44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 16, 2022 11:00AM
- May/16/22 3:03:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my friend and colleague from Madawaska—Restigouche for highlighting how our government creates jobs and supports economic growth in New Brunswick.
Through the jobs and growth fund, we are investing in businesses that create jobs and ensuring that communities such as Saint-François-de-Madawaska and Grand Barachois are included in our economic recovery. We know that these businesses are pillars of local economies, and ACOA, along with our government, will be there to support them every step of the way.
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- May/16/22 3:03:49 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Nazifa was a 10-year-old girl whose father worked for the Canadian Armed Forces in Kandahar. She was murdered by the Taliban while waiting to come to Canada. A veterans group volunteer helping Afghans blamed an inadequate evacuation effort by the Canadian government and delays in immigration processing for the girl's killing. There are thousands more in this situation.
Will the minister show some humility and implement the Conservatives' ask for single-journey travel documents to avoid the processing delays, or will he just resort to more partisan attacks?
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- May/16/22 3:04:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Nazifa's killing was a tragedy that I think on every day as we seek to develop policies that would expedite the arrival of more Afghan refugees.
However, with great respect, the hon. member's suggestion that we issue a single-journey travel document would not achieve what he says it would achieve. What the member is seeking to do is have the Canadian government issue a document that would grant permission for a person to enter a third country. Third countries remain in control of the entry requirements into those countries. We are having conversations with partners in the region, as well as organizations on the ground, to secure safe passage for as many Afghans as possible so they can achieve a second lease on life through one of the most substantial refugee commitments of any nation in the world.
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- May/16/22 3:05:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as reported by various news outlets, the Taliban are controlling the people of Afghanistan in a very radical way. This government has abandoned our Afghan interpreter friends.
We are talking about people who served Canada for years with our armed forces, people who are very well known to our military and who are already trusted by Canadian authorities.
Given that this is a matter of life and death, can the minister explain why they cannot come to Canada right away, while their refugee claims are being processed?
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- May/16/22 3:05:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would remind the hon. member that in fact many of those who have served Canada have already arrived in our country. Just last week, the most recent charter plane carried approximately 330 government-assisted refugees who have come to Canada as a result of their service to our effort in Afghanistan during our mission there.
We are going to continue to do whatever we can to make sure that we deliver on our commitment to resettle 40,000 Afghan refugees, which I would remind all members of the House remains one of the most substantial commitments of any nation in the world. There is much work to do, but the situation on the ground in Afghanistan is heartbreaking. That is why we have made such a substantial commitment.
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- May/16/22 3:06:20 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Afghan interpreters are dying. The ministers says that many have arrived, yet only 31% of the number the government assured us would come have arrived. However, the government gave a standing ovation just last week to the immigration minister. Shame on them.
The government called an election as Kabul was falling. People were dying, and people continue to die. Shame on them.
What do we get now? Partisan rhetoric from the immigration minister. Will the immigration minister and the government put aside their partisan rhetoric and get vulnerable Afghans to Canada now?
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- May/16/22 3:06:57 p.m.
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The hon. Minister of Immigration.
We are having Internet problems with the hon. minister's connection.
I think we have the minister back.
The hon. Minister of Immigration.
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- May/16/22 3:07:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, with great respect to the hon. member, there are now more than 13,000 Afghan refugees who have arrived in Canada [Technical difficulty—Editor].
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- May/16/22 3:07:38 p.m.
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We are going to go to the hon. parliamentary secretary.
The hon. parliamentary secretary.
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- May/16/22 3:07:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, if it were a matter of will, there would be 40,000 Afghan refugees here already. The reality is that every step of the way we are facing obstacles that were not present in other resettlement efforts. There are a number of factors that we do not fully control, such as safe passage out of Afghanistan and the ability of Afghans who want to resettle to leave the country. We are committed to 40,000, and we will bring 40,000 Afghan refugees to Canada.
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- May/16/22 3:08:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as we emerge from the pandemic, our focus is on creating inclusive and sustainable economic growth and making life more affordable for Canadians. In order to do this, we know that we need to support and modernize our traditional industries, such as the auto and aerospace industries, while also laying the groundwork for Canada to become a global leader in new and emerging sectors, including EVs, quantum computing, AI and clean tech.
Can the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry kindly update this House on how this government is working to attract more investment to Canada that will create well-paying jobs and spur economic growth?
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- May/16/22 3:09:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I will do that with pleasure, but let me first thank the member for his excellent work and his hard-working attitude on this file.
We all know in this House that Canada is one of the best places in the world to do business. That is why I travelled to the EU recently to make the case for Canada as a premier investment destination for clean technology, the automotive sector and EV batteries. Moreover, I also met with our G7 counterparts to ensure that everyone can benefit from the new digital technologies that will drive innovation and growth in this country.
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- May/16/22 3:10:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the horrendous killing of beloved Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is unacceptable and blatantly violates the protection of journalists. The attack on her funeral procession by Israeli security forces a few days later was abhorrent. The world is outraged. The U.S., the UN and the EU have called for an independent investigation. Will the government condemn these horrific actions and immediately join the call for a truly international independent investigation?
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- May/16/22 3:10:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would hope I speak for every member of this House in expressing the outrage we have all shared with respect to the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh. It was an outrage that affected our deepest sense of humanity, as she was simply doing her job and was killed. Our hearts are with her family, friends, colleagues and those who mourn the loss of the work she was doing.
Canada has called for a thorough investigation into this killing, such that people will have confidence in its findings. We will continue to advocate for that and ensure that the rights of journalists are protected this day and every day.
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Mr. Speaker, today we are debating a government bill on electoral representation, but there is no mention in it of electoral reform or proportional representation. Back in 2015, the Prime Minister promised over 1,800 times that he would make every vote count. Seven years later, we still do not have any legislation or indication from the governing party that it will follow through on these promises. Will the federal government support an independent, non-partisan national citizens assembly on electoral reform?
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Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my colleague for his continued interest in improving Canadian democracy. I would urge him to work with us to pass Bill C-14, which, as he correctly noted, is before the House of Commons now, to ensure that every province has the right representation in the electoral boundaries redistribution process under way.
I know he is very excited to have the report from the Chief Electoral Officer on the most recent election. We share that excitement, and we look forward to working with all colleagues in this House to make elections more accessible in every possible way.
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- May/16/22 3:12:45 p.m.
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That is all the time we have for question period today.
I think we have a couple of points of order.
The hon. member for Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman.
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- May/16/22 3:12:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to draw something to your attention. I am sure you saw that the member for Waterloo was in violation of Standing Order 16(2) and Standing Order 16(3), which state:
(2) When a member is speaking, no member shall pass between that member and the chair, nor interrupt him or her, except to raise a point of order.
(3) No member may pass between the chair and the table, nor between the chair and the mace when the mace has been taken off the table by the Sergeant-at-Arms.
The member for Waterloo definitely crossed between you and the table when the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry was speaking. We need to maintain decorum here, as you often try, and the member for Waterloo definitely turned the tables today.
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- May/16/22 3:13:30 p.m.
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I believe the member for Waterloo has a comment on this.
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- May/16/22 3:13:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I did. I was in the way, but I wish the member would spend more time actually advancing legislation improving the lives of Canadians in place of these points of order.
I apologize for causing him such—
Some hon. members: Oh, oh!
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