ongoing atrocity, to formally recognize that the Uighurs have been and are subject to a genocide, and to call forth the use of the Magnitsky act and sanction those responsible for the heinous crimes that are going on.

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise and present this petition calling on the government to take action on behalf of the Uighurs, who are being subject to arbitrary detentions, the separation of children from families, invasive surveillance, destruction of cultural sites, forced labour and forced organ harvesting. Specifically, petitioners are calling on the House of Commons to formally recognize that the Uighurs in China are subject to genocide and to use the Magnitsky act and sanction those who are responsible for these heinous crimes being committed against the Uighur people.

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

Mr. Speaker, Canadians need to know what is going on. We are seeing that Canadians are remaining silent on this.

Petitioners point out that we need to move forward and we need to recognize that separation of children from families, invasive surveillance, destruction of cultural sites, forced labour and even forced organ harvesting is not okay. It is estimated that three million Uighurs and other Muslim minorities have been detained in what have been described as concentration camps.

Canada cannot remain silent. Therefore, the petitioners call on the House of Commons to take the following action to address the situation: formally recognize that Uighurs in China have been and are being subject to genocide. This is especially relevant now in light of the Olympics coming up in China. They start this week. That is all the more reason we need to bring this to attention.

[Mel Arnold, Conservative, North Okanagan—Shuswap, BC]

Madam Speaker, it is an honour today to rise to present a petition, on behalf of Canadians, recognizing that the evidence now makes it clear that the Chinese government's treatment of the Uighurs meets most, if not all, of the criteria for genocide as outlined by the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

Therefore, the petitioners are asking that the House of Commons take the following actions on behalf of the Uighurs: that they formally recognize the Uighurs in China have been and are subject to genocide and use the Justice of Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, the Magnitsky act, to sanction those who are responsible for the heinous crimes that are being committed against the Uighur people.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Madam Speaker, like my colleagues, and with the Beijing Olympics coming up very soon, the first three petitions I will be tabling deal with human rights issues in China.

The first petition is about the recognition of the Uighur genocide. Petitioners note the various crimes being committed against the Uighur people: crimes that have been well detailed by my colleagues. Petitioners call upon the Government of Canada and the House of Commons to recognize the genocide. The House has recognized it, but the government has not.

Petitioners are also calling for the use of the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, or the Magnitsky act, to sanction those responsible for these heinous crimes being committed against the Uighur people. The Magnitsky act was passed in this Parliament. It was a private member's bill put forward by Conservatives and it was passed, but it has been used very little by the government.

Hong Kong

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Madam Speaker, the second petition deals with the situation specifically in Hong Kong, and is another human rights issue that falls at the feet of the Chinese Communist Party. It notes various human rights abuses.

It calls on the Government of Canada to recognize the politicization of the judiciary in Hong Kong and its impact on the legitimacy and validity of criminal convictions, and to affirm its commitment to render all National Security Law charges and convictions irrelevant and invalid in relation to section 36(1)(c) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. It calls on Canada to create a mechanism by which people who have been charged with any politically related charges dealing with the democracy movement in Hong Kong be able to come to Canada, and that these would not be an impediment for them. It also calls for Canada to work with the U.K., the U.S., France, Australia, New Zealand and other democracies to waive criminal inadmissibility for Hong Kong people convicted for political purposes, who do not otherwise have criminal records.

Human Organ Trafficking

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Madam Speaker, the third petition is in support of Bill S-223. This is a private member's bill that has already passed the Senate and that I put forward in the House.

The bill would make it a criminal offence for a person to go abroad and receive an organ taken without consent. This responds to concerns about forced organ harvesting. It has been happening for a long time, targeting Falun Gong practitioners and, as we know now, targeting Uighurs and other communities as well. Canada needs to do what it can to stop forced organ harvesting and trafficking, and that means passing this legislation to address potential complicity of Canadians in those horrific actions.

Charitable Status

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Madam Speaker, the fourth petition I am tabling deals with human rights issues here at home. It responds to a commitment made by the Liberal Party to impose another values test tied to charitable status. It says that in order to receive charitable status, one has to agree with a certain position of the government when it comes to the question of abortion.

Petitioners believe that charitable status should be provided on a politically neutral basis without discrimination on the basis of the views of the organization, and that this values test could negatively impact schools, hospitals, homeless shelters and other worthy charities that do good work for the public, but may not agree with the particular political positions of the government.

The petitioners call on the House of Commons to protect and preserve the application of charitable status rules on a political and ideologically neutral basis without discrimination on the basis of political or religious values and without the imposition of another values test, and to affirm the right of all Canadians to freedom of expression.

Small Business

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Madam Speaker, the next petition I am tabling highlights the challenges that small businesses have faced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

It calls on the Government of Canada to adopt the 2017 recommendations of the Alberta skills for jobs task force and create a bipartisan, equal membership committee to develop a small business action plan that will take into account the realities of all communities in Canada, not just those that favour a particular election outcome.

Medical Assistance in Dying

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Madam Speaker, the next petition I am tabling was signed by Canadians who were very concerned by the government's decision to move forward with the legalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide. Effectively, it is suicide facilitation for those who are struggling with mental health challenges.

Petitioners note that the Canadian Mental Health Association says that it does not believe mental illnesses are irremediable, and note that suicidality is often a symptom of a mental illness. They also note that suicide is the leading cause of death for Canadians between the ages of 10 and 19. The government should not be legalizing facilitated suicide in a medical context for those who are struggling with mental health challenges. We should be focusing on support and recovery. Petitioners call on the government to protect Canadians with mental illness by facilitating treatment and recovery, and not death.

Hazaras

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Madam Speaker, the next petition highlights the situation of the Hazara people in Afghanistan. The petitioners, as well as members of the House, have been following with great concern the events in Afghanistan. This petition was signed and sent to me prior to the Taliban takeover. Even at that point, there were many concerns regarding the conditions and the treatment of the Hazara people. The petitioners want to see the government recognize the past genocides against the Hazara people and designate September 25 as Hazara genocide memorial day.

Obviously, since the Taliban takeover there have continued to be escalating concerns about the treatment of the Hazaras and other minorities in Afghanistan that call for a strong response from the Government of Canada, Parliament and other actors.

Ethiopia

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Madam Speaker, the final petition that I am tabling today highlights human rights concerns with respect to the situation in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. The petitioners are very concerned about the violence that has occurred there, and call on the Government of Canada to be more engaged with the situation, to work with the Ethiopian and Eritrean governments to push for human rights improvements, to work with international bodies to support credible investigations of reports of war crimes and gross violations of human rights, and to be seized in general with the situation of human rights in that region of the world.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand at this time.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

The House resumed from February 2 consideration of the motion that C-8, An Act to implement certain provisions of the economic and fiscal update tabled in Parliament on December 14, 2021 and other measures, be read the second time and referred to a committee.