Debates of June 8th, 2022

Public Safety

[Brenda Shanahan, Liberal, Châteauguay—Lacolle, QC]

Mr. Speaker, indigenous peoples and first nations organizations have long been calling for police reform. Security and protection are essential services. It is time for indigenous police forces to be considered as equally essential. Indigenous groups have been very clear about wanting a law that recognizes, funds and prioritizes first nations police services.

How is this government supporting culturally sensitive first nations police forces and recognizing the essential role they play on the pathway to reconciliation?

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, to begin, I want to thank my colleague for all of her hard work.

Protecting indigenous communities through well-funded, culturally sensitive indigenous police services is a top priority and vital to our commitment to walk the pathway to truth and reconciliation. We understand the importance of recognizing indigenous police services as an essential service, which is why our government is imminently launching a public engagement process to develop legislation.

In consultation with indigenous groups, provinces and territories, we will work to further protect indigenous communities all across Canada. We will do this work because it is in response to the calls to justice and the calls to action and because it is the right thing to do.

Health

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the 83-year-old father of my constituent was deported from Canada because of the government's draconian mandates. He arrived in Canada, and despite being doubly vaccinated, one of the vaccines he had was not approved. He co-operated and got the Pfizer shot. That did not help. After being held three days, he was sent back to Venezuela to return after a two-week quarantine. This involved unnecessary stress, extra expenses and zero common sense.

Will the minister apologize for the appalling treatment of this family?

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

Mr. Speaker, back in 2020, the Conservatives claimed that we would not have enough vaccines for all Canadians, but let me be clear that Canada has sufficient supply to ensure all eligible Canadians are protected for primary, series, boosters and pediatrics. On this side of the House, our government will continue to make sure we are putting the health and safety of Canadians first because nobody wants another wave of this COVID-19 pandemic.

The member opposite raised a particular case. If he would like to discuss it personally, I would be happy to accept a call or an email anytime.

Housing

[Scott Aitchison, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is in a housing crisis. Too many families are unable to find a safe roof over their heads and many young Canadians are just being forced to give up on the dream of ever even owning a home. There is a simple solution, though. It is to build more houses and increase the housing supply. All we see the government do is pose for photo ops at spending announcements, but there is a curious lack of ribbon cuttings.

My question is simple: When is the government going to get off the sidelines, demonstrate leadership to end exclusionary zoning and say yes to building more homes for Canadians?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion]

Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt in saying they are facing a crisis of leadership, because the hon. member fails to mention his very leader refuses to help municipalities with supply. His member for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon says that we should step back and not invest in provisional housing programs. He is opposed, on the record, to the foreign ban of Canadian residential real estate and has opposed funding for affordable housing for indigenous peoples. It is all rhetoric and more rhetoric.

[Scott Aitchison, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there it is once again: more rhetoric, more talk, but no real action. If announcing billions of dollars could solve this problem, we would have a housing surplus in this country right now. In fact, the number of houses per 1,000 Canadians has gone down dramatically since 2016 under this government's watch.

Again I ask the minister: When is the government finally going to have the courage to do what is right and commit to working with provincial governments and municipalities to end exclusionary zoning and fix this crisis?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion]

Mr. Speaker, we are doing exactly that through the housing accelerator fund. The housing accelerator fund is all about supply, supply, supply, but they are on record as opposing the housing accelerator fund—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Parry Sound—Muskoka asked a question and he wants to hear the answer, I am sure. I would ask members to keep it down.

The hon. minister, from the top, please.

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, York South—Weston, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should speak to his leader, who has trashed the housing accelerator fund, which is all about supply. His colleagues from Calgary Centre, Edmonton Riverbend, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon and Central Okanagan—Similkameen—Nicola have all said contradictory things about housing supply, about support for first-time homebuyers, about building more affordable housing in this country. They have no shame.

Families, Children and Social Development

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as someone who spent years working with social purpose organizations, I have seen first-hand how social innovation and social finance are catalysts for positive change. Big challenges like climate change, energy security, poverty, systemic racism, food insecurity, housing affordability, reconciliation and more can all be addressed by harnessing the ingenuity of our social innovators and our social entrepreneurs. That is why I am proud of the work that our government is doing to implement Canada's first social innovation and social finance strategy, which will drive economic growth, build more inclusive communities and help transition to a low-carbon economy.

Can the minister update the House on the progress our government is making on building a stronger social innovation and social finance ecosystem?

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

Could I have everyone's attention, please? Can I continue?

Before the minister answers the question, I want to remind hon. members that when they are referring to someone, to please refer to them by their title or the riding they represent and not by their first name. Mocking someone in the House, regardless of what side members are on, is not an example we want to set for our children, who are watching today and wondering what is going on. I want everyone to reflect on what they are saying, please.

The hon. minister.

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, let me start by thanking the member for Whitby, who is the hardest-working member in this House when it comes to social finance.

Social purpose organizations like charities and non-profits play a key role in addressing complex social and environmental issues. They are more important than ever, as many of these issues have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. That is why we launched the renewed investment readiness program in the summer of 2021, which will provide another $50 million to continue to support social purpose organizations in building capacity and increasing their investment readiness. This will also help the social purpose organizations take advantage of the $755-million social finance fund.

I thank the member for Whitby for his excellent work.

Persons with Disabilities

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, people with disabilities are relying on the government to fast track a Canada disability benefit to deliver support without delay. After years of a pandemic, the skyrocketing cost of living is leaving people with disabilities behind. We know emergency COVID payments reached less than one-third of these Canadians because the data was not available. That is unacceptable.

Will the minister fix this problem immediately to make sure no one living with a disability is left out of needed income supports ever again?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, since 2015, our government has taken bold action to help persons with disabilities find and maintain employment and make Canada more inclusive. We have made significant progress, but persons with disabilities still face serious barriers in this country.

That is why we are introducing the historic Canada disability benefit, which is an income supplement for working-age Canadians with disabilities. Details of the CDB, including the benefit amount and eligibility criteria, will be informed by ongoing engagement with the community, in the spirit of “nothing without us”.

The Environment

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today is World Oceans Day, and our oceans are in distress. They are getting hotter. Acid levels are rising. Oxygen levels are dropping. The heat absorbed by our oceans due to global warming is equivalent to seven Hiroshima bombs every second of every hour every day.

Approving the TMX pipeline and Bay du Nord just makes matters worse. As it is, net zero by 2050 is not a goal; it is an epitaph.

When will the government take the climate crisis as seriously as the emergency it is?

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I want to remind the member that we do take climate change very seriously. That is why our emissions reduction plan is an ambitious sector-by-sector path for Canada to reach our 2030 emissions reduction targets and go on to net zero by 2050. It has broad support from environmental groups, industry and farmers. It is going to deliver clean air, a healthy environment and a strong economy. That is what Canadians want and that is what we will deliver.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I wish draw the attention of members to the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Murray Rankin, our former colleague and current Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation for British Columbia.

The House resumed from June 1, consideration of the motion that Bill C-248, An Act to amend the Canada National Parks Act (Ojibway National Urban Park of Canada), be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Canada National Parks Act

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

It being 3:22 p.m., pursuant to order made on Thursday, November 25, 2021, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at second reading stage of Bill C-248 under Private Members' Business.

Call in the members.

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

Vote #137

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I declare the motion carried. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development.

(Bill read the second time and referred to a committee)

The House resumed from June 2 consideration of the motion that Bill C-240, An Act to amend the Income Tax Act (donations involving private corporation shares or real estate), be read the second time and referred to a committee.