Debates of Dec. 6th, 2023

Committees of the House

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I request a recorded vote.

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

Vote #476

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

I declare the motion carried.

The House resumed from December 5 consideration of the motion and of the amendment.

Reference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs

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

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the amendment by the hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable in relation to the privilege motion.

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

Vote #477

Privilege

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

I declare the amendment carried.

The House resumed from November 29 consideration of the motion that Bill C-322, An Act to develop a national framework to establish a school food program, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

National Framework for a School Food Program Act

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

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at second reading stage of Bill C-322.

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

Vote #478

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

I declare the motion carried. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

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

The House resumed from December 4 consideration of the motion that Bill C‑295, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, be read the third time and passed.

Criminal Code

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at third reading stage of Bill C‑295 under Private Members' Business.

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

Vote #479

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I declare the motion carried.

(Bill read the third time and passed)

The House resumed from December 5 consideration of the motion that Bill C‑219, An Act to enact the Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights and to make related amendments to other Acts, be read the second time and referred to a committee.

Canadian Environmental Bill of Rights

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at second reading stage of Bill C‑219 under Private Members' Business.

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

Vote #480

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I declare the motion lost.

I wish to inform the House that due to the deferred recorded divisions, Government Orders will be extended by 79 minutes.

It is my duty pursuant to Standing Order 38 to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the hon. member for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, Small Business; the hon. member for Port Moody—Coquitlam, Persons with Disabilities; the hon. member for Elmwood—Transcona, Housing.

Government Response to Petitions

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

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(a), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's responses to four petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.

École polytechnique de Montréal

[Marci Ien, Liberal, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth]

Madam Speaker, 34 years ago, a horrific act of gender-based violence shocked and devastated our country. On December 6, 1989, a man walked into a classroom at École polytechnique de Montréal, separated the women from the men and opened fire on the women.

Fourteen young women lost their lives that day, and 13 others were injured.

This is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.

We remember the lives lost by saying their names: Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault, Annie Turcotte and Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz.

These 14 brilliant lives were tragically cut short. They were students, daughters, sisters and friends. One was an athlete, another a musician. One spoke five languages. Another wanted to be an engineer just like her dad.

Who could they have become? How might they have changed the world? We will never know. This tragedy was a wake-up call when it happened and remains a reminder of the violent consequences of unchecked misogyny.

Today and throughout the 16 days of activism against gender-based violence, we acknowledge that the sexism and hatred that motivated the tragedy at Polytechnique Montréal remains a very real threat for women in Canada, with more than 6.2 million women in Canada age 15 and older having experienced some form of intimate partner violence in their lifetime.

In 2021, 173 women and girls were killed violently in Canada. That is one woman every two days.

This violence has a direct impact on our health, social and justice systems.

It costs the Canadian economy billions of dollars every year.

While anyone can be impacted by this violence, we know that people with intersectional identities suffer the most. This includes indigenous peoples, Black and racialized women, immigrant and refugee women, 2SLGBTQI+ people, women living in northern, rural and remote communities and people with disabilities.

We know that this issue is deeply rooted in our society and requires a coordinated response, which is why I worked with governments from every province and every territory to launch the national action plan to end gender-based violence last year. Since the launch of the plan, we have been able to sign 10 agreements, alongside provinces and territories, to get this funding to people working on the front lines, to help women and children fleeing violence and to prevent violence from happening in the first place.

We have been able to get these agreements signed quickly because we are all unified and focused on eliminating gender-based violence from our communities, our schools, our workplaces and our country.

We must prevent tragedies like the one at Montreal's École Polytechnique by listening to survivors and experts.

We need to learn more about gender-based violence and take action to end it. That action must include men and boys as part of the solution and making sure that we break intergenerational cycles of violence. Gender-based violence is not a women's issue. It is a societal issue that we must all stand against.

I look forward to seeing members at the Centennial Flame for a moment of silence later today.

[Dominique Vien, Conservative, Bellechasse—Les Etchemins—Lévis, QC]

Madam Speaker, I thank the minister for her inspiring speech.

On December 6, 1989, 14 female students were killed at Montreal's École Polytechnique. As they were excitedly preparing for their final exams and the holiday celebrations that were fast approaching, the unthinkable happened.

These women, Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne‑Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Barbara Klucznik‑Widajewicz, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne‑Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St‑Arneault and Annie Turcotte, were murdered because they were women. How unspeakably cruel and horrible it is to think that a woman could suffer this fate just for being a woman.

The murders shocked the nation and led Parliament to designate December 6, which we are marking today, as the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. I was especially shaken by this tragedy. Those women were the same age as me. They were at school. They had dreams. They had ambitions. All of that was destroyed forever. Their journey ended, and mine goes on. They are always in my thoughts.

Today, we pay tribute to these women. We also pay tribute to the women in Canada and around the world who have been, and continue to be, victims of hate and violence in all its forms. Thirty-four years later, this day is still necessary. Unfortunately, intimate partner violence, sexual assault and misogynistic rhetoric remain a fact of life.

All of us have a role to play in eliminating these horrors. Everyone must work together, including the various police forces, municipalities, social services and, of course, all parliamentarians.

I would like to acknowledge my colleagues on the Standing Committee on the Status of Women. These members, several women and one man, are accomplishing amazing work. We are fortunate to have an outstanding chair in the member for Elgin—Middlesex—London. Together, we are pulling in the same direction, as we work for women.

In committee, we have conducted difficult studies on violence against indigenous girls and women. Some courageous survivors came to share their painful experiences with us. Our various recommendations to the government reflect their moving pleas. We owe it to them to continue our work.

It is also important for people to be aware of the resources available to help victims escape violence. Help is out there. In Quebec, the toll-free hotline SOS Violence Conjugale receives more than 25,000 calls a year. Its staff are there to provide information, guidance and support to women who are victims of violence and, of course, to their loved ones. Hundreds of centres and shelters are ready to take in women. I would like to acknowledge two organizations in my community, the Centre-Femmes de Bellechasse and Jonction pour Elle. I want them to know that their work is very valuable.

As the minister pointed out, education is a key part of the solution. Respect must be integrated and learned from a very young age. Everyone must understand that violence is never the answer. In an ideal world, women would be completely free, free from all fear and free from all violence. Women should not have to walk the streets in a state of hyper-vigilance, as we all too often do. They should be able to trust people and develop healthy, respectful relationships.

Today we remember the victims of École Polytechnique, but women are making progress. Montreal's École Polytechnique got its very first female president in 2022, and two women have been appointed to lead two of McGill University's most prestigious faculties, specifically medicine and engineering.

In their minds, they hold the memory of the victims, of course, but they also have hope. We have come a long way since that fateful day in 1989, but let us be clear: We still have a long way to go. Let us keep on working for these 14 brilliant young women.

We remember them.

[Andréanne Larouche, Bloc, Shefford, QC]

Madam Speaker, Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne‑Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Barbara Klucznik‑Widajewicz, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne‑Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St‑Arneault and Annie Turcotte. Year after year, we insist on repeating those names. We keep saying that we have not forgotten them, but that is not true. We have forgotten those women.

The sound of the sirens on that December day has faded away, and with the passing of time, so have the faces of the Polytechnique women. We rise in the House on December 6, and we are moved as we take turns delivering our liturgy of speeches. December 6 should not be a necessary step, speeches, a candlelight vigil and then nothing until next year comes. Time is a thief and we cannot mourn forever, keeping the sadness and anger inside. Time erases them. It rips them away from us, and we move on to something else.

Would these women, who were murdered because they were women, be any safer today? Are the speeches we are giving right now helping to stop this from happening again, and is this helping give us peace of mind?

What have we done and what are we doing, as elected officials, to ensure that Polytechnique never happens again? A gun registry that was torn up at the first opportunity? A mandatory buyback program for assault weapons that is being postponed until 2025, when we know, or at least suspect, that the Conservatives will be the ones in charge of implementing it? We know what they will do with that program.

The most beautiful speeches in the world will not have as much impact as real action. We want to commemorate Polytechnique and push ourselves to remember the women we lost so cruelly on December 6, 1989, but what are we actually doing? What am I doing to honour their memory? Have we made the best use of the tools democracy has given us to better protect women?

I am far from certain of it. There has been a sharp increase in femicide. In 2022, it was up 20% from the year before. A woman was killed every two days: 184 femicides. It is not slowing down. The Polytechnique tragedy continues. There is not just one killer, but many. The victims are not grouped together, they are isolated, over and over again. What are we doing to stop the cycle of violence? Are we doing enough to ensure that a woman is not killed simply because she is a woman?

The mandatory buyback of assault-style weapons is not a panacea and this Parliament cannot do everything. We must count on everyone. We must count on the federal government. We must count on the governments of Quebec, the provinces and the territories. We must count on the municipalities, community organizations, police, education in our families. We must count on women and we must count on men. Whenever something can be done, we must do it. It takes a will and courage.

Today is December 6, 2023. Thirty-four years ago, a man walked into a school and entered a classroom. He lined women up against a wall and then shot them at point-blank range. He did this because they were women, women with ambitions, dreams and talents, women with lives. All of that was ripped away from them. They were ripped away from us. We will remember them.

We say their names so that they will never truly die, so that we can keep them with us in our hearts. They are Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne‑Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Barbara Klucznik‑Widajewicz, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne‑Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St‑Arneault and Annie Turcotte.

This must never become a routine or a habit. These women do not deserve to die a second time. Let us keep their memory alive in our hearts. Let us keep the fires of their memory burning bright so that these women, their names and their deaths act as a catalyst, driving us to take action and to do more to combat violence against women. If we succeed in making progress in the fight against violence, if misogyny subsides and if femicides go down, then we will also owe that to these women.

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Madam Speaker, I too would like to rise today and honour the memory of the 14 women who were murdered 34 years ago at École polytechnique de Montréal. These women, studying to become engineers, were trailblazers in a male-dominated field. They were going to change the world. They were going to build, create and inspire other women to follow in their footsteps, but they did not have the chance. Their lives were cut short by an act of unspeakable misogynistic violence. I too want to say their names as my colleagues have here today, because this provides that memory with power in this place.

Today we remember Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne‑Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne‑Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St‑Arneault, Annie Turcotte and Barbara Klucznik‑Widajewicz. We will remember them.

These women were killed because they were women. They were killed by a man who was consumed by hate. He shouted, “You're all a bunch of feminists, and I hate feminists”. Then he opened fire in a classroom.

It is just as true now as it was then that hate kills. Gendered violence is still a clear and present danger to the safety of women, girls and gender-diverse people; moreover, that violence is rising. In the last year alone, three women in my city of London, Ontario, have been killed by the men in their lives. We lost Carolyn Carter, Caitlin Jennings and Tiffany Gates to femicide. Across Ontario, 62 women and gender-diverse individuals were killed by a man in their life. Anova's emergency shelter for abused women and their children in London has helped 342 women in our city this year, but the shelter was forced to turn people away more than 2,400 times because of a lack of beds.

The experience is the same for so many organizations fighting on the front lines against gender-based violence. The London Abused Women's Centre, Le carrefour des femmes, Atlohsa and My Sister's Place are all seeing a rise in demand for the support and services they provide. The people who work in these organizations are incredible. They are doing everything they can to save people's lives. Of course, that rise in demand is not just happening in London, Ontario. Across Canada, more than four in 10 women have experienced intimate partner violence and a woman or girl is killed every 48 hours.

Yesterday, we received new numbers from Stats Can showing that more women have faced sexual violence and gender-based violence in the military. After years of repeated promises for systemic change and an overhaul of the toxic culture, after so many false starts from senior leadership in terms of making those reforms, the sexual misconduct crisis is only growing.

In this country, there is a hard truth that, if I went missing, it would mean something different than it would if an indigenous woman or girl went missing. In Canada, indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people are 12 times more likely to be murdered or go missing compared with any other woman in Canada. It is important that we take today to remember the victims of violence against women, but that is not enough. Year after year, government after government has kept women waiting on action for systemic injustices.

There are real, tangible solutions that we can take up in this chamber to support women. Today is a day for us all to find the political courage to act. My colleague spoke about that action that we need to see now. It is possible. We hold that position here today. We have bills from my NDP colleagues, such as Bill C-332, to criminalize coercive and controlling behaviour, from the member for Victoria. Over 95% of victims of intimate partner violence report coercive behaviour and control as a precursor to physical violence. We can take a meaningful step towards ending femicide with this bill by allowing women to speak out early.

On other important changes, I have two bills, Bill C-362 and Bill C-363, that would give women in the military access to justice. Since Justice Arbour's recommendations came forward, we have heard from every party in the chamber that members want to end the rampant abuse and cover-ups that protect perpetrators and hurt survivors of military sexual trauma. We can come together and pass all of these bills.

Finally, in the spring, we unanimously passed the motion from my colleague, the member for Winnipeg Centre, to create a red dress alert system to find and protect indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people. We can act to create that system.

On this National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women, I hope we all reflect on the actions we can take and the responsibility we have as parliamentarians. We must renew our efforts to end gender-based violence with the urgency it requires and demands.

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Madam Speaker, I ask for the consent of the House to speak.