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Mr. Charlie Angus (Timmins—James Bay, NDP)

Dec/7/21 1:47:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think all our western allies will view that what happened in Kabul was a catastrophe with respect to our nation-building claims and ability. What concerns me is that we are not talking about learning the lessons. Rather, we are dealing with the hurt feelings of the Liberals while we discuss the catastrophe that happened in Kabul. Veterans were calling me daily trying to get the interpreters they worked with safely to Canada. I talked with international midwifery organizations that were trying to get women health workers. They were having to rely on other nations. To me, this is not about blame; this is about putting billions into Afghanistan. We told the Afghan people we would be there. We lost a lot of young people in Afghanistan. We have an obligation to find out what happened in Kabul and let the chips fall where they may. Would my hon. colleague agree?

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Mr. Jasraj Singh Hallan

Dec/7/21 1:48:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I agree with that. We owe a sense of duty to those who serve our country and we owe it to them to know what exactly happened. When they did everything they could to serve our country, why were they abandoned? Our country was supposed to serve them. That is the heart of this motion. We want to strike a committee for those people. It is for the veterans and the NGOs that had to step up when their government failed to so. They want answers. The people who have been abandoned want answers. This is not about politics. I hope the NDP will join us in supporting the motion so we can get to the bottom of this.

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Mr. Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, CPC)

Dec/7/21 1:49:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, one issue that I worked on, and I know other members have been working on it as well, for the last six years is with respect to the creation of a special program to help the religious minority communities that face severe persecution in Afghanistan. We have been calling for that for six years. Sadly, the government did not act and, in many respects, it is now too late for many of those people. It is very disappointing. I wonder if the member can comment specifically on the situation of those minority communities that could have been helped, but were not helped.

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Mr. Jasraj Singh Hallan

Dec/7/21 1:50:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for his advocacy. We as the Conservative Party put forward in our platform that we would help those refugees who had been persecuted. I have been through the process of trying to resettle a family from Afghanistan through private sponsorship. Again, it was the Liberal-made backlogs and bureaucracy that stopped this from happening. We recognized this in our platform and we wanted to speed up those refugee applications. We want to put more emphasis on private sponsorship, because we have seen the government-led programs and they are even worse. The backlog is costing lives, which is why we proposed that in our election platform.

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Mrs. Karen Vecchio (Elgin—Middlesex—London, CPC)

Dec/7/21 1:51:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin my speech with this quote: “Welcome to Canada” is more than a headline or a hashtag. It is the spirit of humanity that every single one of us would yearn for, if our family was in crisis. I pray that you continue to open your homes and your hearts to the world’s most defenceless children and families — and I hope your neighbours will follow your example. This was said by Pakistan's most prominent citizen, Malala, in the House of Commons in April 2017. Anyone who was here in the 42nd Parliament was were able to hear those words of Malala and see the work she was doing on human rights, especially for women. This is a really important time, because yesterday we celebrated 100 years of women in Parliament. We can reflect on this and what we see today in Afghanistan. I want to reflect on some of the history of Afghanistan and how we got to this place. As many members noted, after the horrific incidents that happened on September 11, 2001, Canada joined its allies to fight against the Taliban. Canada contributed to the war as the Taliban and their insurgency continued to grow. Canada concluded its operations in 2011, and left Afghanistan in 2014, but it was part of the rebuilding. In Afghanistan, we lost 158 of soldiers and many others were left with psychological and physical issues. This is a very important conversation because we have to look at where we are today. Why were we there and what great work was done during this period of time? When the Taliban took over, we knew the horrific things that were happening to women in that country. It is really important that we have this committee. It is important to not only look at the $2.2 billion in humanitarian aid to that country, but also to look at where they are today and see how we can move forward. As I indicated, yesterday, we celebrated 100 years of women in Parliament, but we have to reflect on what we see in Afghanistan. All elected officials of its government are males. They are not there to be the voices of women. They are there to be the voices of the Taliban. I have heard many people speak about some of the tragedies. As I was doing my research and looking at all the information for this speech, I looked at the fact that in our own chamber, we have former litigators, former journalists and people who worked in public broadcasting. However, today in Afghanistan that would not be an option for a woman. The Taliban has taken that away. In the last four months, women who were fighting and continuing to be the voices of women have now been stuck in their homes and told not to come out because of security reasons. These are the same things that we heard from 1996 to 2001, when the Taliban ruled that country. Unfortunately, we are seeing the exact same thing beginning to happen today. What is Canada going to do about this? We are a country that talks about human rights. We are a country that wants to see more for women. We know now that young men and boys are allowed to go to school, from grades seven to 12, but girls are not welcome. The girls are not back in those houses of education. Malala indicated, “The extremists are afraid of books and pens. The power of education frightens them. They are afraid of women. The power of the voice of women frightens them.” That is exactly what we are seeing today, a country that is going backward. We are seeing a country that has now taken all of the rights of women backward. Unfortunately, a lot of these women are trying to go forward and trying are to have their voices heard. As we have heard from many members, at what cost. A lot of times the cost is their lives and we have to be very worried about that. These are the things we should be speaking to at the committee, not just how we failed Afghanistan in August 2021 but how we can move forward to ensure there is equality. An Olympic athlete from Afghanistan would like to compete in the 2024 Olympics, but right now she is hiding in her home. She had a number of Taliban come to her home looking for her because of her postings on Facebook and other social media feeds. This young woman is now fearful for her life. These are the people for whom we should be fighting. These are some of the most vulnerable people in the world. They should be able to have this opportunity. When Afghanistan was ruined after the Taliban, Canada was part of remodelling and restructuring of Afghanistan. We were part of the education and we were part of the infrastructure. We were part of the education when it came to policing and training. This is what our role was. To all of those persons, whether they are in the Canadian Armed Forces or are members of NGOs across Canada, I thank them so much for making it a better world. Unfortunately, we are at a stalling point and we know we are going backward. It is really important that we continue to move forward, though. I would like to read a quote from the Olympic athlete I was talking about. She is a paralympian athlete, who said, “Please, I request you all, especially all the women from around the globe and the female institutions and the United Nations to not let the right of a female citizen of Afghanistan in the Paralympic movement to be taken away, so easily.” This is a young tae kwon do athlete. These are the things that here in Canada we strive for. With children in our own country, we try to make sure they have opportunities. We know poverty continues to get worse in Afghanistan and that the opportunities for food are not there, and there are many other things its citizens have to deal with every day. When the Taliban came to power, it promised to respect women and allow them to participate in public life in accordance with Islamic law, but secondary schools remain closed for girls and many women are finding returning to work difficult, with the exception of some professionals in some of the health care sectors. We have to recognize that women's rights are not being upheld. We need to talk about what we want to see for this globe. When we are talking about wars and things that happen in these countries that are horrific, we know a lot of it has to do with equality. Unfortunately, what we are seeing in Afghanistan is the exact opposite. This is why we need to work together. This is the reality of what Afghan women are seeing, and once again, we need to be on the ground and helping these people. On August 26, we were able to bring some to Canada, who were able to get to flights. We need to do more. As many members have indicated, veterans and other people watching what is happening in Afghanistan are writing emails and letters and calling our offices to ask how they can help. We know this tragedy is not going to go away if we just turn a blind eye. It is important to have this committee to talk about where we were in August, what we should have done and how we are going to move forward. This is an urgent time for all and I would like to talk about the ministry and what has happened. We see simple things like the fact that the ministry of women's affairs has been replaced. Since the Taliban has come into force, there is not a ministry of women. It has now been replaced with the ministry for the propagation of virtue and the prevention of vice. Perhaps somebody can tell me what that means. It seems very forceful and not about women's equality, not about education for women and not about the opportunities for the families and the generations to come. What are we going to see next? I would like to end with a quote from the interim mayor of Kabul, who said that women municipal workers in Kabul should stay home unless they hold “positions that men could not fill or that were not for men.” We have to understand that we do not want to move backward. We need to be a country that shows its principles, works with other countries and ensures we are there for Afghanistan in its time of need.

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The Deputy Speaker

Dec/7/21 1:59:51 p.m.
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The member will have five minutes remaining for questions and comments after the next proceedings.

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Mr. Kevin Vuong (Spadina—Fort York, Ind.)

Dec/7/21 2:00:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my riding of Spadina—Fort York has been fortunate for many years to have the dedicated service of Carolyn Johnson. Carolyn recently stepped down as co-chair of the York Quay Neighbourhood Association, after volunteering countless hours to ensure that our community was informed and engaged on the many issues facing our vibrant and diverse urban centre. From helping to build a waterfront that is accessible to all to enhancing community safety and so much more, we owe Carolyn a debt of gratitude for her leadership and unwavering commitment. On behalf of the people of Spadina—Fort York, I express my appreciation to Carolyn for her work as YQNA co-chair and wish her and her husband good health and continued success. I also look forward to continuing to work with YQNA, with Angelo, Ulla and Mary, whose tireless work keeps residents of our community fully aware of issues that matter the most in our neighbourhood.

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Hon. Judy A. Sgro (Humber River—Black Creek, Lib.)

Dec/7/21 2:01:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Mr. Simon Sung for his hard work and contribution to his home country of Taiwan and its relationship with Canada. After starting out in journalism as a young man, Mr. Sung, or just Simon, as most of us know him, decided to pursue his master's in peace studies. He went on to join the foreign services of Taiwan serving in Taipei, Singapore, the U.S. and for the past seven and half years, here in Ottawa at the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office. Simon has a great love for his home country of Taiwan and for Canada. He has worked diligently to educate people on the history and culture of this beautiful place, making sure that Canadian MPs are aware of what Taiwan has to offer our country and the world. Most importantly, Simon has made sure that the political situation of Taiwan stays top of mind for all of us. I thank Simon for the great work he has done here in the Ottawa region, and wish him all the best as he returns home. I bid Simon farewell.

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Mr. Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, CPC)

Dec/7/21 2:02:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in the House, I have worked extensively on international human rights issues, but nowadays, I see many stories from Canada suggesting that we are a country in need of intervention. One recent story that got my attention was from Timothy Que, a 16-year-old who attends Eric Hamber Secondary School in Vancouver. Timothy tried to start a Catholic club, a voluntary association of students who get together to discuss Catholic ideas, but administrators forbade him from sharing Catholic teaching at the club, even with students who chose to attend the meetings. This is a shameful violation of freedom of association, but it is one small drop in a growing sea. Religious services have faced pandemic-related restrictions that have not been applied to casinos. Government is proposing criminal charges for people who express certain personal or religious views in private conversations. The Liberal platform promised another ideological values test imposed on charities. Dozens of churches were destroyed or vandalized this summer with virtually no comment from political leaders. If these events were happening in another country, I know that Canada would not be silent. I hope more members of Parliament resist the populist pressure to clamp down on minority opinions and instead defend freedom of speech, association and religion as they are protected in our charter.

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Mr. Chandra Arya (Nepean, Lib.)

Dec/7/21 2:03:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to make this statement today, on the 100th anniversary of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj. His holiness was a Hindu swami of the Swaminarayan denomination. He gifted the people of Canada the magnificent BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto, the first traditionally hand-carved Hindu place of worship in Canada. The Mandir stands as a symbol of Canada's diversity, cultural mosaic and spiritual popularity. Today, BAPS carries out spiritual and humanitarian activities in 154 towns and cities across our country. Living by the motto “In the joy of others lies our own", his holiness inspired spiritual, humanitarian, environmental, education, health promotion, youth and children's initiatives that touch the people of Canada and the world.

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Mrs. Julie Vignola (Beauport—Limoilou, BQ)

Dec/7/21 2:04:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Cartier‑Brébeuf Park is in my riding. This park is where Jacques Cartier docked his caravel for his first winter and where he had contact with Donnacona and his community. Therefore, it is a national historic site symbolizing the dialogue between francophones and first nations. It could be an ideal place to introduce schoolchildren to the history of Quebec, but this is not possible since the park is closed during the school year. In the summer, anyone who wants to learn about our history has little in the way of resources. The signs are partly illegible; the reproduction of the caravel has rotted and burned without being rebuilt; the cross that was a reproduction of Cartier's has been so neglected that Parks Canada removed it, with no intention of replacing it. The history between francophones and first nations needs to be highlighted and celebrated through better funding for Cartier‑Brébeuf Park and year-round public access, because Cartier‑Brébeuf Park needs to be more than just a nice, well‑mowed park.

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Ms. Annie Koutrakis (Vimy, Lib.)

Dec/7/21 2:05:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the holiday season is fast approaching, and many families will have to rely on food banks to help them celebrate the holidays this year. I encourage all Canadians to open their hearts and give generously. I encourage the people of Vimy to make a donation to our community organizations. Whether through the food drive organized by the Saint Vincent de Paul Society, the toy drive organized by the Centre communautaire Val-Martin or the fundraising drive organized by the Centre de pédiatrie sociale, there are many ways to help those in need. Whether it is food, a gift for a child or money for a local charity, even the smallest donations go a long way in brightening the holidays of those who are struggling. In the words of Winston Churchill, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”

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Mrs. Cheryl Gallant (Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, CPC)

Dec/7/21 2:06:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, February 6, 2022, marks the 70th anniversary of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen's platinum jubilee is a unique, momentous, historic occasion never seen before and likely will never be seen again. In keeping with tradition, Canada should use this anniversary to honour outstanding Canadians with a platinum jubilee medal in recognition of public service, volunteerism and other significant civic contributions. Whether it is for rescuing people threatened during the recent catastrophic flooding or appreciating frontline service providers during the current pandemic, rewarding community service with a recognition medal is a Canadian tradition. I encourage all Canadians to sign electronic petition 3651, initiated by Deep River resident Lucas Bibby, on the House of Commons website before December 21. We can thank our outstanding citizens and honour Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her 70th anniversary, and say “Long may she reign.”

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Mr. Francis Scarpaleggia (Lac-Saint-Louis, Lib.)

Dec/7/21 2:07:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, no one elected has served the City of Kirkland longer than John Meaney, who sadly left us last month. First elected to city council in 1975, John served as mayor from 1994 to 2013. All told, he led Kirkland from a town of about 7,500 into a populous and prosperous Montreal suburb of 21,000, doing so with an efficient decision-making style and practical common-sense approach. John Meaney was a proud Irish Montrealer born in the iconic downtown neighbourhood of Griffintown. In 2008, in a fitting honour, he was named Grand Marshall of Montreal's legendary St. Patrick's Day parade; and, in 2012, Montreal's Irishman of the Year. I ask members to join me in offering our sincerest condolences to John's wife Evelyn and daughters Sharon, Colleen and Laurie.

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Ms. Lena Metlege Diab (Halifax West, Lib.)

Dec/7/21 2:08:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as the first woman to represent my community in the House, I recently reflected on the importance of women's participation in public life. We began this week by reflecting on the tragedy of the École Polytechnique massacre. Each year, this moment of mourning and reflection brings back hard memories and the pit I felt in my stomach when I first heard the news that day as a law student surrounded by my female peers. That cowardly act of misogynistic violence did not stop the progress made by women in our professions or in academia. We would not let it. Of course, we also marked, yesterday, the 100th anniversary of Agnes Macphail's election as the first female MP in this country. Today, we have a record number of female MPs and I expect to join many of them this evening, as Equal Voice Canada celebrates 100 years of women parliamentarians at a gala dinner. Let us use our time here to model to our daughters and granddaughters that this is a place where they belong. Their voices and their contributions matter.

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Hon. Tim Uppal (Edmonton Mill Woods, CPC)

Dec/7/21 2:09:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour to recognize the 100th birth anniversary of His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj. His holiness was a Hindu swami of Swaminarayan denomination and he gifted the people of Canada the magnificent BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Toronto, which is the first traditionally hand-carved Hindu place of worship in all of Canada. The Mandir stands as a symbol of Canada's abundant diversity, cultural mosaic and freedom of religion. His holiness lived by the saying “In the joy of others lies our own”. This was evident in his work, which promoted health and inspired spiritual, humanitarian, environmental and educational initiatives. BAPS charities have supported communities right across Canada, including in my riding of Edmonton Mill Woods, and provided thousands of COVID vaccines to Canadians. Since his passing in 2016, his successor, His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj, continues his legacy of inspiring people around the world. Pramukh Swami Maharaj's life work is one that needs to be preserved and celebrated for the present and future generations.

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The Speaker

Dec/7/21 2:11:04 p.m.
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Before continuing, I want to call order. Members are making statements and we would like to hear everything they say. It is nice that everyone is talking among themselves, but the murmur is getting to a point where it is more than that and it is making it difficult for us to hear. While I am up, I want to remind all members that S.O. 31s are 60 seconds long. Some of them have gone a little longer than that. I do not want to have to cut anybody off. The hon. member for Fleetwood—Port Kells.

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Mr. Ken Hardie (Fleetwood—Port Kells, Lib.)

Dec/7/21 2:11:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to register deep concern over the performance of some local radio outlets during the storms and flooding in British Columbia. On one forum, a former broadcaster commented, “After watching Abbotsford Mayor Braun's 9pm press conference on the city's YouTube channel last night, warning residents of Sumas Prairie to evacuate NOW...I thought I'd dial up the city's radio station to hear what they were doing. After painfully struggling through a 5-minute commercial cluster, they played their station ID and went back to another 10 [songs] in a row!” A disaster can wipe out land lines, cellphones, cable and the Internet, but traditionally news and alerts have always been as close as that car or truck radio. I plan to ask the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage to review broadcasters’ performance in B.C., including disaster plans, staff resources and technical resiliency. With station ownership now so much in the hands of large corporations, there is no excuse for Canadians to be underserved.

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Mr. Bernard Généreux (Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, CPC)

Dec/7/21 2:12:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Christmas is the time to open our hearts and give generously to those in need. Food banks support people of all ages in my riding through different services. Over the past year, there has been an unprecedented demand for those services. Many food banks in the region have seen an over 50% increase in demand and in the number of people using their services, and they have also had to deal with supply problems. During this holiday season, I encourage members of our community to join me in making food or monetary donations to support families. Many local and regional food drives, associations, family support centres and grocery stores are working together for Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière‑du‑Loup. Each of our RCMs can count on the following volunteer organizations: Moisson Kamouraska in La Pocatière, the Carrefour d'Initiatives Populaires in Rivière‑du‑Loup, Soupe au bouton in Saint‑Jean‑Port‑Joli, and Maison de secours La Frontière in Montmagny. I invite everyone to be very generous to ensure that everyone can enjoy the holidays.

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Ms. Marilyn Gladu (Sarnia—Lambton, CPC)

Dec/7/21 2:14:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, tonight, with Equal Voice, we are celebrating 100 years of women in the House and the 374 female members of Parliament elected since then. Over this century, there have been many firsts, beginning with Agnes Macphail breaking the glass ceiling when she was the first woman elected to the House of Commons, along with the first female cabinet minister, Ellen Fairclough, and our first female prime minister, Kim Campbell. I have the honour of being the first female engineer in the House of Commons. I want to thank these trail-blazing women for their hard work and dedication in paving the way for us now, and I want to honour their legacy by having more diverse voices from women, marginalized communities and minorities here in the House. This will better reflect the diversity of Canada and create a strong political foundation for the representation of all Canadians. Let us celebrate 100 years of women in this House and look forward to a future of even more.

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