Debates of Feb. 12th, 2024

Public Services and Procurement

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, obviously, the government is interested in the utmost transparency in this matter. That is why the president of the Canada Border Services Agency and her officials appeared before the committee. That is why an internal investigation was ordered.

My colleague referred to a referral to the RCMP. It may surprise him, but it is not politicians who direct the operational work of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Therefore, we cannot speak to exactly what investigations are being done. We have full confidence that they will hold those to account in the case that this is merited.

Committees of the House

[John Nater, Conservative, Perth—Wellington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, for two years, parliamentary committees have been investigating the cozy relationship between government officials and highly paid insiders.

Documents tabled at committee showed that the two-person-in-a-basement firm GC Strategies was hosting dinners and whiskey tastings for the same government officials who were giving multi-million-dollar contracts, all while government officials were getting mighty high bonuses.

Could the chair of the mighty government operations committee inform the House of when the committee will next meet and when we will get answers for all Canadians?

[Kelly McCauley, Conservative, Edmonton West, AB]

Mr. Speaker, this Wednesday, at the government operations and estimates committee, the Auditor General will be appearing on her ArriveCAN audit. Given today's report, we will be ordering past and present ministers of public safety, procurement, health and treasury board to answer for ArriveCAN mismanagement and waste. GC Strategies, which we have now learned was paid $20 million, will be issued a summons, ordering its appearance.

The committee will call every witness and compel every document to hold the government to account on ArriveCAN.

Diversity and Inclusion

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, like many people across the country, I have been deeply disturbed by attacks—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I am going to ask members to please allow the Chair to hear the questions and the answers from all members.

The hon. member for St. John's East, from the top, please.

[Joanne Thompson, Liberal, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, like many people across the country, I have been deeply disturbed by attacks from the Premiers of New Brunswick, Saskatchewan and now Alberta on vulnerable 2SLGBTQ+ students who are looking for privacy, dignity and a safe place to be who they are. Far too often, for this group, home is not a safe place.

What can our government and people who believe in inclusion do to fight this discrimination?

[Randy Boissonnault, Liberal, Minister of Employment]

Mr. Speaker, in the weeks since Danielle Smith took to social media to threaten the privacy, the safety and the dignity of queer and trans students, I have spoken to countless individuals who have told me how terrified they are about the discriminatory actions taken by the provincial government.

I have one message for every person in Alberta who believes in the inclusive and equitable province that we know it to be. What those people need to do is to call the silent Conservative MPs in this room and call the MLAs in Alberta, so we can kill this bill before it gets to the floor of the legislature.

Taxation

[Lindsay Mathyssen, NDP, London—Fanshawe, ON]

Mr. Speaker, those out-of-touch Liberals show time and again that they do not have the backs of brewery workers. The Liberals are set to drastically increase the tax on beer in April. This will hurt breweries, small businesses and restaurants, and their unionized workers risk losing their jobs. Workers deserve better.

Will the minister listen and reverse her decision to increase costs on those who are already struggling to keep their doors open?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I am really glad to have a question about Canadian workers and Canadian jobs because it gives me a chance to share some good news that we got on Friday. The Canadian economy, in January, added 37,000 new jobs. That means we have 1.1 million more jobs than we had before COVID hit. Unemployment fell to 5.7%. That is lower than it was at any time when Stephen Harper was prime minister.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Hazim is a member of my community with family members trapped in Gaza, including his brothers, sister and mother. Like so many, he worries he will not be able to get them to safety. Unlike Ukraine, the government has imposed an arbitrary cap of 1,000 people who can qualify for special immigration measures. Worse still, other countries, like Iceland, have been successful in getting family members out in 2024, while Canada has not.

What is the minister doing to compel Israel to allow Canadian visa holders to leave Gaza?

[Marc Miller, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, it is inaccurate that we have been able to extract people from Gaza in 2024. We have a unique program, unique in the world, to get family members of Canadians out from Gaza. It has of yet been unsuccessful because of unco-operative local authorities at the Rafah gates. We urge them to help us in getting those people across the border.

That said, I have asked my department to review the humanitarian terms of the program to make sure they are complying with our obligations, without compromising the security of Canadians. We will get people out.

[Ziad Aboultaif, Conservative, Edmonton Manning, AB]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, I seek unanimous consent for the following motion, that the House condemn the Prime Minister's past comments—

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I heard no on at least three occasions.

I will ask all colleagues who are leaving the chamber to carry on with your conversations outside of the chamber.

I see many people rising on points of order.

To the hon. member for Edmonton Manning, unfortunately I heard many people say no to the demand for unanimous consent.

The Minister for Women and Gender Equality is rising on a point of order.

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Order. I am going to remind members that, when there is an opportunity for the House to consider points of order on unanimous consent motions, it is very helpful for members to ensure that they have asked and sought unanimous consent, at least from the House officers, so we could negotiate. That is not a rule, as an hon. member pointed out, but it is a very good practice so that members' time, which is very valuable, is being best used.

We have had two members rise, one a minister, and there was no unanimous consent. I see other people rising on points of order. We have seen on two occasions members rise who have been immediately shouted down with noes. That is an indication to the Chair that there is no unanimous consent. It is also an indication to the Chair that there have been no negotiations and discussions beforehand to try to have these unanimous consent motions adopted.

The hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan is rising on a point of order.

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to seek—

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I am hearing noes again from several members.

The member for Regina—Qu'Appelle is rising on a point of order. I am certain that, as a House officer, he has sought unanimous consent.

[Andrew Scheer, Conservative, Regina—Qu'Appelle, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I move that, notwithstanding any standing order or—

[Some hon. members]

No.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I am hearing no and seeing the shaking of heads from other House officers here.

Colleagues, we have a couple of votes afterward. I know you all have business to do but, if this is the way members would like to continue going, we will run through this.

The hon. member for Barrie—Innisfil.

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

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions—

[Some hon. members]

No.