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Context: House Hansard - 337 - Sep/17/24

Hon. Arif Virani (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.)

Sep/17/24 3:07:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in the first six months of this year, vehicle theft in Quebec decreased by 36% compared to last year. This improvement came after we increased penalties, introduced new offences and allocated funds for border and police forces. After the last Conservative government's budget cuts for ports, we are pleased that things are getting back to normal. We will continue to work for Quebeckers and for everyone in Canada.

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Ms. Raquel Dancho (Kildonan—St. Paul, CPC)

Sep/17/24 3:08:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberals, taxes are up, costs are up, crime is up and time is up. Under their watch, women and children are being victimized and violated by criminals who, under Liberal policies, are being let out on bail, house arrest and parole. After nine years, the results are truly terrible. Sexual assaults, for example, are up 75% and sexual violations against children are up 120%, under their watch. When will the Liberals put the needs of the victims first and ensure jail, not bail, for repeat violent offenders?

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Hon. Arif Virani (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, Lib.)

Sep/17/24 3:09:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we take community safety extremely seriously. It is my top priority. Since I have taken office, we have increased the penalties on people who target individuals, including people who target people's automobiles. We have funded police to the tune of $161 million to assist them in their important work. I can advise the member opposite on three important things. The people who are making decisions on bail are provincially appointed justices of the peace or provincial judges. The people who decide to appeal decisions on bail are provincial crown attorneys. As for the people who decide whether offenders have a place to go when they are denied bail, those are provincial correctional facilities. The member should talk to the provinces.

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Mr. John Williamson (New Brunswick Southwest, CPC)

Sep/17/24 3:09:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after nine years of NDP-Liberals, tax is up, costs are up, crime is up and time is up, and so are job losses because of the incompetent Liberal fisheries minister. She does not listen to Atlantic Canada's fishing communities. The industry is left in the dark. Even former DFO scientists say that she is playing politics with lives and livelihoods. In July, the fisheries minister cut the Bay of Fundy herring quota by 24%. The result was over 100 job losses. Will she do her job and reverse the cuts—

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The Speaker

Sep/17/24 3:10:36 p.m.
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The hon. Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard.

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Hon. Diane Lebouthillier (Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Lib.)

Sep/17/24 3:10:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to reassure my colleague that we are working closely with scientists. For several years now, herring stocks have been struggling in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. To avoid a repeat of what happened with shrimp in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, we are making smart decisions, unlike the Conservatives, who would gladly scrape the sea bottom clean. That is out of the question. We reduced herring stocks to save the regional economy.

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Mr. Stephen Ellis (Cumberland—Colchester, CPC)

Sep/17/24 3:11:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, after nine years of the NDP-Liberal government, taxes are up, costs are up, fisheries crime is up and the time is up. The situation in Nova Scotia's fishing communities, which has previously been described as lawlessness, continues to deteriorate. In spite of repeated warnings, the incompetent Minister of Fisheries and Oceans refuses to do anything. There is significant concern that the situation will spiral out of control. When will this woefully inadequate minister realize the importance of the Atlantic Canadian fishery and the very real threat to lives and livelihoods and do her job?

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Hon. Diane Lebouthillier (Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard, Lib.)

Sep/17/24 3:12:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think my colleagues across the way have a very short memory. I just want to remind them what the groundfish moratorium did to our coastal communities. I want to remind them what happened with shrimp last winter and how catastrophic it was for our regions. I also want to remind them how climate change in the Gulf of St. Lawrence is affecting all fish stocks. What I am hearing from the other side is truly shameful. Then again, I am not surprised because the Conservatives do not believe in climate change. Our decisions will always be based on science.

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Mr. Kody Blois (Kings—Hants, Lib.)

Sep/17/24 3:12:59 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, millions of Canadians tuned in to CBC and Radio-Canada to cheer on Team Canada at the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. Our athletes pushed limits, set new records, and brought us all together via the power of sport. In Kings—Hants, we are deeply proud of the Kennetcook kid, Wyatt Sanford, who won Canada's first Olympic bronze medal since 1996 when he took home the bronze. I even had the chance to spar and throw punches with him and the Prime Minister this summer. Can the Minister of Sport let the House know how we are supporting athletes like Wyatt so they can keep representing Canada with pride and excellence?

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Hon. Carla Qualtrough (Minister of Sport and Physical Activity, Lib.)

Sep/17/24 3:13:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canadians from coast to coast proudly celebrated the exceptional performances of Team Canada this past summer. Canadians won a record number of medals, inspired the next generation of Olympic and Paralympic athletes, and made us deeply proud. Our government supports athletes. We increased the amounts of the athlete assistance program, which supports over 1,800 athletes monthly in 94 disciplines. Our athletes dream big and work hard, and we have got the results to prove it.

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

Sep/17/24 3:14:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, $200 a month is not enough to live on, yet that is what the Prime Minister has decided is enough for people with disabilities. While he caves to rich CEOs, he fails to protect the human rights of Canadians. Then there are the Conservatives, who always cut the supports people need. Both the Liberals and the Conservatives care more about their rich corporate donors than they do about Canadians. When will the Liberals get real, increase the Canada disability benefit and respect Canadians with disabilities?

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Hon. Kamal Khera (Minister of Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities, Lib.)

Sep/17/24 3:15:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we put forward over $6 billion to create the first ever Canada disability benefit, but we will not take any lessons from the NDP, which has started to take orders from the Conservative Party and abandoned its commitments to delivering progressive policies. On this side of the House, we are focused on delivering this historic benefit to Canadians.

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Mr. Brian Masse (Windsor West, NDP)

Sep/17/24 3:15:29 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the city of Windsor is tired of being abused by the Liberal government when it comes to the border. A private American billionaire now wants to run hazardous material on the Ambassador Bridge. This is bad for the environment, bad for the economy and an unnecessary risk for public safety. The Liberals tried passing the buck to the province, but Doug Ford does not care. My community deserves answers. It deserves a government that stands up for them, not for the American billionaire who owns the bridge. Will the Liberals stop caving to the billionaires and put an end to this disaster waiting to happen?

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Hon. François-Philippe Champagne (Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Lib.)

Sep/17/24 3:16:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will tell the member what Windsor is about. Windsor is about a revival. With the investment we have brought to Windsor, Windsor will never look the same again. We have brought generational investment in this town. We have given hope to people. We are providing opportunities. We are providing training for the people. Windsor will be at the centre of the auto sector again. That is thanks to the Liberal government of today. We should all cheer for Canadians, for Windsor and for the auto workers in this country.

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The Speaker

Sep/17/24 3:16:41 p.m.
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Colleagues, this brings Oral Questions to an end. It being 3:15 p.m., pursuant to order made on Monday, September 16, I invite all hon. members to stand to observe a moment of silence in honour of our former colleague the late Hon. Chuck Strahl. [A moment of silence observed]

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The Speaker

Sep/17/24 3:18:29 p.m.
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The House will now proceed to tributes in memory of our former colleague, the late Hon. Chuck Strahl. Colleagues, it is an honour to rise to pay tribute to our former colleague, the Hon. Chuck Strahl. He was a force of nature. The historic 1993 election brought winds of change from Canada's west to this place, and with them came Chuck Strahl with his tall stature, his booming voice and his inimitable work ethic. He made friends everywhere he went and found common ground through intelligence, kindness and, of course, his trademark sense of humour.

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The Speaker

Sep/17/24 3:19:10 p.m.
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He was named Deputy Speaker of the House and Chair of Committees of the Whole in October 2004. In that role, he earned the respect of all parliamentary groups and the esteem of Speaker Milliken and all the table officers who had the privilege of working with him every day. As a member of Parliament, he served the people of Chilliwack—Fraser Canyon, and before that, Fraser Valley, for 18 years, through six consecutive elections. He was guided more by principles and by faith than by politics. Those qualities made him an extraordinary leader who never shied away from what he knew to be right, what he knew to be just. He served many years in cabinet and was notably Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, and Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians. He was by the side of the former prime minister, the Right Hon. Stephen Harper, during the historic statement of apology to former students of Indian residential schools in the House of Commons on June 11, 2008. His love of Canada and his dedication to his constituents came second only to his devotion to his wife, Deb, and his children. He was also a man of deep faith who was always guided by his love and trust in God. He stayed so strong for so many years after being diagnosed with cancer. His determination and courage in the face of adversity says so much about his love of family, his devotion to Canada and his dedication to public service. A man like Chuck Strahl inspires, and we have only to see his legacy live on in his son, the hon. member for Chilliwack—Hope, who serves so ably in this place. Chuck Strahl left us too soon, but he will always be remembered as an exemplary Canadian and a wonderful parliamentarian who had a lasting impact. I extend my deepest condolences to Mrs. Strahl, his wife of almost 50 years, our esteemed colleague from Chilliwack—Hope, his other children, grandchildren and his many friends.

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Hon. Andrew Scheer (Regina—Qu'Appelle, CPC)

Sep/17/24 3:21:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the Conservative caucus, I would like to thank you for those very kind words and a fitting tribute to a man who held a position in the Speakership during part of his tenure here. This is a difficult task, to try to sum up in just a few minutes the impact that a man like Chuck Strahl had on Parliament, on politics and on not only the Conservative Party but the Conservative movement as a broader whole. However, it is truly an honour for me to do that, as imperfectly as I may. We all know Chuck's official biography, of course. He was first elected to Parliament in 1993 and re-elected another five times. Over his 18 years as an MP, he served as a third party critic, a whip, a House leader for the official opposition, a minister of the Crown and a Deputy Speaker. Chuck knew that if a position he filled was important, it was first and foremost a reflection of the awesome responsibility of the position. There is such a difference between a man of great integrity and others who view titles and positions as ways to aggrandize themselves and make it a reflection of the individual rather than the position. Chuck, despite the high offices, never lost touch with his roots. He was a logger from the B.C. interior. He brought a healthy dose of common sense to public life. Speaking of logging, Chuck was a builder. I would often look with great envy at the pictures the current member for Chilliwack—Hope would send me of the latest project he and his father were working on around the house. Being someone who was not gifted with those types of abilities, I would always feel great awe and admiration that Chuck was able to do that. However, he did not just build things out of wood and metal. He helped build a movement. Chuck was one of the major architects of the wonderful experience that was the Reform Party of Canada. Even though he was from B.C., he helped light that prairie fire that kept burning and spread eastward to help give Canadians hope that power in Canada could one day truly be restored to the people and out of the hands of the elites who had caused so much damage at the time. We think today, in our modern lives as members of Parliament, about what that was like back then. We all know how hard it is sometimes to organize events, but we have wonderful tools like texting and social media. We can post things on a website. Chuck and the Reform Party team were able to pack church basements, town halls and legions with hundreds and hundreds of people just by using the telephone, maybe some radio messages and those famous newsletters we all got through fax machines. It was incredible. It speaks perhaps not so much to their technological prowess, or the organizational abilities of people like Chuck, but of the message they were carrying and the hope they were giving to Canadians in every corner of the country. Chuck was a strong family man, a gifted communicator and a natural-born leader who projected honour, integrity and faithfulness in all that he did. We could chat with Chuck for hours and he would rarely brag about any of his political achievements or the offices that he filled. Instead, he was most likely to brag about his province, his community or, most often, his family. We could tell what motivated Chuck just by talking to him for a few minutes. Chuck inspired so many young members of our movement to take up the fight. He was a happy warrior. It was easy to follow someone like Chuck because he did it with a smile on his face, motivated more by hope and what was possible than by what riled him up. However, if we ever did rile him up, we would know about it. During my first Parliament, Chuck was the Deputy Speaker. I was a new MP at the age of 25. Let me say that Chuck's deep, baritone voice would leave us in no doubt if we ever found ourselves on the wrong side of the chair. It was wonderful to work with him in his next role, as minister of agriculture, as he started the process to give western Canadian farmers the freedom to market their own agricultural products. For those of us who may have come to politics a little later, it is sometimes hard to imagine that for decades, western Canadian farmers had no control of the product of their summers' worth of labour. Instead, they had to trust the government to do that for them. However, Chuck, as was long a part of his mandate, helped lay the groundwork for what would eventually be the successful abolition of the monopoly of the Canadian Wheat Board. Chuck played a pivotal role as minister of Indian affairs, as it was called then, building the path for Stephen Harper's momentous 2008 apology to former students of Indian residential schools. While there has been the outpouring of messages of support and condolences that we would expect from many people in politics, the tributes from first nations communities across the country are, I know, also very meaningful to the Strahl family, as a reflection of the sincere and deep relationship that Chuck made with the people with whom he worked so hard to address their issues. As minister of transport and infrastructure, Chuck played the role of builder once again, as he was instrumental in delivering much of Canada's economic action plan. A lot of Canada's recent infrastructure may well have a link back to Chuck the road builder. He leaves behind Deb, his loving wife of almost 50 years, and four children, Karina, Loni, Kyla and the hon. member for Chilliwack—Hope, someone who, as all of us know, has inherited that deep baritone voice. When we talk about integrity, I think it is important to think about what that meant for Chuck. Chuck would often say that sometimes politics can get complicated because we make it overly complicated, and often what we need to do is just take a step back and think about our first principles: why we got into it in the first place or what we told our constituents at the first meeting, maybe when we were running for the nomination, or on our first election night. Ottawa can twist and turn things. The bubble is real, and it can affect how we look at things. Chuck would always be able to slice through all that, simplify the complicated and bring it right back to what it would mean for the Canadian people. That shone through every single thing Chuck did. I know we are all going to miss him, those of us who were wise enough to seek his counsel. Having Chuck on speed dial or as a contact was a smart thing to do for anybody in a leadership position. Chuck was very kind to chair my campaign when I was running for the leadership of the party. I would often call him for advice or wisdom or to run things by him. There was great comfort in knowing that I had someone like that in my life, almost that I could offload some of the stress or overthinking on various issues. Once again, my deepest sympathies and condolences go to Deb, Karina, Loni, and Kyla. I am going to break protocol here; Mark, I give our very deepest condolences and best wishes to your family as you recover from this tremendous loss.

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Hon. Lawrence MacAulay (Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, Lib.)

Sep/17/24 3:31:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise in the House today to pay tribute to my old colleague the hon. Chuck Strahl. I am deeply saddened by his passing. Although I sat across the aisle from him for 18 years, I always had a deep respect and admiration for him. That is really the beauty of this place. There is a time for lively debate and different opinions, but we are all here to represent our constituents back home, and Chuck understood that as well as anyone else. In addition to serving as a member of Parliament from 1993 to 2011, he also served as minister of agriculture, minister of Indian and northern development and minister of transport. These jobs can often be challenging, but he stepped up in service to his country, and I thank him so much for that. Being Minister of Agriculture myself, I know full well what the job entails. Serving our farmers, producers and ranchers has been one of the greatest honours of my life, and I am sure Chuck felt the same way. I probably should not say this, but I think Chuck would understand and maybe chuckle a bit. Back in 2010, Chuck was serving as minister of transport, and as other previous and probably current ministers of transport know, I was a bit of a thorn in his side. I was grilling him one day in the House in question period about the Wood Islands-Caribou ferry service, which is vitally important to my riding. Eventually he said, “I know the member has asked this question every year for about 10 or 12 years now”, which was certainly true. Even though Chuck was from far on the other side of the country, and the ferry on the eastern end of Prince Edward Island was probably not one of his top priorities, he always showed a willingness to work with me on that issue and many other issues. He showed me and my constituents a great deal of respect, and I am deeply grateful for that. We were from different parties, but Chuck always had time for my concerns, and I truly believe that is how ministers and members of Parliament should act. We all want what is best for our constituents and Canadians. We may disagree on how we deliver that, but the country is best served when we all communicate and work together on things. I cannot help but look across the aisle and see Chuck's son, the member for Chilliwack—Hope. I have been in this place for quite a while, and it is quite something to be able to say that I have served with him and with Chuck. I am sure that Chuck was so deeply proud of his son, my hon. colleague, for being his successor. What a great honour the member has brought to his father. I might just break the rules here a little bit, but to the member for Chilliwack—Hope, Mark, I want to offer my sincerest condolences. It is very difficult. Chuck's wife, Deb; his other children, Karina, Loni and Kyla; and the rest of his family and friends are all in our thoughts. Losing a loved one is never easy, but I hope that Mark's faith, which I am sure was inherited from his father, brings him comfort in the days ahead. I truly appreciate the opportunity to rise in the House to honour my old friend Chuck Strahl. His tremendous service to his constituents, province and country will never be forgotten.

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Mr. Stéphane Bergeron (Montarville, BQ)

Sep/17/24 3:36:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, who among us can claim to have run against the devil himself? This was one of the exploits of the Hon. Chuck Strahl, a former Conservative cabinet minister who died of cancer on August 13 at just 67 years of age. In the 1997 election, Chuck really did face off with a man by the name of Sa Tan. He had a gift for telling this anecdote in a humorous way, although it did make him wonder whether it was possible to run for office in Canada under a pseudonym. Chuck Strahl proudly represented Chilliwack and the Fraser Valley region in the House for nearly two decades, from his first election in 1993 until 2011. After starting his career in forestry and business, he made his mark in politics. He served in various capacities in the House before becoming a minister, taking on the agriculture, indigenous affairs and transport portfolios. He was, without a doubt, one of Prime Minister Stephen Harper's most trusted advisers. On behalf of the Bloc Québécois, I would like to thank Chuck Strahl for his years of public service. I want to offer my deepest condolences to the woman with whom he shared his life for almost 50 years, as well as to his three daughters and 13 grandchildren. It is with the utmost empathy that I also extend my condolences to his worthy successor in the riding of Chilliwack—Hope, his favourite MP, his son Mark, who helps to keep the memory of his wonderful father alive through his presence in the House. Although he decided not to run for office again in 2011, Chuck Strahl never really left politics. People continued to turn to him for advice. In an open letter to The Globe and Mail in 2011, he shared his advice with his son and successor. Although this public message was meant to be personal, every man and woman working in politics would be well advised to learn from it. In that letter, he emphasized the importance of keeping one's word and listening to one's voters, to local residents. He believed that our constituents are always our best advisers. He also advocated solidarity. Even when debates become heated and potentially divide political families, it is essential that colleagues know they can always count on each other. Above all, he stressed the importance of family, because outside the political arena, family is our main anchor. Though the brouhaha of politics all too often requires us to live at a frantic pace, it is important that we not forget ourselves and, above all, that we never forget our loved ones. This is sound advice that is still as relevant today as it was then, and it speaks volumes about Chuck Strahl as a politician and as a family man, as well as the values that he cherished and that live on today in people like his son in the House and his family outside the House. I recognize the man I worked closely with and had the great pleasure of working with when we both served as chief whip of our respective political parties. I will always remember him as an affable, funny, reliable and efficient man, a man who fought tooth and nail for the values he held dear and the ideas he put forward, but always in a respectful manner. When he left politics for health reasons, I admit that I was worried about him. Then, as time passed and I saw him make occasional public appearances, I came to believe—wrongly, obviously—that he was doing quite well. His passing came as a shock to me and to many of his former colleagues and constituents. I cannot imagine how tough it must have been for his loved ones, for whom I have enormous sympathy. I would like to think that Chuck will continue to look down on us and inspire us with his wise counsel. I am positive he is up there now, and for good reason, because did he not beat the devil himself in an election? Thank you for everything, Chuck, my dear friend. Now try to get some rest, because you have earned it.

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