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Nov/3/23 1:14:42 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I would inquire of the Chair if it is incumbent upon all members when they are giving speeches in this House to be truthful. Is that still the case?

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Nov/3/23 1:14:51 p.m.
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A point of debate is what that hon. member is doing, and again I would appreciate if members did not run into the chamber and yell. The hon. member for Etobicoke Centre.

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Etobicoke

Mr. Yvan Baker

Nov/3/23 1:15:00 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is interesting to hear Conservatives talking about telling the truth when they do exactly the opposite every day in this House, especially in question period and especially their leader. Last, I will say that—

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Mr. Michael Barrett

Nov/3/23 1:15:16 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. We have been told many times by Chair occupants that we cannot do indirectly what we cannot do directly. The member there just accused members of the official opposition of lying. That is unacceptable in this place. The member should withdraw and apologize for his comments. They are unacceptable.

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Nov/3/23 1:15:52 p.m.
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I am just going to double-check on something. I did not see that the hon. member was talking about a specific member. I do want to remind members to be very careful with the words they use and how they direct those words. This happens on both sides of the House. I am going to review the Hansard and see how that wording was actually used, because I am not quite sure. I will come back to the House if need be. The hon. member for Etobicoke Centre.

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Mr. Yvan Baker

Nov/3/23 1:16:22 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, once again it is the height of hypocrisy for the member to get up, suggest that I am lying and then to raise a point of order to suggest that I should not be challenging him and his leader for not telling the truth. However, I will finalize my remarks on this issue we are debating in the House by saying that the Conservative Party of Canada clearly does not support the people of Ukraine. Their leader is silent on support for Ukraine. He has not called out Russia's acts of genocide against Ukraine since he has become leader and he never advocates for additional assistance for Ukraine. Now, his party members are introducing motions for us to debate, which have already been debated in committee, to delay the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement. It is time for Conservatives to stand up and start supporting the people of Ukraine. I am going to continue doing that. This government is going to continue doing that until they win.

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Nov/3/23 1:17:18 p.m.
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I just want to remind members, because when I allowed the hon. member to restart again he specifically mentioned another member not telling the truth, that type of wording actually causes disorder in the House. I would just ask members to please be very careful on how they use their words. They should not be directing specific adjectives to individual members. I would just ask members to please be respectful within their debates here in the House.

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Hon. Seamus O'Regan

Nov/3/23 1:18:09 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. I am tabling the government's responses to Questions Nos. 1710, 1712, 1715 to 1719, 1724, 1725, 1711, 1713, 1714 and 1720 to 1723.

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Hon. Seamus O'Regan (Minister of Labour and Seniors, Lib.)

Nov/3/23 1:18:53 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-34

Madam Speaker, an agreement could not be reached under the provisions of Standing Orders 78(1) or 78(2) with respect to the report stage and third reading stage of Bill C-34, an act to amend the Investment Canada Act. Under the provisions of Standing Order 78(3), I give notice that a minister of the Crown will propose at the next sitting a motion to allot a specific number of days or hours for the consideration and disposal of proceedings at the respective stages of the said bill.

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Mr. Martin Champoux (Drummond, BQ)

Nov/3/23 1:18:59 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to come back to the discussion that the Chair had on previous points of order and the things we can or cannot say in the House, such as implying that a colleague is not telling the truth or that a party lacks courage. I would sincerely appreciate some clarification. When it is proven that colleagues are saying things that are not true and that are known to be false, am I to understand that, as members of Parliament, who are meant to hold the government to account for its actions and to denounce comments made by another opposition party, we have no way of doing so in the House, since we are not allowed to say that what a colleague is saying is false? I would sincerely like some clarification on this, because I get the impression that, for some time now, we have been somewhat limited in our scope of action and our flexibility, particularly in our choice of words.

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

Nov/3/23 1:20:02 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, on the same point of order, my understanding is that it is entirely appropriate to say that what someone is saying is false. What is not permitted is to call somebody a liar in the House. Madam Speaker, if you are not prepared to rule on this right now, perhaps you should reflect on that and come back at a later time. The comments the member from the Bloc brought up are extremely germane to this, and I would hate to see us rush into making a ruling right now without proper reflection because it is very important.

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Nov/3/23 1:20:35 p.m.
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Your points are all well taken. We will have more discussions, do a little more research and come back to the House on this. I would hope that members, when giving their speeches and participating in debate, are making sure that the information they are using is correct. It does not bode well for either side when that is not the case. I would also ask members to please be very judicial.

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Mr. Kyle Seeback (Dufferin—Caledon, CPC)

Nov/3/23 1:21:24 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I find it ironic that the member talks about unity, and then goes on to give a speech basically attacking Conservatives and attacking the Conservative Leader. First of all, the member should take a look at something published on February 20, 2022, by the Conservative leader, where he condemns the invasion and calls for more support. To say that the Conservative leader has not done that is absolutely the definition of misinformation. There is so much misinformation in what the member said. First, there is an existing free trade agreement right now, one that the Conservatives negotiated. To talk about the issue before us, this piece of legislation is at pre-study at committee on Tuesday. The pre-study will turn into the study so that the bill can be voted on and brought back to the House. To suggest that this is somehow delaying that shows the member's absolute incompetence as a member to understand what is happening in the House. He should stop using those lines. In fact, he should apologize, and apologize to the Conservative leader.

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Mr. Yvan Baker (Etobicoke Centre, Lib.)

Nov/3/23 1:22:37 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, unity is what I am asking for. Unity around support for Ukraine is what I am asking for, and we are not getting it from the Conservative Party of Canada. We are certainly not getting it from the Leader of the Conservative Party. What I said about the Leader of the Conservative Party's record on Ukraine is absolutely true. Did the member just get up to say that the last time the Leader of the Conservative Party said anything about Ukraine that includes any degree of support was October 2022? Has he not realized that there is a genocide happening in Ukraine every day, that people are dying every day, and that Canada's security, including our Arctic security, is under threat every day? Maybe the Leader of the Opposition should wake up to that and start speaking out. He has never advocated for more support for Ukraine since becoming leader. He has never called out the act of genocide. It is about time he did.

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Ms. Lori Idlout (Nunavut, NDP)

Nov/3/23 1:23:33 p.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, I am thoroughly disgusted by this debate. I know that Nunavummiut are as well. Inuit from northern Quebec were forcefully lied to. They were made to go from northern Quebec all the way up to the high Arctic in Grise Fiord and Resolute. They are called the high Arctic exiles. This was done in the name of Arctic sovereignty and Arctic security. This report is very important to us. For the debate to focus on other matters outside of this is very disconcerting. What the Arctic is experiencing right now, in addition to threats from Russia and outsiders, is climate change. I would like to ask the member if he agrees with a statement by chief of the defence staff, General Wayne Eyre, who has said “making that infrastructure durable and sustainable into the future with the changing circumstances related to climate change” is important. Does the member agree that we also need to ensure that the Arctic is able to deal with the existential threat they are experiencing because of climate change?

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Mr. Yvan Baker

Nov/3/23 1:25:06 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, absolutely, I think we do. That is why so many of us in the House, and so many of us on the government side as well, have worked with some colleagues in the NDP and the Bloc to make sure we advance policies that continue the fight against climate change, which is so important to the folks in the Arctic, and around the world, frankly. I would like to clarify for the member's understanding that Arctic security is incredibly important and the people of the Arctic are, of course, incredibly important. I have worked on this as a member of the defence committee. My sole concern about this is that the Conservatives are bringing this forward in a way that is designed to undermine measures we are taking to protect Arctic security, undermining our ability to support the war that is happening right now, which ultimately threatens all of our security.

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Ms. Christine Normandin (Saint-Jean, BQ)

Nov/3/23 1:26:03 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-57

Madam Speaker, before I begin my remarks on the report of the Standing Committee on National Defence concerning the Arctic, I would like to briefly touch on the other debate that was supposed to take place today, on Bill C-57, which implements a free trade agreement between Canada and Ukraine. In the questions I asked earlier today, particularly to the hon. member for Calgary Nose Hill, I mentioned that, unfortunately, even if we do take time to debate bills meant to implement international trade agreements, the role of MPs is, after all, quite limited. We can basically only agree or disagree with the content of the treaties, since they are negotiated and drafted by the executive branch. The role of MPs—who represent the people and are supposed to play the most democratic role of all—is rather limited. It is so limited that, as I mentioned earlier, when an interim agreement between Canada and the United Kingdom was being negotiated after Brexit, the members of the Standing Committee on International Trade did not even have the text of the treaty in front of them when they were supposed to be debating it. This shows just how limited the role of Canadian members of Parliament is in drafting, negotiating and improving international treaties. Even though we have clearly not had much time to debate Bill C‑57, from what I understand we will have even less given the announcement that was just made about a time allocation. I still have questions about what MPs are even able to do with the time they are allocated for debates on international agreements. That said, I want to make a few comments on the Arctic committee's report. First, I would say that the content of this report, no matter what other debate might be overshadowed by the Arctic debate, is extremely important and is bound to change over time. Since this report was first debated, there have been articles in the media that have made me rather pessimistic about the importance the government places on monitoring in the north. During questions and comments today, there was a lot of talk about climate change in the north. We know that traffic in the north has increased by approximately 44% between 2013 and 2019. That is the result of melting glaciers and the fact that the Northwest Passage is opening up even more. In the meantime, the government is decreasing its investments in environmental monitoring and follow up. This summer, we found out that some weather stations are closing. Since 2017, some of these stations have no longer even been able to send information on what is happening weather-wise in the north. That is problematic in terms of ship navigation and knowledge of the area. It even affects the statistics collected by Environment Canada since the data that is collected in the north is no longer being taken into account. In the meantime, we see that Russia is investing heavily in weather stations. In the past year, Russia installed 42 new weather stations to learn more about the land because it is interested in that land. There is a major gap between these two Arctic nations, Canada and Russia, when it comes to their interest in what is going on with the climate. This is going to be a critical issue in the next few years. Madam Speaker, I see that you are about to cut me off.

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Nov/3/23 1:30:05 p.m.
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It is my duty to interrupt the proceedings on the motion. Accordingly, the debate on the motion will be rescheduled for another sitting.

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Mr. Peter Fonseca (Mississauga East—Cooksville, Lib.)

Nov/3/23 1:31:31 p.m.
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moved: That: (a) the House recognize the significant contributions Polish Canadians have made to Canadian society, economy, politics and culture, and the importance of educating Canadians of all ages about the core values that Polish Canadians have imparted to the strength and diversity of Canada; and (b) in the opinion of the House, the government should reflect upon Polish heritage for future generations and designate May 3 of every year as Polish Constitution Day, and the month of May, every year, as Polish Heritage Month. He said: Madam Speaker, I want to thank my colleague, the member for Etobicoke Centre, for seconding this motion. I know that he has a large Polish Canadian community in his riding. Witam. Dziękuję. I stand before everyone today with a heart full of pride and gratitude, as we embark on a significant journey together. Today, I propose a celebration of heritage, a recognition of history and a dedication to unity. I stand and ask for everyone's support to declare May to be Polish heritage month and to designate May 3 as Polish constitution day in our great nation of Canada. Motion No. 75 transcends mere acknowledgement of the historical bonds connecting Canada and Poland. It also serves as a heartfelt tribute to the flourishing Polish Canadian community, which is celebrated for its substantial contributions to our nation. The historical roots of Polish immigration to Canada reach back to as early as 1752, when the first documented Polish immigrant set foot on Canadian soil. Today, the Polish Canadian community numbers over a million strong. Polish migration to Canada has a long history, with the earliest waves of immigrants arriving in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many Polish immigrants sought better economic opportunities and escaped political unrest in their homeland. The subsequent waves of migrations occurred after World War II and under the Communist regime in Poland. These historical events shaped the size and composition of the Polish Canadian community. The Canadian Polish community is widespread across Canada, with significant concentrations in cities such as my hometown of Mississauga, Toronto, Ottawa, Winnipeg, Windsor, Calgary and Edmonton, just to name a few. According to the most recent census data, in 2021, there were approximately 1.1 million people of Polish descent in Canada, making up close to 3% of the total population. These statistics provide some insights into the distribution and growth of the Polish community within the country. Their valour, unwavering determination and tireless efforts spanning 271 years stand as a testament to their unwavering commitment to enriching our nation with the essence of Polish culture, a robust work ethic, deep faith and unparalleled resilience. The profound impact of our Polish Canadian community on Canada's social, cultural, political and economic landscape cannot be overstated. Their dedication and perseverance have left an indelible mark on our nation. From the arts and music to entrepreneurship and academia, the Polish Canadian community has made boundless contributions to our society. The proposition to designate May 3 as Polish constitution day and dedicate the entire month of May to Polish heritage goes beyond symbolism. Like Canadians, Polish people have ardently pursued freedom and democracy, bringing Europe its first modern constitution on May 3, 1791; it is the second oldest, after the U.S. Constitution. On the walls here in this Parliament building, one will see all the names of the MPs. To find the first member of Parliament of Polish descent, one must go all the way back to the first Parliament of Canada, in 1867. Alexandre-Édouard Kierzkowski, MP 1867, was born in Poland, immigrated to Canada and represented the St. Hyacinthe, Quebec, riding in Canada's first Parliament. Today, in our 44th Parliament, we have a number of MPs of Polish descent. This includes my colleague, the member for Windsor—Tecumseh, who is the chair of the Canada-Poland Parliamentary Friendship Group. This motion is a tangible and deeply sincere expression of our gratitude for the remarkable achievements and contributions of the Polish Canadian community. This proposal represents our heartfelt homage to their history, a celebration of their present and an inspiration for their future. I have had many opportunities to speak with countless numbers of my Canadian Polish constituents about their immigrant story, including friend and Olympic coach Bogdan Poprawski and my friend Ziggy Pigiel. My good friend and neighbour, John Solarski, has enriched my life, I can tell everyone, with his stories of Polish businesses, such as his dad's pharmacy in Roncesvalles, or sports, such as the Polonia baseball team he coaches. From his words, I can feel the great pride he has as a Canadian of Polish heritage. All Poles feel joy when their Canadian-born children learn new Polish words, like babcia, which means grandmother, or Dziadek, which means grandfather; or when their kids ask about what their grandparents' and parents' early lives were like; or when children research for themselves their Polish history. They are truly celebrating their past. It is my hope that Motion No. 75 will provide another opportunity for the community and families to recount their lives on the farm and in the village, their ancestors, the food, the traditions, the language, their journey to Canada and much more. Despite being half a world away from their original homeland, in some ways those in the Polish community are more connected to it than when they left. Today, their new-found heritage grows through their children and grandchildren as Polish Canadians. Keeping Polish culture and heritage alive does not only happen at home. It also happens in the broader community through cultural centres, churches and schools. It happens through organizations like the Canadian Polish Congress, the Polish Teachers Association, Polish scouts, the Canadian Polish Business Association and veterans associations. We have great festivals, like the Mississauga Polish Day festival, whose founders and leaders are Anna Gulbinski and Anna Mazurkiewicz, and the Chopin Society festival. I want to thank Henry and Anna Lopinsky for sharing their love of music. There is Mississauga's Carassauga festival, with its Polish-Canadian director Marek Ruta. That is just to name a few. Allow me to highlight Canada's strong ties with Poland and its representatives here. I want to thank Polish Ambassador Witold Dzielski and the embassy for their support of the Polonia community in Canada and for this motion. Ambassador Dzielski is no stranger to Parliament or to Mississauga, a city that is home to one of the largest Polish populations in all of Canada and has a mayor of Polish descent, Mayor Bonnie Crombie. The community organizes various events and initiatives to celebrate Polish heritage and to promote cross-cultural understanding. I am so proud to represent Mississauga East—Cooksville, as it has the largest Polish community in all of Canada. Also located in Mississauga East—Cooksville is the John Paul II Polish Cultural Center and The Maximilian Kolbe Foundation. The Maximilian Kolbe Foundation was founded in 1982 and is the heart of the Polish community in Mississauga and the GTA. It established a cultural community centre for the Poles in Mississauga. After years of hard work and collecting funds, the centre was opened in the fall of 1994. Both the foundation and the centre are closely connected with the largest Polish church, the St. Maximilian Kolbe parish, in Canada, and we thank Father Bogdan Osiecki for his service. Adjacent to the church is where the John Paul II Polish Cultural Center building is situated. The centre consists of a concert hall, stage, library, bowling room and club. Almost every day it hosts various cultural events, as well as classes for education and integration for adults, children, youth and seniors. It serves as a central gathering place for the Polish community in Mississauga, offering various programs and events that celebrate Polish culture, including language classes, art exhibitions, music performances and dance groups like the Radosc-Joy vocal dance group and the Lechowia Polish Canadian Folk Dance Company. The Canadian Polish Congress is an organization that acts as a voice for the Polish-Canadian community, advocating for its rights and interests. It has shown great leadership in advocating for and championing this motion, and I thank the congress. I want to give a big thanks and shout-out to its national president, John Tomczak; the first vice-president, Dominik Roszak; board member and friend, the district president, Leszek Blaszczak from Mississauga; and the entire board of directors. I thank the congress. I also thank former Toronto councillor Chris Korwin-Kuczynski for his support. The Congress represents the Polish community's interests in the Government of Canada by providing a strong national voice in the decision-making around our government's policies and by promoting the rights of Polish Canadians to full and equal participation in all aspects of Canadian society. The motion before us is in large part due to their advocacy. The Canadian Polish Congress promotes awareness of and respect for Poland's history and heritage and the contribution of Poles to the culture of Canada and the world. We thank them. The Congress is a unifying force, coordinating and supporting Polish-Canadian organizations, so those community organizations provide a wide range of programs, events and services to support the local Polish population. I want to commend the Congress for its focus on youth in particular and for hosting many youth leadership opportunities, such as the Polonia leadership summit we just had here two weeks ago on Parliament Hill. Also, I thank the Polish Teachers Association in Canada for its mission to teach the Polish language in as many Canadian schools as possible, with teachers such as Irena Urbaniak and many others. Polish schools in Mississauga play a crucial role in preserving Polish language skills, culture and heritage among Polish-Canadian children. These schools provide language instruction, history lessons and cultural activities to ensure the transmission of Polish traditions to the younger generation. Many of our Polonia youth are involved in Polish scouting in Canada. In my riding of Mississauga, it is one of the great ways in which hundreds of junior and senior scouts learn Polish culture, Polish language and Polish scouting traditions while exploring Canada's great outdoors through all seasons, including the winter. Polish Canadians have always rolled up their sleeves with a vigorous entrepreneurial spirit. I thank the Canadian Polish Business Association and its president and CEO, Mr. Eric Szustak, for their tireless work to enhance the business climate in the Polish-Canadian community and expand international trade. The ties between Poland and Canada have only grown stronger, and local small and medium businesses run in the Polish community continue to thrive, adding jobs and growth to our country. Canada and Poland exemplify solidarity. We have continued, are continuing and will continue to stand together. On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to also extend a heartfelt thanks to our Polish Canadians for Poland's unwavering support to Ukraine during these difficult times. The Polish community has integrated into the Canadian cultural landscape by preserving Polish traditions, organizing cultural events, contributing to various sectors and fostering cross-cultural understanding. Polish festivals, food, music and arts have become part of the multicultural fabric of Canadian society, enriching the cultural diversity of the country. I wholeheartedly implore members to support this endeavour. I call upon each member to join hands in making this motion a reality to pay homage to the remarkable legacy of the Polish-Canadian community and to reaffirm the enduring partnership between Canada and Poland. Let us, as a united House, recognize its invaluable contributions and celebrate its enduring spirit. Niech żyje Polska. Niech żyje Kanada.

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Mr. Gabriel Ste-Marie (Joliette, BQ)

Nov/3/23 1:46:00 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my hon. colleague and commend him for his initiative. We know that Polish culture is extremely important in our society. The same holds true in Quebec. Quebec is endowed with a strong Polish cultural component. In fact, my favourite performer, Lydia Képinski, is of Polish origin. If members ever want to dance, I encourage them to go see one of her shows. They will not be disappointed. On May 3, Poland celebrates Constitution Day to commemorate the promulgation of its Constitution in 1791. On the same day, the Constitution marathon takes place in Warsaw. I know that my colleague, the chair of the Standing Committee on Finance, is a superb long-distance runner. If this important motion passes, would he be interested in organizing a marathon to celebrate Polish culture?

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