44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 16, 2023 10:00AM
If a member of a recognized party present in the House wishes that the motion to be carried or carried on division, or wishes to request a recorded division, I invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.
An hon. member: On division.
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moved that the bill be read the third time and passed.
He said: Mr. Speaker, good evening to you and to colleagues in the House, and to those who may be watching these proceedings. I am delighted to speak at third reading on my private member's bill, Bill C-232, which would designate every April as Arab heritage month. I would like to thank members from all sides of the House for their support thus far. I would like to note that the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage reported the bill back with no amendments.
Bill C-232 recognizes and celebrates the historic mark that Arab Canadians have made and continue to make in building our great Canadian society. I have had the privilege to spend the past three days in senior briefings at the United Nations in New York on water, sustainability, refugees and other global security issues. While there, it struck me that I felt, as a Canadian, very much at home. I felt at home because I think one leaves the United Nations with an understanding that we are very much all in this together, and the miracle of the planet that we live on needs us to come together. My bill addresses some of that, as I think listeners will conclude in just a few moments.
In the past, I have had the privilege of serving as a deputy minister executive in the Privy Council Office for 10 years. I would like to take a moment to give those watching tonight a bit of a snapshot of what goes on in the work of an MP and the nature of the variety of work that is undertaken in my constituency, and why that has led me to bring this bill forward.
I have the honour of representing Ottawa South, where we have the second-largest Arabic-speaking population of the 338 electoral districts in Canada. In fact, we have residents from over 100 countries of origin who speak over 80 languages. That is not only an opportunity, but it is in fact a special responsibility to show the world that we can all live together, work together and learn from each other, a theme I will return to in a moment.
There are 43 schools in my district. Before the pandemic, I made it a point to visit them and, where possible, have the students visit me here on Parliament Hill. I would tell the kids that they were rich. When they would look at each other in bewilderment and fumble through their pockets looking for change and for coins and cash, I would explain that I did not mean rich in terms of money, but in terms of culture, language, religion, dance, dress and food types, trying to instill in them at an early age an appreciation of the fullness of their world.
Every week, Canada receives representatives from other countries and they ask all of us in this House how we do it in Canada. They ask how we are managing to build a society that is inclusive, where there is room for all. Of course, it is a perfectly imperfect society and a work in progress, but they ask us each and every day when they visit.
I tell them that I am out of patience with the word “tolerance”. I am convinced we have moved on. I do not think it is about tolerating someone anymore; it is about celebrating everyone. It is not only the right thing to do; it is the inclusive thing to do. It is not only the inclusive thing to do; it turns out it is the economic thing to do. Only a foolish country would not avail itself of all the talent within its borders. Only a foolish country would not deploy all of that talent. We need to find and nurture as much talent as we can. This is Canada's privileged opportunity. This is Canada's undeniable responsibility, along with our special responsibility to show the rest of the world that we are a diverse and inclusive place and that we are all in this together, building a society that is the envy of the world.
My mother raised 10 children, and along the way she worked as a nurse for 50 years. She also helped to build two businesses. She was an extraordinary role model. She was an extraordinary person. She used to tell her 10 children that we had a choice to make: If we pulled apart, we would feel like we were five, but if we pulled together, we would feel like we were 20. To pull together, she would say, means leaving no one behind; it means ensuring opportunity for all. Finding and nurturing the talent in everyone around us and deploying it to the benefit of a country and to the benefit of each other is, in fact, in our enlightened self-interest.
Let me draw from some recent professional experience to share some insights on questions of diversity and inclusion, which also underpin my bill. It is illustrative. I have the honour of being the founding chair of Canada's National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians. In March 2020, we released a groundbreaking report that helps to illustrate how seeking out all the talent around us and deploying it is absolutely essential, and that was an analysis of diversity and inclusion in the security and intelligence community.
We know a diverse workforce is made up of individuals with an array of identities, abilities, perspectives and experience. We know an inclusive workforce is fair, equitable, supportive, welcoming and respectful. Why did the committee decide to review these issues in the security and intelligence community in the first place?
First, there are persistent challenges to increasing diversity and inclusion in the security and intelligence community, even after decades of legislation, multiple reports and repeated calls for change.
Second, the committee believes that organizations responsible for defending Canada and protecting Canadians must leverage the broad range of skills, talent, experience and perspectives that this magnificent country has to offer.
Third, as shown conclusively in numerous international reports and studies on security and intelligence organizations worldwide, a diverse and inclusive workforce is critical to operational success and performance. In other words, the more diverse and inclusive a workforce is, it turns out the higher-performing it is. That is a good thing. That is an inclusive thing. That is a fair thing, and that is an economic thing.
Our committee saw evidence that the leaders of our national security agencies are all committed to improving diversity and inclusion in their respective workforce, but we have a long way to go. As detailed in our report, that needs sustained leadership, a broad commitment and increased accountability right across the community, if those organizations are going to fully reflect and include Canada's diversity.
Inspired by those ideas, I am honoured to speak again to my private member's bill to establish the month of April in Canada as Arab heritage month.
On a more personal note, in my own family, I was privileged to have a Syrian Canadian godfather, one of the original founding Syrian Canadian families in my hometown of Ottawa, a man of great intelligence, kindness and integrity. His origins were humble. In fact, they were steeped in poverty, and his values instilled in me a deep appreciation for hard work, giving back and public service. He was the ultimate Canadian. He had no access to formal education, and he loved this country far less critically than, I might say, I do.
I have always believed that Canada's diversity is its single greatest source of strength. It is a conclusion I have arrived at having had the privilege of living on four continents and working and travelling in over 80 countries before ever entering elected public service. The belief that Canada's diversity is its single greatest source of strength informs this bill. It is a belief I have reaffirmed over and over again during my almost 19 years in this House.
It is a belief I have reaffirmed over and over again during my almost 19 years in the House, and nowhere has this been more evident and obvious than in our Arab-Canadian community. Arab Canadians, from all walks of life, continue to make extremely important contributions to social, economic and political life in Canada, as well as to Canada's cultural fabric, including through literature, music, food, fashion, science, research, academia, public service, professions and businesses.
Arab heritage month in Canada would be a terrific opportunity for Arab Canadians to be recognized, finally, for their contributions to this amazing country. It would give us the opportunity to recognize and pay tribute to the countless Arab entrepreneurs and small business owners right across Canada, who do so much to support their communities.
From the diversity of my riding to my own godfather, to my many friends in the national capital region Arab community and beyond, perhaps it is more clear to those watching tonight as to why I introduced this bill and why I am working so hard, with all of my colleagues, to make sure it is passed.
The enactment of Arab heritage month in Canada would ensure that the contributions of Arab Canadians are recognized, shared, and celebrated across this great country, not just every April, but every day. It is long past time that we take up that mantle and celebrate that incredible contribution.
We are always stronger when we pull together.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the hon. member for his bill coming to third reading and passing most of the difficulties that any bill can face in the House.
Ottawa is a place with a very large Arab community. I know that my own Lebanese community is quite established here. Could the hon. member give us one incident that he found in the past about the community's involvement and contribution adding to the enrichment of Canadian history and Canadian society?
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Mr. Speaker, where can I begin? How many are there? How can one count the number of contributions?
I do recall the coming together of the Lebanese-Canadian community here in Ottawa just recently, after the terrible explosions in Beirut. I remember it coming together, with incredible generosity, to match federal government offerings in funding for support right across, not just the greater Ottawa area, but right across the country.
In fact, to be forthcoming about it, we were surprised, as a government.
I think we began with a $10-million contribution, which was then increased. I believe that it was matched so quickly by our Lebanese-Canadian neighbours right across the country that it spoke volumes to the generosity, passion and commitment of our Arab-Canadian community. I also think it speaks to that very special responsibility that I alluded to in my remarks, where Canada is a beacon. Everywhere I go, including this week at the United Nations, increasingly, countries are looking to Canada for leadership on how to do it.
When we reach out to support a cause like that, I think it is illustrative of a coming together that is worthy of emulation.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hon. member for the introduction of this PMB. I know it will mean a lot for members in my community in London—Fanshawe. He spoke about that coming together after the explosion in Beirut, and I really appreciate that. That hit my community so incredibly hard.
They have been asking what we can do now, what more we can do and how we can ensure that consistent building back for Lebanon, which is complicated but necessary, as the jewel of the Middle East, is brought forward.
What can Canada do?
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Mr. Speaker, it is hard for me to comment on the geopolitics of the region now, except to say that we know that the French government is taking the leadership in rebuilding much of Beirut.
Canada has been there since the beginning, but I think, as legislators here on Canadian soil, one of our responsibilities is to ensure that the diverse and inclusive communities each of us represent stick together. I think it is a truism, as my mother would say to each and every one of us here, if we stick together and pull together, we will go so much further.
The little engine that could that is Canada is, in fact, leading the way, in so many ways, globally as a demonstration project, as I said earlier. That is, I think, very much worth imitating.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his passion on this subject and his very wonderful speech this evening.
I think about Black History Month here in Canada, and the opportunity that affords us, especially in classrooms across the country, to really learn about each other to strengthen those bonds. I wonder if the member could speak to some of the activities he hopes to see around Arab heritage month.
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Mr. Speaker, I do not like to dance, but I know there will be a lot of dancing.
Just this morning, I had the privilege of being with one of our ministers to make an announcement on a very important initiative for my own district and across the city in different schools pursuant to Black History Month, which will help bring together teachers and children who are facing some mental health crises to keep them on a straighter or narrower and perhaps healthier pathway.
I think there are all kinds of opportunities to come together, such as with festivals and concerts. For example, in the last several years I have helped with a Lebanese initiative to come throughout Canada and provide tours of symphonies, artists, singers, actors and so forth for movie screenings. I think there would be so much more of that, and it is so enriching for us as we expect an onslaught of Arab culture, music, dance, dress and particularly food.
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Mr. Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to rise once again to offer my support for Bill C-232, an act respecting Arab heritage month.
I am one of more than a million Canadians of Arab descent. As so many have, I came to this country as an immigrant, escaping the dangers of war and economic upheaval. Here I have made my home, raised a family, and I am proud now to be able to give back by serving all Canadians in the House.
I am proud of my heritage, my Arab background, but I am prouder to be Canadian, which means that I will be pleased to celebrate April as Arab heritage month. I will celebrate the contributions of Arab culture and Arab people to Canadian society. However, I will not allow myself to be defined by the hyphen that people use when they call me an Arab-Canadian. When I became a Canadian citizen, I did not make a partial commitment. I went all in. I love the land of my birth, and who I am has been shaped by my heritage, but my identity is now found here.
As the late John Diefenbaker, the 13th prime minister of Canada, reminded us upon the passage of the Bill of Rights in 1960, he said that:
I am Canadian, a free Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship God in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, free to choose those who govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.
When a person is a Canadian, no hyphen is needed. There are no second-class citizens in Canada. It does not matter what a person's race or religious beliefs are. A person's background does not define them, their character does.
Do we as individuals and a nation always live up to our ideals? Unfortunately not. However, as Canadians, when we fail, we say “sorry” and then we try again, always striving to do better. We learn from our mistakes.
I think that wanting to do better is one of the values that makes the Arab people want to come to Canada to be part of this great country. We come from a region where old rivalries, sometimes going back thousands of years, are all too often an impediment for progress. “Sorry” is a word rarely heard.
Canada offers an opportunity for a fresh start, and Canadian values are also Arab values. Looking at the Bill of Rights, upon which the later Charter of Rights and Freedoms is based, I see the values that founded Canadian society that resonated with me as a new Canadian.
We read that the Parliament of Canada believes the Canadian nation to be founded upon principles that acknowledge the supremacy of God, the dignity and worth of a human person and the position of the family in a society of free people and free institutions. Also, that humans and institutions remain free only when freedom is founded upon respect for moral and spiritual values and the rule of law.
As the bill recognizes, in Canada there have existed and shall continue to exist without discrimination by reason of race, national origin, colour, religion or sex, the following human rights and fundamental freedoms, namely:
(a) the right of the individual to life, liberty, security of the person and enjoyment of property, and the right not to be deprived thereof except by due process of law; (b) the right of the individual to equality before the law and the protection of the law; (c) freedom of religion; (d) freedom of speech; (e) freedom of assembly and association; (f) freedom of the press.
Sadly, in many places in the world, including Arab countries, some of those rights are not available to the citizens. In some places none of them are. No wonder Canada has become the destination of choice for Arabs seeking a better life.
The lack of freedoms in some places in the Arab world is perhaps one of the reasons why we need an Arab heritage month. Canadians need to be reminded that there is so much more to the history and culture of the Arab people than the negative portrayals found all too often in the news. The current political activities in the region do not always reflect the values of the Arab people, just as the actions of the Government of Canada do not always reflect the values of Canadians.
Arab heritage month would be an opportunity for those of us of with Arab roots to share the richness of our culture in a more deliberate way than is the case now. We have introduced many Canadians to shawarma and baklava already, but there is more than that to be shared and celebrated with Canadians.
There is a rich cinematic tradition that is almost completely unknown here that can now be viewed online. Naturally I feel the Arabic language films are best heard in the original, as Arabic is one of the most beautiful languages in the world. I would encourage all hon. members to learn my mother tongue, but watching with subtitles can still convey the cultural richness of the Arab world.
It is not just in film that there is a long-standing tradition, but in music also. Just last month I watched Christa Maria Abou Akl, who was born, as I was, in Lebanon, appear on the French language television show La Voix, which airs on the TVA network, singing in Arabic and French. Just 20 years old, Christa Maria is already a musical force to be reckoned with. It was my privilege to get to know the family four years ago when they first arrived in Montreal. It was a pleasure to see Christa's success in becoming part of our music future and history in this country.
I am proud of my heritage and am happy to see the establishment of Arab heritage month. I am prouder still to be a Canadian. It is a great honour to have been chosen by my fellow Canadians, from all different backgrounds, to represent them in this House.
Recognizing my heritage, they have asked me to serve all Canadians, to affirm, as the Bill of Rights says:
That the Canadian Nation is founded upon principles that acknowledge the supremacy of God, the dignity and worth of the human person and the position of the family in a society of free men and free institutions.
This April, and every April thereafter, let us celebrate Arab heritage month and the contributions of Canadians of Arab descent to this great country. Since the 1880s, Canadians of Arab descent have been enriching our nation, adding their ideas, energy and values to making this the best country in the world.
As I have said before, Canada is an example of what a society can be when the people celebrate their heritage without forgetting what unites them in common purpose. Let us celebrate Arab heritage month, whoever we are and wherever we came from.
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased and honoured to rise today to speak to Bill C-232, which seeks to designate April as Arab heritage month. This is also a good opportunity to recognize the outstanding contributions that Arab Quebeckers make to Quebec society and culture and to direct the focus back to the Arab community, which certainly deserves to be recognized for all that it does for our community.
I commend my colleague for introducing this bill, which seeks to make April Arab heritage month.
There are all sorts of Bloc members. Should we cue the tumbleweeds? One may be gullible or slow, while another may be educated, but all of us are open-minded, welcoming and generous. I think it is important to remind members of that because, although we may be open-minded, welcoming and generous, we also hold certain fundamental values. We have a vision for living in harmony that is different from that of the rest of Canada, and I feel the need to remind the House of that often by rising to speak.
I think that these differences are worth acknowledging. They are not better. We are not better. We are different. I like to remind members of that occasionally, and this bill gives me the perfect opportunity.
The bill refers to Arab Canadians in general, but I think a distinction should be made between Arab Canadians and Arab Quebeckers.
I will begin by saying that we hear a lot of different things about Quebec's Charter of the French Language. We hear about it these days in other contexts, but I do not want to talk about that. Let us just say that people often insinuate that it has bad intentions and harmful effects. However, it is extremely necessary to enable the French language to survive, flourish and reverberate, to keep French in Quebec alive.
Quebec's charter has also had an extremely positive impact on many francophones and francophiles around the world. Think, for example, of people who live in generally miserable conditions in certain francophone countries where democracy is often non-existent. Quebec appeared to them as a haven of peace, as a destination where they could put down roots and rebuild their lives in a more welcoming environment.
Thousands of Arabs who came to settle in Quebec did just that and made Quebec better over the years. Arab Canadians and Arab Quebeckers certainly do not have the exact same history, especially since the Quiet Revolution. As I was saying, the adoption of the Charter of the French Language and this particular tie that unites Quebeckers of all origins means we have a common history and we are enriching a common culture through the French language.
Of course, Quebec and Canada's respective national realities have had an impact on how successive waves of immigrants have been welcomed over the decades. While Canadian immigration laws and policies have been applied throughout Canada and influenced the pace of Arab immigration in what could be called the golden age of immigration, Quebec's explicit desire to strengthen its ties with Maghreb countries and to promote francophone immigration, which it has been expressing since the Quiet Revolution, has necessarily had an effect on the trajectory of Arab immigration to Quebec that sets it apart from the rest of Canada.
The linguistic and cultural factor is enough to preclude equating the journey of Arab Quebeckers with that of Arab Canadians. In fact, they do not integrate into the same society. Immigrant populations that settle in Canada outside Quebec integrate into Canadian society, in other words, into the English Canadian majority. Much good may it do them. Immigrant populations that settle in Quebec integrate into Quebec society, which is a totally distinct society. I will not get into that. They also integrate into the Quebec nation, meaning the francophone majority.
There are historical factors that explain why many Arab populations already share francophone culture. It is only natural that the integration pathway differs depending on whether it is experienced in Quebec or in Canada. It is quite possible, and even desirable, to recognize the cultural heritage of Arabs in Quebec and Canada.
That is why the Bloc Québécois intends to proudly and happily support Bill C‑232.
Not all people of Arab origin need to assimilate, however. We would like to make a distinction between those who have settled in Quebec, in the francophone part of the country, thereby enriching the francophone culture, and those who have settled in the rest of Canada.
As I said, there is no doubt that the Bloc Québécois is eager to support this bill. We will be celebrating Arab heritage month in April.
I will repeat what I have said on previous motions and bills of a similar nature aiming to designate a certain month, week or day as a time to highlight the exceptional contribution of a particular community to Quebec and Canada. I hope this month of April will henceforth serve to highlight everything that has contributed to the enrichment of our respective cultures, both in Quebec and in Canada. What is the point of designating an Arab heritage month if we do nothing with it, if we do not use it to educate people, to promote the community, to forge links and to build bridges?
I would like to point out that the first Arab immigrant to Canada arrived in Montreal in 1882. His name was Ibrahim Bounadère and he was Lebanese. Why did he choose to settle in Montreal?
Actually, he first went to New York and, when he got there, he heard that people in Montreal spoke French. In those days, people spoke French in Montreal. He was delighted about that and decided that that was where he would settle. The rest is history.
I will close by congratulating my colleague for introducing this bill.
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Mr. Speaker, shukran. It is an honour to rise in the House today to speak about Bill C-232, which designates the month of April as Arab heritage month. I want to thank the hon. member for Ottawa South for introducing it. Arab heritage month is an important month to have because it provides the opportunity and space for Arab Canadians to showcase their culture, their talents and why they are proud to be both Arab and Canadian.
Starting in 1890 and continuing throughout the 20th century, generations of Arab immigrants have come to my home city of London, Ontario, to establish a new life for themselves. In turn, they have built a community that continues to flourish today.
In my riding of London—Fanshawe, I have a large Arab Canadian population that I am extremely proud to call my friends, neighbours and community partners. I have people from all over the Arab world: Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Sudan and many more. Each Arab Canadian community has its own traditions, regalia, food, music, dance and ceremonies, which is something I cherish. I look forward to attending ceremonies every occasion I am invited to one in my riding in London.
I have learned that family is one of the most important aspects of Arab society. Family loyalty and unity are the greatest lessons taught in Arab families, and these are the values we need to build on in our country. The Arabic community in London is also so giving, generous and compassionate. We have seen the many fundraisers they held when the tragic explosion happened in Lebanon. There was a fundraiser just last weekend at the London Muslim Mosque in support of the victims of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
They give so generously internationally, but also do so much for our community at home. I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge some individuals, Arabic organizations and Arabic religious groups in my riding that have contributed largely to our local community: the Canadian Arab Society of London, the Lebanese Canadian Cultural Club of London, the Canadian Cedars of Hope, the Canadian Iraqi House, the Western Arab Students' Association, the London Council of Arab Women, the Muslim Resource Centre, MAC, the Islamic Centre of Southwest Ontario, the London Muslim Mosque, the Hyatt Mosque and the Al-Mahdi Islamic Community Centre. They all hold fundraisers, host information sessions and run community organizations, food banks and soup kitchens, just to name a few.
This past summer, I attended the Middle Eastern Community Festival at the St. John the Baptist Melkite Catholic Church, which offers liturgy services to Arabic-speaking parishioners. I enjoyed attending the festival and appreciated the great hospitality, the amazing shawarma and the za'atar pies. I even did the dabke dance, although not well.
Also in my riding is the St. Elias Maronite Catholic Church, which has a proud heritage that it has shared with me and our community so generously.
I have to mention that in London there are two Arabic newspapers, Albilad and Hona. These two newspapers deliver local and international news and information to the community in the Arabic language.
I also have to mention Philip Aziz, an influential Londoner of Lebanese Greek Orthodox Christian descent. He was recognized for his work in the art technique of egg tempera on gesso panels. The Aziz family is one of the oldest families in London.
Of course, I have to mention Nazem Kadri, a Londoner and famous NHL player, who this summer brought the Stanley Cup home and shared it with members of the London Muslim Mosque.
The holy month of Ramadan is approaching, and I am looking forward to breaking the fast with Muslim and Arab community members. They come together and share so willingly. The children run around and there is such joy in the air. It is a truly wonderful place to be.
Today, I know members can hear the joy and pride in my voice when I speak about the Arab Canadian community. However, I also speak with a lot of sadness because of the struggles they continue to face with respect to discrimination and hate. London is not immune to that, so I share my sorrow. My hope is that through this bill to designate Arab heritage month, we can move past it, educate and see an end to the discrimination and hate. I hope this bill, and the designation of Arab heritage month, will help educate us and will celebrate Arab Canadians, who are truly Canadian and a part of our community. This will break down fear and ignorance. The Arab community deserves this type of positive recognition, especially when we consider its economic, social and cultural contributions, which continue in our neighbourhoods.
I do not have time to mention all the incredible businesses in my riding that are of Arab Canadian descent and started by incredible entrepreneurs in our community. There are way too many, but I try to get to as many as I can.
I also want to send a special shout-out to the NDP lobby and Anthony Salloum on our team, who is of Arab Lebanese heritage. In my constituency office, my outreach coordinator is also of Lebanese heritage, and I am so proud to be able to offer our office services in Arabic to welcome Arab Canadians. Trying to find support in one's second or third or potentially fourth language is so challenging. I hope people know that by providing those additional supports and services, people from all different communities, including the Arab Canadian community, can feel welcome and safe in my office and that they know my door is always open and we are here to support them.
I want to thank the member for Ottawa South for bringing this legislation forward. I am proud to support this bill and this important recognition of Arab Canadians. I urge all my colleagues to support it, and hopefully next April, when we are all here, we can celebrate together Arab heritage month.
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- Feb/16/23 5:59:56 p.m.
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Continuing debate.
If I were to recognize the hon. member for Ottawa South, it would be for his right of reply. No?
Therefore, the question is on the motion.
If a member of a recognized party present in the House wishes that the motion be carried, or carried on division or wishes to request a recorded division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.
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- Feb/16/23 6:00:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would ask for a recorded division.
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Pursuant to order made on Thursday, June 23, 2022, the division stands deferred until Wednesday, March 8, at the expiry of time provided for Oral Questions.
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- Feb/16/23 6:01:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when it comes to addressing the homelessness and housing crisis, the Liberals would be hard pressed to do any worse. The Auditor General's report on chronic homelessness found that the federal government does not even know whether the national housing strategy is working to prevent and reduce chronic homelessness, yet they have spent billions to develop unaffordable housing.
On November 15, 2022, I asked the minister when the government will do its job so that everyone has a safe and affordable place to call home. The minister responded that he accepts the Auditor General's report and that the government would implement all of the recommendations, yet in December, the CEO of CMHC, Romy Bowers, confirmed the government will not meet its targets on reducing chronic homelessness. Her response was, “It is a very challenging target to meet.”
The Liberals' failure to lead is only worsening the crisis. Skyrocketing rents are forcing families to choose between food and rent. Shelters are over capacity and tent cities are expanding. In Toronto, during a recent extreme cold weather alert, 99% of warming centre spaces were occupied. Unhoused people are dying across the country. Organizations such as the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness are sounding the alarm, calling for greater action to address surging homelessness.
Rather than stepping up in support, the government's response is to exclude people who have rent paid directly to their landlord by social assistance programs from receiving the $500 rental housing benefit, which the NDP forced them to deliver. These are some of the people with the lowest incomes, including seniors, people with disabilities and individuals on income assistance, and the government is punishing them. It is absolutely appalling. Meanwhile, the CMHC cannot even deliver on funds that have already been committed. Not a single cent of the $420 million for transitional homes and shelters for indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people has been released. It has been two years since the announcement, and there has been zero progress on building these projects.
On the federal lands initiative, the government has disbursed only about 11% of the money allocated last year to support urban, rural and northern indigenous housing. The government's website says there is no property available. With the coinvestment fund, 115,000 units have received funding commitments, but the funding has not flowed. Projects are sitting there waiting as project costs rise due to inflation.
Now the government has introduced a new funding limit of $25,000 per unit for the fund, which means many projects will no longer be viable. I have heard people say that CMHC is where projects go to die. Sadly, this seems to be the case. What will it take to get projects delivered?
The minister called the coinvestment fund the flagship program for deeply affordable housing, yet in a written response to my question at HUMA, CMHC described the coinvestment fund as a supply initiative with an affordability definition linked to the cost of a unit versus market prices. It is not surprising then that the Auditor General found low-income people cannot afford much of the housing being built through this program. The government cannot even get its story straight. Some community organizations have projects ready but have been told by CMHC that the coinvestment fund has been depleted.
When my colleagues wrote to the minister about an affordable housing project for seniors, the minister encouraged them to look to the coinvestment fund for support. On the same date, the minister replied to a letter that I wrote indicating that “the remaining NHCF contribution budget is limited.” The left hand does not know what the right hand is doing.
When will the government get its story straight and fix the housing crisis?
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- Feb/16/23 6:05:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, our government believes that people deserve a home where they can live in dignity, and we are determined to put an end to chronic homelessness.
However, as my colleague from Vancouver East knows, this is not the easiest thing to do. It is a complex issue that requires a multi-faceted approach.
We therefore welcome the Auditor General's report and agree with the findings and recommendations. At the same time, I want to assure my colleague and, of course, all Canadians that our investments in the fight against homeless are getting results.
By focusing on the most vulnerable groups in Canada, the national housing strategy offers programs that create the type of housing units on the housing continuum that we so desperately need. Many projects that we finance include the comprehensive support services that people need to keep that housing.
Infrastructure Canada is working with other federal organizations to ensure the success of the reaching home homelessness strategy. Thanks to this strategy, we can help communities prevent and reduce homelessness in ways that best meet their needs.
Other national housing strategy programs are producing concrete results too. For example, the national housing co-investment fund committed funds to housing projects that will result in over 121,000 new or repaired units.
My colleague is from Vancouver, so I will mention a few specific projects she is probably familiar with. An eight-story residential housing building is currently under construction on East Hastings. The units are primarily for indigenous individuals, and the building will provide affordable rental housing, supportive housing, a healing centre and a traditional long house space. It was made possible thanks to federal funding and solid collaboration with the province and indigenous partners.
The national housing co-investment fund is also contributing to a new shelter for at-risk youth. This second phase of the Covenant House Vancouver expansion project will also include on-site services for residents.
The rapid housing initiative also meets urgent housing needs for people experiencing homelessness or precarious housing because of the COVID‑19 pandemic. Our government launched the third phase of the initiative on November 10, 2022. This latest phase should see the creation of over 10,450 permanent affordable housing units.
As my colleague from Vancouver East knows, the City of Vancouver received major funding in each phase of the program. For example, we recently celebrated the grand opening of Burnham Place, a 68-unit facility operated by Coast Mental Health that will provide tenants with 24-7 support to help them recover, acquire life skills, study and find work.
Our government's investments are changing things. They are making it possible to create much-needed housing units and offer vulnerable people the support they need to keep their housing and build better lives.
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- Feb/16/23 6:09:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I just want to point out that, with regard to the housing project that the parliamentary secretary mentions, for example, on East Hastings in my riding, just so the member knows, that project was approved by the city back in 2018. It is now 2023 and likely, probably, maybe next year we will see the project finally deliver housing. It has taken that long to actually get that housing done.
Meanwhile, what is happening in the streets of Vancouver? There is homelessness. We have unbelievable encampments littered throughout our streets, people in desperate need of housing.
When the government wants to congratulate itself, pardon me, but it is not good enough. People are dying on the streets. The programs are not being delivered fast enough. Meanwhile, non-profits are not able to make the projects work, as the inflationary costs increase and the government is changing the requirements and the eligibility criteria to reduce the amount of what they can give to get the project off the ground.
They are failing the community. They are failing Canadians who desperately need a government to show leadership to address the housing crisis.
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- Feb/16/23 6:10:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for her intervention. One thing we agree on is that more needs to be done. More needs to be done more quickly and more efficiently.
My colleague and I share the same concern over homelessness. There are camps in my riding as well. I know that everything we are doing through the national housing strategy needs to be done faster and more efficiently. We will be there to help put an end to homelessness across the country.
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- Feb/16/23 6:10:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we are back again on the issue of foreign interference in Canada. Why? Well, it is an important issue that seems to be addressed in stealth, if at all, by the federal government. Perhaps its members think that if it is ignored, it will go away, or maybe the government is aware of the extent to which foreign operatives have conducted their interference strategies. Perhaps the government is fully aware that these foreign operatives have hit close to home and have raised their nefarious heads to manipulate Canada's electoral system and brazenly violate our electoral laws, all to place in office elected representatives who would be more favourable to the interests of China or Iran. If that is the case, it would be severely prudent for the Canadian government to decisively act to expose these individuals instead of doing nothing. That would be the sensible thing to do, shine a bright light on these operatives and either arrest or expel them. Yet, we see nothing being done.
A parliamentary committee recently explored the issue of foreign interference, because Canada has become a safe haven for thugs for the Chinese and Iranian regimes who seem to intimate and threaten at will anyone they want. As one citizen put it recently, “I'm not sure how safe I feel when the man who tortured my father lived in the same neighbourhood as my family.”
Is this the Canada that we want? Is this the level of protection that Canadians want to see from their own government? I think not.
As a member of the House, I also do not want to engage with other members who do not have Canada's best interest in their hearts. What a sham Parliament that would be. What a travesty to our electoral system. What an insult to the safety of our citizens. Such indifference displayed to date by the Canadian government is tantamount to a national disgrace.
The procedure and House affairs committee has been going along for a few months now investigating the reality of foreign interference in Canada. There is no secret that it has happened and is happening.
So what of our intelligence services and their efforts to combat international efforts that destabilize our institutions and threaten our citizens? Well, as the committee was told recently, CSIS is mandated to protect Canada and Canadians against foreign interference, among other threats. To respond to threats, CSIS works in collaboration with other partners, including the RCMP. In addition, CSIS is a core member of the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections Task Force, which coordinates efforts to protect federal elections. It is very clear that these agencies are well aware of the existence of foreign operatives in our country.
We also hear of money-laundering operations. I am sure this money is not being used by Iran or China to contribute to the making of a better world.
Why is this government a doormat to foreign interference? Why do its members continue to bury their heads in the sand?
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- Feb/16/23 6:14:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the opportunity to address concerns of foreign interference in Canada. Canada is a country of open political systems, democratic processes, social cohesion, academic freedoms and prosperity. While these are reasons why people choose to come to Canada, this also makes Canada an attractive target for foreign interference. The government takes these threats very seriously and will not tolerate foreign interference from any actor.
We are aware that certain foreign governments, including the People's Republic of China, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation, may attempt to threaten and intimidate individuals in Canada or their relatives abroad. Some of the tactics employed include harassment, intimidation, detention of family members abroad and refusal to issue travel documents or visas. When individuals in Canada are subject to intimidation, harassment or manipulation by foreign states or their proxies, these activities are a threat to Canada's sovereignty and to the safety of communities and individuals in Canada and will never be tolerated.
Where there is evidence of state-backed harassment or intimidation, CSIS and the RCMP apply the full measures of their mandates to investigate threats to Canada and Canadians. CSIS investigates and may take measures to reduce foreign interference threats, including those involving threats to Canadian communities. The RCMP also collaborates with the police of jurisdiction to investigate harassment, intimidation or offences reported at the local levels that, upon further investigation, reveal a nexus to foreign interference. For example, in response to the reports of the so-called police stations being run by the People's Republic of China here in Canada, the RCMP has confirmed it is currently investigating.
If a member of the public feels they are in immediate danger from a person suspected of acting on behalf of a foreign state, they are strongly encouraged to call 911 or contact their local police of jurisdiction. If a member of the public suspects foreign criminal interference activities that do not pose an immediate threat to life, they should report to the RCMP or CSIS through phone and online reporting channels, including the National Security Information Network web portal.
Finally, we recognize that democratic institutions and processes around the world, including elections, are targets for foreign interference. Over the course of the 2021 federal election, CSIS and the RCMP worked closely with partners as members of the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections Task Force to coordinate efforts against foreign interference by raising awareness, assessing threats and preparing the government's response to them.
While I cannot provide more detail regarding specific threat activity, I can assure Canadians that our security and intelligence agencies investigate allegations of interference in Canada's democratic institutions or processes by a foreign state in accordance with their mandated authorities, and the RCMP investigates foreign actor interference further to its mandate. Members can be assured that while we cannot always make our actions known to the public, the safety and security of Canadians is always at the heart of our approach.
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