44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 13, 2022 10:00AM
- May/13/22 11:20:03 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are always disturbed when we hear of people who have lost their lives to gun violence. In fact, the burden of injury from gun violence is something that is of a concern. It is a public health concern to all Canadians.
Our approach to firearms is one of common-sense safety measures, and these measures that were introduced this week would keep firearms out of the hands of criminals, codify businesses' due diligence practices and support law enforcement in tracing efforts. It is another tool in our arsenal to keep communities safe.
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- May/13/22 11:20:43 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, everything we just heard is false.
The new measures coming into force on May 18 directly affect honest business owners and honest Canadians who own guns. Yes, they exist. Unfortunately, this government is not even considering doing the right thing and directing its attacks at the real criminals: the street gangs and those who use illegal guns.
Again, why, on May 18, is the government hassling honest people instead of going after the real criminals?
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- May/13/22 11:21:15 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government is firmly committed to building safer communities. To reduce gun crime, we must address the social conditions that lead youth to join gangs. That is why we are working closely with municipalities in Quebec and across the country, and with indigenous communities, to provide $250 million over five years to bolster gang prevention and intervention programs.
I would remind Conservatives that when we studied Bill C-71, they put forward amendments that would have removed punishment for making a false statement to provide a licence, tampering with licences, unauthorized possession of ammunition and more.
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- May/13/22 11:21:54 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, a 17-year-old was shot in the Liberal-held riding of Don Valley East, in the parking lot of Victoria Park Collegiate.
Instead of dealing with the real problem infesting the streets of Liberal-held ridings, which is gang and criminal illegal handgun use, these Liberals would rather engage in cheap political stunts by attacking duck and deer hunters to make it look like they are doing something. In fact, they are solving nothing.
Why will Liberal MPs not act as emboldened as the gangs and the criminals in their ridings, and go after those who are shooting up their streets with illegal handguns?
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- May/13/22 11:22:32 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, rather than playing political games around gun violence, we are taking concrete action to keep communities safe and keep the citizens of Canada safe, and we are taking a comprehensive approach to firearms. It is one that includes investing in communities, investing in housing, and investing in ensuring that guns are not crossing the border by investing in CBSA. When the Conservatives were in government, they cut CBSA. We have reinvested to keep the guns from coming into Canada.
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- May/13/22 11:23:10 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this week a shooting happened in the Liberal-held riding of St. Catharines during a jewellery store robbery. The pattern of gun crime in Liberal ridings has nothing to do with farmers, hunters, sport shooters or collectors, or with scary military assault weapons. It has to do with gangs, criminals and illegal handguns. Even with clear evidence of illegal handgun shootings in their ridings, Liberals, including the MP for St. Catharines, spread disinformation on what the real cause of gun crime is in this country.
Why are Liberals spreading disinformation when it comes to the real cause of gun crime in Canada and, worse yet, why are they doing nothing to solve the problem?
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- May/13/22 11:23:48 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is the fourth time I have stood up here and been accused of doing nothing. I take great offence, due to the fact that this government is taking concrete steps that will actually make a difference to keeping Canadians safe, rather than playing politics on the issue of guns and just parroting the lines from the gun lobby.
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- May/13/22 11:24:17 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on a different subject, Quebec City encircles the first nation community in Wendake, which I represent here in the House of Commons.
Oddly enough, according to Canada Post, the postal code for Wendake identifies it as a rural delivery area. As a result, it can cost up to 30% more to insure and mail packages. That is totally unfair and unacceptable.
Will the minister responsible for first nations acknowledge that this makes no sense and that we need to fix this problem at once?
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- May/13/22 11:24:51 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I first want to correct my colleague's comment that I am responsible for the first nations. I serve the first nations.
In reply to the question, the member opposite is quite right. It is unfair that communities that were previously in rural areas but now are not because of urban sprawl are penalized because of prices linked to postal codes.
Let us hope that Canada Post, which is an independent agency, will rectify the situation. I have been speaking to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement about this and will continue to do so.
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- May/13/22 11:25:22 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister refuses to close Roxham Road on the pretext that that is not the solution because irregular migrants “will cross elsewhere”.
Yes, they will cross elsewhere. They will cross at the border crossings. That is what they did before the safe third country agreement. If the Prime Minister suspends the agreement, something he can do unilaterally, migrants can cross at any border crossing in Canada rather than coming in through the woods. It is simple, safe and humane.
When will the federal government suspend the agreement and close Roxham Road?
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- May/13/22 11:26:04 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our system for refugees must be robust and humane.
There is no magic solution. Asking to close Roxham Road is not a realistic solution. It will only shift the problem to another location. Suspending the agreement will have the completely opposite effect.
What we need to do is modernize the safe third country agreement, and that is what we are doing by working with the United States on a sustainable solution.
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- May/13/22 11:26:27 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that is exactly the problem.
The border is long and people can cross wherever they want to, even though they should be going through official border crossings. If we suspended the safe third country agreement, migrants would be redirected to the 117 border crossings across Canada, instead of converging to cross at Roxham Road, as 92% of them are doing.
The number of irregular crossings is expected to rise significantly on the weekend, so the minister cannot stand by. He can immediately suspend the agreement and shut down Roxham Road.
Will he finally do something?
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- May/13/22 11:27:06 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government has been consistent in its commitment to the most vulnerable people in the world.
We continue to work closely with Quebec to comply with our national and international refugee obligations, while still protecting the health and safety of Canadians.
We are aware that the number of crossings has increased since COVID‑19 restrictions have been relaxed, and we are working closely with the Canada Border Services Agency to keep our borders safe and secure.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, after five years of my community demanding that the federal government transfer Ojibway Shores from the Windsor Port Authority to Parks Canada, it finally acknowledged that it could do this the right way. We all know this was in anticipation of the vote on my private member's bill to establish Ojibway National Urban Park, which the City of Windsor and Caldwell First Nation support and want to take place.
Will the government finally do what the residents of Windsor, the environmental community and the indigenous community have asked, and protect endangered species and this rare ecosystem by voting for my bill? This is one thing the government can do immediately that would make a difference for climate change and for Canada.
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the member for posing that question, which is extremely important. Obviously, everything we can do to take action on climate change and to work with the member on this important issue, we will. Absolutely, we will move forward with looking at this national park.
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- May/13/22 11:28:57 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, every day, 20 Canadians die from toxic drug poisoning. Every day, 20 families get this devastating news. Last May, Health Canada's Expert Task Force on Substance Use published its report, which clearly stated that criminalizing people who use drugs is causing harm and needs to end. The government has ignored its own experts now for over a year, while thousands of Canadians have died.
My question is simple. How many Canadians need to die before the government will listen to its own experts and support a health-based approach to substance use?
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- May/13/22 11:29:36 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for his ongoing advocacy on this and for the conversation that has been raised with his private member's bill. This is all very important conversation in this country. We recognize that problematic substance use is a health issue, and we too want to move it from the criminal justice system to the health system. We are doing everything we can to invest in safe consumption sites, safer supply and all of the alternatives that will eventually stop this terrible tragedy in Canada.
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- May/13/22 11:30:15 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals make big promises on housing affordability, but the changes in their budget law on GST for assignment of sale make a terrible situation even worse. The GST is already charged by the builder of a duplex or fourplex, but under these changes, if the purchaser of the units then sells one to a family, that family must pay the GST to the government again.
Can the tax-and-spend Prime Minister please explain to the House how taxing families more and raising the cost of housing help anyone but him?
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- May/13/22 11:30:53 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the member's question gives me an opportunity to again talk about our housing measures, which his party has voted against several times.
In budget 2022, we have a lot of measures to help access a new house and build more affordable housing. I hope this time around members will support the measures this government is presenting.
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- May/13/22 11:31:21 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, they are raising the cost of housing and the member has nothing to say about that. I guess the truth hurts.
Let me say that what is truly cruel, though, is when the Liberals propose a shiny, new first-time homebuyer savings account and young families with dreams of home ownership actually believe them. What they do not say is that it will take five years to max it out at $40,000, if they have the money to save. Even then, they must qualify under the Liberal stress test.
What will the Minister of Housing do when those few but earnest millennials open up the account, save $40,000 and then are bounced by the stress test? Will he at least send them a “we are sorry” card?
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