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43rd PARLIAMENT, 2nd SESSION

Journals No. 73 Monday, March 22, 2021 11:00 a.m.

Prayer

Private Members' Business

At 11:00 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 30(6), the House proceeded to the consideration of Private Members' Business.

The House resumed consideration of the motion of Mr. Jowhari (Richmond Hill), seconded by Mr. Fergus (Hull—Aylmer), — That the House recognize that: (a) the British Parliament abolished slavery in the British Empire as of August 1, 1834; (b) slavery existed in British North America prior to its abolition in 1834; (c) abolitionists and others who struggled against slavery, including those who arrived in Upper and Lower Canada by the Underground Railroad, have historically celebrated August 1 as Emancipation Day; (d) the Government of Canada announced on January 30, 2018, that it would officially recognize the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent to highlight the important contributions that people of African descent have made to Canadian society, and to provide a platform for confronting anti-Black racism; and (e) the heritage of Canada’s people of African descent and the contributions they have made and continue to make to Canada; and that, in the opinion of the House, the government should designate August 1 of every year as “Emancipation Day” in Canada. (Private Members' Business M-36)

The debate continued.

The question was put on the motion and, pursuant to order made Monday, January 25, 2021, the recorded division was deferred until Wednesday, March 24, 2021, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions.

Business of Supply

The order was read for the consideration of the business of supply.

Mr. Singh (Burnaby South), seconded by Ms. Kwan (Vancouver East), moved, — That, given that,

(i) during the first wave, 82% of COVID deaths in Canada happened in long-term care, the highest proportion in the OECD,

(ii) there have been over 12,000 long-term care resident and worker deaths in Canada since the beginning of the pandemic,

(iii) residents and workers in for-profit long-term care homes have a higher risk of infection and death than those in non-profit homes,

the House call upon the government to ensure that national standards for long-term care which are currently being developed fully remove profit from the sector, including by:

(a) immediately bringing Revera, a for-profit long-term care operator owned by a federal agency, under public ownership;

(b) transitioning all for-profit care to not-for-profit hands by 2030;

(c) working with provinces and territories to stop licensing any new for-profit care facilities, and making sure that measures are in place to keep all existing beds open during the transition; and

(d) investing an additional $5 billion over the next four years in long-term care, with funding tied to respect for the principles of the Canada Health Act, to boost the number of non-profit homes.

Debate arose thereon.

Statements By Members

Pursuant to Standing Order 31, members made statements.

Oral Questions

Pursuant to Standing Order 30(5), the House proceeded to Oral Questions.

Motions

By unanimous consent, it was resolved, — That the House express its horror at the recent mass shootings in Atlanta, and its solidarity with the victims of the shootings and their families, condemn the rise of anti-Asian racism and racist attacks throughout North America, and urge the government to take further action to tackle hate crimes, including by:

(a) hosting a federal-provincial-territorial meeting to discuss the rise in hate crimes in Canada and to coordinate our collective efforts and identify best practices to countering this trend;

(b) creating and properly fund dedicated hate crime units in every community in Canada;

(c) establishing national standards for identifying and recording all hate incidents and their dispensation in the justice system; and

(d) working in collaboration with non-profits to facilitate the reporting of hate crimes.

Daily Routine Of Business

Tabling of Documents

Pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), Mr. Oliphant (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs) laid upon the table, — Copy of the Protocol to Amend the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, and Explanatory Memorandum, done at Palma de Mallorca on November 20, 2019. — Sessional Paper No. 8532-432-18.

Pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), Mr. Oliphant (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs) laid upon the table, — Copy of the General Coordination Agreement Between Canada and the United States of America on the Use of the Radio Frequency Spectrum by Terrestrial Radiocommunication Stations and Earth Stations, and Explanatory Memorandum, done at Ottawa on January 12 and 13, 2021. — Sessional Paper No. 8532-432-19.

Pursuant to Standing Order 32(2), Mr. Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons) laid upon the table, — Government responses, pursuant to Standing Order 36(8), to the following petitions:

— Nos. 432-00447, 432-00476, 432-00486 and 432-00497 concerning health;

— Nos. 432-00448, 432-00449, 432-00487, 432-00496 and 432-00499 concerning justice;

— Nos. 432-00450, 432-00454, 432-00455, 432-00456, 432-00457, 432-00459, 432-00460, 432-00461, 432-00462, 432-00465, 432-00466, 432-00467, 432-00471, 432-00472, 432-00473, 432-00474, 432-00477, 432-00479, 432-00482, 432-00483, 432-00488, 432-00489, 432-00490, 432-00491, 432-00492, 432-00495 and 432-00498 concerning foreign affairs;

— Nos. 432-00451, 432-00453 and 432-00463 concerning Indigenous affairs;

— No. 432-00452 concerning culture and heritage;

— Nos. 432-00458, 432-00481 and 432-00493 concerning natural resources and energy;

— Nos. 432-00464, 432-00475 and 432-00494 concerning the environment;

— No. 432-00468 concerning social affairs and equality;

— Nos. 432-00469 and 432-00478 concerning business and trade;

— No. 432-00470 concerning infrastructure;

— No. 432-00480 concerning education and training;

— No. 432-00484 concerning taxation;

— No. 432-00485 concerning transportation.

Presenting Reports from Committees

Mr. Allison (Niagara West), from the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations, presented the first report of the committee, "Review of Statutory Instruments". — Sessional Paper No. 8510-432-88.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting No. 1) was tabled.

Mrs. Block (Carlton Trail—Eagle Creek), from the Standing Committee on Public Accounts, presented the 13th report of the committee, "Main Estimates 2021-22: Vote 1 under Office of the Auditor General". — Sessional Paper No. 8510-432-89.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting No. 22) was tabled.

Mr. McKinnon (Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam), from the Standing Committee on Health, presented the fourth report of the committee, "Supplementary Estimates (C), 2020-21: Votes 1c and 5c under Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Vote 5c under Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Votes 1c and 10c under Department of Health and Votes 1c, 5c and 10c under Public Health Agency of Canada". — Sessional Paper No. 8510-432-90.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting No. 25) was tabled.

Mr. Maloney (Etobicoke—Lakeshore), from the Standing Committee on Natural Resources, presented the first report of the committee, "Supplementary Estimates (C), 2020-21: Votes 1c and 10c under Department of Natural Resources". — Sessional Paper No. 8510-432-91.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting No. 17) was tabled.

Mr. Casey (Charlottetown), from the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities, presented the fourth report of the committee, "Supplementary Estimates (C), 2020-21: Vote 1c under Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and Votes 1c, 5c, 10c and 15c under Department of Employment and Social Development". — Sessional Paper No. 8510-432-92.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting No. 22) was tabled.

Ms. Gladu (Sarnia—Lambton), from the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, presented the third report of the committee, "Supplementary Estimates (C), 2020-21: Vote 5c under Department for Women and Gender Equality". — Sessional Paper No. 8510-432-93.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting No. 20) was tabled.

Ms. Gladu (Sarnia—Lambton), from the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, presented the fourth report of the committee, "Main Estimates 2021-22: Votes 1 and 5 under Department for Women and Gender Equality". — Sessional Paper No. 8510-432-94.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting No. 20) was tabled.

Ms. Gladu (Sarnia—Lambton), from the Standing Committee on the Status of Women, presented the fifth report of the committee, "Request for Government Response to the 18th Report from the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session". — Sessional Paper No. 8510-432-95.

Pursuant to Standing Order 109, the committee requested that the government table a comprehensive response.

A copy of the relevant Minutes of Proceedings (Meeting No. 19) was tabled.

Introduction of Private Members' Bills

Pursuant to Standing Orders 68(2) and 69(1), on motion of Ms. Koutrakis (Vimy), seconded by Mr. El-Khoury (Laval—Les Îles), Bill C-276, An Act to designate the month of March as Hellenic Heritage Month, was introduced, read the first time, ordered to be printed and ordered for a second reading at the next sitting of the House.

Motions

By unanimous consent, it was resolved, — That the first report of the Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations, presented earlier today, be concurred in.

By unanimous consent, it was ordered, — That, notwithstanding any standing order, special order or usual practice of the House, until Wednesday, June 23, 2021, during the taking of a recorded division on a private members’ business, when the sponsor of the item is the first to vote and present at the beginning of the vote, the member be called first, whether participating in person or by videoconference.

Presenting Petitions

Pursuant to Standing Order 36, petitions certified by the Clerk of Petitions were presented as follows:

— by , one concerning natural resources and energy (No. 432-00681);

— by , one concerning foreign affairs (No. 432-00682);

— by , one concerning Indigenous affairs (No. 432-00683);

— by , three concerning justice (Nos. 432-00684, 432-00686 and 432-00688) and three concerning foreign affairs (Nos. 432-00685, 432-00687 and 432-00689);

— by , one concerning human diseases (No. 432-00690);

— by , one concerning health (No. 432-00691);

— by , one concerning the environment (No. 432-00692);

— by , one concerning foreign affairs (No. 432-00693), one concerning natural resources and energy (No. 432-00694), two concerning justice (Nos. 432-00695 and 432-00697), two concerning health (Nos. 432-00696 and 432-00699) and one concerning public safety (No. 432-00698).

Questions on the Order Paper

Mr. Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons) presented the answers to questions Q-360 to Q-362, Q-369, Q-370, Q-372 to Q-378, Q-380 to Q-385, Q-389 on the Order Paper.

Pursuant to Standing Order 39(7), Mr. Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons) presented the returns to the following questions made into orders for return:

Q-363 — — With regard to the Royal Canadian Navy’s frigate replacement program and the National Shipbuilding Strategy: (a) how critical is progress on the modernization of the Royal Canadian Navy to the defence of Canada and its allies; (b) what is the status of the Canadian Surface Combatant procurement project, including the (i) timelines, (ii) costs, (iii) target dates for the Royal Canadian Navy to take delivery of the frigates; (c) has the government conducted an inquiry in regards to the management, costs and associated production delays of the Canadian Surface Combatant procurement project and, if not, will the government commit to holding such an inquiry and make the results public; (d) what measures are being taken by the government to make sure that the National Shipbuilding Strategy remains on track to provide Canada’s armed forces personnel with the equipment they need to do their work in a timely and cost-effective manner; and (e) has the government considered appointing a single minister responsible for defence procurement, similar to our allies in the United Kingdom and Australia, in order to streamline military procurement and to provide better accountability to the public and, if not, will the government commit to establishing such a position? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-432-363.

Q-364 — — With regard to individuals entering Canada since April 1, 2020: (a) how many were (i) required to quarantine, (ii) exempted from quarantine requirement; and (b) what is the breakdown of (a) (i) and (ii) by month and by type of entry point (airport, land crossing, etc.)? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-432-364.

Q-365 — — With regard to the Canada Summer Jobs program since 2016, broken down by year: (a) how many applications for funding under the program were rejected or denied due to (i) incomplete or incorrectly filled out application forms, (ii) failure to meet the eligibility requirements, (iii) lack of funding, (iv) another reason, broken down by reason, if possible; (b) what is the total number of applications rejected or denied; and (c) what was the total dollar value applied for by the applications in each of the subcategories of (a)? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-432-365.

Q-366 — — With regard to the government's support for the campaign to make Bill Morneau the next secretary-General of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development: (a) what are the total expenditures or costs incurred by the government to date in relation to the campaign; (b) what are the projected final expenditures or costs, if different than in (a); (c) what is the breakdown of expenditures by type of expense; (d) what are the details of all contracts signed related to the campaign, including the (i) vendor, (ii) amount, (iii) date the contract was signed, (iv) location of the vendor, (v) description of goods or services, (vi) start and end date of the contract, if applicable; and (e) what was the total number of individuals assigned to work on or assist with the campaign, including those assigned on a part-time basis? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-432-366.

Q-367 — — With regard to federal sponsorship of youth anti-drug programs: (a) does the government currently have plans to expand anti-drug programs for youth in Canada and, if so, what are the details; (b) how much funding has been given to support the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's Drug Abuse Resistance Education programs in Canada in the last three fiscal years; and (c) how much funding will be provided for the fiscal year 2021-22? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-432-367.

Q-368 — — With regard to delays in the processing of immigration files submitted through the traditional hard-copy paper method: (a) how many files had their processing delayed as a result of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada employees not having access to paper files while working from home during the pandemic; (b) what is the number of files still (i) not being processed, (ii) delayed as a result of employees working from home, broken down by type of application; (c) what is the current backlog and processing times for applications submitted via (i) paper, (ii) online, broken down by type of application; and (d) what was the backlog and processing times for applications submitted via (i) paper, (ii) online, prior to the pandemic, or as of March 1, 2020? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-432-368.

Q-371 — — With regard to Visa Facilitation Services Global (VFS Global) processing visa applications for the government: (a) what is the list of countries in which VFS Global currently processes visas for the Canadian government; (b) what guarantees, if any, does the government have with VFS Global to ensure that any information collected from visa applicants is not shared with the company’s Chinese state-owned investment funds or the Chinese government; (c) does the government have any way of monitoring whether personal information provided to VFS Global is being shared or disclosed to any third party or state-owned organization; (d) how is the government notified and what processes are in place for when a data breach occurs with information in the possession of VFS Global; and (e) is the government aware of any such data breaches occurring and, if so, what are the details, including how individuals’ whose information was compromised were informed? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-432-371.

Q-379 — — With regard to the government’s decision to grant a travel exemption to family members of Meng Wanzhou: (a) on what date was the exemption granted; (b) which minister signed off on the exemption; (c) why was the exemption granted; (d) did the family members also receive an exemption from the 14-day quarantine requirement and, if so, why was such an exemption granted; and (e) has the government provided any other travel exemptions since April 1, 2020, for family members of individuals awaiting extradition and, if so, how many were granted, broken down by month? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-432-379.

Q-386 — — With regard to the announcement by the Prime Minister on April 7, 2020, that the government would team up with manufacturers to domestically produce up to 30,000 ventilators: (a) how many of those ventilators have been produced to date, broken down by manufacturer; and (b) how many of those ventilators are currently in Canadian hospitals, or similar types of facilities, broken down by (i) province, (ii) municipality, (iii) hospital? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-432-386.

Q-387 — — With regard to the renovations and upgrades at the Prime Minister's country residence and surrounding area at Harrington Lake: (a) what was the total amount spent on renovations and upgrades in 2020; (b) what is the itemized breakdown of the expenditures in (a); (c) what is the description of all work conducted at Harrington Lake in 2020; (d) what is the budget or projected costs for renovations and upgrades in 2021; and (e) what renovations and upgrades are planned for 2021? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-432-387.

Q-388 — — With regard to the government’s decision to require airline travellers arriving from outside of Canada to quarantine at a designated airport hotel: (a) what specific evidence or facts did the government use as a basis for the decision; (b) what is the detailed breakdown of how the more than $2,000 collected from each traveller is spent, including what amounts went for (i) transportation to the hotel, (ii) security, (iii) the hotel room rate, (iv) testing, (v) other type of expenditure, broken down by type; (c) is the government operating on a strictly cost-recovery basis or will the government be making a profit from the funds collected from the travellers; (d) how were the hotels chosen; (e) is the government paying a premium for the hotels over the regular government room rate and, if so, why; (f) were the hotels chosen through an open tender process or were they sole-sourced contracts; (g) if the contracts were solesourced, what specific measures were taken to ensure that the contracts were awarded fairly and without political bias; and (h) what are the details of each contract with the hotels, including (i) the name of hotel, (ii) the location, (iii) the amount of the contract, (iv) the contract start and end date, (v) the number of rooms provided? — Sessional Paper No. 8555-432-388.

Business of Supply

The House resumed consideration of the motion of Mr. Singh (Burnaby South), seconded by Ms. Kwan (Vancouver East), in relation to the business of supply.

The debate continued.

At 6:15 p.m., pursuant to Standing Order 81(16), the Speaker interrupted the proceedings.

The question was put on the motion and, pursuant to order made Monday, January 25, 2021, the recorded division was deferred until Tuesday, March 23, 2021, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions.

Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons

Pursuant to section 12(1) of the Conflict of Interest Code for Members of the House of Commons, the member for Edmonton Strathcona sent to the clerk a disclosure of a private interest and, pursuant to section 12(3) of the code, the clerk referred the disclosure to the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner.

Returns and Reports Deposited with the Clerk of the House

Pursuant to Standing Order 32(1), papers deposited with the Clerk of the House were laid upon the table as follows:

— by the Speaker — Report of the Parliamentary Budget Officer entitled "Canada Recovery Care Benefit (CRCB) - 12 week extension", pursuant to the Parliament of Canada Act, R.S. 1985, c. P-1, sbs. 79.2(2). — Sessional Paper No. 8560-432-1119-33. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Finance)

— by the Speaker — Report of the Parliamentary Budget Officer entitled "Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) - 2-week extension", pursuant to the Parliament of Canada Act, R.S. 1985, c. P-1, sbs. 79.2(2). — Sessional Paper No. 8560-432-1119-34. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Finance)

— by the Speaker — Report of the Parliamentary Budget Officer entitled "Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) - Update and increase in the maximum number of weeks available", pursuant to the Parliament of Canada Act, R.S. 1985, c. P-1, sbs. 79.2(2). — Sessional Paper No. 8560-432-1119-35. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Finance)

— by — Summary of the Corporate Plan for 2019-2024 for the Federal Bridge Corporation Limited, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R.S. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 125(4). — Sessional Paper No. 8562-432-822-01. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities)

— by — Summary of the Corporate Plan for 2020-2025 for the Federal Bridge Corporation Limited, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R.S. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 125(4). — Sessional Paper No. 8562-432-822-02. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities)

— by — Amendments to the 2020-21 to 2024-25 Corporate Plan Summary of the Federal Bridge Corporation Limited, pursuant to the Financial Administration Act, R.S. 1985, c. F-11, sbs. 125(4). — Sessional Paper No. 8562-432-822-03. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities)

— by Mr. Blair (Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness) — Proposed Regulations Amending the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, pursuant to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, S.C. 2001, c. 27, sbs. 5(2). — Sessional Paper No. 8560-432-790-02. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration)

— by Mr. Garneau (Minister of Foreign Affairs) — Copy of the Regulations amending the Special Economic Measures (People’s Republic of China) Regulations (P.C. 2021-176), pursuant to the Special Economic Measures Act, S.C. 1992, c. 17, sbs. 7(1). — Sessional Paper No. 8560-432-495-06. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development)

— by Ms. Hajdu (Minister of Health) — Report of the Patented Medicine Prices Review Board for the year ended December 31, 2019, pursuant to the Patent Act, R.S., 1985, c. P-4, sbs. 89(4) and 100(4). — Sessional Paper No. 8560-432-564-01. (Pursuant to Standing Order 32(5), permanently referred to the Standing Committee on Health)

Adjournment Proceedings

At 6:21 p.m., by unanimous consent and pursuant to Standing Order 38(1), the question “That this House do now adjourn” was deemed to have been proposed.

After debate, the question was deemed to have been adopted.

Accordingly, at 6:52 p.m., the Speaker adjourned the House until tomorrow at 10:00 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).