Debates of June 5th, 2023

Bird Welfare

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present petition e-4281, signed by almost 2,000 Canadians. The petitioners point out that a major source of bird mortality is collisions with windows and buildings. The Canadian Standards Association has a bird-friendly design standard that is already practised by many architects, builders and municipalities. These designs significantly reduce bird mortalities, at minimal cost.

The petitioners ask that the federal government include this standard in the national building code, and they also ask for a national plan to reduce the mortality of birds from building and window collisions.

Justice

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise for the seventh time on behalf of the people of Swan River, Manitoba, to present a petition on the rising rate of crime.

The common people of Swan River are demanding a common-sense solution to repeal the Liberal government's soft-on-crime policies, which have fuelled a surge in crime throughout their community. A surge of robberies by repeat offenders has forced nearly every business to install bars on their windows and buzzers on their doors. Now many local businesses are considering closing their doors for good. To say that crime has significantly impacted the local economy is an understatement.

The people of Swan River demand that the Liberal government repeal its soft-on-crime policies, which directly threaten their livelihoods and their community. I support the good people of Swan River.

The Environment

[Matthew Green, NDP, Hamilton Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise yet again to present a petition signed by over 141 people in my area of Hamilton who are concerned about the Ford government's proposal to build Highway 413 and pave over more than 2,400 acres of land, including the protected greenbelt, farm fields, forests, wetlands and the traditional indigenous lands of the Mississauga, Haudenosaunee, Huron-Wendat, Chippewa and Six Nations.

This petition calls on the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to commence a complete and thorough federal environmental impact assessment to identify, predict and evaluate the environmental effects of the Highway 413 project, and conduct public hearings prior to the start of any construction.

Human Rights

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have two petitions to present today.

One is in support of Bill C-257, which seeks to include political rights within human rights. As members know, unfortunately many Canadians are discriminated against because of their political beliefs. This legislation seeks to protect their political rights and the freedom of expression associated with them.

Medical Assistance in Dying

[Philip Lawrence, Conservative, Northumberland—Peterborough South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition is from a group of petitioners who are against the expansion of MAID to include infanticide. They believe that the lives of children are sacred and that MAID should not be extended to infants.

Surf Guard Services

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to table a petition on behalf of residents of British Columbia and visitors to the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

The petitioners call on the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to reinstate the surf guard tower and surf guard services, and to extend the duration of the surf guard program to accommodate the growing number of emergencies as well as visitors at Long Beach in the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

Emergencies at Long Beach are attended by Parks Canada, in collaboration with the Canadian Coast Guard, Westcoast Inland Search and Rescue, B.C.'s Emergency Response Group and the RCMP. However, rescues initially fall into the hands of surfers, beachgoers and the surf schools that operate in the park.

In February 2018, a man died at Lovekin Rock. In May 2018, in the same area, a woman died. In March 2016, four people were saved by the Canadian Coast Guard and Canadian Armed Forces. In August 2021, another man drowned at the same spot.

Basically, lifeguards watched over that beach as part of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve surf guard program for 40 years, until the Conservative government cut the program in 2012. The petitioners are calling on the government to reinstate this program so that no more lives are lost.

Human Rights

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I am happy to rise today to put the voices of 35 Canadians on the record through a petition in support of Bill C-257.

These Canadians agree that democracy is important, and they want to safeguard it. They think no one should be discriminated against based on their political beliefs. It is something we all believe in strongly on the Conservative side of the aisle.

We hope that we can get this bill passed quickly so that Canadians will not face discrimination for thinking differently, which we have seen the Liberal government do time and time again. We are hoping we can get this bill passed to protect the rights of Canadians across the country.

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition on behalf of many Canadians who are concerned about human rights protections in Turkey, Pakistan and Bahrain.

The petitioners are saying that Turkish and Pakistani officials have committed gross human rights violations against thousands of Turks, including eight Turkish Canadians. They say that Turkish officials have killed hundreds, including Gokhan Acikkollu.

The petitioners say that Turkish officials have wrongfully detained over 300,000 people without any reason. They say that multiple human rights violations and gross human rights violations are happening because of Turkey.

The petitioners say that the Canadian government should closely monitor human rights in Turkey and sanction Turkish officials who have committed gross human rights violations against eight Canadians. They are calling on Turkey and Pakistan to end all human rights violations and wrongful detainments.

Charitable Organizations

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition I will present today is from Canadians across the country who want to draw the attention of the House of Commons to the Liberal Party platform of 2021, where the Liberal Party was jeopardizing the charitable status of hospitals, houses of worship, schools, homeless shelters and other charitable organizations that do not agree with the Liberal Party on the matter of abortion. Many Canadians depend on and benefit from these charitable organizations.

The petitioners point to the fact that the Liberal government has previously tried to impose a values test on the Canada summer jobs program. They are calling on the House of Commons and the government to protect and preserve the application of charitable status rules on a political and ideological neutral basis without discrimination on the basis of political or religious views, and to affirm Canadians' freedom of expression.

Medical Assistance in Dying

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the next petition I will present is from Canadians across the country who are concerned about the comments from Louis Roy of the Collège des médecins du Québec, who recommended that euthanasia be expanded to babies from birth to one year of age when they have severe deformities or serious syndromes. This proposal to legalize the killing of infants is deeply concerning to these Canadians, and they state that infanticide is always wrong. The petitioners call on the government to block any attempts to allow the euthanization of children.

Human Rights

[Arnold Viersen, Conservative, Peace River—Westlock, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the final petition I will present today is from Canadians across the country who want to be protected against discrimination. Canadians can and do face political discrimination, and it is a fundamental right of Canadians to be politically active and vocal. It is in the best interests of Canadian democracy to protect public debate and the exchange of ideas.

The petitioners are in support of Bill C-257, which would add protection against political discrimination to the Human Rights Act. They are calling on the Government of Canada and the House to pass this bill and defend the right of Canadians to peacefully express their political opinions.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am grateful for the opportunity to present a number of petitions to the House today.

The first petition is the same as the petition my colleague presented with respect to the human rights situation in Turkey, Pakistan and Bahrain. The petitioners are concerned about officials in all three of these countries committing human rights violations against thousands of Turks, including Turkish Canadians in particular.

The petitioners are concerned about the killing of hundreds by Turkish officials, including the killing of Gökhan Açikkollu. Also, the petitioners say that Turkish officials have wrongly detained over 300,000 people without reason and that multiple international human rights groups have confirmed gross human rights violations in Turkey.

The petitioners call on the government to closely monitor the situation in terms of human rights in Turkey, to sanction those officials who have committed these violations against these Canadians as well those involved in the killing of Gökhan Açikkollu, and to call on the governments of Turkey, Pakistan and Bahrain to end all human rights violations in their respective countries.

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the next petition highlights the ongoing, horrific and unjust detention of Mr. Huseyin Celil.

The petitioners note that they were very pleased to see the release of the two Michaels who had been detained for 1,000 days in China. They note that Mr. Celil has been detained for over 5,000 days, that he is a Canadian citizen and a person of Uyghur ethnic origin who had been vocal on advocating for the human rights of Uyghurs. Of course, Uyghurs face ongoing genocide, as has been recognized by the House and most of the parties in this place.

The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to take a number of steps to support the human rights of Uyghurs and to seek the release of Mr. Celil: demand that the Chinese government recognize Mr. Celil's Canadian citizenship and provide him with consular and legal services in accordance with international law; formally state that the release of Mr. Celil from Chinese detainment and his return to Canada is a priority of the Canadian government of equal concern to the unjust detention of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor; appoint a special envoy to work on securing Mr. Celil's release; and seek the assistance of the Biden administration and other allies around the world in obtaining Mr. Celil's release.

COVID-19 Mandates

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the next petition is one I had a number of copies of and has been in my desk for a little while. It is, in some respects, a little bit dated, but I think it is always worth a reminder. The petition calls on the Government of Canada to end all COVID-19 mandates. I am pleased to table that as well.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I am going to table a number of petitions that relate to the human rights situation in Hong Kong.

First of all, the petitioners note how recent Hong Kong graduates can apply for open work permits under a temporary public policy for Hong Kong residents. In June 2021, there were two pathways, stream A and stream B, announced to Hong Kongers who worked or studied in Canada to obtain permanent residency in Canada.

Stream B required graduates to have one year of work experience in Canada and have graduated within the last five years from a Canadian or foreign equivalent post-secondary school. On February 6 of this year, Canada announced an extension and expansion of the open work permit program for eligible Hong Kong residents by extending the open work permit for an additional two years. However, this extension failed to address time constraints that stream B applicants face while pursuing eligibility for permanent residency. The 2016-17 graduates who met the five-year graduation requirement at the time of applying for the open work permit are falling out of eligibility to apply for permanent residency under stream B of this scheme by the time their work permits are received and they have fulfilled the hours of work requirement.

The petitioners call upon the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to remove the five-year restriction to include all persons who fulfill the educational credential requirements of stream B.

Hong Kong

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the next petition is also about the situation in Hong Kong.

The petitioners note the injustices that have been inflicted against Hong Kong and how people who have been involved in the democracy movement might have faced politically motivated prosecutions and, as such, they might be considered inadmissible to Canada under the current approach being taken. The petitioners are concerned about people being asked for police certificates and so forth. It would be difficult for those who have been involved in the democracy movement and faced politically motivated prosecutions to get those certificates.

The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to recognize the politicization of Hong Kong's judiciary; to affirm its commitment to render all national security charges and convictions irrelevant and invalid in relation to section 36(1)(c); to create a mechanism by which Hong Kong people with pro-democracy movement related convictions provide an explanation for such convictions on the basis of which government officials can grant exceptions to Hong Kong people who would otherwise be deemed inadmissible; and to work with the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Australia, New Zealand and other democracies to waive criminal inadmissibility of Hong Kong people convicted for political purposes who otherwise do not have a criminal record.

With that, I move, seconded by the member for Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry:

That the House do now adjourn.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

The question is on the motion.

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

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, we are requesting a recorded vote, please.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

Call in the members.

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

Vote #348

Petitions

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

I declare the motion defeated.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (Senate)]

Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 1400, 1409, 1413, 1416 and 1418.

Question No.1400—

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

With regard to the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, in reference to section 83.05 of the Criminal Code: (a) what procedure is followed by the department to determine whether a state is a state supporter of terrorism; (b) does the Russian Federation meet the criteria under the aforementioned section of the Criminal Code to be designated as a state supporter of terrorism, and what is the detailed explanation for how the determination was made; and (c) what other legislation, criteria, or factors are used by the department to designate a country as a state supporter of terrorism?

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, with regard to part (a), the list of state supporters of terrorism is not provided for under section 83.05 of the Criminal Code but is pursuant to section 6.1 of the State Immunity Act.

Section 83.05 of the Criminal Code provides for the Governor in Council, GIC, on the recommendation of the Minister of Public Safety to establish a list of terrorist entities.

Under the Criminal Code, “entity” means a person, group, trust, partnership, fund or an unincorporated association or organization.

In order to be listed, the GIC must be satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to believe that “[s. 83.05(1)(a)] the entity has knowingly carried out, attempted to carry out, participated in or facilitated a terrorist activity”; or “[s. 83.05(1)(b)] the entity has knowingly acted on behalf of, at the direction of or in association with, an entity” involved in a terrorist activity.

Determining whether to designate an entity is based on information, intelligence and legal analysis. It involves cross-government consultations and the preparation of security or criminal intelligence reports, which are independently assessed by the Department of Justice to ascertain whether an entity meets any of the thresholds for listing as set out in subsection 83.05(1) of the Criminal Code.

With regard to part (b), the list of state supporters of terrorism is not provided for under section 83.05 of the Criminal Code but is pursuant to section 6.1 of the State Immunity Act, which is described in the answer to part (c).

With respect to the list of terrorist entities pursuant to the Criminal Code, the process of adding or removing entities is iterative and ongoing. The Government of Canada does not disclose the specifics of this publicly.

In respect of a foreign state, the “terrorist activity” definition in the State Immunity Act has the same meaning as in subsection 83.01(1) of the Criminal Code, provided that a foreign state set out on the list referred to in subsection 6.1(2) does the act or omission on or after January 1, 1985.

With regard to part (c), with respect to the List of State Supporters of Terrorism, created in 2012 pursuant to section 6.1 of the State Immunity Act, the Governor in Council can create a list of states where there are reasonable grounds to believe that a state has provided support to a listed terrorist entity under the Canadian Criminal Code. “Support” is defined in the State Immunity Act as an act or omission in relation to a listed terrorist entity that, had it been committed in Canada, would be punishable under specific counterterrorism provisions of the Criminal Code. As such, upon the recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in consultation with the Minister of Public Safety, the Governor in Council has the authority to list foreign states that have supported a terrorist entity named pursuant to the Criminal Code. By being placed on this list, states lose their immunity from the jurisdiction of Canadian courts in relation to actions brought against them in connection with their support of terrorism under the Justice for Victims of Terrorism Act.

Question No.1409—

[Lisa Marie Barron, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

With regard to the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act, broken down by fiscal year since 2011-12: (a) what is the total number of penalties issued to (i) individuals, (ii) corporations; (b) what is the total dollar amount collected through fines issued under the act; and (c) what is the total number of vessels (i) forfeited to the government, (ii) retained pending payment of a fine, (iii) disposed of for the purpose of payment of a fine?