House of Commons Hansard #208 of the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament's site.) The word of the day was pipelines.
Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, our Conservative government is the only one to have come up with a proposal that would enable us to move forward with our partners—
Quebec BridgeOral Questions
The Speaker Andrew Scheer
The hon. minister has the floor. I would ask the members to let him answer the question.
Denis Lebel Conservative Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, the NDP's proposal is nothing but a political mirage. Given the House of Commons' schedule from now until the end of the summer and the upcoming election, they know perfectly well that they will never vote on it. This is one more indication that they are not taking their work seriously.
We will continue to do our work by putting meaningful proposals on the table, not mirages like this one.
Thomas Mulcair NDPLeader of the Opposition
Mr. Speaker, to get elected 10 years ago, the Conservatives made fun of the Liberals, saying that they could not even get a bridge painted.
The trick is to pretend to have the money, provided that CN puts in $100 million, even though it is not obligated to do so, since the courts ruled in its favour. Here is the trick: a Conservative government that said, “Our regions in power", when what it really means is, “Our regions left to rust”. If they wanted, they could pass that bill. One, two, three.
Why all the usual dithering?
Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, we know that the member ran a photo contest for the Quebec Bridge. He probably did not have a picture of his leader in front of the bridge.
We worked hard to invest the $100 million—
Quebec BridgeOral Questions
The Speaker Andrew Scheer
Order. The minister has been asked a question and he is in the process of answering it. Members need to come to order to allow him to do so.
The hon. Minister of Infrastructure.
Denis Lebel Conservative Roberval—Lac-Saint-Jean, QC
Mr. Speaker, the NDP just got out of its own commitments with CN regarding what they want to do. CN must immediately respect its commitment to the people of Quebec City.
With our partners, we have invested $100 million. CN has to do its part. A bill is not going to change that.
Joyce Murray Liberal Vancouver Quadra, BC
Mr. Speaker, DND forbids the media from taking pictures of Canadian Forces members in Iraq and Kuwait, saying it would put them and their families in direct danger, but the Prime Minister's taxpayer-funded propaganda site clearly showed the troops' faces. The government first claimed it did nothing wrong, then blamed the department, and then backtracked and admitted its mistake. This is a mistake, by the way, that the minister has also made.
Who will the Prime Minister fire, or will no one be held to account for putting our troops and their families in danger?
Jason Kenney ConservativeMinister of National Defence and Minister for Multiculturalism
Mr. Speaker, we have made no such mistake. We have only ever posted images released by the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces for public consumption.
With respect to the matter this week, obviously an error was made, and that is regrettable. The images were removed as soon as this was brought to the attention of the Prime Minister's Office. The protocols are being reviewed to ensure that such an error does not occur in the future. The Chief of the Defence Staff has issued a statement indicating that this has not placed members of the Canadian Armed Forces in harm's way and that therefore none will be removed from the theatre.
I think it would be more responsible for the member to engage in issues like this factually, rather than with over-the-top exaggeration.
Chrystia Freeland Liberal Toronto Centre, ON
Mr. Speaker, speaking of shameless photo ops, despite hundreds of thousands of dollars spent on ceremonies and announcements, the CETA deal has stalled.
Conservative rhetoric on trade just does not match the results. There was a $3 billion trade deficit in March, a historic record. Our share of western export to Asia has been cut in half, and we are at risk of being kicked out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
The government prefers talking points over market access, photo ops over real export opportunities for Canadian businesses and Canadian workers. When will the Conservatives take some real action on trade?
Ed Fast ConservativeMinister of International Trade
Mr. Speaker, it is this Conservative government that has taken action on trade. In fact, over the last nine years we have concluded trade agreements with 38 different countries and there are many more to come.
Compare that to the awful Liberal record on trade. Over 13 long years, there were three small trade agreements. The Liberals got absolutely nothing done.
This government understands how important trade and investment are in driving future economic growth in our country. The Liberal Party has proven time and again that it has absolutely no credibility on trade.
Irene Mathyssen NDP London—Fanshawe, ON
Mr. Speaker, today many parliamentarians are fasting to raise awareness about hunger in Canada as part of Food Banks Canada's Every Plate Full campaign.
Seven per cent of seniors in Canada depend on food banks. Even though they receive pension benefits, they just do not have enough to make ends meet. No one, and certainly no senior, should ever go hungry.
Why are the Conservatives refusing to implement a national seniors strategy that would allow our seniors to retire in dignity?
Alice Wong ConservativeMinister of State (Seniors)
Mr. Speaker, when it comes to seniors poverty, our government has a record we can be proud of.
Canada has one of the lowest seniors poverty rates in the world, thanks in part to our actions, which include removing hundreds of thousands of seniors from the tax rolls completely, making significant investments in affordable housing for low-income seniors, and introducing the largest GIS increase in a quarter century.
Canadians know that they can count on our government to deliver for seniors.
Isabelle Morin NDP Notre-Dame-de-Grâce—Lachine, QC
Mr. Speaker, seniors deserve better than that.
A recent report by a trustee in bankruptcy in Ontario clearly shows that seniors and pre-retirees are making up a growing proportion of people declaring bankruptcy and that they are deeper in debt than young people are.
By increasing the eligibility age for the guaranteed income supplement and old age security to 67, the Conservatives are only making life more difficult for our seniors.
Why is the government turning its back on seniors and, worse yet, why is it hindering their financial well-being?
Alice Wong ConservativeMinister of State (Seniors)
Mr. Speaker, again, when it comes to seniors poverty, our government has a record we can be proud of.
Canada has one of the lowest seniors poverty rates in the world, thanks in part to our actions, which include removing hundreds of thousands of seniors from the tax rolls completely, making significant investments in affordable housing for low-income seniors, and introducing the largest GIS increase in a quarter century.
Canadians know that they can count on our government to deliver for seniors.
Those members voted against each and every one of them.
Dean Allison Conservative Niagara West—Glanbrook, ON
Mr. Speaker, as I travel through my riding speaking to parents about how they plan to save enough money for their kids to attend school, play hockey and partake in extracurriculars, which defines what it means to be a kid here in Canada, their answer has been the same, that this government's family tax cut and enhanced universal child care benefit, which benefits 100% of families with children, is the answer.
Could the Minister of Employment and Social Development please give the House an update about the benefits of our government's plan to support Canada's middle class?
Pierre Poilievre ConservativeMinister of Employment and Social Development and Minister for Democratic Reform
Mr. Speaker, the family tax cuts and benefits put money in the pockets of 100% of families with kids.
The increase in the universal child care benefit to $2,000 per child under six and $720 for kids six through seventeen will help many families, in fact, all of them. The income splitting or family tax cut will help families where one spouse earns more than the other.
The Liberals said that they want to take that away, raising taxes on millions of families, but if they are going to take away income splitting for families, we can count on them to take it away from seniors. We will not let them do that.
Adam Vaughan Liberal Trinity—Spadina, ON
Mr. Speaker, I see the members on that side cannot get the Minister of Finance to answer a question either.
Twenty-seven mayors from Ontario's largest cities were in Ottawa this week. They are feeling a little ignored. They are tired of being treated unfairly by the Conservative government. There is no new money for infrastructure this year, after no money last year. Roads, bridges, transit, they just do not build themselves. Cities need some help.
I have been asking the Minister of Finance to explain, but he is as tough to find these days as a Tory in Alberta; tough to find.
Why do these mayors have to wait? Why can these mayors not get help this year from the government? Why can they not get help now?
Denis Lebel ConservativeMinister of Infrastructure
Mr. Speaker, it is the longest and largest infrastructure plan in Canadian history. We already transferred $2 billion last year out of the gas tax fund. We will do the same this year. We will continue to do that all across the country, in support and in respect of jurisdictions with the provinces and municipalities.
Ryan Cleary NDP St. John's South—Mount Pearl, NL
Mr. Speaker, in yet another devastating blow to marine safety in Canada, the St. Anthony Coast Guard communications and traffic centre in Newfoundland will close later this year.
Distress calls for the Great Northern Peninsula will now be answered outside the area, even outside the province. The mayor and residents of St. Anthony are waving red flags. The Conservatives are sacrificing the safety of our mariners.
Lives are on the line. When will the government make the safety of our mariners the number one priority?
Randy Kamp ConservativeParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
Mr. Speaker, while I appreciate the member's question, he seems not to understand the changes that are being made.
Through investments made by our government, we are replacing decades-old equipment with modern state-of-the-art technology in strategically located centres. This new technology will improve workload so that our highly trained Coast Guard employees will have an even greater ability to focus on the services that they provide.
The member will find detailed information on the Coast Guard website and I encourage him to review it.
John Carmichael Conservative Don Valley West, ON
Mr. Speaker, Canadians know that our government is providing more choice, lower prices and better services for their cellphone plans. Unlike the opposition parties who want higher taxes and thus higher prices, we will continue to support policies that lead to more competition, lower prices and lower taxes.
Could the Minister of Industry please give the House an update on our government's reaction to yesterday's decision by the CRTC?
TelecommunicationsOral Questions
Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam B.C.
Conservative
James Moore ConservativeMinister of Industry
Mr. Speaker, the CRTC decision from yesterday is an important contribution to ensuring that we have more competition in Canada's wireless sector. By putting a cap on roaming rates and ensuring that access to roaming is going to be accessible to new players, it is going to create more competition all across this country.
We have put more spectrum into the hands of the private sector, and therefore Canadians, than any government before in Canada's history. It is essential that we keep having policies that will keep us competitive so consumers have more choice, lower prices and more competition in all regions of Canada.