Debates of Dec. 5th, 2016

Public Services and Procurement

[Harjit S. Sajjan, Liberal, Minister of National Defence]

Mr. Speaker, let us talk about the truth here. The NORAD commitments and the NATO commitments were commitments made as a nation and every government that comes into power is obligated to meet those expectations.

We are not willing to risk manage the gap. We are not willing to risk manage both our NORAD and NATO commitments simultaneously. We are going to make sure that we have aircraft available for any unforeseen situations. If anybody thinks we cannot have any unforeseen situations, 9/11 was that time. We are going to make sure we fix this gap.

Infrastructure

[Alaina Lockhart, Liberal, Fundy Royal, NB]

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to share with the House that last Friday I had the pleasure of announcing over $13 million for the Fundy Trail connector roads, a transformational tourism project in my riding, which I have been championing since being elected.

Could the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities please explain why projects like the Fundy Trail are so important to New Brunswick and to Atlantic Canada?

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

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank my colleague from Fundy Royal for her ongoing efforts on this project.

Our government is proud to support projects that connect communities, promote tourism, and support economic growth. Along with this project, we also announced 47 water projects and five transit projects in New Brunswick.

We will continue to work with communities from coast to coast to coast to ensure that our new infrastructure meets their needs.

Justice

[Michael Cooper, Conservative, St. Albert—Edmonton, AB]

Mr. Speaker, Wynn's law would require prosecutors to disclose the criminal history of bail applicants, closing a loophole that cost Constable David Wynn his life. The Minister of Justice opposes this common sense legislation.

Will the minister tell Shelley Wynn, the widow of Constable Wynn, why she thinks it is okay for individuals to be let out on bail without their criminal history being disclosed? Why is the minister opposed to closing the loophole that cost Constable Wynn his life?

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

Mr. Speaker, I certainly recognize the tragic circumstances with respect to Constable Wynn, and sympathies go out to the family.

In terms of what we are doing, we are doing a review of the criminal justice system. We are working in a comprehensive and concerted way with the provinces and territories. I am familiar with the private member's bill, but by having discussions with the provinces and territories, we are proceeding in a way that recognizes that we need to work and coordinate together. That is what we are committed to doing. The measures that are articulated in this bill are measures that are in place at this time.

Infrastructure

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Auditor General exposed that the government spent nearly $1 billion on its border programs, with no known results. Meanwhile, at the Blue Water Bridge, the government will not even come to the table after creating the first significant labour dispute in nearly 80 years of operation. Now, it is even hiring scabs and replacement workers, cracking down on families in Sarnia: a job well done. The result is that traffic is redirected, the roads are less safe, and there is lost revenue to a private American billionaire.

Why is the government stiff-arming workers and families, putting public safety at risk, and increasing border conflict, instead of getting back to the table for the workers and their families?

[Marc Garneau, Liberal, Minister of Transport]

Mr. Speaker, I can confirm that traffic is moving on the Blue Water Bridge, and I can also inform the member, of course, that the Blue Water Bridge is under the responsibility of the Federal Bridge Corporation. It is responsible for the operation of the bridge, and that also includes labour relations.

We are certainly following the situation very carefully. What we want to ensure is that traffic continues to move safely, which is the case at the moment.

The Environment

[Joe Peschisolido, Liberal, Steveston—Richmond East, BC]

Mr. Speaker, on November 5, a private fishing vessel sank off the dock in Steveston Harbour in my riding of Steveston—Richmond East. Could the Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard please tell the House about the response from the Coast Guard to limit pollution and remove the vessel from the water?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Steveston—Richmond East for his important work in promoting the safe use of Steveston Harbour and the investments he announced on behalf of our government last summer.

I can confirm to the member that events like this often represent a significant environmental threat to local communities. When the Coast Guard staff received the report of this sunken vessel, it took immediate action to protect the marine environment from pollution. The vessel's owner was identified, but could not respond to the incident. Therefore, the Coast Guard assumed command, and within 24 hours the ship was safely out of the water.

Indigenous Affairs

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

Mr. Speaker, the minister's first legislation dealing with gender equality for first nations is seriously flawed, and the minister must go back to the drawing board. It has really been mishandled, quite frankly from the beginning. In drafting the bill, she did not talk to the litigants and she did not do proper consultation. She was forced to apologize, publicly admitting that she was embarrassed at how her staff handled the file.

Will the minister end her paternalistic approach and withdraw this piece of legislation?

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

Mr. Speaker, issues of registration, membership, and citizenship go to the heart of identity in community. Bill S-3 will correct known sex-based discrimination in Indian registration. We know that a real conversation needs to happen on these issues. That is why I have committed to launching a formal consultation on registration, membership, and citizenship early next year to deal with the other issues that are not in this bill. I look forward to hearing from communities from coast to coast to coast.

I am committed to finding a real reform forward, but right now 35,000 people can get their rights if this bill goes through, and—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel.

Consumer Protection

[Louis Plamondon, Bloc, Bécancour—Nicolet—Saurel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, in Quebec, consumers whose credit card is stolen are liable for, at most, $50. That is the law.

At the federal level, the credit card issuer can stipulate liability in the contract. If Bill C-29 passes, banks will have free rein to demand that clients pay back every penny spent by a credit card thief.

Does the minister of high finance see the difference between being protected by the law and being at the mercy of the banks?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, we will speak on behalf of consumers.

For my hon. colleague's sake, I would like to review the consumer protection principles underlying Bill C-29. I am sure he will agree with me.

The first principle states that basic banking services should be accessible to all; disclosure of information should enable an institution's customers and members of the public to make informed financial decisions; an institution's customers and members of the public should be treated fairly; and complaints processes should be impartial, transparent, and dynamic. That is what it means to protect Canadians.

[Simon Marcil, Bloc, Mirabel, QC]

Mr. Speaker, I guess Toronto banks are keen to see Bill C-29 passed considering the minister of high finance is imposing closure. He is anxious to legalize hidden fees in Quebec, authorize misleading advertising, allow banks to change our contracts without our consent, and eliminate our recourse or any sanctions.

How far is this government of banks prepared to go to quash consumer rights in Quebec to the benefit of high finance in Toronto?

The day that Quebeckers no longer have rights, will they have to cut a cheque to the government, like the Chinese billionaires did?

[François-Philippe Champagne, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance]

Mr. Speaker, the hon. member should know that he is talking to another little guy from Shawinigan.

I speak for the people from the regions and Quebeckers, as do the 40 members who come from Quebec. In Marcotte we were asked to clarify the provisions in effect in order to protect Canadian consumers across the country. That is precisely what we did, but we also took the opportunity to modernize and simplify the legislation in the interest of consumers in Quebec and across the country.

I invite the hon. member to read the bill. He might learn something.

Political Party Financing

[Luc Thériault, Bloc, Montcalm, QC]

Mr. Speaker, by her reaction to the special committee’s report, the Minister of Democratic Institutions has made it quite clear that Liberal interests matter more than democratic interests. It is Liberal interests that also matter more with respect to political party financing, with $1,500 cocktails to gain exclusive access to the Prime Minister.

Instead of playing the same worn out old record and feeding cynicism, will the minister restore public funding for political parties based on the votes received or not?

[Maryam Monsef, Liberal, Minister of Democratic Institutions]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for his work on the Special Committee on Electoral Reform, and I can assure him that our government is working hard to strengthen the fairness and the openness of our democratic institutions.

To this end, we recently introduced legislation in this House to engage more Canadians in the voting process and to enhance the integrity of our system. Our ultimate goal with reform is to foster a more inclusive and engaged Canada. We are looking forward to addressing all the recommendations that the Chief Electoral Officer shared with us and with the committee. We will be introducing legislation in this House soon.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I would like to remind the members that they must name the ministers of the House with their real title.

Oral Questions

[Garnett Genuis, Conservative, Sherwood Park—Fort Saskatchewan, AB]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to raise a point of order about a breach in the rules of the House.

We recognize, Mr. Speaker, that you have a challenging job, and it is made particularly challenging when a member breaks the rules of the House in a way that is designed to play to the camera and escape the Speaker's notice. This is something that I do not think came to the attention of members until it appeared in the news.

The rules of the House clearly forbid the use of props. In fact, the Speaker recently reminded members specifically of this rule. However, what happened within the House last week is that a minister of the government, during questions, was holding up her notes as if pretending to use her notes. However, by all indications intentionally, on the backside of those notes was a very large icon. The minister was positioned such that the icon was clearly visible to the cameras, even though it was not visible to the Speaker.

We know that this is a flagrant violation of the rules of the House. It involves the use of props. This was taken by the Minister of Democratic Institutions, who is supposed to be defending our institutions. In fact, it was done in a way designed to escape notice, showing a complete disregard for them.

I do not know if this was her idea or something she was asked to do by the Prime Minister's Office, but this is clearly unacceptable, clearly a violation of the rules of the House, and the member needs to be brought to order.

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member is correct. I draw the attention of members to page 612 of the House of Commons Procedure and Practice, which says, “Speakers have consistently ruled out of order displays or demonstrations of any kind used by Members to illustrate their remarks or emphasize their positions.”

I have indicated that props are not appropriate. I did not see the writing on the paper on Thursday. I did see it in the paper on Friday and was surprised.

I wonder if the hon. minister wishes to say a few words, because it was inappropriate. The minister came to see me before question period and I explained that to her.

I see the hon. government House leader is rising.

[Bardish Chagger, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism]

Mr. Speaker, I think we recognize that every member in this House can always do better. I listened to what the member opposite has shared. We are all here to follow the rules. We know that last week we had the opposition House leader rip up a piece of paper. I think we can all raise the bar—

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

I want to correct the hon. government House leader and point out that I actually interrupted what happened that day. Had I seen the offending paper on the day in question with the writing on it, I would have done the same thing.

Now I see the hon. Minister of Democratic Institutions is rising.

[Maryam Monsef, Liberal, Peterborough—Kawartha, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I thank the hon. member for the close attention he pays to the rules. I can assure him that I am going to work very hard on my sunny ways, and I will promise to do better.