Candice Bergen

[Appendix, March 21st, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by first and foremost stating on behalf of my Conservative caucus our complete admiration and respect for the people and the nation of Ukraine.

To President Zelenskyy, let me express to you how much I admire your courage and your sacrificial leadership at this critical time in Ukraine's history. The kind of leadership that you are showing, sir, is very rare, and it serves as an inspiration to all of us who are elected. You are the leader of Ukraine for such a time as this, and we remain indebted to you.

President Zelenskyy, I thank you for your leadership in this war against your country and for defending democracy. The official opposition stands with Ukraine. It is our duty. We will also be there when this conflict is over to help you rebuild Ukraine. Your courage inspires us.

The images that we are seeing from Ukraine, as you described them, President, are heartbreaking and painful. We see families huddled in bomb shelters, the ruins of a children's hospital and a maternity ward, the elderly who are trying to find their way to safety, but there is also inspiration as we watch ordinary people, men and women of all ages, defending their homeland.

We are witnesses to the strength and the defiance of Ukrainians standing up for their freedom, their independence and their sovereignty. Ukrainians are not just fighting to defend themselves; let us be very clear. They are defending all of Europe because Putin's brutal attack on Ukraine is an attack on all of us. That is the lesson history has taught us and one we cannot ignore.

It is why we must help the people of Ukraine in every way possible. Canada has the largest number of people of Ukrainian descent outside of Ukraine and Russia. For a century, they have enriched our communities and our culture, especially in the Canadian Prairies, which is where I am from. Canada and Manitoba, in particular, share ties with Ukraine that cannot be broken. Now, almost 1.4 million Ukrainian Canadians are watching what is happening. Their hearts and their souls are reaching out, hoping, praying for the nation and the people of their forebears.

This war of naked aggression has revealed Vladimir Putin for what he really is: a warmonger and a violent predator with no regard for human life and suffering. He has crossed lines that after two world wars we thought would never be crossed, and he has shaken the rules-based order that has kept millions safe since 1945. Every day he tells the world lies and then he proceeds to kill innocent and vulnerable Ukrainians, including women and children. While on his rampage he continues to threaten the world, saying if he does not get his way he will use the worst extremes possible. It is sickening to watch.

Putin must be brought to justice. He must be held to account for his crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court at the Hague. This is not just a war against Ukraine. It is a war against the free democratic world. We must stand with Ukraine. It is not a choice; it is a moral duty.

Canada was the first country to recognize Ukraine's independence from the Soviet Union. Now it is time to honour that legacy. We must do more together with our allies to secure Ukraine's airspace. We need to protect, at a minimum, the airspace over the humanitarian corridors so that Ukrainians can seek safe passage away from the war zones and humanitarian relief is allowed to reach those areas under siege.

Canada must do whatever it can to cut through any red tape and welcome Ukrainians who are fleeing, although we all know that what Ukrainians want most is to be able to live in their home nation, free, sovereign and peaceful.

President Zelenskyy, I want to reassure you that Canada will be a safe haven for Ukrainian citizens who choose to come here until the battle is over. While they are in Canada, we will cherish them, care for them, provide for them purpose and hope, and when it is time, they will return to their beloved Ukraine and their families. This is our pledge to you.

To the people of Ukraine, let me conclude by saying simply that Canadians support you today as you face Putin and his reckless empire building. Conservatives stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and we will continue to support you when this terrible conflict finally ends and you rebuild your homes and communities. Your courage, your faith and your fortitude in the face of adversity are an inspiration to all of us.

Slava Ukraini. Glory to Ukraine. Glory to the heroes. Keep fighting. Keep believing. Keep hoping.

[Health, March 1st, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, here is a lane we would like the Prime Minister to pick from. Today is March 1 and, as of today, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Alberta, Ontario and Nova Scotia have all lifted their vaccine mandates and other provinces are following suit. Why? Because it is safe to do so and they care about mental health and their economies.

Here at the federal level, we have a Liberal government that is dragging its knuckles because it has become so backward and regressive in its thinking when it comes to the need for restrictions. When will the Liberals come out of the dark ages and see that vaccine mandates are so yesterday? When are they going to go remove the federal mandates?

[Public Safety, March 1st, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, when the Prime Minister invoked the Emergencies Act on February 14, Conservatives and others said it clearly did not meet the legal threshold. Legal tools were already available to move the trucks from Ottawa. The Prime Minister moved ahead to invoke the act and even attached confidence to the vote. Less than 48 hours after that vote, he revoked it, which proves he used the Emergencies Act for his own political gain.

Is it not true the Prime Minister used a legislative sledgehammer on our country for his own political advantage?

[Natural Resources, March 1st, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, it is a little hard getting a direct answer from the Prime Minister today. Let us try another question.

Safety, security and sovereignty must all be top priorities for any government, and it should be Canada's priority, especially now. The longer Canadian oil, gas and LNG stay in the ground, the bigger Putin's wallet gets and the more countries like Ukraine and others will continue to be hurt and threatened by Russian aggression. More than ever, the world needs Canadian energy.

Will the Prime Minister commit today to changing his political direction, and will he begin to support the extraction and exportation of Canadian oil, gas and LNG?

[Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, March 1st, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, we expect the government to take serious action and expel that ambassador.

Thousands of Ukrainians have fled their country and they are searching for safety. Ukrainians do not want to be permanent refugees. They want to return to their home, a sovereign and democratic Ukraine, but they need protection now.

Canada has always been a welcoming place for those displaced by war. Will the Prime Minister commit today to allowing visa-free travel for Ukrainians who are wanting to come to Canada and find a safe haven?

[Foreign Affairs, March 1st, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, last night, MPs came together to express their support for Ukraine and their disgust for Putin and what he is doing. One of the things that we asked the government to do to reflect that is to expel the Russian ambassador.

The Deputy Prime Minister, yesterday, said, “Silence is complicity and following orders is not an excuse.” We would agree with that. In light of the silence from the Russian ambassador, will the government expel the Russian ambassador and recall our ambassador back to Canada?

[Russia's Attack on Ukraine, February 28th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, what we are seeing highlighted are some areas that have been ignored or maybe not represented in an honest, real way over the last number of years. However, today and in the last week, they have really come to light.

One of them is Canadian oil and gas and the benefit that it plays on the world stage. We have been proponents of it. Canada has the most ethically responsible oil and gas, but usually this is in the conversation around the environment and climate change. We have been fighting for Canadian oil and gas to be used on the world stage because we believe it is the best thing for the environment. Lo and behold, it is also the best thing for the world's safety, security and energy sovereignty. We are seeing that today.

We are here to say this as Conservatives, and we think it is time for the whole House to agree: Let us be champions of Canadian oil and gas, because it is good for the environment and, even more importantly, it is good for protecting our sovereignty. As we are seeing today, the biggest threats to our globe right now are dictators and tyrants like Vladimir Putin. Let us put that into perspective and do what we can as Canadians to protect sovereignty, peace and security. We do that by getting Canadian energy to the world.

[Russia's Attack on Ukraine, February 28th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, that is definitely something we could support. It is very disturbing to see Putin's assets being protected and hidden. Money laundering is a big problem in Canada, not just with Russian oligarchs, but also with the Chinese.

This is a prime opportunity to deal with some of these major problems that we have seen occurring in the country. Canada should not be a safe haven for gangsters, thugs and dictators to protect their money. That has to stop. This is the best time and we are all in agreement. Let us get it done. Let us punish some of these dictators.

[Russia's Attack on Ukraine, February 28th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I think we are all feeling the same way. We want to be able to help Ukrainians who are fleeing.

As I said in my speech, I do not think Ukrainian people want to be permanent refugees anywhere. They want to be able to live in their home nation of Ukraine, a free, sovereign, peaceful nation. However, in the meantime, Canada could be a safe haven. Our suggestion is that we ask the government to remove the visa requirement.

We all saw what happened when Afghanistan came under attack. We were not able to bring people to Canada and protect them in the way that was expected of a nation like Canada. What we are trying to say to the government is let us get rid of the red tape right now so that we can immediately try to help people who want to come to Canada to be protected until peace is restored in their home nation.

[Russia's Attack on Ukraine, February 28th, 2022]

Mr. Speaker, I agree that in some ways it is symbolic. However, in our world order, it is an important symbolic gesture and an actual action to make. Sending an ambassador home and recalling an ambassador sends a strong message that the country and the leader of that country, in this case Russia, are being isolated. I do not believe we can negotiate with Putin. I do not think diplomacy works with him. That has been made very clear.

To answer the member's question, we all agree it is, in a sense, a gesture, but it is an important one. I could be wrong, and the government could have more information on this, but maybe the Russian ambassador to Canada is saying something to our government right now or will say something publicly against Putin. I have not heard that, but I think we would very much welcome it. That could change our position. However, at this point, we have not heard the Russian ambassador say anything against what Putin is doing, which means he is onside. In that case, he needs to leave the country, and it is our government that needs to expel him.