Debates of June 21st, 2023

Oral Questions

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I stand here in a bit of disbelief. Following some very difficult questions asked by my NDP colleague and friend from Winnipeg Centre, I watched, along with other members and colleagues, as the Prime Minister sat down and directed an F-bomb at the member for Winnipeg Centre, and a little bit more of that. Honestly, just play it back. I would ask for a formal apology and for the Prime Minister of Canada to stand and apologize to my female colleague and friend from Winnipeg Centre, especially on National Indigenous Peoples Day.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to let my answer to that question stand and say that I said absolutely nothing after finishing that answer.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

Order.

The hon. member for Kings—Hants is next.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. This afternoon I had the opportunity to ask the right hon. Prime Minister a question. I started my question with a preamble and I supported it by facts, and then I asked the Prime Minister if I could hear how his government would administer differently the policies that are being articulated from the official opposition.

I know this made the House leader quite upset, but I just want to see if I can have some parameters around how best I should frame my question. If I am not able to ask it, I would be very interested in hearing the right hon. Prime Minister's response.

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

In this House, we all make mistakes. We all do things that we are not aware are against the rules. I always like to see them as a learning opportunity. This is not to explain my answers but so everyone here will know why I said it was not a valid question.

The point I was looking at is on page 509 of House of Commons Procedure and Practice, which states, “ask a question that is within the administrative responsibility of the government or of the individual Minister addressed.”

Now let me explain why.

The reason I did that is there was a long preamble that really had nothing to do with administration. I hear this from both sides, so I am not pointing fingers at one side or the other. However, sometimes these things go on forever, and then it is kind of hard to determine whether there is going to be a question tied to the criticism or preamble that goes with it. That is why I called it an illegal question.

That is the reason I said it was not a valid question. When members are putting their questions together, I ask both sides to put something together that has to do with administration and, if they can, to make my life easier, to make it clear that it has to do with administration right from the beginning.

[An hon. member]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

That has been settled. I do not want anybody challenging the Chair. If you have any questions, I invite you to make an appointment and come to my office afterward, and I will explain what happened in here.

Now we will go to the hon. member for Cariboo—Prince George.

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

Mr. Speaker, an Ottawa police officer, Sergeant Eric Mueller, was ambushed with two of his colleagues three weeks ago. Eric Mueller lost his life. An Ottawa police officer was attacked this past weekend. A London fire chief was viciously assaulted while attending a fire emergency on the weekend. A nurse was punched and kicked this past weekend.

On the last day of this session, we need to send a message to our first responders and frontline heroes that violence against them is unacceptable.

Therefore, there have been discussions among parties, and I believe that if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent to pass the following motion.

I move that notwithstanding any Standing Order, special order or usual practice of this House, Bill C-321, an act to amend the Criminal Code with respect to assaults against health care professionals and first responders, be amended by replacing the term “health care professionals” with “health care workers” throughout the entirety of the bill; be amended by replacing the term “first responders” with “public safety personnel” throughout the entirety of the bill; be amended by adding after clause 269.02 on the definition of a health care worker, for the purpose of subclause (1), “health care worker includes any individual employed in a health care”—

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner is rising on a point of order.

[Glen Motz, Conservative, Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am seeking unanimous consent that the Minister of Public Safety appear before the Standing Committee of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness for two hours no later than Friday, June 23, regarding—

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

I am afraid that there is a long list of points, and in order to get through them, as soon as I hear “no” from some members, we understand that the consultation that really should be taking place beforehand maybe did not quite work out the way it should.

We will now go to the member for Oshawa.

[Colin Carrie, Conservative, Oshawa, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in the last few weeks, we have all agreed on the importance of victims' rights. Today I am asking for unanimous consent from the House to adopt the following motion: I move that, notwithstanding any Standing Order or usual practices of the House, Bill C-320, an act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act on disclosure of information to victims—

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

We will now go to the hon. member for Chilliwack—Hope.

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the last time I spoke in the House, I used language that was deemed unparliamentary. I would like to withdraw those remarks and apologize to the Speaker for the disorder that they caused.

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

I thank the hon. member for his apology. The apology comes through the Speaker to the House. I want to clarify that it is not to me but to the House.

The hon. member for Kelowna—Lake Country is rising on a point of order.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, this is on the point of order from my colleague for Elgin—Middlesex—London.

I was also witness to the Prime Minister saying the F-word in question period today after his response to an opposition party member. This is shocking and unparliamentary language. I ask you, Mr. Speaker, to ask the Prime Minister to apologize, because he—

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

We have dealt with that already.

The hon. member for Lambton—Kent—Middlesex.

[Lianne Rood, Conservative, Lambton—Kent—Middlesex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, during question period today, the Prime Minister kept deflecting on how the second carbon tax is going to hurt our farmers and put our food security and safety at risk. I would like unanimous consent to table the Parliamentary Budget—

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Speaker, Anthony Rota]

The hon. member for Edmonton Griesbach is rising on a point of order.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I believe if you seek it, you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That, given the rising tide of hate and violence directed toward the 2SLGBTQI—