43rd PARLIAMENT, 2nd SESSION House of Commons Debates Official Report (Hansard) Volume 150 No. 040 Tuesday, December 1, 2020 Speaker: The Honourable Anthony Rota CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) 2727 HOUSE OF COMMONS Tuesday, December 1, 2020 The House met at 10 a.m. mate action strategy that includes legislated science-based targets, implementing a steadily rising national carbon price, eliminating fossil fuel subsidies and redirecting those investments into renew‐ able energy systems, energy efficiency, low-carbon transportation Prayer and job training. * * * ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS QUESTIONS ON THE ORDER PAPER ● (1005) [English] Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Presi‐ dent of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and to the Lead‐ COMMITTEES OF THE HOUSE er of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. HEALTH Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand. Mr. Ron McKinnon (Coquitlam—Port Coquitlam, Lib.): Mr. The Speaker: Is that agreed? Speaker, I have the honour to present, in both official languages, the second report of the Standing Committee on Health in relation to the motion adopted on Friday, November 27, 2020, regarding the Some hon. members: Agreed. instructions to the Law Clerk and Parliamentary Counsel. * * * PETITIONS GOVERNMENT ORDERS INDIGENOUS AFFAIRS [Translation] Ms. Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands, GP): Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to present petition 10865888. The petitioners ask the BUSINESS OF SUPPLY House of Commons to look at the situation, particularly on Wet'suwet'en territory and lands, in relation to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. They point out OPPOSITION MOTION—SUPPORT FOR HEALTH CARE WORKERS that the Coastal GasLink project being built across Wet'suwet'en Mr. Yves-François Blanchet (Beloeil—Chambly, BQ) moved: lands does not have the approval of the Wet'suwet'en nation, and specifically that the Coastal GasLink project will involve the re‐ That the House: (a) acknowledge the extraordinary work of health care workers lease of vast quantities of the greenhouse gas methane. (including doctors, nurses and orderlies) during the COVID-19 pandemic, particu‐ larly with seniors but also with the general public; (b) recognize the courage and The petitioners call on the House to move quickly to bring sacrifices required from them and their families in order to be on the front lines; (c) Canada into compliance with the United Nations Declaration on the highlight the work of Quebec and the provinces in responding to the health crisis Rights of Indigenous Peoples. and note the direct impact on their respective budgets; and (d) call on the govern‐ ment to significantly and sustainably increase Canada health transfers before the THE ENVIRONMENT end of 2020 in order to support the efforts of the governments of Quebec and the provinces, health care workers and the public. Mr. Richard Cannings (South Okanagan—West Kootenay, NDP): Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition from young people in my riding and the neighbouring riding of Kootenay—Columbia. He said: Mr. Speaker, there are not many coincidences in life. It These young people are concerned about climate change and an un‐ is no coincidence that our motion focuses primarily on the compas‐ certain future. They point out that Canada has endorsed the Paris sion that we should have not only for those who have contracted Agreement to keep our world climate warming below 2°C. COVID-19, but also for front-line workers who, day after day, in‐ cluding during the holiday season, continue to give their all and ex‐ The petitioners ask the government to take meaningful steps to pose themselves to the virus without regard for the risk to their own ensure a good future for young Canadians by making a detailed cli‐ health. 2728 COMMONS DEBATES December 1, 2020 Business of Supply Yesterday, the Liberal government presented its economic state‐ around is more complicated and they have to rely on delivery, are ment. It is also no coincidence that the Liberal government present‐ once again seniors. The people who suffer the most from isolation ed an economic update while telling us that the big spoonful of cod are seniors. Adolescents are not the only ones experiencing distress liver oil has to be taken right now. We need to open wide while the and mental health problems that emerge in adulthood. Seniors also Liberals stuff $380 billion in deficit down our throats. They are have mental health problems. telling us not to worry about it because we will never have to pay it back. Usually, when someone makes that kind of promise and says Where is the additional financial support for seniors in the eco‐ right off the bat that nobody will ever have to pay, it is because they nomic statement? think something will absolve them from that debt. In this govern‐ ment's case, that is because it will no longer be in power. This gov‐ ernment is creating the debt, and that might be justified in some ● (1010) ways but less justified in others considering how it went about do‐ ing things. The government expects others to do the hard work. Imagine shovelling snow just by pushing it forward. The snow will There was no money for seniors. That is not nothing. Actually, it pile up and get heavier and harder to move. It will take forever, but is nothing. other people will be wielding the shovel. The government is laying this deficit on us now. In the spring, The government says it is prepared to spend $1 billion out of once vaccine distribution has begun, people will forget that they are about $380 billion on top of the upcoming recovery costs. We ex‐ getting it six or 12 weeks after everyone else. They will be a little pect that will happen during the election campaign. The govern‐ less afraid. The government is laying the deficit on people while ment is offering up $1 billion out of the $380 billion, provided that they are afraid so they will think it is justified. the provinces, the doomed Gaulish chieftains of health care, surren‐ In the spring, when budget time rolls around, there will be gifts der their power to Prime Minister Caesar, acknowledging that he is galore, my friends. It will be nuts. Christmas will not come on De‐ now in command of health care. Astérix might not like that, but cember 25. It will come at the end of March. They will be throwing here is the gist: The provinces are being asked to surrender their money around all over the place. powers over health care in exchange for a cheque. It makes no sense, but that is the plan. Obviously this is a prelude to an election. Everyone is saying so. I have to say, the whole thing makes me laugh. If the government thinks that trampling on provincial responsibilities, showing con‐ I have heard people say that this economic statement was about tempt for Quebec's values and language, and not giving Quebeckers heart, not about numbers. I do not believe that. If the government and seniors in Quebec the means they need to protect their health, were doing this out of the goodness of its heart, it would be looking is the way to develop an election platform, then I have news for after the most vulnerable and most fragile. The government would them. They are developing our platform. We are going to denounce not be doing this petty political wheeling and dealing by withhold‐ all of this. We will offer another solution and will always preserve ing resources that are vital to our health care system and to the ba‐ Quebec's powers in health. sic quality of life of our seniors, who will be spending Christmas Earlier I was telling a journalist that if he and I urgently need‐ alone in their rocking chairs watching TV. Have they no shame? ed $10 and we each had $5, I would give him my $5 if the issue This is very serious. was his responsibility. That would protect our combined investment since it would be his expertise. Let's briefly talk about health. We heard that, on December 5, A federal government that does not administer hospitals, does there would be a meeting between the Prime Minister of Canada, not manage nurses or doctors or is not the one that hires the order‐ the Premier of Quebec and the provincial and territorial premiers to lies does not have expertise managing the health care system. It is talk about health transfers. We thought that the Deputy Prime Min‐ not only keeping its $5, but also the other party's $5. We are sup‐ ister would help the Prime Minister come up with better ideas. We posed to think that is normal. It is using people's fears for political are seeing almost the opposite. The Prime Minister announced that gain. he was arriving empty-handed and would be talking about all kinds It can never be said enough in this economic statement. There is of other things. To ensure that he would not be hounded after the something purely human in this. meeting, he postponed it until the end of the session in Ottawa. That is really convenient. The opposition parties will therefore not We have been in a pandemic since March. The people who are have the opportunity to question the government about the fact that the most vulnerable and most at risk in terms of health, the ones he went empty-handed to a meeting with the premiers, in an at‐ who are most likely to die if exposed to the coronavirus, are se‐ tempt to keep part of the money they are owed.