Debates of June 18th, 2015

Foreign Affairs

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, while they talk, we actually do. That is the difference between our two parties.

We are doing the right thing for Ukraine, just as we are throughout the world. We do the right thing for Israel, for Ukraine, for the people in Iraq. We are consistent with that.

That is what we are going to take to the Canadian people. They know where we stand. We know where they stand, and the Canadian people stand with us.

The Environment

[Francis Scarpaleggia, Liberal, Lac-Saint-Louis, QC]

Mr. Speaker, Pope Francis unequivocally agrees with those who believe that human activity is contributing to climate change. In other words, he agrees with scientists and politicians who are calling for urgent action.

He also evoked the moral obligation to act, the obligation to respect the environment and ensure that the least fortunate, who are paying the price for global warming, can live in dignity.

Will the Prime Minister finally admit that there is a problem and commit to ensuring that Canada takes its place among the countries that are taking climate change seriously?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, as I stated earlier, Canada has supported over 65 developing countries in a number of areas. In fact, our contributions, our financing has supported various initiatives on climate change in developing countries. A portion of the financing is going toward construction, operation and maintenance of the first geothermal power facility in Indonesia, as an example. This will be the largest geothermal power project in the world.

Once completed, the geothermal power facility is expected to eliminate 1.3 megatonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year. This is an example of Canada's contribution to the elimination of greenhouse gas emissions.

[John McKay, Liberal, Scarborough—Guildwood, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Pope Francis issued a powerful encyclical about the ravages of climate change. He has decried the injustice of those who allow the rich to get richer on the backs of those least able to adapt to climate change. The Conservatives have smugly ignored the economics and science of climate change.

If the Conservative government does not get the science and refuses to ignore the economics, surely the Conservatives will listen to the clarion call of Pope Francis. To ignore faith, science and economics is to define smug ignorance. Will they at least listen to the Pope?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, here is another example of Canada's contribution in helping 65 countries in the world. A portion of the financing that we have invested is supporting two of the first commercial scale wind farm initiatives in Peru. Once completed, this wind farm is expected to displace 440,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year. These wind farms are also expected to supply Peru's national grid with 130 megawatts of renewable energy capacity. This is another example of Canada's contribution to the global community in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Public Safety

[Jasbir Sandhu, NDP, Surrey North, BC]

Mr. Speaker, gang violence in my community is in a state of crisis. There have been over 36 shootings in Surrey since March. The Conservatives have to be pushed every step of the way, and yet fail to take action. They have resisted supplying more RCMP officers and critical investment in youth gang crime prevention programs.

Now the Minister of Public Safety says 20 new RCMP officers are on the ground, but reports say this is not true. Have the additional RCMP officers made it to Surrey yet, yes or no?

[Roxanne James, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for that question, yet again. Our Conservative government has taken strong action in keeping all Canadians safe, including those in British Columbia and in the member's riding of Surrey North. As we have stated in the House previously and on several other occasions during late shows, we are pleased to confirm and reconfirm that the deployment of the first 20 members committed to Surrey is under way and that there are boots already on the ground.

However, let me speak about the record of that member and the NDP when it comes to protecting the constituents of Surrey North. Members of the NDP have voted against literally every single measure to keep Canadians safe.

[Jinny Sims, NDP, Newton—North Delta, BC]

Mr. Speaker, the minister said that the promised boots are already on the ground to fight gang violence in Surrey, but the truth is there are no new RCMP officers on the ground in Surrey. The current complement of RCMP officers is 703, exactly what it was more than two months ago. The minister misled the public. The people of Surrey deserve better.

Will the Conservatives stop playing games with my community's safety and tell us exactly when the 100 new RCMP officers they promised will actually be deployed?

[Roxanne James, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased yet again to say to the member that we have accepted the request of 100 new RCMP officers. The deployment of the first 20 members committed to Surrey is under way and boots are already on the ground.

However, let me talk about some of the things that the member and the member for Surrey North have actually voted against. We have passed legislation to get tough on the crime of drive-by shootings, measures to protect children from sexual offences, measures that we have implemented for crime prevention. That member and the New Democratic Party have voted against absolutely everything, including against terrorism in Bill C-51. Shame on the New Democratic Party.

Taxation

[Terence Young, Conservative, Oakville, ON]

Mr. Speaker, my constituents in Oakville want low taxes and the freedom to make their own financial decisions, but the Liberals and the New Democrats would rather force a tax hike on every Canadian worker and small business through a higher mandatory payroll tax.

Could the Minister of State for Finance give the House an update on our government's position on a higher mandatory payroll tax?

[Kevin Sorenson, Conservative, Minister of State (Finance)]

Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the hard-working member for Oakville for the question. Our Conservative government has a strong record of reducing taxes for all Canadians. We brought in pension income splitting and tax-free savings accounts. We lowered taxes to the tune of $6,600 this year for a typical two-earner family of four.

However, the Liberal leader has pledged to impose a $1,000 tax hike. Now is not the time for risky, high-tax schemes and untested leadership.

Foreign Affairs

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Westmount—Ville-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister just returned from a trip to Europe, but what were the results?

He did not help Ukraine by signing a free trade deal with it, as our EU allies did. He did not work with our European partners to lead the way in combatting climate change, unless we count watering down the commitment. He certainly did not seal the CETA free trade deal. He did not ask the Pope to apologize for residential schools.

Could the Prime Minister explain why he spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars on nothing but glorified vanity photo ops?

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, as always, the Prime Minister distinguished himself on the international stage and specifically with respect to Ukraine. We have the toughest sanctions in the world. We are advising the Ukrainians with loans. We are helping their small businesses and the humanitarian cause within Ukraine.

The people in the Government of Ukraine know we stand with them and under this government, this leadership and this Prime Minister, that is going to continue.

The Environment

[Fin Donnelly, NDP, New Westminster—Coquitlam, BC]

Mr. Speaker, there is another fuel spill in Vancouver's harbour. This time, 5,000 litres of diesel spilled into False Creek. It took over five hours for response teams to arrive. This, on top of another bunker fuel spill in April, shows just how much the Conservatives' cuts have hurt the Coast Guard's capacity to respond to spills. The economic and environmental impacts of a major oil spill in Vancouver would be devastating.

When will the Conservatives reverse their reckless cuts and open the Kitsilano Coast Guard station?

[Gail Shea, Conservative, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans]

Mr. Speaker, our government's priority is to ensure the safety of mariners and the protection of British Columbia's coast. Kitsilano was a search and rescue facility. It was in no way, shape or form intended to be an environmental response station.

The member can talk about support for the Coast Guard. Our government provided a 27% increase in investment in the Canadian Coast Guard, and that party voted against it.

National Defence

[Ted Opitz, Conservative, Etobicoke Centre, ON]

Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I met with officials from the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces to bring forward concerns that were passed on to me by members of Canada's reserve force. Our reservists proudly serve, as well as have robust careers, and compose approximately 25% of all missions. They have brought honour to Canada through their service. Their concern was about the processing times of reserve pensions.

Could the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence please give this House an update on the reserve force pension plan?

[James Bezan, Conservative, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, the member for Etobicoke Centre is a proud veteran and was a commanding officer with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment. I thank him for his excellent work on this file.

We recognize the invaluable contributions of our brave men and women in the reserve force. That is why our government implemented the reserve force pension plan in 2007, the first new plan in over 40 years. Thousands of reservists are now benefiting, and processing times are going down. In fact, the pension team is now processing five times more applications each month than they receive.

Our men and women in uniform stand on guard for Canada, and we stand with them.

Social Programs

[Jean-François Fortin, Forces et Démocratie, Haute-Gaspésie—La Mitis—Matane—Matapédia, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in today’s edition of Le Droit, once again we have evidence of Ottawa’s disdain for the most vulnerable.

With outrageous wait times, the federal government is showing that it is unable to deal compassionately with seniors who apply for the guaranteed income supplement and unemployed workers who depend on employment insurance to feed their families. Some have to wait up to eight months, eight long months, to receive the benefits to which they are entitled.

Will the government act with respect, treat people humanely and allow them to live with dignity without having to fight their own government for legitimate benefits?

[Candice Bergen, Conservative, Minister of State (Social Development)]

Mr. Speaker, the opposition is mistaken. Our government provides assistance and support to vulnerable Canadians.

We support vulnerable Canadians through services and benefits.

We have increased staffing at different service centres. We will continue to help Canadians when they lose their jobs or when they need help in times of vulnerability.

The Environment

[Elizabeth May, Green, Saanich—Gulf Islands, BC]

Mr. Speaker, it has been referenced a few times in the House during question period that His Holiness Pope Francis has issued an extraordinarily powerful encyclical, a rare event from the Vatican, and I want to quote in part what he said:

We know that technology based on the use of highly polluting fossil fuels — especially coal... — needs to be progressively replaced without delay.

Given the Prime Minister's acceptance of the G7 language for decarbonization, he appears to agree, except for the part “without delay”.

Given that the Prime Minister believes this can happen in 85 years, can the minister tell us if it can happen by mid-century?

[Leona Aglukkaq, Conservative, Minister of the Environment]

Mr. Speaker, Canada was the first country in the world to ban traditional coal-fired electricity.

I want to share with hon. members an example of what we are doing to support the global community in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. One financing project that is under way is the solar plant in Uruguay. Once completed, the solar plant is expected to eliminate approximately 18,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year. The solar plant is also expected to supply the Uruguay national grid with an average of 96,000 megawatts per year.

This is another example of our support for the global community in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Message from the Senate

[The Speaker, Conservative, Andrew Scheer]

I have the honour to inform the House that a message has been received from the Senate informing this House that the Senate has passed the following bill: Bill C-52, An Act to amend the Canada Transportation Act and the Railway Safety Act.

Oral Questions

[Jim Hillyer, Conservative, Lethbridge, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I hope I heard wrongly, but while the member for Calgary Centre was asking her question, I overheard the member for Wascana say that she was a pathetic creature. I hope I am mistaken, but if that is correct, I ask him to apologize.

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Wascana, SK]

Mr. Speaker, if the sensibilities across the way have been offended, I am happy to apologize. That still does not sanction the quality of the question.

The House resumed from June 17 consideration of the motion that Bill S-4, An Act to amend the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act and to make a consequential amendment to another Act, be read the third time and passed, and of the amendment.