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Hon. Gudie Hutchings (Minister of Rural Economic Development, Lib.)

Mar/6/23 3:09:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Newmarket—Aurora for his dedication to rural Ontarians. It is great news for the people of the York Region, for small business, big business, not-for-profits and, frankly, good news for everyone. We know that having access to reliable high-speed Internet is the economic equalizer to open up countless opportunities. Since 2015, we have on the table over $7 billion for connectivity. We have connected over a quarter of a million households, but we are not stopping. By 2026, 98% of Canadians will be connected and by 2030, 100% of Canadians will have access to Internet.

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

Mar/6/23 3:10:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, open-net fish farms pollute our waters and harm wild Pacific salmon. The health of wild salmon is critical. First nation chiefs across British Columbia have been calling on the Prime Minister to get these harmful fish farms out of our waters, but he is refusing to meet them. He is in luck as B.C. first nations are currently in Ottawa advocating to protect wild Pacific salmon. Will the Prime Minister meet with these first nations and commit to get these fish farms out of the water, with a plan for all those impacted?

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

Mar/6/23 3:10:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am happy to say that I met with the delegation this morning and we have plans to continue working together so that we can include all of the first nations affected by open-net pen aquaculture as we transition away over the coming years.

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Mr. Alain Rayes (Richmond—Arthabaska, Ind.)

Mar/6/23 3:11:21 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-13

Mr. Speaker, we have reached the final analysis of Bill C‑13 on modernizing both official languages. Tomorrow, in committee, members will address the amendments on the issue of language clauses to ensure that francophone minority communities will indeed receive the money invested by the federal government when an agreement is reached between the provinces and the federal government or between the territories and the federal government. Such clauses would ensure equity for all francophones in the country. Every francophone advocacy group agrees on that. I would like the minister to clearly indicate whether she agrees with these language clauses, please.

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Hon. Ginette Petitpas Taylor (Minister of Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, Lib.)

Mar/6/23 3:12:03 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-13

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his important question. As he aptly noted, Bill C‑13 is currently before the Standing Committee on Official Languages for a clause-by-clause review. Official language minority communities have been waiting for this bill for a long time. Like them, I look forward to having this bill adopted. I hope that the committee will complete its work shortly since stakeholders from one end of the country to the other want this bill passed as soon as possible.

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The Deputy Speaker

Mar/6/23 3:12:34 p.m.
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It being 3:13 p.m., pursuant to order made on Thursday, June 23, 2022, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion relating to the business of supply. Call in the members. And the bells having rung:

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The Deputy Speaker

Mar/6/23 3:14:11 p.m.
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The question is on the motion. May I dispense? Some hon. members: No. [Chair read text of motion to House]

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The Deputy Speaker

Mar/6/23 3:27:29 p.m.
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I declare the motion defeated. I wish to inform the House that because of the deferred recorded division, Government Orders will be extended by 13 minutes.

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Mr. Daniel Blaikie (Elmwood—Transcona, NDP)

Mar/6/23 3:29:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am rising on a point of order arising out of question period. A question was asked of a committee chair, and I am looking for clarification. I have had some personal experience with this in the chamber. I would refer you to the 42nd Parliament. As a matter of fact, it happened to be the day the Prime Minister first decided to do Prime Minister's questions, where he answers every question. At that time, I was the second vice-chair of the access to information, privacy and ethics committee, and the chair and the vice-chair were both away on parliamentary business. A question was asked of the committee chair for that committee, and as the second vice-chair at that time, I stood to answer the question. As it happens, the Prime Minister did not answer all of the questions that day, but more importantly, I think it served the House well to have someone who was an authorized spokesperson for the committee answer the question. There is often debate in this place about the appropriate role of parliamentary secretaries on committees and the right posture of the government toward committees, and I do not think it makes a lot of sense to have government members answer questions about committee business. I wonder if the Chair might reflect on this point and come back with some guidance. I think the House would be well served if the Chair first looked to see if an authorized spokesperson for the committee is standing before proceeding to the government bench. I would welcome the Chair's reflection on that point at some appropriate time, whether that is right away or further down the line.

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The Deputy Speaker

Mar/6/23 3:30:37 p.m.
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I will refer to it at a later point, but I will go to the hon. member for Perth—Wellington on the same point of order.

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Mr. John Nater (Perth—Wellington, CPC)

Mar/6/23 3:30:51 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would refer you to Beauchesne's, sixth edition, which is one of this House's great authorities. It makes note of the importance of seeking information from the committee, in which case the chair or the vice-chair is certainly the appropriate person. I would seek the guidance of the Chair, however, for situations in which the chair of the committee may be available online but nonetheless failed to indicate to the Chair that they were present online to answer the question. Therefore, I would seek the Chair's guidance. I would add that as vice-chair of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, I am certainly ready, able and willing to table the committee's report at the soonest and nearest convenience of this House.

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The Deputy Speaker

Mar/6/23 3:31:59 p.m.
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It is not often we get to bring out House of Commons Procedure and Practice, but I thought we would do that. On the same page that was quoted, in the section “Questions Concerning Matters Before Committees”, footnote 92 cites pages 10,207 and 10,208: On occasion, questions directed to committee Chairs have been answered by Ministers and points of order have been raised. For example, during Question Period, opposition Members twice addressed questions to the Chair of a standing committee and the Government House Leader responded.... In the 2008 example, the Liberal House Leader rose the following day on a point of order and asked the Speaker if someone other than the Chair of a committee could respond to a question concerning the agenda of a committee. The Speaker advised that his role is to “take a look at those who are standing to answer and choose who is going to answer”. I can say that during today's session, no hands went up on Zoom and no other vice-chair stood up. The person who asked the question could not answer the question. Therefore, the government House leader was the one who got to answer that question, because he did stand to answer it. However, we will look at it further. I do not want to be revising this book, so it is probably going to stand, but we will have a further look at it as well. I appreciate the interest. The hon. parliamentary secretary to the government House leader.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Mar/6/23 3:33:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, just to add a bit to it, the concern I would have is that the types of questions that could be posed to chairs, from what I understand, are somewhat limited, dealing strictly with the timing of things on a committee's agenda. For anything beyond that, as I understand, it should be the option of the government to determine who answers the question.

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The Deputy Speaker

Mar/6/23 3:33:47 p.m.
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It is getting too deeply in the weeds, but yes, the questions have to be based on the agenda of the committee at hand. I appreciate that intervention as well.

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Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos (Minister of Health, Lib.)

Mar/6/23 3:34:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to table, in both official languages, the report on COVID‑19 rapid test procurement and distribution.

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Mr. Sean Casey (Charlottetown, Lib.)

Mar/6/23 3:34:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 10th report of the Standing Committee on Health, entitled “Addressing Canada’s Health Workforce Crisis”. Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requests that the government table a comprehensive response to this report.

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Mr. Ron McKinnon (Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, Lib.)

Mar/6/23 3:36:40 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-316

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-316, An Act to amend the Department of Canadian Heritage Act (Court Challenges Program). He said: Mr. Speaker, I am happy to introduce my private member's bill, which would enshrine the court challenges program into federal law. The court challenges program supports Canadians seeking to bring cases of national significance that protect our constitutional rights. It plays a vital role in ensuring that the government acts within the bounds of the Constitution and the Official Languages Act. Enshrining this program into legislation would provide greater certainty for the program and allow it to continue its important work well into the future. It would send a strong message about the importance of protecting the rights of Canadians, and it would demonstrate Parliament's shared commitment to ensuring that the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the charter and the Official Languages Act are respected and upheld.

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Ms. Bonita Zarrillo (Port Moody—Coquitlam, NDP)

Mar/6/23 3:38:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to present a petition initiated by Ryan Hooey and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind on the importance of fully accessible insulin pumps for persons with diabetes. Diabetes and sight loss are closely connected. Here in Canada, 25% of people with sight loss, one in four, have diabetic retinopathy. An estimated 750,000 Canadians live with this condition. Individuals living with sight loss and diabetes live independent lives but are unable to safely and independently use insulin pumps due to the lack of accessibility features. That is why thousands of petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to ensure that Health Canada approval processes for new medical devices such as insulin pumps include an accessibility assessment, and to work with insulin pump manufacturers to address the safety concerns with the existing insulin pumps, expressed in the contraindications, and ensure that future contraindications are not considered for insulin pumps.

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Ms. Lindsay Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP)

Mar/6/23 3:40:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am honoured today to stand in this place to present a petition signed by over 14,000 people from across the country. Due to the fact that counselling therapy and psychotherapy have long been extremely beneficial tools for those seeking mental health supports, and that registered therapists and psychotherapists in Canada are required to charge GST and HST, while other service providers are exempt from charging this tax, the petitioners are calling on the government to remove that unfair GST/HST requirement for all counselling therapists and psychotherapists. I have a private member's bill, Bill C-218, that would actually do just that. The signatories of this petition are calling on the government to make these changes in a budgetary bill so that they will not be charged GST.

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Mr. Mark Gerretsen (Kingston and the Islands, Lib.)

Mar/6/23 3:41:02 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I rise today to present a petition on behalf of 5,381 signatories, who call to the attention of the government the atrocities that are happening in Iran. Specifically, they are calling on the government to declare the entire Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist entity. They are asking for the government to designate authorities to investigate reported threats and stalking by the IRGC against Iranian Canadians and their third party agents. They are further asking the government to create legislation to revoke visas of Iranian officials and their families living in Canada who have embezzled billions of dollars into Canada through business fronts and properties. They are asking for Canada's allies to end all negotiations with Iran and to provide continuous support to Iranians fighting for regime change by opening discussion between world leaders and the Iranian people to support the transition to a secular, democratic Iran.

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