SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 329 - Jun/11/24

Jun/11/24 6:54:08 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I want to start by thanking all of my colleagues who have been advocates on the issue, who have listened to survivors and their families and who are committed to ending gender-based violence and intimate partner violence. Over the past year, working on the bill, I have heard hundreds of stories from Canadians across the country about how coercive control has impacted their lives. Coercive control is a pattern of behaviour intended to isolate, manipulate, control and often terrorize one's partner, stripping away their autonomy and their self-worth. It is an insidious form of violence that often goes unnoticed and not talked about, until it escalates. Then it becomes something much more visible and much more tragic. It is one of the most common precursors to physical violence. Coercive control is so widespread, and there are so many stories. Today I want to talk a little bit about a few people who have travelled from Sault Ste. Marie. They are here in Ottawa tonight for the debate and for tomorrow's vote. Angie's Angels is a group that was formed a week after the murder of Angie Sweeney. Angie was a vibrant, loving person whose life was brutally cut short by femicide at the hands of her ex-boyfriend. Angie's ex-boyfriend used controlling tactics throughout their relationship, and when she left, the situation escalated violently. Her tragic story is all too common, and it is a stark reminder of the danger posed by intimate partner violence and coercive control. Angie's Angels is working to share Angie's story to raise awareness about intimate partner violence. It is are calling for stronger protections for victims and for survivors. Angie's parents, Brian and Suzanne, and her best friends, Amanda and Renee, have channelled their grief and pain into this amazing action. They want to make sure that no family and no community has to go through the pain that they have. Their bravery and their dedication in the face of such an unimaginable loss is nothing short of heroic. They have turned their horrific personal tragedy into a powerful force for change, and for that they deserve our utmost support and respect. Caitlin Jennings was someone who was a bright light to the people who knew her. Her father, Dan, connected with Angie's Angels after Caitlin was killed in London. Her life was also cut short when she became the victim of a coercive, controlling intimate partner. Dan has told me that if coercive control had been criminalized, Caitlin would still be here with us today. His words stuck with me, and I think they should stick with everyone in the chamber. We should all feel the urgency of tackling gender-based violence. A woman is killed every six days in Canada. Caitlin's story and Angie's story are not isolated incidents. They are part of a larger, systemic problem that we as legislators have the power to address. Passing the bill is one important step, but we must do so much more. When we vote on the bill, I want members to think about Angie and Caitlin, and to think of Angie's and Caitlin's loved ones who have dedicated their time and so much of their lives to preventing situations like theirs from happening. As legislators, we have a responsibility to stop this kind of abuse. I urge my colleagues to work with me to ensure that the bill makes its way rapidly through the red chamber and becomes law as quickly as possible. Let us pass the bill and take a crucial step towards a safer, more just society.

613 words

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Jun/11/24 6:58:41 p.m.
Watch

The question is on the motion. If a member participating in person wishes that the motion be carried or carried on division, or if a member of a recognized party participating in person wishes to request a recorded division, I would invite them to rise and indicate it to the Chair.

51 words

Ms. Laurel Collins

Jun/11/24 6:58:59 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I request a recorded vote.

7 words

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Jun/11/24 6:59:05 p.m.
Watch

Pursuant to Standing Order 98, the division stands deferred until Wednesday, June 12, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions.

23 words

Mr. Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, CPC)

Jun/11/24 6:59:38 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, Conservatives are sharply focused on the well-being of Canadians, which is why our priorities are to axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime. The NDP, along with the NDP House leader, who has some things he wants to say during my speech, has been propping up the Liberals, in spite of how mired they are in corruption. While Conservatives have been— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

76 words

Propping

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Jun/11/24 7:00:06 p.m.
Watch

This is not the proper time for any individuals to be interrupting, and there are no questions and comments, so I would recommend that members listen very carefully. The hon. member for Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan has the floor.

40 words

Mr. Garnett Genuis

Jun/11/24 7:00:21 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, they should listen very carefully, indeed. The NDP might learn something because New Democrats are propping up the corrupt NDP-Liberal government while Conservatives remain focused on the best interests of Canadians. We remain laser-focused on axing the tax, building the homes, fixing the budget and stopping the crime, but Liberals and New Democrats have been focused on themselves. The evidence is clear: mounting corruption, damning Auditor General report after damning Auditor General report, multiple negative reports from the Ethics Commissioner against the Prime Minister and so many RCMP investigations that it is hard to keep track of all these Liberal scandals. Just last week, there were Auditor General reports on the green slush fund and on the government's close relationship with McKinsey. We have continuing investigations, ongoing, into the arrive scam scandal, spending that was voted for by the NDP-Liberal coalition. This is part of a broader pattern of the debasement of the government contracting system by giving contracts to companies that are based in people's basements, tiny companies that receive contracts and subcontracts without actually working on anything to do with the project but that are collecting massive benefits in the process. It is a government mired in corruption, and after nine years, as Liberals and New Democrats have focused only on themselves, it is no wonder Canadians are worse off, which is why we need a common-sense Conservative government that would focus on the well-being of Canadians and giving Canadians back control of their lives, ending the costly criminal corruption that we have seen under the Liberals and replacing it with Conservative common sense. In particular, we are seeing as well the troubling abuse of indigenous procurement under the government, which is designed to give opportunities for indigenous peoples to benefit from government procurement. However, we are seeing so much abuse of this that under the government there are situations where a tiny company is able to receive contracts under the money set aside for indigenous procurement and then subcontract, likely entirely to non-indigenous companies because there has been no tracking of the subcontracting. The government operations committee has requested documents about which companies got the subcontracts through indigenous procurement, and there has been a complete absence of information provided in relation to subcontracting. We have cases where money is supposed to be set aside specifically to make life better for indigenous Canadians, yet Dalian Enterprise and the Minister of Indigenous Services have said that the purpose of this program is only to identify the identity of the company initially receiving the contract and not to assess benefits to indigenous communities. This is another clear abuse of government contracting. Conservatives will stand up for reform in this system. We will fight corruption in the NDP-Liberal government and call for a replacement of that corrupt government with common sense.

481 words

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Jun/11/24 7:03:53 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, that was quite a bit to listen to. The member started off by talking about the bumper-sticker issues, the themes of the Conservative Party going into the next election. Maybe I could spend a bit of time just talking about that also. At the end of the day, I love the contrast between the Conservatives and the Liberals going into the next federal election, about 18 months from now, I anticipate. Thinking in terms of the difference, one of the ways I can put it on the table is to say that we have Conservatives who believe in “chop, chop, chop”, as one of the ministers has often made reference to, and then we have the government that understands the needs of Canadians and continues to provide all sorts of programs of great value to Canadians. On the issue of procurement, this is something that has been happening for generations, and at the end of the day, one of the greatest procurement scandals that we have witnessed was during Stephen Harper's government, when we had a $400-million procurement scandal for CSC. It is important to recognize here that just because the Conservatives across the way tack on the word “scandal”, that does not necessarily make it a government scandal. In fact, if we take a look at the government's actions on ArriveCAN, I believe that, at the end of the day, Canadians would understand and appreciate that as a government, when the issue was brought to the attention of the department, the department took immediate action. In terms of looking into the matter, it was ultimately referred to the RCMP. There is a process that is in place in order to protect the integrity of the procurement process, and the government has assigned out responsibilities to make sure there is going to be a consequence where there has been found to be abuse. The member then went on to talk about indigenous procurement. I would advise the member to take a look at the Shoal Lake water treatment facility, the procurement process that went on there and the many different benefits. Indigenous people and indigenous community leaders talk about how long it took for them to actually get that water treatment put into place, because the former government, Stephen Harper's, completely ignored it. If we take a look at how it was actually constructed, we will find that through the federal government working in co-operation with and supporting the incredible leadership coming from Shoal Lake 40, we were able to build a wonderful water treatment that was led by Shoal Lake, and the procurement process was indigenous-driven. At the end of the day, it has received many different awards. The bottom line is that in regard to ArriveCAN, we continue to move forward. The government is very much aware of the serious nature of the issues, and we will continue to look into the matter. Had the government not taken action, then the member might be able to have some credibility on the issue, but virtually from day one, the government has been on top of the issue and will continue to ensure that the taxpayer is protected.

541 words

Mr. Garnett Genuis

Jun/11/24 7:07:44 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, the member did talk a lot of nonsense in his remarks, but I do want to just zero in on one thing. He talked about Stephen Harper. That member loves talking about Stephen Harper. Every intervention is about Stephen Harper. Let me put to him two things on that. Number one, I think Stephen Harper was a great prime minister. He accomplished a lot for Canada. I think if we were to ask Canadians about their quality of life, the state of crime, the economy and many other issues, compared to when Stephen Harper was in office, they would say that things were much better under Stephen Harper than they are under the current Prime Minister. Let me put to the member as well that Stephen Harper was prime minister nine years ago. If someone is in a government that has been in power for nine years, and they are still blaming the problems of this country on their predecessor, I think they have really missed the vital importance of taking responsibility. They cannot infinitely run against their predecessor. They have to take responsibility for their own actions.

190 words

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux

Jun/11/24 7:08:51 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, the government actually does do that. I will often cite Stephen Harper because members opposite like to give a false impression of many of the wonderful initiatives that the government has actually taken. For example, the Conservatives will criticize the government in terms of the economy, trying to say that our economy is broken, yet as a government, in well under nine years, we were able, by working with Canadians, to create over two million jobs. That contrasts to Stephen Harper's million jobs. There are so many comparisons that one can draw, and we draw the comparisons because the Conservative Party goes around the country giving all sorts of misinformation. Among those things is that the country is broken, when in fact it is not, and we continue to move forward.

134 words

Harper

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Jun/11/24 7:09:52 p.m.
Watch
Re: Bill S-273

I have the honour to inform the House that a message has been received from the Senate informing the House that the Senate has passed the following bill, to which the concurrence of the House is desired: Bill S-273, an act to declare the Chignecto Isthmus Dykeland System and related works to be for the general advantage of Canada.

60 words

Mr. Brad Vis (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, CPC)

Jun/11/24 7:10:21 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, the Liberal minister responsible for legal hard drugs is misleading Canadians. The government is claiming that the so-called safe supply program is working, but the facts say otherwise. In Abbotsford alone, the number of overdoses between 2013 and 2022 went up by 820%, meaning that Abbotsford has seen a near 1,000% increase in overdoses over the last 10 years. The minister should also be aware that in 2014, unregulated drug deaths from fentanyl were at 22.2%, but by 2023, this figure soared to 85.3%. B.C. Health service delivery areas reported 990 unregulated drug deaths in 2019 and over 2,500 deaths in 2023. Despite the B.C. Medical Association's 2009 recommendations for addiction care improvements, treatment bed availability has remained stagnant for 15 years. Clearly, there is a disconnect between the Liberal government, Canadian tax dollars and the true needs of Canadians in this field. The minister must acknowledge the failure of legalizing hard drugs. Even Premier Eby is backpedalling on these policies that have caused devastation in the province. The government owes an apology to all those it harmed by its radical drug experiment over the last year. The 2023 federal budget announced a piddling $20.2 million for a new community-based program to prevent substance abuse in young people. We do not know where any of that money is going or how it is going to be spent. Currently, drug overdoses are the leading cause of death among youth aged 10 to 18 in British Columbia. A boy named Jacob Wilson in my riding tragically died from an overdose at age 21. He was turned away after repeatedly seeking help and support at our local hospital. Recently, an 18-year-old University of Victoria student died of an overdose and schools across B.C. are now calling for an expansion of emergency measures, such as training students for CPR and the use of naloxone kits. I might add that it is not only at universities, but in high schools as well. We should let that sink in. Children in our high schools have to be trained on the use of naloxone because drug toxicity is the number one cause of death for kids aged 10 to 18. In my own riding in British Columbia, parents have to routinely clean up needles at parks where children play soccer. This weekend, I asked one of the key coaches how many needles were found this week. I was told they are found every day in the corner of the field where my kids and hundreds of other kids play every week. Public beaches now post signs warning of dirty needles at the most popular spot to play beach volleyball at Kits Beach in Vancouver. The minister's recommendations on this radical experiment have not helped our children. People are scared to go on public transit. People are scared of our downtown cores. People are scared to visit certain shops and restaurants at certain times of day. People are scared to go into our hospitals. Businesses across British Columbia are outlining a deteriorated climate and talk about a crime tax because of hard drugs. The RCMP has confirmed that the so-called safe supply has infiltrated the black market. When will the government end this radical experiment so that our communities can feel safe again?

562 words

Mrs. Élisabeth Brière (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development and to the Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health, Lib.)

Jun/11/24 7:14:07 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I imagine that my colleague opposite is pleased, since he got his video clip, but I would like to set the record straight. The overdose crisis is one of the worst public health crises Canada has ever faced. There is no easy solution. The crisis is fed by a supply of illegal drugs that are becoming more toxic, unpredictable and deadly by the day. It is also driven by underlying socio-economic concerns and problems in accessing treatment. By working together, we can put a stop to the harmful effects of this crisis and the far too many needless deaths across the country. No one order of government cannot address this crisis alone. That is why we are working closely with all orders of government, indigenous communities, partners and stakeholders to implement a holistic approach to addressing substance use and related harms, focused on promoting public health and protecting public health. Working with the provinces, territories and other partners across the country means implementing solutions they propose, monitoring them closely and making the necessary adjustments along the way. If we do not try something different, we cannot expect different results. We need to be open to finding new solutions to put an end to this crisis. If the Conservatives had come along on the trip taken by the Standing Committee on Health, they would have heard this for themselves, from the organizations that are working hard on the ground every day. The recent amendment to B.C.'s exemption for personal drug possession demonstrates the point. We granted B.C.'s request to prohibit the possession of controlled substances in public spaces because the province identified a concern and sought to adjust its approach. B.C. told us these changes were needed to provide law enforcement with additional tools to address public drug use when safety issues arise, while ensuring that it continues to treat personal drug use as the health and social issue it is, and we listened. Public safety is a priority for the government, which is working hard to find innovative solutions to this toxic drug crisis. We are working closely with our national and international partners, including Public Safety, the RCMP, the Canada Border Services Agency and Canada Post, to stem the flow of illegal drugs, give border officers the tools they need to intercept illegal drugs and precursors, and collaborate with private sector partners to tackle the laundering of proceeds of drug trafficking. The government is also continuing to invest in other evidence-based supports and services to address this crisis. For example, budget 2024 includes a new $150‑million commitment for a fund to support communities, municipalities and indigenous communities. This funding will enable a rapid response to heavily affected communities that have urgent and critical needs related to this crisis. With the ultimate goal of providing Canadians with timely access to prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery services and supports they need, we will continue to work with municipalities, provincial and territorial governments, law enforcement, indigenous communities and people with lived and living experience.

514 words

Mr. Brad Vis

Jun/11/24 7:17:53 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, I am not looking for a clip. I am addressing the incredibly challenging situation that we find in British Columbia today. My question to the member for Sherbrooke is, if given the chance, would she legalize hard drugs as her government did in British Columbia? Given the chance, would she adopt a policy that has led, statistically, to record overdose deaths of children from hard drugs? Given the chance, would she repeat the horrendous policy that has really made British Columbians lose faith in our institutions and public order? If given the chance, would she do that in Quebec?

101 words

Mrs. Élisabeth Brière

Jun/11/24 7:18:53 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, the thing we need to remember is that every person who uses drugs needs to have access to the help that best works for them. By offering a wide range of options, we increase the chances that they will find the one that best meets their needs. Stigmatization may be a barrier to accessing these services. That is why the fight against stigmatization is also a priority for the government. When people who use drugs feel judged, they hesitate to ask for help or to turn to the services that are available. They also hide their drug use. What we are trying to do is adopt policies and programs based on health and compassion to create a society where substance abuse problems are considered a chronic health problem that needs to be treated without judgment. Building pathways away from the criminal justice system and towards health and social services is part of a broader approach across these systems with the goal of reducing harms and saving lives while keeping communities safe.

173 words

Mr. Michael Cooper (St. Albert—Edmonton, CPC)

Jun/11/24 7:20:06 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, the cover-up continues. The Prime Minister covered up Beijing's interference in the 2019 and 2021 elections, because it benefited the Liberal Party. When he got caught, the Prime Minister went to extraordinary lengths to cover up what he knew and what he failed to do about Beijing's interference. When the procedure and House affairs committee commenced hearings to get to the bottom of Beijing's interference, the Prime Minister repeatedly ordered Liberal MPs on the committee to obstruct the work of the committee and to block the production of relevant documents. Instead of calling a public inquiry, the Prime Minister appointed a long-standing family friend as his fake rapporteur to write a whitewash of a report exonerating the Prime Minister. When the fake rapporteur got to work, he hired a bunch of Liberal hacks who wrote that whitewash of a report that the Prime Minister wanted. However, when the report was not able to be held up to basic scrutiny, the fake rapporteur resigned and the Prime Minister was dragged kicking and screaming into calling a public inquiry. Upon the inquiry being struck, the Minister of Public Safety assured Canadians that the commissioner, Madam Justice Hogue, would have access to all relevant documents. It turns out that the minister was insincere with his words, because The Globe and Mail has reported that the Prime Minister has withheld an undisclosed number of documents from Madam Justice Hogue. The Prime Minister's personal department, the PCO, has admitted that of the documents turned over to Madam Justice Hogue, fully 10% have been redacted. I underscore that these are documents that Madam Justice Hogue has requested. The Prime Minister is obstructing the work of Madam Justice Hogue to fulfill her core mandate, which is to determine what the Prime Minister knew, when he knew about it, and what he did or failed to do about foreign interference threats, including Beijing's attack on our democracy. Madam Justice Hogue issued her first report a few weeks ago. It is a damning indictment of the Prime Minister. Among the conclusions that she makes is that the Prime Minister made decisions with respect to countering foreign interference on the basis of giving consideration to direct electoral consequences. In other words, the Prime Minister put his interests and the interests of the Liberal Party ahead of working to counter foreign interference to protect our sovereignty and our democracy. That was based on the documents that the Prime Minister allowed Madam Justice Hogue to see. One can only imagine how much more damning her report would have been had she been able to see all of the documents. Now, as Madam Justice Hogue prepares to write a second report, to be issued in the coming months, the cover-up continues. If the Prime Minister has nothing to hide, then why will he not stop the obstruction, stop the cover-up and turn over all of the documents requested by Madam Justice Hogue?

500 words

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Jun/11/24 7:23:47 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, just to start, it is interesting how the member continued with the character assassination of an outstanding Canadian. When he is talking about the special rapporteur, he is really talking about is the former governor general. When the member labelled him as a Liberal appointing all these other Liberals, what people should realize is that the Right Hon. David Johnston was actually appointed as Governor General by former prime minister Stephen Harper. The last time I checked, Stephen Harper was not a Liberal; he was a Conservative and a man who was held in fairly high esteem. It is unfortunate that the Conservatives with their ramped-up rhetoric felt it was necessary to throw him under the bus in the fashion they did. Personally, I thought it was somewhat disgraceful. Having said that, when we think about what we are talking about this evening, nothing could be further from the truth in terms of the manner in which the government has actually dealt with foreign interference. In fact the Government of Canada not only consulted but worked openly with all recognized parties of the House to collaboratively develop the terms of reference for the commission. All parties agreed to the terms of reference as well as to the appointment of the commissioner herself. One of the key aspects of the terms of reference is that the commission essentially has unlimited access to classified information related to its mandate. The terms of reference are very clear: The commission is to have access to certain cabinet documents that are relevant to its work. The government agreed to this approach, although it is exceedingly rare for something of that nature to occur. Cabinet confidence is a bedrock principle of the Westminster system of government. The notion that such a principle can be thrown out in a sweeping approach to government records undercuts the very same democracy we are actually trying to protect. All of the cabinet documents that were committed to in terms of the reference have already been provided to the commission. I would contrast the manner in which we as a government have approached the issue to the manner in which the leader of the Conservative-Reform party has approached it to date. The leader of the Conservative-Reform party has not even acknowledged, or desired in any way to actually get, the security clearance necessary in order to get the information that will answer the types of questions the member is looking to answer. He does not want to get it. He intentionally chooses to be ignorant of the facts. Contrast that to the leader of the New Democratic Party. In fact, the leader of the Green Party had a very interesting public press conference earlier today after getting the debriefing and was very clear with Canadians as to what she thought. At least she took the interest and the time not only to get the clearance but also then to look at the unredacted report. We know what her comments are. However, that does not solve the appetite of the Conservatives to go on a vengeful character assassination hunt, in terms of what it is and who it is they can go after. I am surprised and disappointed in the leader of the Conservative Party, but I should not be because even when he was the minister responsible for Elections Canada, in that important role he did absolutely nothing on foreign interference. He knew then that it was an issue but chose, intentionally, to do nothing.

589 words

Mr. Michael Cooper

Jun/11/24 7:27:50 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, the parliamentary secretary is misrepresenting the facts to the extent that he suggested that all relevant documents have been turned over to Madam Justice Hogue. The procedure and House affairs committee passed a motion to get to the bottom of the Prime Minister's obstruction with respect to turning over documents. On June 7, counsel to Madam Justice Hogue wrote to the committee, stating, “the interest of the commission and the interest of the committee would appear to align.” In short, the Commissioner agrees with the committee that the Prime Minister needs to turn over the documents. The Prime Minister cannot pick and choose which documents to turn over to Madam Justice Hogue, because a core aspect of what she is examining is the Prime Minister's conduct, the decisions that he made and, frankly, his failures to protect our sovereignty and democracy from foreign interference. It begs this question: What is it in the documents that is so damning to the Prime Minister that he is hiding them from Madam Justice Hogue?

177 words

Mr. Kevin Lamoureux

Jun/11/24 7:28:56 p.m.
Watch

Madam Speaker, put very simply and in point form, the Government of Canada worked openly and collaboratively with all recognized parties inside the House to develop the terms of reference of the commission. That is a fact. The government continues to support the commission by providing tens of thousands of classified documents, while respecting the terms of reference and the underlying principle of cabinet confidence and safeguarding the critical interests of Canada and its allies. That is a fact. No matter what spin the Conservatives put on it or what misinformation they provide to Canadians, it is always better if we stick to the facts of the matter. By the way, I would conclude that the leader of the Conservative-Reform party should also take advantage and get the debriefing so he will be better informed.

136 words

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes)

Jun/11/24 7:29:54 p.m.
Watch

The motion that the House do now adjourn is deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 2 p.m. pursuant to Standing Order 24(1). (The House adjourned at 7:30 p.m.)

41 words