Debates of the House of Commons
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43rd PARLIAMENT, 1st SESSION House of Commons Debates Official Report (Hansard) VOLUME 149 NUMBER 014 Tuesday, February 4, 2020 Speaker: The Honourable Anthony Rota CONTENTS (Table of Contents appears at back of this issue.) 865 HOUSE OF COMMONS Tuesday, February 4, 2020 The House met at 10 a.m. culty putting food on the table. Canada remains among the few in‐ dustrialized countries without a universal school food program. A national school food program would not only give every stu‐ Prayer dent in Canada access to nutritious food, it would make healthy eat‐ ing a daily lesson for our kids. ROUTINE PROCEEDINGS I am pleased to see in budget 2019 that the government an‐ nounced its intention to establish a national school food program in ● (1005) Canada. This legislation represents an important first step toward [English] making that goal a reality. PARLIAMENTARY BUDGET OFFICER I call on all parliamentarians to work together to support this im‐ The Speaker: Pursuant to section 79.2(2) of the Parliament of portant health and social justice initiative. Canada Act, it is my duty to present to the House a report from the Parliamentary Budget Officer, entitled “Reviewing the Fiscal and (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) Distributional Analysis of the Federal Carbon Pricing System”. * * * * * * CRIMINAL CODE JUDGES ACT Hon. David Lametti (Minister of Justice and Attorney Gen‐ Mr. Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, NDP) moved for leave eral of Canada, Lib.) moved for leave to introduce Bill C-5, An to introduce Bill C-202, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (as‐ Act to amend the Judges Act and the Criminal Code. sault against a health care worker). (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) He said: Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to introduce an * * * important bill to Parliament, again, with thanks to the hon. member for Hamilton Mountain, for seconding it. SCHOOL FOOD PROGRAM FOR CHILDREN ACT Mr. Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway, NDP) moved for leave The legislation would amend the Criminal Code to require a to introduce Bill C-201, An Act to develop a national school food court to consider that if the victim of an assault were a health care program for children. worker, this fact would be an aggravating circumstance for the pur‐ poses of sentencing. He said: Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to rise today to introduce my bill, the school food program for children act. I would like to thank Violence against health care workers has become a pervasive and the hon. member for Vancouver East for seconding the bill. growing problem within the Canadian health care system. Over the last decade, violence-related lost-time claims for front-line health This legislation would require the Minister of Health, in consul‐ care workers has increased by 66%, three times the rate for police tation with the provincial and territorial governments and other rel‐ and correctional officers combined. evant stakeholders, to develop a national school food nutrition pro‐ gram to ensure that all children in Canada would have access to healthy food. The program would operate at little or no direct cost National data also shows that 61% of nurses have experienced a to children or their families, build on existing school food programs serious problem with some form of violence over a recent 12- across Canada, use best practices from other jurisdictions and pro‐ month period. mote evidence-based healthy food education. The bill would send a strong message that those who provide In a country as prosperous as Canada, no child should have to such critical services must be treated with respect and security. struggle through the school day on an empty stomach. However, to‐ They take care of our health and safety and we must take care of day, more than 1.5 million children live in families that have diffi‐ theirs. 866 COMMONS DEBATES February 4, 2020 Business of Supply I call on all parliamentarians to support this vital and overdue er of the Government in the House of Commons, Lib.): Mr. legislation. Speaker, I ask that all questions be allowed to stand. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed) The Speaker: Is that agreed? The Speaker: I want to outline for members that for private members' bills, we want something succinct. I would remind hon. members to make their explanations as succinct as possible. Some hon. members: Agreed. * * * BUSINESS OF SUPPLY GOVERNMENT ORDERS Mr. Mark Strahl (Chilliwack—Hope, CPC): Mr. Speaker, if you seek it, I believe you will find unanimous consent for the fol‐ lowing motion. [Translation] That, at the conclusion of today's debate on the opposition motion in the name of the member for Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, all questions necessary to dis‐ BUSINESS OF SUPPLY pose of the motion be deemed put and a recorded division deemed requested and deferred until Wednesday, February 5, 2020, at the expiry of the time provided for OPPOSITION MOTION — INSTRUCTION TO THE STANDING COMMITTEE Oral Questions. ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND NATIONAL SECURITY The Speaker: Does the hon. member have the unanimous con‐ sent of the House to move on the motion? Mr. Pierre Paul-Hus (Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, CPC) moved: Some hon. members: Agreed. That the House: (a) condemn the decision of the Parole Board of Canada that led The Speaker: The House has heard the terms of the motion. Is it to a young woman’s death by an inmate during day parole in January of this year; the pleasure of the House to adopt the motion? and (b) instruct the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security to conduct hearings into this matter, including a review of the changes made by the Some hon. members: Agreed. government in 2017 to the board’s nomination process, with the view to recom‐ mend measures to be taken to ensure another tragedy such as this never happens (Motion agreed to) again. * * * He said: Mr. Speaker, I will share my time with the member for ● (1010) Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner. PETITIONS THE ENVIRONMENT Today is an important day for the official opposition, but it is es‐ Mr. Michael McLeod (Northwest Territories, Lib.): Mr. pecially important for the family of Marylène Levesque, which is Speaker, I am pleased to present a petition that is signed by 25 con‐ entitled to answers. Marylène Levesque was a 22-year-old woman stituents from the Northwest Territories. who was murdered two weeks ago in Quebec City, in my region. The petitioners call upon the government to support Motion No. This tragedy really had an impact on me. I simply cannot under‐ 1, a motion for a green new deal. stand how it came to be that an inmate on parole was allowed to Mr. Paul Manly (Nanaimo—Ladysmith, GP): Mr. Speaker, I have sex with women. Somehow, someone recommended that this am pleased to present a petition from my constituents. man have sexual relations even though he killed his ex-partner in 2004 and was sentenced to life in prison in 2006. The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to support Motion No. 1, a made-in-Canada green new deal. It is the first ini‐ tiative before the House of Commons that calls on Canada to take The first question we should ask ourselves in this case is why the bold and rapid action to adopt social and equitable climate action to individual was released before his 15-year sentence was up. The tackle the climate emergency. second question is about how the parole officer's strategy was im‐ plemented and why this officer's report was signed and endorsed by The motion also addresses the worsening socio-economic and two Parole Board members. The report stated that the paroled in‐ racial inequalities at the same time, while ending fossil fuel subsi‐ mate had a problem with women. That was clear. The man killed dies, closing offshore tax havens, supporting workers impacted by his ex-partner and, for nearly 15 years, demonstrated that he was the transition and creating well-paying, unionized jobs in the shift not capable of engaging in normal relationships with women. to a clean and renewable energy economy. * * * The parole report indicates, and I quote: QUESTIONS ON THE ORDER PAPER During the hearing, your parole officer underlined a strategy that was developed with the goals that would allow you to meet women in order to meet your sexual Mr. Kevin Lamoureux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Presi‐ needs. Your CMT...gave permission for such meetings provided that you were dent of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada and to the Lead‐ transparent. February 4, 2020 COMMONS DEBATES 867 Business of Supply That is the issue that prompted us to move the motion we are de‐ years, however, we learned that Ms. McClintic had been transferred bating today in the House of Commons. How could two board from a maximum-security penitentiary to the Okimaw Ohci Heal‐ members agree to and sign a report that allowed a woman-killer, ing Lodge, a minimum-security facility in Saskatchewan. Since someone with psychological problems in his relationships with Ms. McClintic claimed to be indigenous, she was sent to a healing women, to meet his sexual needs with women? That implies that he lodge where there were only cameras and residents can open the can have dealings with prostitutes and that he can have a relation‐ door and leave whenever they like. No one in Canada could under‐ ship with other women. However, these women have no idea who stand how that could have happened.