44th Parl. 1st Sess.
April 16, 2024 10:00AM
- Apr/16/24 3:10:21 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, climate change is real. The science is clear. Current drought conditions and above average temperatures are bringing an increasing risk of wildfires.
Last year, more than 230,000 Canadians were forced out of their homes, not knowing what the future looked like. Close to 100 fires are already burning in British Columbia and communities are rightfully concerned.
Could the Minister of Emergency Preparedness tell us what our federal government has been doing to—
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- Apr/16/24 3:10:55 p.m.
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Informally, I did ask the hon. member for Mission—Matsqui—Fraser Canyon to please allow the member for Richmond Centre to ask his question.
The hon. member for Richmond Centre has 15 seconds to finish his question.
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- Apr/16/24 3:11:13 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last year, more than 230,000 Canadians were forced out of their homes, not knowing what the future would hold. Close to 100 fires are already burning in British Columbia and communities are rightfully concerned.
Could the Minister of Emergency Preparedness tell us what our government has been doing to make sure we will be there for British Columbians this summer?
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- Apr/16/24 3:11:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, last year, we had the worst wildfire season in Canadian history because of climate change, and potentially this season could be even worse. We have been working very closely with the provinces and territories and indigenous leaders to provide the resources they need. We are training more firefighters, providing additional firefighting equipment and adding more initiatives to provide humanitarian support.
On this side of the House, we know the devastating impact that climate change is having on Canadians and we will be there for them.
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- Apr/16/24 3:12:15 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, seniors are being kicked out of their homes because assisted living is now fodder for greedy developers and private equity firms. Ninety year olds are being put on the street so that super-rich CEOs can make a buck.
The Liberals and the Conservatives let developers buy up affordable housing and now they are letting them go after long-term care. A family whose father was kicked out of his home called this a death sentence.
Will the government stop this in its tracks and use the budget to end greedy CEOs from evicting vulnerable seniors?
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- Apr/16/24 3:12:54 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as we move down a path of increasing investments to build more affordable housing, we have to acknowledge the very real challenge that exists when affordable housing that is already in communities is snapped up for the purpose of renovicting those who live in it. That is why we are moving forward with a Canadian first, a new acquisition fund that is going to help non-profits buy up existing low-cost rentals so they can keep them affordable in perpetuity. This is a new direction that is going to help many thousands of Canadians not just find a place to call home, but to keep a place to call home that they can actually afford.
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- Apr/16/24 3:13:35 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, in the past two years, there has been a 50% increase in denied claims for veterans seeking disability benefits. This is shameful. They served our country, risking their lives and safety in the process, yet the Liberals keep turning their backs on them, just like the Conservatives did for years before. This is an issue of respect and livelihood. Many veterans are struggling and they rely on these benefits to make ends meet.
Do the Liberals plan on fixing this or will they keep denying veterans their dignity?
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- Apr/16/24 3:14:14 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I would like to take a moment to thank my colleague for her important work on the veterans affairs committee.
Our government has always been there for veterans, and will continue to be there. Since 2015, we have invested more than $11 billion in additional funding to support veterans and their families. In contrast to the Conservative Party of Canada, when it closed the Veterans Affairs offices, on this side of the House, we opened them immediately because we recognized they provided direct services to veterans.
We will always be there to help support our veterans and their families in their time of need.
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- Apr/16/24 3:15:30 p.m.
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It is a great privilege for me to draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
Some hon. members: Hear, hear!
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- Apr/16/24 3:15:41 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on a point of order. During question period today, the member for North Island—Powell River directed a comment at us here in the back benches, and she directed it to me as well. She used the term “shut up.” She is a member who generally conducts herself in a very civil manner, but today she used the term “shut up” in a manner that is unbecoming of a parliamentarian.
It is you, Mr. Speaker, who ensures civility in the House. You are the one who corrects us when we use language that is unbecoming. She actually repeated the remark. When I asked her, “Did you tell us to shut up?”, she said, “Yes, shut up.” That is behaviour unbecoming of a parliamentarian, so I would ask you to ask her to apologize for that remark and to withdraw it unconditionally.
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- Apr/16/24 3:16:50 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for bringing up how disruptive the Conservatives continue to be in the House.
To clarify for the record, I did not actually tell him to shut up the second time; I told him to shush. I will not be withdrawing my comment, and I hope their behaviour gets better.
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- Apr/16/24 3:17:09 p.m.
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I thank the hon. member for Abbotsford for raising this issue. All members could do a lot to improve decorum in the House, and I hope we all will.
The issue has been raised by the member for Abbotsford, and the member for North Island—Powell River has acknowledged that she used language that causes disorder in the House. I would ask the hon. member for North Island—Powell River if she would do the honourable thing and withdraw the comment.
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- Apr/16/24 3:18:24 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, no, I will certainly not.
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- Apr/16/24 3:18:27 p.m.
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The hon. member for North Island—Powell River is a long-time member. We have served in the House and on many committees together. I will ask her once again if, out of respect to the Chair, she would please withdraw that remark.
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- Apr/16/24 3:19:00 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I have served many years with you, but my concern, which is that members who are asking questions are being silenced again and again by the Conservatives, is very serious.
Out of respect, I will not withdraw the remark, and I do not mean that personally. It is so sad that the Conservatives are having very sensitive feelings about this.
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- Apr/16/24 3:19:20 p.m.
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Pursuant to the powers vested in me under Standing Order 11, I am afraid I have no choice but to ask the hon. member, for not following through with a request from the Chair, to please leave the chamber.
[And Ms. Blaney having withdrawn:]
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- Apr/16/24 3:19:55 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I rise on the same point of order. It is important for us to reflect on what has transpired in the House. You will recall there was a member from Regina who absolutely insulted a member. His entire question was given back to him. However, when there was the disruption of the back bench, from some who do not have the privilege of asking questions of the House, and they decided to interrupt my question, I did not receive the opportunity to ask it in full. It is at that point when the intervention happened.
Some hon members: Oh, oh!
Mr. Matthew Green: Mr. Speaker, if it is on the question of disruption, I would ask you to note the heckling and the disorder that is happening in the House right now. I encourage you to reflect on what you just did to the member, this hon. member from our party, when these people continue to act completely out of order in the House.
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- Apr/16/24 3:20:44 p.m.
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Colleagues, we are coming back to the point of why it is so important for us to conduct ourselves with dignity in this place.
The hon. member for Hamilton Centre has raised an important point. I would like to point out to the hon. member that the Chair did hear his question up until a certain point. Then, not being able to hear the hon. member, as I mentioned from the chair, I gave the hon. member more time to finish his question. First, I sought order in the House, and then I gave the hon. member more time to finish his question and to start further on. The hon. member for Regina—Lewvan, at the top end of the question, used language that was uncomplimentary, and I asked him to rephrase his question, which he did.
It is very difficult to sit in this chair and have members act in a way that is really not befitting of this place. Sometimes the Chair raises the issue when the Chair feels compelled to do so. Sometimes members raise the issue, and when members raise the issue, that is the time when the Chair has to deal with it.
As a result, it was with great regret that I asked the member for North Island—Powell River to leave this place for the day because it was requested of the Chair to ask for her comment to be withdrawn so that order could be restored to the House. This was raised by the member for Abbotsford. That is the only reason that happened.
I ask all members to remind themselves that, once again, the Chair can only go as far as members will permit the Chair to go. It requires members to act in a manner that is befitting of this place. I think we all can learn from this situation.
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- Apr/16/24 3:23:23 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, on the same point of order, it is not up to any individual member to try to get the respect in the House that the Conservatives consistently refuse to show, so I would ask you to use the tools that you have available to you.
We have granted you the ability to dock questions. When Conservatives are causing disorder, as they do so frequently, I would ask you to exercise the powers you have to dock their questions so that members, such as the member for North Island—Powell River, are not forced to intervene to try to stop them from allowing us to ask questions in the House of Commons.
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- Apr/16/24 3:24:06 p.m.
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I thank the member for New Westminster—Burnaby for that intervention. Indeed, the Chair is increasingly reaching that point where, with proper warning, we will probably start moving that way. I hope I do not have to. I hope that members will be able to conduct themselves in a way that is befitting of this place.
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