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Mr. Luc Desilets (Rivière-des-Mille-Îles, BQ)

May/31/22 1:50:31 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I get the impression that there was a very superficial or cursory reading of this bill. Our motion is absolutely not about discrimination. We are all in favour of equity, diversity and inclusion. I would ask my colleague, who focused on women in her speech, which is great since we would all like there to be more women, what she thinks about the fact that, right now, 70% of the medical students at the Université de Montréal are women. Should there be criteria for reducing the number of female medical students at the Université de Montréal?

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Mrs. Jenica Atwin

May/31/22 1:51:16 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, that is a great example of a success story. That institution should be applauded, and perhaps we should explore what measures they took to ensure that women had adequate representation, specifically in the medical field. These are the conversations that we should be having, but I am sure it is by no accident that the environment was created and that the culture was created to foster women in those positions, in those halls and institutions. My thanks to the member for bringing that fact to our attention.

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Ms. Marilyn Gladu (Sarnia—Lambton, CPC)

May/31/22 1:51:50 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, my thanks to the member opposite for her advocacy. Colleagues may know that I am the first female engineer in the House of Commons and began as an engineer when only 13% of engineers were women. There was significant systemic discrimination at that time. I experienced it throughout my career. Of course, as I was in construction, that was also quite a toxic environment. I was sad to hear testimony in 2017, as the chair of the status of women committee while we were studying how to get more women into STEM, that this situation still exists. I wonder if the member would agree that we have not made progress as we should have. Does she have any suggestions as to how we could accelerate getting to equity?

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Mrs. Jenica Atwin

May/31/22 1:52:32 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, there is so much more that we could be doing. I certainly identify with the example she gave about being a female engineer in a space that was not necessarily fostered to promote women's inclusion. I think about many of the women who are also here in this space. I am sure they have also faced some of the discrimination that we are talking about today. I will give a couple of examples of questions that have come my way that really reflect the misogyny that is still in our society today: whether I have earned my position in this place, whether I was offered certain things or maybe had relationships along the way, maybe I was not doing my duties at home or I was really neglecting my children, perhaps, by being in this space. These are the things we have to face when we try to enter these spaces that were not designed for us. What we need to do is to continue to have these conversations. We need to be bold. We need to be out loud. We need to show women that they belong here, they belong in engineering and they belong in construction across this country.

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Ms. Lisa Marie Barron (Nanaimo—Ladysmith, NDP)

May/31/22 1:53:34 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I wanted to express my gratitude to the member for Fredericton. I went from feeling quite frustrated and discouraged at the beginning of this debate to now feeling much more optimistic as we shift into solutions and addressing real barriers in accessing equity. We know that the rate of women holding research chairs in Canada still falls short of the parity goal. I wonder if the member could share a little bit about how, in the seven years that the Liberals have had power, there have been lots of great words spoken but we are not seeing that translating into action. Women are still being discriminated against. Can the member please share her thoughts on how we best move forward to ensure that everyone feels welcome within our systems, including that which we are debating today?

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Mrs. Jenica Atwin

May/31/22 1:54:31 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the member's wonderful riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith is one that I am very familiar with. Being a relatively new member to the Liberal caucus, it has really been kind of a fact-finding mission for me to see what great work has been done. I have also heard some of the wonderful speeches in this place and wondered if our actions are matching what we say. What I have found is that they are. I had round tables in my riding over the past couple of weeks. I was fortunate to have ministers and parliamentary secretaries visit. We met with groups that represent women, in particular. We met with groups that represent victims of domestic violence. What they told me was that they have never seen so much support and funding. They really feel like their voices are being heard. To me, that is concrete action on the ground. What we say in the House is critically important, but of course those actions must follow. I am really seeing that across the country, and in particular in my riding of Fredericton.

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Mr. Mario Simard (Jonquière, BQ)

May/31/22 1:55:40 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to mention that I will be sharing my time with the ever‑charming member for Manicouagan. This is the best time of day, right before question period, when no one is listening and we can say stupid things, although I will not do that. I would like to begin with a reflection on the issue of positive discrimination. When research chairs are being selected, should positive discrimination be applied? I would like to come back to what positive discrimination means. Sometimes, in the workplace and in access to education, there are biases that can favour certain people. Yes, men can be favoured for certain jobs, people of different ethnic identities can be favoured for certain jobs, and we have to accept that positive discrimination is a mechanism that allows us to restore some equity. Can that be done in the university framework and context? I do not think so, and I will explain why. First, we need to agree on something. University research means a university is involved. In my opinion, the simplest definition of a university, one that has been around since the Middle Ages, is a place where all knowledge is permitted. That is because people quickly tried to make a distinction between certain ideologies and the development of knowledge outside the confines of certain ideologies and religions. I want to start with that, since I think it is rather crucial. I want to tell the House about some of my first loves. I was an avid reader of Michel Foucault. In a short but very interesting book called The Archaeology of Knowledge, Foucault says that, during any given time period, there are things that we can know and things that we cannot. He called this an episteme. According to Foucault, an episteme is a form of rationality in a given time period. Knowledge of medicine could not advance in the Middle Ages because the body was considered sacred. Anyone who dissected a body would meet the same fate, but at the hands of religious authorities, so medical knowledge could not advance. Academia was created based on this idea of leaving every possible field open to various kinds of knowledge. I wanted to emphasize that because I have the impression that what is really going on here is simply an attempt to limit the advancement of certain kinds of knowledge by including criteria that ensure access to research chairs based on identity issues. Research chairs are usually awarded based on how applicants' peers view their projects and their work. Now, if another criterion is added that has to do with identity, the pool of applicants who can apply for research chairs will be seriously limited. Research chairs are not awarded based on the notion of resolving any flagrant inequity or the fact that there are fewer people from a particular group, such as the LGBTQ community or people of a certain faith or from a certain cultural community. The goal of awarding research chairs is advancing knowledge. They are not earned based on any particular identity. In chemistry, physics and all of the pure sciences, knowledge is developed by people who have the skills to advance in their particular fields. As we can imagine, there is some degree of competition involved in earning these chairs, which does not really correspond to the idea of requirements around equity, diversity and inclusion.

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The Deputy Speaker

May/31/22 2:00:28 p.m.
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I must interrupt the member. When we resume debate, the member will have five minutes to finish his speech and then respond to questions and comments.

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Mr. Shaun Chen (Scarborough North, Lib.)

May/31/22 2:00:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, two weeks ago, the House unanimously passed a motion recognizing May 18 as Tamil genocide remembrance day in Canada. As we mark 13 years since the end of the Sri Lankan armed conflict, let us learn from the mistakes of the past so future generations never repeat them. As we stand in solidarity with our Tamil community, let us commemorate the many lives lost and never forget them. As the pain and trauma ensues, let us continue to push for justice and accountability here in Canada and around the world. My riding of Scarborough North is home to the headquarters of both the Canadian Tamil Congress and the National Council of Canadian Tamils. I ask members to allow me the opportunity to recognize these organizations for their tireless work at the grassroots to champion Tamil genocide recognition in Canada. On May 18, we remember, and we commit to a world of peace.

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Mr. Colin Carrie (Oshawa, CPC)

May/31/22 2:01:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the citizens of Oshawa, after two long and difficult years, I would like to welcome everyone to celebrate our 48th annual Fiesta Week. I welcome everyone back. We encourage residents to enjoy and experience Oshawa's rich and diverse cultures. We have many pavilions that will let us appreciate different traditions, from dance to, of course, food. This year, especially, let us recognize the Ukrainian community, which will be welcoming and embracing newcomers who have travelled far from Ukraine to the safety of Oshawa. After two years, we will also welcome back our fun-filled Fiesta Week parade on Sunday, June 19. Let us line our streets and celebrate. Once again, congratulations and a big thank you to the Oshawa Folk Arts Council for organizing this wonderful week-long party. It is their hard work that will continue make Fiesta Week such a successful and enduring celebration.

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Mr. George Chahal (Calgary Skyview, Lib.)

May/31/22 2:02:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, to quote Andrew Brown from CBC Calgary, “You can accomplish anything you set your mind to, unless Connor McDavid also wants that thing.” I want to extend my sincerest congratulations to the Edmonton Oilers, and to my fellow Alberta Liberal, the hon. member for Edmonton Centre, for the team’s victory against the Calgary Flames in the second round of the NHL playoffs. After the hard-fought battle of Alberta, Oilers fans, including my wife, are thrilled to see their team advance to the western conference finals. Canadians across the country have also been inspired by the story of Ben Stelter, the 6-year-old Oilers superfan who is courageously battling brain cancer while supporting his favourite team. I hope members of the House can join Ben, Edmontonians and Oilers fans from across this great nation in supporting Canada’s remaining team, and the winner of the battle of Alberta, the Edmonton Oilers.

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Mr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Lac-Saint-Jean, BQ)

May/31/22 2:04:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Société nationale des Québécoises et Québécois du Saguenay—Lac-Saint‑Jean hosted its Soirée reconnaissance des patriotes, or patriots recognition gala, this month. Three young people from my region earned the well-deserved honour of being named the next generation of patriots for 2022 for their community involvement. I want to first congratulate Jeanne Bouchard, from Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, who was selected for her student and community involvement. She is a dedicated woman who works with different organizations and helped vulnerable people during the pandemic. I also want to congratulate William Tremblay, who is studying policing at Collège d'Alma and was recognized for his diligence and respect for his peers. He showed leadership in representing his peers and standing up for their interests before various college bodies. Finally, from Cégep de Saint‑Félicien, there is Nathan Lejeune, who is an important ally in student life and scholastic success. He makes a positive contribution to the institution's image and lends a supportive ear to his peers, many of whom are here today on Parliament Hill. These fine patriots, Jeanne, William and Nathan, are inspiring role models who proudly represent their generation and their region. I thank them and say bravo.

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Mr. Marc Serré (Nickel Belt, Lib.)

May/31/22 2:05:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to recognize the incredible students at École Jean-Paul II, a school in Val Caron, in the Nickel Belt riding, which is in Greater Sudbury. The grade 7 and 8 students in the Club Val Coeurons organized the sale of Coco Grams during the Easter season. They raised more than $2,000, which they recently donated to the Canadian Red Cross in support of people affected by the conflict in Ukraine. The teamwork and generosity displayed by the students at École Jean-Paul II is inspiring. The funds raised will assist the Red Cross in purchasing food, clothing and health care for those who have been impacted by the conflict in Ukraine. My sincere thanks go out to Natalie Lamontagne, the vice-principal, and to all the staff who have supported this initiative. Good job, Comètes. You are exemplary global citizens. We can all learn from you. Thank you. Meegwetch.

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Mr. Philip Lawrence (Northumberland—Peterborough South, CPC)

May/31/22 2:06:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today it is my honour to rise on behalf of Republic Day in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan is an amazing country, full of diversity and even contradictions. It is a country where the majority of the population is Muslim. However, it has also been a refuge for hundreds of years to thousands of folks of the Jewish religion. It is a country where, when the Soviet Union tore down churches, Muslims paid to rebuild them. It is a country that embraces renewables, but is proud of its oil and gas industry, an industry that built pipelines over mountains, through seas and across multiple jurisdictions, which literally kept the lights on in southern Europe. Azerbaijan is a country that has much to be proud of over the last 104 years, but perhaps even more importantly it has much to contribute over the next 100 years. I wish members a happy Azerbaijan Republic Day.

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Mr. Yasir Naqvi (Ottawa Centre, Lib.)

May/31/22 2:07:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, over the May long weekend, my community of Ottawa Centre and many others across eastern Ontario and western Quebec experienced one of the strongest storms in living memory. What started as an emergency alert Saturday afternoon ended in tragedy, devastation and darkness for thousands of residents. My heart breaks for those who lost loved ones during this awful storm. Unfortunately, such events are becoming all too normal. In these trying circumstances, our community came together as it always does. Residents were out checking on their neighbours. Community organizations, such as the Soloway Jewish Community Centre, the Ottawa Mosque and the Parkdale Food Centre opened their doors to provide shelter, food and electricity to thousands, and our hydro workers and first responders took immediate action to repair the damage from this historic storm. We have not yet fully recovered, but residents across the City of Ottawa really rose to the challenge. I thank our city workers, our volunteers and all our neighbours for their hard work.

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Mr. Majid Jowhari (Richmond Hill, Lib.)

May/31/22 2:08:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the stories of Asian Canadians are unique, diverse and deserve to be heard. As May comes to an end and we bid farewell to Asian Heritage Month, we must continue to amplify Asian voices while acknowledging the lived realities of being Asian in Canada, and learning more about the vibrancy that each language, ethnicity and tradition of Asian heritage brings to our country. Just last week, I was pleased to attend “Here We Stay”, an event honouring Canada’s 155 years of multicultural history through the stories of 155 Chinese immigrants, all of whom have had such profound experiences. While this month of celebration may have come to an end, let us remember to celebrate their stories each and every day. From one generation to the next, they have helped build the inclusive Canada that we know and love, so I ask members to join me in thanking them now and always.

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Mrs. Rosemarie Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster, CPC)

May/31/22 2:09:52 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, fuel prices are hitting record highs in Canada. Skyrocketing fuel costs add to the already increased cost of goods, and driving is becoming more unaffordable. For Canadians in rural communities, such as my constituents in Battlefords—Lloydminster, there is no alternative to driving to work, to school or to get everyday essentials. The reality is that taxes remain one of the largest components of fuel prices, and the Prime Minister could provide Canadians some much-needed relief. Instead, he chose to increase the carbon tax burden. Canada is the only G7 country to have raised taxes on gas during a global energy crisis. This Prime Minister is completely out of touch with Canadians. It is time this NDP-Liberal government stops rejecting common sense solutions, such as a GST suspension on gas prices or the elimination of the failed carbon tax. Canadians deserve a better.

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Ms. Joanne Thompson (St. John's East, Lib.)

May/31/22 2:10:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague across the aisle for his work on the opioid crisis. I agree on the need for robust harm reduction strategies, including supervised consumption sites, diversion away from the criminal justice system, access to dignified housing options and treatment. However, from my years of working in this sector, I have seen the sad realities of what happens when we force a top-down national approach without taking into consideration regional differences. Each province and territory’s ability to respond to this crisis differs, based on the supports and strategies they have in place. I believe we must work quickly and first ensure that the foundational elements are effectively in place across the country before we address nationally mandated decriminalization. Too many lives have been lost and we must act, but I believe we must do the work at the community level. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to a crisis that differs so vastly across the country.

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Mr. Earl Dreeshen (Red Deer—Mountain View, CPC)

May/31/22 2:12:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this week is National AccessAbility Week, and I have been honoured to have known many brave men and women who have spent too much of their lives confined to a wheelchair. I have always said that these people do more to get ready for their day than most people do during their day. Today I want to highlight the circumstances that my friend Bob Blair faces. His medical needs are severe. As a quadriplegic, he requires 24-7 monitoring and has had excellent care for years, but now he faces a future without this help. Moving into a long-term care facility will not meet his needs. When the government created a pilot program to bring in foreign personal care workers, Bob welcomed the chance to have quality constant care again, but that simply is not the case. Bob has asked me to share his plight with this House in the hope that he and others in the disability community can continue to live and function with dignity at home and not in some medical institution, forgotten and isolated away from family and friends.

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Ms. Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill, CPC)

May/31/22 2:13:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this weekend over 15,000 in Toronto’s Jewish community gathered for UJA’s Walk with Israel. It is the biggest event of its kind in Canada. Running for more than 50 years, it supports UJA projects that help vulnerable populations in Israel. While it is one of the most successful events in the community, corresponding with Yom Yerushalayim, which commemorates the reunification of Jerusalem after the Six-Day War, it is also a sober reminder of the exceptional measures that the Jewish community has to take simply to exercise their right to freedom of assembly and expression. As the most frequently targeted religious minority in Canada, the Jewish community, through UJA, has no choice but to expend significant charitable dollars just to provide the security measures needed for community members to stay safe at the walk. No targeted community should have to pay a security premium simply to exercise their rights as Canadians. Sadly, this is not just the walk; it is synagogues, schools and community centres. We have a problem in this country, and members of this House need to know it.

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