44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 24, 2022 10:00AM
- Mar/24/22 2:44:43 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, that question gives me the opportunity to continue speaking about the hardships and stress many Canadians feel, including health care workers and obviously patients. We have seen, over the last two years, a backlog of surgeries approximately equal to 700,000 patients. Their families, friends and communities are affected by that backlog. Today, we still have about 4,000 people hospitalized. Those hospital beds are not available for other patients.
72 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/24/22 2:45:21 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, unfortunately that was a complete non-answer. The risks have changed as this pandemic has evolved. Canada has the most restrictive domestic travel mandates in the world. This is having a very real impact on families. I have been contacted by families in my riding who want to visit relatives who are in palliative care and who want to attend funerals. Vaccine mandates on travel have limited the ability of families to gather.
When will the health minister show some humanity and finally allow the transportation minister to remove domestic travel restrictions?
94 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/24/22 2:46:06 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we all agree and are all thankful for humanity. Humanity means thinking about others and caring for others. I will mention the fact that, on average, in the last week we have had about 50 to 60 additional deaths. Those are not just numbers: those are people whose families obviously are very much impacted. We have 4,000 people who are hospitalized. That is a large number of people. Humanity demands that we look after them while we repair and prepare the health care system for the future challenges we will be seeing.
95 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/24/22 2:46:48 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, according to the health minister, there is no end in sight for the federal COVID mandates. The Liberals have destroyed lives and careers. Many have lost mortgages. Others have had to leave the country altogether, but a Canadian is a Canadian, regardless of a medical condition or choice. Workers and families deserve respect, not abuse. They deserve basic accommodation and accessibility.
When will the health minister drop the federal mandates, so the mass firings in April will not happen?
81 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/24/22 2:47:19 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, Conservatives have to choose between vaccination, which is not punishment but protection, and lockdown. We cannot have no vaccination and no lockdown.
The fact that the Conservatives do not seem to believe in vaccination, in March 2022, is very serious. If we did not have vaccination, and if we did not keep insisting on vaccination, we would be closing schools, shops, stores and factories and we would be overloading hospitals with patients. We would not be meeting in this room today.
83 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/24/22 2:48:04 p.m.
- Watch
Qujannamiik, Uqaqtittiji.
On this day, World Tuberculosis Day, I rise to ask a question about housing. An MLA for Nunavut has identified that approximately 3,000 to 5,000 new housing units are urgently needed for people living in my territory. However, the government's housing announcement in Nunavut a couple of weeks ago included just 101 new units.
What rationale does the federal government have for promising only 100 housing units when thousands are desperately needed? Qujannamiik.
78 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/24/22 2:48:44 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, the program that the hon. member referred to is just one of many programs in the national housing strategy and federal investments in Nunavut housing, including the Canada housing benefit, the bilateral housing agreement between Canada and Nunavut, and over $400 million in distinctions-based funding for Inuit-led housing in Inuit Nunangat. By working together with territorial and indigenous partners, we will address the housing needs of Nunavummiut.
71 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/24/22 2:49:22 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, Putin's horrific actions are killing children, women and elders and forcing millions to leave Ukraine. Even with the special immigration measures, people are still having a hard time getting to safety. People with older identity documents are stuck in the system, which is further delaying their ability to get an emergency travel visa. Biometric centres are being overwhelmed, and in some centres the wait is a month or longer. This wait is putting lives in danger.
The most efficient way to get people out of harm's way remains visa-free travel. When will the Liberals lift visa requirements for Ukrainians?
104 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/24/22 2:50:04 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as I mentioned, Canada will welcome Ukrainians fleeing Putin's war. We have announced this new program that will cut through red tape and expedite the arrival of Ukrainians to safe harbour for up to three years. This is the fastest, safest and most efficient way for Ukrainians to come to Canada. It eliminates most of the travel requirements for all Ukrainian nationals, with the exception of background security checks. Canada stands with Ukrainians in their time of need, and we welcome them with open arms.
88 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/24/22 2:50:44 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, last year, Canada saw record levels of international trade. Our government continues to open new opportunities for Canadian businesses to export and to expand. The United Kingdom is one of our closest friends and largest trading partners. I know the minister for international trade has been working hard on strengthening our trade ties with the U.K.
Can the minister update us on her recent activities in diversifying our trade relations with the United Kingdom?
77 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/24/22 2:51:18 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I was very pleased to welcome the hon. secretary of trade, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, for her first official visit to Canada this week, celebrating the long-standing relationship between Canada and the United Kingdom.
Today, Canada and the United Kingdom officially launched negotiations toward a new high-standard and progressive free trade agreement. Canada looks forward to negotiating an agreement that will benefit our people and our economies. It will help businesses of all sizes and entrepreneurs on both sides of the Atlantic reach new export markets.
89 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/24/22 2:51:58 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I asked whether the NDP-Liberal government would provide Canadians who are unable to use ArriveCAN with an easier alternative to allow them to visit their families outside of Canada. Instead of answering the question, the Minister of Health, sadly and predictably, responded with the same tired old talking points.
Will this minister clearly tell Canadians on what date the government will drop its mandates so that we can all travel freely?
75 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/24/22 2:52:36 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I will speak to something I think is extremely important for us to understand, which is long COVID. Among all those infected by COVID, whether it be severe or mild, the estimate is that between 10% and 30% will suffer from long COVID.
This has dramatic impacts on their lives in the short and longer term. Thirty percent of them will need to consult more than 10 times after that. Thirty percent of them will need to stop working. This has very significant health, personal and economic costs. The way to protect against that is to protect against transmission and to do that through vaccination.
107 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/24/22 2:53:23 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, four months ago, Donna McCall was denied the opportunity to see her children, who are located in the U.S., while she was at home dying waiting for a liver transplant. That transplant never came. Her husband held up his phone for Donna so they could say their last goodbyes to their mother while she died.
What happened to John, Donna and their children is devastating. When will this government show some compassion for suffering families like the McCalls and please lift the federal mandates?
87 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/24/22 2:54:15 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, compassion is the key word. We need to have each other's backs. We need to protect each other's health. That is best done by following public health measures, as most of us are doing today, but not all of us. It is also done by being vaccinated, which protects our health and that of those we love.
It also protects against long COVID. By the way, long COVID affects all vital organs with hundreds of symptoms through the brain, heart, lungs and liver. This is serious and demands responsibility on the part of the government.
99 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/24/22 2:54:59 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, I come from the Quebec City area, the most beautiful tourist city in North America. The city has suffered enormously over the past two years, economically speaking. Everyone is talking about our businesses, restaurants and hotels.
How can the Minister of Health, who is the member for Quebec, justify to the hotels, restaurants and tourism industry in his riding that he is maintaining health measures at the border?
70 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/24/22 2:55:26 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, there are two things I assume my hon. colleague already knows.
The first is that I am indeed the member for Quebec, which is probably the most beautiful city in the country and I am very proud of it. I represent this area along with other distinguished members of the House.
The second thing he probably knows is that on April 1, so in a just a few days, pre-arrival tests will no longer be required. This means that more people will be able to come to Canada to enjoy our attractions. We hope that many of them will come to Quebec City and the Quebec City region.
112 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/24/22 2:56:00 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, exactly two years ago, I was the first MP to ask the government to close the border. It was taking too long. It took too long. People in Quebec died because it took too long.
Now the situation has changed, and it is taking too long to reopen the border and lift the senseless restrictions. If tourists want to visit Quebec City to, say, go to the summer festival in the minister's riding, they cannot understand the Canadian system. They do not understand what they are supposed to do.
Will the government end all the complicated measures and give the tourism industry a chance to make a comeback?
111 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/24/22 2:56:40 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, we are going to do exactly as my colleague suggests on April 1.
On April 1, pre-entry testing requirements will go away. That will simplify everyone's life and encourage more people to come see my colleagues and me in wonderful Quebec City and the beautiful surrounding area.
51 words
All Topics
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- Mar/24/22 2:57:05 p.m.
- Watch
Mr. Speaker, as we speak, more than half the children in Ukraine have fled the war. In all, 4.3 million children have left their homes. They are either elsewhere in Ukraine, hoping the Russian troops will not catch up with them, or they are in refugee camps.
Today we do not want to hear about how Canada has welcomed 10,000 Ukrainians since January. We want the government to tell us what it is doing right now for the millions of fleeing children.
When will the government charter planes to go and get them?
95 words
- Hear!
- Rabble!
- add
- star_border
- share
- menumenu
- notificationsnotifications
- home
- mailmail
- searchsearch
