Debates of Oct. 22nd, 2024

National Defence

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 14th report of the Standing Committee on National Defence.

The report is entitled “Gaps to Fill: Housing and Other Needed Supports for Canadian Armed Forces Members and Their Families”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

Justice

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of residents of Seabird Island First Nation. On June 23, 2022, Bill C-28 received royal assent; it allowed for extreme intoxication to be used as a defence for violent crimes, such as sexual assault, where a reasonable person would not have foreseen the risk of a violent loss of control. Residents are concerned about the impact this will have on first nations communities such as theirs, which are often in rural areas that are underserved by law enforcement. The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to repeal the amendments made to the Criminal Code in Bill C-28 and uphold its commitment to protect first nations' safety, as well as the right to a justice system that honours victims by holding offenders responsible for violent crime.

Human Trafficking

[Brad Vis, Conservative, Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition I would like to present today is on behalf of British Columbians who are concerned about human trafficking in Canada. The U.S. State Department's 20th “Trafficking in Persons Report” indicates that Canada meets the minimum standards for the elimination of human trafficking. The report also highlights that the range, quality and timely delivery of trafficking-specific services varies across Canada, including persistent funding shortages.

The petitioners call on the Government of Canada to strengthen the Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act to address these shortcomings and put an end to human trafficking in Canada.

Migratory Birds

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise virtually in the House this morning to present a petition from constituents. Because I am presenting the petition electronically, it is petition 441-02719.

The petition relates to the construction by the Department of National Defence of a training facility at Hartlen Point, Nova Scotia. Petitioners are concerned that there will be significant damage to important habitat for migratory birds, a number of which are protected species. The area is described in the petition as one of the most important areas for bird observation, among Canada's top 10 bird observation sites.

The petitioners are calling on the government to pause all construction and further development of the land-based testing facility at Hartlen Point, Nova Scotia, unless and until an independent impact assessment can take place that specifically focuses on the impacts on wildlife, migratory bird populations and their traffic, and full and transparent community consultation and outreach. Public access to all documents related to developing Hartlen Point is also requested by the petitioners.

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances

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

Mr. Speaker, today, I rise to table a petition submitted by firefighters from White Rock IAFF Local 2407 and Surrey IAFF Local 1271.

This petition addresses an urgent issue that has an impact on the health and safety of firefighters across Canada. Sponsored by the MP for New Westminster—Burnaby, it calls for immediate action to ban per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or forever chemicals, in firefighter gear and firefighting foam.

PFAS are man-made chemicals that are resistant to heat, water and oil, but their durability comes at a significant cost. Scientific evidence links these substances to severe health issues, including cancer, putting firefighters who already face hazardous conditions at risk. Research shows that PFAS can accumulate in the body, leading to serious health issues. Alarmingly, firefighters face a higher cancer risk than the general population. We must mitigate these risks by regulating what we can control in their working conditions.

Several countries have restricted PFAS use. Canada must follow suit. Our firefighters deserve gear that is free from toxic chemicals. Let us protect those who risk their lives for us. It is an honour to present this petition.

Online Harm

[Élisabeth Brière, Liberal, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Speaker, online harm to children is a very important issue for our government. Today, I have the honour of presenting a petition signed by many people from the riding of Sherbrooke. Given the growing number of reports of Canadian children being exposed to online sextortion and other serious harm, the petitioners are calling on the House of Commons to continue working on Bill C-63 and to pass it as quickly as possible. I thank the people of Sherbrooke for their commitment to this important issue.

Bradford Bypass

[Leah Taylor Roy, Liberal, Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of constituents and other residents in the area surrounding the Bradford Bypass.

This is a 16-kilometre 400-series highway in southern Ontario that would traverse the East Holland River. Runoff from highways has been known to increase chloride pollution hot spots. A number of serious concerns relate to the construction of the Bradford Bypass.

This petition is directed to the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and it requests that the Bradford Bypass be considered an undertaking or activity that is likely to result in harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat. Therefore, the petitioners request all information permitted under subsections 37(1) and 34.3(1) necessary to determine if construction of this highway should be permitted, and if so, that it be under conditions set out in formal Fisheries Act authorisation. They call on the ministers to designate the Bradford Bypass for an impact assessment pursuant to the recently amended Impact Assessment Act, as well as to require a comprehensive, transparent species-at-risk permitting process to be followed.

Public Safety

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

Mr. Speaker, it is always an honour to present a petition on behalf of constituents.

I rise for the 51st time on behalf of the people of Swan River, Manitoba, to present a petition on the rising rate of crime. The community of Swan River is struggling with rising crime in their area. Statistics Canada reports that, after nine years of the Liberal government, violent crime has risen by 50% and gang-related homicides have nearly doubled.

Within the last five years, the town's crime severity index has increased by over 50%.

The people of Swan River see the devastating effects that crime has on the community's safety and economic stability. The people of Swan River are calling for jail, not bail, for repeat violent offenders. 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.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

[The Speaker]

Is that agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

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

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, may I have unanimous consent to table a dissenting report for the 14th report of the Standing Committee on National Defence?

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Is it agreed?

[Some hon. members]

Agreed.

National Defence

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

Mr. Speaker, I am just so excited about presenting this dissenting report.

The reason we are doing it is that the report from the entire committee did not explain how the government was going to actually fix the housing shortage. The housing shortage applies to the recruits and the lower ranks, so “the barracks” is what we call them; in Petawawa, they are called “the shacks”.

Two buildings have to be condemned by the base commander because, besides the vermin, they have black mould and openings in the walls, with rusted pipes. I had a first-hand opportunity to tour one of these buildings. It is just not inhabitable. The government has said that it is going to fix the situation, but we have not seen any money in the budget, and that is why we wrote the dissenting report. It is so that we can dig deeper and make sure that we have not only livable conditions but also good conditions. In that way, we can attract more recruits and build our armed forces to what they should be in this day and age.

The House resumed from October 21 consideration of the motion, of the amendment and of the amendment to the amendment.

Reference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal-appointed chair, who is a friend of the Prime Minister, was found to have broken ethics laws; she confirmed that she used SDTC to give a $217,000 grant to her own company. Five of the seven hand-picked Liberal directors voted to award their own companies more than $20 million of taxpayer funds. Liberal officials were present at every meeting of the SDTC, but here is the surprising part: They did nothing to stop this corruption. Whistle-blowers have alleged gross mismanagement, conflicts of interest and a toxic work environment. The Auditor General released a report detailing the gross mismanagement of public funds.

On June 10, the House passed a motion requiring the government to turn over documents pertaining to Sustainable Development Technology Canada within 30 days, but can we guess what? The Liberals have not done that. On October 1, Mr. Speaker, you ruled that the Liberals violated the House's order and that they must hand over all documents for a criminal investigation into the latest scandal, yet they still refuse. What are they hiding?

The lack of transparency surrounding the allocation of these funds is mind-boggling. Why will the Liberals not hand over the documents? What are the Prime Minister and his friends on that side of the House hiding? It is imperative that we get to the bottom of this. Canadians demand and deserve to know.

As shadow minister for seniors, I stand here today deeply appalled by the wasteful spending that continues to plague our nation. This is not just about numbers on a balance sheet; it is about real people, particularly our most vulnerable citizens: our seniors. They rely heavily on government support programs funded by taxpayers. Seniors should not be left to wonder whether the government is prioritizing its friends' fake projects over seniors' support systems.

In Canada, seniors face a variety of challenges that are often overlooked. Access to health care and long-term care remains a significant issue. Chronic diseases, such as arthritis, cancer, heart disease, diabetes and respiratory illnesses, affect seniors the most and have a severe impact on their quality of life. The rising costs of essentials, such as groceries and electricity, are particularly harsh for those living on fixed incomes. We can imagine having to choose between heating our home and buying food. However, perhaps the most heartbreaking issue is loneliness and social isolation. Many seniors spend their days in solitude, with the tick-tock of the clock on the wall their only company. Studies have shown that approximately 41% of Canadians aged 50 and older are at risk of social isolation; up to 58% have experienced loneliness. This is not just a statistic. Rather, it is a silent epidemic that has severe mental and physical impacts.

Given these pressing issues, it is nothing short of appalling that $400 million has been siphoned off into projects that had no oversight or accountability. We can just imagine what $400 million could do for seniors. It could have been a lifeline for so many. It could have provided the support and services they desperately need; instead, it has been used to make the friends of the Prime Minister rich, leaving our seniors to fend for themselves in an increasingly hostile economic environment.

Since the NDP-Liberal government came into power nine years ago, it has been involved in controversies and scandals: bad governance, a complete lack of transparency and accountability, and absolutely no moral compass. This is the legacy the Prime Minister will leave behind.

We all remember the Aga Khan vacation, when thePrime Minister accepted a family vacation to a private island of the Aga Khan, a wealthy religious leader who happened to have lobbied the government on several occasions. The Prime Minister was found guilty of ethics violations.

There was the cash-for-access fundraiser where the Prime Minister held private fundraisers for wealthy donors who could pay for access to the Prime Minister and his senior ministers. These events led to allegations that the donors were effectively buying access to decision-makers, which undermines transparency and fairness in government.

There was also former governor general Julie Payette's resignation. The Prime Minister changed the vetting process for the Governor General appointment, which resulted in the Julie Payette scandal. An independent review uncovered a toxic work environment in her office, including allegations of harassment and bullying, and now Canadian taxpayers are on the hook for her lifelong pension of $150,000 per year and up to $206,000 to cover her expenses.

We all remember the embarrassment the Prime Minister caused while attending Queen Elizabeth's funeral. Not only did he feel the need to charge the taxpayers $6,000 a night for his hotel room, but he also embarrassed Canadians when he was caught belting out Bohemian Rhapsody in the hotel lobby when the entire United Kingdom was in mourning. Although the Prime Minister has not been successful in many things, his singing included, he continues to successfully embarrass Canada on the world stage.

However, probably the most famous scandal was the SNC-Lavalin affair, in which the Prime Minister and senior officials pressured then attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to intervene in a criminal case against SNC-Lavalin. When she refused, she was kicked out of caucus. The Prime Minister was found guilty by the Ethics Commissioner.

The Prime Minister is so arrogant that he still denies he did anything wrong, which is probably why he felt he could get away with siphoning $912 million to his friends at the WE Charity. The Prime Minister's family members have received hundreds of thousands of dollars in speaking fees from the WE Charity. This once again raised questions about a conflict of interest. The then finance minister Bill Morneau faced scrutiny for failing to recuse himself from the decision while his daughter worked for the charity. He ultimately resigned.

These are just a few of the scandals we have uncovered so far. I cannot list them all during this speech because I have only a limited amount of time. Under the government, we have witnessed the opposite of transparency and accountability. It is nothing short of arrogance for the Liberals to think that Canadians do not deserve to know where their hard-earned dollars are going. When members within the Liberal Party recommend transparency, they are silenced and expelled. The Prime Minister continues to subscribe to the theory of “Do as I say, not as I do.”

The SNC-Lavalin scandal is proof of the lengths to which the Prime Minister and his caucus will go in order to be anything but transparent and accountable. Former ministers Jody Wilson-Raybould and Jane Philpott chose to speak out against the government they once served. They warned us about the dangers of government that lacks transparency and accountability. They highlighted that more secrecy in the decision-making process can lead to the misuse of funds and can ultimately undermine public trust.

Here we are yet again, discussing yet another scandal involving a lack of transparency and accountability. The fate of former ministers Jody Wilson-Raybould, Jane Philpott and Bill Morneau serve as a powerful reminder that integrity, transparency and accountability have no place within the Liberal government. In 2015, the government promised Canadians a new era of transparency and accountability. In fact, that is the platform on which the Liberals ran. After nine years, there is yet more proof that the NDP-Liberals are not worth the cost or the corruption. The green slush fund scandal stands as a stark reminder of how far they have strayed from their commitments.

The Speaker has ruled that the NDP-Liberals have violated a House order to turn over evidence to the police for a criminal investigation. The blatant disregard for ethical standards and the rule of law has paralyzed Parliament, making it impossible for anyone to address issues like the doubling of house costs, Liberal food inflation, and crime and chaos. The NDP-Liberals must end the cover-up and hand over the evidence to the police. This is about $400 million of wasted or stolen tax money while Canadians cannot afford to eat, to heat their home and to house themselves.

Imagine a bank where fraud and theft by an employee ran rampant. An employer would not only feel compelled to report the theft and fraud; they would also voluntarily turn over all of the evidence to the police. Money that could have been invested in vital programs, especially for our seniors, has been given to line the pockets of Liberal insiders while Canadians are struggling. This is not just a political issue; this is also a personal issue. The funds that should have provided relief and support have been diverted, leaving many to face the harsh realities of poverty and hunger.

The Liberals should take a walk down Rideau Street, next door to Parliament, where the faces of people with mental health struggles and homelessness are all too common. This is the Canada we live in today after nine years of Liberal corruption. The importance of transparency and accountability is about the trust and well-being of every Canadian. We must demand better for ourselves and future generations. Only common-sense Conservatives will end the corruption and get answers for Canadians.

I was elected by the people of King—Vaughan. It is my responsibility to represent them and all Canadians in the House and bring their voice to Ottawa. As MPs, we have a duty to do what is best for our citizens. If we are given the honour to stand in this place, we should be held to a higher ethical standard. Words like “transparency” and “accountability” should not be thrown around as slogans or catchphrases designed to simply win votes. They should be the mantra all MPs must uphold.

The Prime Minister and every member of the House who has continued to prop him up have forgotten whom they work for. They have deceived Canadians and should be ashamed of themselves. It is time to do the right thing. I encourage my colleagues on the other side of the House to take the opportunity to finally show some integrity, hand over the documents and let the chips fall where they may.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, what a challenge doing the right thing is for members of the Conservative caucus.

Here is what the RCMP's Mike Duheme had to say with regard to the political game the Conservative Party is playing: “There is significant risk that the Motion could be interpreted as a circumvention of normal investigative processes and Charter protections.” When I raised this issue yesterday, the Conservative game-players said the RCMP was instructed virtually by the PMO to write the letter.

What a shame that is. The Conservative Party is now trying to discredit the RCMP. That is how far right the Conservative Party is today: discrediting institutions and doing character assassination. Does the member support her colleagues' comments to discredit the RCMP, particularly the commissioner, on the issue?

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

Mr. Speaker, I have been elected to the House to represent the people of King—Vaughan and the people across Canada. There is a process in place to ensure that when we put forward taxpayer dollars to an organization that continues to defraud the Canadian public, the government should be ashamed, should be responsible, should be accountable and should be transparent. The government should ensure that all the documents are presented to the House so we can examine them and can find out where the money has gone. The people of Canada demand their $400 million back.

[Yves Perron, Bloc, Berthier—Maskinongé, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I heard my colleague's speech. I will repeat what I said yesterday and what we have likely been saying over the past few days: We agree that the documents must be tabled. We are ready to move on to a vote and force the government to table the documents so that we can then work on something else until an election is called.

I know that my Conservative colleagues want an election. The motion we are currently considering calls for documents to be tabled. My Conservative colleagues know that the majority of members in the House support their motion. When will they be ready to vote? We would vote this afternoon. It seems to me that it would be a good idea.

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

Mr. Speaker, there is a very simple answer. All we need to do is have the Liberals present the documents to the House, like the Speaker ordered, giving us all an opportunity to discover where the $400 million has disappeared to, along with the $912 million we lost through the WE scandal. That is—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

The hon. parliamentary secretary is rising on a point of order.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the member is actually attributing comments that you had instructed us, as a government, to provide documents unfettered. That is not true. Maybe you could provide her with a clear indication of what the Speaker actually—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

That is verging on debate.

The Speaker's ruling is available to all members, and I hope all members will avail themselves of it.

The hon. member for King—Vaughan has the floor.

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

Mr. Speaker, we can see from the behaviour of the member across the way that the Liberals are definitely hiding some secrets. They are afraid to let the country know how they wasted taxpayers' money. Get the documents here; bring them to the House and let us review them.