Debates of June 4th, 2014

Veterans Affairs

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition has been around here for a while. I think that means that we act on them.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, Jenifer Migneault, the wife of a veteran who is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, asked the Prime Minister to provide more support to veterans' families, who are caregivers. Ms. Migneault is calling on the government to provide services for veterans' spouses such as mental health training.

Instead of running away from Ms. Migneault, will the minister listen to veterans' families and do something about this once and for all?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, first let me thank Madame Migneault and her husband for their incredible service to our country. Of course, we respect the challenges they are facing with respect to post-traumatic stress within their family unit.

The reality is that we are dealing in a very comprehensive way with the challenges faced by veterans and their families with respect to improving benefits. I note that, through eight budgets, our government has now earmarked more than $4.7 billion to improve upon the services available to veterans and their families. I note the NDP has voted against those improvements.

Privacy

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Prime Minister's candidate for privacy commissioner admitted that he would have to recuse himself from any case that involved a conflict of interest with his current job as a government lawyer. For example, he would not be able to investigate any surveillance program that he had helped develop or had approved. He would not be able to work on any case where he might know about secret government information that might be relevant.

What will happen in all these cases where the privacy commissioner will be obliged to step aside? Have Conservatives even thought about that?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, allow me the opportunity to repeat that this individual has over 30 years of experience on legal matters, as well as privacy matters, as a public servant, a person who has served our country. Indeed, that is why there is not just a privacy commissioner; there is a privacy commission. There are individuals who well trained to deal with all matters dealing with privacy, and I am sure in any instance where the privacy commissioner cannot act, the office can still act.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Leader of the Opposition]

So they are admitting, Mr. Speaker, that they are naming an officer of Parliament without the agreement of the official opposition—therefore not a nomination of Parliament—and he is admitting that he is going to have to step aside the minute these cases come before him because he has already been involved in them.

Does he understand that is the essence of a conflict of interest and that is why Daniel Therrien cannot be the privacy commissioner for Canadians?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, President of the Treasury Board]

Mr. Speaker, I say no such thing. What I have said repeatedly is that we have a nominee who is well versed on legal matters and privacy matters. He has over 30 years of experience working for the Canadian public. He is an exceptional candidate. That is why I was proud to recommend him to the Prime Minister and the Prime Minister to this Parliament.

For this member to drag him through the mud without any regard for his service to this country is, quite frankly, shameful.

Justice

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I congratulate Justice Gascon on his long-awaited appointment to the Supreme Court.

Nonetheless, this fall, another seat on the bench will be empty. The Conservatives made an election promise to the effect that parliamentarians would be consulted during this process.

When replacing Justice Lebel, will the Minister of Justice keep this promise and consult parliamentarians?

[Peter MacKay, Conservative, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the leader of the third party. I agree with him. I think this is an inspired choice. It has been a choice widely applauded, particularly in the province of Quebec.

With respect to a future process for the appointment of the Supreme Court judges, of course we intend to, again, consult widely and certainly within Quebec and with those in the legal community.

However, we are concerned with the process and the compromise that occurred in the leaking of information around it the last time, and so we will proceed with caution and haste in the future.

Citizenship and Immigration

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, throughout our history, Canada's immigration policy has brought people here to fulfill their dream of becoming Canadians.

Yet, because of the current government's policy, we are now on track to having more temporary foreign workers in our country next year than newcomers who we will admit as permanent residents.

Will the government's still-not-released temporary foreign worker reforms ensure that this does not happen?

[Chris Alexander, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, as the member should know, as the leader of the third party should know, as a result of eight years of reform by this government, backlogs are less, economic immigration has never been stronger, and we are accepting the highest levels of sustained immigration in Canadian history.

I am proud to report that, last year, 44,000 of those economic immigrants to Canada were coming precisely from those groups that the member opposite mentions: temporary foreign workers and students. That is a record number. It is about seven times what it was under the Liberals.

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Papineau, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as the minister should know, as a share of our population, the Conservatives have cut immigration by 10%, while doubling the number of temporary foreign workers.

We are still waiting for the government's plan to fix this broken temporary foreign worker program.

Will that plan restore our system's historic focus of allowing newcomers to achieve their dream of becoming Canadians?

[Chris Alexander, Conservative, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, again, I have to correct the record because of the misunderstanding that the leader of the third party is seeking to propagate.

The Canadian experience class was created in 2008 by this government. It targets, explicitly, those working and studying in Canada already. That is an innovation of our government.

We have also expanded the provincial nominee program that converts those working or studying here into immigrants.

None of that happened under Liberal governments over many long years of darkness and neglect. It was on a much smaller scale. We are cleaning up their mess—

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

The hon. member for Drummond.

The Environment

[François Choquette, NDP, Drummond, QC]

Mr. Speaker, a former Conservative environment minister, the member for Thornhill, is complaining that his government is not getting enough credit for its efforts combatting climate change. Come on.

In his opinion, it is difficult to cut greenhouse gas emissions in Canada because hydroelectric power is already a clean form of energy. As if we did not already know that. The real problem is that the Conservatives and the Liberals have never forced the oil and gas sectors to do their part.

When will the Conservatives announce the regulations limiting greenhouse gas emissions for the industry that is the largest polluter in Canada?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, Canada only accounts for less than 2% of the global greenhouse gas emissions. For this reason, Canada is pursuing a new international agreement on climate change that includes real action by all major emitters.

In the meantime, our government is also doing its part by taking actions, domestically, to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Since 2006, we have invested significant funds in more efficient technology, better infrastructure, adaptation, and clean energy.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives think that the best way to fight climate change is to advertise in the United States to promote the Keystone XL pipeline.

With the measures announced on Monday, the Americans will reach their Copenhagen reduction target of 17%. With the Conservatives' approach, Canada will not even get halfway to its 2020 goal. If the oil and gas sectors do not make an effort, we will not reach our goal. When will we find out what their target is?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, we welcome the move from the United States, and I say it is about time. In Canada, 10% of electricity generation comes from coal; in the United States, it is 37%. More than 60% of electricity generation is renewable in Canada. In the United States, it is just 12%. The statistics speak for themselves.

[Megan Leslie, NDP, Halifax, NS]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives have gotten ignoring everyone who disagrees with them down to a fine art, because they are not listening to Canadians who want action on climate change and they are turning a deaf ear on our U.S. neighbours, who are taking action on their biggest greenhouse gas emitters.

Instead of regulating emissions from Canada's biggest emitters, the oil and gas sector, the government gives them billions in subsidies. The numbers do not lie, so will Conservatives stop ignoring science, stop ignoring Canadians, and finally introduce rigorous greenhouse gas regulations for the oil and gas sector?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, building on our record, we will continue to work with the United States on reducing greenhouse gas emissions for the oil and gas sector. Our countries should be taking action together, not alone. This is why we welcomed the move from the United States two days ago on greenhouse gas emissions.

Again, this is consistent with what we are already doing by aligning with the United States on greenhouse gas emission regulations. In the transportation sector, for example, 2025 passenger vehicles and light trucks will emit about half as much greenhouse gas in Canada as the 2008 models.

Natural Resources

[Jean Crowder, NDP, Nanaimo—Cowichan, BC]

Mr. Speaker, Conservatives ignore concerns about climate change just like they ignore concerns from British Columbians about our environment. A new poll shows that two out of every three people in British Columbia are opposed to the northern gateway project. These numbers are even higher than in the January poll. The more people learn about this project, the more they oppose it.

Are the Conservatives really going to flout the wishes of 67% of British Columbians?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government will thoroughly review the joint panel report and continue to consult with aboriginal communities prior to making any decision on this project. We are proud of the action that we have taken to ensure Canada has a world-class regulatory framework and a means to the safest forms of transportation for our energy products.

We have been clear: projects will only proceed if they are safe for Canadians and safe for the environment.

[Nathan Cullen, NDP, Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC]

Mr. Speaker, I have been consulting with British Columbians, and this is what they are telling the government.

On this side, we have the Union of B.C. Municipalities rejecting the Enbridge northern gateway; on that side, we have the oil lobby. On this side, we have virtually every single first nation across Alberta and British Columbia standing together opposing this pipeline; on that side, they have the oil lobby. On this side, we have nearly two-thirds of all British Columbians rejecting the Conservative approach to oil and gas; on that side, we have the oil lobby.

When are Conservatives going to stand with British Columbians and say no to the Enbridge northern gateway project?

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

Mr. Speaker, we know that the NDP would prefer to reject science and facts and decide which projects should go ahead based on ideology. While the Leader of the Opposition laughs, that is his record, actually. The Leader of the Opposition said, “There are some things that some people would send to the NEB that we would say no to”. That is great. It is an independent organization for the benefit of Canadians and energy products.

Canadians deserve better than that. Our government will make decisions based on the independent scientific review performed by the NEB.

Privacy

[Charmaine Borg, NDP, Terrebonne—Blainville, QC]

Mr. Speaker, despite the concerns that have been raised about the new privacy commissioner's background and his potential conflicts of interest, he himself believes that Bill C-13 should be divided.

He also believes that the information telecommunications companies have on their clients should be better protected. This kind of information is not the same as what is found in a phone book. This information is much more sensitive.

Will the Conservatives listen to the person they just appointed?