44th Parl. 1st Sess.
February 15, 2022 10:00AM
- Feb/15/22 2:39:48 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Canada has one of the lowest death rates in the world and one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. It has met the challenge of this pandemic. However, what has not been met in this hour of history is that as chaos descended outside and protesters began to shut down critical infrastructure, we had lawmakers, people of the House, going out and encouraging their activity. I have to ask: If they did not have lawmakers, who are elected by constituents, encouraging their illegal actions, when would this have been over? I think it would have been over a lot sooner.
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- Feb/15/22 2:40:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, the Prime Minister said that the Emergencies Act was not something to take lightly.
The act has in fact never been invoked since it was passed in 1988, which is before I was even born. It is the absolute last resort.
The Prime Minister said himself, and I quote: “It's not the first thing you turn to, nor the second or the third.”
However, he did not turn to a first thing, nor a second, nor a third. He did absolutely nothing before choosing the most extreme option.
Is that truly reasonable?
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- Feb/15/22 2:41:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for her question.
Much progress has been made at the Surrey and Coutts border crossings, and even in Windsor, where the Ambassador Bridge is now open again. That is good for trade.
Yesterday, we invoked the Emergencies Act to be able to offer new, innovative tools to help the police put an end to this illegal blockade. That is what our government is focusing on.
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- Feb/15/22 2:41:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will tell the House what the government did not do.
The Prime Minister has not been in contact with the occupiers on Parliament Hill since they arrived 19 days ago.
He did not send his share of the 1,800 law enforcement officers requested by the City of Ottawa.
He did not set up a crisis task force comprising all levels of government and all police forces.
He did not consult his Quebec and provincial partners before informing them of his decision to invoke the Emergencies Act.
Does the Prime Minister really believe that invoking this law should be the first real step the government takes to respond to the siege in Ottawa?
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- Feb/15/22 2:42:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with all due respect for my colleague, perhaps she has not been watching the news.
There are three installments of police reinforcements helping the police here in Ottawa. In addition, members of the RCMP have done a lot of good work, not just here in Ottawa but also in Windsor, where the Ambassador Bridge has now reopened.
That is good for the economy and good for everyone, but we also need to look at new tools to help the police put an end to this illegal blockade and convoy.
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- Feb/15/22 2:42:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Premier of Quebec has been clear: Quebec does not need the Emergencies Act.
The Government of Quebec wants nothing to do with it. The Quebec National Assembly unanimously opposed having this act enforced in Quebec.
Nevertheless, the Prime Minister, who said yesterday that the act would be geographically targeted, issued a decree that applies to all of Canada, including Quebec.
Why does the Prime Minister claim to consult but then decide to ignore Quebec's demands once again? Why does the Emergencies Act apply to Quebec?
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- Feb/15/22 2:43:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I assure my colleague that we will continue to provide resources in accordance with the powers set out in the act.
However, yesterday we invoked the Emergencies Act. This act provides for time-limited, geographically targeted measures. These measures will be implemented with the provinces and territories, even in Quebec.
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- Feb/15/22 2:44:03 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, yesterday, during a press conference, the Prime Minister said, “Some people will say that we moved too quickly. Other people will say no, we should have acted weeks ago. The reality is this: The Emergencies Act is not something to take lightly. It's not the first thing you turn to, nor the second, nor the third.”
Can the Prime Minister please tell Canadians what first, second and third actions he took before invoking the Emergencies Act?
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- Feb/15/22 2:44:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, right from the outset of the blockades and the disruptions that were taking place in Ottawa, and then the blockades at our critical infrastructure at our ports of entry, our government has worked with municipal and provincial partners right across the country to ensure that they had the resources and the support they needed to keep Canadians safe—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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- Feb/15/22 2:44:59 p.m.
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I am sorry, but I am going to ask the minister to repeat his answer. I am right next to the hon. member and I cannot hear because of the shouting.
I would ask the hon. minister to start from the top so that at least I can hear and hopefully the hon. member for Peterborough—Kawartha can hear the answer.
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- Feb/15/22 2:45:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I am very glad to see that the Conservatives have once again changed their position on something important. First they supported these blockades, and now that this has been recognized as a largely foreign-funded, targeted and coordinated attack on Canadian critical infrastructure, they have flip-flopped. Good for them. We are all getting used to it.
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- Feb/15/22 2:45:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think the party that has flip-flopped is the Liberals. Last week, they said they had all the tools they needed to do this, and now we have the Emergencies Act. We were told we would never need federal vaccine mandates, but that changed. Now they are saying it is just jurisdiction. How can we trust the government?
How much authority does the Prime Minister need from the unprecedented emergency measures act? How much authority does he need?
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- Feb/15/22 2:46:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the evidence is clear. A largely foreign-funded, targeted and coordinated attack on critical Canadian infrastructure at our borders is hurting Canada and harming Canadians. It was equally clear that we needed to do more and would have to do what was required.
We have introduced measures that will create greater financial scrutiny and financial consequences for the people who are engaged in this criminal behaviour. The evidence of firearms at Coutts elevates the risk to Canadian security and safety, and we will do what is required to keep Canadians safe.
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- Feb/15/22 2:47:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last Friday, the Prime Minister said that the Ottawa police had enough resources to deal with the protesters, and on Monday he calls for emergency measures. Boy, that escalated quickly. He had 17 days to act, and after hiding in his cottage on his MacBook for the first week, he did nothing but divide and stigmatize.
My constituents in Saskatoon West want to know this: What changed in the Prime Minister's mind over the weekend to justify such drastic measures?
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- Feb/15/22 2:47:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to assure my colleague that the RCMP has been supporting and aiding the Ottawa Police Service to enforce public safety not only here in Ottawa but in Windsor, where we have reopened the Ambassador Bridge; in Coutts, where the border is reopened; and in Surrey, where the border is reopened. That is good. It is good for the economy and it is good for Canadians, who can get back to work. Yesterday's invocation of the Emergencies Act is meant to secure those gains so that we give the police all the tools they need for declaring certain zones that are adjacent to our borders and our national symbols.
It is important for the Conservatives to ask those participating in the illegal blockades to now go home.
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- Feb/15/22 2:48:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, for too long the Conservatives have been calling on the government to remove the mandatory PCR test requirements for those entering Canada. In my riding of Niagara Falls, this policy has had a devastating impact on the economy. Visits from the U.S. are nowhere near the record levels reached in 2019, and these expensive costs put on our visitors and Canadians travelling prevent them from visiting their families and loved ones.
My residents want to know this: When will all federal travel mandates be ended?
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- Feb/15/22 2:48:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for giving me the opportunity to share with him, all members of the House and all Canadians the great announcement that my colleagues and I made today. Today, based on the science and the public health advice we received, we eased our travel measures, including allowing incoming travellers to use an antigen test instead of the PCR test for the predeparture test.
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- Feb/15/22 2:49:26 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, unlawful blockades at the borders across the country, including in Windsor and Coutts, have shown that the Liberals have not done the proper, serious work necessary to ensure that our borders are protected and that the citizens who live nearby are safe. These illegal blockades have hurt every Canadian and have stopped thousands of people from getting to work and supporting their families. We have long been calling for a safe border task force. Let us reinstate cuts from CBSA intelligence and make sure that municipalities are reimbursed for their costs.
Will the Prime Minister finally listen to our calls to ensure that safe borders are going to happen, or is he going to continue to listen to extremists? The bridge might be open now, but the threat has not stopped. Will he act?
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- Feb/15/22 2:50:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I share my hon. colleague's concern, and I can inform the House that I have been in routine contact with him and the municipal leaders in Windsor, including the mayor of Windsor. I have assured him that the government will continue to provide all the resources that the community of Windsor needs to keep the bridge open. That means, yes, making sure that police have the assets they need, be it tow trucks, barriers or whatever resources, so that we can keep the economy rolling and the bridge open and get Canadians back to work.
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- Feb/15/22 2:50:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what about Alberta? Yesterday the RCMP arrested 13 extremists blockading the border at Coutts. They seized guns, ammunition and body armour, including assault weapons with thousands of rounds. This comes after convoy leaders raised millions of dollars from foreign donors, with a stated goal of overthrowing the government. While I am happy to see that the blockade appears to be ending in Alberta, the fact remains that we had an armed militia active in Alberta. This is unthinkable.
Why did it take 18 days and proof of an armed threat to make the government act and protect Albertans and Canadians?
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