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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 73

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 17, 2022 10:00AM
  • May/17/22 2:55:08 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, again, as I have mentioned several times in the House, and as I will repeat for the benefit of that member and all members, we are experiencing an unprecedented volume, the likes of which we have not seen since 2006, when the United States required a passport for Canadians. We have already taken additional measures, and we will continue to keep these measures in place as we recognize that there is a pent-up demand for travel. Service Canada and passport employees are working around the clock. They are working overtime evenings and weekends to do their very best to meet this increase in demand.
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  • May/17/22 2:55:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to tell the minister that her solution is not working. This government lacks vision. It is always reacting. It was to be expected that there would be an unprecedented demand for the renewal of Canadian passports because of the pandemic. My riding office is seeing many cases, lots of Julies, Carls and Marie-Annes. According to the Passport Canada site, people can expect to wait 20 days to get their passports. Why is this government causing people pointless stress and making them wait? Why is it not honouring its own deadlines?
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  • May/17/22 2:56:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have said this several times, but I will say it again. We know that demand is extremely high right now. As I have already explained to the House several times, we have taken many measures to try to meet that unprecedented growth in demand for Canadians. Our measures will remain in place to meet that demand, to meet Canadians' needs.
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  • May/17/22 2:57:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we need to give the police the resources they need to deal with the gang war in the greater Montreal area. Yesterday I asked the minister whether he had created an organized crime register to help police arrest gang members. The minister said that the short answer was yes, but he did not provide any details. Today we want the long answer. Will the minister create an organized crime register, and if so, when?
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  • May/17/22 2:57:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we have given police forces the tools to combat gang violence. We will continue to invest in our police forces. I have had several very constructive conversations with my counterparts in Quebec, more specifically, Minister Guilbault, Mayor Plante and Mayor Marchand. We will continue working closely with Quebec. It is very important.
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  • May/17/22 2:58:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the minister opened the door, but today he seems to be shutting it. Does he not see that there is a gang war going on in Montreal? Police forces want some latitude to do their jobs. They want to be able to interrogate people, which would be possible with an organized crime register. With such a register, police officers could arrest any member of an officially recognized gang. I think this would be a good way to get these criminals to settle down. After all of the shootings in recent months, why is the minister still hesitant to create an organized crime register?
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  • May/17/22 2:58:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there are laws for the prosecution of criminal organizations. There are tools to support the good work of police forces, for conducting investigations on the ground and for reassuring everyone that we can ensure public safety. On this side of the House, we will continue with a comprehensive strategy for fighting gun violence. We will be working with the Bloc and all members of the House on that.
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  • May/17/22 2:59:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I spoke to Todd, who worked for the federal government as an engineer. He is immunized for all his usual vaccines, except COVID-19. Of course, he has lost his job. He was worried about the short- and long-term effects of the new vaccines. Both Todd, the engineer, and his wife, the nurse, are leaving Canada as they cannot work or travel in their own country. Is the exodus of professionals the goal of the Prime Minister's vindictive mandates?
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  • May/17/22 3:00:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, having a fully vaccinated workforce makes our work sites and our communities safer. We asked employees of the federal public service to attest to their vaccination status. They stepped up, and 99% of employees attested to being fully vaccinated. We committed to review this policy every six months, and the policy review is under way. Any decisions will be based on science and the advice of public health officials.
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  • May/17/22 3:00:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister continues to punish Canadians who do not agree with him. A letter in The Globe and Mail stated today that continued travel restrictions are an unnecessary and illogical infringement on individual rights of mobility. The Prime Minister states, over and over, that he stands with Canadians. Well, he sure does not want them sitting beside him on a plane, a train or a bus. Will he put politics aside and allow Canadians to get back to prepandemic normal, or will he continue to punish Canadians for their health choices?
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  • May/17/22 3:01:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today we know more about COVID-19 than ever before, and certainly more than back in March 2020. We have safe, effective vaccines and a highly vaccinated population. We have testing and surveillance tools that allow us to identify new variants of concern and track the spread of this virus. However, the future remains uncertain, and people are still getting COVID-19 every single day. It is unpredictable. Our government will continue making decisions based on the best science from health care providers and public health officials, and will adjust our advice and public health measures based on them and the evolution of this virus.
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  • May/17/22 3:02:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there are currently two groups of people prevented from getting on commercial flights in Canada. The first group are those on the no-fly list, an air security program that prevents individuals who may commit a terrorist act from getting on a plane. The second group banned from flights in Canada are Canadians who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19. Why are the Liberals treating our fellow citizens who are not vaccinated in the same way they treat those on the no-fly list?
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  • May/17/22 3:02:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as I just said, we know more about this virus than we did a couple of years ago, and we continue to have safe and effective vaccines available— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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  • May/17/22 3:02:45 p.m.
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Order. The member is right there and I cannot hear him right now. The hon. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health.
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  • May/17/22 3:02:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today we know more about COVID-19 than we did two years ago, and that is a good thing, because we have safe and effective vaccines, which continue to be available for everyone, and we continue to have a highly vaccinated population. That is one of the reasons we have one of the lowest death rates in the world. We also have new treatments that can help patients from getting seriously ill. However, people continue to get COVID-19 and folks are still dying from COVID-19. It would be great if some of the Conservatives on the other side encouraged their populations and their constituents to get vaccinated.
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  • May/17/22 3:03:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, across the country, Canadians have experienced extreme heat waves— Some hon. members: Oh, oh! Mrs. Brenda Shanahan: Mr. Speaker, could you intervene, please?
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  • May/17/22 3:04:05 p.m.
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Everyone has the right to ask questions and hear the answers. The hon. member for Châteauguay—Lacolle has the floor again.
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  • May/17/22 3:04:05 p.m.
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Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Across Canada, people have experienced extreme heat waves, their houses have been destroyed by forest fires or floods, and their crops have been devastated by drought. Building a secure and healthy future for Canadians means building houses, infrastructure and an economy prepared to deal with the realities of climate change. Yesterday, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change launched public consultations to develop Canada's first-ever national adaptation strategy. Could he—
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  • May/17/22 3:04:39 p.m.
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The Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
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  • May/17/22 3:04:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague from Châteauguay—Lacolle for her question and her work on the environment in her riding. When the roof over our heads is leaking, we repair it and then we can think about what to have for dinner. We can and we must mitigate the impacts of climate change and, at the same time, prepare for it. These consultations will lead to the first inclusive national adaptation strategy, which will ensure that we are prepared to face the climate of today and tomorrow, and to implement measures to ensure the safety and well-being of our families, our communities and the environment.
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