44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 30, 2022 11:00AM
Mr. Speaker, let me restart, if I can put it that way. There is an expectation that we all have. We all have it because we went through a national election where it was made very clear that the government was given a new mandate and part of that mandate was to show there was a need for opposition parties and government to work together. We see that taking place quite often between different opposition parties and the government.
Unfortunately, the Conservative Party has taken an approach where it does not matter what the legislation is and the importance of Bill C-18—
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- May/30/22 7:47:44 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, for months now, my Conservative colleagues and I have risen in the House to ask the government to lift the federal mandates. Since February, the government has voted down three different opposition motions, and maybe four today, calling for a plan to end federal mandates, including just this afternoon. When I asked a question on May 5 about federal mandates and federal public servants, I was told that the government “followed advice from public health experts” and that when “circumstances change, we adjust these measures”.
I will remind members of the House that Canada’s chief public health officer was saying back in February that all existing public health measures needed to be “re-evaluated” so that we can “get back to some normalcy”. Countries such as the United Kingdom, Spain and Denmark have removed restrictions and mandates, yet here in Canada, four million Canadians are still not able to take a domestic flight, travel by train to see loved ones and just do what they please.
Canadians who are able to travel are living a nightmare with delays at border crossings and airports. Planes are sitting on runways hours on end as travellers have to deal with slow processing times due to glitches and delays with the ArriveCAN app. The Liberal government’s outdated COVID-19 protocols and continued use of this app are not only causing extreme delays and missed connections, but hurting the aviation and tourism industries, the very industries that were hit first and the hardest when the pandemic struck.
Recently, I surveyed my constituents about the ArriveCAN app and over 80% say it should not remain in use. I hear on a daily basis about how federal restrictions and mandates are causing travel delays, which are hurting businesses in my riding now and will continue to hurt businesses as people are choosing to yet again delay travel plans for not wanting to deal with airport headaches. Why is the government persisting with its political theatre, which is having severely negative impacts on the well-being of Canadians who are just trying to live their lives?
When the vaccine mandate for federal public servants was implemented, it was said there would be a review after six months. It has now been seven months and the review has not taken place. How long does a review take?
To conclude, the government has repeatedly refused to provide evidence that supports the continued enforcement of these mandates, which leads us to simply believe these are punitive and vindictive measures aimed at dividing Canadians. Why is it that Canadians can pack themselves into a sporting arena and go to restaurants, movies, live theatre and music concerts, but the very small number of unvaccinated federal public servants are still not allowed to return to work? Why are unvaccinated Canadians still not able to travel, and why is the Liberal government not able to explain why?
I will end on a very quick note. On Saturday, I attended the May Day festivities at Bradner Hall. It was the first time in three years it had the event. When I was there, like many of my constituents and people who live in the Fraser Valley, I met someone who worked at one of the federally regulated trading facilities at one of our ports. I asked the community member if the federal government had ever imposed a vaccine mandate at a federal port. He said no, the government did not enforce its own policies at federal ports. The answer is really quite simple. The government did not impose its own mandates at federally regulated ports because it knew the impact it would have on the flow of goods in our country.
Here again is another example of the hypocrisy of the Liberal government as it relates to mandates. There is one set of rules for travellers, another set of rules for public servants and another set of rules for people working at ports. Why can the government not just lift the mandates, let people live their lives and provide some consistency? Our economy needs it and Canadians need it.
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- May/30/22 7:55:56 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have a couple of points for my rebuttal.
First, the member for Hull—Aylmer mentioned that there was an obligation for federal public servants to be vaccinated if they wanted to continue working, because the government said it is the most effective way to keep people safe. However, it did not have an obligatory vaccine mandate for federal inmates, so the people it was purporting to protect still had to service a population in our federal institutions that was not vaccinated. That is hypocrisy. I know for a fact that correctional officers right now are covering their badges because they are so ashamed of the government they are working for. They are in protest about the poor services the government gave them because of the very issue I just raised.
Second, the member did not respond to my point about ports. The Government of Canada never implemented a vaccine mandate at federal ports because it knew the economic consequences that would have. It was not a public health decision at the ports; it was an economic decision.
Can the member please comment on that?
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- May/30/22 8:16:23 p.m.
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Madam Chair, if so, then the minister knows that as it says in the government's mandate letters, this is the most important relationship. Can the minister tell the House whether the Marshall decision applies to Canada or just to Atlantic Canada?
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- May/30/22 9:03:28 p.m.
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Madam Chair, there are many factors contributing to the decline of wild salmon, but it is indisputable that open-net salmon farming is having a detrimental impact on our wild salmon.
The government has promised to take action in its past three mandate letters. Why are we not seeing real funding being committed in this year's budget?
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- May/30/22 9:40:32 p.m.
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Mr. Chair, the complexity of DFO's mandate is only increasing, especially with the potential pipeline and tanker traffic. We have invested a lot in protecting the oceans through the oceans protection plan.
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