SoVote

Context: House Hansard - 187 - Apr/28/23

Mr. Gary Anandasangaree (Scarborough—Rouge Park, Lib.)

Apr/28/23 11:11:11 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, last week, I called one of my favourite Canada summer jobs employers, Kajanan “KJ” Chandrasekaram of Bliss Stations, to inform him that his budding company has been approved for the program. I was devastated to learn from his brother of the untimely passing of KJ on April 18 at the young age of 26. In 2018, KJ founded Bliss Stations, a dessert company based in Scarborough—Rouge Park. His passion and determination turned Bliss Stations into a burgeoning force at major events in Scarborough and beyond. He persisted during the COVID-19 pandemic and came out stronger. KJ sought to expand his business this summer by providing 12 young people with their first summer jobs. I am heartbroken by the loss of KJ because of his infectious spirit of entrepreneurship, determination and sheer hard work. A life of promise was cut short, but I am told that his family will continue to build his dream. I ask members to join me in extending our condolences to KJ's family, friends and his team at Bliss Stations.

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Mr. Tom Kmiec (Calgary Shepard, CPC)

Apr/28/23 11:12:23 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, last weekend, I joined Rabbi Reuben Poupko for the Sabbath at Beth Israel Beth Aaron synagogue in Côte St. Luc in Montreal. I was saddened to learn there of the loss of a great local leader, Debbie Sonberg Ajzenkopf, who passed away recently. What a rabbi is to the Torah, so was Debbie to everything in that synagogue. She knew who liked to sit where, who was ill, who was doing better, who was getting along with whom, and who was not getting along with whom. Debbie was literally the keeper of everything, of all the knowledge in the synagogue. From the tales of those there, I mean everything. She was also a committed and passionate Jew, absolutely devoted to her faith and to her synagogue. Debbie embodied the prophet Isaiah's teachings, that each of us should give what we have decided in our heart to give, not reluctantly and under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. Debbie was a cheerful giver of her time, and of her love for Judaism and Yahweh. Baruch dayan ha'emet.

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Mr. Chris Lewis (Essex, CPC)

Apr/28/23 11:13:32 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, in 1984, April 28 was established as the National Day of Mourning in Canada to remember and honour those who have died, been injured or suffered illness in the workplace. The Day of Mourning, also known as Workers' Memorial Day, is officially recognized in about 100 countries worldwide. Today, on the National Day of Mourning, we remember and honour those who have lost their lives or been injured on the job. Every year, too many workers are injured or killed while simply trying to earn a living for themselves and their families. We must do everything in our power to ensure that every worker returns home safe at the end of the day. This is the day to take a moment to reflect on the importance of workplace safety and commit ourselves to creating safer working environments for everyone. It is with great respect and also great sorrow that we remember those who have given their lives or their health to go to work. We realize that more must be done to protect them.

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Mrs. Marie-France Lalonde (Orléans, Lib.)

Apr/28/23 11:14:25 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, on April 10, I attended the 15th awards gala of the Regroupement affaires femmes, where three women from Orléans were recognized for their leadership. I want to congratulate Lydia Marie Philippe, who received a “young leader” award; Hortense Mvuemba, who received the “community engagement” award; and Sabine Daniel, who was named “icon of the year”. It was also a pleasure to host an iftar reception with leaders of the Muslim community of Orléans on April 18, where we gathered to break fast. I would like to take this opportunity to wish Eid Mubarak to all, which was celebrated on April 21. I was also very proud to join current and former students, staff members and teachers on April 20 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Béatrice‑Desloges Catholic secondary school in Orléans and congratulate all the staff and employees for their devotion to education in French over the past 25 years. Congratulations to them.

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Ms. Laurel Collins (Victoria, NDP)

Apr/28/23 11:15:28 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, today I want to bring the House’s attention back to the horrible events that continue to unfold in Iran. Since the death of Mahsa Amini, the oppression from the Iranian regime has been relentless, and we must not look away. Today, I am announcing that I am politically sponsoring Samaneh Asghari. She is a children’s rights activist and industrial engineering student who has been unjustly sentenced to 18 years in prison. We, as members of Parliament, must continue to show the Iranian regime that we are watching, that we are looking at these individual cases. We need to push our Canadian government to do more. Samaneh deserves her freedom. Iranians deserve their freedom, and they deserve to live in dignity with their human rights upheld. No one should ever be unjustly imprisoned, tortured, sexually assaulted or worse, murdered, for speaking out. Today, and until she is released, I will use my public platform to call for justice and freedom for Samaneh and for all Iranians. Women, life, freedom.

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Mr. René Villemure (Trois-Rivières, BQ)

Apr/28/23 11:16:38 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, on February 21, ethics commissioner Mario Dion had to step down for health reasons after 43 years of public service, including the past five as Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner. Mr. Dion elevated the role and today I want to thank him for his excellent work. Throughout his tenure, Mr. Dion helped safeguard public trust, despite the many violations by government members that he had to contend with. He said, “I firmly believe that educating regulatees and the public about the importance of avoiding conflicts of interest serves to help restore Canadians' trust”. His successor faces an immense challenge. Mr. Dion can leave with his head held high. The Office of the Commissioner is a credible and trusted institution. I will close by saying that this strategic position urgently needs to be filled by someone everyone can agree on, because without a commissioner, there can be no investigations, and that is just unacceptable. I want to thank Mr. Dion.

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Mr. Gerald Soroka (Yellowhead, CPC)

Apr/28/23 11:17:41 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the first vacation the Prime Minister went on was to a billionaire's private island. He claimed he was a close personal friend. Was this not also his first ethics violation? In 2021, on the first-ever National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, he and his family jetted off to Tofino for a surfing vacation. This year, before going on vacation to a luxurious Jamaican resort, he received approval from the Ethics Commissioner. That luxurious Jamaican estate belonged to the wealthy Green family, which has made big donations to the Trudeau Foundation. The Prime Minister stated that Peter Green was a close personal friend. Wait. Was the billionaire not also a close personal friend? I guess it is different this time. After all, they are both rich donors to the Trudeau Foundation. I am sure all Canadians agree that they cannot wait until the Prime Minister takes a permanent vacation from politics.

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Mr. Darrell Samson (Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook, Lib.)

Apr/28/23 11:18:48 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, last week was National Volunteer Week and I want to take this opportunity to thank all the volunteers for the hard work, dedication, commitment and difference they make in our communities. Too often we underestimate the hard work, long hours and free time the 24 million Canadian volunteers give to our communities. The work of many organizations and associations would not be possible without the generous contributions of volunteers. I want to highlight some of them in my riding: the Sackville Rivers Association, Hope for Wildlife, VETS Canada, Freedom Kitchen & Closet, Sackawa, Cheema and the Orenda Canoe Club. They all play an important role in Sackville—Preston—Chezzetcook. Our communities would not be the same without them. Let us be grateful now and throughout the year for the hard work of our volunteers. I thank them very much.

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Ms. Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill, CPC)

Apr/28/23 11:19:51 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, while inflation, interest rates and housing prices spiralled out of control, the Prime Minister took a vacation. While Canadians from coast to coast commemorated the first truth and reconciliation day, the Prime Minister took a vacation. While our airports and passport office line-ups were out of control, the Prime Minister took a vacation. Now, while we face the largest public sector strike in Canadian history, the Prime Minister; and I will let members figure out the next line. We know that the Prime Minister is not used to hard work, but can he at least pretend like he is trying?

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Hon. Randy Boissonnault (Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Lib.)

Apr/28/23 11:20:28 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, let us look at the facts. Canada's inflation rate has either remained flat or decreased, now nine months in a row. At the same time, our economy has added, and wait for it, 865,000 full-time jobs with 35,000 in March alone. While the Conservatives lack the confidence to invest in our country, Canadians know that the investments we are making are going to put this country on a solid path to prosperity for generations to come.

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Ms. Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill, CPC)

Apr/28/23 11:20:56 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, there they go again, telling Canadians that they have never had it so good. Do they really think that hard-working Canadians are that stupid? We have the highest inflation rate in 40 years. We have the highest interest rates in a generation. We have the most expensive housing on record. That is not an answer. Young people cannot buy homes, single mothers cannot buy food and workers cannot buy gas. The Prime Minister is not working and neither is his government. Does anyone over there really think Canadians will not notice?

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Hon. Randy Boissonnault (Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Lib.)

Apr/28/23 11:21:30 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I know the Conservatives do not like the facts. It is a problem when one is a Conservative and the truth gets in the way of a good story. The reality is that we have had unemployment levels at 5%. We had 865,000 jobs created since the worst time of the pandemic. Our recovery is at 126%, which is faster than the United States. We have the fastest-growing economy in the G7. When it comes to that former government's record on poverty, we will take no lessons from the Conservatives. Over 700,000 people have been lifted out of poverty since we formed government.

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Ms. Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill, CPC)

Apr/28/23 11:22:04 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, the Liberals have made this mess and now they are trying to tell Canadians that they are going to be the ones who clean it up. All we hear from them is more spending, more taxes and more government: the very things that got us into this mess in the first place. Crime is out of control in our biggest cities. There is a 32% increase. Young people cannot buy homes because the price has doubled under the Liberals' watch and groceries face double-digit inflation. The house is on fire and the Liberals are showing up with a flamethrower. Anybody who thinks this will work is indulging in pure madness. Will the Liberals come to their senses and get out of the way?

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Hon. Karina Gould (Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Lib.)

Apr/28/23 11:22:58 a.m.
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Actually, Madam Speaker, when the country was on fire, so to speak, because we were experiencing the biggest health and economic challenge in a generation because of the COVID pandemic, our government came with a fire extinguisher. We were there to support millions of Canadians, whether through the Canada emergency response benefit, whether through the Canada emergency business account or whether was through the Canada emergency wage subsidy. What about the millions of vaccines that we provided to Canadians and the additional support we provided to provinces and territories to get us through the pandemic?

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Mr. Gérard Deltell (Louis-Saint-Laurent, CPC)

Apr/28/23 11:23:28 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, while the Prime Minister is living large in New York with his jet-setting lifestyle, Canadians are being impacted by the ongoing public service strike. In my riding, Ms. Hamel, a mother with a three-year-old, was planning a trip. Unfortunately, she did not receive the passport she needed in time, by a matter of hours. She wrote, “I cried, I asked to stay and wait, but I was thrown out without any empathy. They just kept a three-year-old from going on a family vacation”. That is the reality for Canadians. When is the Prime Minister going to personally step up to the plate and resolve the current conflict? When is he going to sit down at the table and get to work?

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Hon. Karina Gould (Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, Lib.)

Apr/28/23 11:24:10 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for that question. Unfortunately, by law, passports are not considered essential. I am being honest with Canadians in telling them that passport applications cannot be processed during the strike. However, we understand that this has an impact on the lives of Canadians. That is precisely why we are at the bargaining table with the union. We want to resolve this strike quickly because it is having a real impact on Canadians.

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Mr. Gérard Deltell (Louis-Saint-Laurent, CPC)

Apr/28/23 11:24:44 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, that is precisely why it is time that the Prime Minister assumed his responsibilities as head of the government. The government has been negotiating for 10 days and has nothing to show for it. It is time to change tactics, otherwise another 10 days will pass without any results. Ms. Hamel is disgusted, discouraged, angry and sad. She wrote to me about her poor child who was so eager to go on a beach vacation. For Ms. Hamel and for the thousands of Canadians who are currently suffering as a result of the strike, when will the Prime Minister sit down at the table and act like a prime minister?

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Hamel
Strike

Hon. Greg Fergus (Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and to the President of the Treasury Board, Lib.)

Apr/28/23 11:25:22 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, we are at the bargaining table with the Public Service Alliance of Canada. I can say that our goal is to resume normal operations as soon as possible. The government is committed to negotiating an agreement that is reasonable for public servants and fair for Canadians. I can say that the negotiators are still talking. The government is at the table, and we are negotiating in good faith.

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Ms. Christine Normandin (Saint-Jean, BQ)

Apr/28/23 11:25:56 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, in Quebec, French is declining as the language spoken at work. French is declining as the language spoken at home. The proportion of people whose first official language learned is French is declining. In short, French is declining across Quebec. However, the Liberals' official languages action plan invests hundreds of millions of dollars in promoting English in Quebec. The entire portion available for Quebec focuses on English. Can the Liberals explain how providing huge amounts of funding for English in Quebec will slow the decline of French?

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Hon. Pablo Rodriguez (Minister of Canadian Heritage, Lib.)

Apr/28/23 11:26:36 a.m.
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Madam Speaker, I will ask the Bloc Québécois to be more open-minded. It is quite possible to defend French, and defend it vigorously, without attacking, offending, intimidating and criticizing the anglophone community. Whether we are anglophone or francophone, we are all Quebeckers.

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