SoVote

Feb/14/22 7:53:05 p.m.
Watch

I have been surprised before when I believe members are off on a tangent and suddenly they bring their argument. I am sure the hon. member will make sense and come into his argument. I will just remind him, though, to try to be as relevant as possible when he is debating the topic at hand. I will let the hon. member continue.

63 words

Mr. Marc Dalton

Feb/14/22 7:53:29 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-10

Mr. Speaker, I believe this is absolutely relevant. We are talking about $2.5 billion of money. What is $2.5 billion? What is $1.2 trillion of deficit that we have doubled under the Liberals? What does that mean? It is just money. It is just taxpayer money. It just puts it upon our children and their children and their children. Who cares? That is the attitude we are getting from this group. Why am I passionate about this? It is because the Liberals are trying to ram through this bill, which we have supported. We have talked about getting rapid testing for the past year and a half. For the past year and a half, we have been bringing this forward. Now they are patting themselves on the back for getting all of these rapid tests. They are not very rapid on getting the rapid tests. It is pretty slow if they ask me. More than just slow, it is not just the rapid tests. We need to examine this. How about vaccinations? They tell you, Mr. Speaker, that we have more vaccines per capita than others in the world. We have almost as many as there are stars in the sky. We have vaccines, 200 million vaccines, and this does relate to the motion. It does not matter that we are paying twice as much as the Europeans or 50% more than the Americans. That is just taxpayer money. We are talking about $2.5 billion. What are we getting for that? Do Canadians not deserve to see what is in there? The Liberals say that it is an emergency and we have to pass this forward. Maybe there is another little emergency happening right now. The fact of the matter is that we had a vote today on getting mandates lifted, and the Liberals want to shift the dial. Premier Ford was announcing that the province was lifting restrictions and their response was to ask, “What should we do?” Let us have an emergency meeting right now, tonight, Sunday night, and bring in the emergency measures act, and for good measure let us also do this bill. Things have been serious for a while, but this is how this party works, supported by our friends in the NDP. This is serious and Canadians have a right to know. When the pandemic began, we had daily calls with staff and it was a running joke after a while. We would give some suggestions to the public affairs people who answer the questions and give it to the end of the month. On the other side the ministers would say that it was a good idea and they would just incorporate it, whether it was a 10% wage subsidy at the beginning, increased to 75%, or a whole host of measures. The impression that we on this side get is absolute wastefulness on that side. They say it is the taxpayers but whatever. We have doubled the amount of debt in Canadian history just in the past while here. There comes a time for accountability. There comes a time for constraint. There comes a time for thoughtfulness, and we are not seeing it over there. I remember watching what was happening here over the past couple of years and wondering who we are being run by. Who is economically running this? Is this a group of high school students? I am sorry to high school students. I am a high school teacher by profession. However, this is ridiculous. Maybe they should not be sending these cheques to foreign addresses. Going back to high school students, maybe they should not be giving tens of thousands of dollars to students who have made maybe $5,000. Maybe a bit of thoughtfulness would have been helpful for Canadians, because the Liberals are putting us into bondage. This is an important bill. I would also say this on vaccinations. I will tell them where they can put the rapid tests to good use. They can maybe open up to some people they have excluded from Canada. They have made them lepers. Who are these lepers? They are the people who are unvaccinated, who happen to be, according to the Liberals' report, about 20% or maybe more of the population. Maybe people could use them so they could travel. That was the Conservative position. How about letting people travel? In British Columbia and Canada right now, 20% of households have had COVID in the past month and a half. We are talking about millions of people. It is all over. It is endemic. They are saying to forget about testing and treat it like you have a flu or a cold. They are saying to stay at home. I know hundreds of people who have had COVID. I had COVID three weeks ago, and my wife did also, so it is real. I know people who have died from it. I am not saying we do not need rapid tests. I am just saying that we need to show a little more thoughtfulness and respect for Canadian taxpayers.

857 words

All Topics

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

Feb/14/22 7:59:18 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-10

Mr. Speaker, I must say that was entertaining. When we follow the debate of the Conservatives today, we have to wonder where they are on the issue of tests. We have some members who stand up to ridicule it. It is almost as if they do not believe rapid tests play a valuable role at all in society. They are asking why we are spending this money. Then there are other members who stand up to say they are going to vote in favour of the legislation. I guess the question to ask the member is whether he will be be voting in favour of the legislation. Is he against the legislation? Where is the Conservative Party today, Mr. Trump? Oh, I meant that for the member.

127 words

All Topics

Mr. Marc Dalton

Feb/14/22 8:00:04 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-10

Mr. Speaker, honestly, we are with Canadians. We are concerned about their health. We want to see them wherever they are at. We want them to have their own free choices. It is “my body, my choice” as far as vaccinations go. It is not to treat them like they are idiots or like they are white supremacists. They are not. They are Canadians.

66 words

All Topics

Mr. Kelly McCauley

Feb/14/22 8:00:45 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-10

Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. While we might have fun volleying back and forth with the member for Winnipeg North, his addressing my colleague as Mr. Trump was offensive. He knows full well that was not a mistake. He did it on purpose. I ask that he stand and apologize to the member and to the House.

61 words

All Topics

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux

Feb/14/22 8:01:06 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-10

Mr. Speaker, I withdraw the comment and I apologize.

9 words

All Topics

The Speaker

Feb/14/22 8:01:12 p.m.
Watch

It being 8 p.m., pursuant to an order made earlier today, it is my duty to interrupt the proceedings to put forthwith every question necessary to dispose of Motion No. 8 under government business now before the House. The question is on the amendment. If a member of a recognized party wishes to request a recorded division or that the amendment be adopted on division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.

78 words

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux

Feb/14/22 8:02:45 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, we request a recorded vote.

7 words

Recorded

The Speaker

Feb/14/22 8:02:45 p.m.
Watch

Call in the members.

4 words

Call

The Speaker

Feb/14/22 8:48:49 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-10

I declare the amendment defeated.

5 words

All Topics

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

Feb/14/22 8:49:06 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties, and if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion. I move: That, notwithstanding any standing order, special order or usual practice of the House, Government Business No. 8 standing on the Order Paper in the name of the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, be amended: a) in paragraph (c), by deleting all the words after the words “recorded division is requested” and substituting the following, “it shall be deferred to the next sitting day at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions, and the House shall then adjourn to the next sitting day”; and b) by deleting paragraph (g).

126 words

The Speaker

Feb/14/22 8:49:39 p.m.
Watch

All those opposed to the hon. member moving the motion will please say nay. Hearing no dissenting voice, it is agreed. The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay.

40 words

The Speaker

Feb/14/22 8:50:22 p.m.
Watch

The next question is on the main motion, as amended. If a member of a recognized party present in the House wishes to request a recorded division or that the motion, as amended, be adopted on division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.

49 words

Mr. John Brassard

Feb/14/22 8:51:48 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, we request a recorded division.

7 words

The Speaker

Feb/14/22 9:05:06 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-10

I declare the motion, as amended, carried. Pursuant to order made earlier today, the House will now proceed to the consideration of the bill at second reading.

27 words

All Topics

The Speaker

Feb/14/22 9:05:11 p.m.
Watch

Pursuant to order made earlier today, two members of each recognized party and a member of the Green Party may each speak for not more than 20 minutes, followed by 10 minutes for questions and comments. Members may be permitted to split their time with another member.

47 words

Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos

Feb/14/22 9:05:11 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-10

Mr. Speaker, I am obviously very happy to rise this evening, during the 44th Parliament of Canada, to support Bill C‑10, which would give Health Canada the legislative authority to spend up to $2.5 billion to purchase and distribute rapid tests across the country. This bill will help the provinces and territories meet their needs for COVID‑19 rapid tests and will continue to support the national program for COVID‑19 workplace screening, in addition to federal workplace testing and screening initiatives. It is a critical time in our fight against COVID-19, and we need every tool at our disposal. Testing plays a key role in our effort to contain and mitigate the pandemic by identifying infected individuals—

126 words

All Topics

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

Feb/14/22 9:05:11 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-10

moved that Bill C-10, An Act respecting certain measures related to COVID-19, be read the second time and referred to a committee of the whole.

27 words

All Topics

The Speaker

Feb/14/22 9:06:08 p.m.
Watch

I am going to interrupt the hon. minister and call for order. Order. I want to point out to everyone that the minister is giving a speech and I want to make sure that everyone can hear what he has to say. The hon. minister.

45 words

Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos

Feb/14/22 9:06:26 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-10

Mr. Speaker, I forgot to mention that I will be splitting my time with the member for Winnipeg North. Testing, as we all know, plays a key role in our efforts to contain and mitigate the pandemic. Identifying infected individuals helps to prevent further person-to-person transmission of the virus. As everyone knows, health care services are struggling to meet the demand for polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests, because the omicron variant has a very high infection rate. Provinces and territories across the country are now relying on rapid tests to help fill this significant gap. Rapid tests are a screening method that can more easily and quickly detect COVID-19 in a variety of settings such as schools, workplaces and other high-risk environments including long-term care facilities and hospitals, to name a few. Using rapid tests in new settings can help detect the spread of COVID-19 and support measures to break the chain of transmission. Not everyone who has COVID-19 will show symptoms. In fact, the prevalence of asymptomatic infection is probably a significant factor in the high rate of transmission of omicron. Rapid testing allows a person to detect the virus in as little as 15 minutes, which makes it a powerful tool that Canadians can use to help curb the spread of the omicron variant. Since the introduction of Bill C-8, which provided additional funding for the purchase and distribution of rapid tests, Canada experienced an exponential increase in the number of cases and hospitalizations. The spread of omicron also led to an abrupt increase in demand for rapid tests. This is putting pressure on global supply, where supply chains are very tight, so clearly we need to get more of these tests, and we need to do it now. Bill C-10 will allow Health Canada to purchase and distribute hundreds of millions of rapid tests across the country and help ensure equitable access in all jurisdictions. It also builds on commitments made in last December's economic and fiscal update, which included an additional $1.7 billion in funding for the procurement and distribution of rapid tests across the country. Bill C-10 would also allow Health Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada to continue supporting provinces and territories by securing the rapid tests that they need to keep Canadians safe and healthy, including through expanded schoolplace and workplace testing programs. Finally, Bill C-10 would allow us to continue supporting businesses of all sizes by providing rapid tests for workplace screening programs through direct delivery and partners such as chambers of commerce and pharmacies. Throughout the pandemic, the Canadian government has worked closely with its provincial and territorial partners to ensure they have the tools they need to manage outbreaks and ensure the safety and health of everyone. The federal government starting buying and providing rapid tests free of charge to the provinces and territories in October 2020. The Government of Canada delivered more than 35 million rapid tests to provinces and territories in December 2021, and 140 million additional tests were delivered to Canada in January alone. The Government of Canada also supports the Canadian Red Cross in its delivery efforts. Companies with 200 employees or more, including federally regulated companies, can receive rapid tests free of charge directly from the Government of Canada. Small and medium-sized businesses and other organizations can also receive and have access to rapid tests through one of the Canadian government's delivery partners. The Canadian government has spent the past two years enhancing its ability to respond quickly and efficiently to the many challenges associated with the pandemic. Working with the provinces, territories and other partners, we are delivering the tools we need to protect Canadians in our health care system from the most serious outcomes of COVID-19. As my colleagues know, this year started out with a marked increase in the number of COVID-19 cases when there was a surge in the omicron variant in Canada and around the world. Recent modelling has shown that the increase in omicron infections has probably peaked. However, the number of daily admissions to hospitals and intensive care units is still high and many hospitals in Canada are under intense pressure. Therefore, we must continue to do everything we can to limit the spread of COVID-19 and its variants. In the short term, that means vaccines, boosters and strong adherence to public health guidelines. Because nearly three million eligible Canadians have yet to get a first or second dose of the primary series and many other Canadians are also eligible for a booster, we want to improve our individual and collective protection with the COVID‑19 vaccines. This will help us keep fighting the omicron wave and any potential new waves and variants. Looking ahead, Canada will need to continue to tackle future waves, which may or may not be smaller than the omicron surge depending on how the virus evolves. Screening tests, combined with individual public health measures and vaccination, play an important role in protecting Canadians and reducing the risk of outbreaks, swiftly identifying and isolating cases, and limiting the spread of COVID‑19 and its variants of concern. We are all tired after living with the COVID‑19 pandemic for the past two years and the most recent omicron wave. We all want to know when the pandemic will be over, but we cannot simply snap our fingers and decide that COVID‑19 is over. We are at a critical juncture in the pandemic. We must do the right thing and act responsibly, and we need to do it now. We know that rapid tests will help us slow the spread of omicron. They will also help manage outbreaks and, ultimately, they will help keep Canadians safe and healthy. That is why I urge all members of the House to support Bill C‑10.

998 words

All Topics

SoVote

House Hansard - 30