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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 115

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
October 21, 2022 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 115 - Oct/21/22
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 11:36:05 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the independence of police operations is a key principle in our democracy and one that our government deeply respects. At no time did our government attempt to interfere in police operations.
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Mr. Gérard Deltell (Louis-Saint-Laurent, CPC)
  • Oct/21/22 11:36:25 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to repeat the testimony that was made public yesterday: “I flew it up the flagpole because it was a request that I got from the minister's office. And I shared with the minister that in fact it was going to be in the news releases, and it wasn't.” She told the minister. Moreover, we later learn that the RCMP commissioner was waiting for the Prime Minister to call her so she could apologize. This makes no sense in a self-respecting democracy. When will the minister 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 11:36:58 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I agree with the member. In our democracy, politicians do not interfere in police operations or police investigations, and they did not do so in this matter. We did not interfere in a police operation or a police investigation. That was confirmed by the commissioner herself when she testified before a parliamentary committee in July of this year. She clearly said she was not asked to direct the investigation and she worked hard to maintain the independence of that investigation.
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Mr. Gabriel Ste-Marie (Joliette, BQ)
  • Oct/21/22 11:37:36 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the truckers' occupation of Ottawa dragged on because the federal government blocked any possibility of intervention for three weeks. We know that when the City of Ottawa asked for reinforcements of 1,800 police officers, the federal government did not grant the request. However, we also learned from the commission that the mayor of Ottawa, Jim Watson, repeatedly asked the federal government to appoint a mediator. This request was also refused. For three weeks, there was no police reinforcement, no mediation, no progress. Why did the federal government block any possibility of intervention for three weeks, while residents were being held hostage?
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Mr. Gabriel Ste-Marie (Joliette, BQ)
  • Oct/21/22 11:38:55 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, that is not true. Crisis management is about hours, maybe days. Not three weeks. After three weeks of inaction, it was not the emergency measures that brought an end to the siege of Ottawa. It was the police. It was the 1,800 or 1,900 additional police officers that the City of Ottawa had been calling for all along. The moment the city got those reinforcements, an operation was launched, and less than 48 hours later, the streets of Ottawa were empty. It was the police who ended the siege of Ottawa. Why did the federal government sit on its hands for three weeks, doing nothing to mobilize and coordinate police officers?
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Mr. Michael Barrett (Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes, CPC)
  • Oct/21/22 11:40:16 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, yesterday The Globe and Mail revealed that the Liberals are claiming millions in payments to vendors for their ArriveCAN boondoggle that never actually happened. It was a $54-million app, with millions unaccounted for. Canadians are left wondering if there are more fake ArriveCAN payments listed. First it was ThinkOn Inc., then, later in the day, Ernst & Young came forward to say the government is claiming false billing. Do the Liberals want to revise the figures they signed off on?
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Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)
  • Oct/21/22 11:40:51 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I answered this earlier. I am happy to do so again. The CBSA is taking a look at the contract. It is aware that there are questions. The Government of Canada, this government, in all contracts, conducts itself to the highest standard and demands the highest standards. With respect to the ArriveCAN app, I would point out that the members opposite wanted to close the border, did not support the app and, frankly, were not helpful during that period of time in constantly changing their positions. We ensured that people were able to enter the country and that goods and services were able to flow in a time of crisis. We will continue to be there for Canadians.
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Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)
  • Oct/21/22 11:42:08 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, here are the facts. During an unprecedented time when the country was being rocked by COVID, we needed to be able to make sure that people— An hon. member: It does not matter. It is the public's money. Hon. Mark Holland: Madam Speaker, they are saying it does not matter. It absolutely does matter that people were able to cross the border, that we were able, on an urgent basis, to create a system that kept them safe and ensured that they were able to continue to have mobility. In every step of the pandemic, whether or not it is in supports or whether or not it's in mobility, we were there for Canadians. As crises occur, our government will respond, and will always do so to the highest standard.
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Mr. Joël Godin (Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, CPC)
  • Oct/21/22 11:42:47 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, urgent action does not mean spending taxpayers' money. This government has given us many reasons to doubt its integrity. First it was the former Liberal MP's ventilators and the land at Roxham Road. Now it is the ArriveCAN app, which cost $54 million. Experts say they could have done it for $250,000. Is the government mocking us? Worse still, the government gave $1.2 million to a company, but the company did not get any of it. Here is a simple question: Who got the $1.2 million?
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Mr. Jacques Gourde (Lévis—Lotbinière, CPC)
  • Oct/21/22 11:44:00 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the ArriveCAN app cost Canadians a fortune and is not worth the $54 million that it cost. A good computer programmer could have easily done the job for under $250,000. It is Liberal incompetence with a $54‑million price tag, once again. Why does this government keep tumbling into one scandal after another?
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Hon. Mark Holland (Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)
  • Oct/21/22 11:44:38 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the member across the way asked his question in an interesting way, but I will answer it directly. It was a very difficult situation for the country. There is the cost around the software, but there was more to it than the cost of the software. There was a lot of support required for the software. It was essential at the time for the government to act quickly and effectively, and that is what it did.
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Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos (Minister of Health, Lib.)
  • Oct/21/22 11:45:52 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, we are obviously very focused on and mindful of the severe difficulties health care workers across the country, including in the member's riding, have been facing for a long time. They have been exacerbated during COVID-19. That is why we are going to work together to continue to do that with increased—
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Ms. Rachel Blaney
  • Oct/21/22 11:46:13 a.m.
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They are shut down all weekend. What do residents do when they have no emergency room?
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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès)
  • Oct/21/22 11:46:27 a.m.
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The minister is trying to provide an answer to the question. If members keep interrupting, I will skip to the next question. The hon. minister.
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Ms. Rachel Blaney
  • Oct/21/22 11:46:27 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I would like him to answer the question.
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The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès)
  • Oct/21/22 11:46:50 a.m.
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The hon. member for Edmonton Strathcona.
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Ms. Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona, NDP)
  • Oct/21/22 11:46:53 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, people in Canada do not need more talk. This week, the media reported that the emergency wait times at Edmonton's Stollery Children's Hospital has reached 17 hours. One ER doctor revealed that patients are dying in the waiting room. It is unacceptable that the Liberals avoid taking any responsibility for this crisis. They are standing by while Conservative premiers are underfunding the health care system that Canadians need. To make things worse, in Alberta, Danielle Smith is musing about scrapping public health care in our province. Canadians' lives are at risk. When is the government going to take action?
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Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos (Minister of Health, Lib.)
  • Oct/21/22 11:47:36 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, all Canadians, and certainly Albertans, need and deserve the support of the federal government, including support for health care workers in Alberta and across Canada. We are obviously very mindful of the pressures, intentions and sometimes the actions around privatizing our health care system. Canadians want access to Canada's public health care system in a manner which is supported by the principles of accessibility, affordability and universality. These are all principles that all Canadians, including Albertans, want us to support together.
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Mr. Michael McLeod (Northwest Territories, Lib.)
  • Oct/21/22 11:48:15 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, everyone in Canada should have access to safe, clean drinking water. Could the Minister of Indigenous Services update the House on the recent progress made in lifting long-term drinking water advisories in first nations communities?
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Hon. Patty Hajdu (Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, Lib.)
  • Oct/21/22 11:49:00 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I want to thank the member for Northwest Territories for his advocacy and hard work. Just last week, Sachigo Lake lifted its long-term boil water advisory. This is a testament to its dedication and hard work, and, of course, our commitment. Since 2015, 136 boil water advisories have been lifted. There are 31 more to go, each with its own project team and plan. We will not rest until we lift those water advisories. This is important to all Canadians.
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