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Feb/9/24 10:40:42 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I did not hear a question. I heard a lot of rambling, so I do not know what to say.

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Mr. Sébastien Lemire (Abitibi—Témiscamingue, BQ)

Feb/9/24 10:41:01 a.m.
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Re: Bill C-29

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak to Bill C‑29, an act to provide for the establishment of a national council for reconciliation. This council will monitor progress being made towards reconciliation across all sectors of Canada and support the sustainable implementation of measures to foster long-term reconciliation. I believe these elements are important, particularly in the context of the ruling that has been handed down, which somewhat neglects the long-term aspect. There is no question that the current government has adopted a reckless strategy. One could argue that it has gotten off to a rocky start. Bill C‑29 still suffers from a serious flaw: The national reconciliation council is woefully lacking in representation. In its current form, three seats are reserved for national organizations, and this Liberal government collaborates with them almost exclusively on indigenous issues. That is not enough. Other voices, notably those of urban and disadvantaged populations, are being left out. Reconciliation cannot move forward if we continue to divide and exclude certain groups of people. The government should not play the role of judge and jury in deciding who is indigenous and who is not. The Supreme Court already ruled on that issue in the 2016 Daniels decision. This government, which claims to be committed to a reconciliation process, only recognizes persons affiliated with the Assembly of First Nations, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami or the Métis National Council as indigenous. By placing indigenous peoples in an order of priority, the Canadian government is openly pursuing a divide and conquer strategy. It is fuelling internal discord by favouring some groups over others. This deplorable approach stands in stark contrast to the spirit of reconciliation and mutual respect that we aspire to achieve as a society. When most murdered and missing women come from urban centres, why is the government relegating crucial entities like the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples to the back burner? As we know, members of the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples were prevented from participating in the summit. They had to fight for it. I joined them in the same room yesterday so that they could attend via Zoom. Both the summit and the Zoom meeting took place in the same building, the Shaw Centre. People went there to mourn, yet had the doors to an event organized by the federal department shut on them. Where are the voices that should be representing the full scope of Métis and indigenous interests? Of course, funding is always an important issue. However, when it comes to Bill C‑29 in particular, it is clear that this is about more than just money. It is about representing all women and giving them a voice, especially those who are marginalized and experience violence in urban centres. They deserve not only to be heard, but also to have justice served. The same goes for young people, seniors and two-spirit people. It is ironic to talk about reconciliation while actively excluding certain individuals. This approach reinforces the hierarchy of groups that is not only unfair, but also profoundly destructive to our social fabric. As observers of this situation, it is our duty to denounce these practices and to promote a true spirit of justice and reconciliation. We must remain vigilant and never lose sight of our common goal, which is to create a society in which every individual is respected and included. As I was saying earlier, there was unanimity on Bill C‑29 when it was passed. Again, there should be consensus on what the Senate brought to it. I am having a hard time figuring out the Conservatives' position. They have become very critical of the government regarding a bill that they supported roughly a year ago. The amendment, which was adopted in the Senate by a vote of 36 to 32, with six abstentions, provides that Bill C‑29, as amended, be amended again in the preamble, at page 1, by replacing lines 2 and 3 with the following: “Whereas, since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples—and, post-contact, the Métis Nation—have thrived on...their Indigenous lands”. The text continues unchanged from its previous version. Essentially, this amendment modifies the preamble by setting out the timeline of when the Métis nation appeared, which was later than the first nations and Inuit in America. This amendment has no legislative impact in itself. However, it is interesting to see that it is important for certain first nations who seem to want to emphasize the fact that they were here first, as though the Métis are a little less legitimate. That said, it is still a form of inclusion, and the Bloc Québécois will be voting in favour of this amendment. I want to reiterate the principles behind our support for Bill C‑29. The Bloc Québécois is a strong advocate of a nation-to-nation relationship between Quebec, Ottawa and indigenous nations. Giving indigenous peoples an additional voice in the reconciliation process is entirely consistent with the Bloc's position. The Bloc Québécois works with indigenous nations on the federal level to strengthen and guarantee their inherent rights. The Bloc Québécois is committed to ensuring that the federal government fully implements the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in areas of federal responsibility. The Bloc Québécois has also come out in support of indigenous nations receiving their due, and we will continue to put pressure on the federal government to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's calls to action. On June 21, 2021, the Bloc Québécois secured the unanimous passage of a motion to ensure that indigenous communities have all the resources needed to lift the veil on the historical reality of residential schools and to force the churches to open their archives. This bill is a step forward in that regard. The Bloc Québécois also announced that we want to ensure that there will be predictable and sustainable funding for programs to help residential school survivors heal, such as the health support program that was specially designed for that purpose. This bill would establish a council to provide ongoing follow-up for this file. Since the bill proposes the creation of a council that can only make recommendations, there is nothing binding in this bill. Supporting this bill only confirms our position as an ally with the indigenous nations of Quebec and Canada. As far as matters regarding truth and reconciliation are concerned, I want to note that there are different groups that are interested in those, including back home in Abitibi‑Témiscamingue. A committee made up primarily of university researchers and people from civil society was formed to independently document the implementation of these calls to action. The committee specifically focused on the Viens commission, which was held in Quebec because a discussion was needed in order to understand what had happened. There have been several defining events, including what happened to Ms. Echaquan. That committee is based at the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, and I applaud the university's leadership. Not only is it our very own university, but it is one of the first in the world to adopt a decolonial vision of relations with indigenous peoples. I think this very forward-thinking approach is definitely part of the solution in the context of reconciliation. Yes, I have only recently taken on this responsibility, but I contacted my university to make sure I understood all the nuances and subtleties well enough to play this role. I feel this is also about being a facilitator or intermediary. Our role as elected members of the House of Commons is important, especially when it comes to relations with indigenous peoples. Right now, reconciliation is an issue that should matter to us all, regardless of where we are or where we come from. I commend the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue for its leadership. I am sure there will be recommendations we will have to take into account. For this bill, we will support the government on this amendment and its inclusion. However, I urge the government to be open about its next steps so we can all be as inclusive as possible within our own territory while respecting the jurisdiction of the governments of Quebec, the provinces and Canada, as well as the indigenous communities themselves, which aspire to greater autonomy within their territory.

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Hon. Gary Anandasangaree (Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Lib.)

Feb/9/24 10:51:06 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, first, I want to thank my colleague for all his work and congratulate him on his new role as the Bloc Québécois critic for indigenous relations and northern development. I know that the member has indigenous communities in his riding. Can he talk to us about the importance of consulting indigenous peoples to make progress on the path to reconciliation?

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Mr. Sébastien Lemire

Feb/9/24 10:51:48 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister. I am quite moved by the quality of his French. One of the challenges that comes with this new responsibility is that it seems like many things happen in English, so being able to talk about these issues in French makes me happy and is an acknowledgement that is not insignificant. Obviously, in the context of reconciliation, the issues of the first nations back home are important. I have had many discussions with people close to the minister about this acknowledgement. Abitibi—Témiscamingue is home to the Anishinabe nation. Some indigenous community leaders make a lot of demands and are very eloquent. They want to protect the soul of their territory. I want to talk about one of the things that the Kebaowek First Nation and its leader, Lance Haymond, have been making a strong claim for. There is something going on there. When we talk about reconciliation, the fundamental issue for me is respecting traditional lands. We can share a territory. We can work together on economic development. However, when it comes to an issue as critical as water quality and the potentially devastating effects that a nuclear waste storage facility in Chalk River could have on their land, then I completely understand why the Kebaowek First Nation and the other indigenous nations that support it are strongly opposed to this project. It is absolutely fundamental that the government think about whether it will follow the recommendation of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, and I would invite the government not to do so.

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Mr. Dan Mazier (Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, CPC)

Feb/9/24 10:53:50 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I congratulate the member on his new position. How does the member square off voting in favour of applying a carbon tax on first nations when first nations in Ontario are saying it is anti-reconciliation to be charged a carbon tax?

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Mr. Sébastien Lemire

Feb/9/24 10:54:21 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the way I see it is that the first nations feel as though the Conservatives are using them for political purposes on the carbon tax issue.

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Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.)

Feb/9/24 10:54:50 a.m.
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Re: Bill C-29

Mr. Speaker, earlier I referred to the 94 recommendations, the calls to action, and Bill C-29 addresses a very important call to action. We recognize that the federal government plays a very important lead role, but there are other jurisdictions, provinces and others, that also play a role. We have seen a significant percentage, I believe it is well over 80%, that have been acted upon or are in process, from a federal government perspective. I would ask the member to provide his thoughts on overall reconciliation and the calls to action.

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Mr. Sébastien Lemire

Feb/9/24 10:55:31 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the bill specifically sought to address calls to action 53 to 56 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada report. With this in mind, I would like to focus more closely on call to action 54, which reads as follows: We call upon the Government of Canada to provide multi-year funding for the National Council for Reconciliation to ensure that it has the financial, human, and technical resources required to conduct its work, including the endowment of a National Reconciliation Trust to advance the cause of reconciliation. As I see it, predictable funding is absolutely essential. This is true not only for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, but for the various diversification funds for indigenous peoples as well. Reconciliation goes beyond the work of this committee. It has to apply coherently to all government action. I recently met with an economic development group interested in developing indigenous entrepreneurship from the ground up, in the communities, through various models such as co-operatives and registered charities. That is fundamental. The federal government has not guaranteed the group's funding for the coming weeks. To cement good relations, predictability is essential.

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Ms. Niki Ashton (Churchill—Keewatinook Aski, NDP)

Feb/9/24 10:56:55 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the process of reconciliation must move forward in our country, and the federal government must absolutely fulfill its obligation. In my riding, a number of first nations are talking about the need for concrete measures on the ground. For them, reconciliation means putting an end to the third-world conditions that exist in their communities. Some clear examples include the housing crisis, the lack of infrastructure, particularly in the context of the climate crisis, and the lack of clean drinking water. Does the member agree that reconciliation with first peoples also means improving the daily living conditions in first nations communities?

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Mr. Sébastien Lemire

Feb/9/24 10:57:44 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I could not have described the consequences of these problems better myself. Indigenous housing is at the heart of self-determination issues. In Quebec and elsewhere in Canada, there are sometimes two, three or four families living in the same space. I have heard horror stories about families who have to take turns sleeping during the night. They wake up every two, three or four hours to be able to get a bed, or to offer their spot to a brother, sister or neighbour. It is a major social issue. Human dignity is a fundamental aspect that has been pushed aside in the housing file, and the problem is worse among first nations than anywhere else. It is obviously easy to turn a blind eye, but there are fundamental issues here, and, all too often, the government allocates funding in the various budgets so it can make some nice announcements. However, when it comes time to disburse that money, it comes with strings attached. First nations, however, are unable to meet the conditions because they live in rural or remote areas, and they do not have access to engineers, consulting engineering firms or others whose fees are often higher than they would be elsewhere. The government is therefore not meeting its objectives of providing decent housing for everyone. We are going to have to think about these issues in a much more holistic and inclusive way.

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Ms. Andréanne Larouche (Shefford, BQ)

Feb/9/24 10:59:19 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to hear my colleague's thoughts on the council's scope. We are talking about all sectors of Canadian society and all governments in Canada, but we are concerned about the impact that this might have on certain private companies. That is the crux of the issue. Obviously, that applies to corporations under federal jurisdiction, but during our study at the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, we found that the problem exists in private corporations. This is where we see the disproportionate impact of resource development on indigenous women and girls. What does my colleague think we can do to avoid that and ensure that it can also—

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The Speaker

Feb/9/24 10:59:54 a.m.
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The hon. member for Abitibi-Témiscamingue has time for a short, 15-second response. The hon. member.

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Mr. Sébastien Lemire

Feb/9/24 10:59:54 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for being so thorough and taking an interest in intersectional issues affecting women. The example she gave is an excellent one. I think the government will be judged by its actions, and the council will be a great example of that.

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Mr. Chandra Arya (Nepean, Lib.)

Feb/9/24 11:00:16 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, the war in Sudan has killed over 13,000 people, with about 33,000 injured. About 1.5 million Sudanese have fled the country as refugees. The World Food Programme said it was receiving reports of people dying of starvation in Sudan, and almost eight million people have been forced from their homes by the conflict. Health infrastructure has been destroyed, and about 19 million children are currently out of school. We have a moral obligation to address the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in Sudan in a significant way. Canada, with its expertise, can actively participate in the forums that deal with the situation and provide support. Canada can also appoint a special envoy to closely monitor and follow up on developments.

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Mr. Ron Liepert (Calgary Signal Hill, CPC)

Feb/9/24 11:01:17 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on January 16, a young mother dropping off two of her three children at an elementary school in my riding was fatally stabbed by her estranged husband, and it was witnessed by the children. The killer, who was found dead a few hours later, had multiple breaches of restraining orders, had been released on bail several times on charges including sexual assault, and had a warrant out for his arrest on the morning of this tragic event. These children are now without parents and are emotionally scarred for life as a result of what they have witnessed. Now, we hear time and again government members standing up in this place, decrying gender-based violence, yet Statistics Canada reports that instances of domestic violence have gone up every year since 2015, since this government took over. It is time the Liberal government stopped talking and started to act on domestic violence. Victims need protection, not more hollow statements by Liberal MPs, and abusers need jail, not bail.

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Mr. Yasir Naqvi (Ottawa Centre, Lib.)

Feb/9/24 11:02:24 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it is a great honour for me to represent the riding of Ottawa Centre, and downtown Ottawa is very much an important part of my community. However, it has gone through a lot of transition due to the pandemic and, most recently, the illegal occupation that my constituents suffered through. To help reimagine our downtown, in 2022 I initiated the downtown Ottawa revitalization task force, which recently released a comprehensive report. The report, codeveloped in partnership with community groups, small business representatives, for-profit and not-for-profit housing developers, government representatives, indigenous partners and sustainability advocates, is the road map we need to rebuild our community. The report's vision goes beyond traditional urban development, focusing on the vital areas we must invest in to revitalize our downtown. These range from repurposing vacant federal buildings to animating Wellington Street and fostering safer and more inviting streets. I look forward to working with the City of Ottawa and the federal government to revitalize our downtown and make it a place for everyone.

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Ms. Heather McPherson (Edmonton Strathcona, NDP)

Feb/9/24 11:03:35 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, it has been two years since Putin launched his brutal and illegal war in Ukraine. In that time, Russia has committed multiple war crimes, including killing more than 10,000 Ukrainian civilians, injuring another 20,000 and abducting nearly 20,000 Ukrainian children. Recently, fawning Putin apologist Tucker Carlson came to Alberta to spread his hatred and lies. He was heartily welcomed by Canadian Conservatives and hosted and toasted by Alberta Premier Danielle Smith before heading off to Moscow for a meeting with Putin. At the same time, Conservatives here in the House have been undermining Canada's support for Ukraine, voting against support for Ukrainians, including the free trade agreement between our two countries, which was an agreement that President Zelenskyy specifically asked for. I am proud of New Democrats, who continue to stand in solidarity with Ukraine. Canada's support for Ukraine must be unequivocal. I call upon every member in the House to stand with me in support of Ukraine and democracy.

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Mrs. Élisabeth Brière (Sherbrooke, Lib.)

Feb/9/24 11:04:42 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, when I think about major artistic events in Sherbrooke, the name Suzanne‑Marie Landry is one of the first that springs to mind. For the past 10 years, Ms. Landry has been general and artistic director of Théatre Granada, a mainstay of Sherbrooke's heritage, and has also been involved in creating Sherblues & Folk and collaborating on most of the major festivals and events in Sherbrooke. She helps attract renowned artists to Sherbrooke and promote emerging artists, in addition to ensuring the development of Théâtre Granada with great respect for its heritage character. Despite all these accomplishments, it was during the pandemic that she impressed me the most. At a time when the entertainment industry was going through an unprecedented crisis, Ms. Landry demonstrated unbelievable resilience and incredible leadership as she helped her industry survive and reinvent itself. A few days ago, she announced that she plans to slow down. I wish her the best for the future. On behalf of the people of Sherbrooke, I want to thank her very much for her support of culture in our region.

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Mr. Dan Mazier (Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, CPC)

Feb/9/24 11:05:47 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honour the life of Hal Sveistrup. As a lifelong educator, Hal began teaching at the age of 19, leaving a lasting mark on countless young minds over his 35-year career. Hal's larger-than-life persona and commitment to community defined him. Throughout his life, he contributed to countless organizations, including the Rivers United Church and local hockey leagues. Hal was an avid outdoorsman. He loved fishing, hunting and trapping. This passion of Hal's was instrumental in building the Rivers Game and Fish Association as a founding member. However, above his love for the outdoors, family was the most important to Hal. He and his wife Barb created a beautiful family of four children, 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. “Just do your best,” Hal often advised, a motto he lived by wholeheartedly. My thoughts are with his family and all those he impacted throughout his remarkable life. May Hal rest easy. He will be missed.

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Ms. Lena Metlege Diab (Halifax West, Lib.)

Feb/9/24 11:06:52 a.m.
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Mr. Speaker, today I wish all Maronites around the world happy Saint Maroun Feast Day. I also acknowledge World Interfaith Harmony Week, which spreads the message of unity and goodwill in the world's churches, mosques, synagogues, temples and other places of worship. I am blessed to represent a riding with incredible diversity, and I cherish the close connections I have with our many different faith communities. I offer my best wishes for the celebrations of our patron saint that are taking place at Our Lady of Lebanon in my riding, at the cathedral in Montreal, at Saint Charbel Parish in Ottawa and all over the world. I also offer my best to the Ummah Mosque in Halifax on its multicultural festival today. We know that interfaith dialogue has the power to promote greater harmony in Canada. That is why our government is funding grassroots initiatives that bring ethnic, cultural and religious communities together to learn from each other and strengthen our national fabric. Let us always embrace the richness of our differences.

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