Soraya Martinez Ferrada

[Business of Supply, May 4th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I have a wired connection, but it appears that my area has been plagued by Internet problems for the past few days. I am sorry, but I do not have a better connection than the wire plugged into my device. I am truly sorry. I will try to continue as best I can.

[Technical difficulty—Editor]

[Business of Supply, May 4th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the House for giving me the opportunity to contribute to today's debate on the efforts made by the Canadian Armed Forces to address the problem of sexual misconduct in their ranks.

Every day, members of the Canadian Armed Forces make enormous sacrifices to protect Canadians. When allegations of misconduct are made, the appropriate procedure must be followed. That is exactly what the Minister of National Defence did. In fact, he followed the same steps as the previous government in 2015.

As the former chief of staff for Stephen Harper, Ray Novak, said, when the leader of the official opposition at the time informed him of the allegations of sexual misconduct, these allegations were forwarded to the Privy Council Office for investigation, the same process that was followed in 2017.

That shows us that the process does not work, and that those who are the victims of sexual misconduct do not trust the process. We must do better. That is why Madame Arbour will formulate concrete recommendations on how to implement an independent external reporting mechanism outside the chain of command.

Sexual misconduct can have devastating effects in the long term. Offering support to the people affected and ensuring their well-being must be our absolute priority.

This is also an incredibly complex social problem, and the Canadian Armed Forces know that they do not have all the answers. They need to be guided by the advice of experts in the field. The Minister of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces know that the only way to improve is to measure the progress made and to be accountable for their actions and decisions.

That is why we recently launched an independent external comprehensive review to determine exactly how and why our current culture allows such harmful behaviours and what we need to do to change this toxic culture of masculinity. That is also why budget 2021 earmarks funds to enhance support measures for those affected.

These measures include creating a new peer-to-peer support program and expanding the reach of the Sexual Misconduct Response Centre. Today I would like to talk about the exceptional work being done by the Centre under the direction of psychologist Denise Preston [Technical difficulty—Editor].

[Rail Transportation, April 29th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I want to assure Canadians, Quebeckers and the people of Lac-Mégantic that rail safety remains our priority and will remain mine.

We are actively strengthening our rail oversight regime. In recent months, we have established new rules, such as speed restrictions for trains transporting dangerous goods. We have also required more frequent inspections and plans to reduce erosion and mitigate the risks associated with cold weather. These changes directly improve safety.

On March 5, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada tweeted, “959 railway accidents were reported to the TSB in 2020, a 12% decrease from the five-year average of 1091 & 59 rail-related fatalities reported in 2020, 13 fewer than the previous year.”

I agree with my colleague that there is more work to be done. Transport Canada will follow up on all of the Auditor General's important recommendations, and this includes looking for ways to show that our inspection and oversight activities are making things better for Canadians, for the people of Lac-Mégantic and for rail workers.

[Rail Transportation, April 29th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, Transport Canada will not hesitate to take whatever action is necessary to protect Canadians who live and work near railroads. I want to assure all Canadians that we are committed to continually improving our rail safety oversight regime, including implementing all of the Auditor General's recommendations.

I would like to share the historical context of the 2013 audit conducted by the current Auditor General's predecessor. On July 6, 2013, a train carrying crude oil derailed in the town of Lac-Mégantic. The resulting explosions devastated the community and claimed the lives of 47 people.

The tragedy brought to light significant deficiencies in Transport Canada's rail safety oversight regime. Following the tragedy, the Auditor General tabled an audit report highlighting areas that required particular attention. In response, Transport Canada took immediate and long-term action to address those deficiencies.

In 2014, we defined the requirements for establishing emergency response assistance plans when trains are transporting dangerous goods. In 2015, Transport Canada introduced new requirements for using thicker steel for tank cars transporting flammable liquids. In 2016, we established stricter regulations for accountability and compensation, requiring railway companies to hold a minimum level of insurance based on the risk posed by the type of dangerous goods they move.

We hired more inspectors. Since 2013, the number of railway safety inspectors has risen from 101 to 155. In 2013, we increased the number of manual inspections from 20,000 to an average of 35,000. Last year, we peaked at 40,581 inspections, the highest number of railway safety inspections ever conducted in Canada. In 2015, we passed the Railway Safety Management System Regulations, 2015, which laid the groundwork for a better safety culture for railway operations.

Building on that progress, in 2015 we created administrative monetary penalties to encourage higher safety performance. We also enhanced our community education, awareness and outreach activities by providing technical briefings to municipal councils.

With more inspections and better risk analysis, we began identifying the main factors contributing to accidents. We addressed these problems through a combination of targeted inspections and regulatory measures.

For example, in October 2020, we approved the Locomotive Voice and Video Recorder Regulations, which helped us gain greater insight into safety concerns and risks. In November 2020, we approved new work/rest rules for railway operating employees, which are in keeping with the most recent scientific evidence on fatigue.

These important changes have improved the safety of rail operations. Over the past five years, the number of deaths attributable to rail explosions has decreased by 27% and the number of accidents has decreased by 12%.

As the Auditor General pointed out in her follow-up audit, Transport Canada still has much work to do. The Minister of Transport has accepted all of the follow-up audit recommendations and we are already implementing measures in that regard.

For example, we are looking for ways to strengthen our Railway Safety Management System Regulations, 2015, and we are preparing to undertake a series of audits of the effectiveness of this management system in the fall of 2021.

The steps we have taken to implement the recommendations of successive auditors general will help ensure that Canada's rail system remains among the safest in the world.

[Petitions, April 29th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to present a petition on oral health on behalf of Denyse Bouvier, an engaged citizen from Hochelaga. This petition has been duly certified and is signed by 6,835 people.

We know that the high cost of oral health services in Quebec and Canada put low-income individuals and families, people experiencing homelessness and our seniors at a disadvantage. Dental health problems can also have an impact on the personal and social lives of Quebeckers and Canadians.

This petition calls on the government to implement a policy of providing free dental health care of all types.

[Château Dufresne, April 27th, 2021]

Mr. Speaker, today I want to highlight the fact that Château Dufresne, a historic Hochelaga landmark, is 200 years old.

Château Dufresne represents 200 years of east Montreal history. In its current role as a museum, it is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the history and heritage of east Montreal.

Oscar, one of the brothers who built the Château, contributed to the area's development and played an important role in fostering francophone culture in Montreal. The other brother, Marius, helped develop an urban plan for east Montreal, which included the Maisonneuve market and the Letourneux fire station.

Both brothers made significant contributions to the economic prosperity and architectural heritage of east Montreal. In its recent budget, our government mentioned the long history of industrial activity in east Montreal, and we will continue our efforts to revitalize the area for the economy of tomorrow.

After renovations and a year of pandemic, Château Dufresne is finally open. I invite everyone from Hochelaga and Montreal to visit the museum and to discover and rediscover the history of east Montreal.

[Health, April 23rd, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question. Ever since the pandemic hit, we have been advising against all non-essential travel. We adopted a multi-pronged approach to protecting Canadians' health and safety. We will continue to base our measures on the wise counsel of our public health officials. We will not hesitate to adjust our measures as needed.

[Health, April 23rd, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

The measures that we have in place are the strictest in the world. While the number of cases of the coronavirus is rising around the world, we are taking the necessary steps to protect Canadians from COVID-19 and its variants. Yesterday, we temporarily suspended all commercial and private passenger flights from India and Pakistan for 30 days. We will continue to advise against all non-essential travel because the safety of Canadians will always be our top priority.

[Health, April 23rd, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question.

On this side of the House, our government will always operate on scientific data, public health advice and the changing COVID-19 situation around the world.

We have indeed temporarily suspended travel from India and Pakistan as we monitor the situation in the region. Passengers must also receive a negative test at their last point of departure before they can fly to Canada. We continue to strongly advise against non-essential travel. The safety of Canadians will always be our priority.

[The Budget, April 22nd, 2021]

Madam Speaker, I would remind my colleague that our government is committed to making GAFAM and their ilk pay and ensuring that they contribute to our country's economic and cultural system.

However, it is up to Canadians as a society to take on debt in order to get through this pandemic.