Debates of June 14th, 2024

Housing

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing]

Madam Speaker, builders in the member's community and throughout the country require incentives, and we have put forward incentives that lead to more building, in particular for apartments, by lifting the GST on the construction of rental apartments for the middle class, which the Conservatives oppose.

When it comes to more home building, I just spoke about the housing accelerator fund. We take a non-partisan approach to that issue. In communities large and small, represented by various members of Parliament, we are seeing, or will see, more building, through zoning changes that incent the kind of building we need, for young people in particular, with more missing middle options, from duplexes, to fourplexes, to mid-rise apartments and so on. We have more to do, and we will.

Bill C‑69—Notice of Time Allocation Motion

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, an agreement could not be reached under the provisions of Standing Order 78(1) or 78(2) with respect to report stage and third reading of Bill C-69, an act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 16, 2024.

Under the provisions of Standing Order 78(3), I give notice that a minister of the Crown will propose at the next sitting a motion to allot a specific number of days or hours for the consideration and disposal of proceedings at the said stages of the bill.

Bill C‑65—Notice of Time Allocation Motion

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, an agreement could not be reached under the provisions of Standing Order 78(1) or 78(2) with respect to second reading stage of Bill C-65, an act to amend the Canada Elections Act.

Under the provisions of Standing Order 78(3), I give notice that a minister of the Crown will propose at the next sitting a motion to allot a specific number of days or hours for the consideration and disposal of proceedings at the said stage of the bill.

Business of the House

[Steven MacKinnon, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Madam Speaker, I would like to request that the ordinary hour of daily adjournment of the next sitting be 12 midnight, pursuant to order made Wednesday, February 28.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès), Liberal, Alexandra Mendes]

Pursuant to order made Wednesday, February 28, the minister's request to extend the said sitting is deemed adopted.

Government Response to Petitions

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

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

Justice and Human Rights

[Lena Metlege Diab, Liberal, Halifax West, NS]

Madam Speaker, in my role as chair of the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights, I have the honour to present, in the both official languages, the 24th report of the committee regarding the consideration of George Dolhai for appointment as director of public prosecutions.

Criminal Code

[Michael Barrett, Conservative, Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, ON]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-405, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Parliament of Canada Act.

Madam Speaker, the penalties for perjury act is a mechanism to restore Canadians' confidence in our democratic institutions. It would do two critical things. One, it would impose a mandatory minimum penalty under the Criminal Code for perjury before a House of Parliament; and second, it would allow Parliament to impose a fine of up to $50,000 for a contempt against a House of Parliament. This is incredibly important in the context that we have seen of the Prime Minister's $60-million arrive scam and contempt that has been found before the House. Common-sense Conservatives will stop the crime and restore accountability to Canada's Parliament.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Gatineau Park

[Sophie Chatel, Liberal, Pontiac, QC]

Madam Speaker, I have the honour of presenting an important petition calling on the government to amend the National Capital Act to protect Gatineau Park for future generations.

This petition was launched by the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Ottawa Valley chapter.

I send my warmest thanks to the hard-working volunteers for their dedication on behalf of thousands of residents of this region.

Falun Gong

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Madam Speaker, I rise to present two petitions.

The first petition is from petitioners who observe the gross human rights violations being perpetrated by the Chinese Communist regime against Falun Gong practitioners. The petitioners call on the government to invoke Magnitsky sanctions on the perpetrators of these human rights abuses and to refuse immigration or a visitor visa to those who are persecuting Falun Gong practitioners in China.

Justice

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Madam Speaker, the second petition is from Canadians who are calling on the government to use all legislative tools available, including invoking the notwithstanding clause, to override the Supreme Court of Canada's unjust decision in Bissonnette. This struck down a very reasonable law passed by the Harper government giving judges the flexibility and the discretion to impose consecutive sentencing on some of Canada's worst murderers.

Ukraine

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Madam Speaker, I have two petitions that I will be sharing today.

The first petition is signed by over 1,000 Canadians. It is in response to Russia's genocide against the Ukrainian people. These citizens are calling on the Government of Canada to put the Russian Federation on the list of foreign supporters of terrorism.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

My second petition is also with regard to the illegal invasion of Ukraine and to the people who have come from Ukraine to Canada. This petition is signed by hundreds of Canadians.

The petition speaks about the thousands of Ukrainians who have come to Canada to escape the war in Ukraine. It calls on Canada to allow Ukrainians working in apprenticeship programs to qualify for permanent residency.

Decriminalization of Drugs

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

Madam Speaker, I have three petitions to present today.

The first petition I am presenting is on behalf of members of Kelowna—Lake Country and our region. The petition is calling on the government to immediately end its failed and radical drug decriminalization experiment in British Columbia, stop spending taxpayer dollars on dangerous drugs and, instead, fund treatment and recovery programs to bring our loved ones home drug-free.

Air Service to India

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

Madam Speaker, the second petition that I am presenting today states that no airline is currently providing direct flight services between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Amritsar, Punjab, a logical route with the shortest physical distance. Reducing the kilometres needlessly travelled would reduce trip length, improve passenger experience, save fuel and significantly reduce carbon emissions.

Therefore, the petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to leverage its ownership of Air Canada shares to encourage the company to explore the implementation of direct flights between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Amritsar, Punjab, should such a route become viable.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

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

Madam Speaker, the third petition I am presenting today discusses Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada's clear service standards, which are publicly available on its website. They outline, in business days, the length of time IRCC expects to process applications for work permits, temporary passport applications and certificates of identity, among other things.

In the 2022-23 fiscal year, IRCC consistently failed to meet its own publicly stated targets, with only 50% met.

Therefore, the petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to immediately take action and ensure that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada meets or exceeds its service standards in all application categories.

Animal Welfare

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

Madam Speaker, I would like to present a petition on behalf of folks who are concerned about the fact that the Department of National Defence uses live piglets in training exercises. The piglets are hurt and treated poorly. There has been quite a lot of concern in terms of the treatment of these animals, and, in the petitioners' opinion, their use is unnecessary. The petitioners are calling on the Minister of National Defence to end the use of animals in the military medical training program.

Questions on the Order Paper

[Marie-France Lalonde, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Madam Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 2599, 2601, 2608, 2610 to 2612 and 2016.

Question No.2599—

[Louise Chabot, Bloc, Thérèse-De Blainville, QC]

With regard to the Age Well at Home initiative: (a) how many organizations submitted projects between June 8, 2022, and July 29, 2022, in the constituency of Thérèse-De Blainville and, of these project submissions, how many (i) were approved, (ii) were denied, (iii) have not yet received a response; and (b) of the project applications in the constituency of Thérèse-De Blainville that have not yet received a response, (i) what are the estimated timelines for processing these applications, (ii) what are the reasons for these processing delays, (iii) will the amounts approved initially for these applications be adjusted for inflation?

[Terry Sheehan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Seniors]

Mr. Speaker, as part of the age well at home initiative call for proposals held between June 8, 2022, and July 29, 2022, ESDC received one application for funding from an organization within the constituency of Thérèse-De Blainville. This application was not approved for funding. The organization was informed of this decision by ESDC during the week of April 22, 2024, and therefore there are no outstanding responses for applicants from the constituency of Thérèse-De Blainville.

Question No.2601—

[Richard Bragdon, Conservative, Tobique—Mactaquac, NB]

With regard to stakeholders that were consulted by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance about what to include in budget 2024: (a) what were the names and titles of all stakeholders consulted; and (b) what are the details, including the date, location, and manner in which each of the stakeholders in (a) were consulted?

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

Mr. Speaker, regarding the response to parts (a) and (b), the Department of Finance consults with Canadians on issues large and small, enabling public input on policy options. The department seeks to ensure that as many people as possible, whether they represent businesses, groups with special interests or individual Canadians, get the opportunity to have their say.

On December 12, 2023, the government launched consultations to hear from Canadians on the most pressing challenges of today, such as making life more affordable, building more homes faster, and creating good jobs for Canadian workers today and for generations to come. These consultations would help inform decisions on budget 2024. These pre-budget 2024 consultations concluded on February 9, 2024.

Please note that the information requested is not systematically tracked in a centralized database. The Department of Finance concluded that producing and validating a comprehensive response to this question would require a manual collection of information that is not possible in the time allotted and could lead to the disclosure of incomplete and misleading information.

Question No.2608—

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

With regard to lethal and non-lethal military export control permits currently awaiting a governor-in-council decision: what are details of each item, including the (i) vendor, (ii) item description, (iii) dollar value of the export, (iv) date on which the control permit was referred to the governor-in-council for a decision, (v) country for which the item is destined?

[Rob Oliphant, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the following reflects a consolidated response approved on behalf of Global Affairs Canada ministers.

Maintaining international peace and security and protecting human rights are central to Canada's foreign policy. Canada has one of the most rigorous export control systems in the world, harmonized with those of our allies and partners under the major export control regimes. Canada’s accession to the Arms Trade Treaty, ATT, in 2019 has further strengthened this approach. Canadian residents wishing to export items on the export control list, ECL, must apply for, and be issued, a permit prior to export. Items listed on the ECL include a wide variety of goods and technology intended for both civilian and military purposes, destined to a broad range of end-users. Examples of items include forest and agricultural products, telecommunications equipment, decontamination equipment, cryptographic equipment, protective equipment, simulators, imaging equipment, electronic components, firearms, and ammunition.

All permit applications for controlled items are reviewed on a case-by-case basis as part of a robust risk assessment, including against ATT criteria, which have been enshrined in the Export and Import Permits Act, EIPA. Permits for the export of controlled goods and technology from Canada will not be issued if there is a substantial risk that they could be used to commit or facilitate a serious violation of international human rights law or international humanitarian law, to undermine peace and security, to facilitate international organized crime or terrorism, or to commit or facilitate serious acts of gender-based violence or serious acts of violence against women and children. Pursuant to EIPA amendments made in 2019, the government must table, no later than May 31 of each year, annual reports with respect to the administration of the EIPA and the export of military goods over the course of the preceding year; these had previously been tabled on a voluntary basis since 1990. The 2023 annual report on the export of military goods was tabled in Parliament by May 31, 2024.

GAC does not comment on individual permits or permit applications, as the specific details of controlled items requested to be exported are protected commercial information. Furthermore, the disclosure of such information would be counter to the principles set out in the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act, as well as other legislative and legal obligations.

Question No.2610—

[Warren Steinley, Conservative, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

With regard to the Canada Dental Benefit, to date: how many Canadians have (i) signed up, (ii) been approved, (iii) received dental care paid for through the benefit?