44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 6, 2023 11:00AM
Madam Speaker, I agree somewhat with my colleague. Sometimes, the Conservatives want their bread buttered on both sides, especially when it comes to cybersecurity or Internet bills. They support the principle, but oppose the intervention. It is difficult for them to find the right balance.
My colleague did not address the concerns. He spoke instead about Bill C-11, which is a very important bill for the promotion of French content on the Internet, but which was blocked by my Conservative friends.
Over the past two break weeks, I spoke with many Quebec artists. The Union des artistes fervently hopes that Bill C‑11 will pass so that French content will be promoted on line. It is extremely important. However, the Conservatives are stonewalling. They did so in committee, and even now, they are delaying the work in this place.
How does my colleague feel about the fact that all Quebec and francophone artists across Canada are against his party?
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- Mar/6/23 2:57:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister made a rather unexpected comment as the House was rising for a two-week recess. He said that we all want Roxham Road to close. That was news to us. For years we have been asking the government to close Roxham Road, explaining that Quebec has exceeded its capacity, that it is not safe and that it is creating an illegal human smuggling industry. Now he tells us that he wants to close Roxham Road.
That raises a question: Why did the government recently renew the lease on the adjacent land for ten years if it truly wants to close Roxham Road immediately?
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- Mar/6/23 2:58:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, suspending the agreement with the United States will just move the problem elsewhere. It is not a real solution. It is essential that we work with communities across the country. It is essential that we continue our work with the United States and the provinces.
I have a meeting with my counterpart from Quebec. I will continue to work with her and with the other provinces and communities to come up with a sustainable solution.
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Mr. Speaker, we, the Conservatives, stand up for Quebec and the provinces.
Last April, the Government of Quebec sent a letter to the Minister of Canadian Heritage. What did the Minister of Canadian Heritage do with that letter? He went into his office, looked around to ensure no one was there, lifted his pile of files and put the letter at the bottom. He did nothing for one year. With the collusion of the Bloc Québécois, there has been radio silence.
The Minister of Canadian Heritage is a seasoned parliamentarian. He knows that the best way to tackle a file is to bring people before a parliamentary committee.
Will the Minister of Canadian Heritage persuade his Bloc friends to say yes to Quebec's demand?
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Mr. Speaker, the government has said yes to various demands made by Quebec. We are working with Quebec. What Quebec wants is to see Bill C‑11 passed for the music, film and television industries.
The Conservatives, who have filibustered the bill the entire time, have suddenly woken up to say that culture is important. Since when has culture been important to the Conservatives? They could not care less. Our government will be there for our artists despite the Conservatives.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his speech. In January, I requested a meeting with the Université de Sherbrooke, which has a research chair in cybercrime. I learned a lot about how behind the times Canada is.
This bill is good, but it comes at a time when we are at greater risk than ever before. The federal government does not seem to be taking cybercrime seriously, yet many European countries have other models and have made headway against cybercrime. How can we address the fact that we need to catch up?
We have to act faster to protect ourselves from cyber-attacks. There is also the whole issue of Hydro-Québec and the fact that those are interprovincial lines. How are the authorities going to be able to manage all that given the agreements and the importance of respecting Quebec's and the provinces' jurisdiction over certain types of critical infrastructure?
It is high time this critical infrastructure was included in a bill to protect it. I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on that.
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- Mar/6/23 6:57:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the member for his advocacy.
Let me note what Canada is committed to. Canada is committed, through domestic law and international convention, to providing supports to individuals making an asylum claim. That is a fact.
We have a duty to protect the integrity of our borders and to manage resources on behalf of all Canadians. Let me be very clear: We continue to encourage asylum claimants to enter Canada through designated ports of entry, to apply through regular immigration streams and to make a claim of asylum in the first safe country they enter.
Canada is unfortunately not alone in facing a rising number of asylum claims. The world is facing an unparalleled flow of migrants and refugees, with the United Nations Refugee Agency reporting nearly 4.9 million asylum seekers in 2022. That is making Canada's share less than 1%. This is a global challenge driven by war, persecution, political and economic instability, and discrimination. Solving this challenge will require a global response.
In recent years, the majority of asylum claims in Canada have been made near Roxham Road, which is not a port of entry. In the summer of 2022, Quebec indicated that its social supports and housing system were hitting their maximum capacity, so our government began transferring asylum seekers who expressed an interest in travelling to Ontario or further west to other provinces. In February, when Quebec indicated that it could not take more asylum claimants, we supported transferring all asylum claimants to Ontario, and just recently began transferring them to hotels in the Atlantic provinces.
As of February, we have moved over 5,600 asylum seekers from Quebec to Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Our officials have been in contact with host communities, and IRCC is conducting community engagement in these provinces. We want to thank the communities and provinces that are receiving asylum claimants.
Canada's humanitarian efforts cannot fall on only one region or province. We continue to engage in discussions with provinces and municipalities that have expressed a willingness to accept additional transfers. I heard the member mention that Cornwall has accepted additional transfers. We know that the City of Cornwall in the member's riding wanted more communication, and we responded to that request. The associate deputy minister has been to Cornwall several times over the last few weeks, and the department is working with the community and local leadership.
We are very conscious of the potential impact that an influx of people could have on local resources, and we continue to listen and respond to local needs. The federal government has been providing supports to provinces and municipalities to respond to the rising number of asylum claims. Since 2017, we have provided $551.6 million to affected provinces and municipalities to address interim housing-related expenses for asylum seekers. In addition, since April 2020, IRCC has been providing temporary accommodations to asylum claimants who do not yet have private accommodations and who cannot go to provincial shelters due to capacity issues.
Our government has covered health care services and products, including immigration medical examinations, which also help connect claimants to the provincial health care system through a program called the interim federal health program. Where we can, we provide expedited work permits for claimants, and we continue to explore the possibilities of accelerating work permits so that claimants can work and support themselves.
In conclusion, the federal government continues to support the provinces and our communities and continues to listen and respond to their needs. We will continue to be there.
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