Debates of June 17th, 2024

Health

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, of course, asking for a more fair and equitable tax system where those who are the very wealthiest pay a little bit more in taxes so we can have money for doctors and nurses and to make investments into our health care system is actually the answer, not the problem.

The problem is Conservative cuts, the fact that the Conservatives want to attack our health care system with deep cuts that would create much worse problems. Of course, the world has faced big challenges in health care coming out of COVID. What we have seen in Canada is leadership, with 26 agreements, $200 billion, dental care, pharmacare and action across the board.

Women and Gender Equality

[Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Liberal, Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, at this time two years ago, Roe v. Wade was overturned in the United States. The fear and uncertainty this has caused millions of women cannot be minimized. It is a reminder that here in Canada, choice for women is paramount. While Conservative MPs celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade, our government stood committed to ensuring that choice for women remains a fundamental right.

Could the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth share the importance of this work?

[Marci Ien, Liberal, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth]

Mr. Speaker, two years ago, Roe v. Wade was overturned in the U.S., and so many thought that was an impossibility. However, it taught us that vigilance everywhere is imperative.

This past weekend, I met Liz, a self-described old feminist in Thunder Bay. Liz wanted me to remind Canadians that the right to an abortion is a human right and always worth fighting for. That is exactly what we will continue to do on this side of the House. That side of the House cannot say the same.

Taxation

[Larry Brock, Conservative, Brantford—Brant, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the government's capital gains tax is killing jobs in health care, home building, small businesses and farming. An agriculture producer in my riding is deeply concerned that the tax is undermining the profitability and sustainability in an already volatile business environment. Their current transition of ownership is severely impacted by these tax changes, rising input costs and softening markets.

The minister is raising taxes without even passing a law, which begs this ultimate question: How many more surprise tax hikes will the government spring on Canadians?

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, I would just like to make very clear one important point, and that is that the changes we have introduced in the budget are just not going to affect the paycheques of Canadians. Anybody taking home a salary in Canada is not going to see a change based on what we have presented for capital gains. In fact what we are asking is with respect to those who do not make a salary, who have their money working for them, who make incredible profits on the investments that they sell. They will be paying a little bit more.

Diversity and Inclusion

[Marty Morantz, Conservative, Charleswood—St. James—Assiniboia—Headingley, MB]

Mr. Speaker, anti-Semitism has become a plague on university campuses. Hamas sympathizers camping out at McGill are promoting the “revolutionary summer program”, featuring images of kaffiyeh-clad fighters brandishing machine guns. It is appalling.

Summer camp used to be about campfires and canoeing. After nine years of the Prime Minister, it has become “Bring your machine gun to camp to threaten and harass Jewish students.” It must be stopped. What is the government going to do about it?

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Minister of Diversity]

Mr. Speaker, I think every single Canadian and every single member of the House condemns anti-Semitism.

We know that combatting anti-Semitism and hate takes concrete action. That is why in this particular budget we are investing $273 million toward Canada's first-ever action plan on combatting hate. We have also invested more than $200 million toward Canada's anti-racism strategy. We have launched a community resiliency fund. We are working with the Minister of Public Safety. We are going to continue to do everything possible to make sure we combat hate in this country and around the world.

Foreign Affairs

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Foreign Affairs told CBC News, last week, that it was news to her that Russian warships were docked alongside one of our Canadian naval vessels in Havana celebrating the Cuban Communist dictatorship. This morning, the Minister of National Defence was asked whether he had told the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and of course he denied it.

It is both reckless and dangerous for the Liberals to honour Cuba, Russia's junior partner, and once again they are undermining our relationship and support for Ukraine.

Why is the Minister of National Defence using our navy to cozy up to the Communist regime in Cuba with our Russian adversaries?

[Bill Blair, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to act surprised that the Conservatives are politicizing the Royal Canadian Navy deployments, but frankly I am not.

To be very clear, it was a military mission. Along with our American allies, the Canadian Navy and Air Force have been tracking the movements and activity of a Russian naval flotilla along the eastern seaboard and into Cuba with our Aurora aircraft and the HMCS Ville de Québec. Upon the advice and at the request of the Royal Canadian Navy and the Canadian Joint Operations Command, I authorised the HMCS Margaret Brooke to visit Havana. We were well aware that the Russians would be present at the same time and we planned our mission accordingly.

Public Safety

[Francesco Sorbara, Liberal, Vaughan—Woodbridge, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that auto theft is a growing problem and that organized crime is constantly reinventing itself to foil the tactics of our police forces. Yesterday, our government announced the deployment of a mobile X-ray scanner that can scan cargo containers to find stolen vehicles.

Can the Minister of Public Safety tell the House what our government has done to intercept more stolen vehicles and thwart the organized crime groups behind auto theft?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, I thank our colleague from Vaughan—Woodbridge for his work on this issue and for speaking French.

The deployment of an X-ray scanner to detect stolen vehicles inside cargo containers is an important tool for the CBSA in the fight against organized crime across the country. When the Conservatives were in power, they cut the CBSA's funding, reduced the capabilities of our law enforcement agencies to fight organized crime and cut services for Canadians. We are doing the opposite. We will protect Canadians.

Foreign Affairs

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, It has been three years since Kabul fell, and for Afghans life gets worse every day. Canadians want to help Afghans living under the horrific Taliban rule, but the Canadian government is getting in the way. The flawed bill that the Liberals passed a year ago, Bill C-41, has not been implemented. There has been no guidance and no funding for any Canadian organization, nothing.

As Afghan girls face gender apartheid and as people starve, the incompetence of the Liberals is staggering. Why is the government delaying the much-needed aid to save lives?

[Ahmed Hussen, Liberal, Minister of International Development]

Mr. Speaker, in June of last year, Bill C-41, which created a humanitarian exception as an authorization regime, was passed. The new legislation facilitates Canada's engagement to address humanitarian crises and advance human rights globally while also ensuring strong counterterrorism financing provisions. There is no doubt that any delays on such an important matter are frustrating for all of us. We are hopeful that this will launch in the near future.

Democratic Institutions

[Kevin Vuong, Independent, Spadina—Fort York, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister once said that he thought NSICOP was well suited to examine foreign interference in Canada's democracy and democratic institutions, but apparently not anymore. Why the change? Was it an NSICOP report that shed some redacted light on the willing involvement of Liberals guilty of seeking political and financial benefit?

Does the Prime Minister still feel that “Canadians need to have faith in their institutions and deserve answers and transparency”, or have his party's Beijing masters called for a reversal?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety]

Mr. Speaker, our colleague should be careful before he simply makes up stuff in question period and asserts things that he knows are absolutely false. He knows very well that our government created, for the first time ever, a committee of parliamentarians to oversee the work of our security agencies.

We think it is important for parliamentarians from every political party and from the other place to do this important work. We have acted on their recommendations. We thank them for this important contribution to the fight against foreign interference and for a series of other measures that are important for assuring the national security of all Canadians.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I wish to draw the attention of members to the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Ryan Straughn, Minister of Finance, Economic Affairs and Investment of Barbados.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I would also like to draw the attention of members to the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Lennox Andrews, Minister for Economic Development, Planning, Agriculture and Lands, Forestry, Marine Resources and Cooperatives of Grenada.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Finally, I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Pennelope Beckles-Robinson, Minister of Planning and Development of Trinidad and Tobago.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. There have been discussions among the parties and, if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

I regret to inform the hon. member that there have been several noes. I will say this once again, that to ensure we use the time efficiently, if it is possible, that a member get agreement before rising to seek unanimous consent.

The House resumed from June 14 consideration of Bill C-40, An Act to amend the Criminal Code, to make consequential amendments to other Acts and to repeal a regulation (miscarriage of justice reviews), as reported (with amendments) from the committee, and of the motions in Group No. 1.

Miscarriage of Justice Review Commission Act (David and Joyce Milgaard's Law)

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

It being 3:14 p.m., the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at report stage of Bill C-40.

Call in the members.

And the bells having rung: