Harold Albrecht

[Canada Labour Code, October 17th, 2018]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for tagging onto the comments made by his colleague, the member for Cambridge. I asked the question of his colleague, and it certainly applies to the recent comments by my colleague across the way.

We agree that we need to take action on this. All of us are impacted by this and we need to provide safeguards. However, it goes beyond words and beyond simply passing a bill and filing it on a shelf. It comes to action. Many times with this kind of inappropriate behaviour, the tone is set at the top. In recent months, we have seen from the front benches of the government, including the Prime Minister, inappropriate behaviour that has not been acknowledged and not been apologized for.

Therefore, does my colleague not feel that if we are to actually have the bill implemented and acted upon so Canadians can have confidence in it, we need the Prime Minister, the finance minister and other members of the front bench who have shown inappropriate behaviour to acknowledge that behaviour, apologize for it and set a new tone for all Canadians, including those in the House?

[Canada Labour Code, October 17th, 2018]

Madam Speaker, this a very serious topic that should grip all of us in this House and indeed impacts all of us in this House and impacts all Canadians.

My colleague referred, in his comments, to a new approach and a culture change. We on this side definitely agree that is needed, and that is why we are supportive of this legislation. However, we need more than just words, we need more than just a bill; we need action and follow-through on these commitments to a culture change.

With the alleged incident of a number of years ago by our Prime Minister and an apparent denial, and also the recent comments of the finance minister in committee, referring to my colleagues and other colleagues as neanderthals, these certainly are not the kind of language that we would like to hear in terms of creating a culture of respect. I wonder if my colleague would comment on whether he feels that the Prime Minister and the finance minister at the very least owe an acknowledgement of wrongdoing and preferably should offer an apology.

[Don McAllister, October 17th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, this past weekend I was saddened to hear of the passing of Don McAllister.

Don served valiantly with the Royal Canadian Air Force, nationally and internationally, from 1941-1972. His leadership skills continued in various positions with the Royal Canadian Legion, including speaking in schools about remembering veterans and championing the Legion poppy fund each year. As an exemplary member of our community, it was my honour to present Don with The Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012, as well as a medal marking Canada's 150th last year.

A strong family man, Don was married to Bessie since 1944. Don was a father of two, grandfather of two, great-grandfather of five and great-great-grandfather of six.

I am grateful to have known Don and Bessie. I have had many opportunities to interact with them, and I consider them dear friends.

I pray that Bessie and the family will experience God's peace and care as they walk this valley of grief. Don will be greatly missed.

Lest we forget.

[Canada Labour Code, October 16th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, frequently in the House, we hear about the importance of consultation with the various groups that are going to be impacted by legislation. During the testimony at the Senate committee, the National Association of Women and the Law and the Native Women's Association of Canada both said that they were not adequately consulted. In fact, they were not consulted at all during the drafting of this bill.

Francyne Joe, president of the Native Women's Association of Canada, stated:

Moreover, there has been inadequate consultation with Indigenous people. Our understanding is this will apply to federally regulated First Nations governments and if this is correct, then the Government of Canada must carry out meaningful consultation with Indigenous people.

In particular, Indigenous women have not been adequately consulted. In the harassment and sexual violence public consultation report that informed this legislation, only 28 Indigenous women were surveyed and only one engagement session with the Ontario Native Women’s Association was held. Findings from these consultations do not appear to be reflected in the legislation in its current form.

Does the minister agree with Francyne Joe that there was inadequate consultation specifically with indigenous women's groups?

[Petitions, October 16th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present a petition signed by a number of residents of Canada who have increasing concerns about the trafficking of human organs. They are asking Parliament to quickly pass Bill C-350 in the House of Commons and Bill S-240 in the Senate to limit this practice.

[Thanksgiving, October 3rd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, this coming Monday, Canadians will celebrate Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is a time when family and friends come from far and near to share a meal and spend quality time with one another. We might enjoy a turkey dinner and pumpkin pie as we connect with our loved ones.

While I enjoy those aspects of Thanksgiving as much as anyone, I do not want to miss the real reason for giving thanks. I thank God for his beautiful creation, for the bountiful harvest Canadian farmers and gardeners have enjoyed, for my constituents in Kitchener—Conestoga, for my colleagues here in the house and especially for my family.

We are all blessed to live in the best country in the world, Canada, and to enjoy the freedoms we have. However, while we celebrate here, we cannot afford to forget those like 15-year-old Leah, who is currently being detained and lives under threat of execution by Boko Haram for refusing to give up her Christian faith. For me and for Leah and for hundreds of millions of global citizens, it is this foundation for life for which we are most thankful.

Mr. Speaker, to you, your family, and to all Canadians, happy Thanksgiving.

[Business of Supply, October 2nd, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, this is a very serious matter. I had the privilege of being a representative for the area that houses Grand Valley Institution for Women, for a number of years until the riding boundaries were changed prior to the last election. I visited that facility many times. While the prisoners there are treated humanely, it is clear that they do not have access to just leaving when they want. There are fences, locks and bars. In a very real sense, there is a good amount of security there.

Here we have a situation of a murderer of an eight-year-old, someone who, as my colleague pointed out, premeditated this act, abducted, raped and murdered an eight-year-old. Only very shortly into her sentence, only six or eight years, she is now granted the privilege of being at this healing lodge. I have been contacted by a number of residents in my riding and beyond, and they are very concerned. In fact, I could use the term outraged. I wonder if my colleague could comment on the numbers and the kinds of communication he is receiving from ordinary Canadians.

In this place, one of our primary obligations is to ensure the safety of our Canadian citizens. How can we actually say we are doing that when actions have been taken to allow this person to be housed in this healing lodge in western Canada?

[Foreign Affairs, September 28th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, recently the Government of Nigeria successfully negotiated the release of 110 girls from Boko Haram. However, one girl, 15-year-old Leah, was detained because she refused to give up her Christian faith. Boko Haram has announced that Leah will be executed by the end of the month. A 25-year-old aid worker and mother of four who was captured by the same group was executed last week. Time is running short for Leah. She desperately needs our help now. I ask all Canadians to join me in praying for Leah's protection and release.

During this week that is focused on gender equality, it is important that we stand up for women everywhere. That means upholding human rights, creating a thriving economy, promoting peace and security and ensuring a higher quality of life worldwide. I call on the Minister of Foreign Affairs to step up and pressure the Nigerian government to do everything in its power to ensure that Leah is released immediately.

[Business of Supply, September 27th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, there are a lot of things to respond to there.

I agree with the first part of the NDP motion, which points out that the lion's share of the promised funding for the housing strategy that the government announced with great fanfare will not even be possibly implemented until after the next election. Therefore, it is pretty rich to try to pretend we have solved the housing problem by promising money down the road.

If we look at the track record of fulfilling promises by the government, I could go on for another 10 minutes and list many of the broken promises from only three years ago let alone looking at a program that telescopes into the future 10 years.

[Business of Supply, September 27th, 2018]

Mr. Speaker, it is almost comical to think that my colleague would suggest that children are buying houses. To infer that somehow I am keeping children out of housing by suggesting they get a job is ridiculous. We know we are talking about the parents of those children who need a job. Children do not go out and purchase homes.

What good does it do to promise hundreds of millions of dollars to be invested in housing 10 years down the road when, in the meantime, we create an economy that is leading to the loss of thousands upon thousands of jobs thereby putting people out of the housing in which they are currently living? That makes no sense.

When it comes to the housing first, Tim Richter from the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness said:

The Housing First philosophy and Housing First programs are essential to preventing and reducing chronic homelessness, in fact, we won’t prevent and reduce chronic homelessness in Canada without it.

That is pretty high praise for a program that the Conservative government initiated and was doing a great job. In my own area of the Waterloo region, I have countless examples of how housing first helped dozens of people.