Debates of Oct. 21st, 2016

Ethics

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

Order. I want to remind members that while the member has the floor, we give him the respect that he deserves. As we know, that is in the Standing Orders.

[An hon. member]

Somebody might lose a question.

[The Assistant Deputy Speaker, NDP, Carol Hughes]

That's right, somebody might lose a question.

I will give the member a chance to finish.

[Kevin Lamoureux, Liberal, Winnipeg North, MB]

Madam Speaker, it is important that we realize that all members of Parliament from all parties fundraise, and we all abide by the exact same rules, as demonstrated by the Leader of the Opposition.

[Sylvie Boucher, Conservative, Beauport—Côte-de-Beaupré—Île d’Orléans—Charlevoix, QC]

Madam Speaker, it is common knowledge that the Liberals' ethics are rather loose. What did 10 years in purgatory teach the Liberals opposite? Absolutely nothing.

By way of evidence, we learned that the Minister of Finance made himself available to people who are rich like him for a price. He charged $1,500 for an evening.

Will the minister be transparent once and for all and give us the names of those who attended the event that evening?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Madam Speaker, we are having a hard time understanding what lesson the Conservatives are trying to teach us about fundraising.

Members will certainly recall that the former member for Labrador had to resign because of a fundraising scandal. Members will also remember that the Conservative prime minister's ethical advisor, his parliamentary secretary, was escorted to a van in handcuffs and taken to prison by police because of his fundraising activities.

Quite frankly, the Conservatives have no lessons to give on fundraising.

Transportation

[Sheila Malcolmson, NDP, Nanaimo—Ladysmith, BC]

Madam Speaker, Canada needs a national action plan on abandoned vessels. They pose terrible risks to our economy and our environment, but the government's ship-by-ship approach is too slow and too expensive. At the rate we are moving, it will take a century to clean up the 600 abandoned vessels littering Canada's coasts. B.C. has heard dozens of motions of good intentions. Do we really need another?

When will the government deal with a clear action plan and table it in the House to, once and for all, deal with abandoned vessels in Canada?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Madam Speaker, we share my colleague's concern about these derelict and abandoned vessels that, frankly, are on every coast of the country, including some of the lakes. It is a problem that our government has committed to rectify.

The Minister of Transport and I have been working with a number of stakeholders, and I know that the member is excited about the plan that we will be tabling. The good news for all member of the House is that the plan is coming very soon.

[Rachel Blaney, NDP, North Island—Powell River, BC]

Madam Speaker, last week, a tanker barge ran aground off of B.C.'s north coast, spilling 200,000 litres of toxic fuel into a sensitive area. After a slow response, one of the ships helping with the cleanup also began to sink, and this is what the minister calls a world-class response.

This relatively minor incident still caused major damage. If it had been a fully-loaded supertanker, the devastation would have been off the chart.

When will the government finally implement a permanent ban off of B.C.'s north coast?

[Kate Young, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Madam Speaker, our government remains committed to improving marine safety in Canada and ensuring the protection of our marine environment. The Nathan E. Stewart incident underlines the need for changes as a result of these incidents, and that is why the minister is currently working on a coastal strategy to enhance marine safety in a meaningful way. He has named a minister's observer to support the Transportation Safety Board's investigation, and Transport Canada officials have initiated a compliance inspection.

We will take the necessary action on the findings to enhance marine safety in Canada.

The Environment

[Mike Bossio, Liberal, Hastings—Lennox and Addington, ON]

Madam Speaker, on June 17, the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development tabled a unanimous report with recommendations on the federal sustainable development strategy and accompanying legislation. The fact this report received unanimous support from all three parties is testament to Canadians' desire to take the necessary steps to create a more sustainable future.

Earlier this month, our government tabled our first federal sustainable development strategy. Can the Minister of Environment advise the House of the progress our government has made on updating the federal sustainable development strategy?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, our government is committed to protecting the environment and working towards a clean-growth strategy that benefits the middle class and creates good jobs. Canadians want ambitious action on climate change, they want more leadership from government, they strongly support sustainable development, and they are motivated to make a difference.

I want to thank the Standing Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development for their hard work and all the input we received from Canadians across the country.

This federal sustainable development strategy will make a real difference to building a more sustainable world for our children and grandchildren.

Justice

[Rob Nicholson, Conservative, Niagara Falls, ON]

Madam Speaker, for years Canadian police officers have worked hard and served with distinction on the Federal Judicial Advisory Committee. What an insult it is now that for no reason, the Liberal government has terminated their membership on this committee.

I want to know why the Prime Minister would show such disrespect for those who risk their lives every day to serve and protect Canadians. I would like to know that.

[Jody Wilson-Raybould, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Madam Speaker, I appreciate the question, as it gives me an opportunity to highlight the 24 judicial appointments that we made across the country yesterday, and to highlight the renewed process to ensure openness and transparency with respect to the new appointments process.

We have reconstituted the Judicial Advisory Committee with the intent of ensuring that there is diversity among the members of the committee, and ultimately to ensure that we achieve diversity on the benches across this country to reflect Canadians.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Madam Speaker, Canadian police officers have worked hard and served the Federal Judicial Advisory Committee well. It is an insult to terminate their membership in the committee.

Why would the Minister of Justice show such disrespect to people who risk their lives day after day to serve and protect Canadians?

[Jody Wilson-Raybould, Liberal, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Madam Speaker, certainly, there is no disrespect being shown to law enforcement officers who risk their lives every day to protect our safety. What we have done is institute an open and transparent process for judicial appointments and, unprecedentedly, have put online application forms wherein anyone can apply to be on the Judicial Advisory Committee.

As the Minister of Justice, I look forward to being able to nominate three members of that committee as we seek to ensure that we have broad-based diversity on the committee, as well as future appointments of superior court judges.

Veterans Affairs

[Peter Van Loan, Conservative, York—Simcoe, ON]

Madam Speaker, October 22 marks two years since a jihadist terrorist struck at the heart of our freedom and democracy. Corporal Nathan Cirillo was brutally gunned down just steps from here. The thickness of a door and the brave actions of our Hill security staff saved members here a similar fate. It was two days after a jihadist murdered Warrant Office Patrice Vincent.

Last year, our government honoured the sacrifice of these men, but this year the Liberals want Canadians to forget. There will be no memorial. Why are the Liberals dishonouring these fallen men and trying to pretend that these jihadist attacks never happened?

[Kent Hehr, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence]

Madam Speaker, all of Canada remembers the tragic events on October 20 and 22, 2014.

We mourn the passing of Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Corporal Nathan Cirillo and extend our sympathies to their families.

It is at events, in Ottawa, on November 11, and others across Canada and the world, where we will join together as a nation and as a people to recognize and pay tribute to all those brave Canadian soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in wartime and in peace, at home and abroad, to safeguard our values and our way of life.

We will remember.

[Jacques Gourde, Conservative, Lévis—Lotbinière, QC]

Madam Speaker, on October 22, 2014, a jihadi terrorist struck at the heart of our freedom and our democracy. Corporal Nathan Cirillo was brutally gunned down just steps from where we are now. That happened two days after Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent was murdered.

Last year, our government honoured the men's sacrifice, but this year, the Liberals want Canadians to forget. There will be no commemorative ceremony.

Why are the Liberals dishonouring these men who died in the line of duty by trying to pretend these jihadi attacks never happened?

[Kent Hehr, Liberal, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence]

Madam Speaker, we respect the tremendous sacrifices that occurred with Warrant Officer Patrice Vincent and Corporal Nathan Cirillo when they made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

It is at events, in Ottawa, on November 11, and throughout the world, where we pay tribute to those who have made that ultimate sacrifice, to our Canadian Armed Forces members, and to others who serve and secure this country daily.

We will honour them. We will respect them. We understand the tremendous sacrifice made by them and their families, and we will respect them going forward.

Indigenous Affairs

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

Madam Speaker, the situation in Muskrat Falls continues to spiral out of control. The Nunatsiavut government is calling on the Prime Minister to immediately amend authorizations under the Fisheries Act in order to protect indigenous waterways and fishing zones.

This government claims that no relationship is more important than the relationship with indigenous peoples. Now is the time for it to walk the talk.

Will the government honour this simple request from the Nunatsiavut government and the member for Labrador?

[Catherine McKenna, Liberal, Minister of Environment and Climate Change]

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleague for his question.

We understand that the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is working with the proponent indigenous peoples with respect to this project. We expect the province to assume its responsibilities to ensure that indigenous peoples are protected.

Rail Transportation

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

Madam Speaker, after several missed opportunities, the government now has a chance to kill two birds with one stone.

For decades now, Quebeckers, Canadians, and the people of Trois-Rivières have been anxiously awaiting a corridor dedicated to passenger rail service in the Quebec City-Windsor axis. The VIA Rail project does exactly that, not to mention that it would also reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Does the government plan to step up and answer VIA Rail's call, to finally bring Canada into the 21st century?

[Kate Young, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport]

Madam Speaker, our government is developing the best approach to delivering a safe, efficient, and reliable passenger rail service in Canada. As such, the Minister of Transport is working with VIA Rail, in the coming months, to fully assess our options.

That is why, in budget 2016, we allocated $45 million to various VIA Rail projects, including $34.4 million for the improvements of stations and maintenance centres, as well as $3.3 million, over three years, to support an in-depth assessment of VIA Rail's high-frequency rail proposal.

Indigenous Affairs

[Cathy McLeod, Conservative, Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo, BC]

Madam Speaker, the current government's paternal and top-down approach to financial transparency for first nations must come to an end. If the Liberals are not enforcing the First Nations Financial Transparency Act, they are breaking the law. The minister told the House on Monday that if band members want to know how their chief and council are spending the money, they just have to ask her office.

Why are the Liberals forcing band members to go to a government department to receive information that should be readily available in the community?