44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 17, 2022 11:00AM
- Oct/17/22 2:06:47 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is Small Business Week, and I would like to highlight two small businesses in my riding that I visited last week.
Yoga-Tastic 4 Kids is a heart and mindfulness business owned by Sandra and Rich, providing various yoga and mindfulness programming that caters to children and adults in their beautiful Burlington studio.
Crepepresso is owned by Mohe and Farah, who moved to Canada as Syrian refugees in 2015. In September, they opened their family owned and operated business in north Oakville, welcoming all sweet tooths and those who love crepes and coffee.
I would also like to acknowledge the support provided by the Burlington and Oakville Chambers of Commerce to small businesses, and in particular my friend France Fournier, whose leadership and inclusion efforts have not gone unnoticed since her appointment as president and CEO of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce in January of this year.
I thank the small businesses and those who support them, this week and every week.
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- Oct/17/22 2:57:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, too many Canadians have been hurt by gun violence and our government ran on the promise to redouble Canada's efforts to tackle this issue. We always put the safety of Canadians as our number one priority. That plan includes banning and buying back assault rifles, freezing the national handgun market and raising sentences for gun smugglers. My hope is that the hon. member across the aisle will support Bill C-21 at committee and allow us to keep Canadians safer.
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- Oct/17/22 5:56:31 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking the hon. member, not only for his advocacy but also for his donation of AEDs to his local police service.
According to Heart and Stroke, approximately 40,000 Canadians experience sudden cardiac arrest each year, and 80% of these occur outside of a hospital setting. This is one of the reasons all RCMP officers are required to be trained and recertified in CPR and first aid, including the use of AEDs. The RCMP is committed to our communities, with CPR, AED and first aid training included in the standard first aid curriculum, in which all members are required to recertify every three years. This represents a demonstrable enhancement of our public safety role as first responders.
The RCMP is aware that some police services equip police vehicles with AEDs.
I was also present when we studied Motion No. 124 at the public safety committee, looking at the hon. member for Richmond—Arthabaska's private member's bill on the issue. AEDs increase the chances of survival by 75%.
At the time of our study, the Library of Parliament provided us with a 2014 report that the public safety committee had done on the economics of policing. Municipalities pay 60% of policing in Canada, and it takes up to 50% of their budgets. While I was doing some research on police forces in North America that have these devices in their cars, it appears that many of them got them through either donations or grants, much like the hon. member across the aisle did with his police service.
Currently, the RCMP provides contract policing services to all provinces and territories except Ontario and Quebec, as well as some 150 municipalities. These services are provided through the police services agreements, which see the costs for RCMP services shared by the provincial and municipal governments and the federal government.
In consultation with the RCMP, provinces, territories and municipalities establish the level of resources, budget and policing priorities in their respective jurisdictions. It is through these consultations and decisions by the government of local jurisdiction that the RCMP is allocated funding for the purchase of new equipment.
The financial impact of procuring AEDs for RCMP vehicles would also have to be completed in consultation with contract partners to determine the extent to which these devices could be deployed. Currently, AEDs have been approved for installation and used in select RCMP operational areas, including emergency medical response teams, some protective policing details, and in provinces where provincial policing standards require that AEDs be available.
Another important consideration that came up during our study of Motion No. 124 was that only 15% of Canadians live in communities that are serviced by the RCMP. Obviously, equipping RCMP vehicles would help, but it would not reach as many communities as we would like.
In equipping RCMP vehicles with AEDs, several operational rollout and financial considerations must be assessed, including consultations with our contract partners.
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- Oct/17/22 6:01:01 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is difficult for me to answer a question on RCMP operational details, but I think, as the hon. member knows, right now, the Alberta government is talking about getting out of contract policing and instituting its own police service.
I think, certainly, the hon. member has heard what I am saying, in that it requires consultation with the provincial or municipal partners before we can move forward. As he knows, the cost of this policing is split between the federal and provincial governments. If the hon. member had a private company that wanted to donate AEDs to all RCMP vehicles, I would be happy to work with him on that.
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- Oct/17/22 6:06:05 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, holy smokes, the rhetoric and misinformation coming from the other side of the House is a bit hard to respond to, but I am going to do my best.
Last winter, safety concerns from illegal blockades had shut down businesses, prevented citizens from moving about in several Canadian cities and cut off supply chains, hampering the ability of small business owners to contribute to the well-being of their families and communities.
We had a large blockade in the city of Ottawa and other communities were also impacted. Alberta, Manitoba, British Columbia, Quebec and cities within these provinces all faced illegal blockades that threatened people's safety and livelihoods. The situation was so critical that the Province of Ontario, City of Windsor and City of Ottawa all declared states of emergency.
The Government of Canada knew that a safe resolution to these illegal blockades would require the collaboration of all partners. That is why we engaged closely with law enforcement and provincial, territorial and municipal officials to share situational updates and intelligence and explore the ways we could support one another. These discussions were ongoing throughout the crisis.
The decision to invoke the Emergencies Act was informed by these discussions and consultations. The ultimate goal was always to bring an end to the blockades peacefully. In full transparency, we have made public a document that provides the reasons for issuing the declaration of a public order emergency. This fulfills the requirement in subsection 58(1) of the Emergencies Act, and the Government of Canada is pleased to provide this public information.
In addition, the Government of Canada has provided a public document describing the consultations we undertook before invoking the act. This document clearly demonstrates that we were closely engaged with all key partners in order to bring all expertise to the table to solve this public order crisis.
I would encourage my colleagues to review these public documents. They would make clear that, for several weeks last winter, illegal blockades were growing, strengthening and threatening law and order in numerous communities. Provinces, territories, municipalities and law enforcement all clearly communicated their views and concerns to the Government of Canada. Crucially, these partners asked the Government of Canada to lend support to the police of jurisdiction to counter the illegal activities.
We explored all other possible strategies to counter and to bring a peaceful conclusion to the many illegal blockades in Canadian communities at the time. It was at this time, and following extensive and ongoing discussions, that the decision to invoke the Emergencies Act was made. This was not an easy decision and we took the path with an appropriate sense of gravitas.
Importantly, invoking the act provided law enforcement with additional tools that allowed them to bring an end to the blockades. I must reinforce that this peaceful resolution was achieved, in large part, because of our close and ongoing consultation with provinces, territories, municipalities and law enforcement.
The Government of Canada did not keep the Emergencies Act in place any longer than necessary. We revoked it as soon as possible once it had achieved its intended purpose and law enforcement no longer needed the additional tools.
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- Oct/17/22 6:10:46 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, let us take a step back and remember what it was like here in Ottawa last winter. While the hon. member and many of her colleagues were playing footsies with the illegal blockade, many Canadians were suffering. Many Canadian businesses were suffering. They were being held hostage by these illegal blockades. People did not feel safe going about their lives in their own communities.
I am pleased to share with the hon. member a quote from the interim chief of the Ottawa Police Service, who told the following to members at the public safety committee: “I...want to thank the federal government for invoking the federal Emergencies Act.” He went on to say, “From a policing perspective, the legislation provided the OPS with the ability to prevent people from participating in this unlawful protest”. He referred to the invocation of the act as a “critical piece” of their efforts.
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- Oct/17/22 6:15:56 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my understanding of this was that hon. members would ask for information to elaborate on a question they had asked in the House. The hon. member has greatly expanded on what he had asked. I will focus on a couple of things, but in particular NEXUS, as he had asked about it. He did not mention that tonight, but I will deal with it.
The ArriveCAN app is something we brought in to keep Canadians safe. We will always make the health and safety of Canadians our number one priority. I recall that at the time, hon. members from the other side of the aisle were calling for us to close the borders and stop letting people into Canada. The ArriveCAN app was a useful tool that we brought in during the pandemic, and it is no longer mandatory, as the hon. member knows.
I would like to talk a bit about NEXUS, which is what the hon. member had asked in his question of the Minister of Health.
We know NEXUS is extremely important for travellers. We also know that Canadians are travelling again. That is why we are working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to restore NEXUS enrolment services in Canada. I hear from my own constituents about concerns with being able to get a NEXUS appointment.
It is a joint program managed by both Canada and the United States. When our American counterparts are ready to deploy officers to Canada again, we will be ready to immediately facilitate it. Canada and the U.S. are in discussions right now about the timing of the reopening of Canadian enrolment centres. However, until that time, enrolment centres in Canada will continue to be closed.
Canadians can now travel to the U.S. to complete their interviews and applications. We are also allowing existing NEXUS members who renew their memberships before the expiry date of their card to retain their membership privileges for an additional 24 months from the date of expiry.
The hon. member talked at length about our Charter of Rights, and I just want to assure the hon. member, as well as all Canadians, that on this side of the House we will always stand up for Canadians' charter rights. We always have and we always will.
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- Oct/17/22 6:19:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I know the Minister of Public Safety and his U.S. counterpart have been in discussions to get NEXUS back in Canada. I will reiterate that when our American counterparts are ready to deploy their officers to Canada, we will be ready to facilitate it.
Canadians want to get back to their lives and put the pandemic behind them, and I assure the hon. member that we continue to work with the United States to ensure that our American counterparts can deploy their officers in Canada again.
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