Todd Doherty
Cariboo—Prince George, British Columbia · Conservative · Canada
“Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to present a petition signed by the residents of Prince George and hand delivered by members of city council, who are all deeply concerned about repeat offending, court delays and the growing impact of property crime in our community.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to extend my thanks to the hon. member, as my colleagues have done. I was elected with my friend in 2015. As many know, we go through highs and lows in this job. She has always been resolute in her faith. She is a strong supporter of her colleagues.”
“Mr. Speaker, $38 million spent, 1,000 deliberately set fires in just four years and businesses closing and leaving town are the true devastating costs of Liberal catch-and-release and mental health policies in the city of Prince George. Prolific offenders are arrested and released the very same day.”
“Many times I do not know whether a person is alive. It is unbelievable. What does it say when a food bank has become a permanent part of household budgeting? This is not the Canada that previous generations built. Housing tells a similar story. For generations, home ownership represented the Canadian dream.”
“Whose fault is it when committees are given insufficient time to hear witnesses and review evidence? Whose fault is it when Canadians are not heard? The answer is obvious. Governments control their legislative agenda and control the timing of legislation. Governments determine when bills are introduced.”
“The larger the bill, the greater the need for committee review. The more spending involved, the more questions are needed. The more power that is granted to the government or the ministers to make decisions without scrutiny, the more oversight should occur. Instead, the government is proposing exactly the opposite.”
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“Madam Chair, forgive me. I appreciate that our hon. colleague has some knowledge and that his communities have been impacted by the Liberal government, by his Liberal team's failure over the last 10 years. I appreciate that he understands the importance of forestry in his riding and in his community, but I cannot see how he shows his face on the doorsteps of forestry companies, when it has taken the government 10 years to get to this point. The Liberals like to blame the new U.S. administration for all the worries we have with the issue, but the reality is that their failures of the last 10 years are to blame. I want to ask our hon. colleague how he shows his face on the doorsteps of forestry companies.”
“Madam Chair, because of the Liberals' 10 years of failure to get a softwood lumber deal, the U.S. has collected over $10 billion in anti-dumping duties. The Canadian government abandoned the court cases to get that money back. Why did it?”
“colleague is this: Will he fly to my riding and tell little Lucas from 100 Mile Elementary school that his parents, who lost their jobs, do not matter?”
“Madam Chair, I have been a member of the House for 10 years, and I think this might be the first time I have heard our hon. colleague actually mention the word “softwood”, although he gets up time and time again every day. It is interesting that the Liberals put up a member of Parliament from downtown Winnipeg, when really it is the smaller communities that are impacted, but he did have some facts straight; there are over 200,000 workers in the forestry industry, which is more than in auto, steel and aluminum combined. In our province of British Columbia, over 30 mills have closed, including 14 in my riding. In 2015 the Liberals promised a softwood deal within 100 days of taking office. It has been more than 2,900 days. The Prime Minister says that it is not a burning issue and that it does not matter. My question for my hon.”
“Mr. Speaker, the minister mentions more and more supports. People do not want charity; they want their jobs. The Prime Minister clearly said he does not care and that it does not matter. Is he kidding me? Over 30 mills have closed in the province of British Columbia, including 14 in my riding. Does the Prime Minister know who cares and who matters? Little Lucas does. He is 10 years old and is a student at 100 Mile Elementary school. He could not hold back tears when he was talking about his family members who lost their jobs. Why does the Prime Minister not fly to my riding, look Lucas's family members in the eye and tell them they do not matter?”
“Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister was asked when he had last spoken with President Trump over the ongoing trade negotiations. He literally looked at the camera and said, “Who cares?” He said that it does not matter and that it is not a burning issue. Let me tell the House who cares: the over 3,000 forestry workers in Cariboo—Prince George who are out of work and the communities that are being crushed by the softwood tariffs, communities where jobs are disappearing and mills are closing. Families are paying the price for the Prime Minister 's failure, and he says, “Who cares?” When will the Prime Minister start fighting for the workers he has abandoned?”
“colleague for the bill, and I would like to offer one more chance for him to talk about the victims' families, because that is really whom we are here for today.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our hon. colleague for bringing the bill forward. As a matter of fact, I have stood in the House, over the last 10 years, dozens of times to speak to this very issue with respect to the high-profile case in my riding of Cody Legebokoff, Canada's youngest serial killer, who murdered Cynthia Maas, Natasha Montgomery, Jill Stuchenko and Loren Leslie. When he was sentenced in 2016, Justice Parrett said that this gentleman lacks any remorse and should not see the light of day, yet he has been moved from maximum security to medium security without any of the parents' knowledge. When I pressed Corrections Canada and the former public safety minister on it, they told me that it is not an exact science. I applaud our hon.”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank our hon. colleague from York—Durham for already making an impact here in Parliament. The member spoke of the generational nature of this budget in terms of the generational debt that it is levying against our future and our kids' future. One of the things I want to mention is that we are now spending more on servicing our debt than we are on health care transfers to our provinces. We are gripped in the middle of a mental health crisis, an opioid crisis in which more Canadians have died since 2016 than died in World War II. I want ask our hon. colleague this: Is it is just woeful negligence, or ignorance, on the part of the Liberals?”
“Mr. Speaker, in 2006, our former Conservative government put to bed the longest trade war with the U.S. government. We negotiated a one-year grace period, which these guys wasted. We are tired of waiting. It has been 10 years, with tens of thousands of jobs lost. Our forestry workers do not need more programs or more handouts. They do not need charity; they need their jobs. When will the Liberals wake up and realize that forestry matters?”
“Mr. Speaker, British Columbia used to be the largest producer of softwood in our nation. Since 2015, over 30 mills have closed in British Columbia, with 14 in Cariboo—Prince George alone. It has been 10 years without a softwood lumber agreement, and these guys, these Liberals, have done nothing but make it worse. Tens of thousands of jobs have been lost. Just last week in Cariboo—Prince George, there was another mill closure, and 165 jobs were lost in 100 Mile House, gone because of Liberal incompetence. When will the Prime Minister finally do his job and realize that forestry matters?”
“Mr. Speaker, the hon. colleague is my neighbour to the north. We share one of the largest cities as it is in both of our ridings, and I have deep respect for him. He is a true friend. My hon. colleague and I have talked about the generational budget that the government has just introduced. It is generational because of the debt that it is heaping onto the shoulders of our families and future generations. I want to share this with everybody who is listening, the packed gallery here and the 12 people watching on TV. The fact of the matter is that today we are spending more to service our debt than we are in health care transfers to our provinces and in developing, sharing or transferring to our provinces to deal with the opioid crisis and the mental health crisis. What would our hon. colleague's thoughts be on that?”
“Mr. Speaker, our hon. colleague spoke for, I believe, 15 minutes, talking about a generational budget. There is one thing generational about this budget, and that is the debt they are heaping on the shoulders of my grandchildren, my family, his family and the families of Canadians all across the country. He spoke for 15 minutes, and there was not one word about mental health, not one word about the opioid crisis, to which we have lost 50,000 Canadians since 2016. Since 2016, we have lost more Canadians to overdose than we lost in World War II. There was not one mention of what the government is going to do with its generational spending in the next year. Why?”
“Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my hon. colleague for the work he has done on this bill. I want to give him another opportunity to talk about something he mentioned in his intervention. He said that it is too late for the victims' loved ones, but they are not fighting for that. They are fighting for next family. They do not want another family to go through what they have gone through. Perhaps he could share a further story on that.”
“Mr. Speaker, on a point of order, I am not very far from the hon. colleague, and I could not hear. Therefore, I am asking for this member to be able to start over in speaking to his private member's bill.”
“Mr. Speaker, to my hon. colleague across the way, 500 pages were tabled just the other day. Over 50,000 Canadians have died from overdose since 2016. More Canadians have died from overdose than died in World War II, yet there is no new money for addictions in this budget. Mental health was only mentioned five times. We are now spending more money servicing our debt than we do in health care transfers to provinces. How does the member rationalize this generational crisis with absolutely no new money?”
“Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the wisdom he shares all the time. I have known him for a long time. He is a leader within our region, our province and our country. I deeply respect his comments. My colleague and I have neighbouring ridings, so we face many of the same problems. Just last night I received word of another mill closure in my riding. It is 165 jobs in a small community in my riding, 165 families that are facing uncertainty. I also want to talk about the mental health and addictions crisis we are facing. There was a 500-page budget tabled just the other day. Mental health and addictions combined were mentioned six times. There is no new money. We now spend more money servicing our debt than on health care transfers to our provinces. That is shameful. I want to ask our hon. colleague for his views on that.”
“Mr. Speaker, first responders, nurses and health care workers serve and protect our communities every day. They put their uniforms on every day knowing that their lives will be on the line. They run toward danger. They mend our broken bones. They hold our hands as we take our last breaths. What we have just seen from this Liberal government is shameful. Just before QP, I rose and asked for unanimous consent to pass a law that would protect firefighters, nurses and paramedics today, immediately, right now. The Liberals are using our frontline heroes as pawns in their political games. The minister has the power. Will he give unanimous consent to pass Bill S-233 today?”
“Madam Speaker, we have a bill before us, Bill C-14 , that takes into account a number of policies on bail reform. Included in Bill C-14 are parts of Bill S-233 , or my private member's bill, Bill C-321 , which would have made it an aggravating factor in sentencing if the victim of violence was a firefighter, health care worker or first responder. Would it not send a message to the firefighters on the Hill, the nurses watching and the first responders who put their uniforms on every day to serve our country and community to pass unanimously, at all levels, Bill S-233 today?”
“Madam Speaker, it would have been law. The sad thing is that it would have been law. However, I can say that all sides of the House, both here in Parliament and in the Senate, worked tirelessly to get this done during the last Parliament. Colleagues who are in the House right now worked tirelessly to get this done. It is a plea, because this is weighty stuff, hearing the stories of another firefighter attacked, somebody who has died by suicide because they are done with the violence, or health care workers and nurses who cannot go back to work because of the violence they face each and every day. Bill S-233 could be passed right now. Bill C-321 could have been passed in the last Parliament if it had not dissolved. The work has been done. The heavy lifting has been done.”
“Madam Speaker, I do not have a crystal ball in front of me. I deal in facts. We do not know what next week will bring, but we have Bill S-233 here, which is a complete bill, has gone through all the process and could be passed today. That is a good-news story for this House. Whatever happens next week or in the near future, who knows? However, what we can say is that we came together, we valued our first responders and our health care workers and we managed to get something done. It could be done today.”
“Madam Speaker, we have a piece of legislation before us, Bill S-233 . It has gone through all levels of committee. My comment to our hon. colleague is to work with me; let us get Bill S-233 passed as soon as tomorrow. It does not have to go through a lengthy process. We can then send that message to the firefighters, paramedics and health care workers who are watching this debate right now. They feel that their safety is being punted further down into the future, but we could actually send that message today. The work has been done. Let us do it.”
“I know we have other champions of first responders and health care workers across the way. I have worked with them for the last decade. I hope they can do whatever they can within their ranks to see it so that if we do come before the House to call for UC, they will be able to support it. Then, once and for all, our first responders, paramedics, health care workers, will know that we cherish them and we have their backs.”
“I have proven over the last decade that when it comes to our first responders, when it comes to those who serve our country and our community, I will fiercely defend them; I am a champion of them. I will work for all of them, and I will work across all sides to get something done that benefits them, but others should not cross me. Right now, the firefighters, the paramedics and the health care workers feel they are being used as pawns. I think we can send a message. I hope the House can come together and send a message. The minister 's words gave me hope. Those who are watching also got hope from that. I just want to say that I thank my hon. colleague for Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations for allowing me the time to talk about Bill S-233 as it pertains to Bill C-14 .”
“Do colleagues want to know what their number one request is in their legislative days, or their lobby days? It is passing Bill S-233 to get protections for them. Furthermore, they have been asking for this for years. Transit workers had it within months in 2015. The very same things that we are asking for were given to transit workers, yet we expect paramedics, nurses, health care workers and firefighters, first responders, to go into danger and to suck it up. They are fed up with being used as political pawns. That is how they feel. We have a responsibility to those who protect us not to play politics with their lives or their safety. I hope that at some point in the very near future, I can stand and call for UC, to see this bill, Bill S-233 , passed at all levels. I will work with all sides on it.”
“When the stakeholder groups, the nurses' associations and IAFF found out that it was put into Bill C-14, they were very happy, but then the reality sunk in that it is still potentially going to take a long time. What happens if this Parliament falls? It is then scrapped again. We talk about showing leadership. Leadership is about putting our partisan ways behind us and passing the legislation that really matters most. The minister said we should do what we were sent here to do, work together and work in the best interests of Canadians. That is what Bill C-321 was about; that is what Bill S-233 is. The IAFF, the International Association of Fire Fighters, are watching today. Over 100 firefighters are going to be here in Parliament next week for their lobby days.”
“They brought it forward, passed it at all levels and reported it back to this House late last week. The minister stood up and said that he does not care who gets the credit. I do not care either. (1630) I do know one thing: We are in a minority Parliament. The bill, Bill C-14 , still has to go through all the stages and committee, so it is going to take time. There are good discussions being had on all sides of the House right now about friendly amendments, etc., but we could send a message to our first responders and our health care workers that we care. We could pass Bill S-233 this week and not delay it by waiting for Bill C-14 to pass.”
“I brought some of them with me: A paramedic was thrown down the stairs, beaten and had both legs broken during a call. A B.C. ambulance attendant in Duncan, near Victoria, was knocked unconscious. A firefighter was stabbed. What we are hearing is horrific. Over the last three years, we have worked collaboratively across all sides of the House. We got Bill C-321 passed at all levels in this House, unanimously. We did the same in the Senate. Unfortunately, an election was called, so the bill fell off the Order Paper. It disappeared. However, over the last month since we have been back in the House, the Senate, because of the leadership of the senators, saw the importance of getting this bill passed so that our first responders and health care workers knew we had their backs.”
“How far have we fallen when it is okay to punch a nurse as she is taking one's temperature or a firefighter who is responding to a 911 call? By the way, do members know that firefighters cannot stop what they are doing because they think it is unsafe? They have to respond. They have to go into those burning buildings. They have to go toward danger, risking their life and the safety of their colleagues. I am at a loss with what we are seeing. Acts of violence are being perpetrated against them. Paramedics have to wear bulletproof vests, because they have been stabbed or shot at. They are attacked just doing the job. Nurses are being attacked by their patients behind closed doors. When I stood in the House to debate Bill C-321 , I read out some horrific stories that had been shared with me.”
“I have said this a million times over the last decade of my serving in this House: Our brave men and women who put their uniforms on every day do so knowing they are going to experience some of the worst of the worst in our communities and see people at their lowest point. They experience some horrendous sights, smells, sounds, yet they put their uniforms on every day and go out the door to serve our country, our communities, my family and the families of members. They do it because they care. They want to make a difference. These are nurses, paramedics, firefighters, police officers, correctional officers, social workers and psych nurses, who are on the streets administering care to some of our most vulnerable. They are facing an epidemic of violence perpetrated against them.”
“Madam Speaker, it is great to see you in the chair. It is great that we are having this debate today. I want to thank our hon. colleague from Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations for sharing his time with me. I believe its name has changed, and I hope that is the new name. Today, we rise to talk about Bill C-14 . However, if members will pardon me, I am going to talk about those the bill has an impact on and a piece of legislation we have before us today in Bill S-233 . Bill S-233 is an act to amend the Criminal Code to make it an aggravating factor at sentencing if the victim of violence is a firefighter, a paramedic, a nurse or a health care worker.”
“Would he support carving this section out and, with us as a House standing together to send a message to first responders, paramedics and health care workers that we value them, passing Bill S-233 at all stages at some point during this conversation?”
“Madam Speaker, I have worked collaboratively across all sides of the House for the last three years in the work on Bill C-321 , an act to amend the Criminal Code as it pertains to first responders and health care workers. I worked collaboratively across all sides to get it passed unanimously in the last Parliament at all stages. It did, but the dissolution of Parliament made it fall off the Order Paper. We have a bill before us today, Bill S-233 , that the Senate side passed unanimously because it is so important. The minister said this part of Bill C-14 is critically important, and I could not agree with him more.”
“Whether they are a nurse, a firefighter, a paramedic or correctional officer, they are facing unprecedented levels of violence against them. How far we have fallen where it is okay to attack a nurse as she takes our temperature. How far we have fallen where it is okay to attack a paramedic as he administers first aid. Bill S-233 has the exact language as my bill, Bill C-321 , which passed unanimously in the House and unanimously in the Senate but fell off the Order Paper due to the dissolution of Parliament. I am honoured to stand here today. I am hoping that all parties, all colleagues, can come together and give unanimous consent at some point to get Bill S-233 passed at all stages. It could be law today. The safety and security of our firefighters, paramedics, first responders and health care workers depend on it.”
“Bill S-233. First reading moved that Bill S-233, An Act to amend the Criminal Code (assault against persons who provide health services and first responders) , be read the first time. He said: Mr. Speaker, I am honoured to rise today to introduce Bill S-233 , an act to amend the Criminal Code for assault against persons who provide health services and first responders. I would be remiss if I did not thank my hon. colleague from Oshawa for seconding this bill and also my great friend and colleague from Barrie South—Innisfil , who was a firefighter for over 30 years. Our brave men and women put on their uniforms every day to serve our communities. They run toward danger. They run into burning buildings. They run toward bullets. They hold our hand as we take our last breath.”
“Mr. Speaker, it seems that the only opportunity that our hon. colleague across the way is looking for is to gaslight this side of the House and gaslight Conservatives. He again brings up comments that were made by our leader when, in fact, he himself is on record as calling our national police force racist. Our current Minister of Public Safety commented, “We've seen a continuous issue of racism that's permeated within the RCMP”. They can call the RCMP racist, but when somebody calls into question the leadership, this guy, our hon. colleague, takes offence to it. Those questions are not being asked by only frontline officers and the frontline personnel in the RCMP. Why is it, with the Liberals, that it is always “rules for thee and not for me”?”
“Mr. Speaker, we are hemorrhaging jobs, and they are offering a band-aid. Canadians do not want handouts; they want jobs. The forestry sector supports over 200,000 direct jobs in 300 forestry communities nationwide. That is more direct employment than Canada's steel, aluminum and automotive sectors combined. The Prime Minister campaigned on negotiating a win with the U.S. Instead, since he took over, tariffs on Canadian softwood have tripled. When will the forestry families actually become a priority for him?”
“Mr. Speaker, it has been 10 years, and the Liberals have failed to secure a softwood lumber agreement. In the meantime, over $10 billion in tariffs and duties on Canadian lumber has been collected by the Americans. Thirty mills have been closed in B.C., and tens of thousands of Canadians have lost their jobs, over 2,700 in my riding alone. These are 2,700 families who cannot afford to put food on their table, 2,700 families who cannot afford to pay the bills at the end of the month, 2,700 families who have lost hope. When will the forestry families become a priority for the Prime Minister ?”
“Violence is not part of their job description. The Liberals tying the safety of our first responders and health care workers to an omnibus bill that will never pass is disgusting. Does a first responder or nurse actually have to lose their life before they will take this seriously?”
“Mr. Speaker, first responders, nurses and health care workers serve and protect our communities. They run toward danger, they heal our broken bones and they hold our hand as we take our last breath. However, what we have seen in the last 48 hours by the Liberal government, which is using frontline heroes as political pawns, is shameful. I received a message from a first responder late last night who said that this week, they were so hopeful that political agendas would be put aside to pass a bill that had been unanimously supported three times and should have passed in the last Parliament. They said that now our safety is once again being used as a bargaining chip in a bill that will never pass in a minority Parliament. They are saddened to see their government act like this. They gave their life to a career that has destroyed them.”
“Mr. Speaker, my hon. colleague is new here, so I will forgive him if he is not aware of my record. I am who I am. My stripes have never changed, and he can ask any of his long-standing Liberal colleagues that. My record stands for itself.”
“Mr. Speaker, in Canada, we have a black hole when it comes to statistics. We know that those numbers are likely much higher. The numbers we have are only the ones that are reported. Due to the stigma surrounding addiction and suicide, many cases are unreported. I believe those numbers are actually higher.”
“Mr. Speaker, that is the only way to get anything done. We have to have a multi-tiered plan to work on this. Because we have a nation filled with different jurisdictions, like the provincial jurisdictions, regional jurisdictions and others, we have to work with these groups and each province to make sure we are doing something. Moreover, we need leadership at the top. Somebody has to take the reins and say, “This is how we are going to do it”, and convene meetings to get this going. What we are doing right now and what we have done to this point are not working.”
“Mr. Speaker, I just read the notice that the government has taken up excerpts of our bill, Bill C-321 , but I have not had a chance to look at whether they go far enough. We know the Senate just passed Bill S-233 last night. It is back in this House as we speak. My understanding is that Bill S-233 is complementary to the new bail reform bill. We also know that Bill C-321 passed at all levels in the last Parliament, and only due to the election call did it fail to get through. Time and time again, we need to send a message to our first responders and those who wear uniforms that we care for them and that we will protect them through thick and thin. I look forward to working with our colleague across the way.”
“I challenge all of us, but I challenge the government, because that is its legacy after 10 years. It says it is new, but it is the same old, same old. I know there are good people on that side, so I challenge them to speak up, those members, those colleagues, and to challenge the guy in the front desk to do better and be better.”
“How far are we falling when it is okay to firebomb an ambulance, to stab a paramedic or to knock a nurse out when they are just trying to help us, heal our broken bones or hold our hand as we take our last breath? I challenge all of our colleagues here. We get heated during question period, but when we talk about things that matter, like the mental health of Canadians, the health and wellness of Canadians, I think we could all agree that there is no health without mental health and that our addiction crisis is real. Bill C-12 does nothing to stop the scourge of fentanyl, drugs or guns coming over our borders. We can do better. The government needs to do better. The provinces are calling for it. The attorneys general are calling for it. The municipalities are calling for it. The police agencies are calling for it.”
“When we see Bill C-12 and bills like Bill C-2 , an omnibus bill with much ado about nothing, we question why. Those who are new in the House, I remember being in the same seats as some of them in the back rows of both sides. I came here with great intentions and had great hopes for all, but we are failing. I cannot remember who said it, but one of our colleagues said that the time for talk is done; we need action. Over seven and a half million Canadians are without a doctor. Our borders are broken and we are going to bring more immigrants into Canada, but they are not going to be able to get a doctor. They are not going to be able to afford food. They are not going to be able to afford a house or a roof over their heads. Where is the compassion in that? Our police officers and first responders are taxed.”
“That is not blaming the current government or previous governments; it is blaming us collectively as leaders, whether provincial, federal or municipal. We are failing Canadians. Bill C-12 does nothing to affect that. I was elected 10 years ago on Sunday. One of the first debates I undertook in the House was on the suicide epidemic in Attawapiskat First Nation. I remember listening to the debate and hearing some of our colleagues who had been in the House a lot longer than I had at that point say that their first debate, years earlier, was on the suicide crisis we had in Canada. We have done nothing; they are band-aid solutions. Collectively, as a Parliament, we passed my motion to bring a three-digit national suicide hotline to Canada: 988. We did that in the last session. However, there is so much more we need to do.”
“That is why we are standing here to compel our colleagues, to plead with our colleagues across the way in the government, to protect our youth, strengthen our borders and ensure that law enforcement has the tools it needs to stop illicit drugs from reaching our communities. Right now, whatever we are doing, it is not working. (1610) Over 50,000 Canadians have lost their lives since 2016. Those are just the numbers that we know. In my home province of British Columbia, overdose is the leading cause of death for youth ages 10 to 18. I say it in every speech because it bears repeating time and time again. Do members want to know what the second leading cause of death is? It is suicide. Our country is gripped in a mental health crisis and all we look at are band-aid solutions.”
“I lost my brother-in-law to an overdose. I lost my uncle to drugs. I have a brother on the streets now who is gripped with this crisis. I cannot leave that at the feet of the government because he has been on the streets for a long period of time. However, I ask those who are watching and those who are in the House today to take a look around our communities. Do they look the same as they did 10 years ago? The answer is no. There has been an increase in crime. Fentanyl flows across our porous border. We are absolutely powerless to stop this drug from flowing across our border.”