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Dec/6/21 1:44:16 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, I want to emphasize the need to protect health care workers and facilities that are served by the health care sector. It is such an important aspect of the fight against COVID. Physicians, nurses, PSWs or any support staff going to work in the morning to help Canadians should not be facing intimidation, risk or threats to their lives. That is why we are bringing forward this important legislation. The matters that the hon. member is discussing can be put forward in other legislation, but for the purpose of today it is very important that we pass this as soon as possible.

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Mr. Gord Johns (Courtenay—Alberni, NDP)

Dec/6/21 1:45:01 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, I certainly agree with the part of the legislation that protects our health care workers, and I appreciate the member speaking about it. We know that the government has been guilty of outsourcing at a rapid rate, especially at Veterans Affairs, for which I used to be the the critic. The Liberal government promised to restore the jobs cut by the Conservatives in the previous government, yet it has continued to hire people on short-term contracts. Those who have been impacted by contract flipping practices could lose their paid sick days accumulated in their previous contract. That is what is going to happen to a lot of those workers. Would my colleague be open to amendments that would ensure that all federal sub-jurisdictional workers have access to the 10 paid days of sick leave? Also, will the Liberals do something to stop their government from outsourcing?

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Mr. Gary Anandasangaree

Dec/6/21 1:45:53 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, I would like to emphasize what is in the legislation, and that is to ensure health care workers and health care facilities are protected. During this pandemic, it is important that the federal government play an essential role in ensuring that our front-line workers, our essential workers, and our health care workers are protected against those who would intimidate and abuse them. That is exactly what we are doing in this legislation.

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Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP)

Dec/6/21 1:46:28 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, I want to zero in on something that has not been discussed yet on Bill C-3. As I have been able to state previously, I am very supportive of protecting our wonderful nurses and health care workers. I want to focus on another aspect of sentencing, which is the flexibility that a judge will have. I noticed some commentary in the media that this may be too harsh a way to protect our nurses by having as much as a 10-year sentence. I wonder if the hon. member could comment on the fact that the judge will have a lot of discretion. It can be an offence by summary conviction. It can also be an indictable offence of up to 10 years. There are no mandatory minimums here.

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Mr. Gary Anandasangaree

Dec/6/21 1:47:16 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, I want to emphasize that the legislation in front of us does give judges the discretion and allows them to look at aggravating and mitigating circumstances in sentencing. It is an essential tool that judges are able to use. We believe the judiciary is well positioned to make those decisions and impart sentences at those points in time.

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Mr. Mark Gerretsen (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (Senate), Lib.)

Dec/6/21 1:47:53 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour today to rise to speak to Bill C-3, very important legislation that covers two aspects of providing for our health care workers, especially during this pandemic. The latter half of the bill specifically addresses the issue of paid sick leave and how important it is to ensure that people do not have to choose between paying their bills and going to work. When people are sick, as we have learned through this pandemic, we do not want them going to work and participating in an environment where they could potentially be passing along illness to other people. When we are sick or do not feel well, it is important we stay home. To that end, we need the proper legislation in place to protect workers and give them that flexibility so they can take the proper measures to protect themselves. The other part of the bill, which I will focus a little more on, specifically ensures that proper measures are put into our Criminal Code to protect individuals from being harassed on their way to and from work, in particular, health care professionals. When the bill was introduced, I was extremely happy to hear about the measures that would be put in place. There was an extremely unfortunate incident at Kingston General Hospital at the beginning of the election campaign, when protests were gaining speed and traction. A group of people chose to protest not just in front of Kingston General Hospital, but right in front of the cancer clinic at the hospital. Folks going to receive their cancer treatments and then leaving were being harassed by a protest group that yelled insults. In addition, those serving on the front line, the nurses and doctors, were being harassed as they were going in and out of the hospital. It is absolutely ridiculous that we even need to have this debate or that we have a requirement for legislation. However, unfortunate incidents have been popping up, such as the one most recently in my community of Kingston and the Islands. Perhaps it was the nature of the election taking place at the time that really added fuel to the fire. The unfortunate part about the campaign was that it was taking a political lens. The People's Party of Canada was really promoting this event. People's Party of Canada signs were in front of the hospital during this protest. By and large, on Twitter, it was the People's Party and its supporters who were promoting this event to take place. Of course, they did it all in the name of civil liberties, believing that somehow liberties had been breached during the pandemic, which I find extremely alarming. Even though the People's Party did not win any seats in this place, I still find it concerning when members of the House attempt to play footsies with the issue of civil liberties being in jeopardy during the pandemic. Unfortunately, I am reminded of the more recently formed Conservative liberties caucus, the freedom fighters caucus, whatever it is called, which consists of approximately 15 to 30 Conservative members of Parliament and senators, who somehow find it their job to stand up for the liberties that have been infringed upon during the pandemic. I believe that every person in the House believes strongly that people are entitled to certain rights afforded them under the charter and that, indeed, no person's rights have been infringed upon during the pandemic. However, this is not the way it is being interpreted. When leaders are helping to fuel the fire through their actions and words, it only further instills within the people who are leading these protests to go out there, to charge and suggest they somehow need to be protected. We end up with what I described in my riding of Kingston and the Islands in front of the Kingston General Hospital: an event where there were about 50 people yelling, screaming and hurling insults and accusations toward not just health care professionals, the nurses and the doctors coming and going from the hospital, but indeed people entering the cancer clinic at Kingston General Hospital and people who were leaving immediately following treatments. Members can imagine the public outcry against this type of activity that was going on. It was quite a bit, and there was a lot of anger and frustration from the community, but at the same time it provided an opportunity for a certain degree of empowerment in this group. This legislation specifically seeks to make this type of activity something that is not permissible in the Criminal Code and indeed that people can be held accountable for. I am extremely happy to see this legislation that we committed to during the election come forward so quickly. I want to see this get to committee as quickly as possible so it can be properly studied. As I have been listening to the debate today, some of my colleagues have raised questions about the content of the bill and how that will be affected. I think back to the previous question from the NDP member, and these are good questions and things to study at committee, where we can hash out the details to ensure that this legislation is the best it can be. The reality of Bill C-3 is that it is a commitment to Canadians. It is a commitment that we will not tolerate this kind of behaviour around health care facilities that are providing services. The frontline workers are there to provide services to our communities. We will not allow people to participate in activities that intimidate, harass or threaten their ability to move freely in and out of such a facility in order to provide these frontline services. I know I am close to question period and I am happy to begin my five minutes of questions, but I want to say I am very glad the bill is before us. I want it to move quickly to committee so it can be thoroughly examined and reported back to the House and we can pass it into legislation.

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Mr. Damien Kurek (Battle River—Crowfoot, CPC)

Dec/6/21 1:55:53 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to once again ask a question in this important debate. I want to note that the bill addresses two very distinct areas and that I asked earlier whether or not it would be relevant to split the bill into two separate ones. However, specifically regarding health care facilities, it brings up a very important point. No Canadian and no health care professional should be hindered from being able to access their workplace or from being able to access care. Specifically, I wonder if the member would support that being expanded to include something like critical infrastructure, pipelines and railways and so on. Especially at a time when there are serious supply chain challenges within this country, I am wondering if the member would be open to including that in this legislation.

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Mr. Mark Gerretsen

Dec/6/21 1:56:55 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, only a Conservative would suggest that the security of the work of our frontline workers should be compared to that of a pipeline.

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Mr. Chris Bittle (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, Lib.)

Dec/6/21 1:57:24 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, I have heard a couple of times from the Conservatives that they are likening hospitals, vaccination centres and abortion clinics to pipelines. I am a cancer survivor. Many of my constituents go daily to the St. Catharines General Hospital to receive treatment. I would like to ask if the hon. member agrees how ridiculous this argument from the Conservatives is, to liken a hospital, a cancer centre or a vaccination centre to a pipeline.

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Mr. Mark Gerretsen

Dec/6/21 1:57:53 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, either it is in documentation they have been provided in advance of this debate or it is just a common theme among Conservatives, because the last two members have literally asked questions comparing the security around pipelines to that around health care facilities. As I indicated in my speech, in my own constituency during the election, there were People's Party of Canada candidates and anti-vaxxers protesting out in front of the cancer clinic of Kingston General Hospital. How ridiculous is it that we even have to bring forward this legislation?

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Ms. Lisa Marie Barron (Nanaimo—Ladysmith, NDP)

Dec/6/21 1:58:40 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, health care workers have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic and provide life-saving care for our loved ones. As a result of underfunding and underprioritization through the Liberal government, health care workers in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith were already overworked and underpaid. Adding to this, we have seen an increase of bullying and hatred of health care workers. Our health care workers are tired and deserve better. When will this government support the NDP's plan to increase health care for workers and increase training, recruitment and retention of health care workers?

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Mr. Mark Gerretsen

Dec/6/21 1:59:18 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, I can respect the fact that the question is slightly off the topic of this particular debate, but the member raises a good point. If we have not learned from this pandemic that we need to strengthen the resources around hiring, recruiting and bringing more frontline workers on board, then I do not think we have truly learned the lesson from this pandemic. If the NDP is set to make proposals in this regard, I would be interested in hearing what they are.

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Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP)

Dec/6/21 2:00:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, 32 years ago, 14 women were killed at École Polytechnique in Montreal. We remember Geneviève Bergeron, Hélène Colgan, Nathalie Croteau, Barbara Daigneault, Anne-Marie Edward, Maud Haviernick, Maryse Laganière, Maryse Leclair, Anne-Marie Lemay, Sonia Pelletier, Michèle Richard, Annie St-Arneault, Annie Turcotte and Barbara Klucznik-Widajewicz. We must end misogyny, end patriarchy and stop violence against women.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Winnipeg North, Lib.)

Dec/6/21 2:01:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to talk about diversity. Do members know one of the fastest-growing communities in Canada today is the Filipino heritage community, at approximately one million strong and growing? Winnipeg, which I would suggest is the heart of the Filipino community, is after all where we got our very first Jollibee here in Canada. I have more good news when it comes to diversity and businesses. Winnipeg, not the first this time, as Edmonton beat us, now has Potato Corner, another successful franchise that comes from the Philippines. It speaks volumes that one of the things that gives Canada its greatest value is our diversity, so let us give a hand for Canada's diverse community and the Filipino heritage community.

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Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay (South Surrey—White Rock, CPC)

Dec/6/21 2:02:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to warmly thank the good people of South Surrey—White Rock for re-electing me and give an enthusiastic shout-out to the friendship of many volunteers and my campaign manager, who made it all possible. Public service is both a solemn duty and a great honour, and today I remember the wonderful Benno Friesen. He represented my community for a record five terms as MP, from 1974 to 1993, and passed away in September at age 92. He remained very sharp when it came to politics, history, literature and theology. An eloquent English literature professor and founder of Trinity Western University, he was highly respected in this place. He was predeceased by his wife Marge, and my sympathies go to his daughters, Cyndi and Lynne, and their families, including seven grandchildren. Benno was a mentor and friend. I am truly blessed to have received his wisdom and advice.

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Mr. Chad Collins (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek, Lib.)

Dec/6/21 2:03:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today for the first time in the 44th Parliament to say thanks. I thank the residents of ward 5 in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek for their 26 years of support when I was their city councillor. It was an honour and privilege to serve them for so many years. I thank those very same residents in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek who elected me this past September as their new member of Parliament. I look forward to addressing the challenges and opportunities that face our community and our great city. As all elected representatives know, we owe our success in large part to our families, friends and volunteers. Oftentimes our service to the community conflicts with special occasions at home or simply spending time with those we care about the most. I thank my wife, Mary, and our children, Chase and Reese, for their unconditional love and support and the sacrifices we have made as a family to support my time in public office. I thank my parents, Shirley and Bob, and my sister Candace and her family for being there every step of the way. I could not have done it without them. As for my friends, volunteers and supporters in the community, many of them like part of an extended family, it continues to be an honour and a privilege to serve them.

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Ms. Kristina Michaud (Avignon—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, BQ)

Dec/6/21 2:04:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, exactly 32 years ago today, a man obsessed by his hatred of feminists opened fire at École Polytechnique in Montreal, killing 14 women and injuring several others. For the past 32 years, this sad anniversary has been a time to condemn violence against women, as well as gun violence. We condemned it last year, and the year before that, and the year before that. I do not think that there are words to describe the exasperation of the survivors who have been fighting for over 30 years. The more time passes, the more it seems like we are making no progress or even going backwards. In memory of all those who have been gunned down over the past 30 years, and those who have been killed on the streets over the last few months, as recently as last week in Montreal, it is our duty to work harder for gun control, but we will need the government's help. The federal government cannot wait for another fatal shooting before taking action. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I urge the government to do more to curb gun violence. We owe it to the victims.

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Andy Fillmore (Halifax, Lib.)

Dec/6/21 2:05:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today marks the 104th anniversary of the Halifax explosion. On the morning of December 6, 1917, the SS Mont-Blanc, an incoming munitions vessel, collided with the SS Imo, an outgoing Belgian relief vessel in Halifax harbour. Hundred-foot flames erupted from the ships as the volatile cargo violently exploded, the largest human-caused explosion until the atomic bomb. Two thousand people were killed, 9,000 people were injured and every structure in an 800-metre radius was flattened. The hearts of Haligonians were shattered too, as they mourned the loss of their loved ones and neighbours. The explosion also damaged the tower clock and bell of Halifax city hall, but this year that bell was repaired and triumphantly returned to service, where it can now be heard at Grand Parade, a testament to the enduring efforts to rebuild our city. It was community and love of place that helped us build back better following the explosion, and a century later we have not forgotten.

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Mr. Alex Ruff (Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound, CPC)

Dec/6/21 2:06:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it was 100 years ago today that the first woman, Agnes Macphail, was elected here to the House of Commons. Born in Grey County, Agnes was first elected to represent the riding of Grey South East and later represented the riding of Grey—Bruce. She worked hard to represent farmers and rural interests here in Ottawa. She knew what mattered to rural communities and was instrumental in the establishment of old age pensions and the reform of our Canadian prison system. Agnes's achievements did not end with being elected to the Canadian Parliament. She was the first woman to represent Canada at the League of Nations and was the one of the first two to be elected to the Ontario legislature in 1943. Today, her legacy and work continue with organizations like electHER Now that aim to increase women's representation in municipal politics across my riding of Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound by connecting aspiring women with some of the great role models in the riding. I hope all members will join me today in recognizing the historic and inspiring contribution Agnes made to Canada and here in the House of Commons.

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Mr. Peter Fragiskatos (London North Centre, Lib.)

Dec/6/21 2:08:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I rise for the first time in the 44th Parliament, I want to express my sincere and profound gratitude to the residents of London North Centre for electing me to be their member of Parliament for a third time. A concern consistently brought to my attention by those constituents is the affordability of child care. The average London family is paying more than $15,000 annually per child. This hits close to home, as my wife Katy and I welcomed our first child at the end of September, a healthy baby girl named Ava. We are currently planning for what is next. Though we are in a very privileged position, many parents are struggling with how to pay the child care bill. It is time for $10-a-day child care in London, in Ontario and across Canada. I therefore implore the Ontario government to get a deal done with the federal government now. It is time to join other provinces and territories that have signed on to make child care affordable for all. Doing so is vital for equality of opportunity, gender equality and economic betterment.

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