Debates of Feb. 14th, 2024

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation.

[Members sang the national anthem]

Health Care Funding in Ontario

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Whitby, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share some exciting news. Last week the government announced $3.1 billion in additional funding for the Province of Ontario to strengthen our health care system. This is in addition to the $77 billion that will be transferred to the province as part of the Canada health transfer. The bilateral agreement is a testament to the co-operation of federal and provincial leadership in Ontario. This is a moment of celebration for our community as the agreement signifies a concrete commitment to advancing health care infrastructure, reducing wait times, ensuring access to family health teams and modernizing health records.

This is also a significant step forward in our pursuit for a Whitby hospital, a project close to the hearts of all residents in our town. Specifically, it gives Ontario the means to accelerate essential projects, notably the construction of a long-awaited hospital in Whitby. Our community has spoken, and we are looking forward to the province's getting moving.

Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week

[Ryan Williams, Conservative, Bay of Quinte, ON]

Mr. Speaker, happy Valentine's Day.

Speaking of matters from the heart, every year there are more than 260,000 Canadian babies who are born with congenital heart defect, the number one birth defect in Canada. This week is Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week.

My wife and I have a personal connection. Eight years ago, we lost our son Teddy only 22 minutes after birth, to congenital heart defect. Most families have a similar story. Congenital heart defects occur in one out of every 100 babies born in Canada. Many families have stories that last a lifetime, thanks to the work of doctors and the Canadian Congenital Heart Alliance, which is celebrating its 20th year this year.

Sixty years ago, only about 20% of children with CHD survived to adulthood. That number has since increased to over 90%. Children who are born with CHD are some of the strongest kids; they are heart warriors and may endure multiple surgeries after birth and throughout their life.

This Valentine's Day, have a heart. Share the stories of congenital heart disease, and let us find a cure so Canadians can bring their babies home with a broken heart.

Mayor of Halifax

[Darren Fisher, Liberal, Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I am rising to recognize and honour my good friend and former parliamentarian from Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, the three-term Mayor of Halifax, Mike Savage.

Mike is known as a leader who can work with any order of government, no matter the political stripe, to get things done. When I served with him as a municipal councillor and his deputy mayor, I appreciated how open and accessible he was. Whether as the chair of FCM’s Big City Mayors’ Caucus, or as co-chair of FCM’s 2015 Syrian refugee resettlement task force, his strong sense of civic duty and drive to foster greater economic and social inclusion for everyone guides his path.

Mike is someone who deeply cares about people. Regardless of the challenge, the issue or even the jurisdiction, he works hard, advocating for folks across the municipality. After more than a decade as our mayor, Mike will not be seeking re-election. It is no secret that under his leadership our city has experienced record growth. Our next mayor has big shoes to fill.

I want to thank Mayor Mike Savage and his entire team for their years of service and dedication to our municipality.

Suzanne Bellefleur

[Alain Therrien, Bloc, La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, February 24 will be a special day in the life of one my constituents. Suzanne Bellefleur will be celebrating her 100th birthday.

The Bellefleur family is indispensable to our community because they helped to shape the city of Saint‑Constant. Saint‑Constant was founded in 1744, but it has changed a lot over the generations of the Bellefleur family, from the first Bellefleur who settled there in 1762 to today's generation, including Ms. Bellefleur's father, Réal, who even served as mayor from 1943 to 1945.

Ms. Bellefleur married Camille Beauvais in 1943 and gave birth to five beautiful children. In addition to doing a fantastic job in her role as a mother, she was also involved in many organizations, such as Entraide Familiale, the seniors' club and the Canadian Cancer Society, all while helping her husband manage the family business.

Ms. Bellefleur has lived a very full life, and it is fair to say that she wears her 100 years with grace. I wish her a happy 100th birthday surrounded by loved ones. She deserves it. Happy birthday.

Taiwan Strait

[Angelo Iacono, Liberal, Alfred-Pellan, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today I want to draw attention to civil aviation safety issues over the Taiwan Strait. Since January 30, China's civil aviation administration has been in clear breach of International Civil Aviation Organization regulations.

China changed flight routes and revoked the 2015 cross-strait agreement without consulting Taiwan. Its actions seriously jeopardize safety, peace and stability in the region and undermine the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. This strait is vital to global trade, and any disruption would have a significant impact on the world.

Now, more than ever, it is important that we support global cohesion, the rule of law and compliance with bilateral treaties.

Carbon Tax

[Marilyn Gladu, Conservative, Sarnia—Lambton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal-NDP government, Canadians know that the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. In this era of insane inflation, housing crisis and food prices that are through the roof, the Prime Minister is hiking the carbon tax again on April 1. The Liberals want to quadruple it to 61¢ a litre. Canadians are crying out for relief, but the government instead wants to keep digging deeper into our pockets to fund its corrupt overspending. The carbon tax makes food more expensive at every stage. When one taxes the farmer who grows the food and the trucker who transports the food, one taxes the people who buy the food.

The carbon tax does nothing to reduce emissions but forces Canadians into poverty and homelessness. The end result of the Liberals' failed carbon tax experiment is the two million Canadians who are now using food banks. This is unacceptable.

Conservatives will continue to axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime.

National Defence

[Yvonne Jones, Liberal, Labrador, NL]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand in the House of Commons today and show my love for the Arctic and our love for Canada's sovereignty and security. I want to talk about the generational NORAD investments of nearly $40 billion over 20 years that we are investing into the safety and security of the Canadian Armed Forces for all Canadians.

Under NORAD, we have designated three sites of forwarding operations in Inuvik, Yellowknife and Iqaluit, and one operating deployment air base in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. These four sites are critical to NORAD's operations in the Arctic and to Canada's sovereignty. We are investing to build six new navy ships, four of which we have delivered; 88 new aircraft; and nearly $7 billion to modernize our surveillance system by installing over-the-horizon radar systems.

Unlike the Conservatives, who cut the budget for National Defence and Canada's security system, we are increasing the budget and spending the money that we need—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

The hon. member for Eglinton—Lawrence.

Jewish Community

[Marco Mendicino, Liberal, Eglinton—Lawrence, ON]

Mr. Speaker, in 1913, Jews were prohibited from practising medicine in any hospital in Toronto, but four brave immigrant women from the Jewish community worked tirelessly and raised enough support to open the doors to an institution that is known today as Mount Sinai Hospital, a world leader in the delivery of health care in over 45 languages. Ironically, this sacred ground of healing has been the target of an anti-Semitic protest that has undermined the health and safety of the patients and medical professionals who work there.

The hatred must come to an end. The attacks against synagogues, schools, businesses and neighbourhoods must stop. However, the burden should not fall only to the Jewish community; we must all put our shoulder to the wheel. Strong allies like labour leader Victoria Mancinelli speak with moral clarity and set an example for others. Only if we stand together can we end anti-Semitism and live up to the vision of Mount Sinai that still motivates the inclusive and life-saving work that it does today.

Carbon Tax

[Shuv Majumdar, Conservative, Calgary Heritage, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the NDP-Liberals are not worth the cost. Guess what: The Alberta NDP agrees. NDP leadership contenders are abandoning the sinking carbon tax ship. Sarah Hoffman said they played dirty politics with it and picked winners and losers.

Do people know who else loses? All Canadians do. Twenty-three per cent is the whopping increase to their carbon tax on April 1. Two million Canadians are lined up at food banks across the nation. A family of four is paying $700 more in groceries this year.

The Prime Minister is so radical that even his costly coalition partners in Alberta's NDP cannot defend his carbon tax. Let me be clear to NDP-Liberals inflating each other and the costs on everything: Axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget, stop the crime and restore the promise.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration Awareness Month

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, Humber River—Black Creek, ON]

Mr. Speaker, February is Age-Related Macular Degeneration Awareness Month, and yesterday was AMD awareness day on the Hill. A number of stakeholders and specialists in eye care are here in Ottawa this week to meet with members of the House and of the other place to speak about vision care issues. We salute them and the work they do on behalf of all of us.

I also take this opportunity to thank all of my colleagues in the House for adopting unanimously my bill, BillC-284, to establish a national eye care strategy in Canada. I ask my colleagues in the Senate to please pass the bill as soon as possible. It would be wonderful to celebrate the adoption of an eye care strategy during February, AMD Awareness Month.

Public Services and Procurement

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

Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General lifted the veil on the government's corrupt arrive scam, revealing that the cost of the useless app, which should have been $80,000, is $60 million and counting. The two-person company GC Strategies, which did no IT work, was paid over $19 million for arrive scam, charging over $1,000 a day, which is 60% more than a government IT employee. With insider access, it dictated the requirements for a contract it won. Today, media are reporting that the company has received over $250 million from the Liberal government since 2015. Whiskey tasting and extravagant dinners with government officials went unrecorded, documents went missing and taxpayers footed the bill.

The Prime Minister's failed arrive scam app, which wrongly sent thousands of Canadians into quarantine, was over-budget and not worth the cost. The RCMP must expand its investigation to figure out where the money is and how to get it back.

Anti-Asian Racism

[Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Conservative, South Surrey—White Rock, BC]

Mr. Speaker, as Asian Canadians welcome the year of the dragon, Richmond residents gathered to protest taxpayer-funded drug use in their community. A video from the protest has gone viral internationally. As citizens dared to speak up, they were shouted down by a vile left-wing racist screaming, “Go back to Hong Kong” and “Go back to where you came from.” These comments were outrageous and have no place in our country.

It is shameful that the Prime Minister has allowed racism to fester among his political base. People from all over the world used to dream of a day when they could bring their families to Canada, afford a home in a safe community and be part of the Canadian story. We have been blessed by the contributions of Asian immigrants for generations.

After eight years of the Prime Minister's radical drug policies, our streets are filled with crime, chaos, drugs and disorder. Conservatives stand with all Canadians who want to raise their children in a drug-free community and will always defend their right to say so.

Quebec Maple Syrup

[Peter Schiefke, Liberal, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Mr. Speaker, with the cold and snow of winter all around us, the warm weather seems a long way off. However, I have it on good authority that spring is on the way, which means it will soon be time for that delicious symbol of warmth and joy, Quebec-made maple syrup.

Yes, the time has come once again for families, friends and visitors to gather for the maple harvest, a ritual as sweet as the syrup it celebrates. It is a celebration of Quebec cuisine, where traditional dishes are combined with the taste of fresh maple syrup. It is part of the rich tapestry of Quebec's heritage and culture.

Whether, whether they are drowning their French toast, their pancakes, their crepes, or pretty much anything their heart fancies, in fresh maple syrup at home, or visiting their local cabane à sucre, I invite all of Vaudreuil—Soulangois to enjoy the delicious gift of spring that the maple harvest brings.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

[Jenny Kwan, NDP, Vancouver East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on every Valentine's Day since 1992, led by indigenous matriarchs, 2SLGBTQ+ members and family members in the Downtown Eastside, the community takes to the streets to honour and grieve the loss of missing and murdered indigenous women, girls and the gender diverse. Each year as we march, the drumming unites our heartbeats and eagles circle in the sky. Their spirits live within us.

This act of remembrance is an expression of love, respect and solidarity for families and survivors. Our community stands united in the call for justice. We demand full implementation of all 231 calls for justice. We demand action, and not just empty words. We demand accountability and measurable progress. The CBC reported that, as of June 2023, only two of the 231 calls for justice had been completed, and more than half have not even been started. This is unconscionable.

In honour of—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

The hon. member for Mirabel has the floor.

Louise Léonard

[Jean-Denis Garon, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, on January 27, more than 200 people gathered at the Église de Sainte‑Scholastique to pay their respects to Louise Léonard, who died at the age of 79. She was the wife of my friend Denis Lauzon, who founded the Centre de formation agricole de Mirabel.

Denis had a very special way of introducing himself to people. For nearly 60 years, he called himself “the most happily married man in Sainte‑Scholastique”, and with good reason. He and Louise shared a wonderfully close bond. The love was palpable in their home, where I was welcomed as a son.

As a teacher, Louise Léonard touched the lives of hundreds of young people. She was a proud, accomplished and caring woman who was involved in her community and in the world around her. Like many seniors in the village, Louise was looking forward to growing old peacefully with her husband and loved ones at her side at the new seniors' residence in Sainte‑Scholastique.

As we walk around the Hill today, we may run into Denis, and if we look up to the heavens, we might see Louise tenderly watching over him and all of us, as she always did.

I wish Louise a safe journey.

Public Services and Procurement

[Stephanie Kusie, Conservative, Calgary Midnapore, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of a Liberal-NDP government, the RCMP is once again investigating a Liberal deal.

Two of the contractors involved in the creation of the ArriveCan app are already being investigated for their potentially criminal acts to obtain contracts, but that investigation will not even scratch the surface of everything that was hidden from Canadians. GC Strategies, an IT firm of two people that did no actual IT work, was paid over $19 million just to find people to build this $60-million app. This is not to mention it's also rigging the bidding process for a $25-million contract that only it could win, and it does not stop there.

Reports are out this morning revealing that this two-person headhunting firm has gotten as much as 250 million taxpayer dollars since 2015. This RCMP investigation needs to be expanded to understand what really happened in the building of this app and who is responsible for this huge waste of taxpayer money.

Ukraine

[Yvan Baker, Liberal, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, February 24 will mark two years since the beginning of Russia's further brutal invasion of Ukraine. Our government has said that Canada will stand with the Ukrainian people until they win, and victory is the only option.

Victory is the only option because Ukraine's victory is vital to Canada's security. If Russia wins, it will not stop at Ukraine. If Russia wins, Europe, the U.S. and Canada will be next in defending ourselves against Russian aggression. Therefore, every Ukrainian soldier fighting today is one less Canadian who will have to fight in the future. Every dollar we spend today is millions of dollars less that we will have to spend in the future.

Our government understands this, and that is one of the reasons Canada has been a global leader in supporting Ukraine. Unfortunately, Conservatives continue to vote against support for Ukraine and against Canada's national security.

On this two-year anniversary, I urge MPs throughout the House vote in favour of the support needed to ensure Ukraine's victory because victory is the only option for our security, our economy and our freedom.

Slava Ukraini.

Public Services and Procurement

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's arrive scam scandal continues to deepen. Today we learned from Joël-Denis Bellavance that a single arrive scam company received $250 million. That company has four employees and is headquartered at a cottage. This so-called IT company admits it does not do IT work.

Come on. What a mess.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, during the pandemic, we did everything we could to try to protect Canadians and save lives, but even in an unprecedented situation, the rules must be followed. Anyone who did not follow the rules must face the consequences.

That is why we absolutely welcome the Auditor General's recommendations, and that is why the appropriate authorities are doing their job.

Yes, Canadians should know the truth, and we expect the investigators to do their job.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, on its web site, GC Strategies boasts about being Ottawa's fastest-growing company. After eight years of this Prime Minister, this company is growing very fast indeed. It has four employees and does no IT work, yet it received a quarter of a billion dollars for IT.

The first contract for this company was signed three weeks after this Prime Minister came to power. Why?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, like the Auditor General, Canadians have questions about whether the rules were followed and how such a company could get all these contracts. We expect the authorities to conduct the appropriate investigations to find out who exactly was involved, how these processes were uncovered and which rules were broken.

It is very important to ensure that taxpayer money is invested the right way. In this situation, we all have important questions that we want answered.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's arrive scam is now flailing out of control. Today there are revelations from Joel-Denis Bellavance that one arrive scam company received a quarter of a billion dollars in contracts.

Let us get this straight. This company with four employees, headquartered in the basement of a tiny cottage, got IT contracts even though they admit they do no IT work. It was a quarter of a billion dollars. WTF?