SoVote

Nov/25/21 5:13:04 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, congratulations on your election. I wish to inform you that I will be sharing my time with my colleague, the member for York Centre. This being the first time I rise to speak in this 44th Parliament, I would like to thank my constituents in Vimy for entrusting me once again to be their representative in the House of Commons. I would also like to pay tribute to my team and the volunteers who participated in my campaign, as well as my husband, Gerry, who has supported me throughout this entire adventure. It is an honour and privilege to serve our community. I look forward to another productive session of Parliament. I am pleased to rise today in support of the motion on the continuation of hybrid sittings. I think it is an important motion that would allow all of us to participate in the House in a way that is safe, productive and accountable, and that sets a good example for all Canadians. That is where I will start, because I think it is really important for us to realize that how we behave, how we adapt and how we represent the legislative branch of government has an impact on Canadians across this land. We have asked Canadians to modify their behaviours to help protect their family, friends and communities, and we must do the same. It is our duty as parliamentarians to ensure that we are taking a careful, responsible approach that reflects the ongoing pandemic that we are all living on a daily basis. It may seem like the pandemic has been going on for a decade, but it was only in March of 2020 that we began to realize the gravity and seriousness of the global pandemic and that we had to take significant action. This is the first time since the great flu pandemic of 1918 that we have had to suspend regular in-person sittings of Parliament, just as Canadians from coast to coast to coast had to stay home to help stop the spread of COVID‑19. I would like to take a moment today to pay tribute to some of our colleagues in the provincial and territorial governments who also had to find new ways to ensure that, in a world where it was not safe to go to work, they were still able to work together to support Canadians and businesses from a provincial perspective. If we look at that period between March and May of 2020, very few provincial and territorial governments were able to meet to conduct government business, with most holding less than five sitting days in the first three months. While this was a necessary and important choice that demonstrated leadership in managing a public health crisis, it was clear that there would come a time when more regular sessions and accountability would be important. The question then became how to do that in a safe and responsible manner. As we look around the chamber, we see the issue that many of our provincial and territorial counterparts would also quickly realize: Legislatures were not designed with social distancing in mind, with many located in historic buildings that have cramped seating. However, if we were simply limiting the number of people in the legislature, the question would become how we would also ensure that all representatives can continue to have their voices heard. It is a fundamental right and privilege of members to attend sittings of the legislature to which they are elected. Some provinces and territories focused on the types of measures that would protect in-person meetings. This included measures like limiting the number of people in their legislatures if space would not allow for social distancing, requiring the use of masks, finding ways that would allow voting to take place safely, and eventually requiring proof of vaccination to enter the premises. These types of policies became the norm across the country, not just in governments, but in businesses and gathering places the world over. Others quickly began looking at how technology could be used to allow everyone to participate equally. Fortunately, we live in a time when technology gives us the ability to connect with people around the world at the touch of a button. I admit that it would have been extremely difficult to participate remotely even a few decades ago when the Internet was in its relative infancy. However, here we are less than two years after the start of the pandemic, and the word Zoom is no longer synonymous with moving quickly, but instead is an adjective for how we are able to connect with one another. For provinces and territories such as British Columbia, the Northwest Territories, Quebec and Manitoba, the use of hybrid and virtual sessions began with committees, which was a cautious step and allowed some jurisdictions to test technology solutions on a smaller scale before deciding whether they could be deployed more widely. They began by holding virtual committee meetings using video and teleconferencing technology. These were not just meetings to discuss pandemic-related issues, but to ensure that, even in the absence of face-to-face meetings, the necessary types of discussion and monitoring could take place. In fact, some jurisdictions went beyond simply holding virtual committee meetings and, as we did at the federal level, adopted hybrid sessions of their legislatures during the pandemic. The people of British Columbia are in our thoughts and prayers right now as they deal with the consequences of extreme weather and flooding caused by climate change, another issue of great importance to our government. I just want to point out that British Columbia led the way with virtual sittings throughout the pandemic. On June 22, 2020, the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia began meeting in a hybrid format using Zoom and limiting the number of members who could be present in person to ensure appropriate physical distancing. Those kinds of rules remain in place today. On October 4, 2021, the Legislative Assembly adopted temporary changes to its Standing Orders to allow videoconferencing. These changes enabled members to participate, vote and table documents virtually, just as the motion we are discussing today would do. The list of provinces and territories that have taken similar steps gets longer. On October 8, 2020, Manitoba held its first virtual sitting of the legislature, with only about half of MLAs present in person to allow for social distancing. On March 11, 2021, Nova Scotia adopted a motion that would allow for virtual sittings, with just three members of each caucus and two independent members physically present in the legislative chambers. May 2021 was a big month for provinces moving to hybrid sittings. In response to a COVID exposure, Prince Edward Island implemented its own temporary hybrid system. On May 18, 2021, New Brunswick held its first virtual sitting, with at least one MLA suggesting that it is a practice that should continue beyond the pandemic to deal with other potential issues such as extreme weather that would keep members from getting to the chamber. Finally, later that month, Nunavut also began having most regular MLAs attend their legislative assembly remotely. I could go on, but suffice it to say the way things are being done has changed drastically in a relatively short period of time. While it might be nice to go back to business as usual, we are reminded on a daily basis that COVID-19 is still a threat to Canadians’ health. While vaccinations have been an important step towards a return to normalcy, we continue to see waves of cases. As we move into the winter, where more people are stuck indoors and less able to socially distance, it is important that we stay vigilant. Our government has been clear that we have to realize we are still in a pandemic that needs to be treated seriously. Just like our colleagues in the provinces and territories, we have proved that hybrid sittings work, and may even have some advantages over the old ways. With that, I implore everyone in this House to support the motion, which sends a strong signal to all Canadians that the government is ready to get to work, but is still keeping health and safety as a paramount concern.

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Context: House Hansard - 4 - Nov/25/21

Ms. Annie Koutrakis

Nov/25/21 5:24:21 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, yes, there is a lot of information that we did not have in the past, but we also have to remind Canadians that people were not vaccinated at the rate they are today. We cannot only be asking Canadians to sacrifice their own liberties by staying home when they are sick, so they do not spread the COVID-19 virus. Our government and ministers were always ready, able and willing to answer questions and be held to account. I think they did a great job.

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Context: House Hansard - 4 - Nov/25/21

Ms. Annie Koutrakis

Nov/25/21 5:26:06 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is much better for us all to be here together to communicate, exchange ideas and debate, but is everyone here today vaccinated? The answer is no. If we look at the numbers in the newspapers, we can see there are a lot of cases. Some members do not even want to disclose whether they are vaccinated. I do not think we should risk being infected.

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Context: House Hansard - 4 - Nov/25/21

Ms. Annie Koutrakis

Nov/25/21 5:27:47 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I also congratulate my colleague across the way for her re-election. Vaccination is the way to getting back to normal. We cannot be hypocritical as members of the House. Canadians who voted for us, by the way, saw that a hybrid Parliament did work and that most of us are back in our seats. We cannot be asking Canadians to be vaccinated to help keep everybody else safe and not do the same thing in the House.

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