Debates of Oct. 4th, 2023

Government Operations and Estimates

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 11th report of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, also known as the mighty OGGO, entitled “Travel Expenditures Related to the Office of the Governor General's Secretary since 2014”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to present a supplementary report to the report from the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates.

This supplementary report is the result of an unwillingness by the Liberal-NDP coalition to take firm action to rein in the outrageous spending by the Office of the Governor General, which demonstrates a callous disrespect for Canadian taxpayers through lavish spending on catering and clothing. It is timely given the news today that the Office of the Governor General has spent $117,000 in dry cleaning since 2018. This should not be allowed to continue, let alone softly approved by a lack of action to end it.

The trust of Canadians must be restored in the role of the Governor General. The best way to do that is to take strong measures to address this overspending at the expense of Canadian taxpayers. That is why Conservatives are recommending the following: reforming the Governor General's pension to match the pension of an MP, as former governors general receive a pension of roughly $150,000 per year regardless of the length of time in office; ending the clothing allowance; ending the expense account for former governors general; and legislating a requirement for the Office of the Governor General to publish on its website an annual report on its activities, including its financial statements, similar to that of the Office of the Official Secretary to the Governor-General of Australia.

The government must act to restore Canadians' trust in the institution of the Office of the Governor General.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to table a dissenting opinion concerning the Governor General's expenses.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

All those opposed to the hon. member's request will please say nay.

It is agreed.

The hon. member.

[Julie Vignola, Bloc, Beauport—Limoilou, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to table a dissenting report on the Governor General's expenses. The recommendations in the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates' report are adequate, but they do not address the core of the problem or fix the root cause, in other words, the very role and function of the Governor General. In my dissenting report, I therefore propose to remedy the problem directly by calling on the federal government to abolish the position of Governor General.

Excise Tax Act

[Alex Ruff, Conservative, Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-358, an act to amend the Excise Tax Act (carbon pollution pricing).

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to introduce my first private member's bill today. This bill, an act to amend the Excise Tax Act, is quite simple in its objective. This is to remove the GST from the carbon tax. Removing a tax from a tax is just common sense.

While many Canadians would prefer to axe the carbon tax altogether, this is a common-sense interim measure to provide relief to millions of Canadians while we await a future Conservative government. With the carbon tax set to increase over the coming years, the GST collected on such a tax will increase with it. Given the current inflationary environment that is driving up the costs of everyday goods, there is no need for Canadians to be paying a tax on a tax.

I encourage members from all parties to support the swift passage of this common-sense bill to make life more affordable for all Canadians.

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

Plastic Waste

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise on behalf of residents of Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon who are frustrated with Canada's handling of plastic waste. In 2020, the member for York—Simcoe tabled Bill C-204, which was passed by the House but died on the Order Paper when the last Parliament was dissolved. The bill would have banned the export of plastic waste for final disposal, but the Liberals prevented it from passing.

My constituents are calling upon the Government of Canada to toughen penalties for those who violate international laws on waste exports and to enact a ban on the export of plastic waste for final disposal. It is time for the Liberals to stop talking about protecting our environment and start doing something about it.

Falun Gong

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

Mr. Speaker, this is my first opportunity to rise in the House since your election; congratulations to you.

I have two petitions to present today. The first is from members of my community who are part of the Falun Gong community; they are bringing three asks to the attention of the government specifically. The first is that a resolution is passed to establish measures to stop the Chinese Communist regime from systematically murdering Falun Gong practitioners for their organs. The second is to amend Canadian legislation to combat forced organ harvesting. The third is to publicly call for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong in China.

Climate Change

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

Mr. Speaker, the second petition I have also comes from members in my community. They draw to the attention of the government that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has warned us repeatedly of rising temperatures over the next two decades.

The petitioners indicate that we, as Canadians, are certainly feeling the impacts of climate change, including increased flooding, wildfires and extreme temperatures. They also draw to the House's attention that addressing the climate crisis requires drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and, in 2021, the federal government committed to cap and cut emissions from the oil and gas sector to achieve net zero by 2050.

They call on the government to move forward immediately with bold emissions caps for the oil and gas sector that are comprehensive in scope and realistic in achieving the necessary targets that Canada has set to reduce emissions by 2030.

Autonomous Weapons Systems

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

Mr. Speaker, it is my first opportunity to address you as Speaker. I send my heartfelt congratulations. I also congratulate you on your immediate approach just moments ago in getting through question period. I think your car is not yet dented.

The petition I am presenting today is about something I have not presented a petition on before. It is of real concern to residents of Saanich—Gulf Islands. There is a citizen campaign, and the short form of it is called “Stop Killer Robots”. Some may think it is not a real threat.

The petitioners point out that autonomous weapons systems, essentially using artificial intelligence to direct lethal weapons, are a growing concern—

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. We cannot see the member who is speaking.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I would ask the hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands to restart about a third of the way through her petition.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague; it is nice to be seen, as well as heard, in this place.

The petition deals with a subject that I do not think has come up in this place before. It is the threat of autonomous weapons systems, or in other words, using artificial intelligence to direct weapons of war and using sensors more than human control.

The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to engage meaningfully in prohibiting the domestic development, importation and use of autonomous weapons systems, as well as those that do not allow for meaningful human control.

The petitioners ask the government to take an active leadership role in developing international rules and protocols, through the offices of the United Nations General Assembly, to block the use of what are called, colloquially, killer robots.

Pakistan

[Michael Kram, Conservative, Regina—Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate you on your new role.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to present e-petition 4547 to the House of Commons. This petition was initiated by Regina resident Khurrum Awan, and it has been signed by residents across the country.

The petition is regarding reports of politically motivated acts of violence in Pakistan following the arrest of former Pakistani prime minister, Imran Khan, and the postponement of general elections in that country, in violation of the country's constitution.

The petitioners call on the House of Commons' Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development to explore the feasibility of imposing Magnitsky sanctions on members of the Pakistani military responsible for the violence.

The petitioners also call on the government to pressure the International Monetary Fund to make any loans to the Pakistani regime conditional on hosting free and fair elections.

I am pleased to have the opportunity to present this petition today in the House of Commons.

Health

[Rob Morrison, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.

I rise today in support of not only Brooke from Nelson but also people from Kootenay—Columbia, Oshawa and across Canada. I present a petition with hundreds of signatures on proposed changes to natural health product regulations that the NDP-Liberal government have proposed to Health Canada.

We rely on health products every day as part of our proactive health care. Health Canada is proposing significant fees for importing, manufacturing and selling NHPs, as well as new labelling laws. This over-regulation would force people to seek products online and outside of Canada.

I stand with and support the natural health product industry and call on the Minister of Health to work with the industry to embrace modern labelling and cost recovery rates to reflect the scope of the industry.

Cannabis Farming Emissions

[Rob Morrison, Conservative, Kootenay—Columbia, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition from the residents of Parsons, British Columbia. Citizens from Parsons and across Canada call upon the government to include outdoor cannabis farming emissions as part of the 2023 Cannabis Act review and to require Health Canada to set rules for emission controls for outdoor cannabis farming.

Firearms

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate you as well.

In my first petition, the individuals are recognizing the importance of owning firearms, and they are concerned about the impacts of hearing loss caused by the damaging noise levels of firearms and the need for noise reduction. These folks acknowledge that sound moderators are the only universally recognized health and safety device that is actually criminally prohibited in Canada. Moreover, the majority of G7 countries have recognized the health and safety benefits of sound moderators, allowing them for hunting, sport shooting and reducing noise pollution. The petitioners are calling on the government to allow legal firearms owners the option to purchase and use sound moderators for all legal hunting and sport shooting activities.

I have another petition on firearms, and I have two more as well, so I will be concise.

I think this bears being repeated. The undersigned citizens and residents of Canada call upon the Government of Canada to cancel its plans to confiscate the firearms of law-abiding farmers, hunters and indigenous peoples and, instead, introduce common-sense firearms policies that keep guns out of the hands of dangerous criminals.

Criminal Code

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I have an e-petition presented by a victim of violence. His name is Jeff Durham, and he lost his wife and daughter. He was able to gain over 500 signatures.

It is well established that the risk of violence against women increases when they are pregnant. Currently, a woman's pregnancy is not an aggravating factor for sentencing purposes in the Criminal Code of Canada. Addressing this legal void through sentencing that considers the vulnerable state of the pregnant woman is necessary in denouncing such crimes, and having appropriate sentences when violent crimes are committed against pregnant women is imperative to protecting their reproductive choice to have a child. The sentence should match the crime. As such, the undersigned citizens of Canada call upon the House of Commons to legislate the abuse of a pregnant woman and the infliction of harm on her child as an aggravating circumstance for sentencing purposes within the Criminal Code.

Charitable Organizations

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, if you will indulge me, there is one more quick petition, and it is in regard to the protection of charities.

The Liberal Party of Canada was elected on a promise to revoke charitable status for pro-life organizations, such as Crisis Pregnancy Centre, which counsels young women and saves countless lives every year. Revoking the charitable status of pro-life organizations is a first step toward even more tyrannical measures to eradicate the values and principles of Canadians and includes churches, which may be next.

Revoking the charitable status of pro-life organizations will result in an explosion in the number of abortions committed in Canada each year. Therefore, the undersigned hereby call upon members of Parliament to do everything in their power to prevent, block, organize against and vote against any effort by the government to revoke the charitable status of pro-life organizations in Canada.

Iran

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am here to present a petition on behalf of the Iranian community, which is still grieving from the hurt and pain caused by the brutal attack on flight PS752.

The victims of flight 752, their families and thousands of brave protesters in Iran, who continue to fight for freedom from the oppressive grip of the Iranian regime, deserve answers. It has been over three years now, and it is the responsibility of the current Canadian government to uphold justice, do its job and immediately undertake an independent criminal investigation into this attack.

Public Safety

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate you on your appointment.

I rise for the 13th time on behalf of the people of Swan River, Manitoba, to present a petition on the rising rate of crime. Swan River and its people have been let down by the Liberal government, which has allowed crime to spiral out of control. Residents no longer feel comfortable walking outside at night, and for businesses, theft has become all too common. Members of this community told me how unsafe they feel, since crime has taken its toll on what was once a safe and welcoming community.

The people of Swan River demand that the Liberal government repeal its soft-on-crime policies, which directly threaten their livelihoods and their community. I support the good people of Swan River.

Pilot Licences

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

Mr. Speaker, I have a number of petitions to present today.

The first petition I am presenting is on behalf of Canadian pilots, folks who are in training for their pilot licence. They are concerned about the fact they are having difficulty getting their licence as Transport Canada and Nav Canada have been less than helpful in scheduling these tests. They have been prevented from taking their examinations and receiving their certification. They note that schools across Canada are open and operating safely, but Transport Canada and Nav Canada are not putting forward solutions that allow them to take their exams in a timely fashion.

The petitioners are asking the government to open these offices and create other facilities or mechanisms so students can write their exams and be able to receive their commercial pilot licence in a timely manner.

Firearms

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

Mr. Speaker, the next petition is from Canadians from across the country who are concerned about the health and safety of Canadian firearms owners. They recognize the importance to our Canadian society of owning firearms, but are concerned about the impacts of hearing loss caused from the damaging noise levels from the use of these firearms.

These petitioners acknowledge sound moderators are a universally accepted health and safety device, but they note that the device is criminally prohibited here in Canada. They also note we are the only G7 country that has not recognized the health and safety benefits of these devices. Allowing them for hunting, sport shooting and reducing noise pollution is something all our peer countries do but is illegal in Canada.

Therefore, the petitioners call on the Canadian government to legalize the option to purchase and use sound moderators for all legal hunting and sport shooting activities.

Human Rights

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

Mr. Speaker, the next petition comes from Canadians from across the country who are concerned about how Turkish, Pakistani and Bahraini officials have committed human rights abuses against thousands of Turks and Turkish Canadians, particularly eight current Turkish Canadians.

They are responsible for causing wrongful detentions of over 300,000 people around the world. Petitioners are calling on the Canadian government to closely monitor the human rights situation in Turkey and place sanctions on 12 Turkish officials who are responsible for these human rights violations against these current Canadians and the death of their friend Gokhan Acikkollu. They also call on the Turkish, Pakistani and Bahraini governments to end these violations in their countries.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Terry Duguid, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Special Advisor for Water]

Mr. Speaker, like my colleagues, I would like to congratulate you on your historic election as Speaker.

I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.