Debates of June 6th, 2024

Privacy Commissioner

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

It is my duty to lay upon the table, pursuant to subsection 40(1) of the Privacy Act and subsection 25(1) of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, the Privacy Commissioner's report for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024.

Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(h) this report is deemed to have been permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics.

Export Development Canada

[Mary Ng, Liberal, Minister of Export Promotion]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the pleasure to table, in both official languages, the annual report of the 2022-23 Canada account, as prepared by Export Development Canada.

Foreign Affairs

[Ryan Turnbull, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance and to the Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), and consistent with the policy on the tabling of treaties in Parliament, I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaty entitled “Arrangement between the Government of Canada and the European Space Agency concerning the Participation by the Government of Canada in the Space Safety Programme”, done at Paris on June 8, 2023.

Government Response to Petitions

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

Mr. 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.

Connected Care for Canadians Act

[Mark Holland, Liberal, Minister of Health]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-72, An Act respecting the interoperability of health information technology and to prohibit data blocking by health information technology vendors.

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

Interparliamentary Delegations

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

Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 34(1), I have the honour to present to the House, in both official languages, the reports of the Canada-Europe Parliamentary Association respecting its participation in the meeting of the Standing Committee of Parliamentarians of the Arctic Region in Iceland, from October 16 to 17, 2023; the 42nd interparliamentary meeting with the European Parliament's delegation responsible for relations with Canada in Normandy and Paris, France, and Brussels, Belgium, from June 5 to 9, 2023; and the fourth part of the 2023 ordinary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, PACE, as well as the Parliamentary Mission to Germany in Strasbourg, France, and Berlin, Germany, from October 9 to 18, 2023.

Haida Nation Recognition Act

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations]

moved that Bill S-16, An Act respecting the recognition of the Haida Nation and the Council of the Haida Nation, be read the first time.

(Motion agreed to and bill read the first time)

Carbon Tax

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

Mr. Speaker, our country is facing an escalating cost of living crisis. Home heating expenses are surging, fuel prices are skyrocketing, and farmers are being forced to sell their land and reduce food production. This has resulted in higher food costs and record-high visits to food banks, all due to the government's carbon tax.

Petition e-4840, signed by over 10,000 Canadians, is just one voice among many that strongly oppose this unjust tax. Despite widespread opposition and the fact that many Canadians are only $200 away from missing bill payments, the government chose to increase the tax.

Today, I stand and represent the overwhelming majority of Canadians who oppose this costly carbon tax. This petition calls for immediate relief for Canadians and urges the government to take decisive action by halting the tax hikes and eliminating the carbon tax altogether.

Rare Diseases

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

Madam Speaker, I am presenting an urgent petition on behalf of all individuals and families of Brantford—Brant and Canadians across the country who are affected by cystic fibrosis.

With over 4,000 Canadians battling cystic fibrosis, we must address this pressing health issue. Shockingly, half of the lives taken by this disease are under the age of 39. Trikafta, an effective gene modulator drug targeting the mutation causing cystic fibrosis, offers hope to these individuals. However, access to such rare disease medications remains a challenge.

I join these Canadians in calling on the government to enhance access to rare disease treatments and establish a regulatory framework enabling bulk approval of gene mutations responsive to medications such as Trikafta. I urge the Minister of Health to prioritize this critical issue and swiftly respond to the demands outlined in the petition. Canadians with cystic fibrosis cannot wait any longer for essential treatments.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I want to remind the hon. member, and all hon. members in the House, that they cannot put their points of view on the petitions. It has to be the petitioners' point of view. I would ask members to refrain from saying whether they are in support or are urging the government.

First Responders Tax Credit

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Madam Speaker, I am honoured to rise to present three petitions today.

The first is in support of volunteer firefighters, who account for 71% of Canada's total firefighting essential first responders. Approximately 8,000 essential search and rescue volunteers respond to thousands of incidents every year.

The petitioners state that the tax code of Canada currently allows volunteer firefighters and search and rescue volunteers to claim a $3,000 tax credit, but only if 200 hours of volunteer services were completed in a calendar year. This works out to a mere $450 per year, which would allow these essential work volunteers to keep, of their own income from their regular jobs, $2.25 an hour.

The petitioners are calling on the Government of Canada to support Bill C-310 and enact amendments to subsections 118.06(2) and 118.07(2) of the Income Tax Act in order to increase the amount of tax credits for volunteer firefighters and search and rescue volunteers from $3,000 to $10,000.

The second petition I wish to present calls on the government, again, to support Bill C-310 and enact amendments to subsections 118.06(2) and 118.07(2) of the Income Tax Act for firefighters.

The last petition I wish to present has been signed by thousands of petitioners. We need to support firefighters and, again, amend the Income Tax Act to make sure that we respect all these volunteers who keep our communities safe.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

There are a lot of individuals rising for petitions. I just want to remind members that they are supposed to summarize. If they could give a brief summary, we can try to get through all these petitions.

The hon. member for Saanich—Gulf Islands.

Poverty

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Madam Speaker, it is an honour to rise on behalf of my constituents, who express deep concern about the level of poverty in Canada. The petitioners point out that poverty affects more than 10% of Canadians, disproportionately impacting indigenous peoples, racialized people, recent immigrants and the young, especially children. The petitioners ask for the House of Commons to adopt a national poverty elimination strategy to ensure that every Canadian has a suitable quality of life and the opportunity to succeed.

Natural Health Products

[Cheryl Gallant, Conservative, Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, ON]

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition signed by the increasingly conservative-minded people of Timmins—James Bay, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing and Nipissing—Timiskaming. The petitioners call on the House of Commons to immediately repeal the new regulatory constraints on natural health products passed last year, which has since affected their medical freedom of choice and affordability. Millions of Canadians rely upon these products.

Gaza

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Madam Speaker, I have a number of petitions here.

One of the petitions really is timely right now, given the bombing of a school in Gaza. It states that, whereas Israel's war with Hamas killed almost 20,000 people in Gaza in two months, between October 7 and December 18, 2023, with about 70% of them women and children, the civilian casualty rate in this war is significantly higher than the average rate in all the conflicts of the world during the 20th century. In the occupied West Bank, it has been the deadliest year on record since the UN began reporting in 2005, with at least 477 Palestinians killed by Israeli gunfire. The value of Canada's arms trade with Israel has been accelerating in the last few years; in 2022, Canada transferred over $20 million in arms to Israel, the third-highest value on record. Canada has a legal responsibility under the Arms Trade Treaty and its harmonized domestic legislation to ensure that its arms exports are not used in commission of serious violations of international law or serious violence against women and children. In the late 1980s, during the first intifada, Canada imposed a two-way arms embargo on Israel as a response to violence against Palestinian civilians.

Therefore, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada call on the Government of Canada to impose a two-way arms embargo between Canada and Israel; investigate whether Canadian weapons or weapons components have been used against Palestinian civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories, including in the current war on Gaza; review all military and security co-operation between Canada and Israel; and close loopholes that allow the unregulated and unreported transfer of military goods to Israel through the United States.

First Responders Tax Credit

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Madam Speaker, my second petition is on the importance of recognizing the role of volunteer firefighters in our country. Volunteer firefighters account for 71% of Canada's total firefighting essential first responders. In addition, approximately 8,000 essential search and rescue volunteers respond to thousands of incidents every year.

The tax code of Canada currently allows volunteer firefighters and search and rescue volunteers to claim a $3,000 tax credit if 200 hours of volunteer services were completed in a calendar year. This works out to a mere $450 that we allow these essential volunteers to keep of their own income from their regular jobs; that is $2.25 an hour. If they volunteer more than 200 hours, which many do, the tax credit becomes even less.

These essential volunteers not only put their lives on the line and give their time, training and efforts to Canadians, but they also allow cities and municipalities to keep property taxes lower than if paid services were required. Increasing this tax credit would allow these essential volunteers to keep more of their hard-earned money, which would likely be spent in the communities in which they live. It would also help retain these volunteers in a time when volunteerism is decreasing.

Therefore, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada call upon the Government of Canada to support Bill C-310 and enact amendments to subsections 118.06(2) and 118.07(2) of the Income Tax Act in order to increase the amount of the tax credit for volunteer firefighting and search and rescue volunteer services from $3,000 to $10,000.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

I remind members that they are not to read the petitions verbatim; they are supposed to be summarizing them. I see that there are a lot of individuals trying to get their petitions in. We have only four minutes, so I would ask members to please summarize.

The hon. member for Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa has the floor.

Public Safety

[Dan Mazier, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Madam Speaker, it is always an honour to present a petition on behalf of constituents.

I rise for the 41st time on behalf of the people of Swan River, Manitoba, to present a petition on the rising rate of crime. They live in crime and chaos caused by the Liberal government's soft-on-crime laws, like Bill C-5, which allows criminals to serve their sentences at home. In fact, Manitoba West District RCMP reported that in 18 months, just 15 individuals racked up over 200 charges. The people of Swan River are asking for jail, not bail, when it comes to violent repeat offenders.

The people of Swan River demand that the Liberal government repeal its soft-on-crime policies that directly threaten their livelihoods and their community. I support the good people of Swan River.

Gaza

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Uqaqtittiji, I have some petitions with me as well. I have petition number 12950150, on the subject of foreign affairs.

This is a similar petition to what was already tabled, but I wanted to show my support for how important it is to share that Israel's war with Hamas killed almost 20,000 people in Gaza in the two months between October 7 and December 18, 2023, with about 70% of them being women and children.

The undersigned citizens and residents of Canada have called on the government to impose a two-way embargo on arms between Canada and Israel; to investigate whether Canadian weapons or weapons components have been used against Palestinian civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories, including during the current war on Gaza; to review all military and security co-operation between Israel and Canada; and finally, to close loopholes that allow the unregulated and unreported transfer of military goods to Israel through the United States.

Climate Change

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Madam Speaker, another petition I have is on the environment, petition number 12257265.

Children born in 2020 will face an average of two to seven times more extreme weather events than their grandparents. According to a 2021 report in the Lancet, 83% of children worldwide reported that they think people have failed to take care of the planet. Those most affected by climate change are the youngest generation, as they will live to see the worst effects of the crisis. They call on the government of Canada to require all members of Parliament, regardless of party lines, to consult with secondary or elementary school leadership, student councils or environmental youth groups of those under 18 in their ridings, before Parliament holds the second reading of any bill that directly affects Canada's greenhouse gas emissions. The purpose of the consultation would be to listen to the viewpoints of those directly affected by the specified bill but do not already have representation in Parliament.

First Responders Tax Credit

[Lori Idlout, NDP, Nunavut, NU]

Madam Speaker, the last petition that I will read out is petition number 12734938, regarding firefighters and how important it is that we support the great work they do and that we make sure they have the supports they need. The petitioners say that the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada call upon the Government of Canada to support Bill C-310 and enact amendments to subsections 118.06(2) and 118.07(2) of the Income Tax Act in order to increase the amount of the tax credits for volunteer firefighting and search and rescue volunteer services from $3,000 to $10,000.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

There is no more time for petitions. That brings us to the end. I do want to remind members again that they are to summarize their petitions when we do petitions. They are not to put their points of view forward as to whether they support those petitions. That brings us to the end of petitions.

The hon. member for Winnipeg Centre is rising on a point of order.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Madam Speaker, I am rising on a point of order to discuss a serious incident that occurred in this chamber on Tuesday night. As you may recall, the House was sitting late on that evening to debate Bill C-20, the public complaints and review commission.

Bill C-20 is a very important piece of legislation, which is a long time coming. The purpose of the bill was to put in place an independent oversight body for the RCMP and CBSA as a way to deal with institutional issues, including actions of excessive police force and systemic racism.

It is also worth noting that the debate that evening came a day after the five-year anniversary of the release of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls across the country, which called on a need for reforms in policing to deal with both violence and over- and under-policing of indigenous peoples, particularly indigenous women, specifically noted in calls for justice 9.1 to 9.11. It is within this context, the comments I am about to cite are deeply concerning.

During the debate on the bill, the member for Saskatoon West made very concerning and inappropriate remarks. During the member's speech, while speaking about the case of Myles Sanderson, the member made the following shocking and completely wrong statement. He said, “One of the interesting things in that particular incident was that the perpetrator, Myles Sanderson, had a history of violent offences and had been recently released on parole, despite the prediction by the parole board that he was likely to reoffend because of his racial background.”

Mr. Speaker, that is not at all what the Parole Board said in a statement in response to the final report of the National Joint Board of Investigation into the mass stabbing in Saskatchewan by the offender on statutory release. It clearly said, “The BOI found there were no pre-incident indicators or precipitating events that were known to staff, or that staff could have acted upon to prevent this incident.” Moreover, the Parole Board also noted, “the overall case preparation leading up to the release of the offender was both reasonable and appropriate, including the consideration of the Indigenous social history of the offender in the decision-making process.”

It is important to note “that courts must consider an Aboriginal offender's background when he or she is being sentenced for a crime. Factors that are considered include discrimination, physical abuse, separation from culture and family, or drug and alcohol abuse”, in response to the Supreme Court of Canada's ruling.

I will read from the Supreme Court ruling, R v. Ipeelee. It states—

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

We are getting into the debate of the other night. Could I ask specifically what the point of order is, or what Standing Order the member is referring to so that we can have a better idea of what we are looking at?

The hon. member for Winnipeg Centre.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, this is very important context about why—