SoVote

Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 192

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 8, 2023 11:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 192 - May/8/23
Mr. George Chahal (Calgary Skyview, Lib.)
  • May/8/23 3:10:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, over 100 wildfires are burning in Alberta right now, threatening communities and forcing nearly 30,000 people from their homes. The situation has become so severe that the provincial government has declared a province-wide state of local emergency. While we are expecting more favourable conditions over the next few days, this will likely continue to be a major crisis. Can the minister update the House on the government's conversations with Alberta and what is being done to help those affected?
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Hon. Bill Blair (President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Lib.)
  • May/8/23 3:11:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, first of all, let me thank my hon. colleague, the member for Calgary Skyview, for his question on behalf of the people of Alberta. If I may, I would like to express my gratitude to the firefighters, first responders, emergency management individuals and indigenous leadership right across Alberta. Canadians are there for each other. We have been working very closely with the Province of Alberta throughout this event. This afternoon, we received a formal request for assistance, and we have been working all weekend to identify the appropriate resources. If I may, I would also like to point out that this week is Emergency Preparedness Week, and we urge all Canadians to know their risks and be prepared.
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Mr. Charlie Angus (Timmins—James Bay, NDP)
  • May/8/23 3:12:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the human rights tribunal ordered the government to ensure that indigenous children are given access to care and services they deserve in a timely manner, upholding Jordan's principle. However, the government is evading that obligation by simply refusing to pay. We have had child therapists and speech pathologists who have been pushed to the point of bankruptcy because the government refused to pay the bill. The backlog in one of the latest cases is $450,000 of deadbeat non-payments. These are children's lives that we are talking about. Why is the government ignoring its legal obligations under Jordan's principle?
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Mr. Jaime Battiste (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Lib.)
  • May/8/23 3:13:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this question is a really important one. Jordan's principle continues to offer important services all across Canada, but it is important for us to focus on the investments that we are making for children across Canada. That is why I am really happy to talk about the $43-billion indigenous settlement, the largest that we have had, to make sure that we are getting it right when it comes to children moving forward. I continue to want to work with the member opposite to make sure that we are not only supporting Jordan's principle but also supporting the children of indigenous communities all across Canada.
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Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP)
  • May/8/23 3:13:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this weekend, Liberals overwhelmingly supported a policy motion that is very similar to and consistent with Motion No. 76, put forward by my colleague, the hon. member for Kitchener Centre. This is extremely positive news, but the Prime Minister is quoted as saying that it would, despite the support of his party, never be a priority for the Prime Minister, because, he says, “The fact is, there is no consensus”. This motion calls for a national, non-partisan citizens' assembly to find that consensus. Is “consensus” defined by the Prime Minister as including himself, and otherwise, there is no consensus?
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Hon. Dominic LeBlanc (Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.)
  • May/8/23 3:14:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the government will continue to look for ways to increase Canadians' participation in the democratic process. We have a number of suggestions. The leader of the NDP and the Prime Minister, in the supply and confidence agreement, agreed to a number of elements that will improve access to voting. We are working on those kinds of issues, constructively, and the government has made it clear that there is no consensus in terms of the kind of reform that my hon. colleague is talking about. We are focusing on issues that matter to Canadians in terms of affordability, fighting against climate change and other issues that we think are very important.
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The Speaker
  • May/8/23 3:15:01 p.m.
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It being 3:15 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 of the member for St. Albert—Edmonton relating to the business of supply. Call in the members.
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The Speaker
  • May/8/23 3:29:34 p.m.
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I declare the motion carried.
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The Speaker
  • May/8/23 3:29:57 p.m.
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I believe the hon. member for Don Valley West is rising on a point of order.
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Hon. Robert Oliphant
  • May/8/23 3:29:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to inform the House that the Government of Canada has declared the individual in question today, a diplomat from China, Mr. Zhao Wei, persona non grata. Our government has been clear we will not tolerate any form of foreign interference in our internal affairs. The Minister of Foreign Affairs has taken this decision carefully after considering all factors. Diplomats have been warned that any type of engagement in interference in Canada— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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The Speaker
  • May/8/23 3:30:27 p.m.
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I will interrupt the point of order, because I have another point of order regarding the information. The hon. member for Regina—Qu'Appelle has the floor.
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Hon. Andrew Scheer
  • May/8/23 3:30:34 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this sounds awfully like a political speech. The government had multiple opportunities to respond to questions in the House of Commons and has not. I would just point out there is a rubric coming up in Routine Proceedings called statements by ministers. If they have something to say, that would be the time to say it.
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The Speaker
  • May/8/23 3:30:49 p.m.
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I am afraid the hon. member has a good point, and I am going to go along with that. As the Chair, I thought maybe somebody would want the information, but we will wait for it to come forward.
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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)
  • May/8/23 3:31:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8)(a), I have the honour to table, in both official languages, the government's response to five petitions. These returns will be tabled in an electronic format.
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Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP)
  • May/8/23 3:32:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this is a very significant petition dealing with an issue that is very topical. It is that Canadian corporations based in Canada contribute to human rights abuses and environmental damage in other countries. The people who protest these abuses and defend their rights are often harassed, attacked or killed, and in this group are particularly indigenous peoples, women and marginalized groups who are under threat. We know the process set up for observing responsible enterprise of Canadian corporations lacks the tools to actually ensure Canadian corporations do support human rights and operate in ways that make us proud. These concerned citizens ask that the companies be prevented from adverse human right impacts and environmental damage through global operations and supply chains; require companies to do their due diligence, and Canada lacks compared to other countries in requiring companies to do due diligence; assess how their actions may be contributing to human rights abuses; have meaningful consequences for companies that fail to exercise this due diligence; and establish a legal right for people who have been harmed by Canadian corporations operating outside of Canada to seek justice in Canadian courts.
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Mrs. Carol Hughes (Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, NDP)
  • May/8/23 3:34:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise once again to table a petition regarding the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners. The petitioners bring to the attention of the House the fact that the Chinese government has waged a nationwide persecution campaign against Falun Gong practitioners. This has resulted in arrests, with many being imprisoned for up to 20 years. They add that this includes torture and abuse. They also indicate that investigators have concluded that tens of thousands of Falun Gong prisoners of conscience have been put to death and that their organs were seized involuntarily for sale at high prices. The petitioners call on this Parliament to pass a resolution to establish measures to stop the Chinese Communist regime's crime of systemically murdering Falun Gong practitioners for their organs, amend Canadian legislation to combat forced organ harvesting and publicly call for an end to the persecution of Falun Gong in China.
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Mr. Martin Shields (Bow River, CPC)
  • May/8/23 3:35:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have a petition here signed by constituents and others. They are objecting to medical assistance in dying being used for mental illness. The petitioners believe this is a very drastic step and that medical assistance in dying should not be used for mental health.
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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)
  • May/8/23 3:35:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the following questions will be answered today: Nos. 1331, 1332, 1337 and 1341.
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  • May/8/23 3:36:13 p.m.
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Question No. 1331—
Questioner: Blaine Calkins
With regard to the Department of National Defense (DND): (a) what specific activities were conducted on the former DND site near Burnt Lands Road in Almonte, Ontario; (b) what chemicals were used on the site; (c) what tests were conducted on the site; and (d) what is DND's explanation for the high number of cases of (i) glioblastoma, (ii) other cancers, diagnosed in people who used to live in close proximity to the site?
Question No. 1332—
Questioner: Stephen Ellis
With regard to the Statistics Canada Biobank at the National Microbiology Laboratory: (a) how many Canadians' (i) blood, (ii) urine, (iii) DNA, samples are currently stored there; (b) of the samples in (a), how many have been there for (i) less than a year, (ii) one to three years, (iii) over three years; (c) what are the guidelines and methods used by the Biobank related to how the samples are (i) used, (ii) stored, (iii) disposed of, (iv) anonymized; and (d) what are the timelines for sample disposal?
Question No. 1337—
Questioner: Michelle Rempel
With regard to the Mission Cultural Fund (MCF) since November 4, 2015: (a) what are the details of all spending from this fund, broken down by month, including, for each initiative funded, the (i) name of recipient, (ii) amount, (iii) location, (iv) date, (v) purpose, (vi) description of related events; (b) what was the amount spent from the fund, broken down by month; (c) what is the current status of the fund; and (d) if the fund is no longer active, (i) what happened to the remaining money in the fund, (ii) has the government replaced or transitioned the fund with another similar type of program, and, if so, which one?
Question No. 1341—
Questioner: Jasraj Singh
With regard to the Expanded Canada-India Air Transport Agreement announced on November 15, 2022: (a) what was Canada's position regarding the inclusion of Amritsar as part of the list of cities that Canadian carriers would have access to; (b) did Canada advocate to include direct flights to and from the Punjab region as part of the agreement, and, if not, why not; and (c) why was Amritsar not included in the agreement?
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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)
  • May/8/23 3:36:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if the government's responses to Questions Nos. 1328 to 1330, 1333 to 1336, 1338 to 1340 and 1342 could be made orders for returns, these returns would be tabled immediately.
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