Debates of Dec. 14th, 2016

National Defence

[John McKay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, we take the health of our troops very seriously.

Malaria is a life-threatening disease present in many areas of the world. Individuals are carefully assessed and screened by their health services. The Chief of the Defence Staff stated lately that the Surgeon General is looking into the use of mefloquine and will report back imminently.

[Cathay Wagantall, Conservative, Yorkton—Melville, SK]

Mr. Speaker, all of our allies are facing that same malaria.

In August of this year, Lord Dannatt, head of the British army apologized to troops who had taken mefloquine while he was chief of the general staff. Although he did not take the drug himself, he saw first-hand its catastrophic side effects.

On September 15, the Australian department of veterans affairs established a dedicated mefloquine support team for its service members and veterans.

Why is the Liberal government willing to risk the health and lives of our soldiers by refusing to recognize the dangers of mefloquine, like our allies have, before it deploys them to Africa?

[John McKay, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, mefloquine is a Health Canada approved drug, and continues to be an option for malaria prophylaxis, as recommended by the Public Health Agency of Canada and by most public health and travel medicines around the world.

Having said that, however, the Chief of the Defence Staff has caused the Surgeon General to look into the use of mefloquine prior to any future deployments.

Indigenous Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, for more than a year now, the Prime Minister has been talking about how important the relationship with indigenous peoples is. For more than a year now, I have been rising in the House to ask why the government is not really sending that same message to first nations.

This morning, we learned that survivors of St. Anne residential school, where there was an electric chair and children were forced to eat their own vomit, have to go to court to fight for compensation and to ensure they will not have to cover the government's legal costs. That is what I call disgusting and despicable.

When will this government start walking the talk?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, our government is committed to justice for all victims of this dark chapter in our history and to ensuring that everyone who is eligible for compensation receives it.

We do not typically seek to recover costs from claimants under the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. Generally, matters related to costs are resolved once the case is settled, not while it is before the court.

International Trade

[Tracey Ramsey, NDP, Essex, ON]

Mr. Speaker, CETA will dramatically increase foreign takeovers of Canadian companies by raising the threshold for reviews from $600 million to $1.5 billion. This will apply to EU companies as well as American, Chinese, Russian, and many other foreign companies.

The EU is years away from fully ratifying CETA. Why is the government moving full steam ahead?

Instead of permitting more foreign takeovers, the Liberals should be standing up for Canadians by tightening the rules. Will the Liberals support the NDP's amendments to remove these dangerous provisions from CETA?

[Chrystia Freeland, Liberal, Minister of International Trade]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the Conservatives and, particularly, the Bloc who joined us yesterday in supporting this progressive agreement that is going to add to Canadian GDP and create jobs. It is going to lead to an increase of 0.77% to our GDP, which translates to roughly $11.44 billion.

Kurtis McBride, CEO of Miovision Technologies in Kitchener, said that CETA will help his company “reap far greater gains from existing deals with European companies”. Baljit Sierra of Markham said that CETA will generate—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Kamloops—Thompson—Cariboo.

Indigenous Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, today the CBC posted an article by Charmaine Stick of the Onion Lake Cree Nation, which was titled, “I starved myself for financial transparency at Onion Lake Cree Nation”.

She stated:

For 13 days in June 2014, I went on a hunger strike. In actuality, the First Nations Financial Transparency Act — which the [Liberal] government stopped enforcing last December — was good for people. It was somewhere for the grassroots people to go to get answers...We need equality. Without the First Nations Financial Transparency Act, there's no equality for the membership in our community.

When will the minister start empowering these courageous women and enforce the act?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, everyone, including first nation governments, wants increased transparency and accountability, but we will achieve this through working in full partnership with first nations leadership and organizations. Before and after the election, first nations from from coast to coast to coast were clear that top down, made-in-Ottawa solutions will not work. Our government is committed to reviewing the laws, including the FNFTA, and we will review it in full consultation with first nations.

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

Mr. Speaker, it has been over a year. I do not think it takes that long to consult and come up with a plan. We have now learned that the Liberals have set up a secretive four-person club that is concocting ways to transfer billions of dollars directly to the chiefs of first nations. The minister has stripped financial transparency protections for grassroots band members. Band members need more information, not less, so they can be empowered to hold their leadership accountable.

When will the minister stop her attack on financial transparency and grassroots first nations?

[Carolyn Bennett, Liberal, Minister of Indigenous and Northern Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I was very proud to meet with the Assembly of First Nations and the new committee on financial and fiscal relationships. Accountability and transparency is one of the things they are studying very closely. They are consulting with their nations from coast to coast to coast, and they will report in one year about how we will move out from under this grants and contributions system to treating nations nation to nation.

Foreign Affairs

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals embarrassed themselves yesterday when they donned Ukrainian traditional dress to praise an ally and then voted against recognition of the Soviet genocide of Crimean Tatars. Whipping MPs to cozy up to Putin is just another example of the Liberals muting Canada's principled voice on human rights this year, as with China, Iran, Cuba, Ethiopia, Syria, Congo, and the UN.

When will the Liberals stand up and speak truth out loud to tyrants and despots?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, at the end of this year Amnesty International has come out with a report card about what we have done for human rights during the year. It says that Canada has offered an encouraging example to the world of the importance and value of embracing human rights. There have been major advances, giving greater priority to human rights in Canadian foreign policy, including championing a strong gender-equality agenda, and making human rights part of the annual performance review for Canada. It also said—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Scarborough—Rouge Park.

Public Safety

[Gary Anandasangaree, Liberal, Scarborough—Rouge Park, ON]

Mr. Speaker, during the campaign we promised to engage Canadians on how to ensure that our national security framework keeps us safe and protects our rights and freedoms. Like many hon. members, I participated in these consultations, along with my constituents.

Could the Minister of Public Safety please tell the House how Canadians have responded to this opportunity to make their voices heard on this matter of critical importance?

[Ralph Goodale, Liberal, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness]

Mr. Speaker, this unprecedented engagement with Canadians about our national security framework has been a resounding success. Online we have received more than 53,000 individual responses, plus another 17,000 emails and form letters, and that is on top of meetings held in ridings across the country, including one I attended recently with the member for Scarborough—Rouge Park. After online submissions close tomorrow, we will examine all of that input as we act to ensure that Canadians are safe and their rights and freedoms are properly protected.

Regional Economic Development

[Joël Godin, Conservative, Portneuf—Jacques-Cartier, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Institut nordique du Québec is a development tool serving northern Quebec, Ontario, and the Canadian Arctic. The Government of Quebec, Laval University, and private companies have confirmed their financial support to the institute.

Why is the Liberal government ignoring the regions yet again? The Quebec City region is being ignored.

While the Prime Minister seems to have instructed his Minister of Families, Children and Social Development to ignore the Quebec City region, will he instead show some respect for the people of the greater Quebec City area and support the Institut nordique du Québec?

[Amarjeet Sohi, Liberal, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities]

Mr. Speaker, we are proud of our relationship with the Province of Quebec. We have recently received the application for this project, and the project is under review. The minister responsible for the Province of Quebec knows about this, and we are working with them. This project is very important to us. As we review this, we will let the province know the outcome.

Canada Revenue Agency

[Pierre-Luc Dusseault, NDP, Sherbrooke, QC]

Mr. Speaker, despite the government's grand promises and its claims to want to tackle tax evasion, we learned that the company that is renting office space to the Canada Revenue Agency is guilty of tax evasion.

It makes no sense for this so-called progressive government to say that it wants to combat tax evasion and then turn around and sign public contracts with companies linked to tax havens.

Does the Minister of National Revenue believe it is acceptable that her own department is doing business with those companies and will she cancel that contract? If she does not cancel the contract, that will be a clear message that she is turning a blind eye to tax evasion.

When will that outrageous contract be cancelled?

[Diane Lebouthillier, Liberal, Minister of National Revenue]

Mr. Speaker, the situation my colleague raised is troubling.

I discussed this matter today with my colleague, the Minister of Public Services and Procurement. It is important to note that Public Services and Procurement Canada is responsible for the agency's real estate and leasing needs. The agency does not deal directly with the owners of the buildings it leases.

However, I can assure the House that our government will continue to take action to ensure that all Canadians pay their fair share. That is at the core of my mandate, and I will not give up.

Persons With Disabilities

[Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Liberal, Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe, NB]

Mr. Speaker, last week, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities announced a consultation process toward Canada’s accession to the United Nations optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

As we know, Canada is one of the first countries to have signed this convention.

Could the Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities inform the House about the discussions on acceding to the optional protocol?

[Carla Qualtrough, Liberal, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my hon. colleague from Moncton—Riverview—Dieppe

We are very proud of this major announcement made earlier in the month. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ensures the protection and promotion of the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities so that they may be treated equally and without discrimination.

Our government will continue to work with all levels of government and stakeholders, as they all play an important role in the process of Canada's accession to the optional protocol.

I would like to congratulate my colleague from Global Affairs. The standing ovation he received from the disability community at the time of this announcement was well deserved.

Public Services and Procurement

[Robert Sopuck, Conservative, Dauphin—Swan River—Neepawa, MB]

Mr. Speaker, we will give the Minister of Public Services another chance.

Yesterday we discovered that over 1,600 students working at Parks Canada were the most recent victims of the Liberals' Phoenix pay fiasco. Reports indicate that there are still thousands of employees without pay heading into the Christmas season. The Liberals' continued contempt for public services, especially Parks Canada student employees, is unacceptable.

Will the Liberal government finally take action to ensure that our public servants are paid in time for Christmas?

[Judy Foote, Liberal, Minister of Public Services and Procurement]

Mr. Speaker, we are working very hard to resolve the issues associated with Phoenix, many of which date back prior to Phoenix.

With respect to the students, there are three students left who are waiting for pay, and we are working very hard to resolve their issues.

However, it is totally unacceptable for employees to go without pay for work performed, especially at a time like this. That is why we are encouraging all employees who are finding themselves in a difficult position as a result of this to contact us to make arrangements for emergency pay.