44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 7, 2021 10:00AM
- Dec/7/21 2:15:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand in the House today to highlight some of the remarkable work being done at McMaster University.
I am a proud Mac grad and Marauder, so the opportunity to speak to their work to develop Canada's global nexus for pandemics and biological threats is especially significant.
McMaster University worked with world experts on infectious diseases to fight COVID‑19.
They established Canada’s first global nexus, a network of experts from academia, industry and government, working to prevent and prepare for the next pandemic. Researchers at Canada’s global nexus have developed a second-generation inhalable vaccine, which is expected to be highly effective against emerging variants. I read this morning that researchers at Mac are starting the phase-one trials of the inhaled COVID vaccine now.
Canadian research excellence is leading Canada's contribution to the global recovery from this pandemic, so that every country can emerge stronger and more resilient than ever.
I want to thank all the staff at McMaster University for their hard work and innovation that has saved lives.
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- Dec/7/21 2:16:18 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are seeing the impacts of climate change in Canada, from the recent floods and mudslides in British Columbia to the storms that have threatened Atlantic Canada and the wildfires, floods and droughts that have wrought havoc in Alberta.
However, Albertans are actually facing two crises. One is the climate crisis and the other is the economic crisis. Albertans are caught between the need to reduce emissions and our reliance on the oil and gas sector. A total of 140,000 Albertans work directly in the sector, and hundreds of thousands more jobs rely on it. If we do not support workers in Alberta, Canada will not be able to meet its climate obligations.
After decades of Alberta's contributing to building Canada's economy, it is time for federal leadership to help Alberta secure a lower-carbon future. We need targeted investment to reduce emissions within the sector and targeted investments to create jobs outside the sector. Alberta has the knowledge base, and we just need the federal government to invest in Albertans. This cannot wait. The government must invest in a federal jobs plan now.
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- Dec/7/21 2:17:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, for a long time, the St. Lawrence schooners, those beautiful, traditional wooden boats, were the only means of transportation available. They delivered supplies to the towns and villages along the St. Lawrence River and enabled them to flourish long before the railways and roads were built.
As the daughter and granddaughter of schooner captains, I know how courageous and knowledgeable the men who sailed these small but noble hand-built vessels were, and how much they loved the river. I want to highlight the importance of preserving these schooners, which are full of memories, history and pride.
The well-known Musée maritime de Charlevoix has been working hard to implement a major schooner conservation project. The Government of Quebec has just confirmed its contribution of $5 million for that project.
As a daughter of the river, I would be remiss if I did not reach out to the Minister of Canadian Heritage and ask him to follow suit and confirm the $700,000 requested by the Musée maritime de Charlevoix. This would round out the funding we need to preserve our remaining schooners, the jewels of the St. Lawrence.
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- Dec/7/21 2:18:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today I pay tribute to the people in my riding of Chilliwack—Hope for their selfless and heroic actions during the B.C. storm last month. Farmers rushed into rising flood waters with their trucks and trailers to help their fellow farmers rescue thousands of animals in the Sumas Prairie. Hundreds of people sandbagged in the middle of the night to prevent a catastrophic failure of the Barrowtown pump station.
The people of Hope cared for 1,200 stranded travellers who were cut off for days due to landslides and road closures. Faith communities, service clubs and neighbours sprang into action to help however they could. Angling guides used their own boats to deliver food, take people to medical appointments and help with the recovery effort. First responders and road crews worked around the clock to rebuild supply lines and keep us safe.
I have never been more proud of my community. We came together in a spirit of unity to do whatever needed to be done. We were there for one another during the crisis, and I know we will continue to be there for one another as we rebuild together.
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- Dec/7/21 2:20:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to honour a friend and former Liberal MP, Bob Kilger, whose battle with cancer came to an end last week. I never got the chance to serve with Bob, but I got to know him through my dear friend, his wife, Courtney.
Bob was so generous with his time, not only giving me advice but also being a mentor to my staff. Bob told me early on to never be on the bad side of the whip, and that the people working in the whip’s office are extraordinary. They have seen it all, he said, so I should take their advice and guidance. He said they would not steer me wrong.
My favourite story about Bob is the time Wayne Easter and another Liberal MP were not in agreement on an issue, and there was a contentious committee meeting coming up with the two of them. Bob, as whip and a former NHL referee, went to the committee meeting, sat right between the two and made sure nothing happened and that they all stayed in line. As someone who served with Wayne a lot on committee, I know how difficult it is to keep him in line.
I will miss my chats with Bob, but I will not forget his lessons. I want to thank Bob’s wife, Courtney, and his entire family, for sharing Bob with us. This place is better because Bob served here.
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- Dec/7/21 2:21:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, two years is how much time the government had to prepare for the evacuation of Canadian citizens, interpreters and contractors in Afghanistan. A 2019 CSIS report said there would be a quick collapse in Afghanistan if the U.S. withdrew.
With over two years to prepare, how did the Prime Minister oversee the biggest foreign policy disaster in decades?
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- Dec/7/21 2:22:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have continued to be there for the people of Afghanistan, even after withdrawing our troops over 10 years ago. That is why we continued to work with our partner and allies on the evacuation of people from Afghanistan through the summer. Indeed, we continue to stand by our commitment to repatriate 40,000 Afghans to their new home in Canada over the coming times.
This is the work we are continuing to do because Canadians expect it. We continue to work alongside our allies around the world to do just that.
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- Dec/7/21 2:23:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, at the end of August, when evacuation operations ended in Afghanistan, 1,250 Canadians remained in that country: 1,250 Canadians were stranded on the ground as a terrorist group seized control of the country. What was the Prime Minister doing at the time? He was campaigning.
The longest war in Canadian history ended with Canadians, Afghan interpreters and contractors being completely abandoned by the Prime Minister. Canadians want to know why.
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- Dec/7/21 2:23:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, throughout the month of August, officials, ministers, extraordinary members of the Canadian Armed Forces and diplomats were engaged in a historic effort to get as many Afghans out of the country, and as many Canadians home, as possible.
We worked alongside our partners around the world. We were there to support as many as possible, and we continue to stand strongly with our allies on pressuring the Taliban to allow people to leave the country so we can welcome them here in Canada to start their new lives.
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- Dec/7/21 2:24:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, he says historic efforts. Do members know what the Prime Minister was doing as Afghanistan fell? He was preparing for an election. He was calling an election as Kabul fell. He was planning an election instead of an evacuation.
My simple question for the Prime Minister is this. On August 15, when he was briefed that Kabul was about to fall, why did he put his own political survival ahead of the real survival of people on the ground in Afghanistan?
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- Dec/7/21 2:24:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we can all remember the speed at which events unfolded in Afghanistan and the intensity with which members of the Canadian Armed Forces, our diplomats and our partners around the world continued to step up to evacuate people from Afghanistan and make sure that Canadians were getting out to safety, and indeed continued to be engaged with the people of Afghanistan throughout.
We know we need to continue to put pressure on the Taliban government to allow people to leave Afghanistan. That is what we are continuing to do alongside our partners, and we will bring 40,000 Afghan citizens to Canada to start their new lives.
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- Dec/7/21 2:25:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we had two years of reflection, slowness and failures, and this continues despite the SOS messages. The evacuation of Canadians and the Afghan interpreters and contractors who helped us was not a priority for this Liberal government.
Why did this government ignore Canadians' pleas and cause the greatest diplomatic disaster in decades?
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- Dec/7/21 2:26:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank our soldiers, diplomats and all those who worked tirelessly to evacuate thousands of people from Afghanistan. They are still working to make sure that 40,000 Afghans will soon be able to come to Canada.
We will continue putting pressure on the Taliban to allow people to get out safely. We will continue to work with the international community to give a better life to tens of thousands of people who genuinely deserve it.
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- Dec/7/21 2:26:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the only thing the Prime Minister does tirelessly is call elections. This Liberal government's foreign policy is a disaster. It is one failure after another.
There are 1,250 Canadians trapped in Afghanistan. The terrorist group continues to terrorize people, but this Prime Minister was focused on calling a pointless election. He is all talk and no action.
Why did this government abandon our Afghan allies?
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- Dec/7/21 2:27:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is quite simply not true. We worked with our allies in Afghanistan, with organizations and with our partners around the world. Members of our armed forces, our diplomats and our officials worked tirelessly to save as many people as they could in August.
Since then, we have continued to work with the international community to put pressure on the Taliban so that we could get people out of the country and bring them to Canada. We will bring in 40,000 people to make sure we continue to be there for the people of Afghanistan.
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- Dec/7/21 2:28:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to see that our Liberal friends have discovered the virtues of physical attendance in the House. I am really happy about that.
However, I am concerned, and I want to tell all of them that I am concerned, because, according to the CBC, Ottawa is preparing to make changes to an extremely important regulation that prohibits releasing water from oil sands tailings ponds directly into the Athabasca River. That is obviously not permitted under the current regulation, since that water contains heavy metals and very toxic chemicals.
Can the Prime Minister tell us that this terrible news is not true and that he will not allow that water to be released directly into the Athabasca River?
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- Dec/7/21 2:28:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we know that we cannot have a healthy economy without a healthy environment.
We are working with indigenous leaders, the provinces, the industries and stakeholders to develop strict standards for the release of oil sands tailings water in order to issue draft regulations in 2024. This important work will help us reduce the environmental and health risks associated with storing the toxic materials.
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- Dec/7/21 2:29:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have a clear measure for him: the ban that is currently in place.
The Minister of Environment and Climate Change must be having a rough time these days, because not only is the government funding the oil and gas industry, it is making up false emissions caps and removing regulations. It never ends. This government is so pro-oil that the Conservatives are going to have an identity crisis here in the House.
I am formally calling on the Prime Minister to maintain the ban on direct release into the Athabasca River on a permanent basis.
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- Dec/7/21 2:29:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there is currently a ban in place, but we are setting strict standards that could take effect as of 2024 on the quality of oil sands process waters that could be released. These measures are backed by science and are intended to protect our environment.
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- Dec/7/21 2:30:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the fiscal update presents an opportunity for the Liberal government to tackle inflation, which is driving up the cost of living for families. Families are feeling squeezed, and they are struggling to make ends meet. The Liberals say there is nothing they can do. We disagree. They could immediately help people find a home that is in their budget. They could also put a limit on the charges that cellphone and Internet companies charge Canadians, which are among the highest in the world.
Will the Prime Minister commit today to using the economic update as an opportunity to tackle the rising cost of living?
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