Debates of June 17th, 2022

Stanley Mission Evacuation

[Gary Vidal, Conservative, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Madam Speaker, this week, the residents of Stanley Mission returned home after the whole community was evacuated due to a forest fire. In this overwhelming situation, there are many people deserving of our thanks and recognition. These include the fire crews of Stanley Mission and surrounding communities, who were on the frontlines; the La Ronge Regional Fire Department for providing equipment and personnel; the council of Stanley Mission, the PAGC and the SPSA for their organization and assistance in managing both the fire and the evacuation; the Red Cross, which went above and beyond in the preparation for and implementation of the evacuations of the cities of Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Regina; and finally, EMO coordinator Maurice Ratt and Chief Tammy Cook-Searson of the Lac La Ronge Indian Band for their steadfast leadership and hard work in guiding their communities through a very difficult and stressful emergency.

To all of those I mentioned, and to the many volunteers who played a role in keeping the community and the people of Stanley Mission safe, I say, “Thank you.”

Retirement Congratulations

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

Madam Speaker, after 46 years of being the voice of sports in Kingston, local legend Doug Jeffries is hanging up his microphone. A native of nearby Gananoque, Doug's career started in 1976 when, shortly after graduating from Loyalist College in Belleville, he was hired by local radio station CKLC to cover the sailing events that were being held in Kingston as part of the 1976 Montreal Olympics. For the next 25 years, Doug was a staple on CKLC and its sister station Fly FM, hosting both morning shows and sportscasts, as well as being the voice of the Queen's Golden Gaels football and OHL's Kingston Canadians.

Doug then moved on to TV, working for CKWS, initially as a news anchor before returning to sports in 2002 as the station's sports anchor. Doug also cares deeply for local sports in Kingston, showcasing, in particular, the skills and highlights of local high school athletes on the evening news.

This past Wednesday, June 15, was Doug's final broadcast, and it has been declared Doug Jeffries Day in Kingston. I would like to thank Doug for sharing his talent and his voice with us over the last 46 years. I wish him a happy retirement.

Canadian Football League

[Robert Gordon Kitchen, Conservative, Souris—Moose Mountain, SK]

Madam Speaker, last week marked the start of the 2022 CFL season, and football fans across the country are excited and ready to cheer on their team. As a die-hard CFL fan, I am always happy to get a chance to highlight this great Canadian sport, which I believe is the best version of the game of football. With wide open play, exciting offence and energetic defence, one needs to stay to the very end to see who wins.

The CFL has nine teams split between the east and west divisions, and hopefully there will be a team in the Maritimes soon. The season will culminate in the Grey Cup championship game happening on November 20 in Regina. This will be the 109th Grey Cup game, and after two years of the pandemic, the province of Saskatchewan and the city of Regina are excited to welcome tourists back with open arms. This is a great opportunity to take in some world-class football played by outstanding athletes. I encourage everyone to attend a game and to watch the games on TV.

While I know which team I will be cheering for, but I wish all players, coaches and staff a successful season. Go, Riders, go.

Peterborough—Kawartha Constituent

[Michelle Ferreri, Conservative, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Madam Speaker, Lee-Anne Quinn has received the Order of Military Merit award, the highest order a member of the military can receive. She is the honorary lieutenant colonel to the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment.

She is an all-star athlete. She is a Guinness World Records holder. She is an RN. She is a nurse practitioner who volunteers her time at Camp Maple Leaf. She received the Florence Nightingale Medal in 2007 as Canada's top nurse. She has served and practised medicine around the world in war-torn countries. She is also a survivor of PTSD. Lee-Anne is passionate about mental health solutions and service. She retired this past Tuesday so she can devote all her time to the Brock Clinic, which she worked tirelessly to make happen. The clinic offers free care for the homeless.

Lee-Anne has done so much for this community. I promise, as I said I would, that I will continue my work at the federal level to work across all party lines to ensure that mental health care becomes a priority from coast to coast to coast in this country. I am so honoured to know Lee-Anne.

Democratic Republic of Congo

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Ottawa West—Nepean, ON]

Madam Speaker, I want to draw the attention of the House to the dire situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

We are seeing renewed violence on the part of M23 fighters and other terrorist militias, which has resulted in egregious human rights abuses. Tens of thousands of people have been driven from their homes. UN peacekeepers have been targeted, and there have been allegations of cross-border rocket fire.

The head of MONUSCO stated, and I quote: “We reaffirm our strong commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the DRC and strongly condemn the use of proxies.”

I urge the Government of Rwanda to work with the DRC to de-escalate the situation and reach an immediate ceasefire for all armed groups.

Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Madam Speaker, today I am honoured to acknowledge a special anniversary of an extraordinary organization in Winnipeg Centre. The Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba, known as IRCOM, is celebrating 30 years this month. This organization uses a one-of-a-kind model that provides safe, affordable transitional housing, along with wraparound supports, to 111 newcomer families in Winnipeg Centre.

I want to acknowledge the leadership of the refugee communities and advocates for building IRCOM Ellen 30 years ago and for opening IRCOM Isabel in 2016. I thank them for creating these spaces for the community to thrive. IRCOM introduces its values like this: “At IRCOM, we love...our community. We are full of hope and optimism.”

I am proud to share this with the House and to celebrate this with every member of the IRCOM community, including families, staff and volunteers, and with a special tribute to IRCOM’s youth.

Joël Le Bigot

[Gabriel Ste-Marie, Bloc, Joliette, QC]

Madam Speaker, this Saturday will be our last opportunity to hear Joël Le Bigot's smooth voice on Radio-Canada's radio show Samedi et rien d'autre. He is retiring at the end of this season.

Joël Le Bigot delighted listeners every weekday morning as host of CBF-Bonjour for nearly 20 years with his team of contributors. After taking a year off, our seafaring broadcaster headed back to land to become the king of weekend radio in Quebec.

Throughout his brilliant radio career, Joël has been much more than a voice. He has a kind and curious nature, a playful sense of humour and a big heart. He is known for being a devotee of Georges Brassens' music, and many consider him to be the driving force behind the return of Quebec's Media Food Drive.

We know that he will be busy in retirement, embracing his role as doting grandfather and catching up with friends. This is the end of an era, but what an era it was. Fair winds and following seas to Joël Le Bigot.

Ukraine

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Madam Speaker, I asked Yuliia, a 24-year-old intern from Ukraine, to describe Putin's brutal war in her own words. This is what she wrote, “Imagine it's Wednesday night. You set your alarm for 6:00 a.m., but it never goes off. Instead, your world is shattered by the deafening sounds of explosions. You're not sure what's going on. Your phone incessantly beeps with notifications. The war has started. Death steals your mind. Adrenaline fills you. You grab your passport, stuff your life into a backpack and try to escape. It takes six hours. You have no destination. Everything has been bombed. Friends text, 'Russians are entering the town, shooting civilians, looting apartments, stealing your life's belongings and sending them back to Russia.' Air sirens wail constantly as you read heartbreaking stories: A six-year-old boy's hair turning grey as he watches his mom being raped, a mom and daughter tied to a mine that exploded, a missile launched at a maternity hospital.”

Plain and simple, the Liberals need to stop sending their officials to drink champagne and eat caviar with Russian officials and do more to help Ukrainians.

Chief Science Advisor’s Youth Council

[Andy Fillmore, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

Madam Speaker, this week the youth council of Canada's chief science advisor, Dr. Mona Nemer, is in Ottawa. I had the great privilege of speaking with the council yesterday as part of its meetings in the capital. I was deeply impressed by the diversity of its members' fields and backgrounds, from oceans to aerospace and everything in between. I was also moved by their brilliance, their probing and smart questions, their passionate and advocacy for their research, and their curiosity with respect to the intersection of science and politics. Dr. Nemer has tasked the youth council with writing a report on the future of science in Canada, and its meetings this week with government representatives and members of Ottawa's science policy community will inform its work.

One thing is clear to me. With these young people at the forefront of research and discovery in Canada, the future of science in our country knows no bounds. I would like to invite all members to join me in congratulating the chief science advisor's youth council on its successful trip to Ottawa and in thanking it for its excellent contributions to science in Canada, both those of today and those to come.

Passports

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

Madam Speaker, Canadians continue to have to pay Service Canada for expedited passports, despite the minister assuring this House that this would not be the case. Half the time, they are not even getting the enhanced service they are being forced to pay for. This directive first came out weeks ago, yet it is still not being implemented.

If the minister’s department does not respect her enough to follow her directives, how does she ever expect to clear the backlog?

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

Madam Speaker, as the hon. member and many Canadians know, after two years of travel restrictions in this pandemic there is an unprecedented backlog of applications both in Canada and around the world. This has led to delays in processing and issuance, but the minister has been adamant with the department to address the situation and improve service and we continue to do so on a day-to-day basis because the situation is not acceptable. Canadians need their documents. We will keep Canadians informed about additional measures as we take them, and encourage people to plan ahead to ensure they have passports planned before booking. I would like to also emphasize that those who—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for Red Deer—Lacombe has the floor.

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

Madam Speaker, Passport Canada’s narrow definition of “need” for expediting a passport is very troublesome.

If people have an upcoming ticket to Disney World, they can get an expedited passport. If they are pleading to expedite their passport so they can fly to say goodbye to their dying parent or go to Europe to help their scared, elderly mother escape from Ukraine, that is not really an urgent need according to Passport Canada.

If the minister cannot be competent, can she at least try to be compassionate?

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

Madam Speaker, I would like to be clear that those clients and Canadians who need to travel for humanitarian reasons or other compassionate purposes, such as critical illness or other emergencies including the death of another person, can obtain a passport within two business days with proof of travel or need. This standard is being pressed upon and upheld from coast to coast to coast at every Passport Canada counter across the country.

Taxation

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Madam Speaker, yesterday in Toronto, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance was supposed to make an announcement that would give Canadians some relief from inflation. Unfortunately, once again, the Minister of Finance showed that she is completely out of touch with the reality all Canadians are facing. There was no announcement at all, just more rehashing of the same Liberal talking points.

Here is a simple question for the government: Why is the Liberal government refusing to give Canadian families a break by lowering taxes?

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, the answer is very simple. We lowered taxes for the middle class, and the Conservatives voted against it. It is unacceptable that today the Conservatives are asking us to do something they refused to do a few years ago.

Yesterday, the Deputy Prime Minister announced our plan to support Canadians during this time of inflation and rising costs of living. It is a serious plan. The Conservatives have no suggestions.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Madam Speaker, every Canadian knows that on April 1, this government increased the Liberal carbon tax. Writing in Le Journal de Québec and Le Journal de Montréal today, Loïc Tassé was blunt but truthful.

He wrote that all these measures by the Liberal government will not fight inflation. On the contrary, they will accelerate it. He asks: “What magical world is she living in?”

The problem is that while the minister is living in her magical world, Canadians are living in the Liberal government's Canada, where taxes are spiralling. Why is the government refusing to lower taxes for all Canadians?

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

Madam Speaker, in his question, my colleague talked about carbon pricing. I would like to begin by reminding him that federal carbon pricing does not apply in Quebec because Quebec has its own cap-and-trade system.

Second, in provinces where carbon pricing is in effect, people get more back from the system than they put into it. In Ontario, families will get $745 this year. In Manitoba, they will get $830. In Saskatchewan, they will get $1,100, and in Alberta, they will get $1,080. Canadians are better off with the pollution pricing system.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Madam Speaker, it is always a treat when the founder of Équiterre, who is currently being sued by Équiterre, is in teacher mode.

The fact is, countries such as Germany, England, Australia, South Korea and the United States have taken steps to lower taxes, especially those that affect the price of gas, which affects everyone, particularly when it is time to buy groceries.

Groceries need to be transported. That takes gas, which means taxes are rolled into prices. Why is the government refusing to lower taxes?

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Madam Speaker, honestly, it is such a shame that one of our colleagues from Quebec is arguing favour of cutting taxes for oil companies when we know we are facing a climate crisis here in Canada and around the world.

We will end up paying a lot more if we do not tackle the climate crisis right now. That is what we this side of the House are doing.

Official Languages

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

Madam Speaker, Quebec's minister of the French language, Simon Jolin‑Barrette, has been invited to address the Académie française. He will head to Paris to explain to “the immortals”, who have been defending the French language for 400 years, how Quebec plans to protect its national language.

The Minister of Official Languages has also introduced a bill that is supposed to protect the future of French. Has she also been invited to address the Académie française?

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

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her question.

We recognize that French is in decline in North America and that French is in decline in Canada. That is why we went ahead with a much more robust version of the bill, to ensure that we can address this situation.

I want to once again extend an invitation to the opposition members, especially the Bloc Québécois, to work with us because we do share a common objective, which is to ensure that we are doing everything we can to protect the beautiful French language.

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

Madam Speaker, I will take that as a no. It is probably because Bill C‑13 does not really protect French in Quebec. It protects institutional bilingualism, which results in the anglicization of workplaces and reduces the perception of the importance of being fluent in French in Quebec. Bill C‑13 does not recognize that French is the only official language that requires protection in light of the predominance of English in North America.

Is it possible that the Académie française did not invite the Minister of Official Languages because Bill C‑13 lacks vision?

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

Madam Speaker, very briefly, it is clear that the member opposite has not read Bill C‑13, because the opposite is true.

I really believe that the Bloc Québécois is misleading Canadians. We have moved forward with a new bill to ensure that all federally regulated private businesses are subject to this new law, that workers can work in French and that clients can be served in French, and also that they live in French in their community.

Once again, I would like to make sure that the members of the opposition will work with the government to pass this bill as quickly as possible.

The Economy

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Madam Speaker, hard-working Canadians are getting crushed by the rising cost of living. People across the country can barely afford the gas to drive to work or to get groceries.

Yesterday, the government had a chance to finally give them a helping hand. Instead, the Deputy Prime Minister was on Bay Street, reassuring the richest 1% that the Liberals would not tax record oil and gas profits or give Canadians the help they need right now.

What will it take for the government to stop making re-announcements and finally stand up for working class Canadians getting gouged at the pumps?