Debates of Feb. 15th, 2023

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I believe the hon. member for South Okanagan—West Kootenay will be leading us in the singing of the national anthem.

[Members sang the national anthem]

Eva Smith

[Michael Coteau, Liberal, Don Valley East, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure today to rise in the House to speak about an extraordinary Canadian during Black History Month.

Eva Smith was a tireless advocate in my community of Don Valley East and worked so hard to fight for the rights of young people who are homeless. She advocated, and continued to advocate, until, in 1989, she was able to get a homeless shelter built in our community. Through her continued advocacy, which was not very popular at the time, fighting for homeless rights for young people, she continued to build more satellite locations across this city.

I want to take this opportunity to thank the late Eva Smith, an extraordinary Canadian, for the work she did in our community.

Human Trafficking

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

Mr. Speaker, February 22 is Canada's National Human Trafficking Awareness Day.

Human trafficking and modern-day slavery turn people into objects that are used and exploited. It is vicious, profitable and growing in Canada, and it robs people of their God-given dignity and freedom.

In Canada, the vast majority of human trafficking victims are women and girls born right here in Canada, and many are indigenous. However, it does not have to be this way. Working together, we can end it.

I thank the survivors of human trafficking so much, some of whom are in Parliament today, for their courage and their voices, which will lead us to ending human trafficking. I also want to thank the individuals and NGOs who work tirelessly across our country to support survivors and raise awareness.

To my hon. colleagues and to all Canadians, the responsibility to seek justice and end exploitation is on each of us. May we be relentless, courageous and committed as we seek to build a Canada that has zero tolerance for modern slavery and human trafficking.

National Flag of Canada Day

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, happy Flag Day.

Fifty-eight years ago today, our national flag was raised for the first time on Parliament Hill. Then, on February 15, 1996, the National Flag of Canada Day was designated, in large part due to the hard work and advocacy of former member of Parliament, and current resident of Oakville, Jesse Fliss. Mr. Fliss continues to raise awareness about it today.

Our national flag is a cherished symbol that unites all Canadians and reflects the common values we take pride in: equality, freedom and inclusion. Flag Day is an opportunity for all of us to reflect on these values that we hold so dear.

I welcome all residents of Oakville North—Burlington to reach out to my office to receive a complimentary Canadian flag and to share stories about what our Canadian flag means to them.

I thank Mr. Fliss.

Peru

[Nathalie Sinclair-Desgagné, Bloc, Terrebonne, QC]

Mr. Speaker, for over 60 days now, Peru has been in the throes of a major and rather worrisome political crisis. Demonstrations by unions, students and indigenous communities are taking place across the country. Nearly 60 demonstrators have died in clashes with the police. Peruvians' trust in their government has plummeted.

Many highways and airports have closed. We fear a humanitarian crisis if resources can no longer reach their destination. That would also jeopardize historical treasures and world heritage sites, which must be protected.

Given Peru's strategic geographic location and its important commercial ties, it would be a mistake to assume that this is an isolated situation. It will have repercussions on an entire region if the conflict degenerates. We can no longer turn a blind eye.

I call upon Quebec and Canada to send an official mission to Peru to work closely with public stakeholders, using finesse and diplomacy. Let us act now to ensure that order is restored and strengthen our support for the people of Peru.

St. Patrick's Day Parade

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is almost that time of year again, and thanks to the hard work of Jay de la Durantaye, Rob Dumas, Craig Nolan, Ken Bell, Ken Doran and the entire team at the Soulanges Irish Society, our community of Vaudreuil—Soulanges will become Irish for a day at the annual St. Patrick's Day parade through Hudson.

This year, I am truly honoured to lead the parade as grand marshal and to be joining ambassadors Marilyne Picard and Marie-Claude Nichols, Irishman of the year Ken Doran, parade queen Esme Cavanaugh, princesses Shaunessa Boyle and Veronica Gilmore, and reviewing officer Laura Casella in the festive walk along Hudson's historic Main Street.

As always, whether it is to grab a drink at one of our local pubs or microbreweries, fill one's boots at one of Hudson's great restaurants or simply take in all that the parade will have to offer, this is an event not to be missed by young and old alike.

On Saturday, March 18, at 1 p.m., come one, come all to celebrate our rich Irish heritage with some good old Irish hospitality.

Sláinte.

Natural Resources

[Greg McLean, Conservative, Calgary Centre, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this is good news: Tourmaline energy, Canada's largest natural gas producer, has just started delivery of clean Canadian natural gas through pipelines to Chicago, then south to the U.S. gulf coast for delivery to Asian markets, proving to the skeptics that there is a business case for Canadian LNG. Tourmaline should be congratulated for showing the ingenuity to get through the barriers put up by the government to stop Canadian resources' access to world markets.

Eight years ago, there was great promise in building Canada's natural gas export facilities. Eighteen facilities started the process of approval. Only one will be functional in 2025. Meanwhile, our U.S. competitors have built seven facilities in the same time frame. Is it because these Canadian projects do not require government subsidies to get them completed? The Liberals love to fund projects with other people's money.

I congratulate Tourmaline again for exporting clean Canadian resources to an energy-starved world without subsidies.

Orléans Gas Explosion

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Orléans, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on Monday a gas leak caused a major explosion in my community that destroyed four houses in construction and affected more than 45 families. Sadly, 12 people were injured.

I visited the emergency command centre, where I touched base with our local city councillor, Catherine Kitts. The Salvation Army and Red Cross teams were there on site, coordinating temporary accommodation and providing food vouchers for those who have been affected. The Ottawa police and first responders assessed the situation in such a timely manner and did an amazing job with securing the residents who had to evacuate their homes for safety purposes.

I want to thank everyone, all of the police officers, paramedics, firefighters and volunteers, as well as the Minto Group, for their excellent work in informing and supporting the families that cannot return home.

The families can count on my support. I wish them well.

Canada Winter Games

[Heath MacDonald, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Mr. Speaker, as we approach the 2023 Canada Winter Games, I rise to recognize over 5,000 volunteers and organizers who have been hard at work for months and, in some cases, years.

The presence of the games has been felt in P.E.I. for months now, with community torch relays and final touches being put on venues. While Mother Nature has proven difficult at times, organizers have done a great job adapting to the situation and exploring innovative solutions. Island communities look forward to the opportunity to showcase all they have to offer, with over 3,500 athletes and officials descending on P.E.I. next week.

As we move into the weekend and the opening festivities, I want to thank the organizers, volunteers, and municipalities for all their work in making these games happen. To the athletes, I say, play hard, play safe and go P.E.I.

Liberal Party of Canada

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the failed Liberal government, Canadians are hurting. After eight years of its soft-on-crime policies, such as catch-and-release, we have record crime rates.

After eight years, Canadians cannot afford to live. After eight years of the failed carbon tax that punishes anything that moves, we have yet to meet an emissions target. Conservatives will keep the heat on and take the tax off.

After eight years of scandals, Canadians cannot trust the government or the Prime Minister. Why would they? Earlier this week, we caught another Liberal MP breaking ethics laws. After eight years of Liberal friends and insiders getting rich, Canadians have had enough.

When will the Prime Minister take responsibility for what he broke and get out of the way so we can fix his mess?

Women's Heart Health

[Hedy Fry, Liberal, Vancouver Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, February is Heart Month, and yesterday was Valentine's Day. What better time to discuss a matter near and dear to my heart, women's cardiac health?

Forty per cent of Canadians are unaware that heart disease and stroke are the leading cause of premature death in women. In fact, only 11% of women can tell if they have had a heart attack. Most cardiac research is about men: chest pain going into the neck and into the left arm. Heart attacks in women present differently, such as discomfort in the jaw, shoulder or belly, nausea or vomiting, often mimicking heartburn.

If a woman has these signs, someone should call 911 immediately. Learning CPR can double her chance of survival. Please visit heartandstroke.ca. The life one saves may be a woman one loves.

The Economy

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, according to Statistics Canada, 58% of Canadians between the ages of 15 and 24 are highly anxious about their capacity to pay rent or even to have the ability to own a home.

After eight years under the Liberal Prime Minister, the average monthly mortgage payment in Canada has more than doubled, to nearly $3,000. After eight years under the Liberal Prime Minister, 45% of variable-rate mortgage holders say they will have to sell their homes or vacate them within nine months. It was once a Canadian dream to own a home. Now it is just a pipe dream.

Conservatives will continue to oppose this Liberal inflationary spending, because a dollar in the pocket of the person who earned it is always better spent than in the hands of the politician who taxed it. Our Conservative leader has a clear message of hope for all Canadians: A Conservative government would put Canadians back in control of their lives and of their government.

Canada's Agriculture Day

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today we are celebrating Canada's Agriculture Day by paying tribute to our farmers' hard work, perseverance and innovation. These men and women work so hard day after day so that Canadians and the rest of the world have healthy, nutritious, high-quality food to eat.

As a fourth-generation farmer, I am very proud of the contribution that agriculture makes in my region. It is very important that future generations have the stability and predictability they need to maintain the family farms that do so much to keep our rural communities strong.

As Conservatives, we want to create prosperity and opportunities for the entire agricultural industry. Agriculture must be one of the economic drivers for getting our economy back on track. The government must adopt policies that make farming easier, not harder.

Today, on Canada's Agriculture Day, let us take a moment to thank all those who work tirelessly to provide us with excellent food.

I thank all farmers across Canada for their passion, commitment and perseverance, but, above all, I thank them for feeding our families.

[Francis Drouin, Liberal, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today, across the country, we are celebrating Canada's Agriculture Day. The next time we enjoy a meal, I invite everyone to think about the people behind the food that ends up on our tables.

In my rural riding, Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, I know many farmers. They pour their hearts and souls into providing us with the best food in the world while protecting the environment for future generations, despite enormous challenges such as natural disasters and labour shortages.

Billions of dollars and 2.1 million jobs in Canada depend on our industry, and it all starts with the farm. As the saying goes: no farmers, no food, no future. Now, more than ever, let us support them in their efforts to sequester carbon, to protect biodiversity and to reduce emissions while, at the same time, increase yields and protect farm livelihood.

Today, let us acknowledge all those who make up Canada's innovative, vibrant and forward-thinking agricultural industry. Happy Canada's Agriculture Day.

[Alistair MacGregor, NDP, Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today is Canada’s Agriculture Day, and I want to take this opportunity to recognize and thank the amazing and hard-working people who produce such an amazing abundance of food and drink in Canada. This is a day to showcase the innovative ways our agriculture and agri-food sectors are confronting the challenges of food production in the 21st century.

Food matters, and its journey from the farm to the factory to the fork is an important topic of discussion. This is especially true when so many Canadians are struggling to feed their families and so many farmers are struggling with debt while corporate grocery chains are making record profits. My NDP colleagues and I are committed to taking on those corporate profits and reinstating fairness for both farmers and consumers.

Let us raise a fork to the food we love and to the people who produce it. As the NDP’s critic for agriculture and food price inflation, and on behalf of the entire NDP caucus, I wish all my colleagues a happy Canada's Agriculture Day.

Andreï Délinois

[Stéphane Bergeron, Bloc, Montarville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, by welcoming Jackie Robinson to the Montreal Royals in 1946, Quebec opened the way for Black athletes to play in North American professional sports leagues.

This Black History Month, let us acknowledge that we have come a long way since then, so much so that a young man from Saint‑Bruno‑de‑Montarville, Andreï Délinois, is now setting his sights on the National Football League.

This 19-year-old athlete, who was born in Chicoutimi to a Quebecois mother and a Haitian father, signed a contract with the Buccaneers on February 1 through the National Collegiate Athletic Association, or NCAA. At six foot one and 210 pounds, he patiently rose through the ranks all the way to East Tennessee State University. He got his start at age five playing with the Barons of Saint‑Bruno‑de‑Montarville, and then joined the Dynamiques at Collège Charles‑Lemoyne, followed by the Blue Tornado at Tennessee's McCallie High School, which took home the state championship in 2021.

Talented, versatile and determined, Andreï is an inspiring young man both on and off the field, including at school. We hope he finds the success he seeks to achieve his dreams and continue to make us proud.

Canada's Agriculture Day

[John Barlow, Conservative, Foothills, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I want to wish our farmers, our ranchers, our processors and our producers a happy Canada's Agriculture Day. It is so important that we understand the role Canadian agribusinesses and agriculture play in bringing together farmers and consumers as “agvocates” in this important industry.

We all have a role to play in educating Canadians about where their food comes from, why we do it, how we do it and the fact that we do it better than anyone else in the world. Whether they wear coveralls or lab coats, the people who work in this industry are world leaders in innovation, sustainability and efficiency. On this Canada's Agriculture Day, now more than ever, our Canadian farm families need a partner, an advocate.

As Conservatives we understand that to unleash the full potential of Canadian agriculture it must be environmentally and economically sustainable. No matter where one is in the world tonight, when we sit down with friends and family and have a meal, thank those who work so hard to put that quality food on our tables.

I wish all my colleagues a happy Canada's Agriculture Day.

Black History Month

[Tony Van Bynen, Liberal, Newmarket—Aurora, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in honour of Black History Month, I am proud to rise today to speak on three inspirational and influential groups in my community of Newmarket—Aurora. Throughout my time as a member of Parliament, I have witnessed the courage, the resilience and the empowerment the Aurora Black Community Association, the Aurora Black Caucus and the Newmarket African Caribbean Canadian Association have demonstrated to create an inclusive and a safe community. This month is a time to learn, to reflect, to honour and to celebrate the contributions of Black Canadians and organizations who make our communities a safer place to live. I want to thank them for their ongoing contributions to our community and for enacting real and permanent change in Newmarket—Aurora.

Decorum in the House—Speaker's Ruling

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

While I have members' attention, the Chair would like to make a statement regarding decorum in the House. I would like to thank the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry for having raised his concerns on Friday, February 10. His point of order, and the subsequent intervention from the member for New Westminster—Burnaby, provides the Chair with an opportunity to reiterate our rules in regard to members standing while another member has the floor to speak.

Proceedings in the House are to be conducted in a respectful and civil manner. This includes members addressing their remarks to the Chair and resuming their seats when the Chair rises.

The long-standing wording of Standing Order 17 states that, “every member desiring to speak is to rise in his or her place....”

If the requirement to speak from one’s seat is currently suspended, members remain bound by the principle that they must stand to be recognized. Accordingly, members must briefly rise from their seat to indicate they want to take part in debate, make statements or ask questions.

While there is the practice of party whips submitting speaking lists to assist the Chair, the final authority on who is recognized to speak in the House is determined by the Chair. As stated in House of Commons Procedure and Practice, third edition, at page 330, “Various conventions and informal arrangements exist to encourage the participation of all parties in debate; nevertheless, the decision as to who may speak is ultimately the Speaker's.”

Therefore, it is still expected that members rise to indicate that they wish to take the floor.

Standing too soon to be recognized or at the same moment as another member, or not standing at all to be recognized, may create practical challenges, including delays and confusion. To this end, it is the view of the Chair that rising in their place for a few seconds is all that is needed for a member to, as the expression states, “catch the Speaker’s eye”. Finally, when the Chair has then recognized a particular member, all other members should take their seats.

I thank the members for their attention and co-operation.

Ethics

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, “It is hard not to feel disappointed in one's government when every day there is a new scandal”. Those are the words of the Prime Minister in 2013. However, after eight years of his own leadership, we have a Canada that feels broken according to most Canadians.

The Liberals have broken family budgets, they have broken the bail system and, again, they have broken the law. This time it is the Prime Minister's parliamentary secretary. This is the sixth consecutive ethics breach from the Liberals, with no accountability for any of these cases.

Why does nobody over there get fired?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the parliamentary secretary has apologized. The parliamentary secretary wrote a note in support of a business in his constituency, a business that supports Black and multi-ethnic communities across Canada. While it is admirable that all of us want to support local enterprises or businesses in our constituencies, the parliamentary secretary recognizes that it was inappropriate for him to write a letter supporting that agency and business in his riding. He has apologized.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we see zero accountability, zero consequences and a zero on ethics.

We hope the Prime Minister's upcoming trip to the Carribean is more productive than the last one, which resulted in his own law-breaking. That, of course, was not the only time. He stepped in on SNC-Lavalin, and the only person who was fired in that case was the first female indigenous Attorney General. The trade minister refuses to pay back taxpayers for giving tens of thousands of dollars to her best friend in an illegal contract.

Will anyone over there who broke the law get fired?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I think it is important that, every single day, we show up and do our utmost to serve Canadians. The reality is that this government has done that in all of its actions. The reality, as I have said on many occasions, is that there are almost two million Canadians today who have jobs who did not have jobs when the Conservatives were in government. There are 2.7 million fewer people in poverty today than when they were in office.

I know they are focused on us. I know they are focused on politics. We are focused on delivering results for Canadians and improving their lives.

[Melissa Lantsman, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we are focused on the Liberals who broke the law. There is one set of rules for the Liberals and another set of rules for everyone else. Do not take it from me. This is what the outgoing Ethics Commissioner said yesterday: “Over the last five years and on several occasions, I have observed senior officials being unaware of their obligations and mistakenly making assumptions.” For insiders, it is cushy contracts, special access and special treatment to get ahead, while Canadians get record inflation, record home prices and record despair.

I will ask this for the third time: Is anyone over there going to take responsibility for breaking the law?

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, let us be clear, hyperbole aside. The reality is that this side of the House is focused on helping shepherd the country through some of the most difficult times it has faced since World War II. While it is true that we have a lower inflation rate than Europe, the G7 average, the G20 average, the U.S., the U.K. or elsewhere, leading in difficult times is not enough. That is why we have concrete measures to actually help on issues like housing, as the member talked about, which the Conservatives voted against. We will help in areas like child care, which they voted against, and help vulnerable people. Unfortunately, those are actions they did not take when they had the opportunity.