44th Parl. 1st Sess.
May 30, 2022 11:00AM
- May/30/22 2:40:30 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, around the world people are looking to travel after being home for two years. This is something that is not just happening in Canada. In fact, when we look at passport-processing times in other countries, we see that in the United States, for example, it is nine to 11 weeks. When we look at the U.K., it is a minimum of 10 weeks. When we look at Sweden, it is actually 27.5 weeks before people can get a passport.
Around the world, in countries like Canada, people are looking to travel. They all want to do it at the same time and passport systems around the world are struggling with this demand, but here in Canada we are doing everything we can to meet it.
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- May/30/22 2:41:10 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Quebec National Assembly had not even voted on its Bill 96 before the Prime Minister suggested that he could challenge it in court.
Let us make one thing clear. Regardless of our differences of opinion, Bill 96 was democratically passed by a majority of elected officials. That is a democratic choice that responds to the clearly expressed will of Quebeckers to better protect French. More importantly, this democratic choice was made by all Quebeckers, not by a handful of federal politicians.
Democracy in Quebec has spoken. Will the government respect that?
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- May/30/22 2:41:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I, too, am a Quebecker and I, too, have the right to share my opinion in this regard, as do other Quebeckers from various sectors and fields.
Legal scholars, health care professionals and other experts have all spoken out against Bill 96. We all want to protect French, and we all should protect French. That is exactly what our Bill C-13 would do for Quebec and all of Canada.
As I said, we will be following the implementation of Bill 96 to ensure that it does not exceed Quebec's jurisdiction.
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- May/30/22 2:42:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are not just issuing threats against Bill 96, they are already dismantling it.
Bill 96 imposes the Charter of the French Language on federally regulated businesses, but the Liberals are giving them a way out in their own Bill C‑13, which will allow these businesses to continue to work in English with complete disregard for Quebec laws.
On language matters, the Liberals' actions speak for themselves. Why are they encouraging the anglicization of Quebec instead of protecting French?
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- May/30/22 2:43:15 p.m.
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- May/30/22 2:43:17 p.m.
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I have two ministers fighting to answer.
The hon. Minister of Canadian Heritage.
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- May/30/22 2:43:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I had not even uttered the word “fight” yet.
What I am sensing here is a disregard for democratic debate and for diverging opinions. We have 35 MPs here from Quebec, who were elected by Quebeckers, who reflect their constituents' points of view, and who are also entitled to a say.
Just because we did this does not mean we are in favour of anglicization or against French. On the contrary, we stand up for French every day. We have done more than any other government, but it is not up to the Bloc Québécois to decide who is a real Quebecker and who is not. A Quebecker is a Quebecker.
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- May/30/22 2:44:07 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a true Quebecker would stand up, defend French and defend Quebec culture.
I want to talk about the Liberals' actions when it comes to French. The posting for the appointment of a new CRTC chairperson states: “Proficiency in both official languages would be preferred”. It is not mandatory, simply preferred. The Liberals decided to make French optional for the person responsible for the regulation and future of Quebec television and the entirety of our telecommunications system. They feel it is okay to put someone who does not speak French in charge of an entire segment of our culture.
Do the Liberals realize that their actions speak for themselves, and that those actions speak English?
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- May/30/22 2:44:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I think that is going too far.
In the Liberal government's opinion, it is absolutely essential that the next CRTC chairperson be able to speak both languages. It is a question of respect for the cultural sector, whether for English or French Canada. I think it is dangerous to get into an identity debate where the Bloc assumes the right to declare who is a true Quebecker and who is not. In addition to the bickering it causes, it creates a deep division, and that is unacceptable.
As parliamentarians, we must work together for unity and social cohesion. We can have different points of view, but we should never try to divide ourselves like that.
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- May/30/22 2:45:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, a troubling and recent Supreme Court of Canada decision allowing some of Canada's worst mass murderers to apply for parole much sooner means that families are revictimized by a vicious cycle that forces them to relive the worst day of their lives over and over again at repeated parole hearings. That includes the families of three RCMP officers who were killed in the line of duty in Moncton, New Brunswick in 2014.
The families of victims are speaking out and standing up for their lost loved ones. Will this government do the same?
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- May/30/22 2:46:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his question, and we acknowledge the pain that families and victims go through in these kinds of cases.
Nothing in the Supreme Court's decision changes the fact that all people convicted of murder receive mandatory life sentences. What happens here is that they are now eligible for parole after 25 years, but that does not mean that they will get parole. It is extremely rare for people who have been convicted of multiple murders to receive parole.
It was a clear and unanimous decision by the Supreme Court of Canada. It stated that the lack of parole was cruel and unusual, and we will respect that.
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- May/30/22 2:46:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what is self-induced extreme intoxication? According to the Women's Legal Action and Education Fund, self-induced extreme intoxication means that a person is so intoxicated that they are in a state of automatism, meaning that their actions are not considered voluntary or something that they can control. “Self-induced” means that the person chose to consume substances, such as alcohol or drugs, that caused their intoxicated state.
Victims already have enough barriers. When is this government going to table legislation against this type of defence?
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- May/30/22 2:47:27 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, once again, I thank the hon. member for her question.
We are committed to keeping communities safe, to protecting victims and to ensuring that their rights are protected. We are looking carefully at the decision. I will work with the hon. member and members on all sides of the House in order to reach a solution. We are troubled by the decision as well.
I would remind everyone in the House, and I would remind everyone across Canada, that as the hon. member has pointed out, this ruling only applies in a small minority of extreme cases. We will act, but we need to keep that in perspective.
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- May/30/22 2:48:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Brian Ilesic and two other victims were murdered in an armed robbery. They were shot point-black in the back of the head. A fourth victim survived with serious brain injuries. Brian's parents, my constituents Mike and Dianne, feel completely betrayed that this cold-blooded killer will be eligible for parole years sooner, along with other mass killers.
What assurance can the Minister of Justice provide, aside from empty words, for Mike and Dianne and other grieving families in the face of this unjust decision by the Supreme Court?
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- May/30/22 2:48:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, that was a 9-0 decision. It was a unanimous decision. It was clear and unequivocal.
Our hearts go out to victims. We make the justice system better by enacting and applying laws and seeing them applied. I remind everyone in this House, and I remind everyone across Canada, that eligibility for parole does not mean one will get parole. It is extremely rare that people convicted of mass murder achieve parole. That is the fact. We will respect the ruling of the Supreme Court.
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- May/30/22 2:49:29 p.m.
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Uqaqtittiji, the legacy of colonialism is deep. Former students, now parents and grandparents, told churches and governments about the loss of their loved ones. They were ignored.
Unmarked graves are now being found and many more will show the truth of what was hidden. Indigenous peoples need the resources to support each other in these traumatic experiences.
Will the government provide funding directly to indigenous organizations, communities and families to help with healing, instead of giving funds to the RCMP?
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- May/30/22 2:50:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as part of this comprehensive approach to supporting communities as they reel from the ongoing discoveries of unmarked graves, clearly what they have asked of us is to have a concerted approach, whether it is from me, the Minister of Indigenous Services or other departments, or whether they need supports now or for the next 10 years.
This is something that, sadly, will go on for some time. There are 70 searches and supports ongoing. Yes, we will absolutely provide those resources to communities.
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- May/30/22 2:50:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it has been one year since the date of the discovery of the remains of 215 indigenous children at the Kamloops residential institution, but not even this shocked the government into action.
The Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations has admitted it has been too slow. This is a pattern. On clean drinking water, the housing crisis and the calls to justice, it has been too slow. Enough is enough.
One year ago, the government blocked my motion calling for support for communities, including bringing in international experts, such as the International Commission on Missing Persons.
When will the government do what is needed to help communities bring their children home?
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- May/30/22 2:51:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, to the member opposite's point, clearly what we have seen in this country is a pattern of dispossession that has continued to retraumatize and traumatize communities, and the constant denial of this reality is what characterizes today's discourse as well.
We have a duty, as a society, to keep opening our minds and being more respectful, and to show compassion to communities that are reeling, but also to provide those resources. We know that some communities are not even ready at this point and it may take some time, and the last thing they want to think about is any party in the House suggesting that the funding would ever stop.
I would encourage all people in the House to support our efforts in walking with communities and supporting them in their searches.
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- May/30/22 2:52:16 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, like many Canadians, I followed closely the work of our government to respond to the sexual misconduct crisis in our military institutions.
Today, the Minister of National Defence presented Madame Arbour's final report regarding this issue and presented the government's path forward. As part of a military family, I was pleased to see our government's commitment to creating change and establishing meaningful reforms that will stand the test of time.
Can the Minister of National Defence outline our government's response to Madame Arbour's report?
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