Colin Carrie

[Oil Tanker Moratorium Act, November 2nd, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, my colleague talks about the punitive strategy of the Liberal government. He mentioned the national energy program. In Ontario we had the Liberal green energy program, which really killed our competitiveness. My question is about Ontario because the oil and gas sector has so many manufacturing jobs that spin off from it, such as steel, pipelines, valves, electronics, harnesses, wiring, plastics and coatings for pipe.

Could my colleague comment on the Liberal government's overall approach and its lack of foresight, lack of consultation and its threat to Canadian unity? What is it actually doing by pushing forward with these acts?

[Bills of Exchange Act, October 23rd, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I want to start off my comments by giving thanks. I want to give thanks to indigenous Canadians for giving us the opportunity in this imperfect Parliament and this imperfect country to work toward reconciliation. I also want to give thanks to my colleagues, because this debate has been very non-partisan and I think there is a willingness to move forward. I want to particularly give thanks to my colleague from Cariboo—Prince George. I do not know if people watching now saw him give his speech, but he had a whole pile of notes and he hardly looked at them. He gave us a speech that came from the heart, and I think everyone who heard what he had to say is going to be affected by it.

My colleague mentioned living next door to a house of horrors. Sadly, many Canadians are in that situation, and they do not understand the whole situation with regard to indigenous Canadians. I know my colleague has sat down with too many families, too many victims and too many people who have been affected negatively.

We have heard over and over that this day cannot just be a holiday. I will go on the record as saying I do not think it should be a holiday for federal employees. They should be working this day to help indigenous Canadians.

I wonder if my colleague could comment on what we could do to improve the bill so that this day is about celebration and education and is not just another holiday.

[Public Safety, October 23rd, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, those Liberals have greater consideration for violent criminals than victims. Victims' rights matter.

The Liberal government is allowing violent criminals to have in-person visitors, but will not allow victims and their families to give their victim impact statements in person or even by video conference during the Parole Board process.

If the Prime Minister believes it is safe for violent criminals to have in-person visits, why is government refusing victims the right to give their victim impact statements in front of their tormenter? Why the double standard?

[Bills of Exchange Act, October 23rd, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, one of the privileges I have seen as a member of Parliament is that it has actually helped me learn more and understand my own ignorance as far as reconciliation and the need for reconciliation.

The minister quite rightly points out the need for education because so many Canadians are unaware of this dark chapter in our history. In the bill, there is really no plan to develop an educational strategy. He did compare how this would be similar to Remembrance Day. On Remembrance Day, the federal government and schools and everybody really put an effort forward to allow young people and all Canadians to learn about these tragic parts of our history.

I was wondering if the minister could comment on whether there are any plans for education. One of the concerns with this bill is there does not appear to be a plan for an educational part of this whole process. When we debated Remembrance Day, I remember people worrying and not wanting it to just become a holiday but a learning experience.

[Criminal Code, October 21st, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the parliamentary secretary for her speech.

She talks about proper choice, but also safeguards. I would suggest that having available palliative care as a safeguard does reflect a person's ability to make a choice.

During the original bill, I had the opportunity as well to consult with some of the top palliative care experts in Canada, some would say in the world. One is in my own riding. Her name is Dr. Gillian Gilchrist. She has been a palliative care expert since 1981. One of the things she mentioned to me was that, in all her years of practice, she had never had one patient ask for medical assistance in dying. She said that if people are given proper medication, especially with the newer medications today, they can be kept very comfortable until the very end of their lives.

We have heard a lot of arguments that we should be making this more available because of the pain involved. Does the member agree that proper palliative care being available is important for choice? With 70% of Canadians not having palliative care available, is it something the government should make a priority?

[Criminal Code, October 21st, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for sharing her experiences. I have a lot of respect for her and her experience as a physician. I have sat at committee with her over the years.

I remember that when we debated the original bill, I talked to a physician in Oshawa. Her name is Dr. Gillian Gilchrist. She is very well-known in the field of palliative care, and she opened the first palliative care clinic in Oshawa, in 1981. Originally, she said that she was very much against this bill because in her experience over the years, she had never had one patient ask her for an assisted death. Not one needed it if they were controlled properly with proper medication and palliative care.

Although we passed a private members' bill from the member for Sarnia—Lambton requesting that the government come up with a national strategy for palliative care, in Canada today, about 70% of people cannot get proper palliative care. I wonder if my colleague supports a more vigorous strategy for Canadians. As 70% of people are not getting proper palliative care, does the lack of care factor into their decision to choose an assisted death? Perhaps they would not choose it if they had proper palliative care.

[Business of Supply, October 20th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I think the leader of the Bloc Québécois is bang on. In Quebec there is a long memory. We all remember the sponsorship scandal and this idea of kickbacks, where favoured companies and favoured individuals seemed able to funnel money back either to individual Liberals or to the organization. It is an extremely dangerous situation right now. It is almost as if history is repeating itself.

Why is it so important that we move forward with this committee so that Parliament can get on with the business that Canadians would like to see parliamentarians do? Does he think this is a reason to have an election, or is it important that we get our work done?

[Business of Supply, October 20th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I continue to hear the member's speeches and I am a little bit outraged. He is asking us to work together, but to work together to cover up Liberal corruption. It is the same Liberal Party that was here back in the scandale des commandites. It seems that nothing has changed over there.

We saw the Liberal government shut down Parliament and put in place a committee that would only work on one thing, the pandemic. I like all members are here to do our jobs, and we can do more than one thing at one time.

Will the member please support this motion so our health committee, finance committee and other committees can get back to work? Canadians deserve a Prime Minister that can walk and chew gum; do more than one thing at one time.

[Criminal Code, October 19th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I have been getting phone calls basically on both sides of the issue. I am having some people, as our colleague said, saying it is not going far enough. Other people are saying that it is going way too far.

I would like to talk about one of my constituents, Carol, who had a very respectful conversation with me. She totally respects the rights of physicians who do not want to participate, and people who do not want assistance in death. However, she has some concerns about advance directives, and my colleague touched on this. His comment at the end was very important. He said it is important that we get it right.

As far as advance directives, does the member actually think that this piece of legislation in front of us today addresses those, and does he feel that it is still supportable?

[Criminal Code, October 19th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, especially for sharing those personal thoughts with us because this issue we are debating today is a very personal matter.

I wanted my colleague to comment on a statement by her colleague, the member for Mount Royal, who said in his speech that nobody should have their death accelerated due to lack of palliative care.

We know that my colleague from Sarnia—Lambton brought forward a private member's bill that was in response to this decision, that was basically to allow Canadians to live as well as they can, for as long as they can. This private member's bill was dedicated to providing a national palliative care action plan.

I wonder if my colleague could comment on the government's response to providing appropriate palliative care so people do not have to choose medical assistance in dying, considering that approximately 70% of Canadians do not have access to appropriate palliative care.