Debates of April 25th, 2023

Jean Duceppe Theatre Company

[Martin Champoux, Bloc, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the Duceppe theatre company, and there are many reasons to celebrate.

This month, the Duceppe theatre company was awarded the Grand Prix of the Conseil des arts de Montréal, an award that has been given out by the City of Montreal since 1985 to recognize the contributions of local cultural organizations.

Here is an other reason to celebrate. At almost the same time, the Carmelle and Rémi Marcoux Chair in Arts Management at HEC Montréal presented the executive director of Théâtre Duceppe with the Young Cultural Manager Award. Her name is Amélie Duceppe and she is the granddaughter of Jean Duceppe himself. She is living proof that Duceppes do not all need to be in the spotlight to do a good job. She is dedicating her talent and commitment to culture.

The name she bears comes with the heavy responsibility of bringing honour to one of the greatest theatre actors in the history of Quebec, and she is doing a wonderful job.

On behalf of all my Bloc Québécois colleagues and with a special thought for the member from Lac-Saint-Jean, I want to congratulate Amélie.

Egg Farmers of Canada

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

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the hard-working egg farmers in my riding and across Canada, I want to congratulate Egg Farmers of Canada on its 50th anniversary. Canadian egg producers continue to supply us with fresh, local, affordable and high-quality eggs, despite facing major challenges over the past three years from avian influenza to severe weather to supply chain disruptions.

To celebrate the half-century, Egg Farmers of Canada has announced its commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

To support egg producers is first and foremost to support the supply management system. This system helps them receive fair and stable income for their work so that they can in turn confidently reinvest in their farms.

Our government has delivered on its commitment to help poultry and egg producers mitigate the impact of our trade agreements on Canadian poultry and egg producers.

I thank all members for their long-standing support of our egg farmers in Canada and we wish them many more years of success.

Health Care Professionals and First Responders

[Todd Doherty, Conservative, Cariboo—Prince George, BC]

Mr. Speaker, every day, news reports and social media feeds are filled with stories of yet another violent attack on a first responder or health care worker. In our time of need, it is our frontline heroes, our police forces, our nurses, firefighters, paramedics and other health care workers who come to our aid.

Without hesitation, these incredible Canadians are there for us any time, any place. Sadly, they are facing an unprecedented level of violence aimed toward them. This kind of violence has a ripple effect. It contributes to fear, burnout, compassion fatigue, depression and PTSD.

A nurse or health care worker should not have to fear for their personal safety when reporting for duty. A paramedic or firefighter should not have to fear for their lives when answering a 911 call. Violence is not part of their job description.

Next week, the debate begins on my private member's bill, Bill C-321. This legislation is a first step in curbing the escalating violence against these important heroes. I humbly ask all my parliamentary colleagues to support this important piece of legislation.

Angus Hamilton

[Jenica Atwin, Liberal, Fredericton, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in the House today to honour the life of Angus Hamilton. Mr. Hamilton’s life was, in a word, remarkable.

Born on April 18, 1922, he bravely served during the Second World War. He signed up and reported for duty at just 19 years of age. He had a dream of becoming a pilot, but his eyesight got in the way. Nevertheless, he found another way to explore the sky by becoming a radar technician with the Royal Canadian Air Force, serving on night-fighter squadrons in Northern Ireland and India until the end of the war.

His passion and curiosity led him to study engineering physics and receiving his MASc in 1951. It was during that time that he married the love of his life, Margaret, and started his career that led him and his family to my beautiful riding of Fredericton, where he became the chair of the department of surveying engineering at UNB.

After his retirement, he pursued yet another adventure. He and Margaret brought a 35-acre apple orchard in Douglas. They learned to grow and sell apples, and settled into the community. Mr. Hamilton died at home on April 15, just three days shy of his 101st birthday.

I invite all members in this House to celebrate the life of Mr. Hamilton, his tenacity, thoughtfulness and resiliency. May he rest in peace.

Great Lakes Watershed Cleanup

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as the first astronauts on the moon realized when they looked back on earth and saw that pale, blue dot suspended in the darkness, our planet is precious. Last Saturday was Earth Day, a day when we are all reminded of the majestic beauty of nature, the fragile equilibrium of our complex ecosystems and the delicate balance of the web of life on earth.

This past Saturday, my family and I were fortunate to participate, along with over 40 volunteers, in the third annual Great Lakes Watershed Cleanup event, organized by Dan Coombes and members of our local Rotary Club. As we spread out and collected many bags of garbage from the Whitby waterfront at Heydenshore conservation area, we demonstrated our individual and collective responsibility to protect our environment.

On behalf of our community, I would like to thank the Whitby Rotary Club and its members for organizing this year's event, and the countless dedicated volunteers who came out to help make this year's event a success. It is with community-based initiatives like this one that we can raise awareness and inspire generations to care for the one and only place we have ever called home. After all, there is no planet B.

National Tourism Week

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada is powered by tourism. That is the theme of this year's National Tourism Week. In my community of Niagara, some 2,800 tourism-related businesses employ 40,000 residents who rely on tourism for their paycheques.

In 2019, Niagara welcomed more than 13 million visitors, generating $2.4 billion in receipts. We are Canada's largest tourism leisure destination. However, Canadian tourism has yet to fully recover. Big Liberal tax hikes, like the carbon tax and the escalator clause, are hindering our once competitive advantage.

More troubling is the fact that while the Prime Minister was vacationing at a $9,000-a-night resort in Jamaica, six in 10 Canadians are now saying they are scaling back their vacation plans due to the higher costs being driven by the Liberal government. This needs to change.

A Conservative government would lower Liberal taxes and slash the costs harming our tourism industry and workers. It is time we create the conditions where our tourism businesses flourish so the world once again knows Canada is open for business.

2018 Tragedy in Willowdale

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on Sunday, April 23, many of us in Willowdale gathered to acknowledge a sombre occasion. Five years prior, on a seemingly ordinary, sunny Monday, a rental van jumped the Yonge Street sidewalk, violently striking pedestrians. The act claimed the lives of 11 people and injured many more, forever transforming our community. What was first believed to be a tragic accident quickly revealed itself to be deliberate, a heinous crime beyond our ability to fathom. I still recall the confusion and the agonizing sorrow that pierced the heart of Willowdale when the facts emerged.

All of us in Willowdale can agree that we owe a great debt of gratitude to first responders. Their heroism on that day was a testament to the highest standards of professionalism. Emergency services aided the wounded with mercy and compassion, while the police apprehended the perpetrator so that justice would ultimately prevail.

To the victims and their families, allow me to say that Willowdale remains staunchly behind them. From each victim, a future was stolen. We continue to cherish their memories. From that shared grief, all of Willowdale banded together and leaned in to support one another. As we reflect on this sombre anniversary, we honour the lives lost and remember that, through our common humanity, our community remains resolute and strong.

Yom Ha'atzmaut

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Mr. Speaker, for centuries, at the Passover Seder, Jews around the world have said, “Next year in Jerusalem” to commemorate the aspirations of those held in slavery under the pharaoh in ancient Egypt. Theodor Herzl, the father of modern-day Zionism, said, “If you will it, it is no dream.” In 1948, that dream became a reality and the Jewish people had a state in their ancestral homeland.

Today, we celebrate with them Yom Ha'atzmaut, Israel's Independence Day. Canada is proud to have been one of the first countries to formally recognize Israel in 1948. Our two countries have shared 75 years as friends, allies and close partners. We will continue to oppose efforts to isolate Israel in international forums and we will continue to stand against any attacks on the values we share. We are united by shared bonds and values that will forever endure.

In honour of the statehood in the ancient homeland of the Jewish people, I say, “Next year in Jerusalem”.

Public Service Strike

[Richard Lehoux, Conservative, Beauce, QC]

Mr. Speaker, this government is showing no respect for its workers, as it lets the dispute with the public service drag on. The Prime Minister has proven his lack of leadership once again by allowing more than 155,000 public servants to go on strike across the country. The result is that Canadians are being held hostage, for example for such things as obtaining a passport.

The minister is asking Canadians to simply not submit a passport application during the strike because the envelopes will not be opened. To this government, having the freedom to travel is simply not essential. The Prime Minister has no problem flying to the islands of his choice, but the people in my riding cannot even cross the land border for a day trip to the United States because they will not have a passport.

Prolonged negotiations with the public service causes Canada as a whole to suffer. A Conservative government would have never allowed this strike to get to this point. We would also take care of clearing the backlogs that this Prime Minister and his government have created over the past eight years. The time has come for a new prime minister.

Rémi Brousseau

[Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Liberal, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today I want to roll out the red carpet for Rémi Brousseau and highlight the remarkable work he has done at the Théâtre Denise‑Pelletier.

Rémi was the managing director of this key cultural venue in Hochelaga. As he said himself, he would have liked to be an artist. Rémi's greatest work ran for 28 years. This man worked his cultural magic from the wings, remaining faithful to the theatre's objective of introducing teenagers to the sixth art, with the majority of performances aimed at school-age audiences. He oversaw the renovation of the theatre in 2008, preserving a historic building and an architectural gem in Montreal. I invite everyone to experience it. The province awarded him the medal of the National Assembly of Quebec, a well-deserved honour.

I thank Rémi for the work he has done for youth and culture. I wish him well in his retirement, knowing that he will be very busy, and I wish the new managing director, Stéphanie Laurin, much success.

Armenian Genocide

[Alexandre Boulerice, NDP, Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on April 24, 1915, the Turkish police conducted a raid and imprisoned 250 Armenian intellectuals in Constantinople. The next day, another 600 were rounded up. They were all executed. Thus began the first genocide of the 20th century, which resulted in the death of 1.5 million people.

In September 1915, the minister of the interior, Talaat Pasha, sent a telegram that said, “The government has decided to destroy all Armenians living in Turkey. Their existence must come to an end, however tragic the means may be; and no regard must be paid...to conscientious scruples.”

Unfortunately, the Turkish regime denies the existence of that genocide to this day. Equally serious, Armenians are still being targeted, and attempts are being made to drive them out of their lands. Since December 12, 2022, the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia has been blocked by Azerbaijan. This leaves 120,000 Armenians isolated, cut off from the world, with no food or medical supplies. A humanitarian crisis is looming, and, unfortunately, the international community is looking the other way.

Let us stand up for human rights everywhere and let us do it now.

The Monarchy

[Rhéal Fortin, Bloc, Rivière-du-Nord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the National Assembly abolished the oath to the King. The Quebec government announced yesterday that it would not send a delegation to the coronation of Charles III.

Why? It is because Quebec could not care less about the monarchy and because it is an outdated symbol of submission that Quebeckers want no part of, and not just in Quebec, elsewhere too. An Angus Reid poll on the weekend revealed that a majority of Canadians do not want Charles III.

The majority thinks that the monarchy is outdated. The majority agrees with the Bloc Québécois's motion to break ties with the monarchy: no Charles III on our currency, no God Save the King and no oath to the King. It is simple; the majority, here, believe that this undemocratic symbol is no longer relevant.

If the Prime Minister goes to Westminster for the coronation of Charles III, I think it might be a good opportunity, between two Queen songs on the piano, to tell him that the monarchy here, in Quebec and Canada, is no longer relevant.

Public Service Strike

[Rosemarie Falk, Conservative, Battlefords—Lloydminster, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the ongoing public service strike is a direct result of the Prime Minister's extraordinary incompetence. The Prime Minister needs to do his job and come to a deal with the workers to bring this labour dispute to an end. He had two years to get the job done, but could not bring it home. Instead, he spent $20 billion more on our bureaucracy, only to deliver poorer services to Canadians and a demoralized public service. Now, with the largest federal public service strike in history, Canadians do not have access to basic and necessary government services. Soon, he will turn to taxpayers to bail him out of his mess once again.

Only a Conservative government will cut back on high-priced consultants who are bloating the cost of government. Conservatives will deliver common-sense leadership that ensures that Canadian taxpayers get value for their money.

Artemis II

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

Mr. Speaker, today, Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen and the crew of Artemis II join us in Ottawa. This is the historic first crewed mission to the moon in half a century.

On April 3, I joined the awesome Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry at NASA, where I witnessed the dedication and the brilliance of the Canadian Space Agency and astronauts like Jeremy Hansen, who are an inspiration to us all. From touring NASA’s Johnson Space Center to taking in a zero-gravity experience at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory, my appreciation for astronauts has only grown deeper. I am so proud to be part of a government that has supported space exploration to advance the interests of humanity and to invest in research for medicine and food security.

Congratulations to Jeremy, Christina, Reid, Victor and all of the Artemis II crew for their accomplishments and their service to humanity.

Labour

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the cost of the bureaucracy under the Prime Minister is rocketing up by $20 billion. That is $1,300 for every family in Canada, and it bought the biggest federal strike in Canadian history. Now, 150,000 people are out on the streets; they are blocking streets, buildings and even ports.

It cost the Prime Minister $20 billion to cause this strike; how much will it cost him to end it?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we continue to believe in the power of working at the bargaining table. Public servants provide important services to Canadians, and we value their work. That is why we are working tirelessly to reach a deal that is fair to public servants and reasonable to taxpayers. That is, and has always been, our goal. We expect both sides to bargain in good faith and reach an agreement, because all Canadians are depending on it.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the only thing he did was increase the cost of the bureaucracy by $20 billion a year, which is $1,300 for every family in Canada. It is a 50% increase that will buy what? He bought the biggest federal strike in history with 150,000 people out on the streets blocking access to buildings and even ports. It cost $20 billion because this Prime Minister caused the strike.

How much will it cost to end it?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we firmly believe that an agreement will be struck with PSAC. Public servants provide important services to Canadians and the government values their work. That is why we are working tirelessly to reach a deal that is fair to public servants and reasonable for taxpayers. That is, and has always been, our goal. We expect both sides to negotiate in good faith and reach an agreement. Canadians are counting on it.

Ethics

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister asked Canadians to believe that he did not know that the guys who paid for his vacation were donors to the Trudeau Foundation. He asked Canadians to believe that he did not know that Beijing had given $140,000 to the Trudeau Foundation to influence him, even though the donation was processed and signed off on by his own brother. However, nothing tops this: He now expects Canadians to believe that he did not know that the Trudeau Foundation was holding meetings in his office.

Does he even know what goes on in his office?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, as I have repeated many times in and out of this House, I have had no engagement, direct or indirect, with the Trudeau Foundation for about 10 years now.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, he has had no engagement except for Trudeau Foundation donors paying for his vacations. He has had no engagement except that the only two people he will allow to investigate foreign interference are from the Trudeau Foundation. He has had no engagement except for intelligence reports showing that Beijing gave $140,000 to the Trudeau Foundation to influence him, and this donation was facilitated and signed off on by his own brother. Now, he has had no engagement except that he hosts them for meetings in his own office.

Was there no other office space available anywhere in Ottawa?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, while Conservatives continue to focus on me and attacks on my family, we are going to continue focusing on delivering for Canadians. We are delivering on affordability through dental benefits that the Conservatives voted against and investing in health care in ways the Conservatives stood against. We are moving forward on affordability by being there to support Canadians from coast to coast to coast; our targeted measures, including the grocery rebate, are helping 11 million Canadians. We are also moving forward on creating great jobs for the middle class by investing in a clean, green economy with positive impacts right across the country. This is what we are focused on.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, we all know that nobody focuses more on the Prime Minister than he focuses on himself.

Meanwhile, he expects us to believe that that this foundation, named after his family, has donors who paid for his vacations, $80,000 in free vacation benefits; that it takes donations from Beijing, facilitated by his brother, that intelligence officers say were designed to influence him; and now, that he hosts the same foundation with his top officials in his own office.

How dumb does he think Canadians are to believe that?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, it is interesting the lengths to which the Conservatives will go to not talk about the budget we just delivered for Canadians. Canadians are actually struggling through difficult times right now. The budget focuses on three large things, which are investing in affordability to support Canadians as we build a stronger economy for the future; investing in health care, with historic deals signed with the provinces; and investing in dental care, which the Conservatives continue to stand against.

We are going to continue building a stronger economy for the future. We know that fighting climate change and investing in a greener economy go hand in hand for the middle class.

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I propose a cultural moment. Remember Calimero? It was a little chick who dragged his shell everywhere he went. He was never told anything. He knew nothing. Everything happened unbeknownst to him.

The Prime Minister reminds me a little of Calimero, who said that it is an “injustice”, it is always truly “too unjust”.

Now that the Prime Minister knows, because he reads the papers, that there were five deputy ministers in his office together with the foundation that bears his father's name, can he, Calimero, tell us what was said in his office?