Debates of Sept. 26th, 2023

Guests in the House of Commons

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I want to acknowledge my hon. colleague, because he is the first and only Conservative MP who has actually acknowledged that this was the responsibility of the Speaker, which is why the Speaker took responsibility and why he resigned. I want to thank the member for sticking to the facts, which we have not heard from most of our Conservative colleagues.

Climate Change

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last week, as the Climate Ambition Summit was in full swing, we learned that Canada intends to double Newfoundland's oil production by 2030. Yes, that is right: double its oil production. Yesterday, the Conservatives even applauded the government's move. Long live Canada, a great oil-producing country, as the Minister of Environment would say.

When it comes to fighting climate change, does the Minister of Environment think that it is a good thing to have the Conservatives applauding him?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.

Last week, we had not one, but two, very good pieces of news, as there are two new Canadian sites that will be designated as UNESCO world heritage sites. Not one, but two.

This is not good news for the Bloc Québécois because one of these two sites would have been producing oil, were it not for the hard work of environmentalists, indigenous peoples and the Quebec government. Today, thanks to that work, Anticosti is a UNESCO world heritage site.

[Kristina Michaud, Bloc, Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, 2023 is on track to be the hottest year on record. Massive, unprecedented wildfires raged throughout British Columbia, Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Nova Scotia and Quebec. Biodiversity is threatened and oceans are warming to record levels. Meanwhile, the Liberal-Conservative coalition is applauding the increased drilling in the Atlantic Ocean. Their applause seems to indicate that they think we should increase our dependence on oil, not reduce it.

What will it take for them to realize that they are playing a very dangerous game for humanity?

[Steven Guilbeault, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Mr. Speaker, if the Bloc Québécois was as enthusiastic about working with us to combat climate change, then things would go even better.

Canada is the only major oil-producing country that was invited to the UN's Climate Ambition Summit last week. Why? That would be because we have the most ambitious targets for reducing methane emissions and we are the only G20 country that has eliminated fossil fuel subsidies. No other G20 country has done so. We did it two years earlier than planned, and the Prime Minister has announced that we are going to put a cap on greenhouse gas emissions from the oil and gas industry.

We are the only country in the world that has made that commitment.

Guests in the House of Commons

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have embarrassed Canada, insulted the Jewish community, undermined our Ukrainian allies and disrespected our veterans, and the Prime Minister refuses to accept any responsibility. He has either willfully or ignorantly discarded his duty to protect President Zelenskyy from this international disaster. Because of his negligence, the Liberals have helped fuel Russia's propaganda machine against Ukraine.

Will the Prime Minister finally accept responsibility, stand in the House and apologize to all Canadians and to our Ukrainian allies?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague knows, the decision to invite and acknowledge this individual was the Speaker's and the Speaker's alone. For that, he has apologized. For that, he has resigned.

This is something that has brought shame and embarrassment to all of us as parliamentarians and, indeed, to all Canadians. It has hurt Canadian communities across the country, Jewish communities, Ukrainian communities, any community that was impacted by the Holocaust.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday, Parliament stood and honoured a Nazi. It is unbelievable that this happened. The Canadian people deserve to be represented with dignity in the House and on the world stage, and that was taken away from them. The Liberals have so profoundly failed Canadians. This is beyond shameful and embarrassing, and it will never be forgotten.

Now, the Speaker has resigned, but the Prime Minister bears responsibility. He is in charge. This happened under his watch.

Will he finally do the right thing and apologize to Canadians?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I think we all agree with my hon. colleague that we wish this had never happened, because it did bring shame and embarrassment to every single member of the House, as well as every single Canadian.

Unfortunately, it was the Speaker and the Speaker alone who chose to invite this individual and acknowledge this individual in the gallery, unbeknownst to any member of Parliament in here, which is why every single member present stood and applauded, because they were led to believe this individual was someone who he was not. We know that this was not the case.

The Speaker has taken responsibility and he has resigned.

[Raquel Dancho, Conservative, Kildonan—St. Paul, MB]

Mr. Speaker, there is no more time for Liberal excuses and more deflections. Canadians deserve far better than that. Friday was supposed to be a day where Canadians and Ukrainians were able to come together and stand against Putin's brutal regime and its illegal, brutal, deadly invasion of Ukraine. The President of Ukraine was in Parliament. The world's eyes were on Canada. However, due to Liberal negligence and incompetence, a Nazi was honoured at that time.

Canada has been profoundly embarrassed and there will be lasting international consequences. The Prime Minister cannot escape his responsibility to the House and to Canadians. The buck stops with him.

Will he be apologizing to Canada and our world allies, yes or no?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, again, I would ask my hon. colleagues to please stick to the facts. They all know that this was the decision of the Speaker of the House of Commons, to both invite this individual and recognize him, without informing a single member of Parliament, the Prime Minister, the government or the Ukrainian delegation.

We all feel completely embarrassed and shamed by this fact. For this, the Speaker has not only apologized, he has resigned. That was the right thing for him to do after a very horrific incident for all of us.

The Economy

[Fayçal El-Khoury, Liberal, Laval—Les Îles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, many people in my riding, Laval—Les Îles, have shared their concerns with me about the rising cost of living when it comes to the price of groceries and housing.

Can the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry inform the House of the measures the government has taken to make life more affordable for Canadians?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking the member for Laval—Les Îles for his work.

This is the number one issue for the people of Laval. The work the member has done has allowed us to take meaningful measures to help people at a time when we see that the cost of food is the top issue for Canadians.

This morning, I met with the major Canadian manufacturers to tell them three things. First, I expressed to them the frustration that people are feeling across the country, including in Laval, and told them that the price of groceries is the top issue. Then, I asked them to be part of the solution because we all have a role to play to help Canadians when times are tough.

I can assure the people of Laval that, with the member for Laval—Les Îles, we will continue to fight—

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

The hon. member for Edmonton Mill Woods.

Guests in the House of Commons

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Edmonton Mill Woods, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I was honoured to introduce the national Holocaust monument bill in the House, which received unanimous support from all parties. This monument helps Canadians learn more about the horrors of the Holocaust. Never did I imagine that in the same House of Commons a Nazi would be invited and honoured in this place.

When will the Prime Minister stand up, take responsibility for this massive insult and apologize to Canadians?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, my family walked into Auschwitz, and only my grandfather and great uncle walked out. Never in a million years would I have imagined that the Speaker of the House of Commons would invite someone who fought for the Nazis to this place, recognize him in front of everyone and ask us all to stand.

We all placed our trust in the Speaker. It was broken. We are hurt by this. I personally am incredibly hurt by this, because never in my life would I have ever done this had I known otherwise. I assure everyone that no other member would have done that either.

[Tony Baldinelli, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last Friday, as a result of the Prime Minister's inaction, a Nazi veteran was allowed access to this chamber. Although this person was invited by the Speaker, it is the responsibility of the government to organize and ensure the security of foreign dignitaries. Further, both the Prime Minister and this individual were present in the same reception room in West Block after the speeches.

There is no way this international embarrassment is solely on the Speaker. The inept Liberal government is responsible as well.

Will the Prime Minister finally take responsibility, do the right thing and apologize to Canadians?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, the allegation that my hon. colleague has made is simply false. That did not happen.

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, what happened on Friday is unacceptable. We gave a standing ovation to a member of the Waffen-SS.

Canada's reputation has been tarnished across the world. Yesterday, believe it or not, the government ratcheted its mediocrity up a notch by asking to have the facts, the truth and history erased from the record. What cowardice. Those who erase history are doomed to repeat it. The response is typical for a government that always washes its hands of responsibility and tries to whitewash history.

When will the Prime Minister stand in the House, acknowledge that he made a serious mistake, and apologize to the world on behalf of all Canadians?

[Karina Gould, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, as my hon. colleague knows, things that go horribly wrong in the House and maybe even in committees are erased from publications. This was the case when the member for St. Albert—Edmonton read some extremely unsettling comments in committee.

Underlying the request of the House was the fact that no one knew who this person was ahead of time. Otherwise, I am sure that no one in the House would have stood and applauded. I am sure of it.

Justice

[Iqwinder Gaheer, Liberal, Mississauga—Malton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in my riding of Mississauga—Malton, I know people are concerned about crime. They want to know what our government is doing to make sure that people are safe. This is why I was pleased to see the House unanimously pass Bill C-48 last week, which would help ensure that violent repeat offenders would not get bail.

Could the Minister of Justice tell us more about the progress of this legislation? What is the government doing to improve safety in communities across Canada?

[Arif Virani, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to start by thanking my colleague, the member for Mississauga—Malton, for his important advocacy.

Repeat violent offenders do not belong on our streets; everyone in this chamber agrees on that proposition. As a government, we have a job to do, which is to keep people safe. That is why last week, on the very first day of the House of Commons sitting this fall, we passed our bail reform legislation, our plan for keeping people safe. MPs on that day put politics aside for the safety of Canadians.

I hope the Senate will do the exact same and help make this bill become law. We need safe streets in our country. This bill would help us get there.

Health

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

Mr. Speaker, in British Columbia alone, more than 1,600 people have died, because of toxic unregulated drugs, since the start of this year.

This summer I travelled to Portugal, where I saw that things could be different. We could a have nationwide evidence-based plan, including decriminalization, harm reduction, treatment recovery and prevention services, but the Liberals would rather stand by their patchwork approach that is not working.

Will the government right its wrongs by immediately delivering a compassionate and coordinated plan to respond to the toxic drug crisis?

[Ya'ara Saks, Liberal, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, the NDP has worked with us step by step in understanding that the toxic drug supply in our country is killing those we love. Families, communities, no one is left unharmed by this. That is why we have taken a comprehensive approach, province by province and working with our counterparts, to make sure that we are saving lives.

Decriminalization in B.C. was the first step to that, but we need a responsible, compassionate framework that balances public health with public safety. I will continue to work with the member on this.

Innovation, Science and Industry

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, investing in clean technology is crucial to the fight against climate change. In that fight, one of Canada's leading agencies, Sustainable Development Technology Canada, has had allegations of wrongdoing with the way it has spent its funding and the way it has treated its staff. It is yet again another example of incompetency.

Canadians deserve to know how the government makes decisions on spending for clean technology. The minister needs to release the full report in the House so Canadians can see the transparency they deserve and have paid for.

Whistle-blowers stood up and risked their jobs. Will the minister do the same thing and table the full report for all in the House and for Canadians?