Kellie Leitch

[Economic Action Plan 2015 Act, No. 1, June 10th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, as I have mentioned before in this place, it is extremely important for all Canadians to look at what we have put forward in the budget. All portions of part 2 of the Canada Labour Code, that is, occupational health and safety coverage for any employee, are now being extended to interns.

With respect to part 3 of the code, labour standards, that is being reviewed, as requested, by individuals across the country to make sure that we cover all the labour standards that would be appropriate for interns. Obviously, people who are not being paid do not require paid leave, and we do not include that.

Those are the types of things we are looking forward to discussing with respect to labour standards to make sure that they are all-inclusive.

As I have mentioned before, we encourage the internship association to please read the bill and look at it. We did extensive consultations all over the country. The parliamentary secretary from British Columbia did an outstanding job of speaking to young Canadians, to older individuals who are transitioning in work, and to new Canadians about how important internships are. That is what this bill encompasses to make sure that all of those protections that have to be afforded, all occupational health and safety coverage in part 2 of the code, cover all interns in the country.

[Economic Action Plan 2015 Act, No. 1, June 10th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, there are two things. First, with respect to transfer payments, they are on an escalator and will continue to be so, both the social transfer tax as well as the health transfer tax.

With respect to interns, as I mentioned in my speech, it is about coming to a balance. It is extremely appropriate to the point that the member made that individuals do receive payment once they have reached a tipping point.

The budget is very clear. We have a new six-point plan. Individuals who are at school and receiving vocational training would continue as they have in the past, but now would have all the additional protections. They would remain unpaid because that is part of their educational process.

For those who enter the workplace, we are setting a maximum of four months of unpaid internship and then an employer must move forward ensuring that those individuals receive a salary.

[Economic Action Plan 2015 Act, No. 1, June 10th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to rise in the House today to support the budget implementation act.

As Minister of Labour and Minister of Status of Women, I am proud that our budget will improve health and safety in the workplace, strengthen protections for interns and provide added support for employees who are caring for their gravely ill family members.

The Government of Canada understands very well that a safe, fair and productive workplace is an important part of creating jobs, stimulating growth and ensuring long-term prosperity. That has always been a priority.

We know that a strong and healthy economy relies on a workforce that is also strong and healthy.

That workforce includes interns. Internships have generated significant debate and discussion over the past year, and for good reason. Internships play an essential role when it comes to providing Canadians with opportunities to gain skills and experience that they need to join and succeed in the workforce.

Whether paid or unpaid, internships are an important way to improve employment prospects. In fact, a November 2014 survey by the Association of Universities and Colleges found that four out of five employers say that internships provide students added value as well as for their companies. They bring new talent into their organizations and the benefits go both ways.

Internships give students an opportunity to acquire the skills they need to participate in the workforce. It is estimated that there are currently hundreds of thousands of interns in workplaces across Canada.

Many of them are working toward degrees or diplomas through secondary or post-secondary educational institutions, or through vocational schools, but not all of them. There are also recent graduates, new Canadians, people pursuing career changes and those looking to return to the workforce after a period absence, among others, who are also engaging in internships.

Internships make it possible to acquire valuable knowledge and experience. However, it is also important for interns, regardless of pay, to be protected by the Canadian Labour Code.

Members may remember Andy Ferguson, a young student who died in November 2011 after an overnight shift at an Alberta radio station where he had been an intern. His brother believes he fell asleep at the wheel after working 16 hours in a 24-hour period. Since Andy passed away, his family has been pushing for labour protection for interns. When the budget was introduced, Matthew Ferguson, his brother, responded by saying, “I didn't expect it at this scale, or this quickly, but it's still very exciting that it has come out today”.

This clearly shows that the government took the necessary measures to ensure that interns are properly protected. Occupational health and safety are extremely important. We take our mandate very seriously.

The budget implementation act would amend the Canada Labour Code to ensure that all interns under federal jurisdiction, regardless of pay, would receive occupational health and safety protection. This would include the right to refuse dangerous work.

The code would also be amended to clarify the circumstances when unpaid internships could be offered. In addition, the code would be amended to allow labour standards protection to apply and to be adapted to unpaid interns. That way we would ensure that all interns are protected appropriately in the workplace without discouraging employers from offering unpaid internships should they wish to do so.

As we heard in committee from Mr. John Farrell, the executive director of the Federally Regulated Employers - Transportation and Communications Group, interns are not employees, but they have the right to be treated fairly and an appropriate balance is required.

Our government listened to what Canadians had to say about this and we acted quickly. Our government is also concerned about job security for employees who have to stop working to take care of a sick loved one and about the income assistance they receive.

Our government will also be introducing an extension to the compassionate care benefits under the federal employment insurance program. We will be investing up to $37 million annually to extend the duration of compassionate care benefits, from the current six weeks to six months.

We are also extending the time period within which claimants can receive those benefits, from 26 weeks to 52 weeks. In addition, we are amending the Canada Labour Code to ensure that employees in federally regulated workplaces have their jobs protected when they access these increased benefits. We expect these changes to come into force in January 2016.

We heard from Canadians that the existing program parameters did not reflect the financial hardship and emotional stress that people providing end of life care often face. I can say from first-hand experience, working with individuals within my own riding, and I am sure other members have experienced the same, that the issue of making sure individuals can be with their loved one at the most valuable time they can be when they require them, especially at an end of life experience, and that having this extension of compassionate care leave from six weeks to six months is being viewed extremely well.

That is why the government will support Canadian workers during the most difficult times of their lives. That is why these changes are so important.

Ensuring that Canadians are well protected and can pursue their own personal economic prosperity is something that our government is determined to do.

This bill would put our budget measures into action. It would strengthen workplace protections for interns and ensure job security for employees who are caring for their loved ones.

Budget 2015 is proof of our commitment to create a strong and healthy workforce that will, in turn, create a strong and healthy economy.

Budget 2015 is good for all Canadians. I would urge hon. members in the House to vote in favour of the bill and give their support to a stronger workforce and a stronger economy.

[Aboriginal Affairs, June 4th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, last I checked, I am female myself.

These are terrible crimes against innocent people. As I have said many times in this House, the RCMP has conducted its own study, and the vast majority of these cases have been addressed and solved. What we do not need is yet another study. We have 40 of those. What we do need is action.

What this government has been focused on is making sure that we take action, whether it be on matrimonial property rights, safety plans, or other initiatives to protect women. We encourage the opposition to follow suit.

[Aboriginal Affairs, June 2nd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, these were terrible crimes against innocent people. The RCMP said in its own study that the vast majority of these cases are addressed and are solved through police investigations.

We do not need yet another study, as I have mentioned before, as some 40 studies have already been done. What we need is a place to catch those responsible and ensure that they are punished. What we need now is action, action like what our government has taken on matrimonial property rights, the creation of safety plans, or making sure that there are shelters available for women on reserves.

We are taking action. We encourage the opposition to follow our lead.

[Committees of the House, June 2nd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, similar to my colleague from Oakville, I completely agree. Why would we want to legalize another drug that could just put children at risk?

Our government has been very clear. We do not support making access to illegal drugs easier. This Conservative government will focus on making sure children do not have access to smoking marijuana, unlike the opposition members who seem to want to put children at risk through this process.

[Committees of the House, June 2nd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I recognize the member in the opposition side wants to change the dialogue here, but let us be really clear. Marijuana is an illegal drug and it has long-lasting, severe health effects on children.

The Liberal leader would want to legalize marijuana, making it easier for kids to buy. That is the simple truth. That is what he said he wants to do. This side of the House believes it should be illegal, that children should not have access because of the huge impacts it has on their long-term potential. Our government is going to protect kids. They obviously want to put them at risk.

[Committees of the House, June 2nd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I want to be very clear. Marijuana is bad for kids, and that is why I am standing here making sure that children are protected.

We know what the medical effects are when, as I mentioned in my speech, children have short-term or long-term exposure to this drug. We know the health effects can be long lasting, impacting their concentration or developing terrible mental health diseases that impact the rest of their lives.

This is actually not about political posturing, like the opposition. This is about making sure Canadian children are protected.

[Committees of the House, June 2nd, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to have the opportunity to rise in the House today to speak about the serious health risks of marijuana. I will be splitting my time with the member for Mississauga East—Cooksville.

The health committee's report largely confirmed what members of the House already know. The health risks of smoking marijuana are simply irrefutable. Whether that be schizophrenia, psychosis, challenges with respect to impact on blood pressure or, quite frankly, even blood sugar, members of this House should know that Canadians kids who smoke marijuana far too frequently experience these risks.

Compare this reality with what the Liberal leader plans to do in legalizing marijuana that would see marijuana sold in stores, just like cigarettes or alcohol or, quite frankly, even candy. This approach is simply irresponsible, and I can tell the House about the risks in which it puts children. Unlike members of the opposition, I stand in emergency departments and see these children as they come in first hand. I see the impacts on these children and how terribly disturbed they are when they hit the emergency department.

No matter what the opposition says, no parent in my riding or no parent, I would think, in this country, wants their child to experience the severe experiences of psychosis or schizophrenia, things we would never want to see our children experience.

The Liberal members, as I said earlier, actually think that aspirin is just like marijuana. If we asked anyone in the area of the world I come from, they really think an aspirin is helpful when they need it, but they would never use marijuana in the same way.

This Conservative government wants to stop kids from smoking marijuana, and I just want to highlight a few of the initiatives that our government is undertaking.

In 2007, our government announced the national anti-drug strategy. The strategy contributes to making communities safer and healthier by coordinating to prevent the use of illicit drugs and the abuse of prescription drugs. It is helping with efforts to treat dependency for those who have serious addiction problems, and by working toward reducing the production and distribution of illicit drugs, some of which have already been mentioned in the House already. We are doing that. We have taken action on it. We started in 2007.

Research shows that marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug by young people. Almost one in five students in grades 7 to 12 have used marijuana in the past year. The average age at which teens first try marijuana is 14 years old.

These statistics are alarming and confirm that the Liberal plan to legalize marijuana and their leader's insistence on normalizing the practice is, quite frankly, irresponsible and will make it even easier for kids to buy and smoke marijuana.

If the Liberal leader had his way, he would make marijuana more accessible, and has even called this Conservative government's action to shut down home grow ops, “hyper-controlled”. I would rather have that “hyper-control” and make sure children in my riding are protected rather than what the opposition is suggesting. Home group ops are dangerous and are found throughout Canadian neighbourhoods already because the courts are standing in the way of our action to shut them down to make sure children cannot access marijuana. This Conservative government will not tolerate home grow ops and we will continue to fight the courts on this issue.

We do not support making access to illegal drugs easier for kids or any Canadian. Under the national anti-drug strategy, we are undertaking specific action to address marijuana use by our young people, and we are seeing results. According to the Canadian drug use monitoring survey, marijuana use by youth has dropped by almost 30% since 2008 and 45% since 2004. The Liberal plan to legalize marijuana can only have one effect: increasing access and use.

Health Canada monitors and assesses emerging scientific evidence of the harms of marijuana use, and conducts ongoing monitoring of changes in the prevalence of youth and adult use of marijuana.

Through significant funding, Health Canada helps raise awareness through various projects and research initiatives. These projects help raise awareness of the health risks of marijuana as well as support health professionals, like myself, in their efforts to prevent marijuana and drug abuse. The effects of marijuana use, as I said, are serious, lasting and cannot be ignored.

The opposition would try to lead people to believe that the literature does not exist, but it does. As this report and scientific literature detail, the short-term effects of marijuana use include anxiety, fear or psychosis, among other things. lt can also lead to problems with concentration and the ability to think and make decisions, which can impede a child's ability to learn and succeed long term.

Long-term use can lead to an increased risk of triggering or aggravating psychiatric or mood disorders such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. I am not sure how many opposition members have met someone who is suffering from schizophrenia, has met someone suffering from bipolar disorder, but those people really suffer. They cannot function to the level of their true potential because of those impacts. These effects can cause lifelong problems for the individuals and their families. This Conservative government recognizes the need to keep marijuana out of the hands of kids. We do not support making access to illegal drugs possible, like the Liberals.

The hon. member of Parliament for Vancouver Centre has even stated, “...we have known all along that the long-term effects of cognitive problems coming from the smoking of marijuana over long periods amongst young people, under about 40, are high”

The Liberal leader has seen these facts and decided to completely ignore these harms and risks to Canadian youth. Preventing youth from smoking marijuana is particularly important for our most vulnerable communities. Research indicates that the typical age of onset of most substance abuse is between grade 7 and grade 9. Vulnerable communities can be at a higher risk of drug use for a variety of reasons. There may be reduced access to youth programming and limited access to safe drug-free environments.

The Liberal leader will not help deter youth from using marijuana, but instead, would rather normalize it and make it even more accessible. I guess we are supposed to then have even more programming to make sure that we can treat these children who have been impacted by becoming addicts to this terrible drug. This will not help vulnerable communities that struggle day in, day out with drug abuse.

While the Liberal Party focuses on the legalization of marijuana, our Conservative government is helping Canadian families with multiple projects to greater help youth at risk. Research shows that there is a wide range of reasons why youth begin using marijuana. Through using these data, more finely tuned prevention and educational materials have been developed, tested and distributed to children and their families.

The Liberal leader's plan to legalize marijuana and normalize smoking marijuana trivializes its risks and quite frankly sends the wrong message to our young people. Telling kids it is okay to smoke marijuana, telling kids it is okay to use marijuana every day is not a message Canadian parents want to convey to their kids.

Making marijuana available on store shelves like alcohol and cigarettes will reverse the progress that has already been made in educating young people and their parents of why this is a dangerous substance.

In addition to other projects through the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, our government is also providing $11.9 million over five years extending until 2018 for activities that help reduce drug abuse among youth. These activities include reviewing and synthesising research evidence on the effects of marijuana during adolescence and examining the effectiveness of brief interventions for reducing the use of marijuana.

These activities look at the effects of cannabis and strive to educate young people with up-to-date information about the serious and lasting harms of marijuana.

The former president of the CMA also stated very firmly the position against this, “...especially in youth, the evidence is irrefutable—marijuana is dangerous”. This is a statement that should be taken very seriously, a statement from a well educated physician. This Conservative government takes this issue very seriously and we will continue to fight to prevent kids from smoking marijuana.

In conclusion, I offer yet another quote from Dr. Meldon Kahan who is the medical director of the substance use service at the Women's College Hospital in Toronto. He said during the study by the committee, “...public health organizations need to conduct public health campaigns to counter the prevailing myth that cannabis is harmless and therapeutic”.

As the current president of the Canadian Medical Association has said, “Any effort to highlight the dangers, harm and potential side effects of consuming marijuana is welcome.”

I can say irrefutably having met children who have been under the influence in the emergency department with their parents in exceptional distress, whether it be because they are experiencing a psychosis, or because they have become bipolar, we need to do everything we can to make sure that this is not a legalized drug so that we protect Canadian children, unlike the approach of the Liberal leader who wants to normalize this for every Canadian kid.

[Foreign Affairs, May 14th, 2015]

Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the treaty entitled “Convention concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment” done at Geneva on 26 June, 1973. An explanatory memorandum is included with the treaty.