Debates of March 4th, 2022

Oral Questions

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

Is there unanimous consent for the member to repeat her question?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[Christine Normandin, Bloc, Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the government can count on the Bloc Québécois when it comes to the war in Ukraine. We worked together to extend Ukrainians' work and study permits.

Let us work together to help the families who are fleeing the war come to Canada. I commend the government for creating the authorization for emergency travel. However, the problem is that it is going to take two weeks to set up, and two weeks is an eternity in times of war.

Given the circumstances, the least we can do is to ensure that, as of day one, there will be planes there to transport families.

Will the minister launch a large-scale airlift operation?

[Sean Fraser, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member, my Bloc Québécois counterpart, for her question and particularly for her co-operation on the Ukraine file.

We are prioritizing applications from Ukrainians. More than 6,200 Ukrainians have arrived in Canada since January. Yesterday, I announced new measures that will make it faster, easier and safer for Ukrainians to come to Canada.

I will continue working with my colleagues to facilitate the arrival in Canada of as many Ukrainians as possible.

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my point of order arises out of question period. Repeatedly today we heard the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance state that the carbon tax is revenue neutral. With the House's permission, I would like to table pages 17 and 18 of the most recent “Public Accounts of Canada”, volume I, that showed GST collected under the carbon tax was almost a quarter of a billion dollars, and then an extra $98 million taken from the carbon tax was distributed, so it is not carbon neutral.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

The House has heard the hon. member's request to table the document. All those opposed will please say nay.

[Some hon. members]

Nay.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my point order comes out of question period as well. I raised this point of order with one of your counterparts a few days ago and I still have not received a response.

When the Conservatives talk about inflation, they continue to use language that directly references the Prime Minister's first name. What we know is that we cannot do indirectly what we cannot do directly, and it is very clear that they are trying to use his first name.

I would ask that either the Speaker rule on this now or return to the House with a ruling at a later date.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

The Speaker has previously said that this term should not be used, so there has been a ruling on it already. I hope that satisfies that point of order.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I have a point of order arising out of question period. The Minister of Fisheries said that the Russian Federation is no longer the chair of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization. Its website still lists it as the chair and it is still listed on the commission.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

I thank the member, but that sounds like debate.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Salma Zahid, Liberal, Scarborough Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the fourth report of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, entitled “Supplementary Estimates (C), 2021-22”.

Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics

[Pat Kelly, Conservative, Calgary Rocky Ridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, entitled “Supplementary Estimates (C), 2021-22”.

Veterans

[Emmanuel Dubourg, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Veterans Affairs entitled “Desecration of Monuments Honouring Veterans”.

Industry and Technology

[Joël Lightbound, Liberal, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following two reports from the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology.

The first report is entitled “Proposed Acquisition of Shaw Communications by Rogers Communications: Better Together?”.

The second report is entitled “Affordability and Accessibility of Telecommunications Services in Canada: Encouraging Competition to (Finally) Bridge the Digital Divide”.

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

Fisheries Act

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-258, An Act to amend the Fisheries Act (closed containment aquaculture).

Mr. Speaker, British Columbians understand that wild Pacific salmon are facing an emergency, one that threatens first nations, coastal communities, commercial fishers, recreational anglers and the entire ecosystem that relies on wild salmon. I am bringing forward this bill to ensure that Canada is protecting wild Pacific salmon and creating a real plan to move away from harmful open-net pen fish farming. This bill calls upon the minister as well to develop a transition plan, a plan that recognizes that workers cannot be left behind during the transition to a more sustainable economy.

I am proud to follow in the footsteps of members of this House, including the member for Courtenay—Alberni and the former member for Port Moody—Coquitlam, Fin Donnelly, who have previously championed this legislation.

With the support of all members of this House, we can protect wild Pacific salmon and become leaders in closed containment aquaculture.

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

Corporate Social Responsibility

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

Mr. Speaker, I have a petition from people concerned about Canadian companies that build in other places but contribute to human rights abuses and environmental damage in those places. They are calling on the House of Commons to adopt human rights and environmental due diligence legislation to make sure that companies properly protect human rights and the environment, that there are appropriate consequences for not doing so and that there is a legal right for people who have been harmed to seek justice in Canadian courts.

Human Rights in Cuba

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present an important petition, e-petition 3573, calling upon the Government of Canada to support freedom, democracy and human rights in Cuba. This petition was initiated by a local constituent in my riding of Niagara Falls, and it is an honour for me, as its sponsor, to present it here today.

Canada Post

[Gerald Soroka, Conservative, Yellowhead, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present e-petition 3784, with over 1,700 signatures from constituents in my riding of Yellowhead. The petitioners are calling on the government to appeal to Canada Post to rescind its mandated vaccination practices and allow all employees affected to be able to return to work without prejudice.

First Responders Tax Credit

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

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to rise and table this petition on behalf of residents of Courtenay, Cumberland, Bowser and Royston in my riding. They are citing that 83% of Canada's total firefighting essential first responders are volunteers. In addition, 8,000 essential search and rescue volunteers respond to thousands of incidents every year.

The tax code of Canada currently allows volunteer firefighters and search and rescue volunteers to claim a $3,000 tax credit if 200 hours of volunteer services were completed in a calendar year. This works out to a mere $450 a year. They are calling on the government to increase the tax exemption from $3,000 to $10,000 to help essential firefighters and volunteer search and rescue people across this country. They are calling for the support of Bill C-201.

It is timely, because the PBO just released a report this week to cite that this would cost taxpayers in Canada $40 million for 42,000 volunteer firefighters and first responders.

Corporate Social Responsibility

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to present a petition this afternoon from neighbours of mine in Kitchener. They too are concerned about companies across the country that are contributing to human rights abuses and environmental damage around the world.

They call on this House to adopt human rights and environmental due diligence legislation that would, among other items, require companies to prevent adverse human rights impacts and environmental damage throughout their global operations in the supply chains, require companies to do their due diligence and result in meaningful consequences for companies that failed to do so.

Foreign Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, it is a clear matter of international law that prisoners of war should be released when hostilities end. Petitioners in this case are following up on the terrible 44-day war in the Nagorno-Karabakh, or the Republic of Artsakh, noting the fact that there are still, today, Armenian prisoners of war who are detained by Azeri authorities. Various reports, including by Human Rights Watch, have detailed the deplorable conditions facing these prisoners of war.

The petitioners condemn this ongoing, illegal detention of prisoners of war and call on the Government of Canada to do all it can to advocate for the release of these captives, condemn the ongoing incitement to violence, denounce the aggressive rhetoric from Turkey and Azerbaijan, and provide humanitarian assistance to those who have been affected by this conflict.

Firearms

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

Mr. Speaker, the second petition I am tabling today deals with the important issue of firearms rights and firearms owners in my riding.

The petitioners are objecting to the backdoor gun registry that the government was working on with respect to Bill C-71 from a previous Parliament. They are very opposed to the government's approach with respect to targeting responsible firearms owners rather than targeting the gun smugglers and distributors of illegal guns who are, in fact, the real cause of gun crime in this country.

Hazaras

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

Mr. Speaker, the next petition I am tabling is with respect to the situation of the Hazara community in Afghanistan. This is a minority community that was very hard pressed even prior to the Taliban takeover, and their situation has obviously become much worse. Many Canadians are concerned about the failure of the government to move quickly in helping Hazaras, other minorities and vulnerable Afghans leave in the context of the Taliban takeover.

The petitioners want to see the government recognize in particular past genocides of the Hazaras as acts of genocide, and also to designate September 25 as Hazara genocide memorial day.

Ethiopia

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

Mr. Speaker, the next petition I am tabling highlights the humanitarian situation in Ethiopia. There is a great deal of concern about the ongoing conflict in Ethiopia, in particular, the situation in the Tigray Region. The petitioners call for a stronger response from Canada, a stronger international response.

There are some elements that the petitioners are asking for that, at this point, are out of date, but the conflict continues to be a source of concern for parliamentarians as well as the petitioners. The need is there for greater government awareness of an intervention in support of human rights in Ethiopia.