Tamara Jansen

[Business of Supply, February 18th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, I am wondering if my esteemed colleague could clarify for me who this program would apply to. She mentioned in her speech there are those who do not have other insurance to get them through, such as mortgage insurance. Does she mean to say that this program would be limited to a very specific group of cancer patients who do not have mortgage insurance or is this for all cancer patients?

[Langley Senior Resources Society, February 7th, 2020]

Madam Speaker, seniors today face many difficult challenges, including housing, health care, finances, neglect and abuse. They need community and they need to remain active in order to stay healthy and feel engaged. That is why I am honoured to rise today to recognize the Langley seniors resource centre and the invaluable benefits it provides to seniors in Langley and the surrounding communities.

Since 1982, the mission of the centre has been to deliver services aimed at meeting the emotional, physical and social needs of seniors. I was recently given a wonderful tour of the facility and saw first-hand what it has to offer: recreational programs, wellness programs, tax clinics, art classes and exciting day trips.

The centre offers these activities in part through using the proceeds from its café and thrift store, as well as through the selfless efforts of many volunteers. I am grateful for this opportunity to express my appreciation for the Langley seniors resource centre and the work it does for seniors in my riding.

[Health, February 4th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, we are all very happy to know that a plane has been chartered. However, there are still Canadians affected by the coronavirus who have very serious and unanswered questions. Canadians should be able to rest assured that their government has their backs and can solve these types of problems quickly.

The member opposite highlighted the complexity of this sort of evacuation plan, but other countries were able to execute their plans much quicker. What can be done to reduce the complexity of this sort of operation so that in future, Canadians will no longer be jealous of other governments and their ability to handle an evacuation?

[Health, February 4th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, my constituents sent me here to fight for them and to fight for all Canadians. It is truly an honour to serve on the health committee where I can do what I came here to do: stand up for some of Canada's most vulnerable.

I would like to address the question I asked last Tuesday on behalf of a couple in Langley who were waiting for their pregnant daughter and her family to be extracted from Wuhan. I am very pleased to inform the House that the family had found a way onto a British aircraft and are now safely evacuated from the quarantine zone.

Since the last time I addressed the House, I have had dozens of Canadians with family in China contact me for help and answers. They are concerned about the availability of accurate and timely information. Currently, there is no way for families to confirm if their submitted information is properly filed. At this point, there is no way to confirm which persons will be on which plane. There is no way to confirm which permanent residents are scheduled to be repatriated. There also remains a great deal of concern regarding the travel arrangements that will be provided to unaccompanied minors who are in the care of Chinese citizens.

Yesterday, we heard at committee that there are processes in place, but based on my follow-up conversations with concerned Canadians, there still appears to be a disappointing lack of clarification. Yes, Global Affairs has reached out to those affected; however, in many cases, they are not receiving a clearly communicated plan regarding the details of their evacuation. There are still a lot of unanswered questions.

Last night, I spoke to a couple from B.C. The spouse who is a citizen has received confirmation that he will be evacuated, but the evacuation plan for the spouse who is a permanent resident has still not been communicated. I spoke with another fellow whose baby, two-year-old Gavin, will be accompanied by one or more of his grandparents who are Chinese citizens and will act as his guardians. We were assured in committee yesterday that cost will not be an obstacle for Canadians, and yet this father was asked, “What kind of health insurance do Gavin's grandparents have?”

While we are on the topic of a clearly communicated plan, I would like to share another story with the House, which was reported to me by an employee of the Vancouver Airport. This man, who I will call Jack, works for CATSA. Jack is concerned for the safety of his co-workers and passengers at the airport. He told me that, unlike CBSA, the pre-board screening officers do not have a dedicated area, nor training, nor guidance, nor identifying tools to deal with outbound passengers who may be displaying symptoms. Health Canada says that the virus is not airborne and is preventable if one washes one's hands and stays at least two metres away from potential carriers. Jack said that was not possible. Screening officers come into direct contact with passengers. Further, his employer is not providing them with face masks and had even asked that officers refrain from wearing them to avoid panic.

What concerns Canadians, as much as the lack of communication, is the delay in coming up with a plan. A week ago, many of our allies had already begun evacuating their citizens, which is why the daughter of the couple from Langley were able to get on a British plane. We were told at committee that this sort of coordinated effort is extremely complicated. While I appreciate that, it was equally complicated for the other nations to evacuate their citizens. The U.S. has just completed its last flight and we have not done our first.

Why is the government's response to this global health emergency so much slower than that of our allies, and when will every affected Canadian know how they or their families will be brought home from China?

[Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement Implementation Act, January 31st, 2020]

Madam Speaker, the Prime Minister was very excited about Canada's opportunity to work toward gender equality protections in the NAFTA negotiations because he mentioned that gender equality is an economic issue. Could the member opposite tell us what sort of big wins we received in regard to gender issues in the new NAFTA?

[Health, January 28th, 2020]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday Reg and Sherry Renner from Langley reached out for help. Their daughter Lauren, her husband and two-year-old child live and work in Wuhan, which is currently on lockdown. Lauren is eight months pregnant. Due to the ban on all public and private traffic in the city, she is unable to travel freely to the hospital should she go into labour. Being a grandmother myself, I understand the real urgency of the situation. What is the government's plan to ensure the safety of Lauren and her unborn child?

[Resumption of debate on Address in Reply, December 13th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I am not sure that Mr. Trudeau will be the one who actually goes down in the books of history for the child tax benefit. I know I have children, and I was very grateful to benefit from the child tax credit.

I am curious to know if the member truly thinks the Prime Minister will go into the books of history for this?

[Public Safety, December 9th, 2019]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the voters of Cloverdale—Langley City for the honour of serving them in the House as their member of Parliament.

The recently defeated former minister of public safety, Ralph Goodale, had promised a decision on whether to ban Huawei before the recent election. Then he flip-flopped and said it would come immediately after. Here we are: Canada's allies have found serious security concerns about Huawei.

Will the Liberals do the right thing to protect Canadians from Chinese espionage and immediately ban Huawei from Canada's 5G network?