SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 177

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 31, 2023 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 177 - Mar/31/23
Ms. Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre, NDP)
  • Mar/31/23 12:06:15 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, the Mass Casualty Commission released a scathing report yesterday. It made clear that gender-based violence is not treated with the urgency and seriousness it deserves. To save lives, police must change the way they respond to reports of gender-based violence. We cannot remain idle. Lives are at risk. The government has an obligation to act with meaningful police reform, including addressing the culture of systemic racism within the RCMP. Will the Liberals implement these recommendations without delay?
81 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Ms. Jenna Sudds (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Youth, Lib.)
  • Mar/31/23 12:06:53 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, of course the tragic events in Nova Scotia nearly three years ago devastated the nation. Our government is working hard to ensure that every woman has the support she needs and a place to sleep each and every night. We continue to make investments to ensure that this is the case, including in the budget just announced the other day, with $160 million, starting this year, for women's programs to ensure we are supporting shelters and women fleeing violence.
82 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Mr. Alain Rayes (Richmond—Arthabaska, Ind.)
  • Mar/31/23 12:07:35 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, we have learned that the Governor General spent $700,000 on a four-day trip to Germany. This included more than $75,000 for four nights in the region's most luxurious hotels. This is on top of the $80,000 spent during another trip to the Middle East, just for in-flight meals for the Governor General and her 29 guests. This works out to $2,600 per person for food during the flight alone. That is obscene. Can the Prime Minister tell us whether he approves of that kind of spending? If not, has he taken the necessary steps to put an end to such wastefulness, once and for all?
114 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Hon. Greg Fergus (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the President of the Treasury Board, Lib.)
  • Mar/31/23 12:08:19 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, it is very important to remember that the expenses related to this trip by the Governor General were similar to other trips made by previous governors general. We must always recognize that when the Governor General represents our country, she brings a delegation to represent the best of Canada on many issues. We are aware of this, as is the Governor General herself. She will continue to monitor her spending.
72 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Mrs. Laila Goodridge (Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, CPC)
  • Mar/31/23 12:09:17 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. Today, during question period, the member for Pickering—Uxbridge said, “I am very concerned about the health of your baby” to me. It was an absolutely inappropriate and unparliamentary term. Quite frankly, I am proud to be here, 32 weeks pregnant, fighting for my constituents. I demand an apology.
61 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Ms. Jennifer O'Connell (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.)
  • Mar/31/23 12:09:44 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, I am absolutely disgusted that the member opposite would outright lie, and yes, I am saying “outright lie”. I absolutely said— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
31 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès)
  • Mar/31/23 12:10:00 p.m.
  • Watch
We do not use that language in the House, as the hon. member well knows. The same thing could be said in different ways.
24 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Ms. Jennifer O'Connell
  • Mar/31/23 12:10:13 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, the exchange that happened was that the member opposite said to me, “You know, you don't have to be so mean all the time”, and I responded, “Like I care about your opinion of me.” For the member to actually use such a disgusting lie to try to defame—
57 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès)
  • Mar/31/23 12:10:39 p.m.
  • Watch
The hon. member will be invited to rethink her choice of words. The hon. member will be invited to exercise judgment in the use of words, and please consider that it is not a parliamentary acceptable word. I would invite her to apologize and retract that word from the record.
50 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Ms. Jennifer O'Connell
  • Mar/31/23 12:11:05 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, I will withdraw the word but the sentiment remains, that it absolutely did not— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
22 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès)
  • Mar/31/23 12:11:15 p.m.
  • Watch
Withdraw the words— Some hon. members: Oh, oh! The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès): Order, order. This will be looked at in Hansard, to answer the hon. member for Fort McMurray—Cold Lake. We will get back to the hon. member on what happened. The hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable on a point of order.
65 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Mr. Luc Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable, CPC)
  • Mar/31/23 12:11:42 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, during question period, you decided to take out a question from the official opposition. Without calling your decision into question, I would like to ask the Table for clarification about the application of the decision. As you know, you have a list in your hands to help you announce the members who will be speaking. I do not believe that there is any standing order of the House that permits you to decide to take out a specific question based on a list provided to you. The list is there as a guide to make the House run smoothly. I would like the Table to tell us exactly how to proceed if such a situation were to arise again. I think we need to know. As you noted, it made the opposition members uneasy. We want to follow the rules of the House, as does the Leader of the Opposition. We need some clarification about how such decisions will be applied in future. Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
170 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès)
  • Mar/31/23 12:13:33 p.m.
  • Watch
I am sorry, I did not hear what was said.
10 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Mrs. Laila Goodridge
  • Mar/31/23 12:13:37 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, I think this is absolutely shameful. The comments that were just made by the member for Pickering—Uxbridge, yet again, denigrate women. We need to be supporting women in politics and not doing things like that. I asked for an apology. She has called me a liar in this chamber four times now today. This is absolutely inappropriate, and I demand an apology. Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
71 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès)
  • Mar/31/23 12:14:23 p.m.
  • Watch
Order. As I told the hon. member for Fort McMurray—Cold Lake, we will listen. I did not hear it right now. I was discussing— Some hon. members: Oh, oh! The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès): I do not dispute it. I am just saying that we will look at Hansard, and we will get back to the hon. member on what is found. I cannot rule on this right now. I have to wait until we look at what Hansard and the tapes will tell us.
92 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Ms. Leslyn Lewis (Haldimand—Norfolk, CPC)
  • Mar/31/23 12:15:09 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, justice does not only have to be done but also be seen to have been done in order to uphold the dignity of the House. When a member, four times, says something so patently offensive as calling another hon. member a liar, it must be dealt with. Our member said it once and was removed from the House. Justice has to be seen to be done in the House.
71 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Mrs. Karen Vecchio (Elgin—Middlesex—London, CPC)
  • Mar/31/23 12:16:28 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, the member for Haldimand—Norfolk said it very well, and I do appreciate that. I just want to second what she said.
25 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)
  • Mar/31/23 12:16:40 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, prior to the interaction that took place, you were making a ruling on another point of order. I think it is best that you conclude the first point of order. I know there are one or two members who might want to address the second point of order raised, but maybe we can put to rest the first point of order and then go on to the second one.
71 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès)
  • Mar/31/23 12:17:00 p.m.
  • Watch
Indeed, I will continue on the point of order raised by the member for Mégantic—L'Érable regarding the list used during oral question period. The lists provided by the parties are only used as a guide. The Chair has no obligation to follow them. After I decided to take out the question, I discussed the matter with the clerks. An exchange took place with the individuals working with the official opposition whip in order to reach an agreement. It is really at the Chair's discretion as to whether to follow the order on the list when taking out a question. The hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable.
117 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border
Mr. Luc Berthold
  • Mar/31/23 12:17:55 p.m.
  • Watch
Madam Speaker, I understand, but I wanted to know one thing specifically. One of our members rose to speak when none of our other members were rising. However, you gave the floor to the next member on the list. That is why I think it is important to get clarification. The member we chose to ask the question was entitled, in my opinion, to ask it, because he was the only member rising to be recognized and able to ask the question. For your information, there should be no list, so you could not have asked the next member to rise in place of another, since this list normally does not exist, according to the rules.
117 words
  • Hear!
  • Rabble!
  • star_border