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Context: House Hansard - 115 - Oct/21/22

Mr. Jamie Schmale (Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, CPC)

Oct/21/22 11:09:44 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, in Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock, people are worried about how they will get to work, heat their homes and put food on the table. Douglas wrote to me about the cost of diesel: “I couldn't believe that diesel in Lindsay ranges from $2.16 to $2.40. With diesel being so high, grocery prices will rise even more and make it more unaffordable for the low and middle class to buy food. When will the federal government lower the tax at the gas pumps?” At the end of her rope, Kathy expressed her anxiety to me in a long email: “I work hard for the little money I get and soon will have to figure out what to purchase—fuel, groceries, or heat. I know the Prime Minister doesn't have to worry about those things.” It is clear that Canadians cannot afford the Prime Minister and his costly coalition with the NDP. The new Conservative leader will put people like Douglas and Kathy first: their paycheques, their savings, their homes and their country.

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Ms. Jenna Sudds (Kanata—Carleton, Lib.)

Oct/21/22 11:10:50 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, on Monday, Nokia Canada announced its intention to redevelop its 26-acre campus in the Kanata North technology park into a sustainable, accessible mixed-use corporate, residential and commercial hub. The new R and D hub will help secure Canada's position as a global leader in the green digital future by broadening expertise in 5G, cybersecurity and AI. Kanata is already home to one of Nokia's largest R and D sites, with more than 2,300 employees. With this redevelopment and a $340-million investment, an additional 340 high-paying jobs will be created in my community. I am proud of our government's commitment to support this important project with up to $40 million in strategic innovation funding, which means more jobs and more Canadian IP. The future is digital and it is happening right here in Canada's largest technology park, in Kanata.

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Mr. Eric Melillo (Kenora, CPC)

Oct/21/22 11:11:58 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, inflation is at record highs, and this month food inflation has jumped to over 11%. This is something that we are feeling especially across northern Ontario. In communities in my riding, people are now having to choose between heating their homes, filling their vehicle's gas tanks or putting food on their tables. In Sandy Lake, one individual can of beans is now costing five dollars. That is even after the government has applied the nutrition north subsidy. It is all a creation of the government's policies. It is clear that Canadians can no longer afford the current Prime Minister and his costly coalition with the NDP. It is time for a Conservative government that will put the people first, cut taxes, reduce spending and give those struggling across northern Ontario some much-needed relief.

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

Oct/21/22 11:12:57 a.m.
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Re: Bill C-5

Madam Speaker, yesterday, at the public safety committee, Edmonton police chief Dale McFee said that the Liberals' handgun freeze is not only a bad idea but will undermine public safety by increasing smuggling and black market activity. He said that, instead, the focus ought to be on targeting the criminals who pull the trigger. Chief McFee's approach is in stark contrast to the Liberals' approach with their soft-on-crime, do-no-time Bill C-5, which eliminates mandatory jail time for serious gun crime. This all the while the Liberals target law-abiding firearms' owners with not only a useless but potentially harmful handgun freeze. The Liberals should heed the advice of Chief McFee, go after the criminals and leave law-abiding firearms' owners alone.

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Mr. Terry Duguid (Winnipeg South, Lib.)

Oct/21/22 11:13:57 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, it is with sadness that I announce the recent passing of a dear friend and beloved Manitoban, Dr. Krishnamurti Dakshinamurti. Born in 1928, in Vellore, India, he was a student activist and an early follower of Mahatma Gandhi. Dr. Dakshinamurti later channelled this life-changing experience by founding the Mahatma Gandhi Centre of Canada to promote human rights. He earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry and became a world-renowned scientist and scholar, inspiring and mentoring generations of students and doctors. He was a pillar of numerous cultural organizations, including the Manohar Performing Arts of Canada and was a passionate humanitarian who worked on countless fundraising campaigns for local and international disasters. In 2020, for his distinguished service, he was awarded the Order of Manitoba. My deepest sympathies to Dr. Dakshinamurti's family, as well as to his legions of friends and followers, who are gathering on October 25 to honour the life of a great soul.

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Ms. Lindsay Mathyssen (London—Fanshawe, NDP)

Oct/21/22 11:15:03 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, last week I had the honour of attending a groundbreaking ceremony at the largest affordable housing development in London’s history. Vision SoHo is a coalition of six non-profit affordable housing providers convened by the London Community Foundation, and they will build more than 650 units as a mixed-use community. This is needed more than ever in my community as Londoners are priced out of their neighbourhoods. In the last few years, the average home cost has more than doubled in London. Home ownership is now only a dream for too many. The city’s list of individuals using homelessness supports grew tenfold, and more than 6,000 people are now on our social housing wait-list. The financialization of housing in Canada has caused a crisis in my community, which of course started because the Liberal government cancelled the national affordable housing program in 1993. However, I want to thank my NDP colleagues for pushing for a study of this financialization in the HUMA committee. I call on the government to take the real action needed to make housing a right, not a commodity.

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Mr. Denis Trudel (Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, BQ)

Oct/21/22 11:16:09 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, homelessness awareness night is an event to raise awareness about homelessness and the poverty and social alienation associated with it. A growing number of Quebeckers are struggling with these issues. Today marks the 33rd annual homelessness awareness night, which is being held in more than 21 municipalities across Quebec. This year's theme is “no roof and no options”. Single mothers, people with mental health issues, seniors, youth, the most vulnerable people in our society find themselves on the street because they lack adequate support and are facing a lack of safe and affordable housing. Today, I would like to highlight the superb work of the various people and groups who help these individuals. I would like to acknowledge the work being done throughout Quebec, but especially the work of those in Longueuil, who support these people with a compassion and tenacity that affords them more dignity. I would like to say a huge thank you for their remarkable dedication and their exceptional commitment to their mission. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

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Mr. Dane Lloyd (Sturgeon River—Parkland, CPC)

Oct/21/22 11:17:18 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, yesterday, recordings were released of the infamous April 28 phone call with RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki and her subordinates. We had been told that these recordings were destroyed, but a partial copy was found. In that recording the commissioner admits that she was working closely with the Prime Minister and the Minister of Public Safety to release confidential information on an active investigation into the Nova Scotia mass shooting. Earlier this summer, Commissioner Lucki testified to Parliament that she was “not directed to publicly release information about weapons used by the perpetrator to help advance pending gun control legislation”. The recordings contradict her testimony. In fact, she admitted that the minister's office requested her to release this information. She admitted that she needed to apologize to the Prime Minister and the minister because she failed to get this information released. Political interference into the RCMP investigation by the government and the commissioner are unacceptable. It is time for accountability. When can we expect a resignation?

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Mr. Maninder Sidhu (Brampton East, Lib.)

Oct/21/22 11:18:22 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, today, I rise to wish everyone celebrating in Brampton East and across Canada a very happy Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas. It is a time when South Asian communities come together to celebrate the victory of good over evil. During this time, friends and family come together to light diyas, gather for fireworks and visit local gurdwaras, mandirs and temples to pray and seek blessings. During this time, and many festivals throughout the year, organizations such as the Seva Food Bank, the Peel Regional Police, along with local grocery stores, come together to support those most in need. I send a huge thanks to their teams for their dedication to serving our communities. My family and I look forward to being with the community at the local gurdwaras and many events over the coming weeks. I know Ayva and Maya are excited about the unlimited prasad. We all enjoy the company of the community and connecting with neighbours during our visits. I ask everyone in the House to please join me in wishing everyone celebrating across Canada a very happy Diwali and Bandi Chhor Divas.

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Oct/21/22 11:19:26 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, yesterday, we heard a recording of a phone call that shows the commissioner of the RCMP was under political pressure, not only from the Minister of Emergency Preparedness, but also from the Prime Minister himself, with respect to the investigation into the largest mass shooting in Canadian history, which resulted in the death of 22 people. It also contradicts statements made here in the House of Commons by the Minister for Emergency Preparedness. Will he resign?

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Mr. Yasir Naqvi (Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Lib.)

Oct/21/22 11:20:14 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, let me first reiterate our government's sincere condolences to those who lost loved ones in this unbelievable act of violence. I am keeping them in my thoughts. The independence of police operations is a key principle of our democracy and one that our government deeply respects. At no point did our government attempt to interfere with police operations.

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Oct/21/22 11:20:51 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the Minister of Emergency Preparedness said, “At no point did our government pressure or interfere with the operational decisions of the RCMP, including their communications strategy.” However, only 10 days after the biggest mass shooting in Canadian history, the commissioner of the RCMP was recorded saying, “it was a request that I got...from the Minister’s office.” Furthermore, she said that she was waiting for a call from the Prime Minister so that she could apologize for not having released the information that the politicians wanted out. They wanted this information out so that they could advance their partisan agenda. Will they resign?

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Mr. Yasir Naqvi (Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Lib.)

Oct/21/22 11:21:33 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the member opposite knows really well that one of the most fundamental principles of our democracy is that politicians do not interfere in police investigations or police operations. Let me be absolutely clear. We believe that this is a sacrosanct principle of our democracy and at no moment, ever, has our government interfered in police investigations or police operations, nor will we ever do so.

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Oct/21/22 11:22:03 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, yet a recording from the commissioner of the RCMP shows that this is exactly what they did. She said, “it was a request that I got um, from the Minister’s office. And I shared with the Minister that um, that it in fact it was going to be in the uh, in the news release and it wasn’t.” She continued, “I already have a request sitting in my phone that the minister wants to speak with me”. She says further, “I'm waiting for the Prime Minister to call me so I can apologize”, apologize for not releasing sensitive investigative information to advance the Liberal Party's partisan agenda. With this revelation of falsehoods stated by the minister in the House, will he resign?

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Mr. Yasir Naqvi (Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness, Lib.)

Oct/21/22 11:22:43 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, let me repeat, once again: At no point did our government attempt to direct or otherwise interfere with police operations. Let me quote what the commissioner herself stated as testimony to parliamentarians. She said: Let me be clear. I did not interfere in the investigation, I did not receive direction and I was not influenced by government officials regarding the public release of information and, more importantly, on the direction of the investigation. I ensured that operational independence was maintained in all my interactions with government, as I do today. This is a direct quote from—

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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès)

Oct/21/22 11:23:21 a.m.
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The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Oct/21/22 11:23:24 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, that contradicts another quote in a recorded conversation, so she, too, has stated one thing here and the opposite there. Similarly, with the $54-million ArriveCAN scandal, we see the government saying things that contradict the facts. They released a document to the House of Commons saying that ThinkOn Inc. had received a $1.2-million contract for experimentation on mobile QR scanning, yet the CEO said yesterday that he never received any money and, in fact, they do not even work in the field. If his company did not get the money, who did?

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Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Oct/21/22 11:24:04 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, in all matters, obviously, the government ensures that contracts are handled to the highest standards. There are questions about this contract that are being looked at. Certainly, we want to make sure that there are answers, but I will say that what we did, when the country was in a situation of crisis and when the opposition was calling for the border to be closed, was ensure that we brought forward an app that allowed for the movement of people safely during that crisis and that is something that worked and was extremely effective.

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Hon. Pierre Poilievre (Leader of the Opposition, CPC)

Oct/21/22 11:24:36 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, it was extremely effective at making somebody rich. We just do not yet know who. The government released a document to the House of Commons saying that ThinkOn Inc. got $1.2 million in ArriveCAN contracts. Yesterday, the CEO said, “We have received no money from the CBSA.” He further said, “We’re not even remotely in that space.” In other words, they do not even do the work that was paid for. This company did not get the $1.2 million. I have two questions. Who got the money, and where is it now?

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Ms. Christine Normandin (Saint-Jean, BQ)

Oct/21/22 11:25:51 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, Radio-Canada is reporting that the federal government is hunting down journalistic sources in order to punish a whistle-blower. It wants to know who disclosed that the federal government was appointing a unilingual English speaker as CEO of the Canadian Museum of History. What the government should have done was take a hard look in the mirror and ask why it continues to make unilingual English appointments. No, instead it searched the emails and phone records of 82 employees to find out who had spoken out. Why is it that the government's problem is not the appointment of a unilingual person, but the fact that everyone knows about it?

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