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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 60

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 28, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 60 - Apr/28/22
Hon. Sean Fraser (Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Lib.)
  • Apr/28/22 3:10:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from Scarborough Centre for her passion for Canadian citizenship and for her work on behalf of her constituents. Since April 2020, more than 240,000 applicants have become Canadian citizens through virtual oath ceremonies. We had to pivot our strategy after it became impossible to host large events for people together in a room. We are now hosting 350 virtual ceremonies each month, and each week approximately 5,800 applicants are invited to deliver their oath virtually. I am happy to announce that just last month, we set an all-time record by welcoming more than 41,000 applicants to complete their journey toward Canadian citizenship. Moving forward, we are going to continue to explore more options. The hon. member began her—
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The Deputy Speaker
  • Apr/28/22 3:11:12 p.m.
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The hon. member for Edmonton Griesbach.
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Mr. Blake Desjarlais (Edmonton Griesbach, NDP)
  • Apr/28/22 3:11:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the government is finally acting to change its discriminatory blood ban against men who have sex with other men, gay men and transwomen. This is a crucial step in increasing the blood supply at a time of ongoing shortages, and it is a step toward ending a policy that reinforced homophobia and transphobia, but New Democrats share the concerns of activists that the government could still be leaving people out. Will the government commit to working with the 2SLGBTQI community to end the arbitrary exclusions still contained in the new policy?
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Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos (Minister of Health, Lib.)
  • Apr/28/22 3:12:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am so pleased to be able to hear our colleagues speak about this great day we are having today in removing discrimination in this particular matter. As our colleague said, we are so grateful to the activists, as well as the scientists, for having worked so hard over the last few years to get to that outcome. We look forward to working more together to make sure that Canada is a country in which we can live safely, in dignity and without discrimination.
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Mr. Kevin Vuong (Spadina—Fort York, Ind.)
  • Apr/28/22 3:13:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, many of my constituents have been contacting me about the severe delays in processing immigration applications and the pause placed on the express entry draws. People have had to put their lives and careers on hold, living in IRCC purgatory, all while Canadian businesses are facing a labour shortage. IRCC is a total farce. Along with the quagmire at passport offices and the mess in obtaining social insurance cards, all are colossal failures. Does the government have any viable plan to get “dis-Service Canada” back to Service Canada any time soon?
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Hon. Sean Fraser (Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Lib.)
  • Apr/28/22 3:13:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, over the last number of months, we have taken a number of steps to boost the processing capacity of IRCC, with $85 million announced in the fall economic statement. We have made available an additional $385 million to be processed in the recent federal budget. We are launching a modernization of the digital platform to boost processing time further and creating more immigration level space. The result of these investments is actually seeing the numbers in the express entry system under the federal high-skilled streams decrease from 112,000 to 48,000. The draws for the Canadian experience class in the federal skilled workers stream will resume this July, and we will be back to the service standard we enjoyed before COVID-19 was something we had ever heard of.
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The Deputy Speaker
  • Apr/28/22 3:14:23 p.m.
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Following discussions among representatives of all parties in the House, I understand there is an agreement to observe a moment of silence in commemoration of the Holocaust. I now invite hon. members to please rise. [A moment of silence observed]
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Mr. John Brassard (Barrie—Innisfil, CPC)
  • Apr/28/22 3:16:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is great to be back after a couple of weeks in the riding. We have a busy time coming up in the legislative agenda. I am sure the NDP is already aware, but for the sake of my colleagues and the Bloc, would the parliamentary secretary to the government House leader please advise the House what the business will be over the next week?
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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)
  • Apr/28/22 3:16:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this afternoon and tomorrow we will deal with Bill C-8, the economic and fiscal update. On Monday, we will resume debate on Government Business No. 11 concerning the extension of sitting hours and commence third-reading debate on Bill C-8. It is also our intention to begin consideration at second reading of the budget bill on Tuesday and continue with this debate on Wednesday and Thursday.
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Hon. Chrystia Freeland (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Lib.)
  • Apr/28/22 3:17:08 p.m.
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moved that a ways and means motion to introduce an act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022, and other measures be concurred in.
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The Deputy Speaker
  • Apr/28/22 3:17:39 p.m.
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If a member of a recognized party present in the House wishes to request a recorded division on the motion or that the motion be adopted on division, I would invite them to please rise and indicate it to the Chair. The hon. House leader for the official opposition.
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Mr. John Brassard
  • Apr/28/22 3:17:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we would like a recorded division.
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The Deputy Speaker
  • Apr/28/22 3:17:44 p.m.
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Call in the members.
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The Deputy Speaker
  • Apr/28/22 4:01:15 p.m.
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I declare the motion carried.
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The Deputy Speaker
  • Apr/28/22 4:02:20 p.m.
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It is my duty pursuant to Standing Order 38 to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the hon. member for Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke, National Defence; and the hon. member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, Public Safety.
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Hon. Chrystia Freeland
  • Apr/28/22 4:02:20 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-19 
moved that Bill C-19, An Act to implement certain provisions of the budget tabled in Parliament on April 7, 2022 and other measures, be read the first time and printed.
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Hon. Chrystia Freeland (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Lib.)
  • Apr/28/22 4:02:52 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-8 
moved: That in relation to Bill C-8, An Act to implement certain provisions of the economic and fiscal update tabled in Parliament on December 14, 2021 and other measures, not more than one further sitting day shall be allotted to the consideration of the report stage and five hours shall be allotted to the consideration at third reading stage of the said bill; and That, 15 minutes before the expiry of the time provided for Government Orders on the day allotted to the consideration at report stage and at the end of the five hours provided for the consideration at third reading stage of the said bill, any proceedings before the House shall be interrupted, if required for the purpose of this order, and in turn every question necessary for the disposal of the said stage of the bill then under consideration shall be put forthwith and successively without further debate or amendment.
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The Deputy Speaker
  • Apr/28/22 4:04:55 p.m.
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Pursuant to Standing Order 67(1), there will now be a 30-minute question period. I invite hon. members who wish to ask questions to rise in their places or use the “raise hand” function so the Chair has some idea of the number of members who wish to participate in this question period.
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Mr. John Brassard (Barrie—Innisfil, CPC)
  • Apr/28/22 4:06:25 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-8 
Mr. Speaker, I spoke at length earlier about the government mismanaging its legislative agenda. This bill was introduced back in December. The second reading was in February, it went to committee and was approved March 1, and it came back to the House in April at report stage. Not only members of the opposition, but also members of the Bloc had significant concerns about this piece of legislation coming out of committee that opened up debate, but subsequent to that we had four weeks off in this place. I know that the government is going to blame obstruction and obfuscation on the part of the opposition, but nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, on April 4, the government gave notice of time allocation and the reason it did not move it was because the NDP would not agree to it. Is that not correct?
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Hon. Chrystia Freeland
  • Apr/28/22 4:07:32 p.m.
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  • Re: Bill C-8 
Madam Speaker, what Canadians want from all of us, Canadians across the country and who vote for all of the different parties represented in the House, is for us to get down to work and do the work of the country. That is what the measures in Bill C-8 do. These measures, frankly, should be receiving unanimous support in the House. These measures include a tax credit for businesses to improve their ventilation to keep COVID at bay. Is that not a good idea right now, as we are facing a sixth wave? They include an expansion of the school supplies tax credit for teachers, who bought additional supplies during COVID and are now working so hard to get our kids back up to speed. Bill C-8 includes $1.7 billion for rapid tests, which again are so essential as we get down down to living with COVID. They include a tax on underused housing, which is such an important part of our housing strategy. I would urge everyone to set aside partisan games and partisan posturing and pass this essential legislation.
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