Debates of May 9th, 2022

National Defence

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Waterloo, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present petition e-3821, titled “National Defence and Military Operations”. The initiator of this petition and a few supporters from the riding of Waterloo shared concerns directly with me. They also shared the importance of the emissions reduction plan, fighting climate change and their hope for transition toward a green care economy and future.

Health

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

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting this petition from my constituents and Canadians across the country who want an end to the vaccine mandates, especially for domestic travel, which is federally regulated. The petitioners note that several reviews and studies have revealed nearly non-existent transmission rates on airplanes. WestJet's chief medical officer said that there were no known records of transmission. Also, the petitioners note that countries around the world have removed their vaccine mandates and restrictions.

Finally, petitioners state that the vaccine mandate imposed on Canadians taking domestic flights, trains and ferries is an unreasonable infringement on their rights and freedoms. The petitioners ask the government to abolish the domestic vaccine passport requirement for Canadian citizens and permanent residents taking domestic flights, and they ask for an end to all federally regulated COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions.

Charitable Organizations

[Damien Kurek, Conservative, Battle River—Crowfoot, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition signed by a host of Canadians who have expressed grave concern about how the Liberals are willing to politicize things like charitable status within this country. These petitioners from across Canada call upon the House of Commons to, one, 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 without the imposition of another values test; and two, affirm the right of Canadians to freedom of expression in Canada. It is an honour to stand with these Canadians and present this petition in the House today.

Age Verification Software

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a number of petitions from hundreds of Canadians across Canada, including my own constituents.

In the first petition, the petitioners are concerned about the accessibility and impact of violent and degrading sexually explicit material online and the impacts on public health, especially on the well-being of women and girls. The petitioners recognize that we cannot say that we believe in preventing sexual violence toward women while allowing pornography companies to freely expose our children to violent sexually explicit imagery day after day, which is a form of child abuse.

They note that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child requires Canada to develop the means to protect children from forms of media that are injurious to their well-being. As such, the petitioners are calling on the House of Commons to require meaningful age verification on all adult websites.

Northern Residents Tax Deduction

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from folks in my riding who live in the towns of Fox Creek and Swan Hills. These two towns are in northern Alberta.

The petitioners state that the rise in heating costs and other expenses of life has made life more expensive in these communities. They also have to travel great distances to access groceries and shopping centres. The petitioners state that there is an arbitrary line that runs across Alberta preventing Fox Creek and Swan Hills residents from accessing the northern residents living allowance.

The petitioners are asking that the government include Fox Creek and Swan Hills as communities within the prescribed intermediate zone and allow these people to receive the northern living allowance for living in northern Alberta.

Charitable Organizations

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the next petition I am presenting today is from folks across Canada who are concerned that certain charities could be targeted based on their views and forced into a values test. The petitioners note that the Liberals have promised to deny charitable status to groups that they view as being dishonest. This could jeopardize the charitable status of hospitals, houses of worship, schools, homeless shelters and other organizations. We have seen a similar values test applied to the Canada summer jobs grant.

The petitioners are asking 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 views and without the imposition of another values test. They also ask for an affirmation of the freedom of expression for all Canadians.

Age Verification Software

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the next petition I am presenting today is from Canadians across the country who are concerned about the impact of sexually explicit material, including demeaning and violent material on the Internet. These folks are worried about the consumption of sexually explicit material by young persons and a range of harms, including the development of gender stereotypes and the development of harassment and violence, including sexual harassment and sexual violence particularly against women.

The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to enact meaningful age verification. Also, a recommendation was brought forward by the health committee in 2017, so they call for the House to adopt Bill S-210, the protecting young persons from exposure to pornography act.

Vaccine Mandates

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my final petition today is from petitioners across the country who want an end to the vaccine mandates, especially for domestic travel, which is federally regulated. The petitioners note that several reviews and studies have revealed that there are non-existent transmission rates on airplanes.

The petitioners state that the vaccine mandates imposed on Canadians taking domestic flights, trains and ferries are an unreasonable infringement on their rights and freedoms. They are asking for an end to all federally regulated COVID-19 vaccine mandates and restrictions.

Questions on the Order Paper

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

Madam Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 399, 400, 403, 408, 411, 413 to 416, 421 to 423 and 425.

Question No.399—

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

With regard to the government’s proposal to buy-back firearms from Canadians: (a) which department or agency will be responsible for (i) collecting the firearms, (ii) storing the firearms, (iii) destroying or deactivating the firearms; (b) which department or agency will be responsible for financially reimbursing Canadians; (c) how will Canadians receive the funds for their firearms; (d) how long will Canadians have to wait from surrendering their firearm until they are reimbursed; (e) which law enforcement agencies will be involved in the program; (f) what amount will be paid for each firearm, broken down by type and model; and (g) how was the amount being paid for each type and model of firearm determined?

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, the government is committed to bringing forward a buyback program in early 2023 that offers fair compensation to affected owners and businesses while making sure implementation and management are done in a safe and cost-effective manner. This commitment was reaffirmed in the November 2021 Speech from the Throne and the most recent mandate letter for the Minister of Public Safety. Government officials are currently in the process of refining requirements and developing program and implementation options for cabinet consideration.

The government is equally committed to providing parliamentarians and Canadians with information on the design of the buyback program, including collection and transportation, processing facility, compensation, and destruction or deactivation, as it becomes available.

Question No.400—

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

With regard to funding applications received by the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency since October 1, 2021: what are the details of each application, including the (i) name of the applicant, (ii) program under which the funding application was made, (iii) type of funding requested (loan, grant, etc.), (iv) date the application was received, (v) current status of the application, (vi) amount of funding approved, if applicable, (vii) location of the applicant, (viii) project description or the purpose of the funding?

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency]

Mr. Speaker, insofar as the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency is concerned, with regard to funding applications received from October 1, 2021 to March 17, 2022, the requested information is available on the Government of Canada’s Open Government portal at the following link: https://search.open.canada.ca/en/gc/.

Question No.403—

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

With regard to Access to Information requests received by federal departments and agencies: (a) for each department and agency, how many requests were received in (i) 2018, (ii) 2019, (iii) 2020, (iv) 2021; (b) for each department and agency in (a), how many requests were resolved in each year; (c) for each department and agency in (a), what was the median processing time for requests resolved in those years; (d) for each department and agency in (a), by how much has the median processing time for requests increased since 2019; and (e) for each department and agency in (a), by how much has the backlog of outstanding requests increased since 2019?

[Greg Fergus, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the President of the Treasury Board)]

Mr. Speaker, each fiscal year, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, TBS, collects data on the number of requests received, completed, closed, outstanding, carried over and responded to according to legislative timelines (30 days), and extensions taken, broken down by length of time taken (30 days or less, 31 to 60 days, 61 to 120 days, 121 to 180 days, 181 to 365 days or more than 365 days), as well as the amount of time required to close requests (0 to 30 days, 31 to 60 days, 61 to 120 days, or 121 days or more).

TBS publishes a summary of this information annually in the Access to Information and Privacy Statistical Report, as well as datasets that contain all the statistical data reported by all institutions, broken down by institution, at https://www.canada.ca/en/treasury-board-secretariat/services/access-information-privacy/statistics-atip.html. The information requested can be calculated and compared from year to year based on the published datasets.

Institutions also individually report this information to Parliament in their annual reports on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, which institutions table in Parliament and publish online each fall. The latest available data is for fiscal year 2020-21 (April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021). Data for fiscal year 2021-22 is expected to be collected by the end of September 2022 and published by December 31, 2022.

Question No.408—

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Montarville, QC]

With regard to Canada’s representation abroad: (a) why are there no Canadian embassies in Nepal and Armenia, and are there any plans to open one in the near future; (b) why is there currently no Canadian ambassador to France, and are there any plans to appoint one in the near future; and (c) why is there no Canadian ambassador to China since the resignation of the previous one, and are there any plans to appoint one?

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, in response to part (a) of the question, Canada’s bilateral relations with Nepal are supported through the High Commission of Canada in New Delhi and the Consulate of Canada in Nepal. Canada’s high commissioner to India is also accredited as Canada’s ambassador to Nepal and regularly visits Nepal to advance a range of issues in the bilateral relationship, including diplomatic, trade and development issues. The Consulate of Canada in Nepal, with the support of Canada’s honorary consul to Nepal, provides emergency consular services to Canadians in Nepal. Canadian funding to Nepal through both bilateral and multilateral channels averaged $39.7 million per year between 2014 and 2020. During the pandemic, Canada has also provided significant COVID-19 assistance to Nepal through multilateral channels and through the direct delivery of critical medical supplies from Canada’s national emergency strategic stockpile to Kathmandu in June 2021.

The Government of Canada manages its bilateral relations with Armenia through its embassy in Moscow, with Alison LeClaire serving as Canada’s ambassador to Armenia. The embassy has continued to foster strong ties with Armenia, including through regular visits to Yerevan, which have continued despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Canada continues to strengthen its ties with Armenia through a variety of ways, such as the mission undertaken by Special Envoy to the European Union and Europe Stéphane Dion to explore options for Canada to better support Armenian democracy. Building on the joint work of recent years and long-standing people-to-people ties, Special Envoy Dion recently conducted a visit in Armenia and examined options as to how Canada can encourage the ongoing efforts of Armenian civil society, strengthen democratic institutions, grow Armenia’s engagement with multilateral institutions, and promote inclusive economic growth. The Government of Canada is also in the process of appointing a new honorary consul in Armenia.

In response to parts (b) and (c) of the question, announcements regarding the appointment of ambassadors to France and China will be made in due course.

Question No.411—

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

With regard to the National Emergency Strategic Stockpile and potassium iodide pills: (a) what is the number of potassium iodide pills that Canada possesses; (b) how many of the pills are reserved or designated for (i) military personnel, (ii) medical personnel, (iii) public office holders, (iv) emergency services; (c) how many pills are expired; (d) when was the last time the pills were purchased and how many were purchased at that time; (e) on what date do the most recently purchased pills expire; (f) how many pills have been distributed to each warehouse, broken down by location; and (g) what is the government’s plan for how the pills are to be distributed in the event of an emergency?

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and to the Minister of Sport]

Mr. Speaker, the national emergency strategic Stockpile, or NESS, is a part of the national emergency management critical infrastructure. As such, information on NESS warehouse locations and details on holdings are not released due to security implications.

With regard to the NESS and potassium iodide pills, in response to parts (a) and (e) of the question, the NESS does not disclose specific details of its medical countermeasures for security reasons. In response to part (b), the NESS does not reserve or designate potassium iodide pills by category of user. In response to part (c), the NESS does not hold any expired potassium iodide pills. In response to part (d), potassium iodide was most recently purchased in 2022, and the NESS does not disclose specific details of its medical countermeasures for security reasons. In response to part (f), the NESS does not disclose locations of its warehouses for security reasons. In response to part (g), the provision of medical care, including the medical response to a nuclear emergency, primarily falls under provincial/territorial, or P/T jurisdiction. If local and P/T supplies are exhausted, potassium iodide can be made available to P/T authorities for use in their response to a nuclear emergency upon request by the appropriate medical or public health authorities.

Question No.413—

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

With regard to emergency preparedness for Canadians living within 100 km of a nuclear facility: (a) what are the government's instructions for (i) individual homeowners, (ii) apartment dwellers, (iii) schools, (iv) businesses, (v) hospitals, (vi) seniors' residences, (vii) long-term care facilities, (viii) military installations; and (b) where are each of the instructions mentioned in (a) published?

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health and to the Minister of Sport]

Mr. Speaker, provincial and territorial governments have the primary responsibility for managing emergencies within their respective jurisdictions. Any instructions given to Canadians within 100 kilometres of a nuclear power plant would be based on the relevant province’s emergency plans and the particular situation. Provincial responsibilities include public alerting and providing instructions to homeowners, apartment dwellers, schools, businesses, hospitals, seniors’ residences and long-term care facilities on protective action, which may include evacuation, sheltering and/or the use of potassium iodide, KI, for iodine thyroid blocking, or ITB, and ingestion controls. While military installations and indigenous lands fall within federal jurisdiction, individuals would be instructed to follow the instructions provided by provincial health authorities in an emergency.

Provinces with nuclear power plants have provincial nuclear emergency plans, which detail the preparedness and response actions of the province in the event of a nuclear emergency. New Brunswick’s provincial health nuclear emergency plan for the Point Lepreau nuclear generating station can be consulted at https://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/h-s/pdf/en/Publications/ProvincialHealthNuclearEmergencyPlan.pdf, and its Point Lepreau nuclear off-site emergency plan is found at https://www2.gnb.ca/content/dam/gnb/Departments/ps-sp/pdf/emo/Nuclear/PointLepreau-NOEM.pdf, while the provincial nuclear emergency response plan, PNERP, for the nuclear power plants in Ontario is found at https://www.ontario.ca/document/provincial-nuclear-emergency-response-plan-pnerp-master-plan.

At the federal level, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, CNSC, is responsible, among other things, for maintaining regulatory oversight of nuclear power plants. Regulatory requirements placed on the licensee include robust emergency plans for the plant, a public education program for the local population about the plant and what to do in an emergency, and a requirement for the pre-distribution of KI for the population around a nuclear power plant.

Public Safety Canada maintains the federal emergency response plan, FERP, and is responsible for overall federal coordination on behalf of the Government of Canada in the event of a nuclear emergency requiring a coordinated Government of Canada response. The plan is found at https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/mrgnc-rspns-pln/index-en.aspx

Health Canada leads the federal nuclear emergency plan, FNEP, which is an annex to the FERP and coordinates scientific and technical support from 18 federal departments for a whole-of-government response to a nuclear emergency. It can be consulted at https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/health-risks-safety/federal-nuclear-emergency-master-plan-part-1.html

In addition to the FNEP, Health Canada has published guidance documents to assist provincial authorities in developing protection strategies for nuclear emergencies, to help inform the instructions referenced above. Guidance documents include “Generic Criteria and Operational Intervention Levels for Nuclear Emergency Planning and Response”, found online at https://publications.gc.ca/site/eng/9.855963/publication.html, and “Guidance on Planning for Recovery Following a Nuclear or Radiological Emergency”, at https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/publications/health-risks-safety/planning-recovery-nuclear-emergency.html.

Health Canada is committed to protecting the health and safety of Canadians by strengthening nuclear emergency preparedness in Canada and providing guidance, support and recommendations based on the scientific and technical resources of the Government of Canada.

Health Canada works closely with partners across all jurisdictions to test nuclear emergency plans through regular exercises and other reviews as part of an ongoing effort to ensure readiness for a nuclear emergency in Canada or abroad.

Recent exercises in Ontario, with Exercise Unified Command, and New Brunswick, with Synergy Challenge, have shown that all jurisdictions and the nuclear operators are prepared to respond to a nuclear emergency in Canada. More details on Synergy Challenge can be found at https://www.nbpower.com/en/safety/nuclear-safety/synergy-challenge-2021

In 2019, Canada hosted an international peer review of its nuclear emergency preparedness. The review report concluded that Canada had a well-developed and mature nuclear emergency preparedness and response system in place across all levels of government. The report is available at https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-risks-safety/radiation/radiological-nuclear-emergencies/how-canada-prepares/international-atomic-energy-agency-emergency-preparedness-review-mission-canada-june-2019.html

Question No.414—

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

With regard to the Canadian Armed Forces' (CAF) exercises for assistance to civilian protection of Canada's nuclear sites: (a) what is the date of the last exercise, broken down by each regiment or base; and (b) what number of currently active CAF personnel are available or can be made available to protect Canada's nuclear sites?

[Bryan May, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, Public Safety is the lead coordinating body for the Government of Canada’s overall response to chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents. The Canadian Armed Forces is responsible for providing support to domestic operations, including chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents, with military expertise, intelligence, and scientific support.

In response to parts (a) and (b), the Canadian Armed Forces remains prepared to respond to requests from the government, and to assist other government departments and law enforcement agencies. This includes supporting and participating in exercises initiated by other government departments and external nuclear industry stakeholders, as well as under the auspices of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, NORAD.

Under the auspices of NORAD, the Canadian Armed Forces participates in Operation Noble Eagle, which is an ongoing operation designed to monitor and protect continental airspace. Under this NORAD operation, the Royal Canadian Air Force stands ready to deter and defend against air attacks on critical infrastructure, including nuclear power plants. Operation Noble Eagle processes are exercised, typically on a monthly basis, with Canadian civil authorities.

Additionally, the Canadian Armed Forces participates in the annual NORAD-sponsored exercise Vigilant Shield, which enhances readiness to protect critical infrastructure against air threats, including nuclear facilities.

In terms of civilian-led exercises, the Canadian Armed Forces participated in the exercise Synergy Challenge 2021. The exercise was hosted by New Brunswick Power on October 6-7, 2021. The exercise focused on responding to a hypothetical incident at the Point Lepreau Nuclear Generating Station. The Canadian Joint Operations Command, Joint Task Force Atlantic area, and 403 Squadron from Canadian Forces Base Gagetown provided support to this exercise.

Ultimately, the Canadian Armed Forces stands ready to support the protection of Canada’s nuclear sites at the request of the federal government.

Question No.415—

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

With regard to action by the current Minister of Environment and Climate Change to prevent eco-terrorism in Canada, since being sworn in as minister: (a) what specific measures, if any, has the minister done to prevent eco-terrorism in Canada; (b) has the minister publicly called for individuals and organizations to refrain from participating in such activity, and, (i) if not, why not, (ii) if so, what are the details; and (c) has the minister been provided with any documents showing the dangers or economic damage caused by eco-terrorism or the threat of eco-terrorism, and, if so, what are the details of all such documents, including the (i) date they were provided to the minister, (ii) sender, (iii) title, (iv) summary of the contents, (v) file number, (vi) type of document?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change denounces the use or threat of violence to achieve personal or societal goals. Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms grants everyone the freedoms of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. The Government of Canada supports the peaceful and lawful expression of these rights.

Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness is the lead for overall counter-terrorism planning, preparedness and response within the Government of Canada.