Debates of May 9th, 2023

Finance

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to hear that the member opposite saw how successful a Liberal convention we had here in the nation's capital this last weekend. It was very energizing.

On this substantive matter, we are working every day to get the supports to Canadians. The finance minister is scheduled to appear at finance committee on Tuesday.

We hope the Conservatives stop the filibuster and listen to the minister.

Housing

[Brendan Hanley, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, every day in our communities, we see the urgent need for safe and culturally appropriate housing—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Yukon. I do not think everyone heard me the first time.

[Brendan Hanley, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, every day in our communities, we see the urgent need for safe and culturally appropriate housing for indigenous women, children and 2SLGBTQI+ people fleeing family and gender-based violence.

They need safe shelter and a stable environment wherever they are in the country.

Can the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion please tell the House more about the important action we are taking to support survivors and ensure that they have the supports and services they need to recover from the trauma of their experiences?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Yukon for his strong advocacy on this important issue.

No relationship is more important to Canada than the one with indigenous people. We know that far too many indigenous women, children and 2SLGBTQI+ people fleeing violence do not have the necessary supports. That is why yesterday I was pleased to join my colleagues to announce $103 million to support the creation of shelters and transitional housing in 21 communities across Canada. These projects will be indigenous-led and will offer culturally appropriate wraparound support. This is the national housing strategy at work.

Indigenous Affairs

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in Timmins, Thunder Bay and communities across northern Ontario, the homeless crisis, coupled with the toxic drug disaster has created a social catastrophe. In Timmins, funding for the groundbreaking firekeeper patrol proposal is running out, even though it is keeping indigenous people alive on the streets. In Thunder Bay, the waiting list for housing is staggering.

Social service boards of first nations across the north are doing everything they can. The question they ask is where is the federal government?

Will the indigenous services minister commit to the firekeepers and meet with northern leaders to find a solution to the housing crisis?

[Patty Hajdu, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me just thank the member for his constant advocacy for support and safety of indigenous people in urban settings.

This government has been a strong partner to provinces and territories to ensure that people, no matter where they live in Ontario; indeed, across the country, have access to supports and services that are culturally appropriate. I will commit to the member that I will meet with the firekeepers and we will look for a solution together. This must be work that the Province of Ontario and the federal government does together.

Housing

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

Mr. Speaker, tenants on Webster Street in London were horrified to learn their apartment building was being sold to a corporate profiteering landlord. This month 20 people are being renovicted, including an 83-year-old woman on a fixed income. She will lose her home and simply cannot afford to move to a new place that will charge her double the rent.

Will the government follow the NDP's plan to put a moratorium on renovictions to stop corporate profiteering on affordable housing stock and protect Canadians who desperately just want to stay in their home?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion]

Mr. Speaker, I share the hon. member's concern to make sure that we continue to protect vulnerable renters. That is why our government introduced the groundbreaking Canada housing benefit that is delivering rental supports to tens of thousands of vulnerable renters across the country. In addition to that, we introduced a top-up to the Canada housing benefit that has gone on to almost a million Canadians.

We will continue to make sure that we are there for Canadian renters. We will do our part to prevent renovictions and the financialization of housing. Part of it is also building more rentals through the rental construction financing initiative through the national housing strategy.

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

We have a point of order.

[Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Liberal, Hochelaga, QC]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague, the member for Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie, misled the House, and I would like to set the record straight. With respect to the organization he was talking about in his question today, I have met with them twice since April 27. A meeting is scheduled for next week. The honourable—

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

That is a matter of debate. It is not a point of order.

The House resumed consideration of the motion.

Reference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise on this issue. We are in incredibly challenging times. There is no doubt that, whether they are from Russia or China, foreign actors have the intent—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

I just want to remind everyone that debate is taking place, so as members go out, please be very quiet.

The hon. government House leader.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as I was saying, we live in an extraordinarily challenging time. I would say it is also a privileged time. We get an opportunity to defend democracy here and to join in camaraderie with other democratic nations in ensuring that democracies thrive in pressure as the shadow of autocracy attempts to do great damage to our democracies. When we go back in time, the issue of foreign interference is not new. It is something that has existed for a long time.

As I referenced today in question period, when I was the critic for public safety, after Justice Iacobucci issued his report building on Justice O'Connor's report, there were essential recommendations, and both justices spoke at that time of the imperative nature of action and specifically the imperative nature of establishing a committee of parliamentarians that would have the opportunity to look into every aspect of security and intelligence.

Unfortunately, for years, those recommendations were not acted upon, and not only those recommendations, but many others. I am not going to enumerate them all, but it is fair to say that upon getting the privilege of becoming Canada's government, we immediately acted to create that committee of parliamentarians to make sure that every member of Parliament, regardless of what party they are from, has the opportunity to look into every aspect of security and intelligence so that they can know that there is no aspect of our security and intelligence that is under any shield.

On the important matter we are debating now, we respect the Speaker's ruling, and we are taking important action to deal with the foreign interference we are seeing. We saw the Minister of Foreign Affairs declare the diplomat in question a persona non grata. The Minister of Public Safety has made it clear on numerous occasions that we will not accept any form of foreign interference in our country and that any foreign interference would be met with strict action that is taken proportionately and deliberately. One of the things that are so important is that as events unfold, it is important for us to validate facts, to have conversations, to fully think out the consequences of actions, and then to act, as we have in this case.

We have been debating this important motion already for 12 hours, and I do not need to remind members that the purpose is not to have a debate in this chamber, but to move it to the procedure and House affairs committee, which can do its important work and make recommendations. The longer we debate this matter, the more we simply do not have the opportunity to get what the members of the opposition in the Conservative Party are saying they want, which is recommendations, answers and actions. That is what we continue to focus on. The longer we are here and the more speeches we have, and we are already at 12 hours, not only do we not have an opportunity to act at PROC on that matter, but it stops this House from dealing with extremely important issues.

One of the things that were displaced was Bill S-5 and the debate we are having on the amendments to CEPA, which are putting forward incredibly important improvements to our Environmental Protection Act to make sure we are there and taking action on the environment. This is also stopping us from being able to take action on firearms and ghost guns, which we are hearing, from across the country—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

I am going to ask members who are talking and are far apart to maybe sit next to each other and whisper, as opposed to talking loudly across four or five seats. That is just a reminder. I know we are all very friendly in here and we want to talk to each other, but we also want to hear what is being said.

The hon. government House leader.

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Ajax, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we hear near unanimity from those who are involved in keeping our streets safe that we have to act on ghost guns. That legislation is pending; it is waiting for action. The action to take on handguns is waiting; it is demanding action. Further, this House is set to try to deal with official languages in Bill C-13, making sure that we protect the French language and that we take important action there.

I am proposing that we take a short break from this debate. I am proposing that we do come back, but after 12 hours, I think it is also important that this Parliament act on those other issues.

If the House agrees, we can return to the question of privilege later on tonight, but for this moment, so that we can also do the other important work of Parliament, I move:

That the debate be now adjourned.

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

The question is on the motion.

If a member of a recognized party present in the House wishes that the motion be carried on division or wishes to request a recorded division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.

[Mike Lake, Conservative, Edmonton—Wetaskiwin, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I would request a recorded division.

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

Call in the members.

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

Vote #312