Candice Bergen

[Public Safety, February 15th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister invoked the Emergencies Act. Twenty-four hours in, and there are more questions than answers. There are questions about whether this is justified, questions around if the criteria has been met, and questions around what this means to Canadians' rights and freedoms.

Parliamentary approval is required in order for the Prime Minister to use this unprecedented sledgehammer. Can the Prime Minister tell us when Parliament will be debating this? Will it be coming to us on Friday? Does he expect that we will look at it Friday, but then rise, take a week off and not actually deal with this until March?

[Health, February 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, it is clear the Prime Minister and these Liberals are still big fans of polarization, division and negativity. Two years into the pandemic, Canadians deserve, in this moment, some optimism and some hope for the future, and they deserve leadership from their government. They need to know when the federal mandates and the restrictions will be lifted. That is not an unreasonable ask.

Again, will the Liberals, will their Prime Minister, will their ministers, will their backbenchers stand up for their constituents, and vote with us to present some optimism and some hope for Canadians?

[Health, February 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, we have been asking the Prime Minister to stop dividing, stigmatizing and name-calling people he disagrees with and let them know that he listens and that he hears them, but he refuses to do that.

Today we are voting on a Conservative motion, a reasonable motion that asks the government to present a plan for a reopening by the end of the month. This should be a time of optimism and joy for Canadians, not division and fear.

Can Canadians count on the Prime Minister to do the right thing and today stand up with us, support our motion and give Canadians the hope that they deserve so much?

[COVID-19 Protests, February 14th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, it has been reported that the Prime Minister is planning to invoke the Emergencies Act to deal with the current protests in Ottawa and in some parts of the country. We know the protests continue here in Ottawa. We know the Windsor border has been reopened. We know that last night there were arrests in Coutts.

Section 16 of the Emergencies Act refers to “threats to the security of Canada”. Given this context, does the Prime Minister think that these protests constitute threats to the security of Canada, and if not, does he think that with this news he could be escalating rather than de-escalating an already inflamed situation?

[Health, February 10th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I have a question for the Prime Minister. He is talking about vaccinations. We all support vaccines and, as he has said, 90% of Canadians have been vaccinated. Is he suggesting that unless 100% of Canadians are vaccinated, he is not even going to consider opening up and lifting restrictions? Is that what he is trying to tell us? Ninety per cent is good for us and, I would say, for other countries in the world that have less vaccine uptake.

Is he saying he is not going to do anything until 100% of Canadians are vaccinated? Really?

[Health, February 10th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to blame others for things that he is responsible for. Today he actually has a chance to do something for Canadians. We have a motion before the House telling the government to let Canadians know when it is going to end these restrictions. We are two years into this pandemic, and given the current circumstances, it is not an unreasonable request. Canadians deserve a prime minister who is willing to follow science and lift the restrictions. Even his own Liberal MPs agree with us.

I have a simple question for the Prime Minister. Will he and his fellow Liberal members of Parliament support our motion that is on the floor today?

[COVID-19 Protests, February 10th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, it has been almost two weeks since the beginning of this impasse. We all want the protests to end and for these Canadians to feel like they have been heard and respected, but now critical infrastructure is being restricted. Why? It is because of the Prime Minister's failure.

I have asked the Prime Minister to meet with me and the other opposition leaders in good faith to try to find a way forward from this impasse. He did not answer yesterday. He has not answered today.

I am going to ask him again. Will he meet with us?

[Business of Supply, February 10th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, my colleague highlights what is actually a very clear problem in Canada, and that is a health care problem. We do have issues with our health care. It is a provincial jurisdiction, but the federal government has a role to play, which includes providing the provinces the resources that they need. We do not believe that Canadians' restrictions should be limited based solely on whether health care can provide what is necessary.

Canadians follow the rules. Canadians, for two years, have followed the restrictions. They have gotten vaccinated. They have done what governments have asked them to do. Now is the time for governments, right across the country, to step up and provide the health care that is needed.

The federal government needs to play its role. It needs to do it quickly in terms of providing proper health care funding to provinces, but it is time that we end the mandates federally and support Canadians.

[Business of Supply, February 10th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, I am going to ask that member a question: Will he support this motion so that not only the people who have been rallying across the country, but also all Canadians, including those in Quebec, will know that there is hope in the end of the federal restrictions and mandates?

He has a job to do. We have a job to do, and as I just said, our job is not to tell Canadians what to do. Our job is to hold this government to account and provide some hope and inspiration to the people we represent. I respectfully ask that colleague and his caucus if they will support our motion and do the job that Quebeckers have sent them to do. Will they stand up for Quebeckers, and stand up for freedom, not only in Quebec, but also across the country?

[Business of Supply, February 10th, 2022]

Madam Speaker, this is just typical of, obviously, the Prime Minister's direction to many in his caucus. They keep stigmatizing, dividing and calling names.

We believe our job on this side of the House is to listen to all Canadians, represent them and hear them. It is not to call them names or try to divide them. In addition to that, we hold the Prime Minister to account. We are not here to hold Canadians to account; we are here to hold the government to account.