SoVote

Mrs. Carol Hughes (Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, NDP)

May/18/22 2:18:21 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, recently a leaked draft opinion revealed that the U.S. Supreme Court is considering overturning Roe v. Wade, a landmark decision on abortion rights. This unprecedented disclosure raises deep concerns about the existing guarantees of abortion access, and it is more important than ever to ensure that reproductive rights and justice are protected in Canada. Today, I rise to highlight that, while abortion rights have always been a priority in Canadian society, access barriers still exist. Recently, Manitoulin Island-based writer Ruth Farquhar described the situation in our country as abortion being “only truly accessible to women of privilege”, due to numerous issues related to geography, age, gender, race, socio-economic factors and immigration status. It is critical that we, as parliamentarians, strengthen policies to advance reproductive justice by addressing the needs of the most marginalized women, families and communities and expanding access to sexual and reproductive health care across the country.

156 words

Mr. Martin Champoux (Drummond, BQ)

May/18/22 2:19:36 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, do you know who is turning 40 this week? None other than Rock et Belles Oreilles. Although the group has not been active for some years now, RBO's humour remains part of the daily lives of Quebeckers, thanks to sketches such as Mini-putt, Hockey for the blind, and Deaf news bulletin, which have all become classics. With such charming characters as Cherze Siachon, Monsieur Caron, the Slomeau family and Madame Brossard from Brossard, RBO not only entertained us, but they also sometimes shocked us, like they did with their parody of a commercial for a “Zerox” machine that invokes a certain Jesus Christ. André Ducharme, Chantal Francke, Bruno Landry, Guy A. Lepage, Yves P. Pelletier and Richard Z. Sirois have left their mark on Quebec, walking the fine line of what was socially acceptable—and then promptly crossing it. The more RBO pushed the envelope, the harder Quebeckers laughed. Basically, RBO's humour is a bit like the recipe in their famous “Crastillon” skit. It's the chaff that makes us laugh. Whether on an album, on stage, on the radio, on TV, or featuring in the annual Bye Bye New Year's Eve comedy special, RBO is loved by one and all.

218 words

Mr. Bob Zimmer (Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies, CPC)

May/18/22 2:20:56 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, today we will see the implementation of the new Liberal long gun registry. A former Liberal Party leadership candidate— Some hon. members: Oh, oh!

27 words

The Deputy Speaker

May/18/22 2:21:08 p.m.
Watch

Order. Let us keep it down; we have a couple more to go. The hon. member for Prince George—Peace River—Northern Rockies will start again.

28 words

Mr. Bob Zimmer

May/18/22 2:21:21 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, today we will see the implementation of the new Liberal long gun registry. A former Liberal Party leadership candidate said, “The long gun registry, as it was, was a failure and I’m not going to resuscitate that”. The same member said that “there are better ways of keeping us safe than that registry which is, has been removed” and “We will not be bringing back a long-gun registry—it's not part of our plan and has never been”. There is one more, from the same Liberal MP: “I was raised with an appreciation and an understanding of how important in rural areas and right across the country gun ownership is as a part of the culture of Canada.” Who said that? It was the Prime Minister. If the Prime Minister truly believes that the Liberal long gun registry was a failure, then why is he breaking his promise to the law-abiding firearms community, and why is he re-establishing it today?

177 words

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

May/18/22 2:22:24 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, Shireen Abu Akleh spent her career as a journalist shedding light on the plight of the Palestinian people. She was fearless, inspiring and, at her core, a compassionate woman who dedicated herself to bringing a voice to the voiceless. On May 12, she was shot and killed while reporting on an Israeli military raid in the West Bank. Good journalists perform a vital role in democracies around the world. They are protected under international law. There must be an investigation into Shireen Abu Akleh's killing, and there must be justice. The fact is that these senseless deaths will not stop until the world comes together to build a just and lasting peace for all those who live in the region. The fact is that Shireen Abu Akleh is dead, and we are all the poorer for it. May she rest in peace. Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un.

153 words

All Topics

Hon. Candice Bergen (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

May/18/22 2:23:36 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, the Liberal government's argument for invoking the Emergencies Act on Canadians is very quickly falling apart. Last week, we learned the RCMP did not ask the government to invoke the act, and just yesterday we learned the Ottawa police did not either. The Liberals are simply not telling Canadians the truth. The Emergencies Act was an overreach by the Prime Minister and a government in trouble. Their power grab was just another example of classic Liberal cover-up, denial and blame. Is that not the truth?

89 words

All Topics

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

May/18/22 2:24:12 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, the illegal blockades in our cities and at our ports represented a threat to Canadian jobs, to trade and to our democracy. Police told us they needed additional tools to clear the blockades and, as OPP Chief Superintendent Carson Pardy said at yesterday's meeting: The Emergencies Act [gave police] effective supplementary tools needed to help protect critical infrastructure and ensure the continuous and safe delivery of essential goods and services, while at the same time maintaining—or in the case of Ottawa, restoring—peace, order and public security.

93 words

All Topics

Hon. Candice Bergen (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

May/18/22 2:24:52 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister's divisiveness is the reason the protest started and his failure to lead is the reason it got worse. The Prime Minister called people names: he wedged, he divided and then he spread misinformation. Then, to deal with the mess that he created, he invoked the Emergencies Act, stomping on freedoms and freezing bank accounts. Now he is covering up. The time has come for the Prime Minister to stop spreading disinformation and stop hiding the fact that he and his ministers had no valid reason to invoke the Emergencies Act. Will he do that? Will he tell the truth?

105 words

All Topics

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

May/18/22 2:25:34 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, in February, when blockades and occupations disrupted our economy, hurt workers and endangered public safety, we invoked the Emergencies Act to help bring them to an end. We have now announced the Public Order Emergency Commission: an independent public inquiry to examine the circumstances that led to the declaration being issued and the measures taken in response, as required under the act. I know that the interim leader of the Conservative Party, as well as members of the Conservative Party, may not want light shed on these events, given their support of these blockades, but Canadians want to know the truth.

103 words

All Topics

Hon. Candice Bergen (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

May/18/22 2:26:19 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, that is more disinformation from the Prime Minister. He should be ashamed of what he just said. Airports across the country are at a breaking point, with massive lineups and delays. People are waiting for months and months for passports and basic government services, and it is all because of the Prime Minister's failure. While the world has moved on from COVID, Canada is stuck in out-of-date restrictions and rules because the Liberal Prime Minister is stubborn, out of touch and out of date. My question is simple. When will Canada get back to pre-COVID normal? When?

103 words

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

May/18/22 2:27:05 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, as much as the Conservatives would like to ignore it, COVID-19 is still with us, and will continue to be with us, and Canadians need to continue to follow the best science in order to keep people safe. With regard to airports, our government has already taken action to reduce wait times by standing up working groups with relevant agencies to identify and address bottlenecks and by hiring about 400 additional security screeners. The CBSA has also added 25 kiosks at Pearson airport to speed up processing time and increased overtime available to officers. Unfortunately for Conservatives, we will continue to follow the science and keep Canadians safe.

111 words

Hon. Candice Bergen (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

May/18/22 2:27:51 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, Canadians know the Prime Minister does not have to wait for hours in line at an airport. When he wants to go somewhere, he just hops on his government jet and flies wherever he likes. Once there, off goes his mask and he enjoys freedom in the countries he is visiting. I guess COVID is not in those particular countries. Meanwhile, back in Canada, Canadians are suffering under his out-of-date COVID rules. Canadians have done everything that they have been asked to do. They have done everything expected of them. When are they going to get back to the pre-COVID lives they need and they deserve?

111 words

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

May/18/22 2:28:35 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, all Canadians are sick and tired of COVID. We all agree on that, but wishing it away or ignoring it will simply not make it go away. Over the past months, we have seen more deaths from COVID than at any time in the beginning of the pandemic. We will continue to do the work Canadians elected us to do just six months ago, and do everything necessary to keep Canadians safe. I know Conservatives have not been unequivocal on the need for vaccines. They have been hesitant and have been supporting anti-vaxxers. We will continue to stand on the side of keeping Canadians safe.

108 words

Hon. Candice Bergen (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

May/18/22 2:29:19 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, there he goes again, spreading more disinformation. When he has no valid argument, it is disinformation on that side. Well, the Prime Minister does not have to wait in a line. He does not have to worry about filling up his tank, buying groceries or buying a home. Young people in this country are desperately worried about those things, and they know the Prime Minister either does not understand or just does not care. They see a Prime Minister who blames everyone else for the problems he has created. The fact is that millions of young Canadians are seeing the truth. They do not trust the Prime Minister and do not believe he understands their struggles. Why is he ignoring and disrespecting young Canadians?

126 words

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

May/18/22 2:30:06 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, from the beginning of the pandemic, we made a promise to Canadians that we would have their backs, and that especially included young Canadians. We invested in supports for the kinds of small businesses that keep young people employed, we reduced student tuition costs and provided support for student loans. We have continued to invest in increasing Canada summer jobs to make sure they got through the pandemic. We have consistently been there for young people, and every step of the way, the Conservatives criticized us for doing as much as we have to help young people. They have criticized us for supporting young people at all. We will continue to be there for all Canadians.

118 words

Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ)

May/18/22 2:30:53 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, as they say in mass, and then there was light. I truly understand why the Prime Minister was so hostile to our motion on the separation of church and state. He was planning to spend a week with the heir apparent to the British throne, who, incidently, is the future head of the Church of England. We see and understand his priorities. Now that we know that we must pray for the royals of the British monarchy and that they are welcome here, can the Prime Minister tell us how much this costs?

95 words

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

May/18/22 2:31:37 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, my goodness, the Liberal government in Ottawa must be doing a great job meeting the expectations of Quebeckers, if the only thing the leader of the Bloc Québécois can complain about is still the monarchy and the prayer in the House of Commons. We are now creating more child care spaces for Quebec families. We are investing in help for small businesses. We are working on growing immigration to address the labour shortage. We are there to meet the expectations of Quebeckers and all Canadians. The leader of the Bloc Québécois has to dig deep to pick a fight.

109 words

Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ)

May/18/22 2:32:18 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, for the Prime Minister, $2.2‑million vacations are hardly extraordinary. There are islands that welcome him. In real life, the vast majority of Quebeckers and a majority of Canadians do not support the British monarchy. It is costing us more than $2 million this week and more than $65 million a year. Tourism usually generates revenues, not expenses. Who is footing the bill?

69 words

Right Hon. Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister, Lib.)

May/18/22 2:32:50 p.m.
Watch

Mr. Speaker, on a serious note, I am pleased to say that Canada has one of the strongest and most stable democracies in the world. We see the extent to which democracy is literally being attacked in Ukraine and elsewhere in the world by polarization, toxicity, and the deterioration of democratic principles and values in many parts of the world. Canada can be proud because we have a system that has been in place a very long time. We can focus on the major issues of concern to Canadians and not on our own stability. I believe that is a good thing.

102 words

SoVote

House Hansard - 74