Kevin Sorenson

[Petitions, May 12th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians want Parliament to know about the tragic story of Cassandra Kaake, who was 31-weeks pregnant when she was murdered in Windsor, Ontario, just over a year ago. Tragically, there will be no justice for Cassandra's preborn baby girl Molly, who was also killed in that violent attack. That is because in Canadian criminal law, a preborn child is not recognized as a separate victim in an attack against a mother.

The petitioners call upon Parliament to pass legislation that would allow a separate charge to be laid in the death or injury of a preborn child when that child's mother is a victim of crime. Canadians want justice for victims like Molly.

These petitions are signed by many individuals from Alberta, mainly from east central Alberta.

[Committees of the House, May 12th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following eight reports of the Standing Committee on Public Accounts: the first report, on Chapter 3, “Mental Health Services for Veterans”, of the fall 2014 report of the Auditor General of Canada; the second report, on Chapter 6, “Nutrition North Canada—Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada”, of the fall 2014 report of the Auditor General of Canada; the third report, on Chapter 5, “Support to the Automotive Sector”, of the fall 2014 report of the Auditor General of Canada; the fourth report, on Chapter 2, “Required Reporting by Federal Organizations”, of the spring 2015 report of the Auditor General of Canada; the fifth report, on Chapter 3, “Tax-Based Expenditures”, of the spring 2015 report of the Auditor General of Canada; the sixth report, on Chapter 5, “Information Technology Investments—Canada Border Services Agency”, of the spring 2015 report of the Auditor General of Canada; and the seventh report, on Chapter 4, “Access to Health Services for Remote First Nation Communities”, of the spring 2015 report of the Auditor General of Canada.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to each of these seven reports, and the eighth report in relation to the committee's studies of the main estimates for the fiscal year 2016-17.

[Budget Implementation Act, 2016, No. 1, May 5th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I just wonder if the member would comment on some of the things that our previous government did, especially in 2006 to 2008, before the entire planet went into recession.

We paid down close to $40 billion of national debt. We lowered the GST from 7% to 6% to 5%. Throughout the great recession, we led the G8 and G7, the most industrialized countries in the world, with growth. There was over one million jobs created in spite of that recession. Also, we balanced the books and had a surplus a year ahead of the action plan.

[Criminal Code, May 3rd, 2016]

Madam Speaker, again, we have an aging population in the country. More and more people are living longer. Health and medicine, as well as many other things, are prolonging life.

We need to be aware of that, and we need to ask what it will look like 10 years down the road. We need to start having a stronger commitment, right now, toward palliative care so when decisions like this need to be made people have an alternative. To be quite frank, if I had seen a line item in a budget that said that because of the Carter decision, the government would now focus on palliative care, I would have applauded that.

In the last government, we started consultations on palliative care. In fact, the Leader of the Opposition, who was health minister at the time, started consultations on Alzheimer's patients, palliative care, and long-term care. Again, we were looking forward to this type of debate.

Obviously on all sides, as we live out our lives, we want to know that the end is going to be lived as comfortably and compassionately as a society like ours should be providing.

[Criminal Code, May 3rd, 2016]

Madam Speaker, I do not think I talked about the motives of the government a lot in my speech. We all understand the government is doing this because the Supreme Court made a decision and directed us to do it. I am not saying there are certain political motives. Forgive me, if it came across that way. I certainly did not mean to say that.

However, I am skeptical. I am very pleased when I hear the member say that he believes in good faith that amendments will be taken at committee, and that in good faith we will hear from all different types of witnesses. To be honest, I have seen in the past where it has been shut down. We saw it in the joint committee. It was a very narrow group of witnesses to which the committee was able to listen.

On the member's other question, which was—

[Criminal Code, May 3rd, 2016]

Madam Speaker, three times pro-doctor-assisted suicide groups testified, but the committee did not hear from any anti-euthanasia advocacy groups.

Now the government is telling us that the justice committee, during its hearings, will allow amendments. The Liberals say that the committee can make amendments and better define things like conscience rights, or what happens when a doctor refuses to assist a person to commit suicide. The committee may look at the term “reasonable foreseeable death” or the issue of advance consent. However, I have no faith in the Liberal-dominated committee that will hear Bill C-14.

Today the Liberals are in a hurry to pass the bill and send it to committee. I have served and chaired many committees, I have seen how witness lists have been tightly controlled. I do not believe the views of average Canadians will be heard at this committee. I do not believe the religious community in Canada will even be given the chance to testify. I think we will see a Liberal-dominated committee that will turn down all amendments that might change the bill.

We already saw that at the previous special joint committee. That is why the official opposition had to table a dissenting report to the conclusions of the committee. We listed the problems that must be addressed. I am thankful for some of those issues being addressed in Bill C-14.

There is a void in Canada, and elsewhere for that matter, on behalf of people who do not ever deal with death and dying on a day-to-day basis. Many are in absolute fear of dying. It is the great unknown. There is a chance there will be unbearable pain and suffering, many people believe. We do not know.

Palliative care experts tell us that it is possible to find balance in the human body. The human body is very good at shutting itself down, and palliative care is all about assisting each individual in that process compassionately.

My daughter and wife both serve as nurses. They have been at the bedsides of those who are dying and have compassionately cared for them, making certain that pain is addressed, or that there is very little pain in some cases.

The provinces will decide certain questions on the bill. Health services are, as we know, a provincial jurisdiction. The government knows this and it is trying to wash its hands of some of that issue. In fact, the Liberal government knows there are going to be many problems within the bill when we move forward to the next level and try to get unanimity among all the provinces and territories.

The government has already said that it will continue to study the issues of doctor-assisted suicide. Some have said that we will continue to study the issue around mature minors. Will they someday be able to receive assisted suicide, or people with mental illness? The government is going to study that as well as advance requests.

We know we live in a time where there is a slippery slope. Here we are debating Bill C-14. Most of us think those are the parameters today, but what will they be tomorrow? If it is a right today for some people to have doctor-assisted suicide, why is it not then a right for someone else? How long do we think it will before the courts take that one on and change what we may very well want to implement here today? I think it is a concern for people on both sides of the House. It is not good enough, so we need to do some of this work before we talk about the many other things.

There are a couple of areas of concern with the bill that need to be addressed at committee. Canadians need to be certain that physician-assisted dying is limited to competent adult persons 18 years of age and older. We need to ensure safeguards for vulnerable persons and confirm their capacity to make decisions about their life or being killed. We need conscience protections for physicians, and this is the big one.

We need conscience protections for physicians, nurses and other medical practitioners who oppose physician-assisted dying. Once Bill C-14 is passed into law, without conscience protections, euthanasia and assisted suicide will enter the standard of care.

I should have spoken more quickly, because I have about five more pages. It is a heartfelt issue. I believe in the sanctity of life.

[Criminal Code, May 3rd, 2016]

Madam Speaker, it is always a pleasure to stand in the House to debate the issues of the day, although this is not one that I would have ever chosen to debate in the House. It has been debated before a number of times. Each time it was defeated, and each time it brought me a certain degree of relief when it was.

I want to thank the many constituents of Battle River—Crowfoot who have contacted me about the issue of doctor-assisted suicide. This issue has been raised a number of times, as I said, and every time my constituents have been very vocal in their opposition to making assisted suicide available.

There are some who disagree and are willing to support efforts to make assisted dying available in very limited circumstances, but the vast majority of my constituents in Battle River—Crowfoot, and, I dare say, most Canadians, do not want to unleash doctor-assisted suicide on our country. Why? It is because we have seen what has happened, to be quite frank, in other countries, how it started, and where it is now. I am not sure if we are going down any different road.

One of constituents from Bashaw, Alberta, sent me a letter and a paragraph in that letter sums up how things seem to be going. I will quote what was said. The letter states:

We want students to make responsible decisions for themselves about all manner of things from sexual activity to career choices to not inflicting self-harm. At the same time, we tell them they are only advanced animals with no eternal purpose. On the reserves, especially, we talk about our respect for the Elders and then as a broader society we discuss how we can help our elders kill themselves. We encourage youth to stay away from drugs and excessive alcohol consumption. Then we discuss how to legalize marijuana.

Here we are today with the Liberal government forcing us to pass a law that would legalize doctor-assisted suicide. We should be talking in the House about palliative care and end-of-life treatment. Did we hear that or see a line item in the budget? No, not a mention.

We should be providing funding to improve and provide palliative care to our aging population in our cities and rural communities. The previous Conservative government started the consultation. After the Carter decision, many submissions were made by Canadians. It is a difficult issue in households across Canada for families who face this and confront the issue. It is a very controversial and highly emotional issue.

Many Canadians believe that the Supreme Court's decision in the Carter v. Canada case is another instance of judicial activism. That was stated in many of the letters received by my constituency office. The court struck down the criminal laws against physician-assisted dying. Many Canadians supported the laws against doctor-assisted suicide. There was a very small group asking for this, the smallest of minorities, but the Supreme Court gave these special interest groups what they wanted.

I believe the Liberal government has shirked its responsibility to educate Canadians on what we are debating. There has not been enough consultations with individuals, groups, and experts. Even today, in the midst of this debate, which has been a good debate, the Liberals tried to shut down the debate. The Liberals have not taken into account a range of interests in Bill C-14, such as those advocating religious freedom. The previous speaker talked about the conscience rights of physicians and health providers and many are advocating for safeguards to protect the vulnerable. This bill is not a compassionate approach that considers all pertinent interests.

I do not believe the Special Joint Committee on Physician-Assisted Dying did a sufficient study. Quebec studied this issue for six years. Other countries studied it for years. However, the court has given Canada only a matter of weeks of study. The committee did not study what happened in other jurisdictions where we have seen this brought forward. The special joint committee heard from pro-euthanasia lobby groups. It had some of the pro-euthanasia groups appear on three separate panels.

[Garry Lefebvre, April 14th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, I rise in remembrance of a constituent of mine, Garry Lefebvre, who passed away on March 16, 2016.

Garry was well known and well respected all across our country and especially in Alberta.

He was a man of strong Christian faith.

Garry was an athlete and played eight seasons in the Canadian Football League for the Edmonton Eskimos and the Montreal Alouettes. He earned two Grey Cup rings and achieved top rookie in the western conference and top Canadian player in one of his Grey Cup games.

He went on to become one of the founders of Athletes in Action Canada.

Garry helped build Canada's first Circle Square Ranch, a summer camp in Halkirk, Alberta, where still hundreds of youth attend each and every summer.

I have had the pleasure of hearing Garry Lefebvre speak on a number of occasions, and whether speaking on football in the CFL or on his relationship with Jesus Christ, he spoke passionately.

Our prayers are with his loving wife Sandy, his children Cheri and Brad, and their children.

Garry will be sadly missed.

[Easter, March 24th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, this weekend, around the world those of the Christian faith will celebrate Easter. Western civilization, our parliamentary institutions, human rights, the Canadian Constitution, common law, criminal law, and le Code civil all have deep roots in Christianity.

Our traditions and cultures have evolved over time from the promise of a coming Messiah in the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament. We are promised everlasting life when we put our faith in Jesus Christ. The struggles of our daily lives and the sacrifices that we make pale in comparison to the sacrifice of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. He died on the cross at Calvary to pay for our sins and then rose from the grave to give us hope for our resurrection and eternal life.

This weekend we celebrate the life and death of our Lord Jesus Christ, but even more we celebrate his victory over death.

[Air Canada, February 25th, 2016]

Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, I think it is obvious now that Canadians know that when we are talking about our finances that they were better off with our Conservative government. The department knows it was better off with the Conservative government. The “Fiscal Monitor” shows it.

I seek unanimous consent to table the “Fiscal Monitor” that shows that we were better off.