Debates of Dec. 10th, 2015

National Defence

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals still have not told us what they plan to do about our mission against ISIS.

Canadians support that fight. They deserve to know why we are turning our back on it. Our allies deserve a real partner, not someone who just stands on the sidelines. That has never been the Canadian way of doing things.

What is the plan?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, that is a more reasonable question. It is the opposition's role to ask the government when it will release its plan.

The plan is coming, and meanwhile, the former government's plan is still in place. There will be no vacuum between the two plans.

It would be easy to jot a plan down on a napkin, but we are working with our allies in order to come up with a plan that will ensure that Canada strengthens the coalition's role and makes an optimal and complementary contribution.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, as you see, there is no plan.

When the Prime Minister announced that he would pull Canada's fighter jets out of the combat mission against the jihadist death cult ISIS, there were only two groups celebrating that Canada was going to back down: the Liberals and ISIS.

Canada should be standing shoulder to shoulder with our allies in this fight. The brave men and women of the Canadian Armed Forces are always willing and able to do the heavy lifting. We must do our part in the fight against ISIS. Why does the Prime Minister want to cut and run from stopping ISIS?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, Canada and our allies have stood shoulder to shoulder, and I have stood shoulder to shoulder in combat with our allies. That is exactly the way, along with due planning, that the next process will move forward, making sure that we have an appropriate plan and take the time to get this right and take the fight to ISIS.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals are not proposing that they are going to take the fight to ISIS; they are bringing it home and withdrawing from the combat mission.

It was just over a year ago that we lost two members of our Canadian Armed Forces in attacks carried out by ISIS-inspired terrorists right here in Canada. Over the last few weeks, we have witnessed ISIS-orchestrated terrorist attacks in Lebanon, Egypt, France, and now the United States. Clearly, ISIS is willing to bring the fight to us. Why will the Prime Minister not take the fight to ISIS? Why does he want to retreat?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, I am glad that the member opposite brought this important issue up in terms of threats to our country. This is something we need to take very seriously, but we also need to make sure that we identify the right threat. When it comes to radicalization, it is a completely different fight. Yes, we need to fight them in their territory, but we also need to be mindful in making sure that we have the right tools to prevent radicalization of our own Canadians in this type of fight.

Foreign Affairs

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, ISIS has engaged in deadly attacks across the entire world, and it still has Canada in its sights. The government must protect Canadians and fulfill its commitments to our allies.

Withdrawing our CF-18s from Iraq and Syria sends the message that Canada does not take this threat seriously and, even worse, that we are incapable of doing so.

Why is the Prime Minister abandoning the fight against ISIS instead of fighting alongside our allies?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, this war is not about religion or civilizations. It is about the conflict between human civilization and terrorism.

Canada will bravely do its part in Iraq and everywhere. It will do so as best it can with its coalition allies.

[Pierre Paul-Hus, Conservative, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, while the international coalition is stepping up air strikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, the Prime Minister insists on withdrawing our CF-18s, despite calls from the international coalition.

When will the Prime Minister finally step up and agree to defend Canada's values alongside our allies?

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, when it comes to air strikes, that is one tool in the toolbox in taking the fight to ISIS. We need to ensure that we look at all of the capabilities when we assess the situation, because if we do not and we come up with a knee-jerk reaction plan, we will not be effective. As the Minister of National Defence, I want to ensure that when we propose the right option that it will be effective and it will take the fight to ISIS like we want it to.

Indigenous Affairs

[Georgina Jolibois, NDP, Desnethé—Missinippi—Churchill River, SK]

Mr. Speaker, the government has promised to implement all 94 recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, including recommendation 29, which is to conclude all outstanding claims from residential school survivors through negotiations. Canada must stop forcing survivors into a painful and adversarial court process like the one taking place in Labrador. Will the minister commit to keeping her promise of resolving all outstanding claims through negotiations?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I believe that the courts are not the right place to deal with so many of these issues that are so painful for the survivors. I endeavour to work with the Minister of Justice to figure out how we can get these things out of the courtroom and back to the negotiating table.

[Charlie Angus, NDP, Timmins—James Bay, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the sentiment, but reconciliation cannot just be words. Therefore, I will ask my question to the Minister of Justice. Last week, her lawyers were lambasted in the Supreme Court of Newfoundland for their unconscionable behaviour in resisting the rights of survivors of the Newfoundland and Labrador residential schools, just as they obstructed the rights of the survivors of St. Anne's Residential School. Will the minister personally intervene? Will she tell her lawyers to stand down and end this culture of obstruction that has denied the rights of survivors of these brutal institutions? Do the right thing.

[Jody Wilson-Raybould, Liberal, Minister of Justice]

Mr. Speaker, I certainly recognize and respect the conversations that we have had on this issue. Our government is committed to establishing a nation-to-nation relationship that respects an approach that will lay the framework for a true reconciliation with indigenous peoples. I am talking with my colleague and others on this issue. We will chart a path forward that respects the relationship that we will pursue with indigenous peoples.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, all Canadians will soon be welcoming Syrian refugees. However, they also want the assurances that proper security screening has taken place. Can the Minister of Public Safety guarantee to this House that each and every Syrian refugee will get a full comprehensive security screening that is also signed off by the RCMP, the intelligence service, and border services?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, about three or four weeks ago, the RCMP, CSIS, and CBSA all indicated collectively that they were fully satisfied with the security procedures that had been put in place with respect to the Syrian refugees. Indeed, they helped to design them.

[Erin O'Toole, Conservative, Durham, ON]

Mr. Speaker, earlier this week in the House, the minister talked about biometrics as one of the layers of security screening. However, comparing fingerprints to a Canadian database is meaningless. Without previous records, biometrics cannot be used to identify people. Can the minister admit that biometrics is not part of security screening, but a smokescreen to give Canadians the assurance that security is taking place as the government is rushing its plan through?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, we have made it clear from the very beginning that there will be no compromise in security procedures, that they will adhere to the highest Canadian standards. That will include the selection of the individuals who will be considered as possible refugees to Canada. It will be included in the extensive interviews by trained professionals, and done in other ways, such as biometrics, checking against computer records, and constant and repeated identification examinations. We will ensure that every step of the way the results are satisfactory, and that Canadians can be proud of what we have accomplished.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, my party supports Canada doing its part to assist with the Syrian refugee crisis, be it through humanitarian aid, the international mission to contain the so-called Islamic State, and welcoming refugees to our country.

Out of the 1,537 permanent resident visas that the minister's department says has been granted to Syrian refugees since November 4, will the minister tell us how many of the resettlement applications were started prior to October 19 of this year?

[John McCallum, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, this is a wonderful day, when we welcome the first plane full of 160 new Canadians. I learned from a 10-year-old girl, when I went to visit an apartment that was being made ready for refugees, how to say this in their own language. I would teach every member of the House to say Ahlan wa sahlan fi Canada.

[Michelle Rempel, Conservative, Calgary Nose Hill, AB]

Mr. Speaker, many of these new permanent residents to Canada will expect answers from their immigration minister.

The minister has not said if other citizenship and immigration service lines would be impacted by the government's arbitrary year-end target for their Syrian refugee initiative. This is troubling to many Canadians who have pressing applications in other streams.

Have any visa officers been displaced from other duties, including processing spousal sponsorship applications, to meet the government's self-imposed timeline for the Syrian refugee initiative, and, if so, how many?

[John McCallum, Liberal, Minister of Immigration]

Mr. Speaker, we are into sunny ways; I would suggest that my colleague look a little more cheerful.

In answer to her question, I will give an answer. I can assure her that my department has assured me that no people have been displaced by other refugees. There will be no impact on their entry.

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. I encourage members not to be provocative in this place and to show respect for each other, on all sides.

The hon. member for Saskatoon West.

Canada Post

[Sheri Benson, NDP, Saskatoon West, SK]

Mr. Speaker, during the election, the Prime Minister promised to restore home mail delivery. That means that he would reverse the cuts. However, now the Minister of Public Works says people who lost home delivery will not get it back. They will be stuck with superboxes. The government is turning its back on 850,000 Canadians who lost door-to-door service.

Why did the Prime Minister promise to restore home delivery if that is not what his government plans to do?