44th Parl. 1st Sess.
March 28, 2023 10:00AM
- Mar/28/23 10:15:17 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, there is no doubt that the issue of the IRGC and how it is labelled is of the utmost importance. I do not question that. I will be afforded the opportunity to comment on the issue shortly, but part of the concern I have relates to the games being played by the Conservative Party. We are supposed to be debating Bill C-27 today. I am wondering why the Conservatives continue to go out of their way to prevent debate on government bills. Does the member not feel any obligation to Canadians or the constituents he represents to at least ensure there is debate time? They ask for debate time and should use that time to at least debate the government's agenda.
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- Mar/28/23 10:16:16 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I certainly think it is important to constructively use the debate time that we have in this House. One way to constructively use that debate time is to discuss the recommendations that committees bring forward.
Our committees do a lot of important work in this House. Committees study issues. They bring forward recommendations, and any recommendation that comes from a committee already has the support of a majority of members of that committee, naturally. They bring it to the House, and then the House has an opportunity to look at these committee reports, study them and debate them. The debate is limited; it is only a three-hour debate.
I think the implication from the member's comments is that there is something illegitimate about the House of Commons responding to the important work that committees do. I do not agree with that. I think part of what drives the agenda of the House is opposition motions, private members' motions, government bills, government motions and also committee work. Unlike a government bill or an opposition motion, committee motions already have the support of a majority of members of the committee before coming here.
I would happily spar with anyone who claims that the Iran freedom movement is not an important issue to discuss. I think it is a very important issue to discuss.
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- Mar/28/23 10:42:28 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, we have a fixed amount of time to debate a wide spectrum of both domestic and international issues. Today members came in prepared to listen, debate and have an exchange on the issue of the digital charter because Canadians are concerned about this issue. We were going to have literally hours of debate on it. That will not happen because the Conservative Party, under motions, brought forward a report it wants to have a debate on.
Yesterday, Conservatives could have provided ample ideas, thoughts and reflections on the report because we were debating Bill C-41. I do not know if any member made reference to Iran, let alone the report, at all yesterday, but it would have been absolutely relevant to have done so.
What other options do opposition members have? They just had an opposition day. They wanted us to talk about a budgetary measure as opposed to talking about this issue they say is so critically important that it had to be debated today. It could have been debated a couple of days ago when they had an opposition day. They could have designated an entire day to that and had a resolution at the very end of that day, which would have forced a vote on the issue.
This is part of the games Conservative Party members play day in and day out. As the Government of Canada continues to be focused on Canadians and the issues that are important to Canadians, we will continue to tolerate the games being played by the Conservatives. At the same time, we will deal with those international issues that are so critically important to our nation in reflecting true Canadian values.
Last year, Mahsa Amini, a young lady in her early 20s, was in the community in Iran and was picked up by the morality police. It was later said that she had a heart attack and that caused her death. The morality police are not fooling anyone. We know she was abused and beaten, and that is what caused her death.
We understand and we appreciate those true freedom fighters in Iran. They are the brave women of Iran who are standing tall. They are ensuring that individuals like Mahsa are not forgotten and that what she stood for will continue to prevail and will be fought for in Iran. Mahsa inspired the world to mobilize and to recognize that what was taking place was just so wrong.
I would argue that Mahsa is one of the reasons that even members of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration feel the way they do in regard to Iran and what is taking place there today. It motivates individuals like myself and other MPs to stand and be vocal on this issue not only inside the chamber but also throughout our communities.
The motion that came from the standing committee reads:
That the [standing] committee [on citizenship and immigration] report the following to the House: In light of the downing of the Ukrainian International Airlines flight PS 752 by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps—
That is what we often refer to as the IRGC.
—and in light of the killing of Mahsa Amini by the Iranian Guidance Patrol, that the committee demands the government stop issuing visas to all Iranian nationals directly affiliated with the Iranian Revolutionary Guard...Iranian Armed Forces, Iranian Guidance Patrol or Iranian Intelligence Organizations and that, pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee request a response to the report by the government.
That response is well under way.
Mahsa encapsulated what is so wrong when we contrast Canadian values to what took place between her and those in the Iranian society who support the regime that is currently in place. We see how wrong it is.
The downing of the Ukrainian airline touched Canada, as I made reference to, in a very profound way and to me, personally. Kourosh is a dear friend whom I have been meeting at the local McDonald's on occasion. He has actually met many parliamentarians because of his former role in the real estate industry. He would make presentations to members of Parliament. Kourosh's wife was on the plane that went down and, like many other victims' families, he faced the horrors of the downing of that plane.
I think it is important that the Prime Minister appointed the former minister of finance Ralph Goodale to investigate the situation. We wanted to ensure a sense of accountability for that tragedy. We also worked with other governments, such as Ukraine, where the flight was headed. It was a Ukrainian international flight.
The effect of the lives of those who passed away on the lives of those here in Canada is so profound. When we look at the achievements of those individuals in a relatively short time span here in Canada, they made incredible contributions. I like to think that members, no matter what side of the House one sits on, along with the broader community that follows what is taking place in Iran virtually on a daily basis, can imagine and provide sympathy for those victims.
Our Iranian community is large and it is very much interested and tuned in to the issue. That is why I take offence when someone in the chamber accuses the government or myself of not having a high priority in regard to this issue because nothing could be further from the truth. The government and its ministers have been following what is taking place in Iran very closely, and it is taking appropriate actions where it can in dealing with the Iranian regime.
Where I challenge opposition members is on the manner in which they feel that they can declare that an issue of urgent importance be used as a tool as opposed to a legitimate debate. The Conservatives will stand up today and reflect on this issue, as opposed to talking about the important domestic issue of the digital charter and the protection of personal information.
I raised that because the Conservatives will criticize the Liberals for not allowing enough time for debate on Bill C-27 if the government needs to bring in any form of time allocation in order to get the bill through. Unfortunately, this issue today is no more a priority for the Conservative Party than it was last week when it completely ignored the issue when it had an opposition day motion.
Today it is only important because it wants to disrupt the government agenda. It is an agenda that deals with personal information on the Internet. It is something I know of first-hand. We are often asked to bring concerns from our constituencies here to Ottawa, and we do believe that within our caucus.
I can assure members that there is a genuine concern about information that is being collected on the Internet. I feel that the Conservatives taking away from that debate today does a disservice to those who are concerned about how the Internet collects data. Bill C-27 should be going to committee at the very least.
All one needs to do is look at the government's agenda. We have a budget this afternoon and there will be budget debates. We have other legislation, and the Conservatives know it is a very aggressive legislative agenda. It will cause us to continue, as we did last night, whether the Conservatives want to or not. As long as there are other parties that understand the importance of having that debate, we will have to sit later.
I want to conclude by talking about the debate on Bill C-41 yesterday. It is substantial legislation that would ensure there is ongoing humanitarian aid to countries like Iran and other countries. It is for those in the Iranian communities to know and understand that the Government of Canada, through its ministries, is following what is taking place in Iran and it is taking actions that will make a difference. We want to keep our Iranian communities not only safe but also feeling safe.
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- Mar/28/23 10:56:36 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I do not really have much of a question because I am not convinced I will get an answer, but I do have a commentary to make.
The government is confusing, and the member is confusing, the best interests of the Liberal Party of Canada and the best interests of the House of Commons and the way we conduct business here. Members get to decide what we debate on the floor of the House of Commons. When issues come up and when there is accountability that needs to be done, like through a report, where a committee reports to the House its findings, we get to debate that here in the House and then pass judgment on it.
He made a ridiculous claim that the government cannot get its agenda passed, but the whole point of this place is to debate ideas and issues on the timetable of members and not what the government wants. The government is not in charge 24-7. It does not get to tell everyone here what we are going to do and how we are going to do it.
I think the Iranian community, the diaspora community in Canada, deserves to have their issues heard on the floor of the House of Commons, and I am glad we can have this debate here so they can be heard.
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- Mar/28/23 10:57:35 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, in the last federal election, the electorate determined that there would be a minority government. In a minority government situation, it takes opposition parties and government for things to work and move forward on a wide variety of issues.
I have been a parliamentarian for over 30 years. I am not naive enough to believe virtually anything that the member just said, that it is a concurrence report and as members, we should be bringing forward concurrence reports. I understand how the timing and agenda actually work.
The member might be able to fool some of the people watching. However, at the end of the day, this report is being used as a Conservative political tool in order to prevent us from having the debate on personal protections through the Internet. Conservatives can say what they want, but that is the bottom line.
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- Mar/28/23 11:14:37 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I have no doubt that they are listening intensely to the words I am sharing.
Parliament, in the midst of the minority circumstances we find ourselves in, has spoken quite clearly over the last three Parliaments about how it is important to take a strong and consistent message to demonstrate Canada's commitment to support the Iranian people and ensure against the types of terrorist activities that the IRGC have shown itself to be so willing to employ to further its political agenda. We can see that in the two instances related to this motion here today.
Parliament has made it very clear. I believe there have been a number of votes. It was not until just recently that the Liberals finally started taking some more concrete actions, although it seems to, in what is honestly a confusing word salad, continue to bring sanctions forward to those involved with the IRGC, and those who defend their actions, but it refuses to outright list it as a terrorist entity. Certainly, Parliament has made it very clear, and because we are the supreme legislative authority in this country, I suggest it would behoove the Liberals to listen to the will of Parliament and take strong and firm action to stand up for the people who are suffering from the consequences of the IRGC's terrorist-like actions.
While the government has brought about sanctions, taking some steps in the right direction, it is troubling that it does not seem willing to go quite far enough, especially when it comes to the downing of the Ukrainian airline, where 176 people tragically lost their lives, including 55 Canadians and, I believe, around 30 permanent residents, as well as a number of students and other individuals. They all had their entire lives ahead of them. The families had loved ones ripped from them without justification or cause, as a clear act of terrorism, something that was most definitely an attack on the peace and security of all of those involved.
We talk about the importance of this motion and the need to ensure that we do not allow the victims of these terrible actions to be diminished in the midst of debate and dialogue. This place needs to stand up for what is sound and right in the world so we can continue to call out terrorist actions, such as those of the IRGC, the Iranian armed forces, which is in control, and other Iranian intelligence organizations.
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- Mar/28/23 11:19:06 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I hope the parliamentary secretary is aware that the government controls the legislative agenda. Especially in a minority Parliament, this requires that the government does work, of course, with opposition parties.
The bill that was scheduled for debate today, and will be debated here in a couple of hours, is like much of the legislation the government has attempted to pass and, in a few cases, has been successful with. Especially over the last minority Parliaments there have been some significant challenges, but we have seen a level of mismanagement when it comes to the House's legislative agenda. It is absolutely outstanding and, I would say quite frankly, embarrassing.
When important issues comes up the House needs to address them. To diminish the importance of this issue is incredibly short-sighted and unfortunate. It is something that I would hope would encourage members of the Liberal Party to take pause and consider carefully about how they seem to be willing to put their political interests before that of such important issues, such as that which we have moved concurrence on here today.
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- Mar/28/23 3:01:19 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is important to understand that this government is implementing an ambitious agenda to help Canadians, support workers and ensure that workers can keep working. I believe that we have to continue to highlight the fact that we are implementing an ambitious agenda.
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