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Hon. Omar Alghabra (Minister of Transport, Lib.)

Jan/31/22 3:11:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to the public health of our citizens. Leadership requires belief in science. Leadership also requires resolve, and we are resolute to do everything we can to protect the health and safety of Canadians. That is why we have implemented measures, including requiring travellers to be fully vaccinated. Any allegations of violations of our public health measures will be investigated fully by Transport Canada.

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Mr. Brian Masse (Windsor West, NDP)

Jan/31/22 3:11:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, like many other frontline workers, grocery store workers have put their health at risk to make sure Canadians have been able to get the essentials they need. With COVID-19 cases high, it is absolutely essential that they are treated and compensated fairly for the work that they do. Big grocery store chains will not do the right thing on their own and restore the hero pay they had promised. They even take government handouts to pay their rich CEOs. If the Liberals will not stand up for these workers, will they at least guarantee that these fat cats will not continue to get taxpayer-subsidized money, especially when they promised to make this happen? What will the minister do?

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Hon. Chrystia Freeland (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Lib.)

Jan/31/22 3:12:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for reminding us yet again that COVID has really shown us who the truly essential workers in our economy are, and that very much includes frontline workers in places like grocery stores. Our government is very pleased to have been able to put measures in place throughout COVID to support these workers, including measures like paid sick leave, including government support for people who need to take time off if a loved one is sick and, of course, including the increase to the Canada workers benefit.

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Mr. Mike Morrice (Kitchener Centre, GP)

Jan/31/22 3:13:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, earlier this month, over 400 climate scientists and scholars co-signed a letter calling on the federal government to step back from its plan to introduce another fossil fuel subsidy, a new tax credit for carbon capture and storage. As stated in their letter, despite decades of research, carbon capture is neither economically sound nor proven at scale. This proposal would only divert resources away from proven and cost-effective solutions like renewable energy and electrification. Can the minister confirm the government will listen to scientists and scrap this proposed new subsidy?

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Hon. Steven Guilbeault (Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Lib.)

Jan/31/22 3:14:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have to look at every possible technology that will help us reduce greenhouse gases. In fact, when it comes to carbon capture and storage, the IPCC itself produced a report a few years ago looking at this very technology, saying that we might have to do it because we will not be able to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions fast enough to prevent 1.5°C of global warming.

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Mr. Luc Thériault (Montcalm, BQ)

Jan/31/22 3:15:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, there have been consultations among the parties, and I believe you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That this House salute the dedication of the health care workers who have been tirelessly on the front lines for 22 months administering vaccines and caring for the patients of COVID-19.

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The Speaker

Jan/31/22 3:15:43 p.m.
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All those opposed to the hon. member moving the motion will please say nay. I hear none. The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay.

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The Speaker

Jan/31/22 3:16:15 p.m.
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It is my duty pursuant to section 536 of the Canada Elections Act to table the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada's “Report on the 44th General Election of September 20, 2021”. Pursuant to Standing Order 108(3)(a), this report is deemed permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Jan/31/22 3:17:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(a), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to 115 petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.

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Government response to petitions

Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos (Minister of Health, Lib.)

Jan/31/22 3:17:21 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-10

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-10, An Act respecting certain measures related to COVID-19.

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Hon. Carolyn Bennett (Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Lib.)

Jan/31/22 3:18:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I join today from the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit as we gather in the House of Commons of Canada to celebrate the life of our trail-blazing, courageous and compassionate former colleague, Alexa McDonough. Our hearts are with her family and friends and a grateful country. Alexa was a true pioneer for women, and held leadership positions in politics by leading the New Democratic Party at the provincial and federal levels for decades. She showed that it was possible to do things differently and still succeed in politics. Yesterday, I talked to my friend Robin Sears, who was the national director of the NDP from 1974 to 1981. He suggested, “It is perhaps important to recall how different was the world that Alexa grew up in than the one we live in today. Alexa's achievements began in community work in the 1970s. They were times of open misogyny in Canada. Women who sought to offer political opinions publicly were subject to broad public disapproval and often attack. There were very few women in any roles in politics.” Robin described Alexa as having a personal magic that was based upon empathy and patience. She always had time to reach out and spend time with someone who was hurting. She sensed when someone needed an uplift and a call. Halifax Senator Stan Kutcher remembered Alexa as “a whirlwind with a purpose”. He said, “At one overly navel-gazing, endless-debating gathering at the university where I work, on the issues of if and if so, how much and how should the university interact with the community in which it was sited, she crashed the discussion, took the floor and demanded that the institution be active, welcoming and even more reflective in race, sexual orientation and other dimensions of the population of Canada and our province. I was delighted; others, much less so.” Alexa and I were both elected to the House of Commons in 1997. I remember fondly how we tried to reconstitute the all-party women's caucus, Alexa gamely trying to work with Deb Grey, in spite of great policy differences, to find issues that we could work on together, including supporting women parliamentarians around the world. Last year, Stephen Kimber released his powerful and beautifully written biography, called Alexa!: Changing the Face of Canadian Politics. The book should be compulsory reading for young women across Canada as they could come to know this truly remarkable and inspiring woman. I particularly loved the description of Rosemary Brown's advice to Alexa when she had been asked to run for office. Two words: “You should.” I think “you should” would be Alexa's advice to all young women in Canada, whether it is to run or to get involved in politics and making change for the better. Alexa McDonough believed and exemplified that if you add women, politics changes for the better. Today we honour the legacy of this tremendous politician, who demonstrated how important it is to our democracy that good and great people run for public office. Alexa will continue to inspire us all.

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Mr. Chris d'Entremont (West Nova, CPC)

Jan/31/22 3:22:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is with great honour and admiration that I rise in this chamber today to highlight the memory, the commitment and the brilliant political career of the late Alexa McDonough, who passed away on January 15. First, on behalf of my colleagues and the Conservative Party of Canada, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to her two sons, Justin and Travis, and to Alexa's family and loved ones, as well as to all federal NDP members and those from Nova Scotia's provincial NDP. She was known simply as “Alexa” across Canada. I unfortunately never had the opportunity to sit with her in the Nova Scotia legislature while I was an MLA, but I certainly had the great pleasure of getting to know her better through meetings and of course through former colleagues and her great legacy in Nova Scotia. Although we were not of the same political party and possibly would have disagreed on many issues, we would have definitely agreed on important matters for the benefit of all Nova Scotians, as we both cared deeply about the well-being of our fellow citizens, our communities and the needs of our beautiful province. When I reflect on Alexa's career, I always remember her deep commitment towards her constituents and her determination, and I will always value an important point that we have in common: The respect for all our fellow MLAs and MPs from all parties while valuing collaborative work for the common good. Alexa was very close to people and a visionary all at the same time. Elected leader of the Nova Scotia NDP in 1980, she became the first woman elected to lead a political party in the provincial legislature, which was at a time when there were no washrooms for female MLAs. She became the first woman to lead a major, recognized political party in Canada. After leading Nova Scotia's NDP for 14 years, she led the federal NDP from 1995 to 2003 and then continued to serve in this House of Commons until her retirement in 2008. To this day, Alexa remains the only woman in Canadian history to have led both a provincial and a federal party. She has been a pioneer, a distinguished leader and a great source of admiration for women who want to make the great leap into provincial or federal politics. In fact, her strong leadership, dedication and efforts over the years have helped Nova Scotia and all other Atlantic regions shine from coast to coast to coast. With the magnitude of Alexa's many accomplishments during her career, it is impossible to summarize her legacy in just one short statement, but here are a couple. Although many of us know her through her political work, she has been a force for change since her teens, when she led a youth group to fight the deplorable conditions in Africville, a small urban Black community that was located on the south coast of the Bedford Basin near Halifax. She was a social worker, reporter, teacher and brilliant politician. She fought for health care workers and safety improvements, human rights protections and pay equity. She was also a champion for international development and peace advocacy. It is still difficult for many women to enter politics. Alexa's strong advocacy for women's contributions in politics over her entire career, her personal involvement in the social community and her determination in all of her commitments will certainly be remembered and recognized forever as an important gift and a source of inspiration to many women for generations to come. In addition to her career as a politician, Alexa also contributed much to the field of social work, her other profession. She worked in community development in Nova Scotia in social services; in social planning with the City of Halifax; as a policy researcher with the Institute of Public Affairs; and as a teacher at the Maritime School of Social Work, now the School of Social Work at Dalhousie University. She will always be remembered as a politician with a tremendous work ethic and as someone who deeply cared about our social workers. When I left the Nova Scotia legislature in 2019, there were only 19 women on all sides of the floor, compared to the six that were there when I was first elected back in 2003. Consider that when Alexa was elected, she was the only one. Again, regardless of one's political stripe, Alexa's contribution to the political landscape is immeasurable and provided a solid foundation for the involvement of women in politics and for recognition of their contribution. I thank Alexa for her contribution and her public service. They have greatly improved the lives of many. She will be deeply missed.

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Mrs. Marilène Gill (Manicouagan, BQ)

Jan/31/22 3:27:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the passing of Alexa McDonough at the age of 77 on January 15 is a great loss for Nova Scotia and Canada. It is an especially great loss for all women who go into politics to improve the conditions of the most vulnerable in our communities. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I would like to offer my condolences to Alexa McDonough’s family, friends and community. I also send my regards to her political family, the NDP. She was the NDP House leader from 1995 to 2003. A social worker by trade and at heart, Alexa McDonough led some major battles, notably to improve access to employment insurance and to fight the temptation to balance public finances on the backs of the most vulnerable workers. This battle is still ongoing today, especially for people making their living from the sea in both our regions and in eastern Quebec. She fought against federal cuts to health care under Jean Chrétien’s Liberals. This is yet another fierce battle that is still ongoing for all Quebeckers and Canadians. She will be best remembered for fighting for women in politics. Ms. McDonough became the second woman, after Thérèse Casgrain, to be elected leader of a party when she took the reins of the Nova Scotia NDP in 1980. The following year, she became the very first female party leader to win an election and sit in the Parliament of Canada. She stood as the only woman and the only member of her party against a political culture hostile to female leadership. That, I will repeat, was in a legislature that did not, I repeat, did not, have women’s washrooms. That says a lot. We have come a long way. In 1995, Alexa McDonough entered federal politics, took the reins of a weakened NDP and breathed new life into it, particularly in the Maritimes. In the House of Commons, as in the Nova Scotia legislature, she once again had to stand with determination in a world of men. She had to put up with the usual taunts from her political opponents, the classic ones. They accused her of being too emotional or too soft, and told her to go back to her knitting. As women in politics, we still hear the same idiotic nonsense. However, we hear them less often precisely because of pioneers like Alexa McDonough, who proved not only that we are welcome in politics and that we have a place here in the House, but also that we can speak with a strong and proud voice, the voice of a leader, when defending the interests of the people in our communities. Therefore, on behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I would like to thank Alexa McDonough for her political commitment on behalf of her constituents in the House of Commons. This is how it should be, not the other way round. Also, on behalf of the 103 women elected to the House, I thank her for her caring tenacity in the fight against prejudice.

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Mr. Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South, NDP)

Jan/31/22 3:30:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all New Democrats, we express our condolences to the family and loved ones of Alexa McDonough. This is a loss not just for the New Democrats and her family but for all Canadians. As we have heard from so many people, Alexa, as she was known across Canada, was someone who fought her whole life for social justice. She championed women in politics and never backed down from a challenge. She was not afraid to make people uncomfortable. She was not afraid to make clear that for women to have a place in politics they had to fight, and she fought hard. She became the leader of the Nova Scotia NDP 41 years ago today, and in doing so she became the first woman to lead a major political party in Canada. To really understand the impact of that, we need to know that she not only broke barriers for people in a profound way; she broke barriers so that other people could dream big and do the same. I think about all the people who have been touched by her leadership and pioneering. I think about the fact that I would not be here today if it were not for people like Alexa McDonough and the fact that she broke barriers. I think not only of the impact she has had on me, but also that which she has had on the lives of so many women. I had the honour of meeting Alexa a number of times, particularly when I visited Nova Scotia. The last time was in 2019, when she walked into the room during a campaign event. Although she had already given so much of her life to politics and social justice, she was not done; she still showed up to provide her support, and I saw the people in the room light up when she walked in. The cheer for her was deafening. All of the women who looked up to Alexa saw someone who made them feel like they belonged. That is what Alexa did. She made so many people realize they belonged. She was a trailblazer in so many ways. She was ahead of her time in fighting for the inclusion of all people, regardless of race, religion, gender and sexual orientation. She was someone who believed fundamentally in the principle that everyone belongs. Alexa McDonough dedicated her life to social justice, championed women in politics and never shied away from a challenge. She became the first woman to lead a major political party in Canada. She overcame obstacles so that others could do the same. I want to acknowledge the specific ways and some of the contributions. There are so many and people have laid out some of those contributions already, but I want to talk about some of the specific things that Alexa contributed to Canadians and Nova Scotians. She brought specific awareness to the challenges faced by the Black community in Africville, a community in Nova Scotia, she fought hard to overhaul Halifax's welfare system, she negotiated the first maternity leave in the history of Halifax and she played a pivotal role in advancing women's rightful place in Canadian politics. Alexa had the growing determination to build a better Canada and make it more fair for all Canadians. Her story is truly one of dedication, determination and decency. She was a remarkable trailblazer, an activist, a social worker, an educator, a feminist, a politician and, perhaps most significantly, a leader fighting to make life better for people. Rest in peace, Alexa. You will be sadly missed. Rest in power, Alexa. We will miss you.

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Ms. Elizabeth May

Jan/31/22 3:35:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I had the honour of being Alexa's friend for four decades. I request unanimous consent to allow me to speak and pay tribute to her legacy.

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The Speaker

Jan/31/22 3:35:23 p.m.
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All those opposed to the hon. member moving the motion will please say nay. An hon. member: Nay. The Speaker: I understand there is agreement to observe a moment of silence in memory of our former colleague, Alexa McDonough. I now invite hon. members to rise. [A moment of silence observed]

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Hon. Jim Carr (Winnipeg South Centre, Lib.)

Jan/31/22 3:37:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the following two reports of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security. The first report is in relation to the motion adopted on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, regarding the request for government response to the sixth report of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security entitled “Systemic Racism in Policing in Canada”, which was presented to the House of Commons on Thursday, June 17, 2021, during the second session of the 43rd Parliament. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report. The second report is in relation to the motion adopted on Thursday, December 16, 2021, regarding the proposed regulations amending certain regulations made under the Firearms Act. This is the latest version of the second report.

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Hon. Bardish Chagger (Waterloo, Lib.)

Jan/31/22 3:38:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs regarding the membership of committees of the House. If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the second report later this day.

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Mrs. Sherry Romanado (Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, Lib.)

Jan/31/22 3:40:03 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-224

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-224, an act to establish a national framework for the prevention and treatment of cancers linked to firefighting. She said: Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to introduce my bill to Parliament, and thank the member for Kingston and the Islands for seconding it. This legislation would establish a national framework for the prevention and treatment of cancers linked to firefighting and would designate the month of January each year as firefighter cancer awareness month throughout Canada. Every day, firefighters put their lives on the line to keep Canadians and our communities safe, but did members know that over 85% of all line-of-duty deaths among firefighters in Canada are caused by occupational cancers or that a firefighter's cancer may or may not be recognized as job-related, depending on where he or she lives? Awareness, education and information sharing are critical to the prevention and early detection of cancers linked to firefighting. This bill is about saving lives, and I hope all members of the House will support it.

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Hon. Bardish Chagger

Jan/31/22 3:41:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the second report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs presented to the House earlier this day be concurred in.

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