Debates of June 3rd, 2025

Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply

[Andrew Lawton, Conservative, Elgin—St. Thomas—London South, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I sincerely congratulate my colleague on her election.

I had the privilege of meeting the member at an event in her city of Kitchener before she was the candidate, and I am so glad to see her here. I know that she worked tremendously hard in the election, and I was wondering if she has any stories she could share about where we are as a country right now that stand out from the doors she knocked on and the voters she spoke to and that she has carried with her to Ottawa.

[Kelly DeRidder, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it was an honour to meet the member during the campaign, and I am honoured to serve with him here in Ottawa as well.

When I was knocking on doors, one of the main concerns was affordability. I thought to myself that if we asked the average Canadian if they wanted to pay $1,400 a year for someone to consult, I think the answer would be no.

When will the Liberal government stop putting Canadians' hard-earned money into the pockets of their consultant friends so they can put it back into their own pockets instead?

[Dominique O'Rourke, Liberal, Guelph, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I welcome the hon. member opposite, and congratulations on your election.

I can hear in your voice the genuine concern for the people in your riding, so I am wondering this: Will you join municipal councils and other people in this province to call on the province to increase ODSP rates and Ontario Works rates, to build affordable housing, to scrap the removal of rent control, to hire more judges and to build more courts?

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, John Nater]

I would remind my hon. colleagues to address their comments through the Chair.

The hon. member for Kitchener Centre.

[Kelly DeRidder, Conservative, Kitchener Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for the warm welcome.

I am here on a federal level, and I have actually started conversations with our municipalities and also with our provincial representatives to ensure that we can collaborate and work together for the best interests of Kitchener Centre residents.

[Dalwinder Gill, Conservative, Calgary McKnight, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise for the first time in the House of Commons. I would first like to express my appreciation for the people of Calgary McKnight for placing their trust in me. It is a great responsibility to be their voice, and I am both humbled and motivated by their support. I also need to thank my family, friends and relatives. Every individual who volunteered on my campaign and spread the Conservative message by knocking on doors, making phone calls and putting up signs inspired me with their commitment, which served as a reminder of the impact we can make when we come together in service of our communities.

I thank my neighbouring MPs from Calgary East and Calgary Skyview for their guidance and support throughout this process. Finally, I want to thank the returning members of the House for welcoming me and all newly elected MPs with kindness and grace. I am eager to work alongside colleagues from all parties to deliver results for Canadians.

Just like this chamber, Calgary McKnight is made up of people from diverse backgrounds and cultures. It is a riding filled with hard-working individuals who take pride in their roots and in the journeys that brought them to Canada. People from every corner of the world are proud to call northeast Calgary home. They have started businesses, raised families and built vibrant communities. It is a place where neighbours support one another, where different traditions are celebrated side by side and where the Canadian dream is lived out every day in various languages, religions, cultures and acts of community service.

Their stories of sacrifice, determination and hope for a brighter future are what I carry with me into the chamber. Like many of my constituents, I also immigrated to northeast Calgary to live out the Canadian promise. Back then, if we worked hard and played by the rules, we could afford food and an affordable home on a safe street. Unfortunately, after 10 years of the Liberal government, that promise feels increasingly out of reach.

People in Calgary McKnight are simply tired: tired of seeing their savings eroded by inflation, tired of watching their children struggle to get ahead and tired of seeing crime destabilize the safe and welcoming communities they once knew. I ran to be a member of Parliament because I saw the issues that my neighbours in Calgary McKnight face on a daily basis. I have seen the rising cost of living make it harder and harder for members of my community to keep up.

Families are being forced to choose between affording groceries or filling up their car with gas, between heating their homes through the cold winter months or enrolling their children in sports or extracurricular activities. I see seniors stretching every last dollar of their retirement savings: The price of basic necessities continues to rise while their purchasing power declines due to the Liberal government's inflationary spending.

The youth in my community are no longer striving to get ahead financially or save for a down payment on a home. They are simply trying to keep their heads above water. New data from the Financial Resilience Institute shows that anxiety about money is now reported more than loneliness. The rise of youth unemployment to 14% has left young people hopeless and depressed.

Despite their education, skills and willingness to work, many young Canadians are unable to find meaningful employment and are forced to skip meals or move back in with mom and dad. This is not the future they were promised, and it is not the future that we should accept in the House.

A recent RBC survey found that over a quarter of Canadians have gone into debt, not to upgrade their education or buy a car but simply to cover basic living needs. Fifty-five per cent of Canadians describe themselves as being financially paralyzed. Overall unemployment is also on the rise in Canada and in my community. We have all heard stories of highly skilled and educated people unable to find work because their qualifications, earned abroad, are not recognized here. This is not only unfair; it is a missed opportunity for our public services.

I will advocate for policies like the blue seal program, which would give professionals a pathway to demonstrate their expertise and apply their skills in Canada. Through this program, tens of thousands of health care professionals already living in Canada could find employment and ease the strain on our overwhelmed health care system.

Northeast Calgary has a proud spirit of enterprise. For generations, the desire to start a business has served as the foundation of a strong Canadian middle class. Unfortunately, the past 10 years of Liberal taxation, bureaucracy and red tape have punished those who seek to innovate and build. Small business owners in Calgary McKnight have been facing increasing regulatory burdens and higher taxes that make it more difficult to sustain and grow their enterprises.

I will continue the fight for policies like cutting red tape by 25% and eliminating capital gains taxes on reinvestment, because small business owners in Calgary deserve to be rewarded for their hard work and personal investment in our communities.

My constituents are also deeply concerned about the rising wave of crime that has swept across our country. Just last month, a transit driver in my riding had to fight for his life after being brutally assaulted while driving a bus. Throughout my campaign, I met numerous constituents who had been victims of crime, people whose homes and vehicles had been vandalized or broken into, families still shaken by recent attacks and small business owners distraught after multiple armed robberies. Many shared that these incidents have become more frequent in recent years.

While Canadians are living in increasing fear, the Liberal government's soft-on-crime policies continue to enable repeat offenders to return to our streets and threaten the safety, livelihood and dignity of law-abiding citizens. This is unacceptable. We need to work together in the House to deliver practical solutions to combat violence and restore public safety across our great land.

Canadians deserve a real plan from their government. Last week's throne speech and the Liberals' decision to not present a budget unfortunately do not provide one. With summer break coming up after six months of prorogation, many are left wondering what to expect from a government that is already starting to look a lot like its predecessor.

Conservatives will continue to put forward common-sense solutions to make Canada safer and more affordable, self-reliant and united. It is time to cut taxes and red tape and to restore the dreams of home ownership and entrepreneurship. We must rein in government spending to bring down inflation and restore the value of our dollar. We need to make our communities safer by ensuring that repeat violent offenders are kept behind bars.

As our leader has previously stated, a good government should deliver effective essential services and then get out of the way so that Canadians have the freedom to work, build and pursue their dreams. It is my mission to restore that Canadian promise for the people of Calgary McKnight and for all Canadians who simply want a fair shot at a good life.

I thank the people of Calgary McKnight once again. I will serve them with integrity, passion and an open heart.

[John-Paul Danko, Liberal, Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas, ON]

Mr. Speaker, congratulations to my colleague across the floor for his election in Calgary McKnight. I appreciate a speech that I think he mainly wrote himself, which is refreshing.

The member mentioned cutting red tape and also the energy sector. Does the member consider other portions of the energy sector that do not include pipelines? In Ontario specifically, we talk about growing nuclear, carbon-free energy, and also, in Quebec, there is the hydro sector. How would the member suggest growing the entire energy sector in Canada?

[Dalwinder Gill, Conservative, Calgary McKnight, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal record over 10 years has proven that paying more taxes will not make life more affordable or improve the climate. The Conservative plan is about responsible regulations and cutting red tape by 25% while maintaining clear rules that protect Canadians and the environment. We want to free up time and capital so small business owners can hire, expand and drive local economies forward.

Moreover, Conservatives have a plan to invest in the energy sector. We can invest in technologies for green energy that are good for the environment. There is some demand in Europe for Canadian energy. We can explore our markets in Europe so we can export our energy there. We need to spend in the energy sector.

[Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Bloc, Rimouski—La Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague and congratulate him on his election.

The Quebec National Assembly unanimously rejected the federal government's proposal to create one economy. The Bloc Québécois does not want to see the regional differences and economic diversity in Quebec, and indeed in many regions of Canada, ignored. This is not what Quebec wants either, as the Quebec National Assembly clearly indicated.

I would like my colleague to tell me whether he agrees with the unanimous will of the Quebec National Assembly to respect the fact that Quebec's economy is very different from that of the rest of Canada.

[Dalwinder Gill, Conservative, Calgary McKnight, AB]

Mr. Speaker, we respect Quebec regulations, or whatever Quebeckers think.

We should have our own economy. We should explore our own resources. We have so many resources in Canada. If we invest in our own resources, we can export our energy or other resources to other countries. It is a united country. I believe in a united Canada.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, in his comments, the member talked about crime. In our judicial system, crime is a shared responsibility; both the provincial government and the federal government have a significant role to play, as do municipalities. The Conservative Party as a whole wants to focus its attention on this particular government. I am wondering whether the member would concede the fact that it is not only the federal government but several levels of government that are responsible for keeping our communities safe.

[Dalwinder Gill, Conservative, Calgary McKnight, AB]

Mr. Speaker, families in my riding are forced to buy security systems and cameras for their home because they are afraid of their cars being stolen or their home being broken into. Intimate partner violence is on the rise, and so is human trafficking.

We need to do more to put our communities first. Parents should feel safe letting their kids walk to school. Seniors should be able to take the bus without fear. Small business owners should not have to worry about being robbed. We need to empower our first responders and keep repeat violent offenders off our streets so our communities can once again feel safe.

[Terry Sheehan, Liberal, Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to stand here in the House of Commons. Congratulations on your success in becoming the Speaker. I paid close attention to your speech, and I look forward to your leadership as you shepherd us through the 45th Parliament.

When I was first elected in 2015, people asked me how long I planned on running for. I said it would be as long as I have the sense of awe when I walk into the House of Commons. I still have that sense of awe today as we sit here in West Block. Previously, in 2015, we were in Centre Block, which is undergoing a major rebuild. I am struck that I have had the opportunity to sit in both places. It has been truly an honour.

I did not get here today to make this speech without the support and help of so many volunteers and supporters in Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma. My riding is one of the new ridings after the electoral commission went through a process of reviewing what kind of seats should be in Canada.

At the time, the commission recommended getting rid of one of the seats in Northern Ontario, and that ended up being Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, which was held by Carol Hughes, who sat as assistant deputy speaker and who served the area quite well for 18 years. My riding got all of Algoma plus parts of Sudbury. At the time, I argued against the change because northern Ontario did not need one fewer voice. However, to that matter, I knew that I could represent the area very well.

My father was born in Blind River, Ontario, in 1929, in the new riding. My family made it to Blind River via the traditional Irish story. My father's grandfather came over on a boat during the famine; my great-grandfather travelled with his mother, father and brother. Crossing the ocean during the potato famine, the mother passed and was given a burial at sea. Then the father passed and was given a burial at sea, leaving the two young boys orphaned. The Québécois adopted my great-grandfather and allowed him to keep our name. That was on a farm in the Saguenay area. That was sort of our origin story.

Eventually my great-grandfather went out west, to where his brother had been adopted on another farm, in Saskatchewan. The family lost the farm because of hail and a number of other things. This was before insurance. My great-grandfather made his way to Blind River to manage a hotel and to stay there. It was great knocking on doors in that area in particular, because I could hear about a lot of the issues in Algoma east, which were similar to the new issues that I heard in Algoma north.

To drive my riding from tip to tip takes about eight hours. That is not unusual for many members of the House. However, when the change happened, David Akin from Global TV contacted me and said that my riding probably has some of the most significant changes related to geography and population, because we had over 100,000 electors. I think it was about 114,000. I had spent a long time working in that area, in business and economic development, skill development and apprenticeships, so I felt quite at home. It was my secondary home.

I just wanted to acknowledge that great area because I represented Sault Ste. Marie before, which had part of Algoma, but not that significant area. It was absolutely fantastic. The people were really impressed with the platform and the vision of the new leader of the Liberal Party, soon to be the Prime Minister. I heard again and again that the new Prime Minister had people's trust because of his ability to shepherd us through the new challenge.

I could not stand here making this speech without recognizing all the great volunteers who supported me. We did not have much infrastructure in Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma, but it was amazing. We made pleas on social media, and people came through our door. Many of them had volunteered on other political campaigns before. Many of them had never, ever, voted Liberal, but they came through the door because they saw how critically important this election was. Some people who came through the door had never, ever worked on any political campaign.

I was very touched that so many people volunteered, so I want to thank all of them, including the new volunteers from all over Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma. However, I would be remiss not to thank the people who have worked on all four of my campaigns. They have been there every time. It was absolutely amazing. One of the media pointed out that it was the first time Liberals had won four times in a row in that riding. It is always a horse race among all the political parties. I would not be standing here again without those volunteers. My heartfelt thanks goes out to them and to my supporters and donors. There were so many that I cannot name them all.

Within that group, some of my best volunteers were, of course, my family. As I mentioned during question period today, I am celebrating my 25th wedding anniversary with my wife, Lisa Bradford, whom I met many years ago. I was already in politics. In November, I will celebrate 28 years of local representation, which started with the school board and city council. There is an old saying that behind every great man and woman, there is a partner. In my case, my partner is not behind me but beside me, and I say chi meegwetch to her.

Before I go too far, I would like to also acknowledge that the land I am on right now is the traditional territory of the Algonquin. My wife and kids are members of the Batchewana First Nation. In my new area, there are also the Ojibwe and Cree first nations. I thank them for sharing their land with us, and I give thanks to all indigenous people across this great nation, including the Métis, for sharing their land with us.

As I went to the door in the new riding, the number one concern for people was, of course, the threat to our sovereignty, the constant badgering by the American administration about Canada's becoming the 51st state. It was amazing: I was knocking on doors in Elliot Lake, and senior citizens had some of the strongest words of opposition. Some of them used words that I cannot use in the House. They were standing up strong and hard because they built this country to be what it is today. The Prime Minister's words resonated very strongly with them about standing up to Donald Trump.

In my riding, there are two major steel operations: Algoma Steel, which is the second-largest steel producer in all of Canada, and Tenaris Algoma Tubes, which produces tubing for the oil and gas industry across Canada.

With threats of tariffs, I used to say that I had seen this movie before, but the reality of the new American administration is a movie I have never seen before. It is something that is beyond belief, beyond comprehension, with the continual up and down. We can hear another announcement from the American administration, and by the end of the day, it has changed. The reality of that unsteadiness has created a lot of angst, and rightly so. In 2018, we did have tariffs, but we stood up with countermeasures. We supported workers.

That is why I was really pleased to see in the Speech from the Throne particular sections that deal with our relationship with the United States of America, which has always been a critical partner to us. We have always been friends. We always refer to each other as cousins. There have been misunderstandings before. Sometimes, because of the great size of their country, they do not really pay attention, and not just to Canada but to the rest of the world.

I remember one time when I was at Lake State, which is a university across the way where I studied poli sci and business, we came back across the border in my car. We were waiting in line at the border and we were taking a bit of time. My friends in the back said, “Would it not be great if we were just one big, great country?” I looked at them and said, “Yes, it would be great having one prime minister” and they said, “Say what?” We began that kind of conversation.

Again, given the Speech from the Throne, dealing with the United States in particular in a multitude of fashions is important. As we renegotiate CUSMA, it is critical that we have a Prime Minister with great business acumen who is known around the world and can sit straight across the table and deal with that administration.

However, to deal with that administration, we also need to diversify our economy, and that is why when the Prime Minister talks about one economy, it resonates so much with me and the constituents across my great riding. We all know in this House that we are a Confederation of 10 provinces and three territories, and it is strange, especially for me, having worked in business, economic development and skills development, that it is difficult for people to do business with each other within Canada. Tearing down these barriers and having what was referred to today in question period as a love-in, with people like Premier Ford saying it was the best meeting he has seen in 10 years, are critically important.

The fact that we are working together sends a signal to our American friends that we can be dependent upon each other. If we tear down those barriers, $200 billion will be added to our economy. However, when I think about that, it is not just about that $200 billion. Over the last few years, I have been co-chair of the Canada-Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group. Japan is the third-greatest foreign direct investor in Canada, and when we tear down those barriers, it makes it easier for other countries to do business with us, as we can locate plants anywhere, in particular in Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma, which is really central in Canada. It could be a logistical hub. There are great opportunities.

This ambitious Speech from the Throne, which King Charles III delivered so eloquently, also identifies a mountain of opportunities related to growing our economy and working together as the sovereign state that we are. With King Charles III here, it definitely demonstrated that we are different from the United States. We are a Confederation. We are a mosaic of people. We expect people to keep their identities throughout Canada, just as my family did in Quebec. In the United States, they expect people to melt into the pot, and that is so different. The Canadian economy, that one economy, is absolutely critical. We have so much potential to deal with such important things.

As it relates to Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma, we are also a border community. A lot of trade comes across the way, so building up our infrastructure is absolutely critical. Ports, rail, roads and corridors for trade are so important because that stuff can absolutely be funnelled into the United States once we get back to our relationship. That makes so much sense, because we cannot deny that the United States is always going to be a factor as a trading partner.

I sit on the trade committee, and a lot of stuff is continually going north-south, but we have to secure our borders. We have to secure our borders in a way that makes sense.

We know for a fact that we are not the problem as it relates to the United States' issue with fentanyl. Using its own data, we know we are less than 1%. However, today we introduced the strong borders act, which is going to make Canada even stronger. That is critically important.

Being on a border town, I know for a fact that drugs are coming from the United States into Canada and illegal guns are coming through. In the Speech from the Throne, the King talked about investing in the RCMP and having 1,000 new RCMP officers. It is absolutely critical for us to make sure that we keep the bad people and the bad stuff out of this country.

This is after 10 years of cuts by the previous government. We know that almost $1 billion was cut from both the RCMP and the Canada Border Services Agency. We have already rehired, but we are going to go further on that. We are looking forward to that in Sault Ste. Marie, to make sure that we keep investing to keep our streets safe. The act goes further into a multitude of things.

As we are talking about safety and safety issues, the Speech from the Throne also talked about how we are going to rebuild our military. The Canadian Armed Forces is absolutely critical. My college roommate, one of my best friends, Captain Donald McFarling, served two terms in Afghanistan. He is currently a professor at the Royal Military College. We thank all the men and women who have served our country, who have protected our country from threats and who have policed areas in peacekeeping missions.

As I mentioned, I am now serving Algoma, the place where Lester B. Pearson served. He served that area so well. Everything in Elliot Lake is named after Lester B. Pearson. He was a great prime minister, always one of my favourites, and it is truly an honour to serve where he did.

We are rebuilding the military for the right reasons: so that we are less reliant on the United States. As we rebuild and refurbish our military, it will be good for Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma because Algoma Steel makes armour-grade plate. In fact, it is the only place in Canada that makes armour-grade plate of its significance. This steel will be used in the shipbuilding program and in rebuilding our armoured vehicles. It is so important because it is the right thing to do, and it is also going to help create jobs in Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma.

This is an ambitious plan that the premiers and the Prime Minister talked about in Saskatchewan. My grandfather worked on a farm. It is so important that we have the ability to work together. When we build, we are creating jobs upstream and downstream in the supply chains. Getting our resources to tidal waters is tremendously important for businesses like Tenaris. We and Algoma Steel also know that building bridges is good because they are going to use steel.

Our housing plan, which was referenced in the speech, is also important. Doubling our housing is going to mean using Canadian wood, which will receive some preferential treatment. There are places throughout northern Ontario with mills, including in White River, where a mill was shuttered when Stephen Harper was prime minister. It reopened recently in partnership with first nations in the area, including Pic Mobert, and is now working.

I am making the point that wood, steel and aluminum are all critically important for the most ambitious building project we have seen. How do we deal with the American administration? We fight, we protect and we build. Those are important things that we have to do. In doing so, we are not just creating jobs in steel, wood and aluminum; we are also creating jobs for our workers.

As I mentioned, I used to be the apprenticeship guy in the Algoma region. I was pleased to see that we are supporting the growth of apprenticeships by covering the costs of apprentices with an up to $8,000 grant. That is tremendously important because there are costs associated—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I really dislike interrupting the hon. member, but his time is up.

We have time for a very quick question and a very quick answer.

The hon. member for Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge.

[Marc Dalton, Conservative, Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member on his re-election.

One thing I did not hear about in his comments was crime. I met a lady yesterday and was chatting with her, and I asked how her day went. She said it was a day from hell because she had to call the the police three times to have people removed from her business.

I wonder if the member recognizes the impact the Liberals have had as far as crime getting out of control goes. Does he support jail, not bail for repeat offenders? Would he repeal Bill C-5 and Bill C-75?

[Terry Sheehan, Liberal, Sault Ste. Marie—Algoma, ON]

Mr. Speaker, building on Bill C-48, which made substantive changes to Bill C-75, creating the reverse onus, and working with the provinces and territories, we are going to strengthen it; we are going to go further. The Prime Minister has said we are going to go even further as it relates to judicial and court reform.

Wildfires in Manitoba and Saskatchewan

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

The House will now proceed to the consideration of a motion to adjourn the House for the purpose of discussing a specific and important matter requiring urgent consideration, namely the wildfires in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

moved:

That this House do now adjourn.

Mr. Speaker, I will be splitting my time with my colleague from Nunavut.

I first want to express my sincere appreciation to all the frontline workers, firefighters and health care workers who are working around the clock to respond to the wildfire disasters. I would also like to thank the people of Peguis First Nation, Sagkeeng, The Pas, Thompson, OCN, Norway House, Portage la Prairie, Dauphin, Winnipeg and beyond who have opened up their homes to friends and families affected by this climate tragedy. Finally, I want to thank the chiefs and community leaders who are caring and advocating for their people in a time of crisis.

To all the children, families and elders who have been impacted by this emergency, I am with them with all of my care and love.

Wildfires continue to burn in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, forcing thousands of people away from their homes, particularly in northern, remote and first nations communities. I am here today on behalf of community leaders to inform the federal government that there has been a failure to properly consult with indigenous peoples, which is resulting in treaty and charter rights being violated.

The federal government is obligated to uphold the dignity and well-being of first nations that are affected by these wildfires, and this includes the following. The Government of Canada is bound to respect its fiduciary duty of care and treaty obligations when working with indigenous peoples. It is also obligated to uphold our Canadian charter, specifically section 7 of the Canadian charter, which concerns rights to life, liberty and security of the person.

This has not happened, as evacuees have often been exposed to unsafe conditions as a result of an inadequate federal government response. We have heard from first nations chiefs that evacuees may remain in overcrowded, under-resourced accommodations. Families are being separated. Vulnerable children, elders, and medically at-risk individuals are being placed in unsafe and uncertain conditions.

We have also heard from first nations that the government delayed its support for evacuations, placing evacuees in greater danger, as we witnessed in Pukatawagan, where community members, elders and children were forced to leave the community six people at a time when their airstrip was closed, allowing for only helicopter access. In spite of the community coming forward a few days before instructing the government that they were in an emergency situation, they had to wait to be taken out to safety.

The federal government must uphold its fiduciary, treaty and charter obligations in its work with provinces, territories and indigenous peoples to ensure that indigenous human rights are upheld and respected without qualification. This means enforcing and supporting emergency measures for evacuees and fulfilling its legal obligations rather than passing off responsibility to provinces and territories and delaying action and response times due to jurisdictional bantering.

Here is the issue: This is not the first time this has happened. In spite of calls by the NDP to put in place permanent infrastructure and resources to respond to extreme weather events, the government has idly sat by, and now communities are struggling to get community members to safety and be placed in accommodations where they can live in safety and dignity. We have already borne witness to examples of the federal government's failure to protect people from extreme weather events.

In 2011, Lake St. Martin First Nation was flooded, and many people from the community were unable to return home for more than a decade. During that time, many women and girls from that community were sexually exploited and suffered from sexual violence or human trafficking due to being uprooted from their community and placed in unsafe situations.

We have a crisis of murdered and missing indigenous women and girls in this country. We have people being placed in urban centres, and it is their first time ever being away from their community. Where is the federal government to ensure that it is providing funding for proper mental health supports and proper supports for families so they can be safe in the city of Winnipeg? We not only need to ensure that we give evacuees access to housing and health services, including mental health and reproductive health services; we also need a plan to bring folks home safely, prevent future tragedies like this and have plans put in place should the unfortunate event happen and people are unable to return home for a long period of time.

We cannot neglect that these wildfires are the new normal and follow a broader pattern of rising temperatures causing them to burn hotter and wilder, causing much greater destruction. We know fire season is starting earlier, is lasting longer and is harder to contain. Look at what just happened in Jasper or in Lytton, B.C. We see this time and time again.

It is shameful that at a time of a climate emergency, the Liberal government continues to ignore what has now become the new normal. In fact, the Liberals are calling for the building of more pipelines and extraction projects, fast-tracking consultation processes and environmental assessments, getting rid of environmental assessments and jeopardizing free, prior and informed consent, a constitutional obligation they have with indigenous peoples, violating their obligation to uphold the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, even though Bill C-15 affirmed its application in Canadian law. They continue to play games with the lives of people who are most impacted by extreme weather events.

As I said, extreme weather events are becoming the new normal. I can say that the NDP will continue to push the government to put in place permanent emergency response systems that take place in consultation with indigenous people and that uphold the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples, to come up with responses that are regionally based, led by, controlled by and specific to the nation in which the negotiations are taking place.

As I said, this is not the first time this has happened. The government needs to commit to preventing future emergencies through the creation of a national wildfire fighting force and the establishment of a youth climate corps to help respond to extreme weather events and promote climate resiliency. Nobody should be left behind in a climate emergency. As many evacuees struggle to find housing, health resources and safety, including in Winnipeg Centre, the government has an obligation to uphold UNDRIP, the Charter of Rights, and its fiduciary responsibility to ensure the dignity and security of all those impacted by the wildfires.

This means that there needs to be direction to federal departments, including Indigenous Services Canada, Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and Crown-Indigenous Relations to work with provinces to enforce and support emergency orders and take federal responsibility where provincial action is insufficient—

[The Speaker, Francis Scarpaleggia]

I am sorry to interrupt the member, but it is time for questions and comments.

The hon. member for Winnipeg North.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, there is absolutely no doubt that having an emergency debate on these extreme wildfires is justified. What is a bit disappointing, I must say, is that the member for Winnipeg Centre seems to have this preoccupation with being critical of the government. Can she cite a criticism coming from the Province of Manitoba, in particular Premier Wab Kinew, that the federal government is not playing a role? The Prime Minister has stepped up.

I take a bit of exception to the member referring to the flood at the Lake St. Martin reserve. As she knows, it was the provincial government that caused that flood, yet she seemed to give the impression that it was the federal government's responsibility. I will not tell her which political party was in power. She can figure that out herself.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, I certainly cannot speak for the Premier of Manitoba. I am speaking on behalf of first nations leadership.

I know the member opposite has had a really difficult time understanding the federal government's constitutional obligations to free, prior and informed consent of indigenous people, but perhaps he can read that in a book.

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

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for Winnipeg Centre for bringing this critical issue to the floor of the House of Commons tonight for an emergency debate. There are many ways in which this is an emergency.

In June 2018, this House voted that the climate crisis was an emergency. The next day, the government approved a pipeline. Tonight we are debating an emergency where we are seeing people running for their lives from remote communities in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

I ask the hon. member what she hopes can come out of this debate tonight to change from rhetoric to action on the climate crisis.

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, here is the thing. In the middle of wildfires, where is the Prime Minister? He is meeting with other premiers around the country to fast-track resource extraction projects, getting rid of environmental assessments and fast-tracking consultations with indigenous peoples. We need a couple of things to happen. We need proper consultation processes with indigenous people.

The federal government has been in power for over eight years. It is time for it to stop sitting idly by and put in place the infrastructure necessary to deal with extreme weather events that have become the new normal.

[Dane Lloyd, Conservative, Parkland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for bringing forward this emergency debate. In my riding, there is some good news. It appears people have been able to get back home after an out-of-control wildfire was, fortunately, stopped just south of the hamlet.

The member talked about the federal government's need to get involved earlier in the case of Manitoba. She is surely aware that under our legislation, it is the province that has to make a request for assistance to the federal government. Does the member have a suggestion perhaps on a way we could change the legislation so that the federal government could act more quickly in these cases? What does the member suggest we do to address the concern she has?

[Leah Gazan, NDP, Winnipeg Centre, MB]

Mr. Speaker, in the case of first nations communities, it is in fact under the jurisdiction of Indigenous Services Canada, which has a fiduciary duty of care.

For example, in the case of Pimicikamak Cree Nation and Pukatawagan, where six people at a time were being lifted out of their community because its airstrip closed down, that is a failure of the federal government. It is certainly time that the federal government stops passing the buck to the provinces to uphold its fiduciary duties.