Debates of March 31st, 2023

Child Care

[Heath MacDonald, Liberal, Malpeque, PE]

Madam Speaker, families in my riding of Malpeque are benefiting from important, significant savings thanks to our government's early learning and child care program, but they are concerned that in the future another government, like the one that campaigned against their child care program, would cut the program.

Can the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development highlight to this House how it is supporting families across P.E.I. and also how we are progressing in enacting this important social program into legislation?

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

Madam Speaker, I am so glad to report that Prince Edward Island, as well as provinces and territories across the country, is taking important steps to make child care affordable for Canadian families. In fact, P.E.I. announced that it cut fees by 50% last December. Day care fees are coming down, and new spaces are being created. Wages are increasing for early childhood educators, and we know how critical this is, because the childhood educator workforce is the foundation of our system. We need to make sure that the people who take care of our children are respected and well compensated.

Public Safety

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Madam Speaker, the Mass Casualty Commission released a scathing report yesterday. It made clear that gender-based violence is not treated with the urgency and seriousness it deserves. To save lives, police must change the way they respond to reports of gender-based violence. We cannot remain idle. Lives are at risk. The government has an obligation to act with meaningful police reform, including addressing the culture of systemic racism within the RCMP.

Will the Liberals implement these recommendations without delay?

[Jenna Sudds, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth]

Madam Speaker, of course the tragic events in Nova Scotia nearly three years ago devastated the nation. Our government is working hard to ensure that every woman has the support she needs and a place to sleep each and every night. We continue to make investments to ensure that this is the case, including in the budget just announced the other day, with $160 million, starting this year, for women's programs to ensure we are supporting shelters and women fleeing violence.

Foreign Affairs

[Alain Rayes, Independent, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Madam Speaker, we have learned that the Governor General spent $700,000 on a four-day trip to Germany. This included more than $75,000 for four nights in the region's most luxurious hotels. This is on top of the $80,000 spent during another trip to the Middle East, just for in-flight meals for the Governor General and her 29 guests. This works out to $2,600 per person for food during the flight alone.

That is obscene. Can the Prime Minister tell us whether he approves of that kind of spending? If not, has he taken the necessary steps to put an end to such wastefulness, once and for all?

[Greg Fergus, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the President of the Treasury Board]

Madam Speaker, it is very important to remember that the expenses related to this trip by the Governor General were similar to other trips made by previous governors general. We must always recognize that when the Governor General represents our country, she brings a delegation to represent the best of Canada on many issues.

We are aware of this, as is the Governor General herself. She will continue to monitor her spending.

Oral Questions

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Today, during question period, the member for Pickering—Uxbridge said, “I am very concerned about the health of your baby” to me. It was an absolutely inappropriate and unparliamentary term.

Quite frankly, I am proud to be here, 32 weeks pregnant, fighting for my constituents. I demand an apology.

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs]

Madam Speaker, I am absolutely disgusted that the member opposite would outright lie, and yes, I am saying “outright lie”. I absolutely said—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

We do not use that language in the House, as the hon. member well knows. The same thing could be said in different ways.

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Madam Speaker, the exchange that happened was that the member opposite said to me, “You know, you don't have to be so mean all the time”, and I responded, “Like I care about your opinion of me.”

For the member to actually use such a disgusting lie to try to defame—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

The hon. member will be invited to rethink her choice of words. The hon. member will be invited to exercise judgment in the use of words, and please consider that it is not a parliamentary acceptable word.

I would invite her to apologize and retract that word from the record.

[Jennifer O'Connell, Liberal, Pickering—Uxbridge, ON]

Madam Speaker, I will withdraw the word but the sentiment remains, that it absolutely did not—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

Withdraw the words—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

Order, order. This will be looked at in Hansard, to answer the hon. member for Fort McMurray—Cold Lake. We will get back to the hon. member on what happened.

The hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable on a point of order.

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Madam Speaker, during question period, you decided to take out a question from the official opposition. Without calling your decision into question, I would like to ask the Table for clarification about the application of the decision.

As you know, you have a list in your hands to help you announce the members who will be speaking. I do not believe that there is any standing order of the House that permits you to decide to take out a specific question based on a list provided to you. The list is there as a guide to make the House run smoothly.

I would like the Table to tell us exactly how to proceed if such a situation were to arise again. I think we need to know. As you noted, it made the opposition members uneasy. We want to follow the rules of the House, as does the Leader of the Opposition. We need some clarification about how such decisions will be applied in future.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

I am sorry, I did not hear what was said.

[Laila Goodridge, Conservative, Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, AB]

Madam Speaker, I think this is absolutely shameful. The comments that were just made by the member for Pickering—Uxbridge, yet again, denigrate women. We need to be supporting women in politics and not doing things like that.

I asked for an apology. She has called me a liar in this chamber four times now today. This is absolutely inappropriate, and I demand an apology.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

Order. As I told the hon. member for Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, we will listen. I did not hear it right now. I was discussing—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

I do not dispute it. I am just saying that we will look at Hansard, and we will get back to the hon. member on what is found. I cannot rule on this right now. I have to wait until we look at what Hansard and the tapes will tell us.