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Mr. Garnett Genuis (Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, CPC)

Mar/3/22 2:14:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Ken Epp, the MP for my area from 1993-2008. Ken passed away on February 20 at the age of 82. It is always sad for those of us left behind to have to say goodbye to a great leader and a great friend, but that sadness is tempered by Ken's confidence that death was a doorway and not an end. Ken's hope of an eternity with Jesus and with his dear wife Betty, who predeceased him, is one that I and many in our community share and draw comfort from. Ken was a math teacher before getting elected. It was a natural transition from teaching math to young people to try to teach math to Liberals. Unfortunately, I think his students did a better job of grasping mathematical concepts than did his colleagues opposite. One of Ken's key parliamentary accomplishments was to sponsor and see the passage at second reading of Bill C-484, a bill to recognize unborn victims of crime. The bill achieved substantial cross-party support, but we will remember Ken not primarily by the speeches he gave or the votes he cast. We will remember him by the joy, the grace, the humility and the kindness that characterized his long service. He remained faithful throughout to his convictions and to the virtues that defined his life. Ken changed Ottawa, but Ottawa did not change him. I thank Ken for his service and his example.

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The Speaker

Mar/3/22 2:15:51 p.m.
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Before we continue, I want to remind everyone that there are statements being made and we all want to hear what is going on with the statements. They are very important to all of us. The hon. member for Mississauga—Erin Mills.

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Ms. Iqra Khalid (Mississauga—Erin Mills, Lib.)

Mar/3/22 2:16:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on March 8 we celebrate International Women's Day. This year's theme is #BreakTheBias, and what better example than Marian Coveny from Erin Mills. She was a teacher at Loyola Catholic Secondary School and a trail-blazing hockey player. She led Team Canada to undefeated victory in the first-ever women's world hockey tournament in 1987. It was the first game ever played by a Canadian women's national team. In her own words, she took “one giant step for womankind”. She helped pave the way for women's hockey teams, who continue to do us proud globally. Marian loved the game so much that she would fearlessly chase Zambonis off the ice to let women's teams finish their matches. She played hockey into her sixties, while she was teaching. She played until 2020, when she got sick. Sadly, Marian Coveny passed away earlier this year after a long battle with cancer. She was a fighter, and her story will continue to inspire Canadians forever. Happy International Women's Day.

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Ms. Leah Gazan (Winnipeg Centre, NDP)

Mar/3/22 2:17:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today I am honoured to recognize Terese Taylor, publisher and editor of The Leaf: an iconic local newspaper serving Winnipeg Centre's community of Wolseley, as well as the West End and Spence neighbourhoods, on its 10th anniversary. The Leaf is a beloved local newspaper, highlighting stories focused on local, national and international issues. I know I always look forward to the upcoming issues of this grassroots community newspaper containing high-quality stories that keep me up to date with the heartbeat of our community. This woman-owned and operated paper continues to grow and expand with Terese's newest publication, Streets, now available to Winnipeg Centre's West End. Congratulations to Terese on her growing success. I thank her for her heart, her dedication to justice and her contributions to our wonderful riding of Winnipeg Centre. Here is to The Leaf. Here is to Streets. I am always proud to lift up strong women today and every day. May Terese continue to rise.

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Mrs. Marilène Gill (Manicouagan, BQ)

Mar/3/22 2:18:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in the past seven days, one million people have fled Ukraine to Poland, Hungary, Moldova and other European countries. Thousands of people seeking safety are being forced to leave Ukraine, many of them women. These women are courageously crossing borders with their children, unsure of their future. I want to add my voice to that of the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. I would like to begin by acknowledging the incredible courage of the women of Ukraine who are fighting, who are being forced to find shelter for their loved ones in bunkers, who are giving birth in subway stations and who are leading the fight on the front line. I pay tribute to their courage, strength and resilience in these particularly grave circumstances. This courage, strength and resilience fill us with admiration. Our hearts go out to those who are living through this heinous war, those who have fled it and those who have taken up arms to defend their country. This war will end, and the women will rebuild. Ukrainsi peregomout!

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Mrs. Shannon Stubbs (Lakeland, CPC)

Mar/3/22 2:19:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in 1891, Ukrainians first came to Lamont County, where I grew up. It is known as the cradle of Ukrainian settlement in Canada. The first MP of Ukrainian descent was elected in Vegreville in 1926. Lakeland is home to symbols of Ukrainian food, faith and culture, the world's largest pysanka, historic sites, Ukrainian immersion school programs, and more than 22,000 Ukrainian Canadians. There are so many families with loved ones who are fleeing Putin's attacks and violence, or who are joining those who defend and fight for Ukraine. The moving words of Ukraine's national anthem show its grit and steadfast spirit, which states: Ukraine's glory hasn't perished, nor her freedomUpon us, fellow compatriots, fate shall smile once moreOur enemies will vanish, like dew in the morning sun,And we too shall rule, brothers, in a free land of our own.We'll lay down our souls and bodies to attain our freedom,And we'll show that we, brothers, are of the Kozak nation. Canada must match words and empathy with more aid and more action to secure the safety, peace and freedom of the people of Ukraine. Slava Ukraini.

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Ms. Lisa Hepfner (Hamilton Mountain, Lib.)

Mar/3/22 2:20:57 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I rise today to sadly inform the House that Hamilton lost a much-admired journalist this week. Steve Arnold was known for his unquenchable curiosity, gentle demeanour and profound intellect. For more than half of his 40-year journalism career, he was a business reporter at the Hamilton Spectator, delving deeply into Hamilton's business, manufacturing and labour sectors. For many of those years, Steve lived in my riding of Hamilton Mountain, and his work was consistently meaningful for my constituents in the steel and manufacturing sectors. I got to know Steve as a colleague at the Hamilton Spectator. Years after I moved to broadcasting, he continued to offer advice and support, because he was someone who was always generous with his time and knowledge. When he retired, he never really retired, because journalism was never a job for Steve Arnold. It was a calling. He continued to write for community papers and the Canadian Jewish News. Today, I offer my sincerest condolences to his wife, Pam, his friends, his family and all those whose lives were touched by his words.

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

Mar/3/22 2:22:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, there is a massive disinformation campaign about the situation in Ukraine on Facebook, Twitter and all social media. I receive messages every day that are full of false information about Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine. Too many Canadians are subjected to these messages, some of which repeat word-for-word the Russian ambassador's statement. This Prime Minister stated in October that disinformation is a threat to democracy. Why does the Prime Minister continue to tolerate the presence of Russia's chief propagandist in Canada? Will he expel the Russian ambassador to Canada, yes or no?

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Hon. Anita Anand (Minister of National Defence, Lib.)

Mar/3/22 2:22:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, before I reply, I would like to take this opportunity to welcome a visitor. Here today is Andrii Bukvych, chargé d'affaires of the Embassy of Ukraine to Canada. Welcome to the House of Commons.

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The Speaker

Mar/3/22 2:23:55 p.m.
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I will take this opportunity to remind the hon. members of the rules. I will let the minister go on with her answer.

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Hon. Anita Anand

Mar/3/22 2:24:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, we must defend Canadians against disinformation and propaganda. We will not be intimidated by tyrants. Putin wants to destroy democracy.

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

Mar/3/22 2:24:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, slava Ukraini. The Putin regime's ongoing and illegal attack against Ukraine is a clear warning to the free world. According to National Defence, in 2019, more than a third of our army's equipment and vehicles were unusable. Our air capacity is limited. We have to be prepared to deal with future threats. Former Liberal member Lieutenant-Colonel Andrew Leslie is worried. He said that the people who were saying a few days ago that Russia would not invade Ukraine are the same people who are now saying that Russia will stop once it takes Ukraine. I have a simple question for the Prime Minister: Are we prepared?

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Hon. Anita Anand (Minister of National Defence, Lib.)

Mar/3/22 2:25:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, of course we are prepared. We will leave no stone unturned to support our Ukrainian friends. To that end, I announced today that we will be stepping up our support with two new major contributions in order to provide more lethal aid. That is our priority to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine.

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

Mar/3/22 2:25:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives of course support every effort to aid Ukraine in its battle against the Russian invasion. Given Canada's very vocal support internationally and given the threats issued by Putin and the Russian regime to punish those who try to stop them, Canada must be prepared for a worst-case scenario. This is the government's paramount responsibility. What meetings has the defence minister had with cabinet and her allied counterparts to prepare Canada in the event Russia acts on its threat and retaliates?

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Hon. Anita Anand (Minister of National Defence, Lib.)

Mar/3/22 2:26:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for the question. Our government is prepared for any eventuality. We are putting in across-the-board measures to support Ukraine in this situation. We have NORAD modernization as our priority. We are working very closely with our American counterparts. We will leave no stone unturned for the safety and security of this country, this continent and indeed Ukraine itself.

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

Mar/3/22 2:26:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Russia has 40 nuclear-powered weaponized icebreakers. Does the House want to know how many Canada has? It is zero. Russia has 18 military bases near Canada's Arctic border, whereas we are struggling to get one naval base up and running. Yesterday, Russia's foreign affairs minister said that a third world war will be “nuclear and devastating”. These remarks are deeply concerning and present a serious threat to our national security and to public safety. Is the government taking this seriously? I am not quite convinced by the Minister of National Defence's answers. What meetings has she had to make sure we are prepared?

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Hon. Anita Anand (Minister of National Defence, Lib.)

Mar/3/22 2:27:37 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to assure my hon. colleague and the House of Commons that we are indeed prepared for every eventuality, including those from the information we have received relating to the nuclear allusions that Mr. Putin has been making. We need to be non-provocative, we need to be rational in this situation and we need to act together as a country and support each other in this time of need.

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

Mar/3/22 2:28:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, according to the former lieutenant-general and former Liberal MP, the only thing that will stop the Russians is deterrence. Russia has 40 nuclear-powered icebreakers in the Arctic, while Canada has none. Russia has 18 military bases near the Arctic, while Canada barely has one. The Russian ambassador, who is the chief propagandist for the Putin regime, is still here in Canada. What exactly is Canada doing to deter the Russians and the Putin regime from coming here to Canada?

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Hon. Anita Anand (Minister of National Defence, Lib.)

Mar/3/22 2:29:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to say that our government is very serious about protecting our sovereignty in the North and the Arctic. What we are going to do is continue working with the United States for our continent and our country. We also have the Coast Guard working for us.

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Ms. Christine Normandin (Saint-Jean, BQ)

Mar/3/22 2:29:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, three days ago, 500,000 people had fled the war in Ukraine. Now it is more than a million. I welcome the government's creation of the authorization for emergency travel, but more must be done, and faster. The minister calls it an authorization for emergency travel, but it is going to take two weeks to set up. After that, who knows how long it will take to process applications. Speedy is not exactly the IRCC's middle name. I have a simple question. With the number of people fleeing doubling every three days, how long will it take for these people to actually get to Canada?

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