Debates of June 12th, 2024

Human Rights in Eritrea

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

Madam Speaker, the next petition is signed by members of the Eritrean community. It highlights a number of different human rights abuses that have taken place and are taking place in Eritrea. It notes that Eritrea has been ruled by an authoritarian, brutal dictator under a totalitarian system for the last 30 years with no constitution, no elections, no parliament, no freedom of the press and no freedom of movement or association. Eritreans continue to flee indefinite military conscription, religious persecution and political repression, causing them to take asylum in various places around the world.

In addition to human rights abuses happening in Eritrea, petitioners highlight concerns about foreign interference here in Canada driven by the Eritrean regime, particularly the harassment and intimidation of members of the freedom-loving Eritrean diaspora who have fled to Canada. The petitioners also note that the Eritrean dictator is part of an axis of like-minded hostile authoritarian countries and collaborates with the Putin regime and other hostile belligerent states.

Therefore, petitioners call on the government and the House to engage Eritrean political and human rights activists and pro-democracy groups to take a leadership role among western allies, to challenge the Eritrean dictator's malicious conspiracy with Putin, to investigate foreign interference of Eritrea in Canada and to take the appropriate action, including rejection of entry visas and the denial of event permits against all front organizations, individuals and events enabling their interference. They also call on the government to enforce Canada's asylum laws against those who explicitly provide material and political support to that regime and to advocate for the release of a number of imprisoned journalists and Eritrean parliamentarians, namely Dawit Isaak, Petros Solomon, Mahmoud Ahmed Sherifo, Haile Woldense, Ogbe Abraha, Hamid Himid, Saleh Idris Kekya, Estifanos Seyoum, Berhane Ghebrezgabiher, Astier Fesehazion, Germano Nati and Beraki Gebreselassie. Finally, they call on the government to strengthen sanctions against human rights abusers in Eritrea.

I want to thank the community for working hard on this petition, and I am honoured to share their concerns with the House.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Madam Speaker, I am rising on a point of order. Seriously, there are other members who are waiting to present their petitions. We have a 15-minute period. We cannot let one member monopolize the entire petition time.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

All members know full well that, when presenting petitions, hon. members should be providing a brief summary of what their petition is about. Therefore, I would hope that the hon. member who has the floor is able to finish his petition. He does have a variety of petitions, so I do appreciate the fact that he is presenting those. I know that there are lots of members wanting to table petitions, but the hon. member has the floor and I will let him table his petitions. Again, I ask that he summarize them briefly, as is described in the policy.

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

Madam Speaker, it was my understanding that I had been called on last. However, if there are others, I also have dozens of—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

This is not an opportunity for debate. There are others who want to present petitions, but I will allow the hon. member to finish presenting his petitions.

Falun Gong

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

Madam Speaker, I will continue.

The next petition I am tabling is regarding the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. Petitioners draw attention to the ongoing persecution of Falun Gong practitioners by the Chinese Communist Party, and they outline in this petition various aspects of the history of that persecution. The petitioners call on Parliament and the government to condemn that persecution, to continue our work to combat forced organ harvesting and to take additional steps to stand up for those who face this persecution in the People's Republic of China.

Women's Shelters

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

Madam Speaker, the next petition that I would like to table is regarding funding cuts to women's shelters, which the NDP-Liberal government has chosen. The petitioners note that, at a time when we are seeing a dramatic increase in spending on bureaucracy and outside consultants, the government chose to cut $145 million of funding to women's shelters. This demonstrates a strange prioritization when it comes to government spending. Petitioners call on the government to restore funding for women's shelters in Canada.

Next, I am tabling a petition—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

The hon. member for New Westminster—Burnaby is rising on a point of order.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

Madam Speaker, we have a practice in the House, as members know, that when there are multiple petitions, one member presents two or three petitions and then it moves on to other members. There are other members waiting to present petitions.

Madam Speaker, you have the ability to cut that member off. Otherwise, we could all bring a stack of 100 petitions and monopolize the entire 15 minutes. There needs to be a sharing of time during petitions.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

It has not been the practice of the House to cut members off.

The hon. member for Courtenay—Alberni is rising on a point of order.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Madam Speaker, I can tell you that I have presented petitions and been cut off at the one-minute mark multiple times.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

It is now becoming more of a point of debate. I just want to remind members to please be mindful that there are others who want to present petitions.

I would ask others not to incite members while I am speaking to them about whether they are going to continue on their petitions, but I do want to ask the hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan to briefly summarize his petitions so that others can present theirs as well.

The hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan.

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

Madam Speaker, I was intending to wrap up shortly, but I am tempted not to because of the badgering of the formerly tieless member from the NDP—

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I know that there are points of order. The hon. member is well aware that one member attempted to present a petition but did not have a tie on, and that has put things back for that particular member. I want to remind members to please be brief on their summaries.

The hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan.

Medical Assistance in Dying

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

Madam Speaker, I have one petition, and I will endeavour to conclude it with time remaining in spite of the rude interruptions of my colleague from the NDP. This petition is regarding a previous call by a witness before a committee to legalize euthanasia for babies.

The petitioners are deeply horrified by the suggestion that the government might consider legalizing euthanasia for children. They call on the House to recognize that infanticide, the killing of children, at any age and stage is always wrong, and they call on the Government of Canada to block any attempt to legalize this in Canada.

I have many more petitions, but I will leave it there and return at a future point for those.

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Waterloo, ON]

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would just like to ask for unanimous consent to make sure that the remaining people who want to present petitions are able to do so today.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Is there consent?

[An hon. member]

No.

Gaza

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Waterloo, ON]

Madam Speaker, I will try to go quickly because, unlike the Conservatives, I am actually concerned about other members in the House.

Hundreds of constituents in the riding of Waterloo are petitioning the House of Commons, drawing to its attention what is taking place in Israel and Gaza, which has resulted in thousands of deaths. They are calling on Parliament to do everything in our power to bring an immediate and permanent ceasefire to that region. They are asking that we impose a two-way arms embargo, including arms trades via the United States and so forth.

They are asking Canada to do whatever we can to end the situation in Gaza. There have been a lot of lives left, and it is important that these voices be heard. I am proud to represent them through this petition in the House.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Chris Bittle, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing]

Madam Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 2583, 2590, 2596 and 2597.

Question No.2583—

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

With regard to Health Canada (HC), the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) and any communications in 2020 or 2021 regarding mask exemptions, COVID-19 vaccines, medications to treat COVID-19, or any other public health messaging about COVID-19: (a) did (i) the Minister of Health, (ii) the Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Steven Lucas, (iii) the Chief Public Health Officer, (iv) the Deputy Chief Public Health Officer, (v) the Chief Medical Officer at Health Canada, (vi) any personnel from HC, (vii) any personnel from the PHAC, (viii) any personnel from the NACI, (ix) any firm contracted by or through HC, PHAC, or NACI, communicate or correspond, directly or indirectly, with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO); (b) if any of the answers to (a)(i) through (a)(ix) are affirmative, (i) when did these communications occur, (ii) what are the summaries of those communications; (c) did any of the individuals or agencies in (a)(i) through (a)(ix) of (a) communicate with the Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council (HPRAC); and (d) if the answer to (c) is affirmative, what are the summaries of those communications?

[Yasir Naqvi, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, in response to (a)(i), (ii), (v), (vi) and (ix), the Minister of Health and Health Canada officials did not communicate or correspond, directly or indirectly, with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario or the Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council in 2020 or 2021 regarding mask exemptions, COVID-19 vaccines, medications to treat COVID-19, or any other public health messaging about COVID-19.

In response to (a)(iii), (iv), (vii) and (ix), no officials from the Public Health Agency of Canada communicated or corresponded, directly or indirectly, with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario or the Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council in 2020 or 2021 regarding mask exemptions, COVID-19 vaccines, medications to treat COVID-19, or any other public health messaging about COVID-19.

In response to (a)(viii) and (ix), the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, NACI, is an external advisory body that provides independent, expert advice to the Public Health Agency of Canada on the use of vaccines authorized in Canada. Neither NACI nor any personnel from NACI communicated or corresponded, directly or indirectly, with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, nor communicated with the Health Professions Regulatory Advisory Council in 2020 or 2021 regarding mask exemptions, COVID-19 vaccines, medications to treat COVID-19, or any other public health messaging about COVID-19.

In response to part (b), the answer is N/A.

In response to part (c), see part (a).

In response to part (d), the answer is N/A.

Question No.2590—

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Edmonton Mill Woods, AB]

With regard to the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB): (a) what are the details of all advertisement campaigns by the CPPIB since November 4, 2015, including, for each, the (i) title, (ii) name of the advertising campaign, (iii) objective, (iv) total costs associated with the advertisement campaign, (v) breakdown of the costs; and (b) for each advertisement campaign in (a), was it (i) website based, (ii) paper based, (iii) radio based, (iv) television based?

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

Mr. Speaker, it should be noted that the CPPIB is neither a department nor an agency of the Crown and therefore does not fall within the same guidelines for disclosure. The CPPIB is subject to disclosure requirements as set out in the CPPIB Act and reports to federal and provincial finance ministers and Canadians.