Madam Speaker, I have a petition that calls upon the House of Commons to support Bill S-214 and ban the sale and/or manufacture of animal-tested cosmetics and their ingredients in Canada moving forward.
House of Commons photoLost his last election, in 2021, with 26% of the vote.
Petitions January 31st, 2020
Madam Speaker, I have a petition that calls upon the House of Commons to support Bill S-214 and ban the sale and/or manufacture of animal-tested cosmetics and their ingredients in Canada moving forward.
Seniors January 30th, 2020
Mr. Speaker, the Vancouver Island Health Authority recently had to take over the administration of three seniors care facilities due to unsafe conditions. Three years ago the government approved the sale of these facilities to Anbang Insurance, which is now a Chinese state-owned corporation. Foreign corporations have no connection to our communities and should not be profiting from poor-quality seniors care.
Will the government exclude seniors care facilities from foreign ownership?
Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement Implementation Act January 30th, 2020
Mr. Speaker, one of things I am very pleased about with this new trade agreement is that it has eliminated the investor-state dispute settlement provisions in the trade agreement, which give corporations extraordinary rights and powers to challenge our laws and policies that are put in place to protect citizens, our environment and workers.
Would the member opposite like to see investor state removed from the other trade agreements we have signed, historically, and would he like to see Canada renegotiate some of these trade agreements to get rid of this anti-democratic measure that was in NAFTA, which will be removed in the CUSMA?
Business of Supply January 28th, 2020
Madam Speaker, it has been noted by HealthCareCAN, which represents hospitals and health care organizations across this country, that we have a $15-billion deficit with respect to maintaining hospitals. Hospitals use 11% of public infrastructure energy and 5% of Canada's greenhouse gases are emitted by hospitals. It also noted that 48% of hospitals are over 50 years old and 69% of hospitals in our cities are over 50 years old. They must operate in disaster conditions, such as fires, floods, earthquakes or viral outbreaks. Hospital and health care organizations are ineligible for federal funding from the building Canada fund, the disaster mitigation and adaptation fund, and the knowledge in infrastructure fund.
Does the member not think that it is time for the federal government to put money into this crucial part of our society to rebuild our health care infrastructure, to make sure that it is resilient in a time of climate change and when we need to be prepared for disaster and disaster mitigation?
The Environment January 27th, 2020
Mr. Speaker, there were approvals by the prior government for the Site C project. However, the other parts of that approval were done by the Liberal government after meeting with the West Moberly and Prophet River first nations for a whole 20 minutes, and they had asked for this project to be stopped.
We also know right now that the RCMP has a detachment 30 kilometres off the beaten trail, where they are preparing to enforce an injunction for a pipeline that was given an alternative route by the hereditary chiefs. I am calling on the Liberal government and the government of British Columbia to come to the table to negotiate with first nations in good faith and to call off the RCMP.
This cannot be another black eye on Canada. The action that was taken by the RCMP last year was really a black eye on Canada, and it is a difficult position to put the RCMP in, enforcing an order for a political failure. Let us get to the table and deal with first nations.
The Environment January 27th, 2020
Mr. Speaker, in December 2018, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights sent a letter to the government asking that the construction of the Site C dam be stopped until prior, informed consent was given to the project by first nations.
The Site C dam had large opposition from all the first nations in the region, but after it was approved by the provincial government, a number of first nations conceded. Conceding is not giving consent and there are two first nations that are fighting this in the courts right now.
The government promised it would implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Article 32 states:
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to determine and develop priorities and strategies for the development or use of their lands or territories and other resources.
2. States shall consult and cooperate in good faith with the indigenous peoples concerned through their own representative institutions in order to obtain their free and informed consent prior to the approval of any project affecting their lands or territories and other resources, particularly in connection with the development, utilization or exploitation of mineral, water or other resources.
The Speech from the Throne dedicated a section to “Walking the Road of Reconciliation”, highlighting that since 2015 the government “promised a new relationship with Indigenous Peoples”.
However, on December 13, 2019, the United Nations committee on the elimination of racial discrimination, through the high commissioner's office, published an early warning and urgent action procedure to the government, urging the government to suspend three projects that neglect the rights of indigenous peoples: the Site C dam, the Trans Mountain pipeline extension and the Coastal GasLink until these projects obtain free, prior and informed consent by all indigenous people affected.
I would like to remind the government of the Delgamuukw decision. Under section 35 of the Constitution, aboriginal rights and titles are affirmed. In the Delgamuukw, it was hereditary chiefs who were the plaintiffs in that case. It was not the elected band councillors who are part of the Indian Act system that was created through colonization.
The chiefs and band councillors have a role to play. They are a legitimate form of government, but it is the hereditary chiefs who are recognized in the Constitution and in the Supreme Court decision.
The Tsilhqot’in decision reaffirms that it must be the first nations that determine how aboriginal rights and titles are determined. The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination calls upon Canada to:
...immediately cease construction of the Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion project and cancel all permits, until free, prior and informed consent is obtained by all the Secwepemc people....
...immediately suspend the construction of the Site C dam, until free, prior and informed consent is obtained from West Moberly and Prophet River Nations....
...immediately halt the construction and suspend all permits and approvals for the construction of the Coastal Gas Link pipeline in the traditional and unceded lands and territories of the Wet'suwet'en people, until they grant their free, prior and informed consent....
They proposed an alternate route for that pipeline.
They are also calling on the government to pull back the RCMP and to ensure that it does not use force against indigenous first nations, the hereditary chiefs and their decision to affirm their rights and sovereignty over their lands.
Petitions January 27th, 2020
Mr. Speaker, I am tabling a petition that calls on the government to collaborate with the provinces on the immediate development and implementation of a comprehensive national strategy to reduce waste in Canada, including the development of mandatory extended producer responsibility programs and deposit return programs, which will both reduce environmental impacts and save Canadians money.
Resumption of debate on Address in Reply January 27th, 2020
Madam Speaker, the federal government has a large role to play in making sure that conservation areas are conserved. This is really important to my area, where most of the land is private land, so putting conservation measures in Nanaimo—Ladysmith would mean that we would need to deal with private land. It is going to need both federal and provincial funding.
Resumption of debate on Address in Reply January 27th, 2020
Madam Speaker, I would like us to follow the northern European model of taxation. There is much more equity in that system. There they do not have the kind of poverty that we have here in a wealthy country. The wealth is shared, and the wealthy are doing just fine. They are paying their fair share. They are using the social services provided by those taxes, and their workers are benefiting from them as well.
We should have an extreme wealth tax on people who make more than $1 million a year. What do they need all that wealth for?
Resumption of debate on Address in Reply January 27th, 2020
Madam Speaker, in the previous election I listened to the environment minister tell us from Canadian Tire how, as consumers, we can change our light bulbs and do that sort of thing. I have already done that. I have done two home energy retrofits and I have taken care of my own carbon footprint. What we need to do is regulate industry.
We have the Copenhagen agreement, which has its targets due this year. Ten of the provinces and territories, representing 85% of the population, have met their targets, but Alberta and Saskatchewan have not. That is mainly because of oil and gas extraction and because of fracking and the expansion of the oil sands.
We talk about Teck Resources wiping out a whole area of the boreal forest and turning it into a tailings pond when we should be talking about planting trees. Why not leave those trees in place? Why not look at renewable energy and real solutions to climate change, rather than the expansion of fossil fuels. That includes fracking and the LNG projects. We need to stop subsidizing fossil fuel industries in this country.