SoVote

Jun/16/22 3:06:17 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-11

Mr. Speaker, it is a fact that on Tuesday we saw democracy thwarted. We saw a cloak of secrecy used. At the command of the NDP-Liberal government, Bill C-11 was forced through committee without adequate consultation with witnesses and adequate debate on amendments. There was no listening and no discussion. It was just rammed through. That was their mode of operation. It was censorship upon censorship. Canadians are rightly frustrated and very concerned by the assault of the House on their online freedom. My question is very simple to the minister and the Prime Minister; either or both could answer. Do they truly believe that this is transparency, according to what they promised Canadians?

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Hon. Pablo Rodriguez (Minister of Canadian Heritage, Lib.)

Jun/16/22 3:06:59 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-11

Mr. Speaker, one of the benefits of the conversation with the Conservatives is that we heard one of the best jokes of the year when they said that they cared about culture. It was really funny. That was a hell of a secret meeting, when the room was full of Conservatives and staff and others. That was very, very secret. The problem is that they kept filibustering. My colleague who just spoke filibustered for four hours. When I was sitting there ready to answer questions, she spoke for four hours. I had to go and could not speak. Luckily, I could come back and explain our position, but the position is clear. We are there for Canadians, for our artists and for our culture and we are not abandoning them.

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Mr. Churence Rogers (Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, Lib.)

Jun/16/22 3:07:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is the Canadian Coast Guard's 60th anniversary of serving Canadians by helping mariners in need, protecting our marine ecosystem and ensuring safe passage through Canada's waterways. I was thrilled to hear that the Canadian Coast Guard College held its first in-person graduation ceremony since 2019, welcoming 51 graduates from its officer training program into the Canadian Coast Guard. Canadians owe these graduates an enormous debt of gratitude for the future challenges they will face. Would the minister kindly inform the House of the important work done at the college and the importance of the Canadian Coast Guard College in Canada?

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Hon. Joyce Murray (Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Lib.)

Jun/16/22 3:08:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for Bonavista—Burin—Trinity for his excellent work on behalf of his constituents. The Canadian Coast Guard College meets the highest international standards of training in navigation and engineering, and in training Coast Guard members to keep our citizens and waterways safe on all three coasts and many waters in between. I want to thank every member of the Canadian Coast Guard for their service on this special anniversary and to congratulate recent graduates who persevered in their studies throughout the pandemic and are now joining one of Canada's most trusted institutions.

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Ms. Niki Ashton (Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, NDP)

Jun/16/22 3:09:18 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-245

Mr. Speaker, York Factory First Nation has lost its lifeline, its ferry, for longer than expected. The community is now isolated and needs immediate assistance. It also needs an all-weather road. Climate change is already wreaking havoc here, as the ground-breaking report from the Canadian Climate Institute indicates. Urgent federal action is needed now across our north, including by building all-weather roads. My bill, Bill C-245, supports this work. Will the Liberals invest in all-weather road access for York Factory and support my bill to invest in our communities that are on the front lines of climate change?

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Hon. Patty Hajdu (Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, Lib.)

Jun/16/22 3:09:56 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill C-245

Mr. Speaker, it is an all-too-sad reality that in fact climate change disproportionately affects indigenous communities. Of course, I will continue to work with all indigenous communities, including York Factory, on making sure their infrastructure is resilient and, as we rebuild and replace infrastructure, that it meets the climate challenges we are all facing together.

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

Jun/16/22 3:10:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, regarding government financing of the TMX pipeline, in written answers to Questions on the Order Paper, the government is claiming that BMO and TD reviews make this project financially viable, but due to commercial confidentiality it will not release them. Previous TD reports on TMX were public. Why hide them now? It is entirely likely that the government plans to write off financial risks and debt and leave us financially exposed. If it is so commercially viable, why can we not see the reports?

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Hon. Randy Boissonnault (Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Lib.)

Jun/16/22 3:10:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians know how important it is to get our product to market and to tidewater. The government does not intend to be the long-term owner of the Trans Mountain pipeline. This is a project that has led to 12,700 jobs, and once completed, Canadians will enjoy full price for our oil on the world market. A divestment process will be undertaken once this project is essentially de-risked and once consultations with indigenous people conclude.

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The Speaker

Jun/16/22 3:11:28 p.m.
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Canadian Forces Day is an opportunity for Canadians across the country to recognize the sacrifices that our men and women in uniform make on our behalf. It is my pleasure to draw the attention of members to the presence in the gallery of five members of the Canadian Forces who are taking part in Canadian Armed Forces Day today: Master Warrant Officer Guillaume Durand, Chief Petty Officer 1st Class Pascal Gilles Harel, Master Corporal Michael Lee Moore, Master Bombardier Steeven Phillipe Ricard and Warrant Officer Éric Arthur White. Some hon. members: Hear, hear!

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The Speaker

Jun/16/22 3:13:09 p.m.
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It being 3:12 p.m., the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion regarding the appointment of Philippe Dufresne as Privacy Commissioner. Call in the members.

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The Speaker

Jun/16/22 3:26:43 p.m.
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I declare the motion carried. The House just adopted a motion to approve the appointment of Philippe Dufresne as Privacy Commissioner of Canada. I would like to take a moment to congratulate Philippe on his appointment and thank him for his seven years of excellent service to the House as Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel. I always knew I could count on his expert opinion and tremendous professionalism. Philippe has given wise counsel and support to me, my predecessors, members, committees and the Board of Internal Economy. Over the years, he has made an invaluable contribution to the key legal and legislative issues of our day. Philippe's dedication to members, to the House of Commons and to Parliament is evident to all who meet him. His unwavering commitment to our parliamentary system is one of Philippe's core values and something that will serve him well in his new role. Philippe is also very committed to ensuring a safe and inclusive environment where everyone can fully contribute to society. That is something he clearly demonstrated during the years he served as the House of Commons' diversity champion. Please join me in congratulating Philippe. Although we will miss him at the House, we can take satisfaction in knowing that he will continue to serve Parliament and Canadians in his new capacity. We are grateful to Philippe.

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Mr. John Brassard (Barrie—Innisfil, CPC)

Jun/16/22 3:29:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to add a few words to the well-deserved tribute to Mr. Dufresne. Some members may not be aware that Philippe's association with this place goes back well before his appointment as a law clerk. A few years ago, and I will not say how many, as he was known then, little Philippe or petit Philippe worked around here as one of our tour guides. His subsequent career has been one intertwined with this place ever since. After showing folks around, he showed up some of the folks here when he was counsel on the winning side of the unanimous 2005 Supreme Court of Canada decision which set the benchmark for parliamentary privilege in our country. We, of course, have had the real benefit of his wisdom and support since his appointment in 2015 in both the small issues, which never really come to light, as well as the large monumental issues, which can grip Parliament during a minority government. Had we not had that snap election last year, Philippe might well have added yet another landmark court case on parliamentary privilege to his record. His deep respect for this institution of the House of Commons and his ability to navigate diplomatically the very different political currents which motivate what happens around here showed in all of his work, and that alone deserves our respect and appreciation in these times. Now he will go on to be an officer of Parliament where he knows and we know that he will serve with distinction. As the Privacy Commissioner in an ever-increasingly digital world, his task will be a very busy one, but one where Canadians will be well served. We thank Philippe, wish him luck and we will see him at committee.

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Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Jun/16/22 3:31:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to extend, on behalf of the government, our deep and sincere gratitude to Mr. Dufresne for his extraordinary work and counsel over the last seven years, as he has acted as the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel for the House of Commons, whether it was serving members or you, Mr. Speaker, or committees and certainly the Board of Internal Economy, where I had a phenomenal opportunity to see Mr. Dufresne in action and how he supported the administration in the House so powerfully. It has been a tremendous honour. I know that he will serve with incredible distinction as Privacy Commissioner. I wish Philippe all the very best in that new role and, on behalf of the government and the House, I thank him for his extraordinary work.

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Mr. Gabriel Ste-Marie (Joliette, BQ)

Jun/16/22 3:32:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all of my Bloc Québécois colleagues, I, too, wish to salute Mr. Dufresne and congratulate him on his appointment. In the House, in committee and elsewhere, Mr. Dufresne was the epitome of diligence, honesty and integrity. Whenever we had a question or an interaction with him, we could be sure that he had done his homework, knew his files, and would tell the truth. I will not speak for very long, but I do want to extend my heartfelt thanks to him for all of the years that he has given to the House and for all of the work that he has done. Like the entire team of legislative clerks, he has worked tremendously hard. I will end with an anecdote. Shortly before the last election was called, if I am not mistaken, the Standing Committee on Finance was sitting during the weeks of the construction holidays at the initiative of the Hon. Wayne Easter. The government had chosen not to proceed with a bill that had originated with the opposition, but that had received royal assent. Mr. Dufresne appeared before the committee as an expert witness, and as soon as he finished explaining the role of legislators, the House and the government, that settled the matter and the government went ahead. That is another example of the profound rigour that we know he will certainly continue to bring to his new role as Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

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

Jun/16/22 3:33:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise on behalf of the NDP caucus and our leader, the member for Burnaby South, to congratulate Philippe Dufresne on his many years of service to Parliament. Mr. Dufresne has always measured up to Parliament's high standards. In his role as a servant of Parliament, he is hard-working and has always shown respect towards members. He keeps us up to date on the various procedures. He is detail-oriented and is always willing to answer our questions. He is always working to safeguard the rights of parliamentarians and the importance of Parliament. He is also a very open person, with an informal style, but he brings an extensive knowledge of parliamentary procedures and legal issues. There can be no doubt that Mr. Dufresne will make an excellent officer of Parliament. The vote held a few moments ago demonstrates the confidence that all parliamentarians have in him in his new role as an officer of Parliament. We are very grateful for his years of service to our democratic life and to our Canadian Parliament, and we congratulate him.

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

Jun/16/22 3:35:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to add our thanks to Mr. Dufresne and also say that I share all the sentiments of the other members of this place in thanking Mr. Dufresne for his extraordinary service as our law clerk. I also want to say that in the future, we know he will face enormous challenges. The new technologies pose such threats to our privacy. This is not a retirement but the beginning of a new and challenging future and we wish him all the best. Privacy rights are precious and we trust in him to protect them for us.

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Mr. John Brassard (Barrie—Innisfil, CPC)

Jun/16/22 3:36:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I was going to heap more praise on Mr. Dufresne, but somehow I do not think he wants any more. I know he is a very humble man. We are rounding the corner on this session of Parliament, and before I get to the Thursday question, I want to thank a few people. I certainly want to thank the clerks, our deputy speakers, the administrative staff who support this place, the pages, and particularly the Translation Bureau, which has been through a lot over the course of the last couple of years with the hybrid Parliament. I sincerely believe that we have moved beyond the hybrid Parliament system and that we are going to return to this place in a normal fashion with a return to normalcy, and I look forward to that. I also want to thank the Parliamentary Protective Service, PPS, the Sergeant-at-Arms and everybody in charge of protecting Parliament. They have had a busy time as well. I thank everyone who supports this place, the cooks, the cleaners, the drivers and the maintenance staff. I thank everyone who works to ensure that this place functions properly and safely. This is all done with the greatest of respect in our symbol of democracy. I want to thank them all. I think they deserve a hand. As we approach the final days of this session, I ask the government House leader what the calendar of the House is expected to be as we get into next week.

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Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Jun/16/22 3:37:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will start by echoing the comments of thanks by the opposition House leader. To all those who serve the House and for everything they have done, particularly over the last year, I offer our deep and sincere thanks. The opposition House leader rightfully named all those we rely on to do the jobs on a day-to-day basis that we do in serving Canadians. We will continue with the second reading debate of Bill C-9 concerning the Judges Act this afternoon. Tomorrow, it is our intention to call Bill C-11 on online streaming at report stage. On Monday, we will be returning to the second reading debate of Bill C-21 respecting firearms. In the afternoon, we will go back to Bill C-11 for debate at third reading. We will also focus on finding a way to expedite the bill currently on notice concerning the self-induced extreme intoxication defence standing in the name of the Minister of Justice. Finally, we have had discussions among the parties, and if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion: That, notwithstanding the order adopted by the House on Thursday, November 25, 2021, with regard to the participation in the proceedings of the House and its committees, the provisions related to the COVID-19 vaccination be suspended beginning on Monday, June 20, 2022.

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The Speaker

Jun/16/22 3:39:19 p.m.
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All those opposed to the hon. minister'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.

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The Speaker

Jun/16/22 3:40:19 p.m.
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Re: Bill S-10

I have the honour to inform the House that a message has been received from the Senate informing this House that the Senate has passed the following bill, to which the concurrence of the House is desired: Bill S-10, an act to give effect to the Anishinabek Nation Governance Agreement, to amend the Sechelt Indian Band Self-Government Act and the Yukon First Nations Self-Government Act and to make related and consequential amendments to other acts.

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