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Hon. Rechie Valdez (Minister of Small Business, Lib.)

Oct/5/23 3:14:32 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want the small business owners of Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon to know that their Conservative member of Parliament has voted against cutting taxes for growing small businesses, voted against lowering credit card transaction fees by up to a quarter, voted against supports for diverse and under-represented entrepreneurs. Common sense does not mean voting against supports for small businesses.

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Mr. Brad Vis (Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon, CPC)

Oct/5/23 3:14:39 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Liberal minister knows as well as I do that many of the problems facing small businesses in our country are a direct result of that party's governance and negligence: higher inflation, higher payroll taxes, higher carbon taxes, higher commercial rents, a labour crisis, more red tape and a botched CEBA repayment plan that confused thousands of entrepreneurs across our country. All of these factors hurt our job creators and business confidence in our country. When will the government begin taking these problems seriously?

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Hon. Rechie Valdez (Minister of Small Business, Lib.)

Oct/5/23 3:15:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition called the supports we provided small businesses “big fat government” supports. He is literally mocking the idea that we stood up for small businesses in a time of their need. In the middle of the pandemic, small businesses were worried about keeping their doors open, keeping the lights on and keeping their teams employed. Our government stepped in during their darkest hour and delivered supports like the Canada emergency rent and wage subsidy for the hardest hit business, the tourism and hospitality recovery program and the CEBA loans. I am proud of the fact that we are there for them. While the Leader of the Opposition mocks the support we provided small businesses, we will continue to have their backs.

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Mrs. Salma Zahid (Scarborough Centre, Lib.)

Oct/5/23 3:16:12 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, every week Canadians are having to spend more and more on groceries just to feed their families. They are having to put off savings and even other essentials in order to keep putting food on the table. We recognize the global supply chain challenges and global inflation, but we need to acknowledge Canadian families are having a hard time right now. Could the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry tell us about his meeting with the grocery executives and what we are doing to address affordability at the grocery stores?

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Hon. François-Philippe Champagne (Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Lib.)

Oct/5/23 3:16:53 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, my voice was used to express the frustration of millions of Canadians when I met the CEOs of the grocery stores. The good news is that today we presented a five-point action plan. First of all, we have a commitment from the grocery stores. We are going to create an office of consumer affairs to help consumers. We are going to make sure the grocery code of conduct is going forward. We are going to collect more data on food prices in Canada. We are also going to fight for more competition. Every day is a good day to fight for Canadians. The Conservatives should join us to make sure we bring stabilization to prices in Canada for the benefit of all.

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Ms. Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona, NDP)

Oct/5/23 3:17:38 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, this summer, 11 emergency rooms in Alberta closed due to the shortage of health care workers, and today we learned that some Canadians are being forced to leave overcrowded emergency rooms without treatment due to no staff. The Liberals and the Conservatives have failed to protect Canadians from Conservative leaders like Danielle Smith and Scott Moe, who want U.S.-style health care that will poach nurses and doctors from our public system. When will the federal government stand up for Canada's public health care and ensure that our hospitals have the staff they need to care for Canadians?

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Hon. Mark Holland (Minister of Health, Lib.)

Oct/5/23 3:18:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, standing up for public health care is what we have done over the last eight years. It is certainly what we are going to do going forward. We made an investment of $200 billion in our health system, and we are making sure not only that this money flows but that there are indicators so Canadians can see how health outcomes are improving for them in every corner of this country. We are going to make sure these dollars reduce wait times, increase doctors and increase nurses, and we will make sure that, overall, Canadians get better health.

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Mr. Kevin Vuong (Spadina—Fort York, Ind.)

Oct/5/23 3:18:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on the 112th National Day of the Republic of China, Taiwan, I reflected on a few facts. Taiwan has never held two of our citizens as hostages for 1,019 days. It has not intimidated Chinese Canadians, interfered in our elections or tried to buy off MPs or political parties. Taiwan is a democracy. It does not have a president for life who will not hesitate to destabilize world peace or threaten Canada's bilateral trade as a cowered Liberal government looks on. Can the government enlighten this House about whether there has been any new “credible” evidence for it to stand up for Canadians and combat foreign interference by the Chinese Community Party, or is its new strategy to engage in a diversionary war with India?

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Hon. Mélanie Joly (Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lib.)

Oct/5/23 3:19:42 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to reassure all members in this House of the importance for us to counter any form of foreign interference. That is why the Minister of Public Safety and I have been working on this over the past months. Of course, we all know that Justice Hogue has been appointed to be in charge of the inquiry. That being said, we will continue to work within our Indo-Pacific strategy, and we have a China framework as part of it.

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Ms. Melissa Lantsman (Thornhill, CPC)

Oct/5/23 3:20:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, during question period today, the member for Fleetwood—Port Kells used his public social media platform to compare questions from this side of the House, from Conservatives, to one of the most prolific Nazis in the history of the world, one of the most virulent anti-Semites in the history of the world. I am happy to provide you, Mr. Speaker, with screenshots of all of that. I think the least the member could do, after the week we have had in this House and the pain that has been caused to Canadians of every community right across the country, is stand up right now in this House and apologize.

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The Speaker

Oct/5/23 3:21:54 p.m.
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I recognize the hon. member for Fleetwood—Port Kells.

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Mr. Ken Hardie (Fleetwood—Port Kells, Lib.)

Oct/5/23 3:22:06 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I did go elbows up on Twitter and I apologize for that. I did attempt to raise the issue the other day of the frequent misrepresentation coming from the Conservative side, but elbows up was a little too much in this case and I apologize.

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The Speaker

Oct/5/23 3:22:43 p.m.
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I am going to ask the member for Fleetwood—Port Kells to please provide a clear apology to the House.

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Mr. Ken Hardie

Oct/5/23 3:22:52 p.m.
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Absolutely, Mr. Speaker. I apologize to the House.

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The Speaker

Oct/5/23 3:22:57 p.m.
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I thank the hon. member for Fleetwood—Port Kells for unreservedly apologizing to the House. The member for La Prairie on a point of order.

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Mr. Alain Therrien (La Prairie, BQ)

Oct/5/23 3:23:09 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when you became Speaker, you insisted that we must all respect one another. We agree on that. The member for Hamilton Centre asked the Minister of Justice a question earlier. Following the Minister of Justice's response, many of us heard the member say a few words. Bloc members rarely speak English, so listen carefully. Here is what he said: “The options? Just release it, fascist.” That is what he said, and I think he should apologize.

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Mr. Matthew Green (Hamilton Centre, NDP)

Oct/5/23 3:23:58 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, history will tell us quite clearly that the Nazis were indeed fascists. That is why when I referenced Nazis, I referenced them as fascists. I think you will find the comment stands.

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The Speaker

Oct/5/23 3:24:22 p.m.
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This issue is sounding closer to debate. I will take that into consideration and come back to the House with a ruling.

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The Speaker

Oct/5/23 3:25:37 p.m.
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Colleagues, before we move to the vote, I would like to recognize a special situation. Today, after over 30 years of service to the House of Commons, we have the retirement of one of our table officers, Michel Patrice. This week, Michel Patrice, deputy clerk of the administration, is retiring after 30 years of service to the Parliament of Canada. Michel was appointed deputy clerk of administration in August 2017. As deputy clerk of the administration, he played a crucial role in ensuring excellent service to members, including at the Board of Internal Economy, where he provided valuable advice to the Speaker and board members. Thanks to his leadership in this position, members of Parliament have benefited from smooth and efficient operations and services from the House of Commons. I understand that he managed meetings exceptionally well, being that I am new here, and made sure they never ran over time. I am sure that this had nothing to do with him wanting to stretch his long legs and enjoy the great outdoors of Sparks Street while lighting up a smoke. He skilfully oversaw the start of Centre Block renovations and the successful relocation of MPs to temporary quarters in the West Block. In his long career on Parliament Hill, Michel served both Houses: the House of Commons and of course the other place. He served them with diligence, intelligence, professionalism, calm and his trademark smile. Many members will remember how quickly this House was able to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that Parliament was able to work on behalf of Canadians in a time of crisis. The accomplishments of this place under Michel's leadership were many and they were significant. With his training as a lawyer, everyone here, as well as in the other place, has benefited from his legal experience and his excellent understanding of complex procedural and administrative issues. These are qualities that made him an invaluable, trusted resource for countless parliamentarians over his career. Michel, on behalf of the members and employees of the House of Commons administration, I would like to thank you most sincerely for your long and valuable contribution to the service of our institution. As a colleague and leader, you have always acted with dignity, humanity and an inspiring sense of duty, and no one will forget your great sense of humour, a vital asset for any workplace. I wish you health and happiness. As you embark on this new chapter of your life, I wish you a happy retirement. Thank you for everything. Michel, please know that you leave this place better for your service, and you take with you the deepest thanks of all members and the entire Parliament Hill family. I wish you all the best.

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Hon. Steven MacKinnon (Gatineau, Lib.)

Oct/5/23 3:29:17 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today by following your lead. First of all, I want to congratulate you on your election to the chair. You make the Outaouais region very proud. I rise to pay tribute to another guy from the Outaouais, a man who served this Parliament. Thirty years of service is worthy of recognition. During those 30 years, he served parliamentarians and Canadians with honour and distinction. Everyone here is very familiar with this man. Michel Patrice, deputy clerk of administration for the House of Commons, is a person we can all count on for his undeniable expertise, his sage advice and his consistency at work. I often had the opportunity to benefit from his experience, his judgment and his analytical skills. I can say that he never let me down. He is at the heart of everything that happens in the parliamentary precinct. As the deputy clerk of administration for the House of Commons, he must ensure that everything goes smoothly for MPs, for the thousands of people who work here and for the tens of thousands of visitors who come here every year. Many people would be intimidated by such a monumental task, but not Michel. Michel always manages to accomplish the work he is given. He is a man of action. Recently, he told us that he intended to retire this fall. His retirement will be the culmination of a remarkable career on Parliament Hill that spans over 30 years. From 1994 to 2017, Michel served parliamentarians in the Senate as a law clerk and parliamentary counsel. Since he was appointed to the House in August 2017, Michel has worked hard to get the various directorates within the House of Commons to focus on the same objectives. That was no easy task. I think we are humble enough to recognize that we do not always agree here. Michel is above all that. He aligned the activities of parliamentary precinct operations, digital services and real property, human resources services, finance services and the office of the Sergeant-at-Arms and corporate security. Much has happened in all those areas. Michel was always a master when it came to managing all those interconnected services across the parliamentary precinct at a time when change was necessary and relatively constant. As I said, Michel got the job done. He spared no effort; he was determined. He achieved his goal. Since coming here, Michel has led initiatives of importance to all members, including the long-term vision and plan for renovating the parliamentary precinct and, in particular, the successful move from Centre Block to West Block. A move like that had never been done and could have hit a lot of snags, but Michel made sure everything went smoothly. It was a success. He also oversaw the enhancement of security programs for members on and off the Hill. He helped improve the financial disclosure and reporting process for members of Parliament, which really needed an upgrade. During his years of service to the House, he worked tirelessly to modernize and improve the administrative support provided to members. Under his watch, the House administration improved significantly. During his tenure as deputy clerk, Michel had to deal with one of the biggest challenges of our time, the COVID-19 pandemic. He worked with his House administration colleagues to ensure, first, that safety measures were put in place to protect everyone on the Hill, and second, that the House of Commons could continue its important democratic work with minimal disruption during a time of crisis. He collaborated with his colleagues to facilitate the creation of hybrid sittings in the House. As a result, democracy emerged from the crisis all the stronger. Democracy was maintained and debates continued. All members and all Canadians have benefited from his hard work. Everyone knows that, on Parliament Hill, we always manage to do the work entrusted to us to help the country. I would personally like to thank Michel for his enormous contribution to the House of Commons. On a personal note, I want to thank him for helping a young chief government whip by providing him with loads of advice. I thank him for his clear commitment to making Parliament a better place to work and a better symbol for all of Canada. I wish him the best of luck in this new chapter of his life. He has provided outstanding service to his country. He should be very proud of the work he has done in the House. He helped make Parliament better. Thank you, Michel.

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