SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 19

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
December 16, 2021 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 19 - Dec/16/21
Hon. Lawrence MacAulay (Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, Lib.)
  • Dec/16/21 3:07:04 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my hon. colleague's question and concern. As he is well aware, we have made a number of investments in Veterans Affairs and we have hired over 400 case workers. As we indicated in our platform, we will make more—
45 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
The Speaker
  • Dec/16/21 3:07:15 p.m.
  • Watch
I am just going to ask the minister if he has a headset handy. It appears he does not have one. The government House leader.
25 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)
  • Dec/16/21 3:07:47 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House we know how important it is to invest in veterans. That is why we reversed the cuts that we saw in veterans officers right across this country, as we watched the essential services that veterans were getting be cut—
48 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
The Speaker
  • Dec/16/21 3:08:02 p.m.
  • Watch
One moment, I believe the interpretation has stopped. I will ask the hon. government House leader to start from the beginning and answer that question, please.
26 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Mark Holland
  • Dec/16/21 3:08:19 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, on this side of the House, we understand the importance of our veterans, who need help. It is unfortunate that there were significant cuts to services. I will say that what was done to our veterans was absolutely unacceptable. We are going to be there for our veterans every step of the way, making sure that we restore those cuts and support them.
65 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Mr. Richard Lehoux (Beauce, CPC)
  • Dec/16/21 3:08:55 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Agriculture entered into an agreement with Quebec this past August to increase the percentage of temporary foreign workers in the agri-food industry from 10% to 20%. Unfortunately, nothing has been done since. Exceldor, Quebec's largest chicken slaughter plant, is still short more than 300 workers. These delays are forcing them to euthanize chickens. Animals are being sacrificed, and so is producers' revenue. I have a simple question for the minister: When will the 20% rate be applied in Quebec?
88 words
All Topics
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.)
  • Dec/16/21 3:09:33 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, once again, I would like to reassure my colleague. As a first step, we signed the agreement with Quebec over the summer. Quebec then went to work with the unions, as we had asked. They came back to the Minister of Employment, who accepted the request. The process is still ongoing, and I very much look forward to our agri-food businesses using this advantage to hire up to 20% foreign workers.
74 words
All Topics
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Mr. Bernard Généreux (Montmagny—L'Islet—Kamouraska—Rivière-du-Loup, CPC)
  • Dec/16/21 3:10:01 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, procedures, procedures, procedures. Sébastien Charrois is a constituent of mine whose family has been raising chickens for generations. He is at the end of his rope. He cannot find enough people to catch and transport the chickens in his barns. Transportation companies cannot do the work, and they cannot bring in temporary foreign workers. Tens of thousands of chickens are going to be euthanized if he does not find temporary workers. I have a simple question for the government: When will it do what needs to be done to bring in temporary foreign workers immediately?
99 words
All Topics
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.)
  • Dec/16/21 3:10:43 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, our temporary foreign worker programs are extremely important, especially to the agriculture and agri-food sector. The Minister of Employment, the Minister of Immigration and I can assure the House that we are making headway with this major reform. We want to acknowledge good employers. The vast majority of our employers and agricultural producers are good employers. We want to find a way to speed up the process and increase the ratio of foreign workers in plants, which has already been done with the Province of Quebec.
89 words
All Topics
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Ms. Iqra Khalid (Mississauga—Erin Mills, Lib.)
  • Dec/16/21 3:11:44 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, since my Motion No. 103 in 2017, we have changed the conversation so that no federal leader could ever pretend that Islamophobia is not a threat. We have made progress since then, including a national summit earlier this year, but as long as Muslim Canadians fear for their safety in the workplace or walking down the street, we have to do more. Could the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion please tell the House what the government is doing to continue combatting Islamophobia in Canada?
88 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Ahmed Hussen (Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, Lib.)
  • Dec/16/21 3:12:19 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, Islamophobia is real and a troubling fact. That is why earlier this past summer we held a national summit on Islamophobia to hear directly from community members about their lived experiences, but also taking concrete steps on how we can assist them further. I am pleased to inform the hon. member for Mississauga—Erin Mills that we will take further action, including dedicated resources to tackle Islamophobia and working with Muslim Canadians on the appointment of a special representative to tackle Islamophobia. On this side of the House, we will continue to fight hatred in Canada to keep communities safe.
103 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Ms. Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River, NDP)
  • Dec/16/21 3:12:59 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, seniors across this country who had their GIS cut off cannot afford food, medicine, heat and rent. Some of them are already homeless and some of them are at risk to be homeless soon. For months, the NDP asked the government to fix the problem. Finally there was an announcement that gave seniors across this country hope for a one-time payment. Sadly, today we found out that payment is not coming until May. The government should be ashamed. Seniors are losing everything and it is doing nothing. When will the Prime Minister stop turning his back on the seniors of this country?
105 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Kamal Khera (Minister of Seniors, Lib.)
  • Dec/16/21 3:13:41 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, since day one, our government has prioritized being there for the most vulnerable. For low-income seniors with the greatest need, we have increased the OAS and GIS. We know during the pandemic working seniors needed income support, and they should not be penalized for it now. That is why our government is making a major investment through a one-time payment for seniors who have had their benefits affected. Seniors can rest assured we will always be there for them.
83 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Mr. Mike Morrice (Kitchener Centre, GP)
  • Dec/16/21 3:14:12 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, back in 2015 the Liberals promised to end all boil water advisories in first nations communities within five years, yet today 42 advisories remain in 30 communities. A recent Parliamentary Budget Officer report calls out a significant gap: $138 million more is needed in annual operating spending. When will the government allocate the resources necessary to fulfill its 2015 promise and ensure that every first nations community has what every person in Canada deserves, access to clean drinking water?
81 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Patty Hajdu (Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, Lib.)
  • Dec/16/21 3:14:54 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, I can reassure the member this government has every intention of working hand in glove with indigenous communities to raise all long-term boil water advisories. Our work is paying off. In fact, 74% of long-term boil water advisories have been lifted since we have been in government. We have another 16% of the long-term boil water advisories under construction and we will not rest until we get this done.
74 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
The Speaker
  • Dec/16/21 3:15:27 p.m.
  • Watch
That is all the time we have for question period today. We have a point of order from the hon. member for Louis-Saint-Laurent.
25 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Mr. Gérard Deltell
  • Dec/16/21 3:15:35 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, we all recognize that a lot of people are now on the hybrid system. We respect that and there is no problem with it. However, there is a problem when a minister or anyone else does not have their headset. Time is running out. The Minister of Veterans Affairs spoke for 14 seconds before he finally recognized that he did not have his headset on correctly. Then, my hon. counterpart, whom I recognize was very efficient with his speech, spoke for 30 seconds. Let me be clear: When the time is running out, the time is running out for everybody.
102 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
The Speaker
  • Dec/16/21 3:16:03 p.m.
  • Watch
To respond to that, the problem was not the minister. He was part of it, but we had technical difficulties with interpretation, and it is too bad that the technical area did not work. That is why we extended time. The Speaker used his judgment; he wanted to make sure a complete answer got out, not broken pieces. That was my issue. I am sorry not everyone agrees with it.
70 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Mark Holland
  • Dec/16/21 3:16:37 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, this problem was created on our side. I offer a sincere apology to the House. We will endeavour to ensure that all members have their appropriate headsets. I apologize that we caused this disruption.
36 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Pierre Poilievre
  • Dec/16/21 3:16:58 p.m.
  • Watch
Mr. Speaker, on the same point of order, I note that the whip seems to have impaired one of his ministers, who was not here in person, from answering a question. The Minister of Finance was deprived of the chance to answer housing inflation questions, and I think it is inappropriate for the whip—
55 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border