SoVote

Mr. Jasraj Singh Hallan (Calgary Forest Lawn, CPC)

Jun/15/22 5:28:47 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition. This petition concerns the Tamil Rights Group's communication sent to the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court under article 15 of the Rome Statute. There is mounting evidence that the Tamil population in Sri Lanka was subject to atrocities that amounted to crimes against humanity and war crimes, particularly in the final stages of the civil war that ended in 2009. Parliament recently unanimously adopted a motion to make May 18 Tamil Genocide Remembrance Day, and the petitioners are looking to Canada, which was a state party to the Rome Statute, to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court.

113 words

The Deputy Speaker

Jun/15/22 5:29:45 p.m.
Watch

All those opposed to the hon. member's moving the motion will please say nay. It is agreed. The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay.

37 words

All Topics

Mrs. Sherry Romanado (Longueuil—Charles-LeMoyne, Lib.)

Jun/15/22 5:29:45 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I am rising on a point of order to seek unanimous consent to finish Routine Proceedings before proceeding to Private Members' Business hour.

25 words

All Topics

Mr. Alistair MacGregor (Cowichan—Malahat—Langford, NDP)

Jun/15/22 5:30:04 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to present a petition to the House where the citizens who have signed it are calling upon the Prime Minister and the Government of Canada to enact just transition legislation. They want this legislation to reduce emissions by at least 60% below 2005 levels by the year 2030. They want it to create new public economic institutions that expand public ownership of services and utilities across the economy. They want it to create good, green jobs and drive inclusive workforce development and, finally, they want this transition to be paid for by increasing taxes on the wealthiest and corporations and financing through a public national bank.

114 words

Mr. Ryan Turnbull (Whitby, Lib.)

Jun/15/22 5:30:56 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of one of my constituents in Whitby, signed by more than 12,000 Canadians from across Canada. Since 1982, more than 250,000 Canadian seniors have suffered the loss of pension income due to corporate insolvency. With over four million Canadians depending on a defined benefit pension for their financial security and retirement, we cannot afford another pension insolvency, like that of Sears or Nortel, which had a negative impact on the financial security of many seniors. This petition calls upon the government, through the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, to work with all Canadian parliamentarians to undertake a direct consultation, generating specific goals and timelines to ensure that vulnerable seniors receive 100% of their pensions that their employers have committed to.

135 words

Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP)

Jun/15/22 5:31:57 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I rise to present two petitions today. The first one is one that drew my attention to something that we really need to focus on, which is that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, many years ago now, called on the government to take action to deal with the judicial system and make sure it is cognizant of the challenges to indigenous people in obtaining justice in this country. The petitioners hearken back to a report from February 2013, when a former judge, the Hon. Frank Iacobucci, issued a report on what happens in terms of jury representation of indigenous peoples. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action 25 to 42 speak directly to this issue. The petitioners call on the House of Commons to undertake to encourage the provinces to reform their jury selection system in order to ensure that the accused stand before a jury of their peers and not of people who have no understanding of their realities.

164 words

Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP)

Jun/15/22 5:33:49 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, the second petition is from a group called the Physician Mothers of Canada. It calls on the government to take seriously the warnings of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that we are dangerously close to leaping past the important threshold of no more than 1.5°C global average temperature rise. It calls on the House of Commons and the Government of Canada to eliminate fossil fuels, to move more quickly toward renewable energy, to eliminate single-use plastic and to ensure that there is climate justice in the move away from fossil fuels.

98 words

All Topics

Ms. Rachel Blaney (North Island—Powell River, NDP)

Jun/15/22 5:33:59 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, today I am here to present a petition on behalf of many people who live in the Powell River region of my riding. They are very concerned that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans has not increased community funding to hatcheries or made any adjustments since 1982. The reality is that they just do not have the resources necessary to carry out the Pacific salmon enhancement, conservation and education activities that they do so well with their very limited resources. The petitioners are asking the Government of Canada to increase the annual contribution agreements to the Powell River Salmon Society and, of course, to ensure proper representation of coastal communities by DFO staff.

115 words

Mrs. Sophie Chatel (Pontiac, Lib.)

Jun/15/22 5:34:43 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I am honoured to rise in the House today to table a petition that was started by the council of mayors of the MRC Pontiac and concerns a request for funding to ensure adequate cellular coverage in all rural communities of the Pontiac. I would like to thank the warden, Jane Toller, for her leadership, and every mayor and regional councillor for their amazing work for the community of Pontiac. They have my full support.

78 words

Mr. Peter Julian (New Westminster—Burnaby, NDP)

Jun/15/22 5:35:28 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-262

Madam Speaker, I have an important petition that I am presenting today on behalf of over 100 Canadians from coast to coast to coast. They are concerned about companies based in Canada that are contributing to human rights abuses and environmental damage around the world. We often see situations where human rights activists and environmental activists are being tortured, killed and intimidated. We have seen widespread examples of sexual violence, even slavery, on the sites of Canadian-owned corporations. The undersigned are asking the Canadian government to put in place due diligence legislation that would require companies to prevent adverse human rights impacts and environmental damage, require companies to do their due diligence and ensure a legal right for people who have been harmed to be able to seek justice in Canadian courts. I would add that my Bill C-262 does exactly that. The petitioners are asking the Canadian government to push forward legislation such as that.

158 words

Mr. Mark Gerretsen (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (Senate), Lib.)

Jun/15/22 5:36:44 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 523, 526 and 527.

14 words

Jun/15/22 5:37:05 p.m.
Watch

Question No. 523—

Questioner: Michael Kram

With regard to the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings program, of the $1.5 billion in funding to be delivered, since the program’s announcement on April 14, 2021: (a) what are the details of the projects approved to date, including the (i) name of each project approved, (ii) dollar amount of funds distributed to each project, (iii) name of each recipient of funding, (iv) location of each project by city, town or village, (v) province or territory; (b) what are the criteria and metrics used to determine which projects are eligible for funding; and (c) what are the criteria and metrics used to determine which projects receive funds, if different from (b)?

Question No. 526—

Questioner: Heather McPherson

With regard to orders issued under section 4(1)(b) of the Special Economic Measures Act and section 4(1)(b) of the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, broken down by year since 2014, month since 2022 and action (freeze, seize or sequestrate): (a) how many times have these orders been used; (b) how many properties have been frozen, seized or sequestrated as a result from these orders; and (c) what is the assessed value of properties frozen, seized or sequestrated?

Question No. 527—

Questioner: Chris Lewis

With regard to delays in the processing of applications for Temporary Foreign Workers (TFW): (a) what is the current processing time; (b) how many applications are still awaiting a decision or are still being processed as of April 29, 2022; (c) what are the government’s specific targets, including the related timelines, for reducing the processing times; (d) what is the breakdown of (a) and (b) by sector and occupation; (e) how many government employees or full-time equivalents were assigned to processing TFW applications as of (i) January 1, 2020, (ii) April 29, 2022; and (f) how many employees who process TFW applications were on leave as of April 29, 2022, due to not meeting the government’s vaccine attestation requirements?

2153 words

All Topics

Mr. Mark Gerretsen (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (Senate), Lib.)

Jun/15/22 5:37:05 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, if the government's response to Questions Nos. 521, 522, 524 and 525 could be made orders for return, these returns would be tabled immediately.

27 words

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès)

Jun/15/22 5:37:05 p.m.
Watch

Is that agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed.

7 words

Mr. Mark Gerretsen

Jun/15/22 5:37:13 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I ask that the remaining questions be allowed to stand.

12 words

Stand
Ask

Jun/15/22 5:37:13 p.m.
Watch

Question No. 521—

Questioner: Len Webber

With regard to electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure in Canada: (a) what does the government project to be the number of registered EVs in Canada for each of the next 10 years for each province and territory; (b) what is the projected infrastructure investment in electrical grids in each province and territory required to meet this demand; (c) what is the projected number of public charging stations in each province and territory over each of the next 10 years; (d) how much (i) has the government contributed to EV infrastructure in each of the past five years in each province and territory, (ii) is the government projecting to contribute in each of the next 10 years in each province and territory; and (e) what federal standards are being considered for EV charging infrastructure?

Question No. 522—

Questioner: Len Webber

With regard to correspondence received by ministers: (a) how many pieces of correspondence (both mail and email) have been received by each minister in each of the past four years (2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021); (b) for each of the past four years, (i) what is the average response time for a final response to correspondence received from members of Parliament, (ii) what is the average response time for a final response to correspondence received from non-members of Parliament, (iii) when does the oldest unresolved correspondence file date back to, (iv) how many pieces of correspondence did not receive a response; (c) what are the targeted service standards; (d) how many pieces of correspondence were redirected to another individual for a final response; and (e) for each minister’s correspondence unit, (i) what is the total annual budget, (ii) how many employees are assigned to handle ministerial correspondence, (iii) what other metrics are recorded and tracked by the correspondence units?

Question No. 524—

Questioner: Terry Dowdall

With regard to contracts provided to consultants related to the processing of requests made under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act (ATIP), signed since January 1, 2020: (a) what are the details of all such contracts, including for each the (i) vendor, (ii) value, (iii) date, (iv) description of services provided, (v) start and end dates of the contract, (vi) number of ATIPs processed by the consulting vendor, (vii) file number, if known; and (b) of the ATIP requests received since January 1, 2020, and broken down by month, how many have been assigned to (i) government employees, (ii) consultants for processing?

Question No. 525—

Questioner: John Nater

With regard to Canadian military equipment and other government assets left behind in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover in 2021: (a) what is the total estimated value of the equipment left behind; and (b) what is the breakdown of the equipment left behind, including the (i) description, (ii) volume, (iii) value of each item left behind?

463 words

All Topics

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès)

Jun/15/22 5:37:19 p.m.
Watch

Is that agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed.

7 words

Mr. Mark Gerretsen (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (Senate), Lib.)

Jun/15/22 5:37:28 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I ask that all notices of motions for the production of papers be allowed to stand.

18 words

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès)

Jun/15/22 5:37:34 p.m.
Watch

Is that agreed? Some hon. members: Agreed. The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès): It being 5:37 p.m., the House will now proceed to the consideration of Private Members' Business as listed on today's Order Paper.

41 words

Mr. Mark Gerretsen (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons (Senate), Lib.)

Jun/15/22 5:38:18 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-228

Madam Speaker, Bill C-228 has been introduced by the member for Sarnia—Lambton, and I first want to express my support for her passion as it relates to the bill. The concept of superpriority, in terms of making sure that it is put in the proper order, is something that I have been interested in since I first arrived in the House. I am very interested in seeing the bill go to committee so that the committee can do the proper work and send its recommendations back to the House. Unfortunately, over time, we have seen a shift in the way that corporations treat their employees, quite frankly. We have seen a number of corporations, and some even within my riding, declare bankruptcy and, as a result, give themselves the ability to neglect payments to pensioners in particular. Shortly after I was elected, I was very impressed by a group from the Invista plant in Kingston, which manufactures nylon. A group of not employees, but managers came forward. They would not have been affected by any legislation such as this. The group was led by Peter Strauss and some other individuals from my riding. They came forward, as previous management of this plant, on behalf of the employees who would be affected when decisions were made to allow companies to declare bankruptcy in these positions. I was very moved by that, because it showed that there was deep concern. We have to reflect on the fact that there are many pensioners out there who paid into pensions throughout their working careers and are, quite frankly, relying on this income at the end of their careers for their retirement. In many cases, individuals are limited with respect to how much they can contribute to RRSPs if they are expecting to receive a pension that they are paying into. It should certainly not be the fault of individual employees, pensioners, if a company declares bankruptcy once they have retired. I was really concerned a few years ago after seeing some corporations declare bankruptcy. I think of Sears in particular, and when it declared bankruptcy. Prior to declaring bankruptcy, it started to move assets into other companies. For example, it moved buildings and land into other companies so that it could shield those assets from the bankruptcy and insolvency operations that would take place once the company put itself in that position. I can see the frustration that some individuals would have around circumstances like that, and I know that they would be extremely upset to discover that this type of activity had been happening. However, the reality is that this is the model allowed for these corporations.

447 words

All Topics

SoVote

House Hansard - 89