Don Davies

[Parliament of Canada Act, March 12th, 2020]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-241, an act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (change of political affiliation).

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House today to introduce a bill that would address the issue of floor crossing, with thanks to the hon. member for London—Fanshawe.

Elections are an essential opportunity for voters to express their democratic preferences, but when parliamentarians cross the floor they unilaterally negate the will of their electors. This is a fundamental betrayal of trust.

For example, in my riding of Vancouver Kingsway, David Emerson ran as a Liberal in the 2006 election, only to immediately cross the floor to sit in the Conservative cabinet within weeks of being elected. Kingsway citizens of all persuasions were incensed. They know the only people who should have the right to determine which party represents a riding in the House of Commons are the voters themselves.

This legislation would not prevent MPs from leaving their caucus or changing their political affiliation, but it would require members who wish to join another party and sit with it to either obtain the consent of their constituents or sit as an independent until the next election.

I call on all members to support this fundamental democratic legislation and protect the basic rights of Canadian voters to choose how they wish to be represented in their House of Commons.

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

[Canada Elections Act, March 12th, 2020]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-240, an act to amend the Canada Elections Act with regard to voting age.

Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to introduce legislation that would extend the right to vote to all Canadians aged 16 and over. I would like to thank the hon. member for London—Fanshawe for seconding the bill.

The history of the franchise in Canada is one of constant expansion. At the time of Confederation, voting was restricted to male British subjects who were at least 21 years old and owned property. However, as our country progressed over the subsequent generations, voting rights were extended to women, Asian Canadians, indigenous people, those without property and those under 21 years of age. I believe it is time to give young people the full rights and responsibilities of citizenship as well.

Young Canadians are engaged, well informed and passionate advocates for a better future, for their future. Many young people work and pay taxes, but they have no say in how those tax dollars are spent. This disenfranchisement is unjustified and must change.

I call on all parliamentarians to make young people equal participants in our democracy by supporting this vital legislation.

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

[Questions Passed as Orders for Returns, March 11th, 2020]

With regard to the Tobacco and Vaping Products Act (TVPA), for the period of May 23, 2018, to December 14, 2019: (a) what compliance and enforcement actions have been taken to ensure that advertisements, promotions and testimonials for (i) Vype vaping products distributed by Imperial Tobacco Canada, (ii) JUUL vaping products, (iii) Logic Compact vaping products, (iv) STLTH vaping products, (v) myBLU vaping products, (vi) Mylé vaping products are in compliance with the TVPA and its regulations; (b) if compliance and enforcement actions have been taken with respect to these products, what has been the result of those enforcement actions with respect to (i) correspondence with manufacturers or retailers, (ii) charges laid against manufacturers or retailers, (iii) products seized; and (c) have Health Canada officials made any recommendations for adjustments to (i) the TVPA and its regulations, (ii) compliance and enforcement processes, (iii) other related processes, and, if so, what?

[Questions on the Order Paper, March 11th, 2020]

With regard to the People’s Republic of China: how many Canadian citizens are currently (i) in detention, (ii) in detention with charge, (iii) in detention without charge, (iv) in detention without access to consular services, (v) in detention with access to consular services, (vi) in detention for reasons related to state security, (vii) subject to an exit ban, (viii) subject to an exit ban relating to a civil matter, (ix) subject to an exit ban relating to a criminal matter, (x) subject to an exit ban relating to state security, (xi) subject to prolonged interrogations, (xii) subject to interrogations without counsel?

[Health, March 10th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's hospitals are warning they are at risk of losing control of the COVID-19 outbreak and now doctors are sounding the alarm over the shortage of ventilators we will need in the event of widespread infection, and yet it was just yesterday that the Liberal government wrote to premiers to find out what their needs are. That is a failure of emergency preparedness.

When will the government release a detailed inventory of all the medical resources Canada needs to respond to a more severe outbreak?

[Health, March 9th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, the government assured Canadians our health system was well prepared to deal with the COVID-19 outbreak.

However, HealthCareCAN, the advocacy group for Canada's hospitals, is warning our system is stretched too thin, with dangerous shortages of critical care beds and protective equipment. It is calling for increased federal funding and much more testing.

Today, the first death from the virus in BC was confirmed and we know things will get worse before they get better.

Will the Liberals ensure hospitals have the resources they need to respond to COVID-19?

[Health, February 27th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's nurses are warning that federal guidelines to protect front-line workers from COVID-19 do not go far enough and may be putting patients at risk. Safety protocols in Ontario, the U.S. and the European Union all call for the use of disposable respirators, while federal guidelines provide less secure barriers. Nurses say that federal standards presume the virus cannot spread through the air, but the science is unsettled.

Will the government listen to front-line professionals, revise its guidelines and ensure the best protection possible for health care workers and their patients?

[Business of Supply, February 25th, 2020]

So is health care.

[Business of Supply, February 25th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, I was in the House when the Harper Conservative government ran deficits every single year from 2008 to 2015. It ran seven straight successive deficits. As a matter of fact, most of the debt that is piled up in this country was acquired under Conservative governments and Liberal governments. The Department of Finance did a study a few years back and found that per year of government in this country at the provincial and federal levels, the party that balanced the budget the highest percentage of the time was the New Democrats. That is a fact of this country.

I want to challenge the member on the idea that health care is purely provincial. The federal government, through the Canada Health Act, sets out principles and then negotiates with the provinces. If the provinces deliver health care and meet the requirements of the act, they are entitled to transfer payments.

Does my friend agree that we can do the same thing with dental care simply by expanding our system to cover this neglected part of our body that has been excluded for no reason other than a historical anomaly? Does he not understand or agree that dental care was always intended to be part of our medicare system, going right back to the 1964 Hall report? Can he explain why he does not support having dental care covered like every other part of our body is?

[Business of Supply, February 25th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I have a two-part question.

The first part is around the foundation of the motion today. We are taking a proposed Liberal tax cut that, when fully implemented, would cost $6.9 billion. We are determining whether we should reduce that by targeting that tax cut at more needy Canadians and use the savings to fund dental care.

Does my hon. colleague agree with the tax cut itself? Does he believe that oral health should be covered by our public health care system, or does he think that part of the body should not be covered?