44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 9, 2022 10:00AM
- Jun/9/22 2:57:26 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his sincere concern for his constituents.
With respect to caregiver programs, last year more than 4,000 permanent residents were welcomed to Canada through caregiver streams. We anticipate that this year the number will be 6,000. As I shared earlier in response to a separate question this afternoon, we are actually processing people for permanent residency faster than at any point in the history of Canada, with today being the day that 200,000 new permanent residents will have been welcomed to Canada.
I look forward to taking further questions in private after question period if the hon. member wishes to discuss specific case files.
114 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/9/22 2:58:06 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, it is not just passports and airports; the government is dropping the ball everywhere.
Canadian pilots have been waiting over a year for Transport Canada to approve their category 1 medical exams. Without these medicals, aspiring pilots cannot continue their training, existing pilots cannot get relicensed and pilots on leave cannot return to work. Delays and inaction under the Liberals are grounding pilots and hurting our economy, despite the growing need for more commercial pilots.
When will these backlogs be cleared so that pilots can get back in the air and back to work?
96 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/9/22 2:58:42 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I share my hon. colleague's frustration. I know there are many pilots waiting for their medical examinations, and Transport Canada has been putting in place new measures to expedite these applications. Our government is responding to the surge in demand for these certificates. We have taken corrective actions to ensure that we expedite these applications.
If the hon. member has a particular case that he would like to bring to my attention, I would be happy to work with him on it.
85 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/9/22 2:59:17 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, Passport Canada's website was recently updated, doubling the normal processing times for passports to over two months, plus time for mail.
My question for the minister is very simple: Is nine weeks-plus an acceptable timeline for this most basic of government services?
46 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/9/22 2:59:44 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as I have explained to this House before, we are experiencing unprecedented volumes when it comes to passports. It is important for us to share this information with Canadians so that they can plan accordingly. We know that this is frustrating and that this is stressful for them, but ensuring that we provide transparent information is important.
When it comes to international comparisons, when we look at countries like the U.S., the U.K. or Australia, we see that they are, on average, processing passports in between nine and 11 weeks. In Sweden there is a wait time of almost 27 weeks. This is something that is happening around the world, but we are putting additional resources in place to deal with it here in Canada.
129 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/9/22 3:00:28 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we know that around the world, including here in Canada, supply chains are facing disruptions due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and Russia's brutal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine.
Can the Minister of Transport tell this House what the government is doing to strengthen Canadian supply chains and make sure Canadians have access to these central goods they require?
65 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/9/22 3:00:53 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as my colleague accurately stated, global and domestic supply chains are under pressure, and our government is taking action.
Budget 2022 has announced significant investment to strengthen supply chain infrastructure. I am also pleased to let my hon. colleagues know that we have established a supply chain task force that will provide our government with additional advice and recommendations. The task force is made up of experts and industry leaders, and I want to thank them for agreeing to join this task force and for their service to their country.
I look forward to working with them to make our supply chains even stronger.
106 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/9/22 3:01:39 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the Liberals' front-of-pack warning labels on ground beef and pork, something no other country in the world is doing, put our food security and our vulnerable supply chain at risk. Grocery costs are up 10% and almost a quarter of Canadian families are skipping meals because they cannot afford food, but the Liberals want to put a $2-billion bureaucratic burden on a wholesome protein, making the food affordability crisis even worse.
Are these misleading and unnecessary warning labels on a single-ingredient, wholesome food really worth the crippling cost to Canadian farmers, businesses and, most importantly, consumers?
102 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/9/22 3:02:18 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, our government is concerned about the critically high rates of chronic disease in Canada. Across the country, two in five adults report having at least one of the 10 most common chronic illnesses, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Poor diets, including those that are really high in saturated fats, sugar and sodium are primary risks for those diseases. That is unacceptable.
Canadians deserve more information. Nutrient-specific high in front-of-package labels will allow Canadians to quickly and easily identify foods that are high in these nutrients of public health concern and make more informed, educated and healthier food choices when at the grocery store.
110 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/9/22 3:03:01 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, Canada is poised to become the first jurisdiction in the world to self‑impose front‑of‑package labelling on ground beef and pork. These are single‑ingredient products we are talking about here. This government continues to add bureaucratic constraints that hinder our international competitiveness.
What is the government basing its decision on? When will it abandon the implementation of this ridiculous regulation?
70 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/9/22 3:03:38 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, unlike the hon. members opposite, our government is concerned about the critically high rates of chronic disease in Canada. Across the country, two in five adults report having at least one of the 10 most common chronic illnesses, including cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.
A poor diet, particularly one that is high in saturated fats, sugar and sodium, is a primary risk factor for these diseases. That is unacceptable.
The “high in” nutrition label on the front of the package will allow Canadians to quickly identify—
95 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/9/22 3:04:21 p.m.
- Watch
Order. The hon. member for Bow River.
7 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/9/22 3:04:24 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the utterly nonsensical proposal for front-of-package labelling on ground beef and pork is another attack on our agriculture industry. Canada would be the first country to do this, despite already exempting other single-ingredient whole food products like dairy. Bureaucratic red tape is once again standing in the way of Canadian agri-food production.
Can the Minister of Health justify this to Canadians, or is Health Canada intent on killing off the Canadian agri-food industry?
80 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/9/22 3:04:58 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we on this side believe that more information for consumers is always a good thing. These labels are widely recognized by health organizations and the scientific community as an effective tool to help counteract rising rates of diet-related chronic disease that continue to rise in Canada. During our engagements with industry stakeholders, health experts and Canadians across the country, Health Canada analyzed the feedback received and made adjustments to the proposal, where supported by science.
Our government will always prioritize health policies based on scientific evidence. Let me be clear to Canadians that they will still produce and purchase ground meat.
104 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/9/22 3:05:39 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, seniors in my riding of Kitchener—Conestoga have worked very hard and helped shape this country. I am hearing from more and more seniors that they would like to stay at home and in their communities for as long as possible. Many vulnerable seniors are often forced to transition to residences and long-term care homes due to the lack of services.
Can the Minister of Seniors please update this House on the important work the government is doing to support seniors who wish to age at home?
91 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/9/22 3:06:09 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague from Kitchener—Conestoga for his advocacy for seniors.
We know Canadian seniors want to age in their own homes and communities for as long as possible, and that is why I was pleased to announce yesterday that our government is investing $90 million over three years through our age well at home initiative, which will provide eligible organizations up to $2 million per project through one of its two streams. Organizations will be able to apply through our online portal until July 22.
Members can rest assured that our government will always be there for seniors, particularly those most vulnerable.
109 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/9/22 3:06:52 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, Poplar River First Nation, which has no all-weather road, depends on a barge in the summer to bring in essential goods and on the fishery as their economic engine. The engine on this barge literally blew up, leaving the community stranded. The first nation has declared a state of emergency. It has called for immediate help from all levels of government. Poplar River needs help now.
Will the Minister of Indigenous Services meet with the chief as soon as possible and provide the immediate assistance that the community, including fishers, is asking for now?
97 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/9/22 3:07:27 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I thank the member opposite for advocating for Poplar River First Nation. The department is working with the community and has provided services and alternative means to get services and supplies to the community. We are working with the community to look at alternatives for replacing the barge. I will always meet with any chief who wishes to, at a time that works for both of us.
69 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/9/22 3:07:52 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we are facing a housing crisis in this country, and my community is reeling. There are 53 people who have resorted to pitching tents on publicly owned land in downtown Kitchener, but they are being evicted at the end of the month. They are among the 412 people who we know are unsheltered in Waterloo region. Municipal leaders have been sounding the alarm for years, asking for more targeted housing funding and urgent mental health and addictions support.
If the Minister of Housing were to visit this encampment, what would he say to those living in tents, who have been left behind by decades of unjust housing policies?
110 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Jun/9/22 3:08:32 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, whenever Canadians find themselves on the street, it diminishes us all. We have invested over $562 million in the federal Reaching Home program, which targets the most vulnerable Canadians on the street.
In addition to that, during the pandemic we invested another $400 million. We are giving stability and certainly to frontline organizations serving the most vulnerable. Through the rapid housing initiative, as well as the co-op housing program, we are providing permanent housing solutions to house the most vulnerable people in our community.
87 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
