House of Commons Hansard #363 of the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was maid.
The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes
I remind the hon. member that he should give a very short idea of what the petition is and not read the whole thing.
Gord Johns NDP Courtenay—Alberni, BC
Madam Speaker, the petitioners are calling on the government to require cruise ships to have holding tanks of sufficient size to store all sewage and grey water produced during their voyages; remove the exemption that allows cruise ships to discharge sewage and grey water close to shore; extend the application of cruise ship discharge regulations to the entirety of Canada's internal waters and territorial seas; establish complete no-discharge zones within marine protected areas; and ban the use of scrubbers in Canada's internal—
The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes
That is way too long.
Presenting petitions, the hon. member for Calgary Shepard.
Tom Kmiec Conservative Calgary Shepard, AB
Madam Speaker, I have two petitions to table today.
My first petition is one I have presented before. It is about the green Calgary Co-op compostable bags that the federal government has ruled are not a compostable product. In fact, they are.
The City of Calgary in this petition is again drawing the attention of the House of Commons to the fact that the bags are fully recyclable and compostable within the city's own system. The petitioners are calling for the Government of Canada to recognize that compostable bags do not constitute single-use plastic and are therefore worthy of an exemption to the upcoming ban.
Tom Kmiec Conservative Calgary Shepard, AB
Madam Speaker, my second petition today is about the Falun Gong Canadians who are in Canada, who continue to be persecuted by the CCP. The petitioners are drawing the attention of the House to the work of the late Canadian lawyer David Matas and a former Canadian secretary of state for Asia-Pacific, the late and great David Kilgour, who conducted an investigation in 2006. They concluded that the CCP regime and its agencies throughout China have been putting to death a large number, in the tens of thousands, of Falun Gong prisoners of conscience and their vital organs have been seized involuntarily for sale at a high price.
The petitioners are also drawing the attention of this House to the fact that the European Parliament passed a resolution condemning organ harvesting abuses in China. They are asking the government to publicly call for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China, amend Canadian legislation to combat forced organ harvesting, and pass a resolution to establish measures to stop the CCP's systemic crimes against Falun Gong.
James Bezan Conservative Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB
Madam Speaker, it is a pleasure to rise. I also want to follow up on a petition in support of Falun Gong practitioners who are being persecuted in China by the Chinese Communist Party, like Gao Lijuan who is a prisoner of conscience. Because she is a Falun Gong practitioner not allowed to practise, the government has thrown her and many others in jail, which is disgusting.
However, as we all know, talking about the Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting, over 1.5 million people have signed petitions to stop this disgusting and barbaric practice of using political prisoners in China as sources of organs that are then sold around the world. This was brought to light, as was mentioned, by our former colleague David Kilgour as well as by David Matas, a human rights lawyer based in Winnipeg.
We need to follow suit as the European Parliament has done, passing a resolution condemning this practice. Falun Gong practitioners here in Canada who signed this petition are asking the House to pass this, bring in new legislation and end the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China.
Michael Cooper Conservative St. Albert—Edmonton, AB
Madam Speaker, I rise to present a petition. The petitioners note that frequent parole hearings often revictimize and retraumatize the families of victims. They note that the Liberal government has failed to respond to the Bissonnette decision, disregarding the impact that this decision will have on families of victims of some of Canada's most heinous murderers.
Accordingly, petitioners call on Parliament to expeditiously pass Bill S-281, named in honour of Brian Ilesic who was murdered in an armed robbery at the University of Alberta. It is a modest response to the Bissonnette decision that puts victims first by preventing convicted murderers from applying for parole every year after serving their minimum sentence.
Bob Zimmer Conservative Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, BC
Madam Speaker, I give a shout-out to Kaylee Erickson, who was really behind this petition which reached almost 1,000 signatures. The petition says that the crime rate in Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies continues to rise and poses a significant threat to public safety and community well-being. Many residents in the cities of Dawson Creek, Fort St. John, Prince George and surrounding communities feel unsafe in their own neighbourhoods due to the increase in drive-by shootings and drug-related crime. They state that rural communities should not have to accept the violent, financial, societal and economic consequences of the government's lack of action in addressing crime.
The petition asks the government to repeal soft-on-crime catch-and-release policies; end the decriminalization of hard drugs; stop the tax-funded handout of hard drugs; and, lastly, invest money in treatment and recovery and bring our loved ones home, drug-free.
Arnold Viersen Conservative Peace River—Westlock, AB
Madam Speaker, I have a couple of petitions to present today.
The first petition is from Canadians from across the country who are concerned about political discrimination. They are calling on the House of Commons to adopt Bill C-257. This bill seeks to add protection against political discrimination to the Canadian Human Rights Act. The petitioners also note that Canadians face political discrimination and call for the government to quickly pass this bill and defend the rights of all Canadians to peacefully express their political opinions.
Arnold Viersen Conservative Peace River—Westlock, AB
Madam Speaker, the second petition I have to present today comes from Canadians from across the country who are concerned about the comments made by Louis Roy of the Quebec college of physicians, recommending that euthanasia be expanded to babies from birth to one year of age who come into the world with serious deformities and syndromes.
This proposal for the legalization of the killing of infants is deeply disturbing to many Canadians and infanticide is always wrong. The folks who have signed this petition call on the Government of Canada to block any attempts to allow the killing of children.
Brad Vis Conservative Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, BC
Madam Speaker, correctional officers in my riding are calling upon the Government of Canada to eradicate the prison needle exchange and all other programs and policies that turn a blind eye to the rampant drug use in federal institutions in our country. Inmates in federal institutions are often there for drug-related crimes. It does not make sense for the government to turn a blind eye to these criminal activities in our institutions, which compromise the safety of our correctional officers. Petitioners are calling upon the government to eliminate these programs, to protect correctional officers and ensure public safety in our institutions.
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Madam Speaker, the Liberal member across the way would like me to keep it short. I will never be silenced when speaking on behalf of my constituents.
The first petition I would like to table is regarding the ongoing horrific persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. In particular, I want to join colleagues in drawing attention to particular cases of individual practitioners who either are Canadian or who have close connections to Canada, in particular to note the tragic, immoral imprisonment of He Lizhong, one of a number of Falun Gong practitioners who have close connections to Canada who are unjustly imprisoned as part of this persecution campaign.
I want to call for the release of He Lizhong, as well as others that colleagues have mentioned. The persecution of Falun Gong practitioners has now been going on for decades, despite the fact that Falun Gong practitioners simply wish to practise a spiritual discipline and various meditation exercises emphasizing the virtues of truthfulness, compassion and tolerance. Prominent Canadians have been involved in research that has revealed forced organ harvesting as part of the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Petitioners would like to see the House and the government do more to combat forced organ harvesting and the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in general.
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Madam Speaker, next, I would like to table a petition in support of the private member's bill, Bill C-257. This bill proposes to add political belief or activity to the Canadian Human Rights Act as prohibited grounds for discrimination. Right now we cannot discriminate against someone on various named criteria but there is no prohibition against discriminating against someone on the basis of their political views. Political discrimination can also particularly undermine the free flow of ideas and debate within a democratic society and it is in the best interests of Canadian democracy, petitioners note, to protect public debate and the exchange of differing ideas by acting to combat political discrimination.
Petitioners therefore call on the House to support Bill C-257 and to defend the rights of all Canadians to freely and peacefully express their political opinions.
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Madam Speaker, next, I am tabling a petition raising concern about proposals to further expand the already very troubling euthanasia regime in this country. The House has heard calls to expand euthanasia to include children. In particular, one Louis Roy from the Quebec college of physicians recommended expanding euthanasia to include “babies from birth to one year of age who come into the world with severe deformities and very serious syndromes.”
Petitioners note that this proposal for legalized killing of infants is deeply disturbing to many Canadians, that infanticide is always wrong and that we are already seeing so many abuses and targeting of vulnerable people within Canada's legalized euthanasia regime. Petitioners call on the Government of Canada to block any attempt to allow the killing of children in Canada as part of the euthanasia system.
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Madam Speaker, next, I would like to table another petition regarding the ongoing detention in a Chinese prison of Huseyin Celil. Mr. Celil is a Canadian citizen. He is a Uyghur human rights activist. He was taken from Uzbekistan and sent to China decades ago. He has four sons who live in Canada, the youngest of whom he has never had the opportunity to meet. This is a terrible, tragic situation that underlines the evil of the CCP regime and the horrors that it inflicts upon people who simply wish to speak out for justice and human rights, including Canadian citizens.
We must do more here in Canada to draw attention to the case of Mr. Celil and to push for his release. Petitioners want to see the Government of Canada take the following steps. They want to see the government demand the recognition of Mr. Celil's Canadian citizenship—
The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès) Liberal Alexandra Mendes
I will remind the hon. member to make a very short presentation of each petition. We do not need the list of all the required actions.
Also, can he move his phone from near the microphone?
The hon. member.
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Madam Speaker, it was just in case I got a call in the middle of tabling petitions. I have turned it off, in all seriousness.
This petition is about seeking the release of Mr. Celil. Petitioners want the House to formally state that the release of Mr. Celil from detention is a priority for the Canadian government and is of equal concern to the unjust detention of the two Michaels. They would like to see the appointment of a special envoy working on Mr. Celil's release. They would like to see the Government of Canada engage with the American administration and seek its assistance in pursuing this release.
Garnett Genuis Conservative Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB
Madam Speaker, finally, I would like to table a petition opposing the Liberal government's attack on natural health products. Petitioners are deeply concerned about the attack we are seeing on natural health products, which was part of the last budget, and how the Liberals have increasingly taken steps to make natural health products more expensive and less accessible and to undermine the natural health product industry.
Petitioners call on the Government of Canada to reverse the changes that were brought in as part of the last Liberal budget.
Kevin Lamoureux LiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons
Madam Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.
The House resumed from October 30 consideration of the motion, of the amendment and of the amendment to the amendment.
Reference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House AffairsPrivilegeOrders of the Day
Bloc
Louis-Philippe Sauvé Bloc LaSalle—Émard—Verdun, QC
Madam Speaker, it is an opportunity and a privilege to rise in the House today to make my maiden speech.
It is an opportunity because the result of the by-election in my riding came as a surprise, to say the least, to all observers. For me, this journey began with an eclipse and ended with a full moon. Although I worked very hard, I feel so lucky to have been elected that, quite frankly, I really feel that the stars aligned. Ultimately, we eclipsed our opponents. Let us face it, this is a huge victory for the separatist cause, but above all, it is a victory for the supporters. It proves that by getting involved, people can make a difference. It is also a privilege that my constituents, my 78,000 or so bosses, are giving me today to speak on their behalf and be their voice in Ottawa.
In fact, that is exactly why we are here today, to discuss a question of privilege. I hope the House will allow me the privilege of taking a moment to thank the people in my riding from the bottom of my heart for placing their trust in me.
I had a great time travelling around the southwest during this campaign. I got to chat with Bloc Québécois members along the last avenues of LaSalle. I got to drink a beer with the Knights of Columbus in the “Bronx”. I got to eat a sub with locals at the famous LaSalle Drive-In. I loved rediscovering Ville‑Émard and Côte‑Saint‑Paul, where I hung out when I was younger, with my friend Yohan Painchaud, the cousin of Joel, another Magdalen Islander. I want to thank the people of the Magdalen Islands for their vital support.
I had so much fun saying hello to people at the Maxi on Laurendeau Boulevard and listening to what they had to say. A lot of running goes on during an election campaign. In Ville‑Émard—Côte‑Saint‑Paul, we ran down Maricourt Street and Biencourt Street. Sometimes we even jogged down Jogues Street. When we got hungry, we stopped for a great big Buck Burger at Dilallo's on Allard Street.
What can I say about Verdun? Verdun, the victorious. Verdun, my home, where I met my sweetheart. A lot of people talk about how chic and cool Verdun is. I love everything about my city, but there is another Verdun, one that nobody talks about, and I want to speak for that Verdun today. I love the Verdun of the people, the Verdun with the Maxi, the Verdun with the Zappy, the Verdun of the poor, the Verdun of seniors, the old Verdun, the Verdun with stucco and Gyproc buildings. That is my Verdun. That Verdun must never change and never go away, because the people of Verdun are the heart and soul of this tight-knit community. I will always think about that Verdun whenever I talk about the housing crisis.
English is the official language of 27% of people in my riding. It is safe to say that one in three of my constituents is anglophone. I would like to say a few words to acknowledge them. As I told CJAD radio, I want to be a bridge between Quebec's English-speaking minority and its French-speaking majority. I will never abandon my principles, but I believe that there is room for dialogue. During the campaign, I met many anglophones who, surprisingly, voted for me. I am thinking of Mr. Bellefeuille on Egan avenue, who, despite his French-sounding name, is completely anglophone. We talked about his personal history and the assimilation in his family. It made me realize, and I think it made him realize too, just how fragile the French language is on the shores of the St. Lawrence. He voted for me, because I am a local guy and a true Verdun native. I am also thinking of several anglophones in their early forties whom I met on Monk Boulevard and who told me about their support for the French fact and their desire to learn French. I am also thinking about Mrs. Berman on Argyle Street, a Jewish woman from Great Britain, who told me about how much she admired René Lévesque's integrity. Clearly, the memory of our former premier still lives on in Verdun's English-speaking community.
I am also thinking about an elderly lady of Irish origin who, despite being a Liberal, also told me how much she admired René Lévesque. I think Mr. Lévesque had a lot of respect for the English-speaking community, and that is why people in that community respect him. I think we need to follow his example. Finally, I will never forget the elderly woman from Wales who told me how much the cost of living and rising housing prices are affecting her quality of life. In the autumn of her life, she cannot buy meat or even afford cab fare to the Anglican Church of the Epiphany on Wellington Street. It is deeply unfair that people who worked all their lives should end up living in squalor in their later years. Those on the other side of the House should pay closer attention to the Bloc's proposals about seniors. The Bloc Québécois has lost confidence in the Liberal-NDP coalition for this very important reason. These are people I met, real people, and I will never forget them. I want them to know that I am here to work for them and with them.
Now, on to today's topic. We have been debating a question of privilege for several weeks now. At this point, the debate has become a time-wasting tactic that will in no way increase the public's esteem for Parliament. We are the people's elected representatives, and we have a responsibility to the people. Our conduct must be exemplary and our interventions relevant in order that we might instill confidence in our institutions and the democratic process. We must constantly prove to the people that we are here to work for the common good.
Let us get back to the matter at hand. I will begin by contrasting some of the essential features of our political system with the government's attitude. I will convey what the people of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun have to say. Then I will return to the substance of the matter and the conclusions we can draw.
Let me remind members of a fundamental principle of the British parliamentary system, namely the supremacy of Parliament. The executive branch is subordinate to the legislative branch. To avoid a dictatorship, but also to ensure good governance, the House, and the opposition in particular, have a role to play in scrutinizing spending on our behalf. They also have a role to play in holding the government to account for its decisions. Without that, there is no democracy. If I were one of the members on both sides of the House who say that my party is useless, I would be ashamed to say such things, because the Bloc Québécois takes this role seriously, and we believe that the people of Quebec will once again reward us with their trust for this reason. What are we doing as legislators? For weeks now, we have not actually been legislating, because this government refuses to respect one of the pillars of the current constitutional order.
Before I get to the substance of my remarks, I would like to digress one last time to talk about my riding, because this issue raises fundamental questions about the overall conduct of the government, which is accountable to the House. Far be it from me to comment on the internal affairs of the Liberal caucus, as the Leader of the Opposition has so clumsily done in recent days. Still, I owe it to my constituents and the public to explain what it means for them to have elected me on September 16.
The people of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun elected me because they wanted to send Ottawa a strong message. Here is that message. Throughout my campaign, I rallied the dissatisfied, the disgruntled, the people who are fed up with “he who must not be named”. I entered into a contract in French and English with my constituents. I told them that if they were tired of the Prime Minister leading the Liberal-NDP government, if they wanted to send him a clear message, they should put their trust in me, because the NDP was blindly supporting the Liberal Party and because the Conservative candidate simply would not get enough votes to win the riding. I repeated that thousands of times, too many times not to say it again in the House today.
If I can be blunt, the people of LaSalle—Émard—Verdun want the Prime Minister to go. That is what our by-election victory meant. He needs to give up and resign immediately. That is the message I came here to deliver today, and it is not from me, but from the people who elected me. I had to pass that message on to the House, whether my colleagues like it or not. I hope that is clear, and I will not be commenting further on who should or should not be leading Canada. After all, that could be considered foreign interference.
Let me end my speech by addressing the substance of the motion. The House compelled the production of documents. A member raised a question of privilege, and the chair found a prima facie case. Since that time, members have been talking non-stop, like Treebeard. The government told us, not without reason, that the RCMP does not want the documents because obtaining them in such an unusual way, through an order from the House of Commons, could compromise the evidence. It is certainly a valid argument, but that is not what the motion says.
The motion instructs the government and the Auditor General to deposit the SDTC documents with the law clerk of the House, who will review them confidentially and provide them to the RCMP. The RCMP is not obliged to accept them. I say, the government should let them decide and should just comply with the order issued by the House, period. We have been stalled for three weeks now because of the government's stubborn refusal to honour the Constitution and parliamentary privilege. Actually, we have been stalled for nine years.
Is Parliament supreme in this country? The government's answer to that is clear as can be. It is the same answer given by Pierre Elliott Trudeau and his Constitution, which was rammed down our throats: utter contempt. The answer is no. As I see it, this is contempt of Parliament, contempt of parliamentarians, contempt of the people as sovereign, and contempt of democratic principles. How many times will the government tax our patience? Enough is enough. The government must deposit the documents immediately and end this charade.
I would like to end on a positive note. The day I was elected, I said that love conquers all. I am sure of it. I think it is the essential ingredient of our democracy. It is also what gives us the strength to fight off despotism, because a voluntary citizen-driven movement is much more powerful than the crushing weight of fascism. Love of country, true patriotism, the love that the citizens have for the good of their community, is the best thing about our form of government, and it is much more powerful than the greed of tyrants. The love that political adversaries can show for one another, despite their differing views, is proof of whether a democracy will survive. Above all, the love of elected officials for their constituents is essential. We must always show those we love that we are here for them and that our hearts are in the right place.
We must never fear the people. We must stand by them. That is our responsibility. Their responsibility is to trust us in spite of our flaws, because we are human, too human. Where there are humans, there is human nature. I ask the people to have sympathy for their representatives.
I said that the Bloc Québécois victory in Verdun was a victory for separatists. Fighting for Quebec independence is my calling in life. It is a unique opportunity to finally secure our freedom. Quebeckers and Canadians cannot love each other when we are part of the same country, so we must go our separate ways. We tried unsuccessfully to get along with each other with the Meech Lake and Charlottetown accords and after the referendums. Canada does not want to change, and neither do we. Like its Parliament, this country is not working anymore. It is time to start afresh, with each—
Reference to Standing Committee on Procedure and House AffairsPrivilegeOrders of the Day
Liberal
The Speaker Liberal Greg Fergus
I am sorry to interrupt the hon. member for LaSalle—Émard—Verdun. He will have six minutes to continue his speech next time.
Elizabeth May Green Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC
Mr. Speaker, I rise today under Standing Order 31 to praise and thank the extraordinary volunteer efforts of conservation organizations within Saanich—Gulf Islands, and in particular, the Peninsula Streams Society and the Saanich Inlet Protection Society.
I want to speak particularly to the testimony given on behalf of Friends of Shoal Harbour by Bob Peart just this last Monday, October 28, to our fisheries committee. It is very clear evidence. It needs to be said out loud and with urgency that, as Mr. Peart said, “Our harbours are filled with derelict and abandoned boats. The situation is [totally] out of control”. The solutions are in his testimony: The government needs to enforce existing acts; we need to deal with the mess left by Harper on the treatment of buoys as minor works.
We can act and protect the Salish Sea. The government just needs to do its job.