Debates of June 21st, 2023

Finance

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to be in New York to meet with Ursula von der Leyen and Mia Mottley to engage in important conversations about the future of our economy and the fight against climate change. These are things that matter. It was a mid-week trip, and I happen to know that former prime minister Harper was also attending meetings, at the same time we were down there, with the same organization.

These are things that matter in terms of Canada's leadership in the world. They matter in terms of outcomes for Canadians. We will continue to do the work that Canadians expect of this government to lead on the global stage.

[Kody Blois, Liberal, Kings—Hants, NS]

Mr. Speaker, it is clear that the Conservative Party no longer resembles that led by Joe Clark, Brian Mulroney or even Stephen Harper. The leader of the official opposition is taking the Conservatives into the ditch on the far right to outflank Max Bernier by spewing conspiracy theories about the World Economic Forum, supporting candidates who are against reproductive rights and promoting hate against LGBTQ+ communities. It is the same playbook we have seen in the United States.

Can the Prime Minister reassure my constituents, including those who identify as Progressive Conservatives, that our Liberal government is the best vehicle to drive Canada forward?

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I wanted to double-check. That does not qualify as a question.

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

Government Accountability

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the public safety minister has presided over a 32% increase in violent crime under the government. The public safety minister misled hunters when he planned to ban their rifles. The public safety minister sat on information about the transfer of one of Canada's most notorious killers to have more freedom and comfort by getting him out of a maximum-security prison when he could have passed a law to prevent it.

Will the Prime Minister commit today to firing his incompetent public safety minister?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative leader talks about freedom, but he is all talk, no walk on freedom when he hand-picks candidates who want to take away Canada's freedoms.

Let me be very clear. In Canada, everyone has the freedom to love who they love, everyone has the freedom to choose what they do with their own bodies, with safe access to abortion, and—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

I am sorry. It is starting to get noisy in here again. We are getting close to the end, and I am wondering whether I should start bouncing around with whatever is left.

I think everybody is excited to get out of here, and I understand that. Let us start again from the top, and I want everyone to just take a deep breath and listen to each other, listen to the questions and listen to the answers.

The right hon. Prime Minister, from the top, please.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservative leader is all talk, no walk when it comes to freedom when he hand-picks candidates who want to take away Canadians' freedoms.

Let me be very clear. In Canada, everyone has the freedom to love who they love, everyone has the freedom to choose what they do with their own bodies, with safe access to abortion, and everyone has the freedom to move safely in their communities without damaging blockades.

On this side of the House and in our candidates, we will always stand up for Canadians' freedoms.

Public Safety

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the only thing the Prime Minister has done is free Paul Bernardo from a maximum-security penitentiary into relative freedom in a place where he can have access to other people and where he has more comforts and can put guards in danger.

The Prime Minister interfered with Corrections Canada's decisions by introducing Bill C-83, which allowed this kind of transfer to go ahead. The Minister of Public Safety knew of the transfer, or his office knew at least, for three months while he claimed that they could not walk down the hallway and tell him.

He is incompetent. Will the Prime Minister fire him, yes or no?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we know how difficult this decision is for families of the victims. We share the deep concerns that Canadians have been expressing.

The decision to transfer incarcerated persons is an independent decision made by the Correctional Service of Canada. Following outreach by the Minister of Public Safety, the commissioner ordered an additional review, which is under way and will be completed soon.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the minister can actually order reviews, which means he can also issue directives to ensure that all mass murderers are kept in maximum-security penitentiaries. He could also adopt our law today, which would require that every mass murderer stay in a maximum-security penitentiary. That would be an apolitical way to solve the problem, but the Liberals have not done that, even though the minister knew about this problem, or ought to have known, three months ago.

Can the Prime Minister confirm this: Will the public safety minister still have that job when we come back here in the fall?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, being there and supporting victims is always top of mind for this government.

After learning of the transfer, the minister was in touch with the commissioner, and the commissioner has ordered an additional review, which is now under way and will be completed soon.

Indigenous Affairs

[Patrick Weiler, Liberal, West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, today on National Indigenous Peoples Day, we recognize and celebrate the important contributions of indigenous peoples to our country, as well as the diverse culture, language and heritage of indigenous peoples.

In my riding, I think of the work of the Lil'wat Nation to restore language to their education programs, the shíshálh Nation becoming the first self-governing nation in Canada and obtaining justice for day scholars, and the transformative developments of the Squamish Nation with the Senakw housing development, done in a way that highlights their heritage.

While much work has been done on the road to reconciliation, much remains to be done together. Can the Prime Minister please update this House on the forthcoming release of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act action plan?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for West Vancouver—Sunshine Coast—Sea to Sky Country for his hard work.

Today, on National Indigenous Peoples Day, we released our action plan to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, developed in partnership with first nations, Inuit and Métis. The Conservative leader voted against that bill and associated himself with those who deny the realities of residential schools.

Canada cannot go backwards. We must always choose to confront the truth and strive to right these wrongs.

Housing

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Mr. Speaker, in Edmonton, 58% of those currently houseless identify as indigenous. Under the Liberal government, indigenous people are now 11 times more likely to use a shelter or live in inadequate homes than non-indigenous people.

The New Democrats have been calling on the government to address the housing crisis that first nations, Inuit and Métis communities have had to deal with. When will the Liberal government finally start to invest properly in a “for indigenous, by indigenous” housing strategy so that everyone can live with safety and dignity?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the answer to the question of “when” is in budget 2023. That is exactly what we did. We committed to working with indigenous peoples to co-develop an urban, rural and northern indigenous housing strategy. Budget 2023 includes an additional investment of $4 billion in this indigenous housing strategy, on top of the $6.7 billion since 2015.

Housing remains a top priority as part of reconciliation. We will continue to work with partners on this right.

Taxation

[Kevin Vuong, Independent, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada Day is quickly approaching. To celebrate, the Liberal government is giving the gift to Canadians of another tax, the clean fuel regulation, but the only things being cleaned are Canadians' pocketbooks, as independent analysis has found that it actually increases net greenhouse gas emissions, this time with no rebate.

Thanks to the NDP, British Columbia already has one in place, which is costing British Columbians 17¢ per litre. Can the Prime Minister share with Canadians how much the rest of the country will have to pay for his overspending and for his latest tax grab?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians have seen across the country, whether with Hurricane Fiona on the east coast, with forest fires raging across the country with greater intensity than in previous years or with the atmospheric river that B.C. was hit with just a few years ago, that the cost of inaction on climate change would be cataclysmic.

That is why we put forward a price on pollution that is bringing down our emissions and is going to allow us to reach our targets at the same time as we put more money back into the pockets of Canadians with the climate action incentive four times a year.

We are supporting Canadians while we fight climate change.

RCAF Helicopter Crash

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

That is all the time we have for question period today.

Following discussions among representatives of all parties in the House, I understand there is an agreement to observe a moment of silence to honour the Royal Canadian Air Force members who lost their lives near Petawawa and to honour those who were injured.

[A moment of silence observed]

Business of the House

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

Mr. Speaker, I move that notwithstanding any standing order, special order or usual practice of the House:

(a) on the last allotted day in the supply period ending June 23, 2023, the proceedings on the opposition day motion shall conclude no later than 10:30 p.m., the House shall then proceed to the putting of the question on the motion and then, if required, the taking of any division or divisions necessary to dispose of the motion, and the Speaker shall then put forthwith and successively, without further debate or amendment, every question necessary to dispose of the motions to concur in the Main Estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, and to the Supplementary Estimates (A) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, and for the passage at all stages of any bill based on the said estimates;

(b) notices of opposed items in relation to the Main Estimates for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, and to the Supplementary Estimates (A) for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, listed on the Notice Paper be deemed withdrawn;

(c) the recorded divisions on government legislation currently deferred to the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions today be deemed further deferred to the conclusion of all proceedings in relation to the estimates tonight;

(d) the motion standing on the Order Paper in the name of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons related to the appointment of Harriet Solloway as Public Sector Integrity Commissioner pursuant to Standing Order 111.1(2) be deemed moved, a recorded vote be deemed requested and deferred after the recorded division on the motion for third reading of Bill C-42, An Act to amend the Canada Business Corporations Act and to make consequential and related amendments to other Acts;

(e) in relation to Bill C-9, An Act to amend the Judges Act, the amendment to the motion respecting Senate amendments made to the bill be deemed withdrawn and the motion respecting Senate amendments made to the bill, standing on the Notice Paper, be deemed adopted;

(f) Bill S-8, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, to make consequential amendments to other Acts and to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, be deemed read a third time and passed;

(g) Bill C-40, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, to make consequential amendments to other Acts and to repeal a regulation (miscarriage of justice reviews), be deemed read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights;

(h) Ways and Means Motion No. 18, notice of which was tabled on June 16, 2023, be deemed concurred in, a bill based thereon standing on the Order Paper in the name of the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, entitled “An Act respecting the recognition of certain Métis governments in Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan, to give effect to treaties with those governments and to make consequential amendments to other Acts”, be deemed to have been introduced and read a first time, deemed read a second time and referred to the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs; and

(i) the written questions dated June 20, 2023, standing on the Notice Paper, be deemed to have been transferred to the Order Paper on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, for the purposes of Standing Order 39.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

All those opposed to the hon. member moving the motion will please say nay.

It is agreed.

The question is on the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay.

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Anthony Rota]

(Motion agreed to)

(Bill C-9. On the Order: Government Orders)

June 21, 2023—Third reading of Bill C-9, An Act to amend the Judges Act.

(Motion respecting Senate amendments agreed to)

(Bill S-8: On the Order: Government Orders)

June 21, 2023—Third reading of Bill S-8, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, to make consequential amendments to other Acts and to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations.

(Bill read the third time and passed)

(Bill C-40: On the Order: Government Orders)

June 21, 2023—Second reading of Bill C-40, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, to make consequential amendments to other Acts and to repeal a regulation (miscarriage of justice reviews).

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

(Bill C-53: On the Order: Government Orders)

June 21, 2023—Second reading of Bill C-53, An Act respecting the recognition of certain Métis governments in Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan, to give effect to treaties with those governments and to make consequential amendments to other Acts

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

An Act respecting the recognition of certain Métis governments in Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan, to give effect to treaties with those governments and to make consequential amendments to other Acts

[Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, Bloc, Lac-Saint-Jean, QC]

Mr. Speaker, there have been consultations among the parties. I think that, if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: Given that (1) according to the report of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, thousands of children have been forcibly deported by Russia from Ukraine to the Russian Federation; (2) the International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin and Maria Lvova‑Belova—

[Some hon. members]

Nay.