Debates of April 8th, 2024

Firearms

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

The hon. Minister of Public Safety.

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Beauséjour, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I have never had that much applause in the House before.

I share our colleague's concern about the Conservative policy with respect to gun control. We have said from the beginning that law-abiding hunters and sportspersons are not the subject of these regulations. What we are doing is taking away guns that were designed to kill people on the battlefield, and we are also prepared to compensate the people who bought those guns lawfully. It is something the Conservative Party would undo, and we are committed to keeping Canadians safe.

Seniors

[Alain Rayes, Independent, Richmond—Arthabaska, QC]

Mr. Speaker, ever since I have been an MP, we have received the list of proposals that have been granted or denied New Horizons funding every February. New Horizons is a program that helps improve the lives of our seniors.

Unfortunately, for some reason, we did not get that information this year, which makes it impossible for us to help organizations in our ridings. My office has sent three emails, made five phone calls and even sent a fax to the office of the Minister of Labour and Seniors. We have received no response, not even an acknowledgement.

This is discouraging for members of Parliament trying to do our job. Can the minister explain why we are not getting this information? What is he going to do to fix this?

[Seamus O'Regan, Liberal, Minister of Labour and Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the question and even the facts. I have no excuse there. I will dig in deeper and get the answers that the member is looking for.

Jacob Flickinger

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

Following discussions among representatives of all parties of the House, I understand there is an agreement to observe a moment of silence in honour of the Canadian aid worker, Jacob Flickinger, and of all aid workers who have lost their lives in Gaza.

I now invite hon. members to rise.

[A moment of silence observed]

Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

Pursuant to subsection 15(3) of the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons, it is my duty to lay upon the table the list of all sponsored travel by members for the year 2023, as provided by the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

Foreign Affairs

[Mélanie Joly, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), and in accordance with the policy on the tabling of treaties in Parliament, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaties entitled “Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of the Republic of Finland”, done at Brussels on July 5, 2022, and “Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of the Kingdom of Sweden”, also done at Brussels on July 5, 2022.

This is good news for Canada and for NATO.

Government Response to Petitions

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(a), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's responses to 27 petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.

Procedure and House Affairs

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Waterloo, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is always a pleasure to rise on behalf of the good people of Waterloo. With Vaisakhi approaching, I am hoping that all celebrating Vaisakhi will have a good one.

Pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 62nd report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership of committees of the House.

If the House gives its consent, I move that the 62nd report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs be concurred in.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

All those opposed to the hon. member's moving the motion will please say nay.

I hear none. The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay.

(Motion agreed to)

Medical Assistance in Dying

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present three petitions from my constituents.

The first petition is on medical assistance in dying or the assisted suicide system. These constituents are drawing the attention of the House to the fact that, on March 17, MAID was supposed to become available to those with a mental illness. Parliament has since then extended it. They are still calling on the Government of Canada to introduce new legislation to stop the expansion of medical assistance in dying to those with a mental illness.

Democratic Institutions

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my second petition goes back to the issue of the lost confidence that many Canadians in my riding have about the government here. They are calling on the House for a vote of non-confidence again. They are asking for an election to be held within 45 days after the vote is won.

Once again, as the current government is not acting in the best interests of citizens, they are asking the House of Commons to hold a vote of non-confidence and to hold elections 45 days after such a vote.

Single-Use Plastics

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the third and final petition that I am tabling is on behalf of constituents in my riding who are also members of the Calgary Co-op. This is with regard to Environment Canada's decision to continue to ban compostable shopping bags that are 100% non-plastic bags.

These constituents are drawing the government's attention to the fact that the Calgary Co-op has successfully kept over 100 million plastic bags out of landfills with the use of its green compostable shopping bags. The City of Calgary supports the use of the Calgary Co-op's compostable bags, stating that the bags do fully break down in composting facilities and there is no impact on the environment. They are also reminding the federal government that the federal ban, as it stands now, allows for the Calgary Co-op to sell its compostable bags on store shelves, but it prevents it from selling these same bags a few feet away at the checkout, which makes little sense since it does very little to limit their use. Petitioners say that this unnecessary ban could send signals that stifle the adoption and development of environmentally responsible products. Finally, they are calling on the Government of Canada to recognize that the green compostable bags made by the Calgary Co-op do not constitute single-use plastics and are, therefore, worthy of an exemption from the upcoming ban.

Criminal Code

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, we are aware and these individuals are aware of the crisis of domestic violence and violent crimes associated across Canada specifically with women. The risk of violence and coercion of women is greater when they are pregnant.

The injury or death of a child in the womb when a women in pregnant is not considered as aggravating circumstances when an individual is charged with a crime and facing sentencing within the Criminal Code. As a matter of fact, they make the comment that Canada is the only democratic country in the world with absolutely no regulations or laws in regard to abortion. The only other country is North Korea.

Justice requires, they say, that an attacker who abuses a pregnant woman and her child in the womb be sentenced accordingly and that the sentence should match the crime. They call on us in the House to legislate the abuse of a pregnant woman and/or the infliction of harm on the child that she is carrying as aggravating circumstances for sentencing purposes in the Criminal Code.

Pornography

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I have one more petition that I will bring forward briefly.

These individuals are very concerned about sexually explicit material that is so demeaning and sexually violent and can easily be accessed by young people online. A significant portion of this sexually explicit material is made available for commercial purposes and is not protected by any effective age verification method. However, it is very clear that everyone believes that we have a responsibility to make sure that these young people do not have access.

Online verification was the primary recommendation made by stakeholders during a 2017 study by the Standing Committee on Health. These petitioners call upon the House to adopt Bill S-210, the protecting young persons from exposure to pornography act.

Natural Health Products

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

Mr. Speaker, last spring, the Government of Canada made legislative changes to allow Health Canada to regulate natural health supplements the same as therapeutic synthetic drugs, which will mean substantial new fees on the import, manufacturing and sale of things like vitamins, protein powders and other health supplements.

Constituents in my riding who rely on natural health products daily are concerned that these changes will result in the products they use being removed from Canadian store shelves or increasing in price substantially. They are calling upon the government to stop these changes and to work with the industries on issues such as labelling and fees. They ask us to save their supplements.

Corporate Social Responsibility

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

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today on behalf of constituents in Saanich—Gulf Islands, standing on the traditional territory of the Algonquin Anishinabe people.

The petitioners are pointing to the long-standing problem of the contribution, unfortunately, of Canadian companies, particularly those in the mining sector, in attacking human rights and being associated with environmental damage around the world.

Petitioners ask the House to consider that the people who are involved in such protests in other countries around the world, to defend their rights, are often harassed, attacked or killed. They are calling on the House of Commons to require companies to prevent adverse human rights effects and environmental damage and to require companies to do their due diligence, including by carefully assessing how their actions are contributing to such egregious human rights abuses and environmental damage. They ask for the Government of Canada and the House to work for the legal right for people who have been harmed by Canadian companies to seek justice in Canadian courts.

Air Service to India

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, it is a pleasure to table a petition regarding international flights. As we know, our Indo-Canadian community has grown considerably over the last number of years. A part of that has driven a demand to build that relationship, which ultimately sees more people going back and forth between India and Canada. Along with that comes the demand for increased direct flights. That is what the petition is asking for. It is a pleasure that I table it today.

Volunteer Firefighters

[Luc Berthold, Conservative, Mégantic—L'Érable, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to rise to table a petition signed by 212 people.

Do members know that volunteer firefighters account for 71% of Canada's total firefighting essential first responders? Firefighters and the petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to support Bill C-310 to increase the amount of tax credits available for volunteer firefighters and search and rescue volunteers from $3,000 to $10,000 per year.

I want to take this opportunity to recognize all of the volunteer firefighters who serve the community of Mégantic-L’Érable and the entire country.

Gaza

[Mike Morrice, Green, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise to present a petition from nearly 10,000 folks from across the country.

The petitioners note that it was back in 1949 that the UN Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, was established to carry out direct relief and works programs for Palestinian refugees. They note that UNRWA is the primary provider of humanitarian aid in Gaza, providing food, social services, health care, schools and refugee camps, sustaining the lives of millions of civilians, more than half of whom are kids, in the Palestinian territory of Gaza, which has been blockaded by Israel since 2007.

The petitioners go on to note that South Africa submitted an application to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip and the case of South Africa v. Israel to the International Court of Justice, or the ICJ. After considering both applications and oral arguments, the court concluded that genocide was plausible. In its January 26 order, the ICJ cited UNRWA statements documenting dire conditions in the Gaza Strip before introducing its fourth provisional measure, which is, as the petitioners quote, “Israel must take immediate and effective measures to enable the provision of urgently needed basic services and humanitarian assistance to address the adverse conditions of life faced by Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.” Finally, they note that Israel levelled allegations against a dozen UNRWA employees, after which Canada paused humanitarian funding committed to UNRWA without an investigation.

The petitioners, citizens and residents of Canada call upon the Government of Canada to live up to its obligations under the genocide convention to prevent the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip from deteriorating further before the court renders its final decision. The petitioners call on two specific actions. The first is for Canada to reinstate UNRWA funding, which, in the time since this petition was out in the public, has already been done. Second, the petitioners advocate for other countries to do the same and for Canada to call on other countries to do the same.

Ukraine

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition brought forward by Canadians who see the unjust war Vladimir Putin is waging on Ukraine and want the Government of Canada to act, including by way of providing direct military assistance and further lethal weapons and supplies to the defence of Ukraine.

That is why Conservatives have called on the Liberal government to donate all discontinued surplus CRV7 rockets to Ukraine. These rockets were specifically requested by the Government of Ukraine, and Canada has 83,000 of them to set for disposal. The cost of disposal is estimated at $30 million, but the cost for shipment to Ukraine is approximately $5 million. This donation would not only be the right thing to do, but also the most cost-effective thing to do.

The Conservatives have and always will support Ukraine. We stand with it in its efforts to rebuild its economy and defend itself from Russia's illegal invasion.

Carbon Pricing

[Larry Maguire, Conservative, Brandon—Souris, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the second petition I rise to present is signed by residents facing rising prices of gas, groceries and home heating.

The Liberal carbon tax has made it much harder to make ends meet. On April 1, the Prime Minister's carbon tax went up again, this time by 23%. This inflationary carbon tax means that a family of four will have to pay $700 more for groceries in 2024. Conservatives know that people are hurting. People are being forced to choose between filling up their car, heating their home and feeding their family. I join with these petitioners in calling on the Prime Minister to immediately eliminate the carbon tax from home heating, and better yet, axe the tax altogether.

First Responders Tax Credit

[Andy Fillmore, Liberal, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to present a petition signed by Canadians calling upon the Government of Canada to support Bill C-310, which would increase the tax credit for volunteer firefighters and search and rescue volunteers from $3,000 a year to $10,000 a year.

Seventy-one per cent of firefighting first responders in this country are volunteers. Those volunteers were our first line of defence in my home province of Nova Scotia last year as we faced the worst wildfire season in our recorded history. Indeed, all across Canada, volunteer firefighters put their lives on the line to protect our communities. Boosting this tax credit would not only ensure that they are properly compensated for their essential roles, but also improve recruitment and retention at a time when our fire departments are struggling to maintain the number of volunteer firefighters.

Importantly, the petitioners also note that, in a moment when affordability is a top concern for many Canadians, this tax credit would allow these volunteer firefighters to keep more of their hard-earned income, which often goes back into their communities.

Public Safety

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

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

I rise for the 34th 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 extreme levels of crime because of the Liberal government's soft-on-crime laws, such as Bill C-75.

The people of Swan River are upset that jail is a revolving door for repeat offenders as Bill C-75 allows violent offenders to be in jail in the morning and back on the street the same day. Manitoba West district RCMP has reported that just 15 individuals were responsible for 1,184 calls for service. The people of Swan River are calling for jail, not bail, for violent repeat 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.