Debates of Dec. 5th, 2024

Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

It is my duty to lay upon the table, pursuant to subsection 72(2) of the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act, an audit report from the Privacy Commissioner concerning the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h), this report is deemed to have been permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.

Government Response to Petitions

[Anita Vandenbeld, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(a), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to seven petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.

Canadian Heritage

[Taleeb Noormohamed, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2) and consistent with the policy on the tabling of treaties in Parliament, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaty entitled “Audiovisual Co-production Agreement between the Government of Canada and the Government of the Republic of South Africa”, done at Cape Town on September 3, 2024.

Science and Research

[Valerie Bradford, Liberal, Kitchener South—Hespeler, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 12th report of the Standing Committee on Science and Research, entitled “Distribution of Federal Funding Among Canada's Post-Secondary Institutions”.

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

[Corey Tochor, Conservative, Saskatoon—University, SK]

Mr. Speaker, research and innovation are key to Canada's future, yet the disastrous government has caused runaway inflation, unaffordable homes and an explosive deficit, which are hurting the students and teachers we need to do this crucial work.

That is not all. The Liberals have looked the other way while anti-Semitism has escalated on campus, and the government's tri-councils have funded studies that have been used for partisan interference in elections. Canadian students, researchers and, yes, taxpayers, expect and deserve better.

Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics

[John Brassard, Conservative, Barrie—Innisfil, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 16th report of the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics, entitled “Oversight of Social Media Platforms: Ensuring Privacy and Safety Online”.

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

On behalf of the committee, I would like to thank the witnesses, the analysts, the clerk and everybody involved in the presentation of this report.

Government Operations and Estimates

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following two reports from the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates, widely known here and by everyone else as the mighty OGGO.

I am presenting the 21st report, entitled “Supplementary Estimates (B), 2024-25”, and the 22nd report, entitled “Canada's Postal Service: A Lifeline for Rural and Remote Communities”.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests the government table a comprehensive response to the 22nd report.

[Kelly Block, Conservative, Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise this morning to present a supplementary report on the postal service in Canada's rural and remote communities study. During its study, members of the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates heard from witnesses who raised concerns regarding the state of the services being provided by Canada Post to Canadians living in rural and remote communities. While the main report contains some recommendations that are sound, it avoids addressing the most serious issues Canada Post faces in pursuing its mandate as a self-sustaining Crown corporation tasked with delivering quality mail services to all Canadians. Therefore, Conservatives can only partially agree with the recommendations contained in the main report.

Foreign Affairs and International Development

[Ali Ehsassi, Liberal, Willowdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 29th report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development in relation to Bill C-353, an act to provide for the imposition of restrictive measures against foreign hostage takers and those who practice arbitrary detention in state-to-state relations and to make related amendments to the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. The committee has studied the bill and recommends not to proceed further with this bill.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Ken McDonald, Liberal, Avalon, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 18th Report of the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans, entitled “Supplementary Estimates (B), 2024-25”. The committee has considered the votes referred and reports the same.

Foreign Affairs and International Development

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I move that the 20th report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development, presented on Friday, June 16, 2023, be concurred in.

I have the delight of sharing my time today with the member for Port Moody—Coquitlam.

I am pleased to rise today to discuss my concurrence motion on the report of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development on Canada's approach to sexual and reproductive health and rights.

This was an important report that made 14 recommendations to the Government of Canada's work to promote and fund sexual and reproductive health and rights globally. I want to thank all of the witnesses who came before our committee to provide us with their expertise and their important information.

This report comes at a crucial time when we are witnessing, globally, a terrifying backsliding on women's rights. We are living through a coordinated global backlash against sexual and reproductive rights for women, and we are seeing a global rise in authoritarianism. We are also seeing real barriers to access to reproductive and sexual health care here in Canada, and this is unacceptable because women's health care is a right and women's lives matter.

This report came about after a very challenging period of time for the foreign affairs committee. The Conservatives decided to impose their ideological extremism on the other members of the committee and initiated a filibuster that lasted nine meetings. That was 18 hours of committee time. The member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan essentially held this committee hostage for an entire season, meaning that the committee could not do the other urgent work on Ukraine, Ethiopia, Haiti and others—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Order, please.

There seems to be a lot of noise, so I would ask members, if they want to have conversations, to step outside to have those conversations.

Is the hon. member for Skeena—Bulkley Valley rising on a point of order?

[Taylor Bachrach, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Madam Speaker, I would ask, as the Conservative MPs flee the chamber during this discussion about reproductive rights, that they be as quiet as possible so we can hear our hon. colleague make her speech.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I appreciate the feedback, but it was not just the Conservatives. There were a variety of discussions being had.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order.

My colleague alluded to the presence or absence of members in the House, and that is unacceptable. I would like him to withdraw his remarks.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I did not understand the point of order.

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Madam Speaker, allow me to explain. My NDP colleague said that members from a specific party were leaving the House. That is not permitted, as per the Standing Orders. I would like you to take a stand.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I appreciate the hon. member's comments. What I understood was that a certain party was making a commotion in the House and that he wanted peace and quiet, but now I understand what the hon. member was saying. The NDP did not say who exactly was leaving the House. Now, as I mentioned, it was not those leaving the House who were making a commotion. It was those who were having discussions.

I would remind members that they cannot indicate whether a particular person is leaving the chamber or not.

Resuming debate, the hon. member for Edmonton Strathcona has the floor.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Madam Speaker, I was talking about when this study was in front of committee. The member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan obstructed the work of the committee for 18 hours, so we could not do any of the work we needed to do as the foreign affairs committee. I have to say, as well, that as a woman, being told for 18 hours what I can do with my body by a white male was extraordinarily difficult. I am sure it was very difficult for many women who were watching the proceedings in the room.

I want to talk a bit about the House and what our committee heard from the testimony. Julia Anderson of CanWaCH said Canada needed to develop a “cohesive strategy around [sexual and reproductive health and rights]” in Canada's foreign policy and that “investment alone is not enough.” Lauren Ravon of Oxfam Canada said that being effective was “a matter of combining money and voice.” Kelly Bowden of Action Canada argued that Canada “has a huge platform to stand on” because of investments made, but that we risk backsliding on women's rights if we do not leverage the opportunity to make more progress, especially through a more fulsome feminist foreign policy. Beth Woroniuk, a good friend of mine, noted that we still have not seen the government's “long-promised feminist foreign policy”, and in the absence of that document, “diplomats and aid workers are often not aware of what their responsibilities are”. Canada has not been clear, globally, with our partners. Dr. Kanem, of the UN Population Fund, told us that Canada needs to show global leadership on the issue now because the push-back on gender equality and women's and girls' rights is intensifying.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

There are still individuals having conversations, and I am sure they are more interested in their conversations than they are in the speech being given in the House. I would ask them to please take their conversations aside. Many of the members are very seasoned, and I would ask them to please respect the rules of the House.

The hon. member for Edmonton Strathcona.

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Madam Speaker, I want to talk a bit about the global context in which we find ourselves. What we are seeing globally is terrifying: ongoing violence against women, restrictions on women's access to reproductive and sexual health care, rising support for extreme-right politicians and political parties in several countries, a weakening of our democratic institutions and a growth in far-right misogynistic attitudes and movements that is provoking growing levels of sexual and gender-based violence around the world. Anti-trans violence is on the rise globally, with trans women of colour being the most at risk. Moreover, attacks, intimidation, threats and harassment against women politicians are growing.

These are all evidence of a backlash against women's rights and feminist movements. It is necessary for all of us to fight for women and gender-diverse people, as well as for those of us who are in positions of power to use our voice for that. We are seeing increased attacks on gender equality and sexual and reproductive rights at the United Nations, in national political and legislative processes, online, in schools and in our communities. We know these attacks share common tactics, strategies and funders across borders, and they are linked to broader white supremacist, anti-democratic, anti-human rights and oppressive regimes and political actions.

In 2021, a report by the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights documented funding from Russian oligarchs to anti-abortion organizations across Europe. These are the same oligarchs who have been sanctioned for their role in Russia's invasion of Ukraine, which President Putin has framed as defence of “traditional values”. Globally, the people who deny women their rights are the same people who praise authoritarian tactics and policies.

We do not get to escape this. What is happening in the United States and in other countries is proof that we cannot assume our rights will remain protected in Canada. Today, access to reproductive health services is severely restricted for some people in Canada, including those in indigenous, rural, remote and northern communities, as well as in provinces where the federal government has not done enough to ensure access is available.

We have also seen strong opposition to examining abortion and reproductive rights in the House of Commons, led by members of the Conservative Party, many of whom get support from anti-abortion groups. In Canada, there are over 300 documented anti-abortion organizations trying to dissuade people from accessing the health care they are entitled to. They use a variety of tactics, including disseminating misinformation and disinformation. Many are affiliated with U.S.-based organizations. They mimic their talking points around “traditional values”. They reject the advancements of a range of human rights related to sexuality and gender. They are emboldened by the support of the Conservative Party of Canada. The anti-choice movement is calling the shots for the Conservatives. This is very clear.

Restricting access to reproductive health options for women does not stop abortions from happening; it simply stops safe abortions from happening. Racialized people, those from households of lower socio-economic levels, young people and other marginalized people are always those who bear the burden of these retro policies. Predominantly white, wealthy women will always have access to the reproductive services they require because they have the means to access them. New Democrats will continue to resist attacks on the human rights of women, trans people and all people by the Conservatives.

Abortion is health care. It is wrong for governments to set barriers between women and the care they choose for their own bodies and the future they choose for themselves and for their families.

Public universal health care, including abortion, is part of Canada and of our Canadian values. Today, too many pregnant Canadians have the heart-wrenching experience of calling to find that abortion care is not available, that roadblocks have been put up in their place, that long waits or even a price tag is attached. Members should make no mistake: This does not have to be the way we do this. We have seen the Liberals let women and gender-diverse people down. Their actions have not matched their words. The Liberals are too weak to stand up to those Conservative premiers who are restricting women's access to health care.

In New Brunswick, the last abortion clinic closed last year. In my own province of Alberta, Danielle Smith is handing hospitals over to a private, faith-based group that will put such health care as MAID and reproductive health care at risk.

This committee study and report were important in reminding us that sexual and reproductive health is at the heart of the most important decisions a woman makes: if and when to marry, how long to stay in school and how many children to have. We know that millions of women and girls around the world do not get to make these decisions freely. Poor health services and information limit their freedoms and put their lives at risk. When women are not allowed to make decisions, we all suffer. Every woman must be able to do that.

I am a mother and a woman. I have a daughter. I would not want her rights to be infringed upon at any point. What I want for my daughter is what I want, as a New Democrat, for all daughters and all women.

[Mark Gerretsen, Liberal, Kingston and the Islands, ON]

Madam Speaker, I thank the member for bringing this very important topic to the House today. I often think back to when I was a child, in the early eighties. I remember my mother being at the forefront of pushing to ensure that women had the opportunity to choose what to do with their reproductive health and that it was a decision that was made by nobody other than that woman.

My wife benefits from the action that my mother's generation took. I now find myself in this weird place of wondering what it will be like for my daughter when she is older, in terms of the choices she gets to make. I am greatly concerned when I look at what is going on in the world and hear about what is going on in the Conservative Party of Canada. This is especially true of what they are talking about in the back rooms, because people are not really exposed to that.

Can the member provide her thoughts on that?

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Madam Speaker, as I mentioned at the end of my speech, I have a teenage daughter. I have nieces. I have family members. I expect that my daughter will always have the full access to the health care she requires; we come from an awful lot of privilege. My challenge is thinking about reproductive health care, thinking about health care for women, gender-diverse people, racialized people, people of lower socio-economic levels and people living in other countries who do not have the same rights as my child; that is where I become so upset.

As global citizens, we have to do everything so that the people in the world who need to access health care have the ability to do that. Members should make no mistake: This is health care we are talking about. We have every obligation to fight for them as much as we would fight for ourselves, for our daughters and for our family members.