House of Commons Hansard #188 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was environment.

Topics

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Some hon. members

Oh, oh!

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

Conservative

Steven Blaney Conservative Lévis—Bellechasse, QC

I hear the members on the benches mocking an organization that is responsible for keeping Canadians safe. It would be nice to have an opposition party that takes security issues seriously and does not side with people who run around topless in Parliament.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:25 p.m.

NDP

Randall Garrison NDP Esquimalt—Juan de Fuca, BC

Mr. Speaker, we had so many witnesses from so many different backgrounds and so many different political perspectives come before the public safety committee and all of them had the same message: Bill C-51 has serious problems.

Yesterday, former Conservative senator Hugh Segal told us that parliamentary oversight for Canada's security agencies was critical. Now even a Conservative MP, the member for Wellington—Halton Hills, is speaking out publicly saying the same thing, that new powers for our security services demand increased parliamentary oversight.

Why will the minister not listen to Canadians, including his fellow Conservatives, and add safeguards to this dangerous bill?

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Lévis—Bellechasse Québec

Conservative

Steven Blaney ConservativeMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, let me read a quote about the review body we have in Canada, of which we can be very proud. It is an “example of the Canadian legal system striking a better balance between the protection of sensitive information and the procedural rights of individuals”. Who said that? It was the Supreme Court of Canada.

When will the NDP join all of those who want to protect Canadians with a bill that would protect the rights and freedoms of Canadians against the international jihadi terrorist threat?

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Niki Ashton NDP Churchill, MB

Mr. Speaker, the question is this. When will the Conservatives listen to their own caucus that is speaking out in opposition to Bill C-51?

The need for better scrutiny is evident, especially when we learn that first nations activists like Pam Palmater and Cindy Blackstock are already being surveilled by the government. Palmater, Grand Chief Phillip and others have been outspoken in their concerns that Bill C-51 will only make the surveillance easier and risks lumping in first nations activists as terrorist threats.

Will the minister do the right thing, listen to these concerns and stop this bad bill?

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Lévis—Bellechasse Québec

Conservative

Steven Blaney ConservativeMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, I hope the member will take the time to read the bill. The member will see that the anti-terrorism act clearly states that activities undermining Canada's security does not include lawful advocacy protests, dissent and artistic expression.

I had the opportunity to go to committee. Why is it that every time we talk about security, opposition members fear for their freedom? There is no liberty without security. That is why we are tabling this important bill. I hope the opposition will listen to the voice of the sister of fallen Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent.

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Romeo Saganash NDP Abitibi—Baie-James—Nunavik—Eeyou, QC

Mr. Speaker, aboriginal communities deserve better than rhetoric from this government. They have legitimate concerns. All too often, I have seen law enforcement agencies deem our protests to be illegal, and that was before we had to worry about being lumped in with terrorists.

Will the minister finally recognize that Bill C-51 is unconstitutional and threatens the rights of aboriginal peoples?

Public SafetyOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Lévis—Bellechasse Québec

Conservative

Steven Blaney ConservativeMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, I would like to tell my colleague that I was proud to serve at Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada and help aboriginal communities. I would like to reassure him and ask him to refer to page 3 of the bill, which clearly indicates that activities that undermine the security of Canada do not include:

...lawful advocacy, protest, dissent and artistic expression.

Obviously, when we are talking about security, we always reject the argument that our freedoms are threatened. There are several provisions in Bill C-51 regarding review processes and judicial oversight.

I encourage my colleague to read the bill and support these measures, which will not only protect Canadians but also strengthen our oversight and accountability mechanisms.

Privacy ProtectionOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

NDP

Charmaine Borg NDP Terrebonne—Blainville, QC

Mr. Speaker, Bill C-51 will also make it easy for information to be shared between 17 government agencies, when the Conservatives cannot even protect the personal information of Canadians from being attacked. Indeed, in 2014, the security of nearly 44,000 Canadians' personal information was compromised by government agencies. That is 35,000 more people than the previous year and an all-time high.

What is the Conservatives' plan to correct the situation and better protect Canadians' personal information?

Privacy ProtectionOral Questions

2:30 p.m.

Lévis—Bellechasse Québec

Conservative

Steven Blaney ConservativeMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, once again, Bill C-51 includes provisions not only to comply with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, but also to protect Canadians' privacy. That is why every department involved in exchanging information will have to establish protocols in consultation with the Privacy Commissioner. These mechanisms will protect Canadians and enhance privacy protection.

That being said, I am not surprised. The NDP has systematically and ideologically opposed all our measures ever since we introduced bills to counter terrorism. We will move forward with this.

Canada Revenue AgencyOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

NDP

Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON

Mr. Speaker, the government just has not learned any lessons from the staggering number of data breaches. Who was the worst offender in 2014? Step forward, Canada Revenue Agency.

Last year, CRA had more breaches in its department alone than all the other departments combined in 2013. There were 4,000 cases where CRA employees stuffed financial information into envelopes and mailed them to complete strangers. There were 144 cases where information was lost, compromised or stolen.

When Canadians give their personal information to the government, they expect that minister will treat it with respect. Is she planning on getting a handle on these embarrassing privacy breaches that continue to happen under her watch?

Canada Revenue AgencyOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Delta—Richmond East B.C.

Conservative

Kerry-Lynne Findlay ConservativeMinister of National Revenue

Mr. Speaker, our government understands well that Canadians expect their personal information to be protected when dealing with all government departments and agencies.

The CRA has taken concrete measures to strengthen privacy management, as recommended by the PC, by implementing a CRA directorate responsible for CRA policy and assessment procedures, a proactive training program to ensure CRA employees are fully informed of their duties to protect the privacy of Canadians and by revising security and privacy related processes.

International TradeOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Liberal

Chrystia Freeland Liberal Toronto Centre, ON

Mr. Speaker, a new Conference Board report has exposed our country's shrinking trade presence in Asia. Between 1993 and 2013, Canada's share of exports to Asia dropped by half, falling from the 15th largest exporter in the region to the 23rd. There is a direct link between a strong export sector and good jobs, but we are losing ground in the largest market in the world.

When will the government finally table a budget with a plan to reverse Canada's trade decline and bring better paying jobs to Canadians?

International TradeOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Abbotsford B.C.

Conservative

Ed Fast ConservativeMinister of International Trade

Mr. Speaker, clearly the member has not been following events. We recently brought into force a trade agreement with South Korea, our first in Asia.

What she also forgets is that we have embarked upon the most comprehensive, most ambitious trade agenda Canada has ever seen. Under the Liberal watch, over 13 long, dark years, how many trade agreements did the Liberals get done? Three agreements. We have concluded trade agreements with how many countries? Thirty-eight different countries, and there are many more to come.

We will put our record up against theirs any day.

EmploymentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

Mr. Speaker, young Canadians are struggling to find summer jobs to pay for school, and the Conservatives are actually making it tougher for students.

This year, the Canada summer jobs program will hire fewer than 35,000 students. The Conservatives have cut the number of jobs in the program by almost half. They have also cut the number of jobs in the government's student work experience and co-op programs by almost a third.

When will the Conservatives help struggling youth and reverse these cuts to summer jobs?

EmploymentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Nepean—Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeMinister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Democratic Reform

Mr. Speaker, the member could not be more wrong.

First, on the global scale, we have 1.2 million net new jobs, 85% of them full-time and two-thirds of them in high wage industries.

As it relates to youth, we have helped students by removing the Liberal tax on scholarships and also by bringing in a tax credit to help with the cost of textbooks. We continue to have a summer jobs program that gives employment opportunities to our young people.

What students are telling us is that when they graduate they want low taxes so they can use their money to pay off their debts and start their families. That is what we are giving them.

EmploymentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Liberal

Scott Brison Liberal Kings—Hants, NS

Mr. Speaker, for young Canadians to pay taxes, they actually need to have a job. There are 166,000 fewer jobs for young Canadians than before the downturn.

Students need help finding work, not cuts to students jobs programs or more money wasted on the government's self-serving ads. A single ad during the hockey play-offs will cost $100,000. That $100,000 could create 32 summer jobs. When will the Conservatives stop wasting money on ads and start helping struggling students find summer work?

EmploymentOral Questions

2:35 p.m.

Nepean—Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeMinister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Democratic Reform

Mr. Speaker, young people in this country understand what the Liberal leader fails to understand, which is that budgets do not balance themselves. Young people understand that they need jobs in high-demand industries. That is precisely why we brought in 500,000 Canada apprenticeship grants, which are helping hundreds of thousands of young people get certified in Red Seal trades for which there are plenty of employers crying out for young people to hire.

We are creating great blue-collar jobs. I know the Liberal elitists over there cannot stand it, but we are going to keep doing it.

Citizenship and ImmigrationOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Jinny Sims NDP Newton—North Delta, BC

Mr. Speaker, thousands of temporary foreign workers came to Canada, worked hard, and followed the rules, based on a commitment that they could apply for citizenship. However, now that they have submitted an application for permanent residency, the Conservative government is preparing to kick them out of the country on the basis of an arbitrary deadline.

Will the minister do the right thing and grant an extension to all foreign workers who have submitted an application for permanent residency?

Citizenship and ImmigrationOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Ajax—Pickering Ontario

Conservative

Chris Alexander ConservativeMinister of Citizenship and Immigration

Mr. Speaker, we brought forward this temporary foreign worker reform in order to make sure that Canadians continued to have priority on our job market.

Employers and temporary foreign workers have known about the four-year time limit since 2011. As well, we have been multiplying the pathways for temporary foreign workers to become permanent residents and become permanent parts of our workforce. It has been extraordinarily successful.

The real question is, what is the position of the NDP? Today New Democrats are asking us to keep the door open to large numbers of temporary foreign workers, including low-skilled ones. A couple of weeks ago they were telling us we did not do this reform soon enough. Which is it?

Citizenship and ImmigrationOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Sadia Groguhé NDP Saint-Lambert, QC

Mr. Speaker, we are just asking them to keep their promises.

On April 1, thousands of temporary foreign workers will have to go back home. The Conservative government promised them that they could apply for Canadian citizenship, but the Conservatives arbitrarily went back on their promise. Even workers who have already submitted their application for permanent residence will have to leave the country.

Will the minister right this wrong and allow temporary foreign workers who have already submitted an application to stay in Canada?

Citizenship and ImmigrationOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Ajax—Pickering Ontario

Conservative

Chris Alexander ConservativeMinister of Citizenship and Immigration

Mr. Speaker, our reform is working quite well.

Workers and employers have been aware of the four-year limit since 2011. We have increased the number of avenues to permanent residence for temporary workers and many have used these avenues.

The real question is this: where does the NDP stand and why is not making Canadian workers a priority? The NDP wants this uncertain path toward an uncertain status in Canada to remain open. Canadians will never accept that.

EmploymentOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Guy Caron NDP Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques, QC

Mr. Speaker, the Conservatives' job creation record is depressing.

For the past 15 months, the job creation rate has not risen above 1%. The Conservatives simply do not have a plan. In contrast, the NDP has a clear plan to boost job creation for small and medium-sized businesses.

Why does the minister not follow our plan instead of sticking to his ineffective policy that is not creating jobs for Canadian families?

EmploymentOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

Nepean—Carleton Ontario

Conservative

Pierre Poilievre ConservativeMinister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Democratic Reform

Mr. Speaker, the only idea the NDP and the Liberals have come up with on the jobs front is raising taxes for job creators.

We on this side of the House are working to reduce taxes, boost training for in-demand jobs and sign free trade agreements that create demand for our Canadian products.

That is how we created 1.2 million new jobs, 85% of which are full time and two-thirds of which are in well-paid industries.

We will stick to our plan, which is working very well.

EmploymentOral Questions

2:40 p.m.

NDP

Nathan Cullen NDP Skeena—Bulkley Valley, BC

Mr. Speaker, it seems the Conservatives have broken a new record for job growth, but it is not a record that any government would actually want to have. Job growth has been less than 1% for the last 15 months in a row. That is the worst job growth record outside of a recession in the last 40 years. In fact, job growth has not even kept pace with population. To add to this, Canadians looking for jobs are finding that jobs are of a lower and lower quality.

We know it is hard to get the Minister of Finance into the House to answer questions from time to time, but is he going to actually show up to work and give Canadians a plan, give Canadians a budget that will finally make good-quality job growth a concentration for the government?