OFFICIAL REPORT (HANSARD)

House of Commons Debates Volume 151 No. 282 1st SESSION 44th PARLIAMENT Wednesday, February 14, 2024 Speaker: The Honourable Greg Fergus HOUSE OF COMMONS CANADA (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) COMMONS DEBATES February 14, 2024 DEBATES No. 282 No. 282 N o 282 Volume 151 282 14 02 2024 2024/02/14 14:00:00 Débats de la Chambre des communes House of Commons Debates House Of Commons 1 44

The House met at 2 p.m. Prayer (1400) [ Translation ]

The Speaker :

It being Wednesday, we will now have the singing of the national anthem led by the hon. member for Argenteuil—La Petite-Nation . [ Members sang the national anthem ]

Statements by Members Statements by Members

[ English ] Health Care Funding in Ontario

Mr. Ryan Turnbull (Whitby, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to share some exciting news. Last week the government announced $3.1 billion in additional funding for the Province of Ontario to strengthen our health care system. This is in addition to the $77 billion that will be transferred to the province as part of the Canada health transfer. The bilateral agreement is a testament to the co-operation of federal and provincial leadership in Ontario.

This is a moment of celebration for our community as the agreement signifies a concrete commitment to advancing health care infrastructure, reducing wait times, ensuring access to family health teams and modernizing health records. This is also a significant step forward in our pursuit for a Whitby hospital, a project close to the hearts of all residents in our town. Specifically, it gives Ontario the means to accelerate essential projects, notably the construction of a long-awaited hospital in Whitby. Our community has spoken, and we are looking forward to the province's getting moving.

(1405) Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week

Mr. Ryan Williams (Bay of Quinte, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, happy Valentine's Day. Speaking of matters from the heart, every year there are more than 260,000 Canadian babies who are born with congenital heart defect, the number one birth defect in Canada. This week is Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week. My wife and I have a personal connection. Eight years ago, we lost our son Teddy only 22 minutes after birth, to congenital heart defect. Most families have a similar story. Congenital heart defects occur in one out of every 100 babies born in Canada.

Many families have stories that last a lifetime, thanks to the work of doctors and the Canadian Congenital Heart Alliance, which is celebrating its 20th year this year. Sixty years ago, only about 20% of children with CHD survived to adulthood. That number has since increased to over 90%. Children who are born with CHD are some of the strongest kids; they are heart warriors and may endure multiple surgeries after birth and throughout their life. This Valentine's Day, have a heart. Share the stories of congenital heart disease, and let us find a cure so Canadians can bring their babies home with a broken heart.

Mayor of Halifax

Mr. Darren Fisher (Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I am rising to recognize and honour my good friend and former parliamentarian from Dartmouth—Cole Harbour, the three-term Mayor of Halifax, Mike Savage. Mike is known as a leader who can work with any order of government, no matter the political stripe, to get things done. When I served with him as a municipal councillor and his deputy mayor, I appreciated how open and accessible he was.

Whether as the chair of FCM’s Big City Mayors’ Caucus, or as co-chair of FCM’s 2015 Syrian refugee resettlement task force, his strong sense of civic duty and drive to foster greater economic and social inclusion for everyone guides his path. Mike is someone who deeply cares about people. Regardless of the challenge, the issue or even the jurisdiction, he works hard, advocating for folks across the municipality. After more than a decade as our mayor, Mike will not be seeking re-election. It is no secret that under his leadership our city has experienced record growth. Our next mayor has big shoes to fill.

I want to thank Mayor Mike Savage and his entire team for their years of service and dedication to our municipality.

[ Translation ] Suzanne Bellefleur

Mr. Alain Therrien (La Prairie, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, February 24 will be a special day in the life of one my constituents. Suzanne Bellefleur will be celebrating her 100th birthday. The Bellefleur family is indispensable to our community because they helped to shape the city of Saint‑Constant. Saint‑Constant was founded in 1744, but it has changed a lot over the generations of the Bellefleur family, from the first Bellefleur who settled there in 1762 to today's generation, including Ms. Bellefleur's father, Réal, who even served as mayor from 1943 to 1945. Ms. Bellefleur married Camille Beauvais in 1943 and gave birth to five beautiful children.

In addition to doing a fantastic job in her role as a mother, she was also involved in many organizations, such as Entraide Familiale, the seniors' club and the Canadian Cancer Society, all while helping her husband manage the family business. Ms. Bellefleur has lived a very full life, and it is fair to say that she wears her 100 years with grace. I wish her a happy 100th birthday surrounded by loved ones. She deserves it. Happy birthday.

Taiwan Strait

Mr. Angelo Iacono (Alfred-Pellan, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, today I want to draw attention to civil aviation safety issues over the Taiwan Strait. Since January 30, China's civil aviation administration has been in clear breach of International Civil Aviation Organization regulations. China changed flight routes and revoked the 2015 cross-strait agreement without consulting Taiwan. Its actions seriously jeopardize safety, peace and stability in the region and undermine the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. This strait is vital to global trade, and any disruption would have a significant impact on the world. Now, more than ever, it is important that we support global cohesion, the rule of law and compliance with bilateral treaties.

(1410) [ English ] Carbon Tax

Ms. Marilyn Gladu (Sarnia—Lambton, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of the Liberal-NDP government, Canadians know that the Prime Minister is not worth the cost. In this era of insane inflation, housing crisis and food prices that are through the roof, the Prime Minister is hiking the carbon tax again on April 1. The Liberals want to quadruple it to 61¢ a litre. Canadians are crying out for relief, but the government instead wants to keep digging deeper into our pockets to fund its corrupt overspending. The carbon tax makes food more expensive at every stage.

When one taxes the farmer who grows the food and the trucker who transports the food, one taxes the people who buy the food. The carbon tax does nothing to reduce emissions but forces Canadians into poverty and homelessness. The end result of the Liberals' failed carbon tax experiment is the two million Canadians who are now using food banks. This is unacceptable. Conservatives will continue to axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime.

National Defence

Ms. Yvonne Jones (Labrador, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to stand in the House of Commons today and show my love for the Arctic and our love for Canada's sovereignty and security. I want to talk about the generational NORAD investments of nearly $40 billion over 20 years that we are investing into the safety and security of the Canadian Armed Forces for all Canadians. Under NORAD, we have designated three sites of forwarding operations in Inuvik, Yellowknife and Iqaluit, and one operating deployment air base in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. These four sites are critical to NORAD's operations in the Arctic and to Canada's sovereignty.

We are investing to build six new navy ships, four of which we have delivered; 88 new aircraft; and nearly $7 billion to modernize our surveillance system by installing over-the-horizon radar systems. Unlike the Conservatives, who cut the budget for National Defence and Canada's security system, we are increasing the budget and spending the money that we need—

The Speaker :

The hon. member for Eglinton—Lawrence.

Jewish Community

Hon. Marco Mendicino (Eglinton—Lawrence, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, in 1913, Jews were prohibited from practising medicine in any hospital in Toronto, but four brave immigrant women from the Jewish community worked tirelessly and raised enough support to open the doors to an institution that is known today as Mount Sinai Hospital, a world leader in the delivery of health care in over 45 languages. Ironically, this sacred ground of healing has been the target of an anti-Semitic protest that has undermined the health and safety of the patients and medical professionals who work there. The hatred must come to an end.

The attacks against synagogues, schools, businesses and neighbourhoods must stop. However, the burden should not fall only to the Jewish community; we must all put our shoulder to the wheel. Strong allies like labour leader Victoria Mancinelli speak with moral clarity and set an example for others. Only if we stand together can we end anti-Semitism and live up to the vision of Mount Sinai that still motivates the inclusive and life-saving work that it does today.

Carbon Tax

Mr. Shuvaloy Majumdar (Calgary Heritage, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the NDP-Liberals are not worth the cost. Guess what: The Alberta NDP agrees. NDP leadership contenders are abandoning the sinking carbon tax ship. Sarah Hoffman said they played dirty politics with it and picked winners and losers. Do people know who else loses? All Canadians do. Twenty-three per cent is the whopping increase to their carbon tax on April 1. Two million Canadians are lined up at food banks across the nation. A family of four is paying $700 more in groceries this year.

The Prime Minister is so radical that even his costly coalition partners in Alberta's NDP cannot defend his carbon tax. Let me be clear to NDP-Liberals in fellating each other and the costs on everything: Axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget, stop the crime and restore the promise.

(1415) Age-Related Macular Degeneration Awareness Month

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

Mr. Speaker, February is Age-Related Macular Degeneration Awareness Month, and yesterday was AMD awareness day on the Hill. A number of stakeholders and specialists in eye care are here in Ottawa this week to meet with members of the House and of the other place to speak about vision care issues. We salute them and the work they do on behalf of all of us. I also take this opportunity to thank all of my colleagues in the House for adopting unanimously my bill, Bill C-284 , to establish a national eye care strategy in Canada. I ask my colleagues in the Senate to please pass the bill as soon as possible.

It would be wonderful to celebrate the adoption of an eye care strategy during February, AMD Awareness Month.

Public Services and Procurement

Mrs. Kelly Block (Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General lifted the veil on the government's corrupt arrive scam, revealing that the cost of the useless app, which should have been $80,000, is $60 million and counting. The two-person company GC Strategies, which did no IT work, was paid over $19 million for arrive scam, charging over $1,000 a day, which is 60% more than a government IT employee. With insider access, it dictated the requirements for a contract it won. Today, media are reporting that the company has received over $250 million from the Liberal government since 2015.

Whiskey tasting and extravagant dinners with government officials went unrecorded, documents went missing and taxpayers footed the bill. The Prime Minister 's failed arrive scam app, which wrongly sent thousands of Canadians into quarantine, was over-budget and not worth the cost. The RCMP must expand its investigation to figure out where the money is and how to get it back.

Anti-Asian Racism

Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay (South Surrey—White Rock, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, as Asian Canadians welcome the year of the dragon, Richmond residents gathered to protest taxpayer-funded drug use in their community. A video from the protest has gone viral internationally. As citizens dared to speak up, they were shouted down by a vile left-wing racist screaming, “Go back to Hong Kong” and “Go back to where you came from.” These comments were outrageous and have no place in our country. It is shameful that the Prime Minister has allowed racism to fester among his political base.

People from all over the world used to dream of a day when they could bring their families to Canada, afford a home in a safe community and be part of the Canadian story. We have been blessed by the contributions of Asian immigrants for generations. After eight years of the Prime Minister 's radical drug policies, our streets are filled with crime, chaos, drugs and disorder. Conservatives stand with all Canadians who want to raise their children in a drug-free community and will always defend their right to say so.

[ Translation ] Quebec Maple Syrup

Mr. Peter Schiefke (Vaudreuil—Soulanges, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, with the cold and snow of winter all around us, the warm weather seems a long way off. However, I have it on good authority that spring is on the way, which means it will soon be time for that delicious symbol of warmth and joy, Quebec-made maple syrup. Yes, the time has come once again for families, friends and visitors to gather for the maple harvest, a ritual as sweet as the syrup it celebrates. It is a celebration of Quebec cuisine, where traditional dishes are combined with the taste of fresh maple syrup.

It is part of the rich tapestry of Quebec's heritage and culture. [ English ] Whether, whether they are drowning their French toast, their pancakes, their crepes, or pretty much anything their heart fancies, in fresh maple syrup at home, or visiting their local cabane à sucre , I invite all of Vaudreuil—Soulangois to enjoy the delicious gift of spring that the maple harvest brings.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls

Ms. Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, NDP) :

Mr. Speaker, on every Valentine's Day since 1992, led by indigenous matriarchs, 2SLGBTQ+ members and family members in the Downtown Eastside, the community takes to the streets to honour and grieve the loss of missing and murdered indigenous women, girls and the gender diverse. Each year as we march, the drumming unites our heartbeats and eagles circle in the sky. Their spirits live within us. This act of remembrance is an expression of love, respect and solidarity for families and survivors. Our community stands united in the call for justice. We demand full implementation of all 231 calls for justice.

We demand action, and not just empty words. We demand accountability and measurable progress. The CBC reported that, as of June 2023, only two of the 231 calls for justice had been completed, and more than half have not even been started. This is unconscionable. In honour of—

(1420) The Speaker :

The hon. member for Mirabel has the floor.

[ Translation ] Louise Léonard

Mr. Jean-Denis Garon (Mirabel, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, on January 27, more than 200 people gathered at the Église de Sainte‑Scholastique to pay their respects to Louise Léonard, who died at the age of 79. She was the wife of my friend Denis Lauzon, who founded the Centre de formation agricole de Mirabel. Denis had a very special way of introducing himself to people. For nearly 60 years, he called himself “the most happily married man in Sainte‑Scholastique”, and with good reason. He and Louise shared a wonderfully close bond. The love was palpable in their home, where I was welcomed as a son.

As a teacher, Louise Léonard touched the lives of hundreds of young people. She was a proud, accomplished and caring woman who was involved in her community and in the world around her. Like many seniors in the village, Louise was looking forward to growing old peacefully with her husband and loved ones at her side at the new seniors' residence in Sainte‑Scholastique. As we walk around the Hill today, we may run into Denis, and if we look up to the heavens, we might see Louise tenderly watching over him and all of us, as she always did. I wish Louise a safe journey.

[ English ] Public Services and Procurement

Mrs. Stephanie Kusie (Calgary Midnapore, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, after eight years of a Liberal-NDP government, the RCMP is once again investigating a Liberal deal. Two of the contractors involved in the creation of the ArriveCAN app are already being investigated for their potentially criminal acts to obtain contracts, but that investigation will not even scratch the surface of everything that was hidden from Canadians. GC Strategies, an IT firm of two people that did no actual IT work, was paid over $19 million just to find people to build this $60-million app.

This is not to mention it's also rigging the bidding process for a $25-million contract that only it could win, and it does not stop there. Reports are out this morning revealing that this two-person headhunting firm has gotten as much as 250 million taxpayer dollars since 2015. This RCMP investigation needs to be expanded to understand what really happened in the building of this app and who is responsible for this huge waste of taxpayer money.

Ukraine

Mr. Yvan Baker (Etobicoke Centre, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, February 24 will mark two years since the beginning of Russia's further brutal invasion of Ukraine. Our government has said that Canada “will stand with the Ukrainian people” until they win, and “victory is the only option”. Victory is the only option because Ukraine's victory is vital to Canada's security. If Russia wins, it will not stop at Ukraine. If Russia wins, Europe, the U.S. and Canada will be next in defending ourselves against Russian aggression. Therefore, every Ukrainian soldier fighting today is one less Canadian who will have to fight in the future.

Every dollar we spend today is millions of dollars less that we will have to spend in the future. Our government understands this, and that is one of the reasons Canada has been a global leader in supporting Ukraine. Unfortunately, Conservatives continue to vote against support for Ukraine and against Canada's national security. On this two-year anniversary, I urge MPs throughout the House vote in favour of the support needed to ensure Ukraine's victory because victory is the only option to protect our security, our economy and our freedom.

Slava Ukraini .

Oral Questions Oral Questions

[ Translation ] Public Services and Procurement

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's arrive scam scandal continues to deepen. Today we learned from Joël-Denis Bellavance that a single arrive scam company received $250 million. That company has four employees and is headquartered at a cottage. This so-called IT company admits it does not do IT work. Come on. What a mess.

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, during the pandemic, we did everything we could to try to protect Canadians and save lives, but even in an unprecedented situation, the rules must be followed. Anyone who did not follow the rules must face the consequences. That is why we absolutely welcome the Auditor General's recommendations, and that is why the appropriate authorities are doing their job. Yes, Canadians should know the truth, and we expect the investigators to do their job.

(1425) Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, on its web site, GC Strategies boasts about being Ottawa's fastest-growing company. After eight years of this Prime Minister, this company is growing very fast indeed. It has four employees and does no IT work, yet it received a quarter of a billion dollars for IT. The first contract for this company was signed three weeks after this Prime Minister came to power. Why?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, like the Auditor General, Canadians have questions about whether the rules were followed and how such a company could get all these contracts. We expect the authorities to conduct the appropriate investigations to find out who exactly was involved, how these processes were uncovered and which rules were broken. It is very important to ensure that taxpayer money is invested the right way. In this situation, we all have important questions that we want answered.

[ English ]

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister 's arrive scam is now flailing out of control. Today there are revelations from Joel-Denis Bellavance that one arrive scam company received a quarter of a billion dollars in contracts. Let us get this straight. This company with four employees, headquartered in the basement of a tiny cottage, got IT contracts even though they admit they do no IT work. It was a quarter of a billion dollars. WTF?

Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

The Speaker :

We are dangerously close to crossing the line of what is considered parliamentary language. That is an abbreviation of language that is commonly understood to be not parliamentary. I am going to ask the hon. opposition leader to please withdraw that comment and to use parliamentary language.

Hon. Pierre Poilievre :

Mr. Speaker, “where's the funds”?

The Speaker :

I appreciate that the Leader of the Opposition clarified his comment. I will ask all members to not use that acronym because it, in the minds of Canadians, would clearly be considered unparliamentary language. I ask all members to use the full words.

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, during the time of the pandemic, the government rightly did everything it could to keep Canadians safe and keep them protected, but of course, even in the most trying times, perhaps especially in the most trying times, all the rules need to be followed. In this case, the Auditor General has highlighted some very concerning questions that need to be answered. That is why we are expecting and supporting all relevant authorities to follow up on this irregular contracting and perhaps breaking of the rules. This is an important issue, and that is why we are taking it seriously. [ Disturbance in gallery ]

(1430) Sitting Suspended

The Speaker :

In light of the disruption we had, we are going to suspend for a couple of minutes to allow things to calm down. (The sitting of the House was suspended at 2:32 p.m.)

Sitting Resumed

(The House resumed at 2:34 p.m.)

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, let us recap. A company that had never before received contracts from the federal government started getting an avalanche of contracts just three weeks after the Prime Minister took office. The company, in fact, got a quarter of a billion dollars for IT, even though it admits it does not do IT. It has four employees and a headquarters in the basement of a cottage. Can the Prime Minister explain why this suspicious company started getting these contracts exactly 21 days after he took office?

(1435) Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, it is obviously an unacceptable situation, which is why the relevant authorities are fully investigating exactly what went on here, particularly highlighted by the Auditor General's recent report. This is an issue we need to continue to understand, and we need to make sure the rules are being followed and our procurement practices across government are respectful of taxpayer money.

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, that is more proof the Prime Minister is not worth the cost or the corruption. After eight years of doubling housing costs, quadrupling the carbon tax and sending two million people to food banks, he somehow found a quarter of a billion dollars for this one company, which boasts on its website that it is now Ottawa's fastest-growing company. There is no doubt about that when its employees are having their faces stuffed with tax dollars by the Prime Minister. Why is it that when Canadians are starving in food bank lines, the Prime Minister finds a quarter of a billion dollars for his friends?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, obviously the relevant authorities need to follow up on this and get to the bottom of exactly how this unacceptable situation happened. In the meantime, on this side of the House, we are going to continue to focus on making life more affordable for Canadians, for example by attracting thousands of health care workers by increasing by 50% student loan forgiveness for rural doctors and nurses, by fast-tracking the construction of more than 51,000 homes, and by finalizing the housing accelerator agreements with over 60 small and rural communities. While the Conservative Party continues to block these initiatives, we are going to continue to step up for Canadians.

[ Translation ]

Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, there is one important piece of information that every citizen in Quebec and Canada needs to know. The government has a nasty habit of finding scapegoats to blame for all the mistakes it has racked up over the past eight years. This time, my first question will be quite simple. Who is to blame for ArriveCAN? Whose fault is it?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, while the pandemic raged, our government tried to find as many ways as we could to help Canadians protect people's health and safety. That said, there are clear and precise rules that must be followed when it comes to awarding contracts, even during a pandemic. We expect the investigators and appropriate authorities to do their work to find out exactly how this unacceptable situation came about.

Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, to be clear, I presume that, henceforth, the person responsible for all the corrective work to be done is the Prime Minister of Canada. What sort of investigation has he launched, since this company had been receiving government contracts for a long time, since long before the Liberals came to power, but its contracts did not start to be suspended until November? What sort of investigation has he launched? How long will it take? Who will lead it? When will we get the results from this urgent internal investigation?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, as soon as we became aware that there were irregularities or that rules had not been followed when this contract was awarded by the public service, internal public service processes were triggered within the different departments. We know that other authorities, including the police, have taken interest in this case as well. We expect all of this work to be taken seriously to ensure that all the rules and consequences are applied if necessary and as needed.

[ English ]

Mr. Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South, NDP) :

Mr. Speaker, we have learned the ArriveCAN scandal goes even deeper. The Liberals gave $250 million to GC Strategies. Let us talk about what that $60 million for ArriveCAN could have bought: 125 affordable homes or 800 nurses hired. Instead, the Prime Minister spent this money on an app that does not work and that no one uses. How does the Prime Minister look Canadians in the eyes with all this waste?

(1440) Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, during the pandemic, Canadians' lives were at risk and we, quite rightly, as a government, reached out to use all the possible tools to keep Canadians safe. Indeed, the pandemic was less deadly and less harmful to our economy in Canada than it was in most, if not all, of our peer countries. At the same time, even as we were innovating and trying to do everything we could to keep Canadians safe, the rules needed to be followed. It is obvious that in this case the rules do not look like they were followed, and that is why there are investigations ongoing that need to get to the bottom of this.

Mr. Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South, NDP) :

Mr. Speaker, the rules were flagrantly violated, and millions of dollars were wasted. [ Translation ] The Liberals gave $250 million to GC Strategies and that includes $60 million spent on an app that does not work. The government could have built 125 affordable housing units with that $60 million. How can the Prime Minister look Canadians in the eye after wasting so much money?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, during the pandemic, our government sought to keep Canadians safe and healthy in every way possible. That was our overarching goal, and we succeeded in doing better than most of our peer countries. At the same time, when we were doing all this to protect Canadians, we expected all the rules to be followed. That is what we demanded. Clearly the rules were not followed. That is why we are making sure there is a follow-up, an investigation, and there will be consequences for anyone who has broken the law.

[ English ]

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, he did not answer the NDP leader 's question. The question was, how can the Prime Minister waste millions of dollars on the arrive scam app when Canadians cannot afford to eat, heat or house themselves? The answer is because the NDP keeps the Prime Minister in power, that is how, and votes consistently in committee to cover up the scandal and shut down investigations. This app was supposed to cost 80 grand, said the Prime Minister . Now it is at least $60 million, but we do not know for sure because of missing documents. What is the full and final cost of the arrive scam app?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I have addressed these questions, but I will highlight that some of the Conservatives' attacks on this situation are because they deeply deplore all the measures we put in to keep Canadians safe during the pandemic. We remember how they gave in to conspiracy theories, spreading anti-vaxxer conspiracies and standing against measures we needed to put forward to keep Canadians safe. Yes, as we did all those things, we made sure rules were followed, and for any rules that were not followed, there are consequences and there are investigations ongoing. We will continue to keep Canadians safe—

The Speaker :

The hon. Leader of the Opposition .

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, what was the full and final cost of the app?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, that is among the questions. There are direct follow-ups. Investigations are ongoing right now, both internal and external, to ensure that, as rules were evidently broken, there are consequences and there is accountability for this. There is no doubt that there are serious challenges around procurement and the public service that were evident at that time. We need to make sure that is fixed. We need to move forward in a way that takes better responsibility for the kinds of challenges we saw in this situation.

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, how much?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, during the pandemic we were there to invest, to protect Canadians and to keep their lives safe. Despite the objections and the conspiracy theories of the Conservative Party, we stepped up in many different ways. Even as we did, we expected and we continue to expect that the rules around procurement will be followed by the public service. It is obvious that this was not the case here. That is why there are ongoing investigations. There will be consequences, and there will be changes made to the public service's systems.

(1445) [ Translation ]

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister said that the ArriveCAN app would cost $80,000. According to the Auditor General, it cost at least $60 million. That is 750 times more expensive. We do not know everything yet because some documents are missing. The Prime Minister has the power to request all documents from his government. How much did the app cost?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, as I said, investigations are ongoing to find out exactly how this happened, who benefited and what the consequences will be. That is very important. At the same time, we must remember that everything we did at that time was to protect Canadians. Even during that terrible crisis, we expected the rules to be followed. Obviously, it appears that they were not followed. That is why investigations are ongoing to get to the bottom of this.

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, how much did it cost?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, as I said, investigations are under way to find out exactly who is responsible, what rules were broken and what the consequences will be for the people involved.

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, the people involved are the taxpayers who are struggling to pay their bills. He leads the government. He has access to all the documents. Does he expect us to believe that he does not know how much the arrive scam app cost? [ English ] Does he really expect us to believe that he does not know how much his own app cost? He has the power to call for any document he wants from the government. Either he is covering it up, or he is incompetent, or worse. Which is it?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, there are ongoing investigations, both internal and external, that are following up on exactly how this unacceptable situation happened. We received the Auditor General's report last week. We are following up and we have been following up on this for months already. We are going to continue to make sure that anyone who broke the rules faces consequences and that systems and structures surrounding the public service and procurement are changed. This is something we are taking very seriously, as we must.

[ Translation ]

Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, the pandemic is a convenient excuse for a lot of things, but it does not relieve the government of its obligations of sound management and accountability. We now know that the Prime Minister is responsible, and we know that he did not launch a specific investigation into the ArriveCAN app and the $60 million. Has the Prime Minister taken any steps to recover the money that was spent inappropriately and that must be returned to the public coffers, regardless of whose hands it ended up in?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, in answer to a previous question, I mentioned that internal processes and investigations began months ago to look into this contract, which was improperly awarded and for which the rules were not followed. This has been under way for several months and we have been taking this situation seriously. Although there was a pandemic and we had to react quickly and creatively, that does not excuse the fact that contracts were improperly awarded or the fact that the rules were not followed. That is why we are conducting investigations, and there will be consequences.

Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, in a cagey and roundabout way, the Prime Minister is admitting that there was misappropriation and misuse of public funds at the Canada Border Services Agency. Has he at least considered relieving the current administration of their duties and temporarily placing the agency under third-party management?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, as a result of internal investigations, there have already been consequences for some of the people involved. I am not going to say anything else because there are processes and investigations under way. However, I can reassure people by telling them that, yes, we have taken concrete action and there have been consequences, but there will be even more consequences as the authorities involved continue their work.

(1450) Infrastructure

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, while the common-sense Conservative Party is focused on cutting taxes, building housing, fixing the budget and stopping crime, this Prime Minister's radical Minister of Environment is launching a war on cars. He said that their government has decided to stop investing in new road infrastructure. How does he think people in the regions are going to get to work? By bike?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the minister has clarified his remarks. The reality is that our approach to infrastructure has not changed. Since 2015, we have invested billions of dollars in infrastructure, be it bridges, ports or roads. We are going to continue to be there to invest in infrastructure across the country. Our approach has not changed. It has to be said that the Conservative Party's approach has not changed either. The Conservatives vote against our investments in infrastructure, against our investments in bridges, in roads, in help for rural communities, as well as big cities. They consistently vote against it all.

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, the radical Minister of Environment did not clarify his remarks, he went even further, adding that the Liberal government is going to block projects such as the third link for the people in the greater Quebec City region. The people need a third link. People in the regions need their cars. This Prime Minister wants to prevent them from using them. Why is he waging a war against cars instead of helping people get to work?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I am sure that Quebeckers will be pleased to hear that the Conservative Party is still in favour of this third link, which is no longer happening. The reality is that our government's approach to investing in transportation systems and roads has not changed since 2015. There have been projects such as the new Samuel de Champlain Bridge or the Gordie Howe international bridge that is being built. We will always be there to invest in infrastructure and, apparently, the Conservative Party will always be there to vote against our investments in infrastructure.

[ English ]

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, the crazy, carbon tax minister has done it again. This time he is saying that the federal government is not going to support any new road construction. I quote: “our government has made the decision to stop investing in new road infrastructure”. He believes that people in Yukon, rural Alberta or rural Newfoundland will have to get to work riding a bicycle. Why should those people have to pay taxes for infrastructure when they cannot possibly use the tramways and the bicycles he is funding?

The Speaker :

A couple of months ago, the Chair made it clear to all members that we should not be using certain adjectives in regard to individual members of Parliament. The word “crazy” is not one that we should be using. It is one thing I have given direction to members on. I am going to ask members to please work within the boundaries of parliamentary language. The Right Hon. Prime Minister.

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the minister has already clarified his remarks. Our government's approach to investing in trade corridors and roads that Canadians rely on has not changed since 2015. We will continue to step up. We got projects like the Samuel de Champlain Bridge in Montreal across the finish line, and we are going to get others like the Gordie Howe bridge built. We are going to continue to invest in infrastructure. What also has not changed is the Conservative Party's opposition to investments in roads, communities, bridges and ports right across the country, as we grow the economy, because all the Conservative leader is offering is cuts, cuts, cuts.

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, first, the radical minister is bringing in a 61¢-a-litre carbon tax on people who are committing the crime of driving to work or operating their farms. Then, he wants to ban people from using vehicles that are necessary in our climate. Now, he says he is going to ban all federal funding for future roads: “Our government has made the decision to stop investing in new road infrastructure”. Will the Prime Minister condemn those crazy comments?

(1455) Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, once again, the minister has clarified his remarks. Our approach to infrastructure continues to be one of investing in the future for Canadians. Through the national trade corridors fund alone, we are building projects like a new bridge over the Yukon River in Dawson City, new interchanges on Highways 101 and 103 in Nova Scotia, and twinning the Trans-Canada Highway in parts of Newfoundland. We are also working with municipalities through the community building fund. Just in Ontario, this means almost 2,900 projects for local roads and bridges. What has not changed, as well, is the Conservative Party's opposition to investing in the future and investing in—

The Speaker :

The hon. member for Burnaby South.

Foreign Affairs

Mr. Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South, NDP) :

Mr. Speaker, Netanyahu's bombing of Rafah and potential ground incursion will be a slaughter. Thousands of innocent Palestinians will die. The Liberals act as if they are concerned, but authorized $28.5 million in new military exports to Netanyahu. The Prime Minister has the power and the responsibility to protect civilians. When will he stop selling arms to Netanyahu?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, a military operation in Rafah would have catastrophic consequences. Over half of Gaza's population is taking refuge in the area, including many Canadians and their families. There is simply nowhere else for civilians to go. Protecting civilians is paramount. A sustainable ceasefire is urgently needed. Hamas must lay down its arms and release all hostages immediately. The only possible path forward toward peace is a two-state solution. We have told this directly to Prime Minister Netanyahu and other regional partners. We have not permitted any new export permits since October 7.

Public Safety

Mr. Jagmeet Singh (Burnaby South, NDP) :

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has an obligation to back up his words with actions. With kids going online, we know they risk being exposed to harmful content, sexual extortion and harassment. In the last election, the Prime Minister promised legislation to hold those platforms accountable and to protect kids within 100 days of being in office. It has been 814 days and, still, nothing has happened. Children are being hurt as the Prime Minister sits by. When will he stop protecting web giants and start protecting kids?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the leader opposite knows well that we have been working very closely with communities, individuals and experts to move forward on online harms legislation that is going to do the right job of protecting our kids from all the range of harms they face online. This is something we have taken very seriously. It is also something we have listened to and have heard, particularly from minority or marginalized communities, that we need to get it exactly right. That is why we have taken the time. This is something that the leader knows full well. We are going to continue to do the right work to protect our kids.

Health

Hon. Hedy Fry (Vancouver Centre, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, sexual and reproductive health touches all aspects of human health and well-being. It affects physical and mental health. It impacts social participation. It ensures healthy reproductive organs, family planning, pre- and post-natal care, the delivery of healthy babies and safe abortion. There is a push globally to limit access to the full range of sexual and reproductive health care. This week, two female MPs were stopped from raising this issue in Parliament. As it is SRHR week globally, can the Prime Minister reaffirm the government's position on this human rights issue?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Vancouver Centre for her tireless advocacy on women's issues. This week, I am proud to reaffirm our government's unwavering commitment to defending Canadians' reproductive rights through historic investments and through work with grassroots organizers. We have seen, just this week, over the past two days, that the threat to reproductive freedom is alive and well in Canada, even in this chamber. The shameful behaviour of Conservative MPs, shutting down women in the House, leaves Canadians wondering what that party is so afraid of. I call on Conservative MPs to stand up for women's rights.

(1500) Carbon Pricing

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, our common-sense plan axes the tax, builds the homes, fixes the budgets and stops the crime. The Prime Minister cannot defend his policy, so he is changing the name. People hate the carbon tax because 60% pay more into it than they get back in his phony rebates. Today, he announced a costly rebranding of the hated carbon tax. My questions for him are these: How much did he spend on consultants in order to come up with the new name, and was it GC Strategies that he hired?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition does not even understand the consequences of the cuts he is proposing left, right and centre. He proposes to take away the carbon price rebate, the Canada carbon rebate, from millions of Canadian families across the country. The Canada carbon rebate is going to be there to continue to deliver more money to eight out of 10 Canadian families, in four cheques, over the course of the year. That puts cash in their pockets while we fight climate change. We are seeing a reduction in emissions that Canada is leading on. We are also moving forward on growing the economy and supporting Canadians.

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, he could not even get the new name of the carbon tax right. It is only three words. The Prime Minister should learn that we cannot improve life by slogans alone. That is right. That is why we propose the facts. I have here a distributional analysis of the federal fuel charge by the Parliamentary Budget Officer, which shows that 60% of Canadians pay more in taxes than they get back in the Prime Minister 's phony rebates. Why will the Prime Minister not follow the facts and axe the tax?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition wants to talk about the facts. The Canada carbon rebate will deliver $1,800 in Alberta to an average family of four; $1,200 in Manitoba; $1,120 in Ontario for a family of four; $1,500 in Saskatchewan; $760 in New Brunswick; $824 in Nova Scotia; $880 in P.E.I.; and, $1,192 in Newfoundland and Labrador to a family of four. Eight out of 10 families across the country get more money out of the Canada carbon rebate—

The Speaker :

The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

[ Translation ] Housing

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost of housing, which has doubled since he took office. Today, we learned on Rentals.ca that rent reached a new high in January at $2,196 a month. That is a 10% increase in one year. When will he learn that funding bureaucracy instead of housing will not address the cost of housing?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition keeps showing that he does not even understand the programs that he intends to cut. With our housing accelerator fund, we are investing in municipalities' capacity to build more houses faster by speeding up densification, making zoning changes, issuing permits and moving forward in a way that creates more opportunities to build more homes. The Leader of the Opposition refuses to understand that, rather than making cuts, this is how we are going to resolve the housing crisis.

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about that program. Since it was created two years ago, rent has increased by 20% across the country. At the Standing Committee on Finance yesterday, the Minister of Housing was asked how many homes have been built through the accelerator fund. The answer is zero. The minister said the program does not build houses specifically. Those were his words. If it costs $4 billion to build no houses, how much would it cost to build one?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition just proved that he does not even understand the programs he is proposing to abolish. Yes, we are investing $4 billion in municipalities across the country to speed up densification and housing construction and cut red tape in order to build more homes faster. That is exactly what we are doing. We are creating opportunities. More than half a million homes will be built in the next few years. The Leader of the Opposition is proposing to abolish everything because he only cares about cuts.

(1505) Natural Resources

Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, contrary to common sense, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has authorized a pit covering over a million square metres to store nuclear waste pretty much alongside the Ottawa River. Many people are concerned about this, including chiefs of the Anishinabek Nation, who are here with us today. I would like the Prime Minister to tell me, does he consider nuclear waste to be dangerous?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, protecting the health and safety of Canadians and the environment is a top priority for this government. This decision was made by the independent Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, which approves projects only if it determines they are safe for Canadians and the environment, and only after a thorough assessment based on evidence and consultations with indigenous and other affected communities. The Government of Canada and the Department of Energy and Natural Resources are not involved in the commission's decisions regarding—

The Speaker :

The hon. member for Beloeil—Chambly.

Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ) :

Mr. Speaker, the Anishinabek Nation has conclusively decided that it is not safe. The Quebec nation has conclusively decided that it is not safe. Is the Prime Minister only listening to the nuclear lobby and to the steadily shrinking Liberal nation?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, as we know and as everyone knows, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission is an independent scientific body that conducts rigorous assessments to ensure the safety of nuclear facilities. It consults with the communities concerned and bases its activities on science to protect Canadians and the environment. This is not a political decision. On this side of the House, we trust our experts.

[ English ] Housing

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the Prime Minister is not worth the cost of housing, which has doubled as he has built bureaucracies that block homes. In January, according data out today, rent was up 10% year over year to $2,196, an astonishing increase in a very short time. In fact, it is up about 20% in the last two years alone, and it has been accelerating ever since he recently named his incompetent housing minister . Will the Prime Minister follow our common-sense plan to cut the bureaucracy and build the homes?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that cuts from the Conservative leader would not get more homes built. If he were really concerned about rents, he would line up behind us and support the removal of the GST on new apartment construction. That is something they actually voted against. We know that unlocking a greater supply of housing, including with purpose-built apartment buildings across the country, is a way of bringing down rents for people. That is a concrete solution we put forward that the Conservatives chose to vote against for political gain and for political reasons.

We are going to continue to be there to do the hard work of delivering for Canadians, while he relies on catchy slogans and misunderstanding of what it is he is choosing to cut.

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, we were the ones who proposed taking the tax off home building, the one good idea that he finally copied. However, the Prime Minister talks about slogans. One is the housing accelerator fund, the $4-billion program that was supposed to speed up housing. We asked the housing minister yesterday in committee how many homes it had completed, and the answer is zero, nada and nothing. He said, “It doesn't actually lead to the construction of specific homes.” It cost $4 billion to build zero homes. How much would it cost to build one?

(1510) Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, once again, we have the clear proof that the Leader of the Opposition does not even understand the proposals that he is counting on cutting, that he is promising to cut, from Canadians. The housing accelerator fund is about investing in municipalities across the country to change the frame around which they build homes faster. It involves eliminating red tape, increasing densification, changing zoning and making sure we can unlock far more house construction than any federal government could build on its own. This is the approach that we are taking, and it is working.

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, we have seen $4 billion, 35 photo ops, one minister and zero homes. The minister not only says the program does not build homes, but he also says it does not lead to the construction of homes. He could not point to one development that had actually been completed. The Liberals have been in power for eight years and they cannot get anything built. When will they get the bureaucracy and the taxes out of the way so we can build the homes?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the only tool that the Leader of the Conservative Party has put forward is cutting: cutting programs in order to somehow create more homes. What we are actually doing is investing, in partnership with municipalities, to eliminate red tape, to accelerate the construction of homes, to increase densification and to change zoning so that more houses can be built. If he wants to talk about a number, half a million new homes are being facilitated by the housing accelerator fund right across the country. We have signed these over the past months. Construction is already under way across the country.

[ Translation ] Indigenous Affairs

Mrs. Sophie Chatel (Pontiac, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, communities across Canada are marching to remember missing and murdered women, girls and two-spirited people. Indigenous women are still afraid to leave their communities at night. As this year marks the fifth anniversary of the national inquiry's final report on this issue, can the Prime Minister provide an update on efforts to implement the report's calls to action?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for Pontiac for her question and her hard work. The crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women, girls and two-spirited people continues in our country. Since 2015, we have launched a national inquiry—something the Conservatives refused to do—and we now have a clear plan of action that includes more help for people fleeing violence and a commitment to create the red dress alert to find missing indigenous people. I would like to thank everyone who is participating in the walk in their communities.

[ English ] Public Safety

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, after eight years, the Prime Minister is not worth the crime, chaos, drugs and disorder he has unleashed in our streets. He has signed on with the NDP government in B.C. to decriminalize crack, heroin and other hard drugs and has allowed for drug injection sites in Richmond. Courageous and patriotic Canadians of Chinese origin rose up to speak out to protect their kids and were treated to racial slurs by radical NDP activists telling them to go back to where they came from. Will the Prime Minister reject this Liberal racism and ban hard drugs so we can stop the crime?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, the impact of the toxic drug and overdose crisis on our communities is absolutely devastating. We are using every tool at our disposal to work with partners to end this national public health crisis. Unlike the opposition, we are following an evidence-based approach while working in partnership with stakeholders, experts and people with lived and living experience. We take the safety of all Canadians seriously, which is why, from the beginning, we have approached this from both the public health and public safety perspectives, hand in hand with the B.C. government in this case.

Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister would not condemn the racial slurs, but he did issue a vicious condemnation of his own record. I will read what he said about life in Canada after eight years of his prime ministership. He said, “Yeah, grocery bills suck. Rent sucks. Mortgage renegotiations, oh my God, how are we going to deal with it?” This is life after eight years. What is his slogan going to be in the next election: “Vote for me and life will still suck”?

(1515) Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, did he just say, “vote for me and life will suck”? I think that is what he said. The reality is that we have put forward smart, responsible solutions to fight climate change and grow the economy, to lift over half a million kids out of poverty, and to invest in the economy of the future and good careers, whether in zero-emission vehicles, whether in mining or forestry or whether in advanced manufacturing. We will continue to bring more women into the workforce with initiatives such as child care. We are moving forward on dental care, which the Conservatives voted against, for seniors and young people. We are going to be there to invest in a better future for Canadians.

Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC) :

Mr. Speaker, he actually spoke the truth, maybe by accident. He said that, after eight years, life sucks for the very middle class and those working hard to join it to whom he promised so much. He taxed their grocery bills with a quadrupling carbon tax. He doubled housing costs after promising to lower them. He unleashed a crime wave across the country. Now that he admits life sucks under his leadership, why will he not accept our common-sense plan to axe the tax, build the homes, fix the budget and stop the crime?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, Canadians understand that these are complicated times and that governments need to step up with real solutions. Responsible leadership is about recognizing the challenges people are facing and putting forward solutions to fix them. Whether it is a housing accelerator that is getting half a million homes built over the coming years; whether it is child care that is saving thousands of dollars for families right across the country, as we help more women get into the workforce; whether it is fighting climate change in a way that puts more money into people's pockets and builds stronger careers for the future, we are putting forward solutions. He is doing nothing but attack—

The Speaker :

The hon. member for Richmond Hill.

Health

Mr. Majid Jowhari (Richmond Hill, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, Canadians want access to health care systems and services that allow them and their family and loved ones to get the care they need when they need it. While the Conservatives voted against payments through our Canada health transfer, our government signed a bilateral funding agreement with Ontario, investing more than $3.1 billion over the next two years. Can the Prime Minister please update the House on the working together agreement and how it will help the health care system and impact the lives of Canadians?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate my colleague's service to his constituents. These specifically tailored agreements will address unique health care challenges faced by provinces and territories. Thanks to this federal funding, Ontario will add hundreds of new family physicians and nurse practitioners, expand health care education programs, remove barriers to foreign credential recognition and open five new youth wellness hubs to improve access to mental health services. Unlike the Conservative Party, which is too busy fighting for a privatized health care system, we will keep making bold investments and will work with the provinces and territories to deliver real—

The Speaker :

The hon. member for Victoria.

Climate Change

Ms. Laurel Collins (Victoria, NDP) :

Mr. Speaker, Canadians are worried about the climate crisis. We know that coal is the dirtiest source of electricity, producing more emissions than any other fossil fuel does. The Liberals promised to ban thermal coal exports, but under the Liberals, exports have more than tripled. These are more broken promises. The Liberals have no plan to phase coal out and no plan to support workers. Canadians across the country are facing extreme weather. Will the Prime Minister end thermal coal exports?

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, yes, phasing out coal from the electricity sector is the single most important climate action any country can take. We are committed to ending thermal coal exports by 2030, as well as ending coal-powered electricity generation. The Minister of Environment is actively working on achieving these targets, and we will have an update in due course.

[ Translation ] Justice

Mr. Alain Rayes (Richmond—Arthabaska, Ind.) :

Mr. Speaker, after question period, every member will have the opportunity to rise to vote on the NDP's Bill C‑273 to repeal

section 43 of the Criminal Code, which allows an adult to use corporal punishment on a child for so-called educational purposes. More than 65 countries in the world have done this and 27 others have initiated the process. It is what the UN committee on the protection of children has called for. Call to action 6 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada is calling for it, as is the Canadian Medical Association. Can the Prime Minister confirm that his government will support this initiative to protect our children?

(1520) Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for the question. This is an issue we are all concerned about. I can assure everyone that the government is unwavering in its commitment to ensuring the protection and physical safety of children across the country. We therefore support Bill C‑273 and its important purpose of protecting our children against violence and abuse. We look forward to hearing the experts during study in committee of this important legislation that we will support in a few minutes.

Government Orders Government Orders

[ English ] Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Ottawa-Cornwall Act (Bill S-1001. On the Order: Government Orders:)

S-1001 — February 6, 2024 — Mr. Sorbara (Vaughan—Woodbridge) — Second reading and reference to a legislative committee of Bill S-1001,

An Act to amalgamate The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Ottawa and The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation for the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, in Ontario, Canada .

Mr. Francesco Sorbara (Vaughan—Woodbridge, Lib.) :

Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties, and if you seek it, I think you will find unanimous consent to adopt the following motion. Motion I move:

That, notwithstanding any standing order or usual practice of the House, Bill S-1001,

An Act to amalgamate The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of Ottawa and The Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation for the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, in Ontario, Canada, be deemed read a second time and referred to a committee of the whole, deemed considered in committee of the whole, deemed reported without amendment, deemed concurred in at report stage and deemed read a third time and passed.

The Speaker :

All those opposed to the hon. member's moving the motion will please say nay. It is agreed. The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay.

Some hon. members: Agreed. (Bill read the second time, considered in committee of the whole, reported, concurred in, read the third time and passed)

[ Translation ] Criminal Code

The House resumed from February 13 consideration of the motion that Bill C‑62,

An Act to amend

An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying), No. 2 , be read the second time and referred to a committee, and of the amendment. Bill C‑62. Second reading

The Speaker :

It being 3:23 p.m., pursuant to order made on Tuesday, February 13, the House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the amendment of the member for Laurentides—Labelle. Call in the members.

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes) :

The question is as follows. Shall I dispense?

Some hon. members: No. [Chair read text of amendment to House]

(1535) [ English ]

(The House divided on the amendment, which was negatived on the following division:)

(Division No. 640)

YEAS Members Barsalou-Duval Beaulieu Bergeron Bérubé Blanchet Blanchette-Joncas Boulerice Brunelle-Duceppe Chabot Champoux DeBellefeuille Desbiens Desilets Fortin Garon Gaudreau Larouche Lemire Michaud Normandin Pauzé Perron Plamondon Rayes Savard-Tremblay Simard Sinclair-Desgagné Ste-Marie Thériault Therrien Trudel Vignola Villemure -- 33

NAYS Members Aboultaif Aitchison Albas Aldag Alghabra Ali Allison Anand Anandasangaree Angus Arnold Arseneault Arya Atwin Bachrach Badawey Bains Baker Baldinelli Barlow Barrett Barron Battiste Beech Berthold Bezan Bibeau Bittle Blaikie Blaney Block Blois Boissonnault Bradford Bragdon Brassard Brière Brock Calkins Cannings Caputo Carr Carrie Casey Chagger Chahal Chambers Champagne Chatel Chen Chiang Chong Collins (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek) Collins (Victoria) Cooper Cormier Coteau Dabrusin Dalton Damoff Dancho Davidson Davies Deltell d'Entremont Desjarlais Dhaliwal Dhillon Diab Doherty Dowdall Dreeshen Drouin Dubourg Duclos Duguid Duncan (Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry) Dzerowicz Ehsassi El-Khoury Ellis Epp Erskine-Smith Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster) Falk (Provencher) Fast Ferreri Fillmore Findlay Fisher Fonseca Fortier Fragiskatos Fraser Freeland Fry Gaheer Gainey Gallant Garrison Gazan Généreux Genuis Gerretsen Gladu Godin Goodridge Gould Gourde Gray Green Guilbeault Hajdu Hallan Hanley Hardie Hepfner Hoback Holland Housefather Hussen Hutchings Iacono Idlout Ien Jaczek Jeneroux Johns Joly Jones Jowhari Julian Kayabaga Kelloway Kelly Khalid Khanna Khera Kitchen Kmiec Koutrakis Kram Kurek Kusie Kusmierczyk Kwan Lake Lalonde Lambropoulos Lamoureux Lantsman Lapointe Lattanzio Lauzon Lawrence LeBlanc Lebouthillier Lehoux Leslie Lewis (Essex) Lewis (Haldimand—Norfolk) Lightbound Lloyd Lobb Long Longfield Louis (Kitchener—Conestoga) MacAulay (Cardigan) MacDonald (Malpeque) MacGregor MacKinnon (Gatineau) Maguire Majumdar Maloney Martel Martinez Ferrada Masse Mathyssen May (Cambridge) May (Saanich—Gulf Islands) Mazier McCauley (Edmonton West) McDonald (Avalon) McGuinty McKay McKinnon (Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam) McLean McLeod McPherson Melillo Mendès Mendicino Miao Miller Moore Morantz Morrice Morrison Morrissey Motz Murray Muys Naqvi Nater Ng Noormohamed O'Connell Oliphant O'Regan Patzer Paul-Hus Perkins Petitpas Taylor Poilievre Powlowski Qualtrough Redekopp Reid Rempel Garner Richards Roberts Robillard Rodriguez Rogers Romanado Rood Rota Ruff Sahota Sajjan Saks Samson Sarai Scarpaleggia Scheer Schiefke Schmale Seeback Serré Sgro Shanahan Sheehan Shields Shipley Sidhu (Brampton East) Sidhu (Brampton South) Singh Small Sorbara Soroka Sousa Steinley Stewart St-Onge Strahl Stubbs Sudds Tassi Taylor Roy Thomas Thompson Tochor Tolmie Trudeau Turnbull Uppal Valdez Van Bynen van Koeverden Van Popta Vandal Vandenbeld Vecchio Vidal Vien Viersen Virani Vis Vuong Wagantall Warkentin Waugh Webber Weiler Williams Williamson Yip Zahid Zarrillo Zimmer Zuberi -- 291

PAIRED Members Blair Liepert -- 2

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes) :

Amendment negatived I declare the amendment defeated. [ Translation ] The next question is on the main 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.

[ English ]

Hon. Ruby Sahota :

Madam Speaker, we request a recorded division.

(1550) (The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

(Division No. 641)

YEAS Members Aboultaif Aitchison Albas Aldag Alghabra Ali Allison Anand Anandasangaree Angus Arnold Arseneault Arya Ashton Atwin Bachrach Badawey Bains Baker Baldinelli Barlow Barrett Barron Battiste Beech Berthold Bezan Bibeau Bittle Blaikie Blaney Block Blois Boissonnault Boulerice Bradford Bragdon Brassard Brière Brock Calkins Cannings Caputo Carr Carrie Casey Chagger Chahal Chambers Champagne Chatel Chen Chiang Chong Collins (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek) Collins (Victoria) Cooper Cormier Coteau Dabrusin Dalton Damoff Dancho Davidson Davies Deltell d'Entremont Desjarlais Dhaliwal Dhillon Diab Doherty Dowdall Dreeshen Drouin Dubourg Duclos Duguid Duncan (Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry) Dzerowicz Ehsassi El-Khoury Ellis Epp Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster) Falk (Provencher) Fast Ferreri Fillmore Findlay Fisher Fonseca Fortier Fragiskatos Fraser Freeland Fry Gaheer Gainey Gallant Garrison Gazan Généreux Genuis Gerretsen Gladu Godin Goodridge Gould Gourde Gray Green Guilbeault Hajdu Hallan Hanley Hardie Hepfner Hoback Holland Housefather Hussen Hutchings Iacono Idlout Ien Jaczek Jeneroux Johns Joly Jones Jowhari Julian Kayabaga Kelloway Kelly Khalid Khanna Khera Kitchen Kmiec Koutrakis Kram Kramp-Neuman Kurek Kusie Kusmierczyk Kwan Lake Lalonde Lambropoulos Lamoureux Lantsman Lapointe Lattanzio Lauzon Lawrence LeBlanc Lebouthillier Lehoux Leslie Lewis (Essex) Lewis (Haldimand—Norfolk) Lightbound Lloyd Lobb Long Longfield Louis (Kitchener—Conestoga) MacAulay (Cardigan) MacDonald (Malpeque) MacGregor MacKinnon (Gatineau) Maguire Majumdar Maloney Martel Martinez Ferrada Masse Mathyssen May (Cambridge) May (Saanich—Gulf Islands) Mazier McCauley (Edmonton West) McDonald (Avalon) McGuinty McKay McKinnon (Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam) McLean McLeod McPherson Melillo Mendès Mendicino Miao Miller Moore Morantz Morrice Morrison Morrissey Motz Murray Muys Naqvi Nater Ng Noormohamed O'Connell Oliphant O'Regan Patzer Paul-Hus Perkins Petitpas Taylor Poilievre Powlowski Qualtrough Rayes Redekopp Reid Rempel Garner Richards Roberts Robillard Rodriguez Rogers Romanado Rood Rota Ruff Sahota Sajjan Saks Samson Sarai Scarpaleggia Scheer Schiefke Schmale Seeback Serré Sgro Shanahan Sheehan Shields Shipley Sidhu (Brampton East) Sidhu (Brampton South) Singh Small Sorbara Soroka Sousa Steinley Stewart St-Onge Strahl Stubbs Sudds Tassi Taylor Roy Thomas Thompson Tochor Tolmie Trudeau Turnbull Uppal Valdez Van Bynen van Koeverden Van Popta Vandal Vandenbeld Vecchio Vidal Vien Viersen Virani Vis Vuong Wagantall Warkentin Waugh Webber Weiler Williams Williamson Yip Zahid Zarrillo Zimmer Zuberi -- 294

NAYS Members Barsalou-Duval Beaulieu Bergeron Bérubé Blanchet Blanchette-Joncas Brunelle-Duceppe Chabot Champoux DeBellefeuille Desbiens Desilets Erskine-Smith Fortin Garon Gaudreau Gill Larouche Lemire Michaud Normandin Pauzé Perron Plamondon Savard-Tremblay Simard Sinclair-Desgagné Ste-Marie Thériault Therrien Trudel Vignola Villemure -- 33

PAIRED Members Blair Liepert -- 2

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes) :

I declare the motion carried. Motion agreed to [ Translation ] Pursuant to order made on Tuesday, February 13, Bill C‑62,

An Act to amend

An Act to amend the Criminal Code (medical assistance in dying), No. 2 , is deemed referred to a committee of the whole, deemed considered in committee of the whole, deemed reported without amendment and deemed concurred in at report stage. (Bill read the second time, deemed referred to a committee of the whole, deemed reported without amendment and deemed concurred in at report stage)

Private Members' Business Private Members' Business

[ Translation ] Parliament of Canada Act Bill S‑202. Third reading

The House resumed from February 8 consideration of the motion that Bill S‑202,

An Act to amend the Parliament of Canada Act (Parliamentary Visual Artist Laureate) , be read the third time and passed.

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes) :

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at third reading stage of Bill S‑202 under Private Members' Business.

(1600) [ English ]

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

(Division No. 642)

YEAS Members Aldag Alghabra Ali Anand Anandasangaree Angus Arseneault Arya Atwin Bachrach Badawey Bains Baker Barron Barsalou-Duval Battiste Beaulieu Beech Bergeron Bérubé Bibeau Bittle Blaikie Blanchet Blanchette-Joncas Blaney Blois Boissonnault Boulerice Bradford Brière Brunelle-Duceppe Cannings Carr Casey Chabot Chagger Chahal Champagne Champoux Chatel Chen Chiang Collins (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek) Collins (Victoria) Cormier Coteau Dabrusin Damoff Davies DeBellefeuille Desbiens Desilets Desjarlais Dhaliwal Dhillon Diab Dong Drouin Dubourg Duclos Duguid Dzerowicz Ehsassi El-Khoury Erskine-Smith Fillmore Fisher Fonseca Fortier Fortin Fragiskatos Fraser Freeland Fry Gaheer Gainey Garon Garrison Gaudreau Gazan Gerretsen Gill Gould Green Guilbeault Hajdu Hanley Hardie Hepfner Holland Housefather Hussen Hutchings Iacono Idlout Ien Jaczek Johns Joly Jones Jowhari Julian Kayabaga Kelloway Khalid Khera Koutrakis Kusmierczyk Kwan Lalonde Lambropoulos Lamoureux Lapointe Larouche Lattanzio Lauzon LeBlanc Lebouthillier Lemire Lightbound Long Longfield Louis (Kitchener—Conestoga) MacAulay (Cardigan) MacDonald (Malpeque) MacGregor MacKinnon (Gatineau) Maloney Martinez Ferrada Masse Mathyssen May (Cambridge) May (Saanich—Gulf Islands) McDonald (Avalon) McGuinty McKay McKinnon (Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam) McLeod McPherson Mendès Mendicino Miao Michaud Miller Morrice Morrissey Murray Naqvi Ng Noormohamed Normandin O'Connell Oliphant O'Regan Pauzé Perron Petitpas Taylor Plamondon Powlowski Qualtrough Rayes Robillard Rodriguez Rogers Romanado Rota Sahota Sajjan Saks Samson Sarai Savard-Tremblay Scarpaleggia Schiefke Serré Sgro Shanahan Sheehan Sidhu (Brampton East) Sidhu (Brampton South) Simard Sinclair-Desgagné Singh Sorbara Sousa Ste-Marie St-Onge Sudds Tassi Taylor Roy Thériault Therrien Thompson Trudeau Trudel Turnbull Valdez Van Bynen van Koeverden Vandal Vandenbeld Vignola Villemure Virani Weiler Yip Zahid Zarrillo Zuberi -- 210

NAYS Members Aboultaif Aitchison Albas Allison Arnold Baldinelli Barlow Barrett Berthold Bezan Block Bragdon Brassard Brock Calkins Caputo Carrie Chambers Chong Cooper Dalton Dancho Davidson Deltell d'Entremont Doherty Dowdall Dreeshen Duncan (Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry) Ellis Epp Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster) Falk (Provencher) Fast Ferreri Findlay Gallant Généreux Genuis Gladu Godin Goodridge Gourde Gray Hallan Hoback Jeneroux Kelly Khanna Kitchen Kmiec Kram Kurek Kusie Lake Lantsman Lawrence Lehoux Leslie Lewis (Essex) Lewis (Haldimand—Norfolk) Lloyd Lobb Maguire Majumdar Martel Mazier McCauley (Edmonton West) McLean Melillo Moore Morantz Morrison Motz Muys Nater Patzer Paul-Hus Perkins Poilievre Redekopp Reid Rempel Garner Richards Roberts Rood Ruff Scheer Schmale Seeback Shipley Small Soroka Steinley Stewart Strahl Stubbs Thomas Tochor Tolmie Uppal Van Popta Vecchio Vidal Vien Viersen Vis Vuong Wagantall Warkentin Waugh Webber Williams Williamson Zimmer -- 115

PAIRED Members Blair Liepert -- 2

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes) :

Motion agreed to I declare the motion carried. (Bill read the third time and passed)

[ Translation ] National Strategy on Flood and Drought Forecasting Act Bill C‑317. Second reading

The House resumed from February 12 consideration of the motion that Bill C‑317,

An Act to establish a national strategy respecting flood and drought forecasting , be read the second time and referred to a committee.

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes) :

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at second reading stage of Bill C‑317 under Private Members' Business.

(1615) [ English ]

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

(Division No. 643)

YEAS Members Aboultaif Aitchison Albas Aldag Alghabra Ali Allison Anand Anandasangaree Angus Arnold Arseneault Arya Ashton Atwin Bachrach Badawey Bains Baker Baldinelli Barlow Barrett Barron Battiste Beaulieu Beech Bergeron Berthold Bérubé Bezan Bibeau Bittle Blaikie Blanchet Blanchette-Joncas Blaney Block Blois Boissonnault Boulerice Bradford Bragdon Brassard Brière Brock Brunelle-Duceppe Calkins Cannings Caputo Carr Carrie Casey Chabot Chagger Chahal Chambers Champagne Champoux Chatel Chen Chiang Chong Collins (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek) Collins (Victoria) Cooper Cormier Coteau Dabrusin Dalton Damoff Dancho Davidson Davies DeBellefeuille Deltell d'Entremont Desbiens Desilets Desjarlais Dhaliwal Dhillon Diab Doherty Dong Dowdall Dreeshen Drouin Dubourg Duclos Duguid Duncan (Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry) Dzerowicz Ehsassi El-Khoury Ellis Epp Erskine-Smith Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster) Falk (Provencher) Fast Ferreri Fillmore Findlay Fisher Fonseca Fortier Fortin Fragiskatos Fraser Freeland Fry Gaheer Gainey Gallant Garon Garrison Gaudreau Gazan Généreux Genuis Gerretsen Gill Gladu Godin Goodridge Gould Gourde Gray Green Guilbeault Hajdu Hallan Hanley Hardie Hepfner Hoback Holland Housefather Hussen Hutchings Iacono Idlout Ien Jaczek Jeneroux Johns Joly Jones Jowhari Julian Kayabaga Kelloway Kelly Khalid Khanna Khera Kitchen Kmiec Koutrakis Kram Kurek Kusie Kusmierczyk Kwan Lake Lalonde Lambropoulos Lamoureux Lantsman Lapointe Larouche Lattanzio Lauzon Lawrence LeBlanc Lebouthillier Lehoux Lemire Leslie Lewis (Essex) Lewis (Haldimand—Norfolk) Lightbound Lloyd Lobb Long Longfield Louis (Kitchener—Conestoga) MacAulay (Cardigan) MacDonald (Malpeque) MacGregor MacKinnon (Gatineau) Maguire Majumdar Maloney Martel Martinez Ferrada Masse Mathyssen May (Cambridge) May (Saanich—Gulf Islands) Mazier McCauley (Edmonton West) McDonald (Avalon) McGuinty McKay McKinnon (Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam) McLean McLeod McPherson Melillo Mendès Mendicino Miao Michaud Miller Moore Morantz Morrice Morrison Morrissey Motz Murray Muys Naqvi Nater Ng Noormohamed Normandin O'Connell Oliphant O'Regan Patzer Paul-Hus Pauzé Perkins Perron Petitpas Taylor Plamondon Poilievre Powlowski Qualtrough Rayes Redekopp Reid Rempel Garner Richards Roberts Robillard Rodriguez Rogers Romanado Rood Rota Ruff Sahota Sajjan Saks Samson Sarai Savard-Tremblay Scarpaleggia Scheer Schiefke Schmale Seeback Serré Sgro Shanahan Sheehan Shields Shipley Sidhu (Brampton East) Sidhu (Brampton South) Simard Sinclair-Desgagné Singh Small Sorbara Soroka Sousa Steinley Ste-Marie Stewart St-Onge Strahl Stubbs Sudds Tassi Taylor Roy Thériault Therrien Thomas Thompson Tochor Tolmie Trudeau Trudel Turnbull Valdez Van Bynen van Koeverden Van Popta Vandal Vandenbeld Vecchio Vidal Vien Viersen Vignola Villemure Virani Vis Vuong Wagantall Warkentin Waugh Webber Weiler Williams Williamson Yip Zahid Zarrillo Zimmer Zuberi -- 325

NAYS Nil

PAIRED Members Blair Liepert -- 2

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes) :

Motion agreed to I declare the motion carried. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development. (Bill read the second time and referred to a committee)

[ Translation ] Criminal Code

The House resumed from February 13 consideration of the motion that Bill C‑273,

An Act to amend the Criminal Code (Corinne's Quest and the protection of children) , be read the second time and referred to a committee. Bill C‑273. Second reading

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes) :

The House will now proceed to the taking of the deferred recorded division on the motion at second reading stage of Bill C‑273 under Private Members' Business.

(1625) [ English ]

(The House divided on the motion, which was agreed to on the following division:)

(Division No. 644)

YEAS Members Aldag Alghabra Ali Anand Anandasangaree Angus Arseneault Arya Ashton Atwin Bachrach Badawey Bains Baker Barron Barsalou-Duval Battiste Beaulieu Beech Bergeron Bérubé Bibeau Bittle Blaikie Blanchet Blanchette-Joncas Blaney Blois Boissonnault Boulerice Bradford Brière Brunelle-Duceppe Cannings Carr Casey Chabot Chagger Chahal Champagne Champoux Chatel Chen Chiang Collins (Hamilton East—Stoney Creek) Collins (Victoria) Cormier Coteau Dabrusin Damoff Davies DeBellefeuille Desbiens Desilets Desjarlais Dhaliwal Dhillon Diab Dong Drouin Dubourg Duclos Duguid Dzerowicz Ehsassi El-Khoury Erskine-Smith Fillmore Fisher Fonseca Fortier Fragiskatos Fraser Freeland Fry Gaheer Gainey Garon Garrison Gaudreau Gazan Gerretsen Gill Gould Green Guilbeault Hajdu Hanley Hardie Hepfner Holland Housefather Hussen Hutchings Iacono Idlout Ien Jaczek Johns Joly Jones Jowhari Julian Kayabaga Kelloway Khalid Khera Koutrakis Kusmierczyk Kwan Lalonde Lambropoulos Lamoureux Lapointe Larouche Lattanzio Lauzon LeBlanc Lebouthillier Lemire Lightbound Long Longfield Louis (Kitchener—Conestoga) MacAulay (Cardigan) MacDonald (Malpeque) MacGregor MacKinnon (Gatineau) Maloney Martinez Ferrada Masse Mathyssen May (Cambridge) May (Saanich—Gulf Islands) McDonald (Avalon) McGuinty McKay McKinnon (Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam) McLeod McPherson Mendès Mendicino Miao Michaud Miller Morrice Morrissey Murray Naqvi Ng Noormohamed Normandin O'Connell Oliphant O'Regan Pauzé Perron Petitpas Taylor Plamondon Powlowski Qualtrough Rayes Robillard Rodriguez Rogers Romanado Rota Sahota Sajjan Saks Samson Sarai Savard-Tremblay Scarpaleggia Schiefke Serré Sgro Shanahan Sheehan Sidhu (Brampton East) Sidhu (Brampton South) Simard Sinclair-Desgagné Singh Sorbara Sousa Ste-Marie St-Onge Sudds Tassi Taylor Roy Thériault Therrien Thompson Trudel Turnbull Valdez Van Bynen van Koeverden Vandal Vandenbeld Vignola Villemure Virani Weiler Yip Zahid Zarrillo Zuberi -- 209

NAYS Members Aboultaif Aitchison Albas Allison Arnold Baldinelli Barlow Barrett Berthold Bezan Block Bragdon Brassard Brock Calkins Caputo Carrie Chambers Chong Cooper Dalton Dancho Davidson Deltell d'Entremont Doherty Dowdall Dreeshen Duncan (Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry) Ellis Epp Falk (Battlefords—Lloydminster) Falk (Provencher) Fast Ferreri Findlay Gallant Généreux Genuis Gladu Godin Goodridge Gourde Gray Hallan Hoback Jeneroux Kelly Khanna Kitchen Kmiec Kram Kurek Kusie Lake Lantsman Lawrence Lehoux Leslie Lewis (Essex) Lewis (Haldimand—Norfolk) Lloyd Lobb Maguire Majumdar Martel Mazier McCauley (Edmonton West) McLean Melillo Moore Morantz Morrison Motz Muys Nater Patzer Paul-Hus Perkins Poilievre Redekopp Reid Rempel Garner Richards Roberts Rood Ruff Scheer Schmale Seeback Shields Shipley Small Soroka Steinley Stewart Strahl Stubbs Thomas Tochor Tolmie Uppal Van Popta Vecchio Vidal Vien Viersen Vis Wagantall Warkentin Waugh Webber Williams Williamson Zimmer -- 115

PAIRED Members Blair Liepert -- 2

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes) :

I declare the motion carried. Accordingly, the bill stands referred to the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights. Motion agreed to (Bill read the second time and referred to a committee)

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes) :

I wish to inform the House that because of the deferred recorded divisions, Government Orders will be extended by 64 minutes.

ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS Routine Proceedings

[ English ] Committees of the House Procedure and House Affairs

Hon. Bardish Chagger (Waterloo, Lib.) :

Madam Speaker, pursuant to Standing Orders 104 and 114, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the 59th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, regarding the membership of committees of the House. If the House gives its consent, I intend to move concurrence in the 59th report later this day. Happy Valentine's Day.

(1630) Excise Tax Act

Mr. Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, NDP)

Bill C-382. Introduction and first reading moved for leave to introduce Bill C-382,

An Act to amend the Excise Tax Act and the Income Tax Act (extra-energy-efficient products) . He said: Madam Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to introduce this legislation, with thanks to the member for Nanaimo—Ladysmith for seconding it. The bill would amend the Excise Tax Act to exempt extra-energy-efficient products from the GST and the HST, including heat pumps, household appliances, lighting fixtures, electric motors and electronics. It would also amend the Income Tax Act to provide a tax credit for the purchase of these products.

This would put money back in people's pockets, reduce our energy consumption and encourage a shift towards more sustainable consumption. The bill represents a key investment in our future. Its urgency is underscored by the premature exhaustion of funds from the federal greener homes grant program. I urge all members to support this important initiative for a greener, more sustainable and more affordable Canada for all Canadians. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

Prohibiting the Export of Thermal Coal Act

Ms. Laurel Collins (Victoria, NDP)

Bill C-383. Introduction and first reading moved for leave to introduce Bill C-383,

An Act to prohibit the export of thermal coal from Canada . She said: Madam Speaker, today I am pleased to be tabling a bill to ban the export of thermal coal from Canada. I want to thank the member for Edmonton Strathcona for seconding the bill, and Ecojustice for its advocacy, its support for the bill and its work to end the export of thermal coal. The government has been painfully slow to move on its promise to ban thermal coal exports. Instead of being phased out under the Liberals, thermal coal exports have tripled.

The bill would not only start the work that the Liberals have failed to do but would also require that the government consult with trade unions and workers who would be affected by changes, before a ban were to happen. Canadians across the country have been living with the impacts of the climate crisis, and coal remains the largest contributor to climate change. Thermal coal has no place in a world serious about tackling the climate crisis, and emissions do not know borders. It is time to ban thermal coal exports. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)

[ Translation ] Committees of the House Procedure and House Affairs

Hon. Bardish Chagger (Waterloo, Lib.) :

Motion for concurrence Madam Speaker, if the House gives its consent, I move that the 59th report of the Standing Committee on Procedure and House Affairs, presented to the House earlier this day, be concurred in.

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes) :

All those opposed to the hon. member's moving the motion will please say nay. It is agreed. [ English ] The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed to the motion will please say nay. (Motion agreed to)

Petitions Democratic Institutions

Mr. Tom Kmiec (Calgary Shepard, CPC) :

Madam Speaker, I am tabling a petition from my constituents, asking for another non-confidence vote to be held. This is a petition I had out at my new year's levee earlier in January, and this is the earliest opportunity I have had to get it certified by Journals. It is very simple: My constituents are asking for a vote of non-confidence to be held within 45 days, and, should the government lose the vote, for a federal election to be held.

Ukraine

Mr. Churence Rogers (Bonavista—Burin—Trinity, Lib.) :

Madam Speaker, I present this petition on behalf of the residents in my riding of Bonavista—Burin—Trinity. Petitioners say that Bill C-57 would be an important update to the Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement that would assist Ukraine in rebuilding after it defeats the illegal invasion by Vladimir Putin. Furthermore, they point out that Ukraine's President Zelenskyy and the Ukrainian Canadian Congress have called on the Parliament of Canada to swiftly adopt the legislation, and that misinformation regarding Canada's carbon pricing scheme's having an effect on the agreement has been widely debunked.

Therefore the petitioners, who are citizens of Canada, call upon the House of Commons and all parliamentarians to reaffirm our unwavering commitment to Ukraine by swiftly adopting the updated Canada-Ukraine free trade agreement.

(1635) Health Care

Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP) :

Madam Speaker, a source of deep concern from constituents in Saanich—Gulf Islands is the critical shortage of family doctors and health care practitioners. Statistics Canada states that approximately 4.8 million Canadians do not have what we think of as a family doctor, primary health care practitioner, nurse practitioner or others. The concerned citizens and residents who signed this petition call on the House of Commons to work with provinces and territories to come to a holistic and fair solution to the critical and deeply concerning shortage of doctors.

First Responders Tax Credit

Ms. Lisa Marie Barron (Nanaimo—Ladysmith, NDP) :

Madam Speaker, I am presenting a petition on behalf of constituents and volunteer firefighters in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith, including those working at the Gabriola, Ladysmith and Lantzville extension; and East Wellington, North Oyster, North Cedar, Nanoose and Nanaimo fire stations. Volunteer firefighters account for 71% of Canada's total firefighting essential first responders. In addition, approximately 8,000 essential search and rescue volunteers respond to thousands of incidents every year.

These essential volunteers not only put their life on the line and give their time, training and efforts to Canadians, but also allow cities and municipalities to keep property taxes lower than if paid services were required. Increasing the tax credit would allow these essential volunteers to keep more of their hard-earned money, likely to be spent in the communities in which they live, and would help retain these volunteers in a time when volunteerism is decreasing.

For these reasons, those who have signed the petition are asking to increase the amount of the tax credit for volunteer firefighting and search and rescue volunteer services from $3,000 to $10,000.

Pornography

Mr. Doug Shipley (Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte, CPC) :

Madam Speaker, it is always an honour to present a petition on behalf of constituents in my riding of Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte. These petitioners note that a significant proportion of the sexually explicit material accessed online is made available on the Internet for commercial purposes and is not protected by any effective age-verification method, and that the consumption of sexually explicit material by young persons is associated with a range of serious harms. Therefore, the petitioners call on the House of Commons to adopt Bill S-210 , the protecting young persons from exposure to pornography act.

Eye Care

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

Madam Speaker, I am pleased to present two petitions that have been certified by the House that call on the government to support Bill C-284 . Given the fact that over eight million people are suffering from eye diseases and 1.2 million live with vision loss or blindness, 75% of vision-loss cases, if diagnosed and treated early, are preventable. Historically, the federal government has lacked any substantive framework on the matter of public eye health care, and the current structure has created huge gaps in access to care. Therefore, the undersigned citizens and residents of Canada call upon the House of Commons to adopt Bill C-284 ,

an act to establish a national strategy for eye care as soon as possible. I can report to the House that they have done that, and the House has supported Bill C-284 .

Housing

Mr. Mike Morrice (Kitchener Centre, GP) :

Madam Speaker, it is an honour to rise to present a petition that, first of all, notes that housing is a human right. The petitioners go on to note that both the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada have consistently failed to adequately fund social housing. They say that research, specific to the housing first model, notes housing formerly unsheltered folks consistently improves their health and quality of life, even to the point where these improved life outcomes lead to a reduction in costs in other areas of government.

They also note a Scotiabank report found that even if Canada were to double its social housing stock, we would still be around the peer average for social housing in the OECD. The petitioners go on to note that the lack of action by one level of government should not excuse the lack of action by another. As a result, the petitioners are calling on both the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario to work together to double the current social housing stock in Ontario.

(1640) Public Safety

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

Madam Speaker, it is always an honour to present a petition on behalf of constituents. I rise for the 31st time on behalf of the people of Swan River, Manitoba, to present a petition on the rising rate of crime. The community of Swan River is consumed with unprecedented levels of crime because of the government's soft-on-crime laws, like Bill C-5 and Bill C-75 . Bill C-5 allows criminals to serve their sentences from home, and Bill C-75 allows violent offenders to be in jail in the morning and back out on the street in the afternoon.

The people of Swan River are calling for jail, not bail, for violent repeat offenders. The people of Swan River demand that the Liberal government repeal its soft-on-crime policies that directly threaten their livelihoods and their community. I support the good people of Swan River.

Float Homes

Hon. Bardish Chagger (Waterloo, Lib.) :

Madam Speaker, I have two petitions today. The first is regarding float homes in Ontario and making sure they are classified the way they should be. I have presented similar petitions twice in the past. It is something that constituents within the riding of Waterloo and surrounding areas, depending on where they cottage and so forth, are very concerned with. It is a matter of great importance to them and if it matters to them, it clearly matters to me as the member of Parliament for Waterloo. The petitioners look forward to a response from the Government of Canada on a way forward, and they are more than willing to work with the government to make this happen.

Human Rights in Iran

Hon. Bardish Chagger (Waterloo, Lib.) :

Madam Speaker, the second petition is with regard to the killing of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman. Many people are raising their voices within my community of Waterloo, as her death sparked nationwide “Woman, Life, Freedom” protests, calling for democracy and equal rights. The petitioners are asking the Government of Canada to appeal to the UN Security Council. It is important that these conversations be had. It is important that their voices be heard and as their representative, I am committed to making sure that their voices are heard in this chamber. They look forward to a response from the Government of Canada.

Pornography

Mr. Ted Falk (Provencher, CPC) :

Madam Speaker, I have two petitions to present today. In the first petition, the petitioners are concerned about how easy it is for young people to access sexually explicit material online, including violent and degrading explicit material. They comment on how this access is an important public health and public safety concern. The petitioners note that a significant portion of commercially accessible sexually explicit material has no age verification software. Moreover, that age verification software can ascertain the age of users without breaching their privacy rights.

The petitioners note many serious harms associated with sexually explicit materials, including the development of addiction and attitudes favourable to sexual violence and harassment of women. As such, these petitioners call on the House of Commons to pass Bill S-210 , the protecting young persons from exposure to pornography act.

Human Rights

Mr. Ted Falk (Provencher, CPC) :

Madam Speaker, I also want to present a petition on behalf on many Canadians who are concerned about human rights protections in Turkey, Pakistan and Bahrain. The petitioners say that Turkish, Pakistani and Bahraini officials committed gross human rights violations against thousands of Turks, including eight Turkish Canadians. Petitioners say that Turkish officials killed hundreds, including Gökhan Açikkollu. The petitioners say that the Turkish officials have wrongfully detained over 300,000 people without reason.

The petitioners say that multiple international human rights groups have confirmed gross human rights violations in Turkey. The petitioners ask that the government closely monitor human rights in Turkey, sanction the Turkish officials who committed gross human rights violations against eight Canadians and killed Gökhan, and call on Turkey's, Pakistan's and Bahrain's governments to end all human rights violations in their respective countries.

Electoral Reform

Mr. Damien Kurek (Battle River—Crowfoot, CPC) :

Madam Speaker, as always, it is an honour to be able to stand in this place to present a petition on behalf of the good people of Battle River—Crowfoot. Today, in particular I would like to present a petition that was presented to me, in person, by a group I met with in my constituency office, about concerns related to needing to have a conversation around electoral reform. Although we certainly did not agree on everything, I value immensely the productive conversation I had with this group of constituents.

On behalf of these constituents, I am proud to be able to stand on their behalf to present this petition that calls on the House of Commons to give voice to the subject of electoral reform and to make recommendations related to the motion that was brought forward. Although I did not vote it, again, there was productive conversation related to Motion No. 86. As always, it is an honour to be able to stand on their behalf.

(1645) The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes) :

The hon. member knows full well he cannot indicate whether he supports a petition, so I would just ask members to please refrain from doing that. They should be reading what is in the petition and not giving their own personal point of view, saying how they are going to vote or how they voted.

Mr. Ben Carr :

Madam Speaker, I rise on a point of order. My apologies for interrupting the business of the House. I am in Winnipeg, and I had some technical issues, which prevented me from voting—

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes) :

The hon. member knows he needs to wear a jacket and a tie in order to speak, so I can come back to him if he wishes to make sure he has the proper attire on to be recognized.

Questions on the Order Paper

Mr. Chris Bittle (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.) :

Madam Speaker, I will try to do this as well as the member for Winnipeg North . I ask that all questions be allowed to stand.

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes) :

Is it agreed?

Some hon. members: Agreed.

Motions for Papers

Mr. Chris Bittle (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Lib.) :

Madam Speaker, I ask that all notices of motion for the production of papers be allowed to stand.

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes) :

Is it agreed?

Some hon. members: Agreed. [ Translation ]

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes): Order. It is my duty pursuant to Standing Order 38 to inform the House that the questions to be raised tonight at the time of adjournment are as follows: the hon. member for Kitchener Centre , Foreign Affairs; the hon. member for Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa , Carbon Pricing; the hon. member for Battle River—Crowfoot , Carbon Pricing.

Government Orders Government Orders

[ English ] Canada Early Learning and Child Care Act

Bill C-35. Second reading and concurrence in Senate amendments

Hon. Jenna Sudds (Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Lib.)

moved that the second reading of, and concurrence in, the amendment made by the Senate to Bill C-35 ,

An Act respecting early learning and child care in Canada. She said: Madam Speaker, I will be splitting my time today with the member for Sherbrooke . I am honoured to rise today to speak to Bill C-35 as amended by our hon. colleagues in the other House—

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes) :

The hon. member asked to split her time; therefore, she does need unanimous consent. [ Translation ] Does the hon. minister have unanimous consent to share her time?

Some hon. members: Agreed. [ English ]

The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Carol Hughes): The hon. minister is splitting 20 minutes, which is no longer unlimited, and then there will be five minutes of questions and comments to the minister. The hon. minister.

Hon. Jenna Sudds :

Madam Speaker, as I mentioned, I am honoured today to rise to speak to Bill C-35 as amended by our hon. colleagues in the other House. First, I would like to acknowledge the important work and the recommendations from the Senate as we look for ways to always improve on our policies and legislation to better the lives of families in Canada, and in this case, on such an important piece of legislation.

In particular, I would like to recognize the Senate sponsor of Bill C-35 , who worked tirelessly to ensure its passage, and also the government representative for the Senate for liaising with the senators throughout the bill and, finally, the senator from New Brunswick who put this amendment forward in the spirit of strong advocacy for his community and his region. To better understand the amendment, it would be useful for me to recap for my hon. colleagues the important work that Bill C-35 would enshrine in law.

First, if passed, this historic legislation would cement the federal government's role as an enduring partner on early learning and child care. It would enshrine into law the federal vision and principles of a Canada-wide system, a system where families across Canada, no matter where they live, have access to affordable, inclusive and high-quality programs and services. (1650) [ Translation ] This is not to mention that, in this context, it would also represent a commitment to maintaining long-term federal funding for early learning and child care.

Second, this legislation would increase Parliament's accountability in terms of the progress being made in creating a Canada-wide early learning and child care system. [ English ] Finally, Bill C-35 would establish, in law, the national advisory council on early learning and child care. This legislation is seeking to do a lot, so allow me to break it down. Let us go back to the key principles to be enshrined in the legislation: affordability, quality, access and inclusion. What does an enduring federal investment mean for each one?

On affordability, it means that we can continue to support our federal goal of making child care more affordable by reducing fees for regulated child care to an average of $10 a day, by March 2026, and ensure that it stays affordable well into the future. [ Translation ] That means that parents, usually mothers, will be able to go back to work or school and achieve their full economic potential. This not only supports families, but it also contributes to building a strong economy and better gender equality.

This means that children in every family, regardless of their income, can have the best possible start in life because they will be able to benefit from high-quality child care programs and services. [ English ] For high-quality child care, it means that federal investments in early learning and child care services foster the social, emotional, physical and cognitive development of young children. This leads to positive outcomes for children's future academic success and long-lasting and far-reaching positive outcomes throughout a person's life. It means continued investment in the child care workforce.

These highly-skilled educators are responsible for helping shape our future leaders. Providing better support and work conditions for early childhood educators means better outcomes for recruitment and retention. On the principle of access to early learning and child care, it means continuity of the important partnerships with provincial, territorial and indigenous partners, and that means availability of child care services no matter where families live for generations to come.

That brings me to the last principle of inclusivity, because when we say, “all children,” we truly mean all children, including those living in rural and remote communities; children from systematically marginalized groups, such as those from Black and racialized communities; children in lower-income families; and children with a disability or those needing enhanced or individualized supports. [ Translation ] Obviously, it also includes children from francophone and anglophone minority communities. [ English ] That is in addition to dedicated federal investments to support indigenous early learning and child care.

It is important to note that Bill C-35 acknowledges that first nations, Inuit and Métis families and children are best supported by early learning and child care services and programs led by indigenous people, and it reinforces the Government of Canada's commitment to work in collaboration with indigenous people to establish and maintain early learning and child care systems rooted in indigenous knowledge, culture and languages and guided by the codeveloped indigenous early learning and child care framework. (1655) [ Translation ] Here is another of this bill's major objectives: accountability.

These are significant federal investments. Accountability and transparency are essential to ensure sound management of public funds. That is why this bill requires the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development to report annually to Parliament on the progress being made on the Canada-wide early learning and child care system. [ English ] There is a long road ahead of us as we work with provincial, territorial and indigenous partners to build this Canada-wide system.

There are and there will continue to be a range of issues and challenges facing families, operators and other stakeholders in the early learning and child care sector. That is why we have the National Advisory Council on Early Learning and Child Care, and it is so important. It serves as a key forum enabling us to hear from the sector as we implement this system, and its members provide expert advice needed to support continual improvement. [ Translation ] The Government of Canada acknowledges the successes of its provincial, territorial and indigenous partners.

They are the ones responsible for designing and implementing child care services in their respective jurisdictions. They are in the best position to set their own priorities. That said, provinces, territories and indigenous organizations clearly benefit from the greater predictability and assurance of a long-term federal commitment to early learning and child care. [ English ] Since we last examined this legislation, our hon. colleagues in the other chamber have amended clause 8 of the legislation.

The legislation, as amended, and I am paraphrasing here, would acknowledge the government's commitment to providing long-term funding to early learning and child care programs and services across the country, includin