SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 202 - May/30/23

May/30/23 1:50:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Thomas Mulcair was the leader of the official opposition in the House when Stephen Harper was prime minister. The member can correct me if I am wrong, but I do not believe that Thomas Mulcair ever raised the issue, even though we know foreign interference was taking place then. The Conservative Party has seen the political optics for calling for a public inquiry and tying it to some sort of scandal. The Bloc has bought into it, but hopefully the NDP will not buy into it because, as the member knows, even when Thomas Mulcair, the leader of the NDP, sat in opposition, he never raised the issue of foreign interference, even though it was happening then. Today we have a government that has taken numerous actions to deal with foreign interference. It seems to me today that the opposition is more prepared to deal with the partisan politics of the issue as opposed to dealing with what is in the best interests of Canadians, including protecting our democratic institutions. If opposition members were concerned about that in the first place and felt a public inquiry was necessary, why would they not have argued it when it was happening years ago? Why did they not raise the issue years ago? I would suggest it is because there is a new, shiny leader of the Conservative Party who has determined that this could be a good political issue. Other opposition members are buying into it or do not want to be seen as being soft on the issue, when there are other ways this issue could be dealt with that would minimize foreign interference. That is what what I would recommend members to look at doing.

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Mr. Ken McDonald (Avalon, Lib.)

May/30/23 1:52:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am not usually one to correct the member for Winnipeg North, but he did say that members of the Conservative Party were mad that they lost the last election. I would like to correct him. They lost the last three elections, to be truthful. The member also mentioned that this was first highlighted when Stephen Harper was prime minister and led the government, and there was nothing really done. The Conservatives were informed of foreign interference and did nothing. Could the member highlight why he thinks it was the case that they did nothing and did the opposition at the time demand a public inquiry?

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux

May/30/23 1:52:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the correction. The member is correct that the Conservatives did lose three consecutive elections. However, it is a bit dangerous to ask me to put myself in the minds of Stephen Harper and the current leader of the Conservative Party as to why they chose not to call a public inquiry. Back then, I would not have supported it, and I have serious doubts about it today and do not support it. When dealing with international foreign interference, there is a better way of doing it. I believe that, if we are prepared to put party politics to the side and start dealing with issues that Canadians and constituents want us to debate in the House of Commons, everyone would be better off for it. It is not an issue of avoiding the topic. As I say, this topic has been around for 10 years. If we listen to experts, we will find that it will continue to be around, and that is one of the reasons why it is worth us taking a look at it, and why we have committees that are looking into it. It is to ensure that we can minimize foreign interference. In no way is it acceptable to any parliamentarian, no matter where they sit in the House.

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Mr. Randall Garrison (Esquimalt—Saanich—Sooke, NDP)

May/30/23 1:54:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to start by saying I will be splitting my time with the member for Burnaby South. Let me start by going back to what I think is important. What we have before us today is a motion that sets a way forward for dealing effectively with the real problem of foreign interference in our democracy. Let us go back to what that motion actually says because most of the debate has said nothing about that. The first thing it does is call on the right hon. David Johnston to step aside from his role as special rapporteur. Having issued his interim report, he says that he intends to keep working, but even in that report he says that the fact that he is there is an obstacle to a public inquiry. Very clearly, I think Parliament will end up calling on him to step aside to make way for the public inquiry New Democrats have been talking about now for weeks. We were the first ones to put forward a motion at PROC, and the first ones to put forward a motion in this House, calling for a full public inquiry. What is different about the motion this time is that we have specified in the motion that we should have all-party agreement on who should lead that public inquiry so that we maintain the public confidence that, for whatever reasons, the right hon. David Johnston has lost as the special rapporteur. Let us get all-party agreement working through PROC on the person, and let us get all parties working through PROC, the committee of Parliament, on the mandate to review foreign interference from all states, not just China. The last part is, of course, that this report come back before the next election. That is what it is. It is a clear plan for how we proceed from today, something that I expect we will be voting on tomorrow. We will see where that leads us. This is a difficult problem for Canada because we are an immigrant nation with large diaspora populations from many countries around the world, and inevitably those people keep close relationships, not just with their families but also with their culture and their countries of origin. Many maintain dual citizenship. Obviously, there will be those close relationships, and they are not inappropriate in and of themselves. People want to maintain their culture and their contacts, and many governments promote building those relationships. What becomes a problem is when that relationship building crosses a line into interference in our democracy. We have clear evidence that that interference has taken place, as I said, not just by China but also by India, Iran and many others. What we need here is a study that shows us both the scope of the problem and how we could effectively respond to it. I do not believe there is any way to get that without the public inquiry. There is a separate interference concern that I have always held, which is not subject to this motion and not subject to the special rapporteur, and that is the concern about interference of private interests from abroad in Canadian democracy. We had a very serious example of that having taken place with U.S. dollars supporting the convoy that was parked outside the House of Commons, which was calling for the overthrow of the Canadian government. There were more than 51,000 donors, documented, from the United States, giving several million dollars to that attempt to interfere with our democracy. That, unfortunately, is not covered. What we are talking about here is state interference in our democracy, which is a serious problem. Unfortunately, the report from David Johnston only muddied the waters. From the beginning, this respected Canadian was put in an impossible situation. His report leaves many questions unanswered, including who changed key briefing documents for the Prime Minister, and it leaves some unasked. How could we get a report without even talking to Elections Canada about what happened? The waters have been further muddied by the refusal of the Conservative and Bloc leaders to accept a briefing on foreign interference, as though this would somehow silence them, yet we have heard very eloquently today from the member for Durham, the member for Vancouver East and the member for Wellington—Halton Hills, all of whom have received confidential briefings, yet were able to speak very clearly on the important issue of foreign interference after those briefings. The last thing I want to say is that I have difficulty understanding the arguments of the Conservatives and the Bloc that the NDP needs to bring the government down over this issue. If we were to bring the government down over this issue, we would go to an election where we have done nothing about foreign interference, where we do not know how big it is or how to respond to it. This motion we have proposed today clearly specifies a public inquiry should report back before the next election, so we would have a chance to counter that foreign interference and not go directly into another election with the same problems that we have seen before. I hope to see all parties support this motion, but frankly, I do not expect to see the government support it. It has been stonewalling the public inquiry from the beginning. Where will we be after Parliament votes? I hope this will pass. I hope the special rapporteur will then step aside. The government should then realize there is no point in further stonewalling a public inquiry and will then work with the other parties to get that public inquiry going as soon as possible.

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Mr. Lloyd Longfield (Guelph, Lib.)

May/30/23 2:00:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today I am rising to recognize Steven Kraft, the CEO of the Guelph Public Library. Steven has been a leader in the library field for over 40 years, starting in the Guelph Public Library as the children's librarian in 1983. With a passion for our community and for engaging in and understanding the positive benefit of libraries and what they do for us, he has been a leader in Guelph, in our community and in the library community, driving the library toward new heights of excellence. Through his leadership, he has improved programming, collections and facilities. He has spearheaded the development of new initiatives to support literacy, STEM education and social justice, working collaboratively with many community partners. I thank Steven for his community service, his passion for public libraries and his role in equality, social and civic engagement and the promotion of literacy in Canada.

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Mr. Dan Muys (Flamborough—Glanbrook, CPC)

May/30/23 2:01:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is my mom's birthday this week. Hers is the story of so many Canadians. Her family saw Canada with little more than the clothes on their back because Canada was the land of hope and opportunity, where, if they worked hard, played by the rules and dreamed big, they could succeed. That was the deal. In turn, my parents gave me and my brothers a middle-class upbringing in small-town southern Ontario. Using common sense and dreaming big, that was all possible. However, the deal is now broken. I hear this frustration every single day from new Canadians and young people. After eight years of the Liberals, housing is out of reach and the cost of living is crushing. I hear the exasperation in people's voices and I see the tears in their eyes. That is why common-sense Conservatives and our leader are working so hard to turn hurt into hope. We will bring home bigger paycheques, scrap the punishing carbon taxes and bring down the cost of living, so we can dream big in Canada again. Let us bring it home.

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Ms. Jenna Sudds (Kanata—Carleton, Lib.)

May/30/23 2:02:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this spring, volunteers from across my riding are setting out to plant 10,000 trees at Pinhey’s Point, thanks to investments made by our government and the City of Ottawa. These trees will transform over four hectares of land into an amazing forest, providing residents with new trails and trees to explore and appreciate. As we know, these new trees will help combat climate change by removing carbon dioxide from our atmosphere. This investment was made possible by our pledge to plant two billion trees across our country, an ambitious goal that is both combatting climate change and improving the quality of life for people in my riding. I cannot wait to watch these trees grow to become a lush forest. I look forward to the many hikes I will have in the years to come.

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Mrs. Julie Vignola (Beauport—Limoilou, BQ)

May/30/23 2:03:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Centre Mgr Marcoux in Limoilou is celebrating its 60th anniversary. It is often said that with age comes wisdom. However, it did not take the Mgr Marcoux Centre 60 years to become wise and caring. The centre is a pillar of our community. It welcomes tens of thousands of people every year. They come to take French classes, play tennis, take swimming lessons, cook together and so on. They go there because it is a welcoming environment. It truly teaches people how to live together better; it is a centre where everyone can find solace and friendship without ever being judged and always being welcomed with open arms. I tip my hat to the Centre Mgr Marcoux for 60 wonderful years of heartfelt support and hard work. Congratulations to the teams who have worked there in the past and those who work there now. I wish the Centre Mgr Marcoux continued success.

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Mrs. Marie-France Lalonde (Orléans, Lib.)

May/30/23 2:04:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as June marks Seniors Month, I was delighted to start visiting seniors' residences in my community of Orléans last week. After a few years without being able to meet with our seniors, it was so nice to sit down, hear their stories and simply enjoy their company. I have to say it was a joy to see the smiles on their faces. The resilience and strength exhibited by the residents was truly inspiring. It was also an opportunity to join the Dumoulin family at Portobello Manor to mark Germaine Dumoulin's 100th birthday. I also want to thank all the staff for their warm welcome and dedication to seniors. I finished my week at Club 60 Orléans to celebrate the 50th and 60th wedding anniversaries of some of its members. Congratulations and thank you.

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Mr. Dan Mazier (Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, CPC)

May/30/23 2:05:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour for me to rise in this House of Commons and recognize a promising, young student from my constituency. Cadena Brazeau is one of only two Manitobans to receive the prestigious Loran scholarship award worth $100,000, which is the largest undergraduate scholarship in Canada. The 17-year-old student from Keeseekoowenin First Nation has been actively involved in improving her community for many years. She started her community's first youth centre so local children could socialize together and have a safe environment. Cadena plans to further her education and pursue a career by studying law at the University of Calgary. On behalf of all members in the House of Commons, I would like to sincerely congratulate Cadena on winning this remarkable award. I wish her all the best in her future endeavours.

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Mr. Shaun Chen (Scarborough North, Lib.)

May/30/23 2:06:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this year, the fourth largest shopping mall in Canada is celebrating its 50th anniversary. Since opening in 1973, the Scarborough Town Centre has served as an integral hub for the people of Scarborough. Home of the Scarborough Walk of Fame, the shopping centre offers over 250 stores with diverse products and services. It is truly a welcoming space for all Canadians and residents of Scarborough, including myself. As a high school student, I was a part of the Scarborough Youth Council, which met regularly at the Scarborough Youth Resource Centre located in the mall. To this day, Scarborough residents know very well that a visit to the Scarborough Town Centre will likely mean running into a neighbour, a colleague or a friend. I congratulate the mall management, businesses and organizations on an incredible 50 years, and I wish them many more years of growth and success.

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Hon. Judy A. Sgro (Humber River—Black Creek, Lib.)

May/30/23 2:07:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to show my support for the people of Iran and strongly condemn the new wave of executions there. There are troubling reports of over 100 executions in the month of May alone. Among those are three young Iranians: Saleh Mirhashemi, Majid Kazemi and Saeed Yaghoubi. They were detained in the protests and uprising against the regime in November 2022. The cries of the parents of these three young protesters, pleading to save their lives, are resonating in our collective conscience and demand us to do more. Canada and its allies in the international community can no longer stay silent. The uprising of the Iranian people in the past eight months and the deadly crackdown of protesters by the regime is yet another indication that we must unequivocally support the people of Iran. Canadians across the country continue to support the families that deserve true justice, and we pray for all those affected.

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Mrs. Stephanie Kusie (Calgary Midnapore, CPC)

May/30/23 2:08:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the people of Alberta have spoken and a new day has dawned. Congratulations to Premier Danielle Smith and the United Conservative Party for forming the majority government that Albertans not only want, but need. Many tried to stop them, including members of the media, certain pollsters, a former mayor and even two NDP members in this very House. Thankfully, Albertans rejected them. Albertans can now look forward to prosperity and stability. They know a strong economy builds hospitals and highways. They know a strong economy pays teachers and nurses. They know a strong economy provides good jobs, which allow people to feed their families. It will not stop there. Canadians are waking up to the cost of irresponsible NDP and Liberal governments. They are recognizing that the common sense of the common people will prevail, not only in Alberta but across the nation.

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Mr. Bryan May (Cambridge, Lib.)

May/30/23 2:09:33 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Minister of National Defence and the entire defence team are continuing to build a Canadian Armed Forces where every member feels protected, respected and empowered to serve. The world is taking notice. During my recent visit to Norway, I met with leaders to discuss the strengthening of Arctic nation relations. During our conversations, I learned that the Norwegian Armed Forces are looking to Canada as a model in getting comprehensive culture change across the line. In December, the minister accepted all 48 recommendations set out in the independent external comprehensive review. Since then, we have expanded the Sexual Misconduct Support and Resource Centre’s reach and services, nominated Madame Therrien as external monitor, launched the first phase of the independent legal assistance program and more. Our top priority is to create a meaningful culture change in the Canadian Armed Forces. Culture change is not just morally right, it is operationally necessary.

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Mrs. Anna Roberts (King—Vaughan, CPC)

May/30/23 2:10:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals claim they have lifted 1.3 million Canadians out of poverty, but this is not supported by the data. According to a national food rescue organization, 60% more Canadians per month are expected to use the food banks than last year. They are anticipating serving over eight million Canadians this year. Over 732,000 of those will be seniors. The ability of seniors to feed themselves has been impacted by the rising inflation rate brought on by the carbon tax, and now the Liberals are burdening us with a second carbon tax. However, the Minister of Seniors claims their priority is to support those most vulnerable, especially seniors. The seniors in my riding of King—Vaughan do not feel supported by this government; they feel betrayed. Seniors nurtured us. Seniors built this country. Seniors deserve better. Our Conservative leader will axe these taxes and restore dignity to our seniors.

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Ms. Lena Metlege Diab (Halifax West, Lib.)

May/30/23 2:12:11 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Upper Hammonds Plains and Upper Tantallon have been rocked by ongoing wildfires, which have impacted thousands of residents of Halifax West. I would like to thank all the first responders and firefighters who have been battling the blaze. My heart goes out to the families who have lost homes, and to those evacuated. I have spoken with so many who have been affected. I am grateful that there have been no reports of fatalities. Special thanks go to those who have come together to support evacuees, opening up their homes and their hearts. Evacuation centres, like the Canada Games Centre, have received donations of clothes, diapers, toys and food, so much so that they have asked people to slow down. I thank the Red Cross and the many community groups, legions, churches, restaurants, hotels, pet boarding spaces, Facebook groups and all those who have stepped up. I want to let residents know that the federal government is ready to support the ongoing response. Our community is strong and resilient, and my heart is with everyone there.

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

May/30/23 2:13:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this week is National AccessAbility Week, with the theme “From Possibilities to Practice”. What a great week this is to ratify the Canada disability benefit act and move it from possibility to practice. The NDP sees the importance of giving royal assent to this bill right away. For almost one million people with a disability living in poverty, there is no time to waste. The government must act immediately so this benefit can move forward and get out to the people who need it. Canadians living with a disability must not be made to wait any longer to finally receive the dignity and the financial supports that uphold their human rights.

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Mr. Rhéal Éloi Fortin (Rivière-du-Nord, BQ)

May/30/23 2:14:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this year, Saint‑Jérôme is celebrating its fire department's 150th anniversary. In 1873, Saint‑Jérôme relied on volunteer firefighters. At that time, there was no water infrastructure so horse-drawn fire pumps were used. In 1885, Saint‑Jérôme built its first fire station, which is still standing in downtown Saint‑Jérôme and was in service until 1989. When the fire brigade was first formed, it was led by by Mayor Godefroy Laviolette and his municipal clerk, Louis Labelle, who were replaced the following year by Captain Stanislas Deschambault and his lieutenant Charles Morandville. In 150 years, it grew from 15 men to over 60 men and women firefighters, who are today led by the fire department's director, Patrice Brunelle. Our firefighters needed to be dedicated and courageous to work for just $1 a fire, which is what they earned in 1873. I would also be remiss if I failed to mention the great loss our community suffered on March 27, 1984, with the death of firefighter Jean‑Charles Alarie. I thank the firefighters of yesterday and today, and wish them a happy 150th anniversary.

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Mr. Brad Redekopp (Saskatoon West, CPC)

May/30/23 2:15:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the leader of the NDP talks a big game when it comes to the Liberal government. He loves to criticize the Liberals on Twitter, but in the House, he supports the Liberals every time. The motion today is a good example. Conservatives have been calling for an independent public inquiry for months. All the while, the NDP has supported the Liberal’s fake rapporteur. Now, all of a sudden, NDP members are making it look like they support our idea of a public inquiry. However, we know that, when push comes to shove, they will protect their Liberal coalition partners and allow them to continue with their cover-up. How do I know? The House already passed a motion, months ago, asking for a public inquiry, which was supported by the NDP. However, the Liberals have ignored this request, and the NDP has done nothing. If NDP members really want to prove that they support a public inquiry, they must tell their Liberal bosses that they will pull out of their coalition agreement if they do not call one. I challenge the NDP to do the right thing for Canadians and stand up to its Liberal masters.

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Mr. Michael Barrett (Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, CPC)

May/30/23 2:16:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, over the last several months, Canadians have seen reports of foreign interference in our democracy by the Communist dictatorship in Beijing. What was the Prime Minister's response? He appointed a member of the Trudeau Foundation to investigate, the same Trudeau Foundation that has been the target of a foreign influence operation that saw it accept $140,000 from the Communist dictatorship in Beijing. The House called on the government to hold a public inquiry, but instead, the Prime Minister's ski buddy and Trudeau Foundation board member covered up for him. When that came to light, people could count on the official opposition. Could they count on the New Democrats? When the chips were down at committee, they delayed this for the government's benefit and continued to cover up the Prime Minister's inaction, to the detriment of our democracy. Canadians deserve a public inquiry now.

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