Debates of May 2nd, 2024

National Defence

[Sherry Romanado, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister of Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I have not had a chance to work with the colleague opposite. I want to thank him for his service to this country.

I have been here nine years this fall, and I think I have developed a reputation in the House for not taking personal potshots. I do not heckle. I work across the aisle. I think everyone who has worked with me knows that.

When we talk about our military and talk about veterans, I think we almost all agree in the House that we need to support them. However, here we are having a debate, and included as part of that debate are personal potshots. Imagine what we could do for those same people who we all claim to love if we worked together. It is a crazy idea, I know, but that is what they want us to do. They do not care if it is a Liberal government. They do not care if it is a Conservative government. What they care about is that we work together for them because they are there to defend us.

Does the member opposite agree? I look forward to working with him on a defence file. Does he agree that it is time to put away the partisanship and work together for our Canadian Armed Forces?

[Fraser Tolmie, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the member for her question and her recognition of my service.

One of the things I would ask of you—

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

Members are to speak through the Speaker.

[Fraser Tolmie, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, through you, I would ask my colleagues across the aisle to hear what we are saying. We are talking about the issues that those who are serving or have served are bringing forward. They are not just bringing them to us, they are bringing them to the Liberal government and asking for a change. They are asking for it to recognize what they are doing and experiencing. Every time we do that, the pressure is turned up. The carbon tax is increased. Inflation is getting out of control, and the cost of living crisis is getting out of control. Therefore, I would ask them to hear what we have to say and then acknowledge what we are saying.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is good and well for the Liberal member opposite to talk in platitudes about working together. However, at the end of the day, the government has a nine-year track record that includes giving the men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces a double whammy on April 1, with a 23% increase of the punitive carbon tax coupled with a hike in rent. It is also coupled with a government that has spent untold amounts of money building the size of government, growing the bureaucracy, but seeing fit to actually make cuts to the Canadian Armed Forces.

I would submit that when it comes to the Canadian Armed Forces, the current government is one that puts the Canadian Armed Forces last. Would the member agree?

[Fraser Tolmie, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, my simple answer is that yes, I would agree.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I will never not take the opportunity to again stand up for military families, the important role they play and the important work they do. We all owe them a ton of gratitude.

A report that just came out from the ombudsman made it very clear that it is actually a national security threat that we do not take care of our military personnel. We need to really elevate the conversation, and we need the government to act.

One thing I continue to talk about is that one opportunity is using public lands and using them urgently. We have them at bases. We have them in communities right around our country. It actually would be prudent for the government to act on developing a plan and getting started right away to ensure that our military personnel have a safe and affordable place to live. They should be able to save money when they are in the military and actually put money aside for their retirement so they can have a good retirement. We want them to have a good retirement for the sacrifices they have made.

Does my colleague support using public lands for prioritizing military veterans, service members and their families?

[Fraser Tolmie, Conservative, Moose Jaw—Lake Centre—Lanigan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to point out that on military bases, a lot of the housing is substandard. What I believe our party is asking for right now is upgrades, for the housing to be improved so people's quality of life is improved. It is not just military members living in these accommodations; their families are also living in them. While members are deployed overseas, there are plumbing issues, ceiling leaks and holes in the floors. There are all sorts of issues they are dealing with. It is just a recycled problem.

I know that my colleague recognizes that this affects not just the member serving but also the whole family whom they live with. When members are deployed, their concerns are increased, although their minds need to be on their job. They have a buddy system where other people's lives depend on them, and if they are not focused on the job, then people's lives are at risk because their families are at risk.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

There being no further members rising, pursuant to order made earlier today, all questions necessary to dispose of the motion is deemed put and a recorded division is deemed requested.

Pursuant to Standing Order 66, the recorded division stands deferred until Wednesday, May 8, at the expiry of the time provided for Oral Questions.

A motion to adjourn the House under Standing Order 38 deemed to have been moved.

Fisheries and Oceans

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it is an honour to rise and speak on behalf of the people of my riding.

However, it is 8:20 on a Thursday night, and I really do not want to be here, actually. I am here because of the mess that is being created in Union Bay, in my riding. We have an outfit that is ship-breaking and that is not in a proper facility. It does not have a floating dry dock. It is not meeting international standards, because we do not have them in Canada when it comes to ship-breaking. In fact, we could be a leader when it comes to ship-breaking in our country, the proper, responsible ship-breaking, taking apart ships and recycling them properly. We do not do that.

We have a really incredible group of people in our riding who are taking on the role of government, really, because the government is lacking in providing regulations to protect them. The Concerned Citizens of Baynes Sound has been active on this. Marilynne Manning, Ray Rewcastle, Ashlee Gerlock and so many others have been advocating for the government to stop the ship-breaking outfit, because it is a threat to the sensitive ecosystem of Baynes Sound, and also for the Comox Valley Regional District to seek an injunction to stop them. Daniel Arbour, the local area representative, who is phenomenal, has been working with international organizations, trying to bring ideas to the government to fill the regulatory gaps that are there.

The K’ómoks First Nation has asked for this to immediately stop. The Province of B.C. has an abatement order against this company. We also just got a letter from Tla'amin Nation asking that this outfit stop its activity. They are on the other side of the Salish Sea.

There is no support and no social licence in our region for this. The federal government actually named Baynes Sound an ecologically and biologically sensitive ecosystem back in 2012. It cited that it needs protection. This is an absolutely critical area when it comes to jobs; 50% of B.C. shellfish are actually produced there, in this area, in my riding. It is also the last herring spawning fishery on the whole coast of British Columbia. It is absolutely critical that we protect it.

DFO is actually ignoring its own research and recommendations by allowing this hazardous, polluting industry to continue doing what it is doing in Baynes Sound. It is going against its own studies and recommendations. Again, there are no European ship-recycling regulations, something I tabled a motion calling for.

I am going to read a quote from Chek News:

Deep Water Recovery, the company taking apart derelict vessels in Union Bay, has been hit with a pollution abatement order from the province.

The company is illegally allowing toxic effluent to run off into Baynes Sound and the marine environment, B.C.’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy has found.

Discharges from the ship-breaking operations are collected in sump pits, which occasionally overflow with untreated effluent. Testing of that runoff confirmed high concentrations of pollutants, including copper, iron, zinc and cadmium.

A letter came out from Nathan Cullen, our former colleague here in the House, who is now B.C. Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, and George Heyman, B.C. Minister of Environment and Climate Strategy. They are calling on the government to take action. They said, “the Province cannot act in isolation. Direct and immediate action and engagement is required by the federal government”. They also said, “In a multi-jurisdictional framework such as this, it is critical that municipal, provincial, and federal agencies work together to ensure that the interests of the public, First Nations, and the environment are protected”.

Guess who is missing: the federal government. It has been missing in action while this is taking place.

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada recognizes that safe recycling processes are vital to ensure the careful and secure handling of environmental hazardous substances such as asbestos, heavy metals, hydrocarbons and ozone-depleting substances.

Canada aims to ensure that ships are recycled safely at the end of their operational lives without posing unnecessary risks to human health and the environment.

Ship recycling in Canada is recognized as the most environmentally sound method to dispose of ships that have reached their end of life. Many provisions affecting ship-recycling facilities are governed by provinces and territories, such as environmental and waste management and workplace occupational health and safety. Overall, Canada has some of the strongest laws and regulations across federal, provincial, territorial and municipal jurisdictions, and we remain committed to working with all levels of government to make sure that Canada's ship-recycling facilities remain among the safest in the world.

The Canadian Coast Guard has received numerous inquiries about the vessels that are intended for deconstruction at the Deep Water Recovery recycling facility in Union Bay.

The Coast Guard has undertaken several assessments of the area where the vessels are awaiting deconstruction at Deep Water Recovery. If pollution enters the marine environment from a land-based spill, the Coast Guard will report the pollution to the Ministry of Emergency Management in British Columbia and provide assistance where required. The Coast Guard has reminded the deconstruction company of its responsibility under the Canada Shipping Act, 2001, to prevent any release of oil or other pollutants from reaching the marine environment.

The Government of Canada is taking action to reduce the number of vessels of concern in Canadian waters and to minimize their impact on coastal communities, the environment and the public under the oceans protection plan.

As of January 24, 2024, the Government of Canada has removed 584 wrecked, abandoned or hazardous vessels across the country. The Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act was adopted in 2018 and came into force in 2019. The objectives of the act are to strengthen owner accountability and to enable more proactive government action to address the risks posed by problem vessels.

Specifically, the act increases marine safety by, first, prohibiting vessel abandonment, unless authorized by law or in case of marine emergency; second, prohibiting owners from allowing their vessels to become wrecks, either by neglect or deliberate action; third, prohibiting owners from leaving their vessels adrift in Canadian waters for more than 48 hours without taking action to secure them; and, fourth, prohibiting owners from leaving a dilapidated or poorly conditioned vessel in the same area for more than 60 days without consent. This prohibition is important since dilapidated vessels are at a greater risk of becoming abandoned or wrecked.

Under the Wrecked, Abandoned or Hazardous Vessels Act, an owner is prohibited from allowing their vessel to become a wreck due to failing to maintain it. Under the Canadian law, vessel owners are responsible for their vessels at all times. They must take all necessary actions, including repair, salvage and prevention or cleanup of leaking fuel or oil.

Vessel owners must contact the Canadian Coast Guard if their vessel is sinking, has sunk or is a threat to discharge marine pollution. When a report of pollution is received, the Coast Guard begins the marine pollution response process by assessing the potential risk posed by that vessel. Some factors considered include the risk to human life and the risk to the environment and public safety, as well as the type and size of vessel, its location and how much fuel is on board.

In situations where a vessel is at high risk to release pollutants in the marine environment, the Coast Guard will work with response partners toward immediate action.

[Gord Johns, NDP, Courtenay—Alberni, BC]

Mr. Speaker, they are tearing apart a boat in a sensitive fish habitat zone right now in Union Bay.

Back to the letter from the Province of British Columbia, it cites that:

Direct and immediate action and engagement is required by the federal government as it relates to potential discharge to the marine environment, protection of marine habitat, and the transportation of vessels to this site. In particular, measures must be implemented to ensure that ships are not transported to facilities that lack the capability to handle them properly and safely.

It calls for immediate action from the federal government. This letter was written in February. We are in May.

The Tla'amin are alarmed by the potential environmental impacts of this operation, the lack of regulatory oversight that allows its placement in an ecologically sensitive area and that they were not consulted on any permitting related to this operation. I will be giving this letter to the parliamentary secretary after this debate.

It is time for the federal government to act. I have not seen anything like this in almost nine years as a member of Parliament. It is absolutely shameful.

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso, NS]

Mr. Speaker, ship recycling is a complex multinational industry. It has been a growing area of focus for the International Marine Organization, which has been working over the course of the last two decades to support safe and environmentally sound ship recycling worldwide. Canada maintains some of the strongest rules for global ship recycling. As a member of state to the International Marine Organization, Canada has contributed to the work, the important work, to improve ship-recycling practices worldwide.

As the government has stated before, many of the legislative provisions that govern safe and environmentally responsible ship recycling fall under provincial jurisdiction. We are committed to working with the provinces and territories to ensure we have the safest recycling facilities in the world.

Democratic Institutions

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I rise to follow up on a straightforward question that I posed to the Liberals recently during question period and did not get an answer to. That question is this: Which top Liberal broke the law by leaking classified CSIS information?

In an explosive story, The Globe and Mail reported, based upon a top national security source, that during the 2019 election, the member for Don Valley North was tipped off that he was being monitored by CSIS. Recently, at the public inquiry into foreign interference, it was confirmed that three top Liberals, all connected closely to the Prime Minister, received a classified CSIS briefing during the 2019 election that Beijing interfered on behalf of the member for Don Valley North to secure the Liberal nomination.

One of the top Liberals briefed, then briefed the Prime Minister's top adviser and the then national Liberal campaign director Jeremy Broadhurst about the contents of that classified briefing. It is important to note that Mr. Broadhurst had the appropriate security clearance to receive that information. Broadhurst then briefed the Prime Minister.

We know that five top Liberals, including the Prime Minister himself, either received a classified CSIS briefing or were informed about the contents of that classified briefing. It follows, therefore, that it is almost certain that one of those five Liberals, perhaps the Prime Minister himself, leaked the classified information that led to the member for Don Valley North being tipped off that he was being monitored by CSIS.

The leaker within the Prime Minister's inner circle committed something that is very serious in terms of what they did. They compromised CSIS's sources and methods, undermined an intelligence operation into Beijing's interference in our democracy, violated their oath of secrecy and committed a serious offence for which they could be punished and sent to jail for up to 14 years under the Security of Information Act. Someone in the Prime Minister's inner circle broke the law by putting the partisan interests of the Liberal Party ahead of Canada's national security.

Which top Liberal broke the law? Who is the criminal leaker? I would like a name, please.

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, we have all been closely following the proceedings of the public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada's democratic institutions. As members of the House will recall, in fact, our government convened the inquiry with the support of every party leader in this very House, and we all recognize how important it is to maintain the integrity of our democratic institutions.

This week we heard from the Prime Minister and his staff, as well as senior public servants and intelligence officials, as they outlined the various ways intelligence is shared and used within the government to keep Canadians safe.

The story here is quite simple. As the director of CSIS outlined on Friday, CSIS has been talking about foreign interference and foreign threats for many years, both inside and outside government, to officials, to ministers and to Canadians. It has always been clear that foreign interference is a serious threat to Canadian democracy. In response to those warnings, the government has taken several decisive actions, beginning with a plan to protect democracy before the 2019 election.

Over the course of the 2019 and 2021 federal elections, the security and intelligence threats to elections task force coordinated efforts against foreign interference by assessing threats, sharing intelligence and briefing the panel, the ministers and political parties.

Most recently, our government has been consulting Canadians on possible legislative amendments to ensure that we have the right tools and authorities to keep Canadians safe. To ensure that the measures we have taken are the right ones, we convened the public inquiry and asked Canada's national security review bodies, NSIRA and NSICOP, to look into the matter.

Our government has supported an unprecedented level of transparency about sensitive national security issues. As members know, however, the protection of classified information is of the utmost importance.

On Friday, the director of CSIS noted that an intelligence service must be able to protect the information it collects in order to succeed in protecting Canadians. Therefore, any leak of classified information is dangerous and something the government will never tolerate.

Members also know that it would be inappropriate to discuss national security investigations in the House. That is not how we will ensure the protection of sensitive information. The government has confidence in security services, and we must let them perform their work.

Foreign interference in Canada has not been a secret. The government and our intelligence officials have been telling Canadians about this for years, and we have taken decisive action to counter it and to continue to bolster our response. We are being as transparent as possible with Canadians about this challenge. The public inquiry and national security review bodies are ensuring our responses are appropriate.

All Canadians have to play a role in countering national security threats, such as foreign interference. That includes members of the House, and I look forward to continuing to work together accordingly.

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the government has been anything but transparent. Indeed, since the Globe and Mail story broke, the Liberals have been in full cover-up mode. We know that a top Liberal leaked classified CSIS information, undermining an intelligence operation. It is a serious criminal offence to do so, punishable by up to 14 years behind bars. One of five Liberals likely leaked the classified information: Azam Ishmael, Braeden Caley, Mathieu Lafrance, Jeremy Broadhurst or the Prime Minister himself.

As such, which top Liberal is the criminal leaker? Is it the Prime Minister?

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso, NS]

Mr. Speaker, I want to reiterate the seriousness with which the government is addressing the threat of foreign interference.

We have great confidence in the work of the government agencies and departments charged with protecting our democratic institutions. Their intelligence and the information they collect and share have enabled us to have a good understanding of the challenges foreign interference poses to Canadians.

I will also reiterate how important it is that CSIS and the security and intelligence community are able to protect that sensitive information. Our national security, the safety of sources, the advantage from our trade craft and the future of our partnerships depend on it.

At his previous appearance at the foreign interference inquiry, the director of CSIS spoke about how unauthorized releases of classified information are dangerous in several ways. Not only do they make it difficult for intelligence services to do their work, but the release of specific pieces of information does not paint a complete picture. This leads to misinterpretations or incorrect conclusions.

Members know it would be inappropriate to discuss media allegations and unsubstantiated information in the House, and I would urge them to keep this in mind.

Indigenous Affairs

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have a bad habit of dodging serious questions, as we just saw. We will see whether that happens again with mine. At the very least, I am glad to have the opportunity to raise an important issue for indigenous communities.

The reality is that indigenous people are overlooked by the NDP-Liberal government. Regardless of all of the rhetoric and ideology behind the Liberals' so-called just transition that threatens to get rid of thousands of jobs for indigenous workers, that is what indigenous leaders are calling out. President Dale Swampy of the National Coalition of Chiefs believes that the so-called just transition picks winners and losers while driving away billions of dollars of potential investment in indigenous communities.

As indigenous communities have invested more and more into the oil sands region, rising by $9 million between 2017 and 2019, the government is doing its best to shut it all down. It is something important to keep in mind whenever the Liberal government brings forward policies against the energy sector. At the end of the day, we are talking about good-paying jobs and the benefit they bring to the workers and their communities, including indigenous communities.

The Liberals have talked a lot about Bill C-50, for example, but would their appointed counsels and useless secretariats really represent the voice of energy workers? They probably would not. Considering the track record of the government across the aisle, they would be filled with more of the same overpaid and underworked bureaucrats who do not understand the way of life outside their big city. In this case, they might even think that they know what is best for all indigenous people, even if there are indigenous groups that are telling a different story.

I want to take a moment to read what Dale Swampy told the natural resources committee when we were studying the so-called just transition:

I want to end by pointing out the high costs of a poorly planned energy transition and the crisis we now face in first nations. Many of our communities rely on diesel generation. People have to drive for hours to get to doctors appointments or a grocery store. A lot of people aren't on the grid, and even those who are don't have the electricity capacity to add charging stations in garages they don't have. You won't find any electric cars on the rez.

Most people in Canada do not have the luxury of living in a downtown condo, with a Tesla charging in their heated underground parking garage. However, that might be the lifestyle of someone working on one of these panels who wants to make decisions and enforce a just transition on an indigenous community that does not want it. The disproportionate impact that the Liberal government's unjust transition would have on indigenous communities would be devastating.

Indigenous people deserve more control of their resources, not less. Decisions are best made when those who will be most impacted by them have the greatest say. Consulting at the local level is the key to sustainability across all sectors, especially oil and gas. Otherwise, having high-and-mighty bureaucrats and politicians imposing their one-size-fits-all agenda on a country as large and diverse as Canada is sure to leave people behind. Time and time again, indigenous voices ask the government for a greater say and greater investment in the resource sector, but it falls on deaf ears in the current PMO.

I can say that Conservatives want to take a better approach. We supported an initiative like the first nations resource charge, which is an optional policy that would give more control over resource dollars for indigenous communities. It would offer them more input and would help to avoid the slow and painful process of negotiating with the federal government. As I said, we support it. Will the Liberal government ever support economic reconciliation for indigenous people?

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, I will note his original question with regard to working with first nations on accessing and developing economic opportunities in the resource and energy sector, addressing the systemic barriers that have excluded indigenous peoples, including first nations, from prosperity and decision-making for too long, must be addressed.

That is why budget 2024 announced the investment in the indigenous loan guarantee program. This program would provide up to $5 billion in loan guarantees to indigenous groups, unlocking access to affordable capital for indigenous communities and governments who want ownership stakes in natural resource and energy projects. The budget contains another $3.5 million to help indigenous communities undertake their own investment analysis and due diligence, so they can have the confidence that they are investing in viable projects. On top of that, there is another $2.4 billion in the budget for indigenous communities, which would go toward more safe and affordable housing and investments in education.

Unfortunately, the Conservatives are pledging to hold back these vital investments and initiatives, including the very same indigenous loan guarantee program that was widely endorsed by the First Nations Major Projects Coalition.

This is no surprise coming from the party led by a leader who is ideologically opposed to reconciliation. This is the same Conservative leader who voted against the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and in favour of taking away indigenous peoples' rights to free, prior and informed consent. The leader of the Conservatives has also said that residential school survivors need a “stronger work ethic” and has cozied up to residential school denialists, even speaking at an event for the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, which runs paid campaign ads that try to deny the impact of residential schools.

As a minister in the Harper Conservative government, the Conservative leader gutted environmental protections and failed to consult meaningfully with indigenous peoples on major projects, making it harder, not easier, for projects to get built. Frankly, these Conservatives have an awful track record and it is not a surprise they are trying to gut the vital mechanisms that are investing in indigenous-led projects, such as the Canada Infrastructure Bank. On this side of the aisle, we are always going to invest in indigenous-led solutions.

[Jeremy Patzer, Conservative, Cypress Hills—Grasslands, SK]

Mr. Speaker, we found out at committee that, for Bill C-49, the Liberals did not even bother to consult first nations when they were pushing the Atlantic accord bill through. It is no surprise.

If we look at what Canadians think, 65% of Canadians think the government does a very poor or a poor job at developing a shared long-term vision for Canada's energy future. This is from a survey that was released just today.

Liberals are out of touch.

The Indian Act also takes control away from indigenous communities by giving reserve land and all dollars to the federal government, so they have to go begging to the federal government to get access to those funds from projects on their own land.

The first nations resource charge is something that can make a huge difference for communities who decide it works for them. Conservatives want to deliver this for indigenous people. Will the government?

[Mike Kelloway, Liberal, Cape Breton—Canso, NS]

Mr. Speaker, continuing on the theme of indigenous-led project development, I would like to highlight some of the many exciting projects that are taking place across this country.

In Ontario, the Six Nations is developing one of the largest battery storage projects, called Oneida Energy Storage. In New Brunswick, the Tobique first nation is delivering the Burchill wind project near Saint John, one of the largest in my region of Atlantic Canada. In Northwest Territories, the indigenous-led Denendeh exploration and mining company received $5 million in support to transform an older silver mine into a critical minerals facility.

In the member's own province of Saskatchewan, we worked hand in hand with the Cowessess first nation to deliver the Awasis solar farm and the Bekevar wind project, which are creating hundreds of good construction jobs and ensuring long-term revenues go back to the first nations.

Unlike the Conservatives, our leader takes economic reconciliation very seriously.

[The Deputy Speaker, Conservative, Chris d'Entremont]

The motion to adjourn the House is now deemed to have been adopted. Accordingly, the House stands adjourned until tomorrow at 10 a.m., pursuant to Standing Order 24(1).

(The House adjourned at 8:48 p.m.)