44th Parl. 1st Sess.
June 13, 2022 11:00AM
Madam Speaker, it is a rare privilege to have the first question off the top to the hon. member for Perth—Wellington.
As he was reflecting on the history, and I have been doing this myself and have not yet had time to dive into Hansard to double-check, he asked members to cast our minds back and ask how this place would react to a motion like this had it been brought forward in the period of time when there was a Harper majority government. I cannot think of a time that a motion this egregious was put forward in that era. I know that when we speak to someone like the hon. member for Perth—Wellington, who got a Ph.D. in the Thursday question, one knows they are going to a source with some knowledge. Could he enlighten me? Did I miss one, or is this in fact the worst we have ever seen?
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- Jun/13/22 3:55:02 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have three petitions to present today. These are very pressing and important issues that I am putting forward and I will summarize.
The first petition deals with the threat to pollinators. It is a global threat and it is largely due, as we understand it, to neonicotinoid insecticides, which have been restricted from use in the European Union. Petitioners call on the Government of Canada, for the sake of our bees and food security, to take steps and follow Europe's lead.
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- Jun/13/22 3:57:50 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, the second petition refers to an urgent issue we often discuss in this place, and that is the opioid crisis. These petitioners point out that the public health emergency constituted by poisoning the drug supply is a public health emergency and that the solution is to decriminalize the drug supply, to reframe the overdose crisis as a health issue rather than one of criminal justice, and to take a comprehensive, multi-faceted approach to dealing with the opioid crisis once and for all.
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- Jun/13/22 3:57:50 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, my last petition, I have to say, is certainly one of the ones that had great support online, with over 5,653 petitioners.
The petitioners point out that the government had promised in the last election to place a ban on the export of thermal coal from ports. Members in this place may not know that we export thermal coal that comes into Canada from the U.S., because U.S. ports are already refusing to export thermal coal for reasons of climate. The petitioners point out that thermal coal creates about half of the world's carbon emissions and that the phase-out that the government has planned should be expedited and moved more rapidly.
I also want to thank the citizens who worked on this petition, particularly a retired justice department lawyer who did a lot of work at Environment Canada, Beverly Pixie Hobby from White Rock. I also want to thank constituents of my own riding from the South Coast Ship Watch Alliance, because much of the contamination of our waterways in the Gulf Islands is due to anchorages for ships that cannot be loaded with products in bulk, due to inefficiencies at the port of Vancouver. This would expedite environmental protection in the Gulf Islands and also be an action for climate change.
The petitioners ask for the priority substances list within the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, as soon as possible, to list thermal coal and then to regulate the mining and export of thermal coal, in accordance with our international commitments.
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Madam Speaker, I completely agree with my colleague that this is an urgent matter for actors, creators, producers, and film and theatre directors, but I have a problem with one section of Bill C‑11 that I would like to change at committee. I think it would be better to have more days in July so we have enough time to do a proper study and give the creative sector what it needs as soon as possible.
What does my colleague think about putting in some more time here so we can do a good job on Bill C‑11?
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Madam Speaker, I support so much of Bill C-11, but I am very troubled by the sections that I think need more work. I hate to see anything rushed through this place, and my friend from Lac-Saint-Louis will know that is my view.
In the past number of years, I have been so blissfully happy since I got married to John Kidder. I am suddenly related to Eric Peterson, who is my brother-in-law. My step-daughter, Janet Kidder is a serious actor who has been successful. There are parts of Bill C-11 that work for them.
The other day on a flight, just by coincidence, my colleague, the hon. member for Kitchener Centre ended up sitting next to the fantastic Stewart Reynolds, the comedian who goes by the name Brittlestar. He said to him, “I don't think the people who drafted Bill C-11 understand our industry of content created YouTubers. I don't think the bill has it right yet.”
I would do anything to see us get help to Canadian culture, to Canadian content and to our brilliant actors, directors and all the people who need to do the work for production without getting it wrong for the new and emerging sector that I have to admit I do not understand the way I understood Canadian content, as my friend talked about, when we started making sure radio had Canadian content.
The bill is not perfect. Why do we not work on it more?
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Mr. Speaker, this is a tough issue for me, as an individual MP, because I do not like a motion that says we are going to fast-track all amendments, close things down and push something through on this basis, as the government is proposing to do on Bill C-11.
I am honestly still trying to decide how I will vote on the Conservative motion. I would rather we stay in this place and do it right, even if it took sitting into July. I do not know about taking until September. That is what I am struggling with right now. I also know in the previous Parliament, with Bill C-10, and in this Parliament, and I do not want to make this personal in any way, shape or form, but the tactics of the Conservative Party cannot be described as anything other than obstruction for the sake of obstruction.
I would like him to try to tell me what he thinks would happen if the government did not push this through. Would we have a chance to improve this bill and then get it passed?
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