Debates of May 24th, 2024

Canada Labour Code

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I just want to point out that, many times, I hear Conservatives bring up criticisms of anti-scab legislation. They say it will extend, delay and make labour disputes last longer and longer; in fact, it is those labour disputes where replacement workers have been brought in that become dangerous, vicious and very long, and they tear communities apart. I think of the Giant mine in Yellowknife, where nine people were killed by people who were frustrated about being replaced without any choice.

Could the member comment on the fact that anti-scab legislation is actually good for bringing people together, for giving workers their right to remove their labour when they feel that they need to put pressure on management to get fair wages and good working conditions? That is the only power they have.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I can speak to the legislation that is before us today, Bill C-58. We have had healthy debate in the House of Commons over the legislation. We had a lot of testimony at committee, and it went through all the processes there. We had some amendments that made the legislation even better than it was before. I outlined a couple of them in my intervention.

Here we are today with the proposed legislation, which affects federally regulated industries. As I mentioned, we have supported the legislation and have worked toward making it better, in particular with the labour board. As I mentioned in my intervention, it was good to hear from the board and get a lot of our questions answered as to their internal operations. In that way, we could better understand how they deal with the different applications that come forth and what they are going to do moving forward in order to improve their processing times.

[Bonita Zarrillo, NDP, Port Moody—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I know that the Conservatives were playing many games at committee to try to prolong the vote on the legislation. Simply, why have the Conservatives not supported this over the years that the NDP has tried to move it forward? I just want to understand this more clearly.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the member sits with me at committee. I am unclear about what she is referencing, because we had committee days that were set to hear from witnesses on this. There were absolutely no delays.

I am really not sure what she is even referencing. We asked witnesses questions. We had clause-by-clause that went very expeditiously. I think the member is trying to create a story that is not there.

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

Mr. Speaker, I will stay away from the member's comments that clearly demonstrate the Conservatives' opposition to Stellantis, Volkswagen and Honda. I understand they do not support the federal government bringing those companies to Canada.

However, what confuses me is that I am not sure if the member fully understands anti-scab legislation. It means that, for a company that is in existence in Canada, if a strike takes place, the company would not be able to bring in replacement workers.

That is what we are actually talking about when it comes to replacement workers. I just want the member to give confirmation that this is, in fact, also her understanding.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member's concern about my being informed. Of course I have read the legislation, and I sit on the committee that dealt with it clause by clause. I am very involved in the legislation.

I clearly gave examples of other ways that workers could be replaced, whether through external contractors and consultants, as I outlined in my intervention, or through foreign replacement workers, a term that was actually used by building trades in their letter to the Prime Minister. There are other ways that replacement workers can affect workers. That is what I was referencing in my intervention.

It is a way of replacing workers, although in the legislation, it is a very specific way of deeming it.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I find it comedic, in some ways, that the bill has been tabled eight times, and the Conservatives are now likely to vote in favour at this final hour. They know New Democrats have forced the vote on this, and they know that it is going to pass.

I find it comedic that the Conservatives are now trying to play it as though they have never seen the bill before. It has been tabled eight times in the House. They failed to vote for it eight times.

What explanation can the member give for why they voted against it so many times?

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, what I find comedic is that the NDP member is not acknowledging that he is actually part of the government. He is in a coalition agreement with the government.

[Blake Desjarlais, NDP, Edmonton Griesbach, AB]

Answer the question.

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, he is tripping me up right now. He will not even allow me to actually answer the question.

This is the trend from this particular member. It is unbelievable that the member is in a coalition yet is actually asking that type of question.

As I referenced, we have Bill C-58 in front of us. That is what we are debating here today and what we will be voting on soon. That is what is before us.

[Rick Perkins, Conservative, South Shore—St. Margarets, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the interventions from the NDP-Liberals are interesting. They go about an inch deep on a lot of issues.

Let me provide a little more colour and give the member an opportunity to do this on the particular issue of foreign replacement workers in Stellantis.

Canada's Building Trades Unions have condemned the government for its use of foreign replacement workers for non-proprietary jobs at Stellantis, such as forklift driver jobs. They have over 138 members sitting at home, unemployed, in Windsor, while the government allows Stellantis to bring in over 900 construction workers, most of them in non-proprietary positions.

Could the member comment on why she thinks that the government talks out of one side of its mouth when its members are in the chamber on legislation, but when it is administering the law, it actually does the opposite?

[Tracy Gray, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the government has quite a trend of doing great photo ops and making lots of announcements, but the follow-through is really not great. We see that time and time again.

I have the letter that was sent by Canada's Building Trades Unions to the Prime Minister. It is very to the point about their concerns, which have not been eliminated or addressed. The government continues to deflect and be evasive on this issue. It is not being transparent.

As I mentioned, a number of my colleagues at different committees, including at our committee, have tried to get information on the contracts in order to protect workers. If the government really had nothing to hide, why would it not be disclosing these contracts?

Hollyer House

[Chandra Arya, Liberal, Nepean, ON]

Mr. Speaker, recently, I was pleased to attend the opening of Hollyer House, an affordable housing structure that has funding of $2.72 million from the federal government. Hollyer House is a new, four-storey, 35-unit, mixed-use apartment building in Ottawa's west end, the Bells Corners neighbourhood. The building also is home to a community health and resource centre, the Western Ottawa Community Resource Centre, and to FAMSAC food cupboard.

The federal government funded $100,000 for the community room located in Hollyer House. Thanks go to the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa and Christ Church Bells Corners for making this possible. This is an excellent example where our federal government has partnered with a willing organization to meet the mutually shared objective of addressing affordable housing and other needs.

Retirement Congratulations

[Kevin Waugh, Conservative, Saskatoon—Grasswood, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate my member of the Legislative Assembly in Saskatchewan, Don Morgan, on his retirement coming up this fall.

Don graduated from the University of Saskatchewan College of Law in 1978. Between 1988 and 1992, he was chair and CEO of Saskatchewan Legal Aid Commission and was appointed as King's Counsel in 1990.

Don was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in November 2003 for the Sask Party and has served ever since. He had a number of portfolios: minister of justice and attorney general, minister of education, minister of advanced education and many more. Don served his constituents of Saskatoon Southeast faithfully, and he will be deeply missed.

Congratulations to Don on his upcoming retirement. It is well deserved.

Africa Day

[Adam van Koeverden, Liberal, Milton, ON]

Mr. Speaker, as Canadians, we join in the celebration of Africa Day with immense respect and admiration for the rich history, cultural diversity and remarkable civilizations of the African continent.

Africa Day is a poignant reminder of the lasting ties between Canada and Africa, rooted in the shared values of democracy, human rights and sustainable development.

My riding, Milton, is lucky to have a beautiful, diverse and growing African community. It is a vibrant community that reflects Africa's joie de vivre and community values.

I have had the great honour of visiting the four corners of Africa, from Morocco to Egypt, Tanzania, Madagascar, Mali, Liberia and Benin.

I climbed Kilimanjaro twice to raise money and awareness for NGOs such as Right To Play and WaterAid. I look forward to visiting the great African continent again.

Let us celebrate Africa Day and continue to advance the cause of peace, prosperity and solidarity both here and abroad.

Tributes

[Richard Cannings, NDP, South Okanagan—West Kootenay, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I want to pay tribute to three great Canadians who recently passed away.

Jerome Abraham struggled with addiction for many years before entering the recovery program at Discovery House in Penticton. After treatment, Jerome went on to lead Discovery House through a period of dramatic growth, helping so many men get their lives back and return to their families. We lost Jerome to cancer earlier this spring, but we will always be inspired by his legacy.

Laura Savinkoff was the centre, the heart, of a very active peace community based in Grand Forks. I last saw Laura at a workshop she organized to discuss the horrific situation in Gaza. She died suddenly two weeks later, gone too soon, but we will remember her spirit.

Finally, I want to mention the passing of Dr. Bruce Falls, a noted scientist and humble champion of nature conservation in Canada. Bruce died last month at the age of 100 after a lifetime of inspiring service to his country.

Music Industry

[Jaime Battiste, Liberal, Sydney—Victoria, NS]

Mr. Speaker, our love of music brings us together as Canadians, but it is tough for our working musicians right now. This week, I spoke to JUNO-winning musicians who spoke to the struggles of being a musician because of anti-competitive ticketing companies.

Thankfully, the United States justice department has moved forward on an antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and Live Nation Entertainment for their anti-competitive practices. With this monopoly, it is hard for Canadian fans to support our local musicians and venues. Our world-class artists deserve full crowds and vibrant local venues.

Our government has strengthened the powers of the Competition Bureau; invested historic amounts in arts and culture, including the Canada music fund; and supported live events through the boosted Canada arts presentation fund. Let us even the playing field so that the working recording artists and musicians who create the music can thrive, rather than the monopolies that squeeze our hard-working musicians.

Perth Regiment

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

Mr. Speaker, 80 years ago this week, the brave soldiers of the Perth Regiment were fighting in the Cassino region of Italy. On May 26, 1944, shortly after the Hitler Line was breached, the Perth Regiment moved into the Liri Valley where they were heavily shelled by the enemy, but the brave fighting Perths advanced forward.

Over the next several days, they crossed the Liri River and liberated the town of Ceprano and moved forward to Arnara. Several Canadian heroes made the ultimate sacrifice. Among them were Corporal John McRobb of St. Marys, and Private William Simpson and Private Jack Bailey, both of Stratford. Private Wilfrid Scott of Cromarty, who was serving with the Hastings and Prince Edward Regiment, also lost his life in that battle.

Days later, the world's attention would turn to D-Day, but we must never forget the courage of those who fought and those who fell in the Italian campaign.

We will remember them.

Whitehorse Star

[Brendan Hanley, Liberal, Yukon, YT]

Mr. Speaker, Illegitimus non carborundum was the defiant motto of the Whitehorse Star, a paper that, this week, published its last edition after serving the Yukon for 124 years.

First published from a tent, the Whitehorse Star is a living record of the Yukon's colourful history. Fire and flood, disasters, royal visits and funerals, elections at all levels, first nations' signing of modern treaties, plane crashes, even Whitehorse's own dramatic events on September 11, 2001. Further back is the story of the Dawson City Nuggets and their intrepid journey to Ottawa in 1905 to challenge for the Stanley Cup. In more modern times, it seemed not a single event occurred where the Whitehorse Star was not there to capture the scene with photos or a story. The Whitehorse Star was local news at its best, connecting Yukoners to their local, national and international events and personages.

This Star has set, but local news must go on. I thank the many dedicated staff who made the Whitehorse Star come alive day after day.

Illegitimus non carborundum. “Do not let them grind you down”.

Sixteen Mile Arena

[Pam Damoff, Liberal, Oakville North—Burlington, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada came to Oakville last week when the Junior A Hockey National Championship was hosted at Sixteen Mile arena by the Town of Oakville and the Oakville Blades. Players and fans from across Canada came out to see their favourite teams battle it out for the 2024 Centennial Cup. The tournament significantly benefited Oakville’s thriving local economy, bringing in more than $5 million in economic benefit.

I attended the thrilling final game, when the Collingwood Blues beat the Melfort Mustangs 1-0 to win the 2024 Centennial Cup. Congratulations to the Collingwood Blues on their national championship win, and to the Calgary Canucks’ Julien Gervais, who won the tournament's most valuable player.

Sixteen Mile Arena is the only venue in Canada that has hosted major national events for Hockey Canada, Skate Canada and Curling Canada.

A huge thanks to Todd Carey, the manager of Sixteen Mile Sports Complex in Oakville, Jamie Angus and the team for another successful event.

Liberal Party of Canada

[Tom Kmiec, Conservative, Calgary Shepard, AB]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of this NDP-Liberal government, more Canadians are hungry and homeless. The latest Salvation Army report reveals alarming statistics: 68% of Canadians now rely on discounted food and 44% have to cut the grocery bills just to make ends meet. A staggering 40% are forced to buy less nutritious food due to cost, while 26% skip meals because they cannot afford groceries. That same report now says that one in four young adults are relying on food banks. The Calgary Food Bank report says that 44% of their users are feeling worse off than they did last year.

With so many empty stomachs and families continuing to struggle to get affordable food on their tables, what is the NDP-Liberal government's solution? Why, it is more big government greed. It is higher carbon taxes, more payroll taxes and more tax on tax.

The residents of Calgary Shepard know that this Prime Minister is just not worth the cost. They want a common-sense Conservative government and they want it now; a government that will axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime. Let us bring it home.

National Field of Honour

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the National Field of Honour in my riding of Lac-Saint-Louis provides a resting place for over 17,000 military service members and their immediate families. It is also a valued space for the community to regularly gather to honour those who have served and fought for Canada.

On Sunday, veterans, veterans' families and many other people will gather at the National Field of Honour along with the ambassador of France to celebrate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, the turning point in the Second World War that was made possible by the courageous participation of Canadian soldiers.

I invite any members who may be in the area this Sunday to attend the ceremony. At the same time, it is my hope that the government will soon be able to assume ownership of the Field of Honour and accord it official status as a national military cemetery.

Housing

[Michael Kram, Conservative, Regina—Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the Liberal-NDP Prime Minister, more Canadians than ever are hungry and homeless. The government recently promised to end chronic homelessness in Canada by 2030, but according to the Parliamentary Budget Officer, chronic homelessness is up 38% under the Liberals' watch, and fully 80% of homeless individuals in this country are homeless purely because of affordability reasons.

The Parliamentary Budget Officer's findings may come as a surprise to the current out-of-touch government, but they come as no surprise to ordinary Canadians. More and more young people are unable to move out of their parents' basements, and those who do often find themselves turning to food banks just to make ends meet. This is the reality after nine years of the Liberals and their NDP coalition partners. Everything is broken, and we need a new Conservative government to clean up the mess.

Food Security

[Anna Roberts, Conservative, King—Vaughan, ON]

Mr. Speaker, a D- is what the NDP-Liberal government scored in the 2024 Food Banks Canada report card. A D- is a failing grade for a failing government. Poverty and food insecurity continue to climb. The Sai Dham Food Bank, which services 26 municipalities in the GTA, reported an increase of 36% in visits by seniors. In the month of April, the food bank serviced 60,000 families, a jump from 29,000 in February.

This is shameful. Seniors need help. Canadians need help, but the Prime Minister is not listening. If children came home with a D-, any parent would hold them accountable. The NDP-Liberal government needs to be held accountable. The Prime Minister is just not worth the cost. Listen to Canadians, get out of the way and let Conservatives fix what you have broken.

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

I need to remind hon. members to run things through the Chair.

The hon. member for Ottawa West—Nepean.