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Dec/6/21 11:49:10 a.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, in terms of paid sick days, obviously we legislate in areas of our jurisdiction. Many of the responsibilities the member has identified relate to the provincial level of jurisdiction. What we are doing for the federally regulated sector is offering 10 paid sick days, as promised. We are committing to that promise. With respect to opioids, our perspective has always been with respect to safe supply, safe injection sites and meeting people where they are with a harm reduction model. That is the policy I will continue to advocate for.

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Mr. Darrell Samson (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence, Lib.)

Dec/6/21 11:49:48 a.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, congratulations on your new role in the 44th Parliament. I know it will be an unforgettable experience. I wish you four good years of service, assuming that is how it plays out. I am very happy to speak to this bill. I feel it is a very important bill about peace, order and good government. I am very pleased with the comments and questions by the opposition, as it is clear that all members of the House are looking at the bill as being an extremely important bill to move forward. We will be making amendments to the Criminal Code to protect health care workers and those who are accessing their services. I will speak at length about that as well. The second piece is the change to sick leave with the Canada Labour Code amendments, which would allow us to implement sick leave. However, before I go into the bill in depth, I want to share with the House some comments about the pandemic. As my colleague said earlier, 22 months of a global pandemic have been challenging on every country in the world and have been challenging on every Canadian. It has been difficult not just for those who have had bad luck, but also for all of the families, friends and colleagues around them. When I think back, I remember my dad telling me many years ago about the Spanish flu that hit Canada and the world between 1918 and 1921. That was a really big challenge. What has come out of all the pandemics we will talk about is, of course, the heroes: the health care workers, the individuals who have done their part and more to support Canadians and their neighbours, families and friends. This was crucial, and I want to talk about it a bit. I remember my dad telling me that in our community, if someone was exposed to the Spanish flu, they could die within days. However, there were people in the community putting their life and their families' lives at risk to try to help their neighbours and friends. That by itself is just unbelievable. I cannot say enough about those individuals and the health care workers. I also want to talk about polio between the twenties and the fifties. Most Canadians would have heard about polio as well. This was a global pandemic. We have seen and heard all kinds of stories on it, but I have a personal one to share, because as my mom would tell me often, my grandfather was a doctor and some felt he should have been able to do more. I am sure he wanted to do more, and that is one of the challenges. My mom's brother, whose name was Leo Patrick, contracted polio, and contamination exposure could lead to death. Two people eating from the same spoon was noted as a possible transmission process. I remember my mom telling me that when she would feed her little brother, once in a while, because he did not want to eat since he was not feeling well, she would have a bite to show him how to do it. Then he would laugh and take a bite as well. I lost my uncle, whom I have never seen of course, but I remember the story from my mom like it was yesterday. She said for some reason she never got polio even though she had done things like sharing a spoon. I guess the family always tries to keep life going to some extent, so one of my brothers is named Leo Patrick. They wanted to continue it, I believe, and he is a very special person as well. There are heroes everywhere in our country and in the world. I read an article on April 20, 2020, of a lady in Halifax, Gloria Stephens. She was a nurse in Halifax at the Victoria General Hospital. She talked about her experience as a nurse, a job she did for 46 years, if members can imagine. There were similarities between polio and the global pandemic, and she shared some of them. I was really touched by that. She would wear a mask, a gown and gloves, and she would work 12 hours a day and then remove all of that clothing. When polio took place, similar to the pandemic, in some pockets of the country schools and playgrounds were closed. It brings us back to those times and also reminds us of our health care workers and what they have been through. In April, May, June, July, August and September 2020, people were scared to leave their homes. They did not know what they were risking. However, every day, doctors, nurses and frontline workers would leave their homes and do their jobs. That is special, and those are the individuals I want to thank personally. It is one thing for them to risk their lives, but it is another thing when it is at a job they are doing every day where exposure could lead to greater difficulties for themselves and their families. It is just unbelievable. I think about the people protesting and stopping workers from going into hospitals to help others and offer services, and even the individuals wanting to access health care and being unable to do so. This is unacceptable, and the bill would allow us to move forward. Intimidating health care workers or individuals who are accessing care is unacceptable. Obstructing their access is unacceptable. This bill deals with that. We have also increased the sentencing to up to 10 years rather than five years, which is extremely important. I know there are lots of questions around the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but again, there are places to protest, and doing it to health care workers and to people accessing health care is absolutely unacceptable. In closing, on the 10 days of sick leave, people are asking if there is a link. There is absolutely a link between both parts of the bill, which touches on the Criminal Code and on the Canada Labour Code. The Canada Labour Code is about sickness during the pandemic, going to work and the possibility of bringing the illness to co-workers and colleagues in a department. That is not what we want. We want people to stay home if they are sick. By moving forward on this, we would ensure that the safety of Canadians is our top priority.

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

Dec/6/21 11:59:32 a.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, I want to put on the record how strongly I support this bill and the Greens support this bill. The hon. member spoke so movingly of the Spanish flu. I am named, actually, after my great-grandmother, who died in the Spanish flu epidemic. I am really concerned in the here and now with our nurses. I am concerned with health care professionals, and particularly the nursing profession, which is feeling beleaguered and unappreciated. We are losing nurses because we have not done a good enough job as a society to thank them and support them. This bill may be even more important for what it says to nurses across Canada about our respect and gratitude. Does the hon. member have any thoughts on the current situation of nursing in Canada?

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Mr. Darrell Samson

Dec/6/21 12:00:29 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, exactly as my colleague said, this would be, in my opinion, one quick way of showing nurses and frontline workers that the role they play is important. We need to do this as a government to keep them safe and keep all Canadians safe. This is another indication of how we appreciate our health care workers.

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Mrs. Julie Vignola (Beauport—Limoilou, BQ)

Dec/6/21 12:01:05 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today is important because it will protect health care workers as well as patients. The scope of this bill extends well beyond vaccination. For example, it will also cover intimidation that takes place at family planning clinics. Nevertheless, intimidation is still a crime regardless of a person's status or job. Why the hurry to specify that this applies to health care services now, especially considering that it should apply to everyone, everywhere, period?

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Mr. Darrell Samson

Dec/6/21 12:01:50 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague for her important question. The bill we are introducing, Bill C‑3, is meant to protect all Canadians. Yes, it targets the health sector for the moment, but we are talking about a bill that will help all Canadians. We need to ensure that no Canadians are subjected to intimidation, and we need to be there to protect everyone.

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

Dec/6/21 12:02:28 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, for almost two years workers have been forced to work sick. As is the case in many constituencies, in my riding of Nanaimo—Ladysmith many constituents rely on their wages to feed their families and keep a roof over their heads. We have lost too many lives as a result of government inaction. Does my colleague find it acceptable to have forced workers for almost two years to report to work while unwell by refusing to provide them with the sick leave they need to keep everyone safe?

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Mr. Darrell Samson

Dec/6/21 12:03:14 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, I want to share with my colleague that in 2019 we moved forward on three-day sick leave and then we had the sick leave benefit. Here we are moving it to 10 days, so I believe we are doing exactly what she is proposing.

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Mrs. Karen Vecchio (Elgin—Middlesex—London, CPC)

Dec/6/21 12:03:41 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, I am wondering if this legislation would help people who have contracts. Does it extend to people who have contracts with the Government of Canada, or would it be just the employees of the government?

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Mr. Darrell Samson

Dec/6/21 12:03:59 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, I had an opportunity to listen to my colleague's speech this morning, which I much appreciated. I know she does great work in the House, and I want to thank her for that. My understanding is that federal employees are already getting these benefits. These would be for federally regulated employees, so this would be an extension. The objective of our government is to have discussions with the provinces and territories so that we can move forward with the private sector to find ways to support all Canadians so they have access to sick leave.

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Mr. Chris Lewis (Essex, CPC)

Dec/6/21 12:04:41 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, I would ask that the House allow me to share my time with the hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable. I also congratulate you on your appointment as Deputy Speaker. I think it is fantastic, and I think that you are doing a fantastic job. We are here, and some of us have already spoken in the House, but some have not had the chance to yet. This is my maiden speech of the 44th Parliament, and it has been quite a journey over the past two years. It was also quite a journey just getting to this place last night. Many of us are probably going on two and a half or three hours of sleep, but we are here, regardless. We are tired, but we are here. Before I get into Bill C-3, it is important that I thank a few people. First and foremost, as I did in the 43rd Parliament, I thank my Lord and Saviour for the opportunity to serve Essex and for my health. Without my God, I would not be here. I thank my family. Probably my greatest supporter is my mother, but she is also my biggest critic, and she is probably watching right now. I love my Mom and thank her for keeping tabs on me and for all that she does. I also thank my wife. I am only afraid of three people in this world, and they are in this order: my Lord and Saviour, my wife and my mother. My wife, Allison, is probably not watching, as she is most likely taking care of Levi, our grandchild. However, I love Allison dearly, and I thank her for giving me the freedom and the opportunity to come here to represent Essex and do what I know in my heart of hearts is right. I thank her for the sacrifices she has made for this country along the way. I love her so dearly. I thank my staff, who have been working tirelessly. They are tired, and have had two years of being tired, with hundreds of thousands of phone calls, emails and text messages. Each and every one of them is absolutely fantastic, and I thank them for serving our constituents so well. I thank my colleagues, those I have grabbed dinner with in the House, and I do not necessarily mean just Conservative colleagues, but those across the aisle as well. They have made a difficult time a little easier and a bit more enjoyable, so I thank my colleagues. As well, I congratulate all those re-elected. I encourage those who have been elected for the first time to hang on because it is a lot of fun up here. They will be able to do some great things. I congratulate each and every member. I thank our Hill staff. The onboarding during a pandemic, compared to the onboarding during normal times in Ottawa, was second to none. To our Hill support, for the onboarding process, I thank each one of them. I thank them for their sacrifice and for making our jobs a whole lot easier on the Hill. Most important, besides my Lord, are my constituents in Essex for giving me the honour to serve them in their seat. It is not my seat. It is theirs, and I thank them for the honour. I thank them for sending me back to Ottawa, and I promise my devotion to each and every one of them. Bill C-3 should also have a Bill C-3.1 because, in my opinion, it really should be two bills. The bill talks about harassment, which falls under the Criminal Code, and it also talks about labour, which falls under the Canada Labour Code. I will speak to harassment first, and then I will finish with the labour issue. On the day of the election, I had an unfortunate accident when, just so the world knows, I fell off my horse. I was spending time with my wife, and I was a little more banged up than perhaps even she knew. Long story short, I went to the hospital in Leamington, the Erie Shores HealthCare. The doctors were second to none. The nursing staff was second to none. I have actually had meetings with the CEO of the hospital to try to advance this forward. Then I went to the Windsor Regional Hospital. In a couple of months, I will go to get shoulder surgery. My orthopaedic surgeon is second to none. I was a firefighter. I know what frontline service is all about. I am really blessed to say that my aunt Eva was nurse of the year on a couple of occasions. My mother was a nurse as well. Before I jumped on the plane that finally got me here, after hours and hours, through no fault of Air Canada, I held onto my grandchild, Levi, for about an hour. As he slept there so peacefully and innocently, I thought about this debate today and the influence I could have to leave the world a better place than I found it. I thought about what I could do for Levi today to ensure that he comes into a world that has less hatred and less harassment, and that respects all genders and respects our frontline workers. I am excited about the harassment side of Bill C-3. It is something that we, as a generation, have perhaps lost a little focus, or perhaps a lot of focus, on. I also think, to a greater extent, that we all, in this place, agree with. That is something very monumental. I am also a freedom fighter. I believe in the freedoms of Canadians. I believe that Canadians have the right to voice their opinions. I believe they have the right to protest. I also know that with that freedom comes nothing less than responsibility. What is absolutely vital, right now, is that people are not shamed into doing something against our frontline workers who are ultimately taking care of our parents and grandparents and, in my case, me. We need to give them full access and full support. It is absolutely not acceptable for the folks in this profession to have anything less than this House's support. With regard to the Labour Code, in my capacity as deputy shadow minister for labour, I very happy to be able to stand here and speak to this today. I started my speech saying that many of us are tired. I can only imagine how tired our frontline workers are, the ones who get us on the planes, our air service personnel and the ones who get us here on Via Rail. They are not only tired physically. They are also tired mentally. This is to ensure there is a floor of 10 days, but many of these companies already have more than 10 days, so quite frankly it would not affect them. They also deserve nothing less than this House's support. We are all tired. I am not saying that from a function of, “Oh, boo hoo, Chris had to spend some time on a plane”. No, I am saying that as a country, as a world, we are tired. Now is the time to bring the support forward, whatever that support looks like, and ensure that it gets done. Rest assured, Conservatives will certainly be here for labour. Conservatives will be here for physicians, nurses and support staff. I am very proud to be back in the House. I thank Essex for sending me back to this place.

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Ms. Lori Idlout (Nunavut, NDP)

Dec/6/21 12:14:29 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Uqaqtittiji, qujannamiik.. In Nunavut, we do not have much access to health care. We only have one hospital for all of the 25 communities, so the rest of the 25 communities have to get health care services through health centres. Not many of them have doctors. Most have health nurse practitioners. A lot of the patients from Nunavut, when they are looking to access the same level of health care as everybody else in this room, just as the member spoke so eloquently about before, they have to go on medical travel and be sent to places like Ottawa, Edmonton, Winnipeg or Yellowknife. When these strikes are happening in these other major centres, they are also impacting patients from my constituency, so this is an important issue for me. Knowing health care professionals in the south are being impacted by protests and are not being able to take up to 10 days of paid sick leave is a great concern. Does the member agree it is time for a 10-day paid sick leave?

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Mr. Chris Lewis

Dec/6/21 12:15:58 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, that is a dynamite question. Just yesterday WECHU, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, and I believe this to be true, was the first in Canada to come down with more restrictions for Windsor and Essex, which is a very sad thing. The Erie Shores HealthCare I was speaking of earlier is actually pleading with people to go to a different area to get care if they can do so. It is brimming and flowing over the top. All of Canada, quite frankly, deserves to have proper health care and proper physicians. We need to ensure we put the proper guards in place to make sure everybody is dealt with equally. I really hope, for the member's sake, the situation in her riding gets better.

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Mr. Ziad Aboultaif (Edmonton Manning, CPC)

Dec/6/21 12:17:02 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate my friend from Essex on his re-election. What I heard in his speech was a message of unity dealing with the challenges we are all facing together as a country. If he could somehow elaborate on that, it would be great.

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Mr. Chris Lewis

Dec/6/21 12:17:27 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague nailed it. It is exactly what I am talking about. I congratulate my colleague on the fantastic outreach he does, not only in Canada, but also across the world. I thank the member for that. Absolutely, if there was ever a time for unity, a time to rally the troops, or a time to pull together and stop the divisiveness, now is the time. That is our responsibility. It is one of the things we can actually bring to our country through this House. With his help, we will all endeavour together to ensure that takes place moving forward.

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Mr. Mario Beaulieu (La Pointe-de-l'Île, BQ)

Dec/6/21 12:18:12 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, congratulations on your re-election, as well as your appointment to the chair. Bill C-3 does not really change much. The offences in question are already covered by the law. As stated earlier, intimidation is illegal everywhere, and this bill simply reiterates that. It seems that Bill C-3 is really more about creating the perception that the government is doing something on the health care file. However, there is something far more important the government could do, namely, restoring health transfers and increasing them to 35% of total spending, as Quebec and all Canadian provinces are calling for. What are my colleague's thoughts on that?

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Mr. Chris Lewis

Dec/6/21 12:19:05 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, at the end of the day, it kind of goes like this: If there had not been a $600-million election, which nobody wanted, we would be in committee discussing these things, and we would be moving this agenda forward. Unfortunately, that has not happened. I would strongly suggest we get back to committee, back to the business of the House. Then we could perhaps address many of the things my hon. colleague has brought up.

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Mr. Arif Virani (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, Lib.)

Dec/6/21 12:19:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there have been discussions among the parties and if you seek it, I think you will find unanimous consent for the following motion: That, notwithstanding any Standing Order, special order or usual practice of the House, at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, December the 14th, 2021, the Speaker shall interrupt the proceedings to permit the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance to make a statement followed by a period of up to 10 minutes for questions and comments; after the statement, a member from each recognized opposition party may reply for a period approximately equivalent to the time taken by the minister's statement and each statement shall be followed by a period of 10 minutes for questions and comments; after each member has replied, or when no member rises to speak, whichever comes first, the House shall adjourn to the next sitting day.

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The Deputy Speaker

Dec/6/21 12:20:35 p.m.
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This being a hybrid session, all those opposed to the hon. member moving the motion will please say nay. Hearing no dissenting voice, it is agreed. The House has heard the terms of the motion. All those opposed will please say nay. Hearing no dissenting voice, I declare the motion carried. Resuming debate. The hon. member for Mégantic—L'Érable.

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Mr. Luc Berthold (Mégantic—L'Érable, CPC)

Dec/6/21 12:21:12 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-3

Mr. Speaker, this being December 6, I will take a few moments to acknowledge the anniversary of the awful tragedy at Polytechnique Montréal where 14 young women lost their lives. It is important to always take a few minutes on this day to reflect on what happened at the time and what continues to happen in our society. Violence against women still exists, now more than ever. Taking the time to commemorate this horrible tragedy makes us look at the present to see what has been done and what we are doing at home, in our neighbourhoods and across the board to ensure that such things never happen again. This includes small gestures when a man or a woman is in an unacceptable domestic violence situation. Women tend to end up vulnerable, without resources and without help, because they simply do not have the means and the necessary resources at hand to report and flee domestic violence. I want to give everyone, especially the women in my riding, the phone numbers they can use if they find themselves in a difficult situation. In the Appalaches RCM, the La Gîtée shelter can be reached at 418-335-5551. In the Granite RCM, people can contact La Bouée at 819-583-1233. I commend the women in the Granite RCM who are marching today to speak out against violence against women and to advance the cause. In central Quebec, the La Volte-Face women's shelter can be reached at 819-795-3444. Anyone in need anywhere in Quebec can contact the domestic violence service SOS Violence Conjugale at 1-800-363-9010. Resources are available, and people are there to help. It is just a matter of getting to a phone to ask for help. This is something each and everyone one of us should be more conscious of. I also want to address Canadians who are currently living with domestic violence. Far too often, these people are overlooked or ignored, and others act as though nothing is going on. There has been an unusually high number of femicides since the beginning of the pandemic, and this trend is continuing. If every one of us took the time to recognize what is going on, to do something and to try to help people who are dealing with violence against women, we could surely make a difference and potentially prevent someone from becoming a victim. Anyone could be a victim at any time, in any place, because others turn a blind eye and pretend as though nothing is going on. I wanted to say a little something given that today is December 6. It is extremely important and is directly connected to the bill we are debating today. This bill would provide meaningful protections against intimidation and harassment of health care workers. This type of intimidation has no place in our society. The Thetford police force has released its 2020 annual report, and I bring this up because we will be calling on police officers to enforce a law that would eliminate or reduce instances of harassment of health care workers, essential workers and our guardian angels who have been there for us since the beginning of the pandemic. The police are very aware of the situation and the problems, and they too wish they had the means to intervene. For example, they intervened 315 times in situations involving people with mental health issues, which is an increase of 17% from 2019 to 2020. Even though the number of suicides and attempted suicides decreased by 3% in the region during the same period, police expect an increase in this type of intervention in the coming weeks and months, as indicated in the report. These police officers have been there from the beginning. I think we should spare a thought for them, as they will have to enforce these laws and implement these measures, while respecting people's right to protest peacefully. Looking at everything that has happened since the beginning of the pandemic, many of our health care workers, our guardian angels, shared with us that they were exhausted dealing with an illness that they knew practically nothing about. They were not sufficiently protected and feared for their family members and friends. They also had to work overtime, sometimes 16 hours straight. It was extremely exhausting for all health care workers. As the situation evolved, we unfortunately saw more and more people protesting against these very workers who were putting their heart and soul into trying to save people, our neighbours, our uncles, our aunts, our grandmothers and grandfathers from this horrible virus, which has been gripping our society since March 2020. That is on top of the stress at work caused by this unknown virus and professional burnout. I think it is about time that the government intervened to protect and, above all, to recognize these workers. I, too, want to recognize the entire profession. I am thinking of the nurses, who have done an extraordinary job and who are also stretched thin. It is not only them, however; I am also thinking of the orderlies and the support staff. I am thinking of those who disinfect our hospitals. We do not often talk about them, but they are directly on the front lines of the battle against COVID-19. I am thinking of the administrative staff who are there to greet us in hospitals and who surely have also had to go through a very difficult time. I am thinking of the lab technicians who handle this virus to determine which of us have come into contact with it. All these individuals deserve the respect and, most importantly, the protection of the government and fellow members of the public. They should not be harassed or threatened. I am thinking of the dedicated physicians and specialists. I am also thinking of the child care workers who, in taking care of our children, must also deal with the additional stress of the pandemic every day, because young children do not have access to vaccination and are a potential target of this accursed virus, even though its effects on them are not as serious. I am thinking of teachers, of police officers, whom I mentioned earlier, and of paramedics and social workers, who also have to go out and see a lot of people because of mental health issues. At the very least, all of these workers should be protected by their government against harassment and intimidation. For these reasons, I will certainly support this initiative, especially since it was included in the platform proposed by the member for Durham, the leader of the official opposition, during the last election campaign. He wanted to introduce a bill to protect critical infrastructure, including in health care. I am also doing this for my daughter, who is currently studying to be a nurse. She has the calling and the drive, and she wants to help and to serve. I think that we should support and encourage her, not discourage her.

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