Debates of March 23rd, 2015

Infrastructure

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, senior civil servants are warning the Conservatives not to strip environmental requirements from infrastructure budgets. Scrapping these criteria would be short sighted.

Green infrastructure saves us billions in the long run by ensuring our communities can adapt to growing extreme weather events and climate change, but cabinet seems to be considering scrapping it.

Will the minister commit to retaining green infrastructure criteria in the upcoming federal budget?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, that is already in the building Canada plan. A wide area of waste water, waste management, and disaster mitigation projects are eligible under the new building Canada fund and the gas tax fund. Green infrastructure is also a specific category under the new building Canada fund. It is up to the provinces and municipalities to prioritize the projects they want.

[Hoang Mai, NDP, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister did not answer the question.

The Prime Minister reneged on Canada's signature and withdrew from the Kyoto protocol. For 10 years this government has gutted our environmental laws. Senior officials are now sounding the alarm because infrastructure projects would no longer be subject to environmental criteria, which help cities adapt to the effects of climate change.

Will the minister be clear and unequivocally promise to keep these environmental criteria?

[Denis Lebel, Conservative, Minister of Infrastructure]

Mr. Speaker, we were pleased to introduce the largest and most substantial infrastructure plan in Canada's history. It is unprecedented. The criteria can be found on the Infrastructure Canada site.

Of course, the Liberals did nothing when they were in power. They would like to try again, but we will be back. We will continue to invest in infrastructure.

We will continue to work very hard. The criteria are available on the Infrastructure Canada site.

Government Advertising

[Mathieu Ravignat, NDP, Pontiac, QC]

Mr. Speaker, here is another example of the Conservatives' environmental mismanagement. According to internal documents, $24 million of taxpayers' money was wasted on ads to promote the Keystone pipeline. The Conservatives used $24 million belonging to Canadians to help their friends in the oil industry—the richest companies in the country—and for what? Nothing. What a waste of public funds. The Conservatives will stop at nothing to please their friends in the oil industry.

Why not let the oil companies do their own advertising? Why is the government subsidizing them?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government is proud to promote Canada as a destination for business investment and responsible resource development. It is our job to show key international markets that Canada is a world-class, environmentally responsible energy partner. We will not apologize for promoting the lifeblood of the Canadian economy on the world stage.

[Peggy Nash, NDP, Parkdale—High Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, internal documents show the Conservatives blew $24 million on U.S. ads to promote the Keystone XL pipeline, but subway ads and online pop-ups cannot mask their poor environmental record. In fact, a survey showed that no one even knew what the ads were all about.

That is $24 million of our tax dollars to advertise for some of the richest companies in Canada. It seems the Conservative government will do anything to help its rich oil buddies. Why can the oil companies not do their own advertising? Why the subsidy?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is our job to raise awareness in key international markets and demonstrate that Canada is a world-class, environmentally responsible energy partner, particularly with the United States.

When NDP members go to Washington, they attack Canadian workers. They call the oil sands a disease. They oppose projects that have been approved by independent regulatory reviews. Canadians know that the NDP has no leg to stand on when it comes to defending Canada's natural resources. We will.

Telecommunications Industry

[David Sweet, Conservative, Ancaster—Dundas—Flamborough—Westdale, ON]

Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government continues to stand up for hard-working Canadians. We proposed in the Speech From the Throne that consumers should only have to pay for television channels they actually want to watch. Last week we fulfilled that commitment, and Canadians will finally be able to buy only the channels they actually want.

Could the Minister of Canadian Heritage please tell the House more about this good news for all Canadian families?

[Shelly Glover, Conservative, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for that great question. Our government has said all along that Canadians should not have to pay for channels they do not want in order to get the ones they do. As we stated in our Speech From the Throne, we promised to provide consumers with more choice in channels, and we have, in fact, delivered. This will not only give more choice to consumers but will also help Canadian families make the best decisions on how to spend their hard-earned dollars.

This is a win-win, and we are very proud on this side of the House to have delivered this wonderful news.

Sports

[Matthew Dubé, NDP, Chambly—Borduas, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians were horrified to learn that young athletes were the victims of a national ski coach. To date, 11 victims have reported incidents that occurred over a period of eight years. That is extremely troubling.

Can the minister tell the House what measures have been taken within the national sports federations to protect our young people? Can he tell us whether his department is investigating Alpine Canada?

[Bal Gosal, Conservative, Minister of State (Sport)]

Mr. Speaker, safety for those participating in Canada's sports system is a priority for the government. Also, the government is working with national sports organizations, the Canadian Olympic Committee, and the Paralympic Committee to make sure that athletes are safe when they participate in sports. However, this matter is before the courts, and that is why we cannot comment on that.

Regional Economic Development

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Mr. Speaker, during a visit to northern Ontario, the President of the Treasury Board said that the government would not invest in the Ring of Fire project. According to him, the economic conditions are not right.

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce cannot believe it. The government's explanations do not make sense. The government should be encouraging development opportunities, not stifling them. The people of northern Ontario deserve respect and good jobs.

Will the minister support them?

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

Mr. Speaker, our government remains committed to developing the Ring of Fire.

Last week, with my provincial counterpart, I had the pleasure of announcing a study on a service corridor for the regional community, which will support mining and increase accessibility for first nations communities. We will continue to work closely with the Province of Ontario on infrastructure projects that support mining and increase accessibility for remote communities.

[Carol Hughes, NDP, Algoma—Manitoulin—Kapuskasing, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the reality is that the President of the Treasury Board was in northern Ontario last week to lecture northern businesses about why he does not think the Conservatives should do anything to unlock the potential of the Ring of Fire. Northern Ontarians and first nation communities, already fed up with the delays, were not amused. The Ontario Chamber of Commerce called the minister's comments perplexing and underlined that Conservative delays are holding up thousands of jobs for northern Ontarians.

Does the Minister of Natural Resources agree with his colleague that northern Ontarians should take a hike?

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

Mr. Speaker, it is the northern Ontario NDP members that northern Ontarians want to take a hike. Let us be clear about that.

We remain committed to supporting the province in its development of the Ring of Fire. Most recently, I was joined by my provincial counterpart at the world's largest mining conference in Toronto to announce a regional community corridor study in the Ring of Fire. This is a major step forward for first nations and for the region.

Sadly, the New Democrats vote against this and in fact any measures that support or reflect the values or priorities of northern Ontarians.

La Francophonie

[Anne-Marie Day, NDP, Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, QC]

Mr. Speaker, last Friday was the International Day of La Francophonie, but here in Canada, people were not in the mood to celebrate.

After all, in the past year, the government appointed a unilingual anglophone foreign affairs minister and made cuts to Radio-Canada's broadcasting of French-language content and regional news. These are just two small examples of their mismanagement. It is shameful.

When will the government finally do something to address the setbacks for the French language in this country instead of contributing to them?

[Christian Paradis, Conservative, Minister of International Development and Minister for La Francophonie]

Mr. Speaker, we actually had a very good reason to celebrate the International Day of La Francophonie, which was on March 20. Canada, with the help of New Brunswick and Quebec, managed to get Michaëlle Jean elected to lead the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie.

Now it is time to build on the legacy left by Abdou Diouf when it comes to good governance, transparency and the rule of law. Ms. Jean presented an economic strategy that will further propel the Francophonie into the 21st century, and we should be proud of that. This will bring many future benefits.

Multiculturalism

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on Friday I was in Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound listening to residents about their hopes, concerns, and priorities. What I heard over and over again was shock and embarrassment about their Conservative MP telling Muslim women to stay the blank where they came from. At the Owen Sound Muslim centre, community leaders told us that they have never felt more afraid.

Will the Prime Minister denounce this blatantly racist statement?

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Minister of State (Multiculturalism)]

Mr. Speaker, the member has recognized that his comments were inappropriate and has apologized.

The fact is that immigration has built this great country, and under this government, Canada has enjoyed the highest sustained levels of immigration in Canadian history.

The government's position is clear. We believe covering one's face during a citizenship ceremony, at the very time one is being welcomed into the Canadian family, is contrary to the Canadian values of openness and equality. The majority of Canadians, including new Canadians, agree with our position.

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, St. Paul's, ON]

Mr. Speaker, there is a worrying pattern forming. Canadians were also outraged when the Conservative member for New Brunswick Southwest publicly railed against the government paying “whities” to stay home while companies bring in “brown people” as temporary foreign workers.

These ugly and racist comments were completely unacceptable, but the Prime Minister's refusal to publicly condemn them is an abdication of his responsibility to set an example for this country. Why will the Prime Minister not personally denounce these racist comments?

[Tim Uppal, Conservative, Minister of State (Multiculturalism)]

Mr. Speaker, those members have recognized that their comments were inappropriate and have apologized for their comments.

Canada is one of the most welcoming countries in the world, and as the Prime Minister has stated, Canada's diversity is one of our greatest strengths. Under our Conservative government, we have the highest levels of sustained immigration ever, and I am proud to be a part of the most diverse caucus in parliamentary history.

Housing

[Robert Aubin, NDP, Trois-Rivières, QC]

Mr. Speaker, we now know that problems related to pyrrhotite are not confined to the Mauricie region. Experts have confirmed cases in Mont-Laurier, in north Montreal and elsewhere in Quebec. It is no longer just a local problem, and the magnitude of the disaster could be even bigger.

The government says that it has tightened the standard on aggregates in concrete, but the standard has not yet been published. Families that have to repair their house foundations have to foot a huge bill. Why are the Conservatives stubbornly refusing to provide financial help to pyrrhotite victims?

[Ed Holder, Conservative, Minister of State (Science and Technology)]

Mr. Speaker, as the hon. member is well aware, the pyrrhotite problem falls under provincial jurisdiction. The Government of Quebec has a provincial program to provide financial help to property owners dealing with damage caused by pyrrhotite. I invite anyone concerned about this problem to contact the Société d'habitation du Québec.

Public Works and Government Services

[Annick Papillon, NDP, Québec, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the people of Quebec have been waiting for the new armoury for seven years, but they will have to keep waiting because last week, we found out that the work that has taken over Place George V will not be done in time for Canada's 150th anniversary in July 2017. The 150th anniversary celebrations will take place among scaffolding and orange construction cones. What a delight the celebrations will be.

This reeks of ad hockery, and Quebec deserves better. Why did the Conservative government wait so long to start work on the new armoury?