Kerry-Lynne Findlay

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, yet that did not happen under the minister in the exemption she granted to British Columbia.

Should nurses be exposed to meth smoke in their workplace, yes or no?

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, would the minister say if nurses should be exposed to fentanyl smoke in the workplace, yes or no?

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, five nurses on one shift were so sick that they had to be sent to emergency because of exposure to fentanyl smoke. Does the minister find this acceptable?

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, a B.C. nurse was told not to breastfeed her child in case her milk was contaminated by drugs she was exposed to at work. As a parent, does the minister find this acceptable?

[Business of Supply, May 29th, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, my questions will all be for the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions.

Does the minister agree that hospitals should be safe places where patient care is a priority?

[Safe Hospitals Act, May 28th, 2024]

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-391, An Act to amend the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (possession of weapons and drugs in hospitals).

Mr. Speaker, under the radical and extremist Liberal-NDP government, our hospitals, once sanctuaries of care and safety, have become infested with chaos, drugs and weapons. In B.C. specifically, we have heard countless reports from the B.C. Nurses' Union of staff being exposed to fentanyl and meth smoke in their workplace.

A nurse on Vancouver Island was exposed to hard drug smoke at work. The exposure was so bad that she required emergency care and was told to stop breastfeeding her baby. In April, five nurses on one shift all had to be treated in emergency due to fentanyl smoke exposure. This is at a time when we have an urgent shortage of nurses, patients waiting for OR time and cancer patients being sent to Washington state for treatment.

This is the reality after nine years of the NDP-Liberal government.

Doctors and nurses should feel safe at work. Vulnerable patients should not be concerned about the presence of dangerous weapons while they are receiving care in our hospitals. This is common sense.

That is why I am introducing the safe hospitals act. This act would toughen sentences for criminals who bring weapons into hospitals to ensure the punishment fits the serious crime that it is. This act would also ban ministers of the Crown from granting an exemption to allow open, unsupervised and unprescribed hard drug use in hospitals. It is common-sense legislation to protect doctors, nurses and patients.

I look forward to this bill receiving the unanimous support of all parties. It will stop the crime and the chaos.

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

[Budget Implementation Act, 2024, No. 1, May 22nd, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives request a recorded division.

[Hon. John Fraser, May 21st, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour and a privilege to rise and pay tribute to a proud British Columbian, a great Canadian and my friend. The Honourable John Allen Fraser passed away last month on April 7 at the age of 92. He was born in Yokohama, Japan, and his family returned to Canada in 1934, settling in Vancouver when he was a small child. As a young man, he worked in a lumber mill in the B.C. interior, sparking a lifelong appreciation for nature and the outdoors. He also developed a strong work ethic that would benefit his distinguished career in public service.

John completed Canadian Army Reserve training and attended law school at UBC. In 1972, he was elected to Parliament as the Conservative voice of Vancouver South, a role he would retain for 21 years. He served in the cabinets of the Right Honourable Joe Clark and the Right Honourable Brian Mulroney as Minister of the Environment, as postmaster general and as Minister of Fisheries and Oceans. From 1986 to 1994, he served as our 32nd Speaker of the House, with the distinction of being the first Speaker elected by secret ballot. I believe the Speaker was a page at that time.

On a personal note, I was honoured to speak at Speaker Fraser's piping out ceremony from the Seaforth Highlanders during my tenure as associate minister of national defence. I and many others sought his counsel on many occasions and always appreciated his kindness, his sense of humour and his wisdom. I can say with confidence that he was held in the highest regard by all who knew him.

Through a mutual love of skiing, John met Cate Findlay in Whistler, beginning a love story that lasted 59 years. I will note again that Cate is not a family member of mine, but is part of the right clan, and John too was always proud of his Scottish heritage. He loved to wear a kilt. He was also very appreciative of his campaign volunteers and organizers, giving gifts of thanks that included the words “country, family, party”.

On behalf of a grateful nation, I once again thank Speaker Fraser for his service and for his contributions to our province and to our country. A celebration of life will be held in Vancouver next Friday, May 31. My thoughts continue to be with his many friends; his three wonderful daughters, Sheena, Anna and Mary; and their children, as they and many friends mourn his loss. He will be greatly missed.

[Mental Health and Addictions, May 21st, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, it will be news to the B.C. Nurses' Union that it is spreading disinformation. Here is the reality. Nurses should never be exposed to fentanyl smoke in their workplace. Patients should not have to worry about dangerous weapons when they are vulnerable and seeking treatment in hospitals. After nine years, I cannot believe I even have to ask this.

Does the Prime Minister support tougher sentences for criminals who bring weapons into hospitals?

Will he make it permanently illegal to smoke meth in hospital rooms next to newborn babies, yes or no?

[Mental Health and Addictions, May 21st, 2024]

Mr. Speaker, after nine years of this NDP-Liberal Prime Minister and his extremist agenda, once-safe B.C. hospitals are now infested with chaos, drugs and weapons. The B.C. Nurses' Union confirms that staff are exposed to fentanyl and meth smoke, even in maternity units. This is wacko.

That is why I will introduce the safe hospitals act, which would toughen penalties for criminals who bring in weapons and ban the minister from allowing open hard drug use in hospitals.

Will the Prime Minister support our common-sense Conservative plan, yes or no?