Debates of June 19th, 2024

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Miramichi—Grand Lake.

[Members sang the national anthem]

Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Early Childhood Education

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso, NS]

Mr. Speaker, it is a privilege to rise in the House today to recognize a constituent of mine who has received the Prime Minister's Award for Teaching Excellence. Margaret Burke began her career as an early childhood educator in 1978 and has been caring for little ones in her community ever since.

Margaret trail-blazed to create accessible and accommodating learning spaces for children of all abilities. This was particularly impactful during the early years of her work, as during this period, many complex learning needs went unaddressed. In the words of her colleagues, Margaret is a true leader in her field and continues to inspire them with her passion and her commitment to the children and families in Glace Bay and beyond.

With that, on behalf of my constituents in Cape Breton—Canso, I extend my heartfelt congratulations again to Margaret Burke on this award for teaching excellence.

8 Wing CFB Trenton

[Ryan Williams, Conservative, Bay of Quinte, ON]

Mr. Speaker, this year, we celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Air Force, a century of dedication, bravery and excellence in the skies.

At the heart of this legacy stands CFB Trenton, celebrating its 93rd anniversary. This year, its spectacular air show not only showcases our advanced aircraft and skilled pilots, but also symbolizes the spirit and the strength of our air force.

At 93 years old, 8 Wing, CFB Trenton is more than just a base. It is a cornerstone of our national defence, a strategic hub with global significance. From humanitarian missions of critical operations, its role in supporting both domestic and international efforts is unparalleled.

Our men and women in Trenton exemplify the commitment and capability to define our air force, ensuring peace and security in an ever-changing world. It is not just the members; it is also the families of the members and the military families who serve alongside them.

Here is to another century of the Royal Canadian Air Force. Let us give a hand to our men and women in the military.

Surrey—Newton Rotary Club

[Sukh Dhaliwal, Liberal, Surrey—Newton, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the Rotary Club of Surrey—Newton, founded under the presidency of Harjinder Singh Thind, embodies the spirit of community service.

Recently, at the Taj Park Convention Centre, the club held a successful gala event, which exceeded fundraising goals and drew significant community support. Under the guidance of current co-presidents, Nimmi Daula and Dr. Sukhbir Kang; incoming president, Dr. Sarabjit Romana; and treasurer, Binny Jassal, the event’s success highlights the club’s strong leadership and civic engagement. The funds raised will support various projects and initiatives, reflecting the club’s ongoing commitment to making a positive impact in our community.

I want to thank all the members of the Rotary Club for their unwavering dedication to building a better and more inclusive community for residents of Surrey—Newton.

Maxime Boulay

[Caroline Desbiens, Bloc, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

Mr. Speaker, they were pulling lobster traps on May 27, off Forillon, in the Gaspé, when a beam sea capsized the Malbaie Star. What could have easily become the St. Lawrence's worst maritime tragedy in a very long time was avoided thanks to Maxime Boulay.

Four of the five men ended up under the boat. Only Maxime managed to hold on to the upside-down hull. Numb from the ice-cold water, he dialled 911 and also managed to call the nearest boat, belonging to Steeve Boulay. Then, one by one, he pulled his four co-workers back onto the hull and kept them out of the water with him. Twenty minutes later, Steeve Boulay's boat and his crew brought them back to shore. Still reeling from the shock, some no longer want to go back out to sea, but at least they are all alive.

The entire Bloc Québécois team would like to commend Maxime on his mental strength and courage. Without him, four Quebeckers would have left us. Well done, Maxime Boulay, and thank you.

Robert Plante

[Yves Robillard, Liberal, Marc-Aurèle-Fortin, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today I would like to pay tribute to one of Laval's great community builders, Robert Plante, president of R. & R. Plante. Robert also served as a municipal councillor for the L'Orée-des-Bois sector of Fabreville in Laval for 25 years.

The family business was founded in 1957 by Robert Plante and his wife Rita Robitaille. The couple built thousands of single-family homes and rental buildings in Laval. Their company received the APCHQ Diamond Award, given to companies with over 25 years of customer service excellence.

Now, the time has come for Mr. Plante to hand over the business to the next generation after more than 68 years of loyal service, and after Ms. Robitaille sadly passed away on April 15 at the age of 90. The family will continue the company's tradition of excellence in honour of their dedicated parents.

Forestry Industry

[Richard Martel, Conservative, Chicoutimi—Le Fjord, QC]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of interfering in Quebec's jurisdictions, the Liberals are at it again, and as usual, they are targeting forestry workers.

We learned that the Minister of Environment, who is from Plateau-Mont-Royal, does not understand what is happening in the regions and that he did not even go to Saguenay to meet people in the industry. All he cares about is imposing his radical decree, which will be disastrous for the forestry industry, a key industry in the regions. We are talking about 30,000 jobs, 30,000 paycheques. My leader has rejected this decree. Enough with the radical ideas.

What is more, the Bloc Québécois believes that the federal government should interfere in Quebec's jurisdictions when it comes to the caribou. I am not the one who said it. It was the Bloc member for Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia. That is why the Conservative Party will always protect forestry workers and their paycheques, so that they can continue to do their jobs and feed their families.

National Field of Honour

[Annie Koutrakis, Liberal, Vimy, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to urge the Government of Canada to purchase the National Field of Honour military cemetery in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, where 22,500 Canadians and allied veterans are laid to rest. It is Canada's largest military cemetery, a national historic site, and it is under the care and responsibility of the non-profit Last Post Fund, which is quickly running out of funds.

Temporary funding is a short-term solution. We need a permanent solution.

This initiative is essential, because it maintains the site in perpetuity, demonstrates the commitment to veterans and families, and preserves national and international honour. We can can show support by signing petition e-4984, which has already been signed by hundreds, including former federal and provincial ministers, a former governor general and the chief of the armed forces.

Let us make sure that this symbol of our national pride remains a meaningful site that is respected by all Canadians.

It is the right thing to do.

Canada-Ireland Relations

[James Maloney, Liberal, Etobicoke—Lakeshore, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour a distinguished diplomat, an accomplished historian, a great Irishman and, most of all, a wonderful friend to Canada.

His Excellency Dr. Eamonn McKee and his wife Mary McGillis-McKee came to Canada four years ago. For anyone else, coming during a pandemic would have caused many hardships to make a mark. For Eamonn, he dove into what he called a journey of discovery, discovering the rich, shared heritage between our two countries.

Eamonn has greatly contributed to increasing trade and business, and to strengthening our ties, as any accomplished diplomat does. We have all celebrated those ties with him, during Irish nights on the Hill and during Irish Heritage Month, and with many visits by Irish leaders. However, his historical research and exploration have unearthed the depth of the Irish contribution to Canada. In short, he has taught us about ourselves over and over again.

I thank Eamonn and Mary for their contributions in furthering this fantastic relationship, but most of all, for their friendship.

Ethics

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

Mr. Speaker, who is Randy?

The Minister of Employment has a 50% stake in a shady company. Someone named Randy from the company is implicated in a half-million-dollar fraud. The minister says that he is not that Randy, yet incredibly, for the past two weeks, he has been unable to identify who that other Randy is. Global News cannot find him, and the company's COO conveniently cannot recall his name. There is no trace of him. We are talking about a five-person company. If there were another Randy, it would not be so difficult to find this individual.

Everyone knows who Randy is. It is the The Minister of Employment. The minister is implicated in a half-million-dollar fraud. He broke the Conflict of Interest Act, and he needs to face the consequences.

Waterloo

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Waterloo, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to represent the constituents of the riding of Waterloo here in the House of Commons.

My best days in Ottawa are when constituents visit me to advocate on behalf of organizations and issues of importance to them, as well as to discover Parliament Hill and our House of Commons.

Today, I rise to personally thank everyone who helps to make these experiences even more memorable, including the Sergeant-at-Arms, Pat McDonell, and his entire team; the Parliamentary Protective Service officers; pages; interpreters; parking, bus and food service teams; and the amazing crews at the parliamentary restaurant and cafeterias.

I also share my appreciation with Clara, Alison, Nikki, Josh, Sarafia and Catherine. On countless occasions, colleagues have taken the time to exchange a hello or to pose for a picture with my guests. To me, these remain some of the best moments on Parliament Hill, and I am grateful. On behalf of the constituents of the riding of Waterloo, I thank all who work on the Hill. Their kindness is both noticed and appreciated, and we wish everyone a safe and happy summer.

Liberal Party of Canada

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

Mr. Speaker, the current government is not worth the cost or the corruption.

Yesterday, the RCMP confirmed that there it has not just one but numerous ongoing investigations into the Prime Minister's arrive scam. It was also disclosed that there are more than six ongoing investigations related to the arrive scam fraud and shady government contracting. The app, which could have been built over a weekend for a mere $200,000, instead ballooned into a $60-million disaster. It was built on corrupt practices, mismanagement and a blatant disregard for taxpayer money.

The RCMP should be interviewing everyone as part of its mandate, including the Prime Minister, his ministers and all government officials involved. Canadians deserve to know how deep the Liberal rot really is. Conservatives will continue to demand transparency, expose criminality and show Canadians why it is time for common-sense Conservatives to lead this country.

Carbon Tax

[Jamie Schmale, Conservative, Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Food Banks Canada released a report saying that, under the Liberal government, Canadians are living in poverty. The rate has risen from one in 10 to now one in four, which is nearly six million more Canadians than reflected in Stats Canada's most recent poverty rate data. If one is indigenous, it is worse still, with one in three living in poverty. According to the MDI, a poverty metric that is widely used in Europe, 30% of 18- to 30-year-olds, 44.5% of single-parent households and 42% of renters cannot afford two or more household essentials.

The Liberal government's own carbon tax data shows that the scheme costs every household in Canada almost $2,000 and has deprived the country of $30.5 billion in lost economic activity. While the Liberals raise taxes, more and more Canadians are falling into poverty. The Minister of the Environment is not worth the cost. When will he resign?

Sylvie Lauzon

[Stéphane Lauzon, Liberal, Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation, QC]

Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to my sister, Sylvie, who left us far too young at the age of 67. She was a caring woman who loved her family. She dedicated 37 years of her life to the Library of Parliament.

She loved her husband, Frank, deeply, she was a trusted confidante to her daughter, Giovanna, and she loved her granddaughter, Giada, unconditionally. Sylvie was my number one supporter. She was always there through good times and tougher times, also.

She was inseparable from her cousin Michel and so proud of her two brothers, one of whom was in business and the other in politics, as she used to say. To the family, she was much more than a sister. She was a loving mother and a devoted grandmother. She was everyone's heart and soul. Sylvie was a champion during election campaigns and a great leader to the volunteers.

I love you, sister. I will think of you always. Your memory and your love continue to live in each of us. We will miss your advice. Give a hug to mom, dad, and my two other sisters in heaven. We miss you terribly, but your spirit guides us every day. Rest in peace, sister.

National Indigenous History Month

[Heather McPherson, NDP, Edmonton Strathcona, AB]

Mr. Speaker, June is National Indigenous History Month, a time to celebrate the peoples whose land we call Canada. As settlers on Turtle Island, it is our job to stand up and attest to the genocide perpetrated by Canada against indigenous peoples, to acknowledge the truth and to seek reconciliation.

However, National Indigenous History Month is not just about the past; it is also about today, tomorrow and every day to come. Right now, indigenous people are sleeping on the street or in an encampment, if they are lucky and the police have not come to tear down their homes.

There will be celebrations. There will be glorious dances and the beat of the drum. There will be love and gratitude for all that the Creator has given. However, for me and for Canadians like me, there must also be a reckoning, a recognition not only of the genocide of the past but also of the racist systems and institutions that we have designed and built. They persist today to destroy indigenous peoples.

Quebec's National Holiday

[Yves-François Blanchet, Bloc, Beloeil—Chambly, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in a few days, Quebec will be celebrating and will be celebrated.

Quebec will be proudly celebrated in song, in dance and in words, as well as in the tributes to the great Jean-Pierre Ferland and the great Karl Tremblay, who have sadly left us.

Quebec will celebrate each and every person who has contributed over the past four centuries to the diversity of a francophone nation in America, a nation founded on the lands of the first nations who had been breathing life into the continent for millennia and would breathe life into the country that would be.

Let us celebrate our country and its caring people. Let us celebrate our generous and welcoming nation, a nation of solidarity, a nation with its heart in the right place. Let us celebrate the French language, which only brings us closer together the more it is imperilled, the language that unites our way of life.

My friends, let us celebrate our Quebec, which is certainly a country in the making, and let us cheerfully make this a truly national holiday. Happy national holiday to all Quebeckers.

Edmonton Oilers

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

Mr. Speaker, last week, when the Edmonton Oilers were down by three games, just one game away from elimination, many people wrote them off. However, Oilers fans across the country knew it was not over yet. There was a hard-fought win in game four, and, last night, the Oilers pulled off another victory and dragged the Panthers all the way back to Alberta.

This team is firing on all cylinders. Edmonton-born Stuart Skinner, who played with the South Side Athletic Club in my riding, has been phenomenal in net. The third line has stepped up, with Connor Brown getting a crucial short-handed goal when they needed it. Of course, the team captain, Connor McDavid, is setting all new points records.

Now the Stanley Cup final is back in Edmonton for game six. Let us bring it home.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Greg Fergus]

Go, Edmonton, go.

The hon. member for Outremont.

Women's Health

[Rachel Bendayan, Liberal, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to talk about women's health and the need for a greater understanding of how injury and disease present and are treated in the female body. I do so following my own experience after suffering a concussion. Reviews have shown that as few as 7% of the studies on brain injuries take into account gender differences and how women are impacted. I understand that women's bodies are more complex in a number of ways, but this is the anatomy of 51% of the population. Accounting for gender differences in health care is the next frontier. After gender parity, pay equity and the #MeToo movement, this is where we are going.

I am recovering from a concussion, which has been a difficult experience, but one from which I have learned so much.

I would like to address my constituents, my colleagues and everyone who has reached out to me to share their own stories. It is through them that I have learned to accept my own vulnerability. After all, being vulnerable is an integral part of being human. I want to thank everyone from the bottom of my heart.

The Economy

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, what this parliamentary session has taught us is that everything is broken in Canada.

After nine years of this Prime Minister, with the help of the Bloc Québécois, the cost of housing has doubled, two million Canadians have to use food banks and a record-breaking number of Canadians, 25%, are living in poverty.

Will the Prime Minister force Canadians to endure another year and a half of this costly hell or will he call an election today so that Canadians can elect a government that will axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, if the leader of the Conservative Party really cared about the affordability crisis Canadians are facing, he would be supporting our plan to provide dental care to seniors and young people under 18. He would be helping us provide school lunches to 400,000 more children per year. He would be supporting our measures to create child care spaces. He would be supporting our ambitious measures to create densification and build more housing.

However, he prefers to play political games rather than help meet Canadians' needs.

Forestry Industry

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, we have nine years of experience with these policies that have caused the misery I was just talking about. Now, the Prime Minister wants to issue an order for Quebec to shut down the forestry sector.

Today we learned from Quebec's ministry of natural resources that this is going to kill between 2,400 and 30,000 jobs, but the Bloc Québécois remains silent.

Will the Prime Minister reverse this radical order so that we can save the jobs of 30,000 Quebec workers?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the leader of the Conservative Party, Quebeckers know full well that the only way to build a stronger future is to protect the economy and the environment at the same time. That is how we are going to create a more prosperous future for Quebeckers and for all Canadians. Again, we are seeing the Conservative Party's anti-environment approach.

We will continue to work with the Government of Quebec. We will continue to work on protecting forestry jobs and protecting caribou. That is what people expect from a responsible government.

The Economy

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, what this session of Parliament taught us is that, after nine years under the Prime Minister, everything is broken. There are 25% of Canadians now living in poverty, with two million lined up at food banks; 38% more people are homeless, and housing costs have doubled. It was not like this before, and it will not be like this after the Prime Minister is gone.

Will he put us through another year and a half of this costly hell, or will he call a carbon tax election today so that we can elect a common-sense government to axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime?