44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 12, 2024 11:00AM
- Feb/12/24 1:46:39 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the member asks a question about why the legislation is there. I want to amplify the fact that many regions of the country, I believe it is seven provinces and others, are looking to get themselves into a better position to provide the level of expertise and other issues related to it, to have it in place. Stakeholders and provinces are asking for the delay. That is the reason for it.
The question I have for the member is specific. What does he think about the Conservatives intentionally misleading Canadians, giving a false impression that if people are going to commit suicide, they can apply and the government will assist them in committing suicide? It is ridiculous, yet the Conservatives seem to think they can get away with saying those outrageous things.
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- Feb/12/24 1:47:38 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, that is precisely why I am saying that the government lacks courage. Faced with the political rhetoric machine, the government thinks it is better to backtrack, knowing full well that, by postponing this until 2027, it is quite possible that the same government will not be deciding what to do about mental disorders. What it could do is extend it for a year, and if we are still not ready in a year, nothing would stop us from taking another year. Putting this off until 2027 right now essentially leaves the ball in the Conservative demagogues' court.
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- Feb/12/24 1:48:19 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, my hon. colleague is well aware of all our work on the special joint committee. We sat together on that committee from the beginning.
In our recommendation of our most recent report, we put in that recommendation “qualitative benchmarks”, not any kind of a reference to a time frame but more based on whether we had appropriate recommendations from departments and on consultation with provincial and territorial governments, and also the indigenous peoples of Canada.
Similarly, in the letter that was received by the federal government from seven out of 10 provinces and all three territories, there were more qualitative benchmarks, in that the ministers were asking for an indefinite pause based on further collaboration and consultation.
I know Bloc members have asked for a one-year delay, but how do they reconcile that with the fact that so many are calling for these qualitative benchmarks to be established rather than an arbitrary timeline?
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- Feb/12/24 1:49:25 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have already answered my colleague's question.
What I told him and I will say it again is that the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying sat for too little time. I would have liked to be able to question the people who wrote that letter to get them to support my position, which is that decisions cannot be forever.
He is telling me that the NDP, which is a progressive party, believes that mental disorders are totally related to our ability to meet demand, when no matter how good the treatment a person receives is, they may still experience a mental disorder that will be irremediable.
Instead of putting it off indefinitely, why not work on it over the next year? That is the Bloc Québécois's position. It is a matter of hearing from those people to see what their arguments are based on, knowing that this cannot be postponed indefinitely.
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- Feb/12/24 1:50:36 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, medical assistance in dying is a very thorny issue. Each of us in the House has our own opinion on it.
Yesterday, in the Les coulisses du pouvoir interview on Radio-Canada, he said that the nasty Conservatives on the religious right were against advance requests and were keeping the House from moving forward.
I checked this morning with our House leader; that is not true at all. We have never objected to anything in that respect.
Can the member apologize for his misleading statements to Radio-Canada?
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- Feb/12/24 1:51:34 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, since 2015, every time we have addressed medical assistance in dying in the House, it has been blocked by the Conservatives.
I understand that my colleague is not happy about it. He tells me that everyone has a right to their own opinion. The Conservatives' opinion is very much based on the views of religious right-wing voters.
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- Feb/12/24 1:52:12 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, my colleague has previously worked on this file; he has also served in the National Assembly, but if I am not mistaken, it was not at the time of the debate on medical assistance in dying. He will correct me if I am wrong.
Could he explain any significant differences that may exist in terms of the sensitivity with which the two parliaments, the two states, have dealt with this issue?
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- Feb/12/24 1:52:44 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to talk about how the work is organized.
In Quebec City, parliamentary committees are rigorously organized. Witnesses are not invited for just five minutes of speeches with three or four other panellists at a meeting where sometimes there are not even any questions because the witnesses are of no interest to the party in question. Expert witnesses appear at these hearings, and each witness gets 50 minutes. It is altogether different.
Here in Ottawa, the methodology is inadequate and we are not doing a good job. This needs to be fixed.
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- Feb/12/24 1:53:35 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I know this is a very important discussion on MAID being available to people with mental illness.
If people are in a certain mental state, obviously they are not considered to be of sound mind when they try to make that decision. Who would make that decision in their place? Who decides who avails of MAID and who does not? I have a problem with this part of it, having somebody else make that decision. It almost like someone is trying to cleanse society.
Would he agree that people should be of sound mind to make the decision themselves when it comes to MAID?
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- Feb/12/24 1:54:13 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I am not so sure about the wording of that question.
It is up to the patient to make the request, but it is not the patient who ultimately decides. The decision is made by the assessors, the treatment team as well as a psychiatrist who is independent of the treatment team and independent of the person who will carry out the procedure. There will also be prospective oversight, not retrospective oversight.
There are enough guidelines for us to make an informed decision in this matter.
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- Feb/12/24 1:54:56 p.m.
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Before I go to the hon. member, I want to remind members, as they are starting to come in for question period, that if they want to have conversations to please take them out to the lobby.
Resuming debate, the hon. member for Cowichan—Malahat—Langford.
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Madam Speaker, I would like to inform the you that I will be splitting my time.
Today, we are not debating Bill C-62; we are actually debating Motion No. 34, which is a programming motion to get the bill through the House of Commons. We are having to resort to a tactic that I do not often like to use, but time is forcing us to do this.
If the House of Commons, the Senate and Governor General do not act and we do not have this bill into royal assent by March 17, the law is going to change. Essentially, many experts have expressed an extreme amount of discomfort with that. There is a lot of professional discomfort. We have seen also from our provinces and territories that they are very uncomfortable with the pace of change that is going on.
What Bill C-62 would do is delay the implementation of MAID for persons who are suffering from a mental disorder as a sole underlying condition. The bill would further kick that can down the road until 2027. It also has a legislative requirement that the Special Joint Committee on Medical Assistance in Dying be reconvened in advance of that date. Hopefully, that committee would have the time necessary.
As parliamentarians, we have to step up to the moment. I am particularly saying this for my hon. colleagues in the House of Commons. There is plenty of blame to be assigned to the Liberals, and, trust me, I have given my fair share. We are in this situation because of an ill-advised 11th hour amendment to Bill C-7 in the previous Parliament, a bill that the government's original charter statement had presented as a reasonable argument against the expansion of MAID to people who had mental disorders. Then that bill went to the Senate and it inexplicably accepted a consequential amendment that brought us to where we are today.
Last year, we had to quickly pass Bill C-39, because, again, we were not ready for the deadline then. That kicked the can further down the road by one year. Now we find ourselves in the exact same position. I am suffering déjà vu, like a lot of my hon. colleagues are, where we now have to force this legislation to kick the can down the road another three years. I feel like I am caught between two forces right now: the ineptitude of the governing Liberals for putting us in this position and a Conservative Party that seems to just want to cause chaos in this final week.
This is a moment when the adults in the room need to step up to the plate. There is plenty of blame to be assigned, but we cannot work around the deadline and the fact that we have only two sitting weeks left to us. We are still at the second reading stage of this bill, and that is why this programming motion is necessary. That is why we need to step up to the plate and ensure that Bill C-62 is through the House of Commons by the end of this week. It still has to run the gauntlet in the Senate, and who knows what is going to happen in the red chamber. That is something for the government members to figure out.
One thing that is really good about this motion is that there is a requirement that the Standing Committee on Health be convened on Wednesday. That will allow members of that committee to question either the Minister of Health or the Minister of Justice and also have two hours to speak to witnesses. Honestly, we need to come together as a Parliament and ensure that we get this through.
It is further bolstered by the fact that seven out of 10 provinces and all three territories sent a letter to the federal government asking for an indefinite delay. These are signatures of ministers of health and ministers responsible for mental health and addiction, which are essentially the departments that are responsible for oversight of the whole medical assistance in dying regime. We have to listen to those incredibly important voices. We have to listen to their expertise. We have to honour what they are requesting in this letter.
I ask my hon. colleagues to step up to the plate and be the adults in the room. Let us get Bill C-62 passed through the House of Commons this week.
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- Feb/12/24 2:00:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as we celebrate the spring festival, I wish all Chinese Canadians a very happy, healthy and prosperous year of the dragon. As one of the luckiest animals in the Chinese zodiac, the dragon offers hope for good luck and health over the next 12 months.
I take this opportunity to recognize the important contributions that Chinese Canadians have made, and continue to make, for the socio-economic development of Canada. Arriving about 160 years back, Chinese Canadians worked hard in the mines and built railroads. Today, with their knowledge and expertise, Chinese Canadians immensely contribute to our technology sector to keep Canada at the forefront of the knowledge-based economy.
I also recognize that Chinese heritage has enhanced the rich multicultural fabric of our wonderful country.
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- Feb/12/24 2:01:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this past weekend, I shared a heartbreaking Facebook post. I reached out to Dave and Susan Girard and asked them if I could share it here in the House of Commons, and they replied, “Yes, please.”
Here is some of the post, as I do not have time to read it all. It states, “After a long battle with addiction, our 28-year-old son, Ryan David Girard, died of a drug overdose on February 8, 2024. Beloved son of David and Susan. Dear brother of Mitchell. Cherished grandson of Ted and Betty Maker, and David (deceased) and Delores Girard.
“Our family would like to speak the truth about his death. Silence would mean Ryan's death was in vain, but if one person’s life is saved by his story, I would tell it over and over. Fentanyl and opioids are terribly addictive substances, and unfortunately, addiction is a disease that has no cure. Ryan loved animals, water sports, hockey and soccer and when he was young, he was above average academically and athletically, but drugs stole his soul.”
We must fight against these drugs that are killing 22 Canadians a day. It is our job to do better.
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- Feb/12/24 2:02:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, February is Black History Month, and I would like to thank all members of Black communities who are making a difference every day in my home of Scarborough Centre.
Over the past several years, I have had the opportunity to visit and work with the CEE Centre for Young Black Professionals. It is doing such important and impactful work focused on youth workforce development, education and advocacy. Another group making a difference is Ògo Tàwa, which helps gifted, under-represented, underserved and underemployed artists of African descent make a living from their art. I would also like to recognize the Heritage Skills Development Centre and its executive director, Charity Lebeanya, who do a lot of important work to recognize and celebrate the many cultures and communities that call Scarborough home.
Let us celebrate Black excellence this month and every day of the year.
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- Feb/12/24 2:03:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a veritable institution of Saint-Jérôme has passed away. Robert “Bob” Vermette left his mark on generations of athletes back home.
He was a scorekeeper, a timekeeper and unconditional fan of all those who played and learned with him. He did not have any favourites. To him, they were all champions. For more than half a century, whether in hockey or baseball, Bob Vermette was a model of dedication who always went above and beyond. His involvement spanned generations and it was not unusual to see him keep score for players whose parents and grandparents he had previously done the same for.
He received many honours, including the Henri‑Decarnelle award from the Fonds de l'athlète des Laurentides for his remarkable involvement within various sports associations.
Bob was loved by everyone, including his good friend Marc Bourcier, the mayor of Saint‑Jérôme. He will be greatly missed.
We will never forget Mr. Vermette.
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- Feb/12/24 2:04:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today, as I rise in this chamber, I am filled with profound gratitude and joy as I pay tribute to my beloved spouse, Gerry, on his 70th birthday, seventy years of life, love and resilience.
Behind every committed elected official stands a pillar of unwavering support and, for me, that pillar has been Gerry. Through the highs and lows of public life, his steadfast love and encouragement have been my guiding light. As we celebrate this milestone, I am reminded of the sacrifices our families make, the late nights endured and the moments missed. On this special day, I extend my deepest gratitude for his unwavering support, love and sacrifice. May this milestone birthday be a celebration of a life well lived, filled with joy, love and countless cherished memories.
I wish a happy 70th birthday to Gerry. He is the rock of our family, and we are so lucky to have him.
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- Feb/12/24 2:05:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today, I want to recognize and thank those who support me in the work I do representing the good people of Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River.
First, there are the many volunteers who consistently give generously of their time. Although, there are too many to name; they know who they are.
Second, there are my team members, both at home and here in Ottawa, who do the hard work behind the scenes every day. For me, they are Dion, Hunter, Linnae, Emalie and Cindy.
Most importantly, there is my family, both immediate and extended, who are always there for me.
It is always great to have the opportunity to show visitors around this place and to see the awe on their faces as they walk around.
These last few days, my wife, Lori, and I have enjoyed having our family here, most of them for the very first time. It has been great to have Kent and Rebekah; Alex and Sam; Nicole, Washington and their boys Nathaniel and Eli here with us. Unfortunately, my son and his wife, Mac and Hannah, were not able to come.
I ask all members to join me today in thanking those who support us in the important work we do in this place.
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- Feb/12/24 2:06:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with federal funding and federal leadership, we are changing how cities approve housing projects. With a greater focus on higher density housing, student housing, homes near transit and affordable housing, we are going to get more homes built for Canadians at prices they can afford.
Last week, I was proud to represent the Government of Canada at an important announcement in the great city of Charlottetown. Through the housing accelerator fund, the Government of Canada and the city announced they have reached an agreement to fast-track 300 housing units over the next three years. This work will help spur the construction of more than 1,000 homes over the next decade. I have every confidence that these numbers will be surpassed based on the uptake of developers to the suite of federal programs available, including the GST rebate on rental properties.
My community is ready, willing and able to do its part to address the housing crisis. With this agreement, our government is unlocking new opportunities for growth in Charlottetown.
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- Feb/12/24 2:07:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in June 2020, a movement was born in Hamilton, Ontario.
In response to the murder of George Floyd, sisters Ashleigh, Abygail and Alexandria Montague, born and raised in my riding of Hamilton Mountain, felt compelled to take tangible action to support and to uplift their community. They leveraged their considerable talents to unite and to promote Black businesses in Hamilton through a platform they call BLK Owned. What started as a seed of an idea on lnstagram has blossomed into a full-fledged organization to support Black-owned businesses now across Ontario, with training, networking and partnerships with organizations and schools.
Our government is also supporting BLK Owned through targeted programs for Black youth, helping the Montague sisters expand and connect even more Black-owned businesses. They are the embodiment of the excellence we celebrate during Black History Month.
I encourage everyone to visit blkowned.ca, another Hamilton success story.
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