Debates of Nov. 26th, 2014

International Trade

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I repeat, we are deeply concerned about this situation. We are weighing our options and we will respond appropriately.

However, it is odd to hear that question come from the NDP. It was the NDP member for Burnaby—New Westminster who, in 2009, called Buy America a perfectly logical policy. I repeat, the member for Burnaby—New Westminster said that Buy America was a a perfectly logical policy.

On this side of the floor, we believe that Buy America is an illogical policy. We will continue to stand up for Canadians.

[Judy Sgro, Liberal, York West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the minister clearly fell down on doing this job. He is fully aware of the fact that this B.C. ferry terminal was going to end up in the hands of Buy America policies, but what did he do? Why was he not faster on the job to prevent this from happening and to protect Canada's jobs, rather than standing back and abandoning Canada's jobs and Canada's industry?

When did you know? What did you do? What are you going to do about it now?

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order. I just need to remind the hon. member for York West that questions have to be put through the Chair and not directly.

I think the hon. minister may be in a better position to answer the question, so I will give him the floor.

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I will repeat that we are deeply concerned about attempts to apply buy-American policies here in Canada. This is another example of how illogical, how counterproductive, these kinds of policies are.

I would also point out the appalling Liberal record on trade and promoting Canada's trade interests. For 13 long, dark years, they failed Canadians: 3 trade agreements over 13 years. This government, over 8 short years, has 38 new trade agreements. We are very proud of that record.

Infrastructure

[Adam Vaughan, Liberal, Trinity—Spadina, ON]

Mr. Speaker, last week local leaders from across the country were on Parliament Hill asking all of us to make hometowns proud.

The request of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities was dead simple. It needs funding for housing, for transit, and for water systems. There is a $400 billion infrastructure deficit in this country, and what has this government done? It has announced a cobbled-together group of plans that essentially are scheduled state of good repair budgets for federal assets, with nothing for cities and municipalities and towns across this country—nothing. In fact, all they get is a 90% cut to their budgets this year.

When is the government going to make its hometowns proud? When is it going to make hometowns built perfectly again and fixed again?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, the premise of this question is completely wrong. We already invested a lot last year in municipalities, and we will continue to do so. It is under the leadership of this Prime Minister that, finally, municipalities of this country have received money. It was not received when the Liberals were in government. We are doing our job.

National Defence

[Jack Harris, NDP, St. John's East, NL]

Mr. Speaker, on Monday, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence implied that the minister would finally reveal the cost of the Iraq mission at yesterday's defence committee meeting, but yesterday the minister was mum. Either his parliamentary secretary was misleading Canadians or the minister got cold feet. This is not a state secret we are talking about. The Americans have shared their costs with the American people, and the Australians have shared their costs with the Australian people.

The minister has been given these costs by the Chief of the Defence Staff, so when will the minister share the costs of the Iraq mission with Canadians?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the mission is not over. We are only into it a little over a month. We have indicated that we will report the costs in the appropriate way, through the parliamentary mechanisms.

I know there is one thing we can all agree on, which is that even spending $1 fighting the atrocities of ISIL will not have the support of the NDP. At least we have that in common.

[Élaine Michaud, NDP, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, it is not true that we are going to give them a blank cheque.

The minister told us that he would inform us of the costs of the mission, and I quote, “when they are fully known”. The problem is that he knows how much the mission is going to cost. The Chief of the Defence Staff, Tom Lawson, says that he has already forwarded a cost assessment to the minister.

The cost of the U.S. mission is $7.5 million a day; for the Australians, it is $500 million a year. Why do we know how much our allies spend, but not how much the mission will cost Canadians?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the no-defence party over there does not want to spend anything fighting the atrocities of ISIL. One of the things it might just want to focus on for just a little is the human cost of doing nothing, which is what it has been advocating. We will stand up against the atrocities committed by ISIL with or without the support of the NDP.

[Ted Opitz, Conservative, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to supporting the people of Ukraine as they fight for a democracy they have sacrificed so dearly for, all in the face of the Putin regime's military aggression. As our Prime Minister has said, whether it takes five months or 50 years, we will not drop the subject and we will always stand stalwart along the side of the Ukrainian people.

With winter fast approaching, can the Minister of National Defence please update the House on the support that Canada is providing to the people of Ukraine?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to announce today that Canada will be making another delivery of non-lethal aid to Ukraine. There are 30,000 coats and pants, 70,000 pairs of Gore-Tex boots, and 4,500 pairs of gloves deemed surplus by the Canadian Armed Forces that will be shipped out starting at the end of this month.

The government is also coordinating the purchase and later shipment of equipment, including tactical communication systems, explosive ordinance disposal equipment, tactical medical kits, and both night and thermal vision goggles. President Poroshenko has said that shipments like this have saved Canadian lives. We remain steadfast in our support for a free and—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

Order, please. The hon. member for Winnipeg North.

Ethics

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Mr. Speaker, one week ago, in an attempt to defend the government's income-splitting plan, the Minister of Employment and Social Development stood in question period and read what he claimed was a quote from Marlo Raynolds, the Liberal candidate in Banff-Airdrie. Sun News has since retracted its story and has apologized to Mr. Raynolds for claiming he said something that he did not say.

Surely the minister's standards of decency are as high as those of Sun News. Will he please get up, withdraw his misquote, and apologize for misleading the House?

[Jason Kenney, Conservative, Minister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Multiculturalism]

Mr. Speaker, that Liberal candidate, that Liberal member, and every Liberal member opposes tax fairness for families. The Liberals opposed the child care benefit. They opposed $3,800 in benefits for single moms with two kids under the age of six. They opposed tax cuts for families. They voted against the ways and means motion recently. They want to take these benefits away from families, and they do so because they believe that Liberal politicians know better how to spend money than moms and dads. We profoundly disagree on this side.

Quebec Bridge

[Denis Blanchette, NDP, Louis-Hébert, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the consensus and mobilization of the people in the Quebec City area is beginning to bear fruit.

The Minister of Infrastructure is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel, or at the end of the bridge in this case. He finally decided to pick up the phone and talk to his provincial and municipal counterparts in order to find a solution. Now he has to find the paint brush that Jean Lapierre and the Liberals lost.

Will the minister keep the Prime Minister's promise and ensure that the Quebec Bridge restoration is completed?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, as we have already said, a legal process is underway and a ruling was recently handed down.

We will continue to have discussions with the different partners in this matter. The New Democrats believe that just because they think it is going to snow this winter, they can take credit for it.

They definitely cannot take the credit for the current talks being held.

International Trade

[Ron Cannan, Conservative, Kelowna—Lake Country, BC]

Mr. Speaker, in an increasingly globalized world, it is vital that Canadian businesses have access to dynamic and fast-growing markets in order to create jobs and long-term prosperity for hard-working Canadians and their families. Our Conservative government has a proven track record of opening new markets for Canadian exporters.

As we recently heard from the Minister of International Trade, our government has signed free trade agreements with 38 countries. Can the tireless and hard-working Minister of International Trade please update Canadians on our government's latest efforts to create jobs and prosperity through trade?

[Ed Fast, Conservative, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to inform the House that the Canada–Korea free trade agreement passed third reading in the Senate. Canadian companies will soon have preferential access to South Korea, which will become a strategic gateway for Canadian businesses into Asia. This agreement will increase Canadian exports to South Korea by 32% and boost our economy by almost $2 billion annually. Exporters from across our country asked us to support them as they compete in the global marketplace, and once again we are delivering.

Rail Transportation

[Alex Atamanenko, NDP, British Columbia Southern Interior, BC]

Mr. Speaker, for over 40 years my constituents in Castlegar, Blueberry, Genelle, and Rivervale have been able to sleep without being disturbed by trains at night. However, now CP has begun to run night trains without prior warning. The community has made its opposition very clear at two public meetings. Letters have been written, people are upset, lives have been severely disrupted.

Right now, there is no incentive for CP to find a solution or to work with the local community to find a compromise. Will the minister work with me to help convince CP Rail that a workable solution is possible and would benefit all?

[Jeff Watson, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, obviously, in the minister's place right now, I will not commit her to a specific action, but I will take this matter under advisement to her. Of course, in all of these circumstances we encourage railway companies to speak directly with municipalities and work on these issues.

Natural Resources

[Jean-François Fortin, Forces et Démocratie, Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the truth behind TransCanada's energy east project is that the pipeline would have a serious impact on fragile natural environments and the people living around them.

All across Quebec and in Lanaudière, farmers are concerned about their land, peat bogs and the sensitive ecosystems that are at risk. As the project continues to take shape, more and more people are speaking out against the idea of more than a million barrels of oil crossing that land every day.

Will the Minister of Natural Resources acknowledge the opposition to the energy east project and stop claiming, as the leader of the NDP has done, that a pipeline next to the St. Lawrence River is a reasonable option?

[Greg Rickford, Conservative, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario]

Mr. Speaker, unlike the opposition, we will not take a position before the examination is complete.

The National Energy Board is tasked with hearing directly from the people concerned, who have relevant information or expertise in the field. We rely on science and facts to make decisions.

We have been clear. The projects will be studied only if they are safe for Canadians and pose no risks to the environment.

Presence in Gallery

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I would like draw the attention of hon. members to the presence in the gallery of the Hon. Randy Delorey, Minister of Environment and Minister of Gaelic Affairs for the Province of Nova Scotia.

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!