Gord Johns

[Mental Health and Addictions, May 30th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I tabled the first private member's bill in this Parliament, Bill C-201, which aims to bring mental health, addictions and substance use services into our universal public health care system. The last Liberal government promised to ensure that mental health was treated as a full and equal part of Canada's public health care system, but it failed to deliver.

Untreated mental illness has enormous costs for families, communities and our economy. Will the new government recognize that investing in mental health is good for all Canadians and support my bill?

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, May 30th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, I think we can all agree in the House that a tragedy is playing out in Saskatchewan and Manitoba due to the wildfire exacerbated by climate change. I think we can all say that we share in sending our condolences and prayers to the people on the ground who are being impacted, and certainly the first responders.

One thing we heard in the election campaign in April is that the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs issued two calls to action for election candidates. One of them was calling for “a National Fire Administration intended to help Canada address and coordinate issues related to wildfire, explosives, housing policy, construction, tariffs, federal response to emergencies, green technologies, marine transportation, clean energy, defense”, and the list goes on. A national fire administration would serve as the nucleus of any future emergency management, responsible in terms of response to wildfires and an emergency such as the one that is playing out right now.

Does my colleague agree with the call to action by the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, and how that would help right now?

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, May 29th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, I want to highlight something my colleague talked about, and that is seniors. We know how vulnerable seniors are right now, from so many different directions, especially the cost of living.

One thing I heard on the doorstep in this election and over the last year that I have never heard before is the amount of fraud that is taking place. A constituent of mine shared with me that he lost $150,000 to bank fraud. The gentleman had to go back to work; he came out of retirement. Another person, whom I met at the pool, lost $20,000.

My colleague knows there has been a report tabled at the public safety committee, on which there is still no action, to hold financial institutions to account and to ensure that the CRTC and communication companies are doing their job in their role. This may be a non-partisan opportunity for us to come together and defend our constituents.

Does my colleague agree that the government needs to take urgent action to protect seniors especially, who are vulnerable to fraud? Does she too see fraud escalating in her community and her riding?

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, May 29th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, first, it is an honour to rise today. I know my colleague is leaving. We sure had our differences in this place. We had some pretty heated debates over the years too and could not have had more different politics, except that we share that we are both from rural communities.

I admired his passion. My former colleague from Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, Alistair MacGregor, and I sat pretty close to him, within earshot, and we had some good laughs. We would refer to him as “hockey dad” because he had such passion when he spoke in the House on issues. He is a hockey dad, and he will get to spend some time with his three kids. He is going to be home with his family.

I want to pass on my condolences to my colleague. He lost his father in the last year, and I know he is going to take on the farm and do well with it. We wish him well as a farmer supporting Canadians so we get our food and in the work that he will do around his farm.

On behalf of all New Democrats, we want to wish him and his family well, and we want to thank him for his service in this House.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, May 29th, 2025]

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

The member talked about the protection of languages and how important that is. An essential part of reconciliation is addressing the harms indigenous peoples have experienced, including the devastating loss of language and culture.

In British Columbia, the First Peoples' Cultural Council has been highlighting to the federal government that significant cuts to language revitalization funding is causing harm to indigenous peoples, to the Nuu-chah-nulth people in my riding and the Coast Salish people. They are calling on the federal government to reinstate that funding.

Will my colleague, his caucus and his government reinstate that funding to protect indigenous languages, particularly in British Columbia, where the cuts are significant, causing harm to indigenous peoples in our communities?

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, May 29th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, as a rural MP like me, my colleague knows that local governments are responsible for about 60% of infrastructure costs, yet they only collect about 10% of overall revenue. I know this as a former municipal councillor from Tofino.

I will give an example. The Village of Cumberland, in my riding, is dealing with cost overruns due to supply chain inflation, and they see the federal government as a critical partner for accomplishing that infrastructure as the major tax collector. They cannot get flexibility from the federal government when there are cost overruns.

Does my colleague agree that the government needs to create more flexibility and needs to be a stronger partner? We are on the eve of FCM. It is important for municipalities to know.

[Resumption of Debate on Address in Reply, May 29th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, first, I want to acknowledge my colleague and congratulate her on her election.

I want to highlight something that is happening in the fish industry, something that she would be concerned about if it was happening in Newfoundland. Right now, in British Columbia, harvesters are being displaced by foreign acquisition of Canada's commercial fishing licences and quotas. Canada does not currently have any limitations on foreign ownership of commercial fishing licences and quotas in the Pacific region. This is impacting the livelihood of small operators, and this is a practice only on the west coast.

I would like to ask my colleague, how would Newfoundlanders react if foreign owners were allowed to acquire a licence and did not even have to fish it? This is something the Liberal government has failed to address.

[Petitions, May 29th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to present this petition as the new critic for defence for the federal NDP on behalf of residents from Bamfield, Port Alberni, Parksville and Courtenay in my riding.

The petitioners highlight that Canada signed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, pledging to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms; that Canada's Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Canada's adoption of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples reflect our commitment to the principles of justice, equality and freedom; and that upholding the basics of justice, equality, freedom, security and well-being for all is essential for preventing war and conflict.

They highlight that an open society and an informed public and Parliament are essential for the understanding of complex issues of violent conflict and for the achievement of lasting peace and disarmament. With the closing of the Pearson Centre, Canada lost an important civilian-led, independent institutional structure that supported effective research policy and training in peace operations and conflict.

The petitioners call on the House of Commons to assemble, re-establish and fund a centre of excellence for peace and justice focused on research, education and training in conflict resolution, diplomacy and peace operations for Canadian civilians, police, military personnel and the international community.

[Canada Health Act, May 29th, 2025]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-201, An Act to amend the Canada Health Act (mental, addictions and substance use health services).

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise today to introduce the mental health parity act, which aims to address the disparity between physical and mental health in our public health care system. This is the first private member's bill tabled in the 45th Parliament. It is of great importance.

The bill proposes to amend the Canada Health Act, to expand the definition of insured services to include community-based mental health, addictions and substance use services. As it stands, provincial and territorial health plans are only required to cover mental health, addictions and substance use health services when provided by physicians or in hospitals and deemed medically necessary. As a result, many services, such as counselling or psychotherapy, are not covered under public health insurance plans. The lack of public coverage forces Canadians who are struggling to shoulder significant out-of-pocket costs or go without supports they need.

The legislation would begin to address the financial barriers to mental health and substance use care by creating a federal requirement for provinces and territories to include coverage of community-based supports in their health insurance plans.

I want to thank the Canadian Alliance on Mental Illness and Mental Health, the Canadian Mental Health Association and all those advocating for mental health parity and spreading the message that mental health matters. I also want to thank my colleague and friend, the member for Vancouver Kingsway, for his important work in this area and for seconding the bill.

I hope all members will get behind this very important piece of legislation.

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

[Petitions, May 28th, 2025]

Mr. Speaker, congratulations on your election as Speaker.

I rise to table a petition that is very important and timely. It is from the residents of Union Bay on Vancouver Island, who are deeply frustrated. They cite that there is significant risk to workers and the environment associated with ship-breaking due to the presence of a wide variety of hazardous materials and end-of-life marine vessels.

The petitioners also highlight that unlike other jurisdictions, Canada lacks standards on ship-breaking and unregulated ship-breaking activities, which are putting our oceans, coastal communities and workers at risk on Vancouver Island and around Canada. The lack of domestic oversight of ship-breaking and the disposal of end-of-life marine vessels frustrates Canada's ability to ensure compliance with its international obligations under the Basel Convention. The petitioners highlight that this could be a job creator.

The petitioners want to see the Government of Canada develop enforceable federal standards to reduce the negative impact of environmental and social impacts of ship-breaking that meet or exceed those set out in the EU ship recycling regulation; provide assistance through loans or grants to long-term, reputable ship-breaking companies to facilitate the implementation of new federal standards in their operations; and develop a strategy for recycling end-of-life, federally owned marine vessels.

This is the fourth year I have tabled this petition with no action.