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Mrs. Rechie Valdez (Mississauga—Streetsville, Lib.)

Jun/1/22 2:12:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, mabuhay, and welcome back. I am excited to rise in the House today to kick off Filipino Heritage Month for the month of June. I would like to thank my colleague from Scarborough Centre and every MP in the House who supported Motion No. 155 to make this happen. From coast to coast, Filipino Canadians will be celebrating in June by having flag-raising ceremonies, Independence Day festivals and celebrations throughout the month. From the original settlers in New Westminster, B.C., 130 years ago to the now one million Filipinos across Canada today, I want to acknowledge the tremendous contributions of Filipino Canadians in making their mark in Canada. I would like to give special thanks to my husband Chris, my kids Kyle and Cassidy, my mother- and father-in-law and the Filipino interns for joining us in Ottawa today. Maraming salamat! Maligayang Buwan ng Pamanang Pilipino. Thanks very much, and happy Filipino Heritage Month.

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Mr. Arif Virani (Parkdale—High Park, Lib.)

Jun/1/22 2:13:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, June marks National Indigenous History Month. My constituents, including Anne Hines, the minister of Roncesvalles United Church, care deeply about understanding indigenous contributions to our community. When Anne considered what her congregation could do to support indigenous reconciliation, she looked no further than Phil Cote. Phil belongs to the Moose Deer Point first nation and is a celebrated Anishinabe artist. Anne commissioned him to create a soaring indigenous mural, some 60 feet high and 70 feet wide, that now adorns an entire wall of the church. The mural is the first of its kind in a church in Canada. The significance is clear, given the historical role of the church in administering the residential school system. Now all those who enter Toronto's Roncesvalles United Church are struck by this towering work of art and the creation story it depicts. As opposed to working to take the Indian out of the child, Roncevalles United is now celebrating the indigenous presence that surrounds all of us. The path toward reconciliation is a shared one. Thanks, Phil Cote and Anne Hines, for demonstrating that for all of us. Chi-meegwetch.

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Mr. Marc Dalton (Pitt Meadows—Maple Ridge, CPC)

Jun/1/22 2:15:02 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, Pitt Meadows is one of the prettiest spots on our planet and is a wonderful place to raise a family. It is on the traditional land of the Katzie, and is nestled between the coast mountains and the Pitt River and Fraser River. It has a small-town feel even though it is in metro Vancouver. Residents enjoy chatting or strolling along the dikes, perhaps after grabbing a coffee at the Stomping Grounds Café & Bistroor an ice cream from the Sweet Tooth Creamery. If people are looking for a wonderful place to golf or to get married, there is nowhere better than Swaneset, which is not far from Pitt Lake, the largest freshwater tidal lake in the world, where people can view eagles, swans, herons and seals. Business is booming. This month, a new airport terminal is opening, as well as a Vancouver aviation school. This Saturday, residents will line up by the thousands for Pitt Meadows' 81st annual parade. It is a great time to connect and it will be a blast.

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Mr. Francesco Sorbara (Vaughan—Woodbridge, Lib.)

Jun/1/22 2:16:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, happy Italian Heritage Month, a time to recognize, celebrate and honour the immeasurable contributions of Italian Canadians while showcasing the rich Italian culture, heritage and gastronomy. [Member spoke in Italian] [English] The Quiet Immigrant project, titled le femmine forti, is a tribute to the brave Italian women who immigrated to Canada after World War II. Through sheer strength of character, with neither fanfare nor complaint, they wove their way into Canada's social fabric. These are our nonnas, our mothers, wives and our daughters, including mine—Eliana, Natalia and Leia—who will carry the rich Italian Canadian legacy for years to come. [Member spoke in Italian] [English] This Italian Heritage Month, join me in sharing and celebrating the stories of these brave Italian women. [Member spoke in Italian] [English]

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Mr. Michael Cooper (St. Albert—Edmonton, CPC)

Jun/1/22 2:17:17 p.m.
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Re: Bill S-206

Mr. Speaker, jury service often comes at a considerable sacrifice. Many jurors go through difficult trials and are exposed to horrific evidence, yet they are unable to talk about what is often the most stressful aspect of jury service, the deliberation process, due to the jury secrecy rule. Yesterday, the justice committee voted unanimously to send Bill S-206, of which I am the House of Commons sponsor, back to the House for third reading. The bill carves out a narrow exception to the jury secrecy rule so that former jurors can disclose all aspects of their jury service to a medical professional bound by confidentiality so that former jurors can get the help that they deserve. Jurors play an indispensable role in the administration of justice. We owe it to them to see that this bill finally crosses the finish line and is passed into law.

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Hon. Tim Uppal (Edmonton Mill Woods, CPC)

Jun/1/22 2:18:17 p.m.
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Re: Bill C-11

Mr. Speaker, despite the many flaws in Bill C-11, the Liberals continue to force this legislation through Parliament. Last week, the CEO of Canada's most successful YouTube channel told the heritage committee that Bill C-11 is not an ill-intentioned piece of legislation, but it is a bad piece of legislation. It has been written by those who do not understand the industry that they are attempting to regulate. Artists and creators who work in digital media have been clear: Modernization does not mean taking an outdated, 30-year-old regulatory system and simply applying it to today's technology. While the Liberals claim there is now an exemption for user-generated content, this legislation clearly allows the CRTC to regulate any content that generates revenue, directly or indirectly. That means that virtually all content can be regulated by the CRTC. It is clear: Bill C-11 is flawed, and it must be scrapped.

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Ms. Soraya Martinez Ferrada (Hochelaga, Lib.)

Jun/1/22 2:19:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this being National AccessAbility Week, I would like to highlight one woman's exceptional contribution. This immigrant woman dedicated over 35 years of her life to developing respite services for families with children with intellectual disabilities. She mobilized parents and built a community support network, and she enlisted the support of funding organizations and elected officials at all levels of government. The woman I am talking about is Maritza Ferrada-Videla. She is my mother. She played an exemplary leadership role in ensuring the inclusion of families with children with disabilities. I am deeply moved and very proud to salute her courage, her determination and her resiliency in fighting for human dignity, and today I wish her a well-deserved retirement. My mother is and will continue to be a source of inspiration and quiet strength that sustains my presence here in the House every day. In closing, I would like to thank everyone who, like her, is working to build a more equitable and inclusive society.

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Ms. Laurel Collins (Victoria, NDP)

Jun/1/22 2:20:36 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, June 2 is International Sex Workers' Day: a day to celebrate sex workers, to honour their work and to push for better working conditions. Women, men, queer, trans and non-binary sex workers are workers. They are members of our communities and deserve dignity and respect, and not stigma. Stigma leads to barriers in accessing health care, to isolation and to dangerous working conditions. Our laws, while claiming to protect sex workers, actually cause more harm by making it harder to report violence and screen potential clients. We need to end the stigma and listen to the voices of sex workers, who are calling for decriminalization and calling on MPs to stop conflating sex work with human trafficking, because it makes it harder to keep people safe. Instead, let us support the sex work community. One amazing organization doing just that is Peers Victoria Resources Society. It is an organization by sex workers, for sex workers. On June 2, let us celebrate sex workers and end the stigma. Sex work is work.

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Mr. Yves Perron (Berthier—Maskinongé, BQ)

Jun/1/22 2:21:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today, June 1, we are celebrating World Milk Day. This year, again, I want to acknowledge the contribution of dairy farmers who take care of their herds and put high-quality milk on our tables, as well as precious milk products such as butter, yoghurt and cheese. Today, milk was delivered to the lobby. It was a good opportunity to raise a glass to the health of our local farmers, which we did with pleasure, because milk and milk products are healthy and nutritious food. Dairy farmers and farmers of other supply-managed products fared better than others during the pandemic. That is just more proof that they have an effective system. We need to quickly pass version 2.0 of our bill that seeks to protect supply management from any further breaches in future free trade negotiations. Long live our dairy production here at home.

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

Jun/1/22 2:22:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I recently travelled to Israel on a parliamentary mission to learn about the conflict, but something else that really stood out to me was how the country has moved on from COVID. It was immediately noticeable when we got off the plane: no masks, no public health warnings and no distancing or divisive vaccine mandates. In Israel, people are living joyously in a post-COVID world. As soon as we boarded the flight home to Canada, all COVID restrictions and mandates returned, and I felt the anxiety and stress of the past two years. I realized the terrible impact Canadian restrictions continue to have on our psyches and how desperately people need a return to normal. The current Liberal government will not allow it. The Liberals voted against our motions on travel restrictions and mandates, even though other highly advanced vaccinated countries, with leading scientific and medical experts, have done so. It does not have to be this way. All Canadians can live freely once again. I have seen it with my own eyes. It is time for Canada to move on too.

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Mr. Francis Scarpaleggia (Lac-Saint-Louis, Lib.)

Jun/1/22 2:23:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the City of Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue in my riding of Lac-Saint-Louis is for the birds. Sainte-Anne's is the proud recipient of Nature Canada's Bird Friendly City designation. It is only the 13th city in Canada to qualify. This designation is the result of the city's long-standing commitment to conserving and enhancing its natural environment with our feathered friends top of mind. The bird-friendly measures implemented by the City and its partners over the years include eliminating the use of harmful pesticides, promoting organic gardening and mobilizing citizens through education and awareness. Congratulations to Mayor Paola Hawa; Councillor Ryan Young, who has long spearheaded bird-friendly initiatives; the McGill Bird Observatory; and Morgan Arboretum on making it possible for Sainte-Anne's to obtain this well-deserved honour and recognition.

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

Jun/1/22 2:25:04 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have failed when it comes to making life more affordable for Canadians. Canadians are worse off today than they were six years ago with out-of-control gas, grocery, rent and housing costs. What does the Prime Minister do? He does nothing except blame everyone else. Inflation is the fault of COVID and for high gas prices, he blames Putin. That is a cop-out. What is the Liberal government going to do to reduce the prices of things like fuel and groceries, and when is it finally going to do it?

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

Jun/1/22 2:25:40 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the member opposite talks about six years ago. One of the very first things we did when we got into office was lower taxes for the middle class by raising them on the wealthiest 1%. We then moved forward with a Canada child benefit that delivers hundreds of dollars a month to Canadians, tax free, while not sending cheques to millionaire families as the Conservatives did before us. We have now indexed to inflation the Canada child benefit, so as of next month that will rise for families across the country to help them keep up with the cost of living, as we continue to invest in supports for families—

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The Speaker

Jun/1/22 2:26:21 p.m.
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The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

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

Jun/1/22 2:26:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have a news flash for the Prime Minister. Canadians cannot keep up with the cost of living. They desperately need a break on these high costs. While some provinces are taking action to relieve the pressure on Canadians, the Liberals are actually cheering on high gas prices and raking in the extra cash. On top of tax increases that came on April 1, we are now seeing interest rates rise, which will cost Canadians more, but the Prime Minister continues to deny the reality. Why will he not take some responsibility and do something to reduce the cost of food, gas and housing?

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

Jun/1/22 2:27:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, every step of the way the government has had Canadians' backs, and we will continue to have their backs through these difficult times. We know we are continuing to lower Canadians' cellphone bills. We did that by 25%, as promised. We committed to working with provinces and territories to cut child care fees in half this year. Families are already seeing real savings as a result. We committed to raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour, and it increased again on April 1. Also, by delivering an enhanced Canada worker benefit, more families will benefit from that support. We will continue to be there to support families across the country.

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

Jun/1/22 2:27:43 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the cost of everything is going up, and the Prime Minister seems to be in denial about it. Do members know what else is going up under these Liberals? It is violent crime, and that is because the Liberals are soft on crime. Their soft-on-crime approach means that places such as Winnipeg, Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal are becoming more dangerous with violent crimes increasing under their watch. Criminals who terrorize vulnerable communities should not get just a slap on the wrist and house arrest or bail. They should be behind bars. Why will the Prime Minister not start standing up for victims, do something to protect the innocent and make sure that violent criminals are put in jail and stay in jail?

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

Jun/1/22 2:28:25 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, what our communities need is a justice system that punishes criminals. What we do not need is a system that targets racialized people because of systemic discrimination. Our reforms turned the page on failed Conservative Party policies that contributed to the overrepresentation of Black and indigenous people in our criminal justice system. At the same time, through our new legislation, we are increasing maximum penalties from 10 to 14 years for firearms-related offences, including smuggling and trafficking. We are there to support Canadians and to keep Canadians safe.

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

Jun/1/22 2:29:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister keeps repeating talking points that border on misinformation and that definitely show a lack of compassion, both for victims of crime and for Canadians who are paying more and more for everything. To satisfy his insatiable appetite for spending, the Prime Minister is happy to let Canadians pay millions of dollars more every day in taxes because everything costs more. Why will the Prime Minister not stand up, take responsibility, and cut taxes for Canadians to give them a bit of a break?

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

Jun/1/22 2:29:44 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, comments like that from the Conservatives would have a bit more credibility if they had not voted against our very first measure to cut taxes for the middle class and raise them for the wealthy. We continued our work by creating a Canada child benefit that helps families who need it most with hundreds of dollars per month and is indexed to inflation and the cost of living. We are there to support people, and we will continue to be there to invest in meaningful ways to help the middle class, while the Conservatives do nothing but criticize and engage in partisan attacks.

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