Debates of Feb. 17th, 2016

The Economy

[Some hon. members]

Oh, oh!

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order, please. That is enough. The hon. member and all members want to hear this, so let us listen. The hon. Leader of the Opposition.

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Sturgeon River—Parkland, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it was a surplus confirmed by the finance minister's own department in its final report.

While Canadians are tightening their belts across this country, the Prime Minister clearly has a spending problem.

Can the Prime Minister tell us just how much more debt is he going to pile onto Canadians?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, the previous government left us with a deficit this year, as the numbers highlight very clearly. We have engaged with Canadians to actually create the kind of growth that has been lacking for 10 years because of mismanagement of the economy by the previous government.

Canadians need investments in their communities, which we are putting forward. They need money in the pockets of the middle class, and help for those working hard to join the middle class. That is what Canadians elected this government to do, and that is exactly what we are delivering right now and with our budget.

Employment

[Rona Ambrose, Conservative, Leader of the Opposition]

Mr. Speaker, today, Bombardier announced job cuts that will affect more than 2,000 Quebec families. Those families will have a hard time paying the bills. They will have to make difficult decisions.

Does the Prime Minister realize that Canadians are losing faith in his ability to run our economy?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, whenever people lose their jobs, we sympathize with the families, who are going through very hard times. That is why we committed to investing in economic growth the likes of which we have not seen for 10 years and investing in premium industries and the manufacturing industry.

We are looking at how we can help Bombardier in ways that will benefit the Canadian economy. We are working very hard to generate the growth that we simply did not see during their 10-year reign.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Speaker, 7,000 jobs are on the chopping block, and 2,400 Quebec families will lose their livelihoods, but all that our Prime Minister has to offer is his sympathy. Bombardier and those families need action, not empty rhetoric.

What will the Prime Minister do to help Bombardier and those families?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, we were elected on the basis of our commitment to invest and improve the Canadian economy, including the growth rate. Of course job losses like these are distressing. We still have a lot of work to do to support those families. Our reforms and investments will help, but we also have to be responsible in our use of public funds. That is why we are looking at how we can help Bombardier, a leading light of the aerospace industry not just in Quebec but in Canada as a whole, in ways that will help the Canadian economy.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Speaker, four months later, in response to 7,000 job losses, all he has to say is that he is looking into the problem. That is shameful.

Thousands of Canadians have lost their jobs at Bombardier, adding to the 400,000 manufacturing jobs lost under the Conservatives. The Prime Minister has already said he thinks manufacturing is a thing of the past, but this is people's livelihoods we are talking about. It is about good jobs, their children's future.

How many jobs have to be lost before the Prime Minister will finally act?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, Canadians expect us to be growing the economy in responsible ways and taking responsibility for the kind of investments that need to be made. Unfortunately, inflamed rhetoric and shouting is not going to solve the problem.

What is going to solve the problem is working hard in a meaningful way to bring the kinds of growth, the kinds of effect on the Canadian economy that we were elected to deliver, and that is exactly what we are going to do.

National Defence

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals had no plan for the aeronautical industry in the election campaign, and people now understand why. They plan to do nothing in the face of thousands of job losses here in Canada.

Yesterday, when we asked the Prime Minister whether or not our mission in Iraq was a combat mission, he could not answer, but a couple of months ago in his election platform he had this to say. “We will end Canada's combat mission in Iraq.” We know our troops are going to be on the front line. We know they will be spotting for air strikes. We know they will be fighting.

Yesterday, the Prime Minister even compared our mission to what happened with Canada's troops in the second and first world wars.

This is a simple question. Is this a combat mission, yes or no?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

We have been consistent, Mr. Speaker, from the very beginning in that we feel that the combat role that the Conservative government engaged us in, dropping bombs on ISIL, was not the best way for Canada to help. Therefore, we have ended that combat mission and we are engaged in training and support on the intelligence side, because this is something Canada can do that will meaningfully help our allies, help the coalition, and bring the fight directly to ISIL with the people on the ground who are going to be able to be most effective.

This is what we are going to be debating and discussing today. I am pleased to see such a wide range of perspectives in the House of Commons.

[Thomas Mulcair, NDP, Outremont, QC]

Mr. Speaker, as usual, the Prime Minister keeps contradicting himself on our role in Iraq. He refuses to use the word “combat” to describe the mission, and yet Canada will continue to co-operate on the air strikes. Our brave men and women in uniform, whose numbers have tripled, will be in the theatre of operations and on the front line. The Prime Minister himself has referenced the First and Second World Wars when talking about this mission.

Why is the Prime Minister refusing to tell Canadians clearly that he is sending our troops into a high-risk combat mission? Why is he refusing to admit that?

[Justin Trudeau, Liberal, Prime Minister]

Mr. Speaker, I just said a moment ago that we know that we are involved in a very dangerous mission, but it is a non-combat mission.

We are focusing on training and support on the ground, so that local forces can bring the fight directly to ISIL. That is what our allies want from us and that is what we will do.

The third opposition party has always opposed engagement of any kind, and the reality is that we know that we need to contribute to the fight against ISIL. That is what we plan to do.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, for more than a year, our CF-18s have been eliminating ISIS fighting positions and taking out its critical supply lines. Every successful bombing has limited its ability to threaten civilians and has weakened ISIS' capacity.

ISIS has now fled to countries like Libya because air strikes have decimated its funding and weapons. ISIS is on the run.

Why is the Prime Minister abandoning the fight when our contribution to the air strikes is so invaluable?

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

Mr. Speaker, the current situation in Iraq is that ISIS is not completely on the run. There are pockets of enemy in Mosul and other places.

This war against ISIS cannot be won from the air. It has to be won on the ground. That is the exact reason why we are tripling the training mission and doubling our intelligence capacity as well.

[James Bezan, Conservative, Selkirk—Interlake—Eastman, MB]

Mr. Speaker, the air strikes are working. The global terrorist threat is real. It has taken the lives of Canadians, both here at home and abroad.

The government's priority should be ensuring the safety of Canadians. Our CF-18s are important in the fight to destroy ISIS, so it cannot threaten Canadians.

Does the Prime Minister actually believe reasoning with genocidal terrorists would be more effective than missile strikes by our CF-18s?

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

Mr. Speaker, with all due respect to the hon. member, the fight against atrocities like ISIL's cannot be won strictly with one capability. We need to look at the wider picture.

We need to look at not just the current fight but the stability of the region, hence, the reason this can only be won by the local security forces.

This is what the coalition needs and this is why we have stepped up, as a nation, shoulder to shoulder with our coalition partners.

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Mr. Speaker, the Liberals have broken several election promises, including the promise to limit the deficit to $10 billion.

However, they cite the promise to withdraw our CF-18s. The majority of Canadians oppose the Prime Minister's decision.

Why are the Liberals going against the wishes of Canadians and why are they leaving it to our allies to do the heavy lifting in the fight against the Islamic State?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, I think my colleague would agree that the vast majority of experts acknowledge that there is no shortage of air strike capabilities among the coalition.

However, our allies have always maintained that there is an urgent need for training for local fighters.

We are tripling the training for local fighters. Is the opposition against that?

We are doubling the capacity to gather intelligence on the terrorist group. Is the opposition against that?

I could provide a lengthy list of the things that we are doing to help the coalition, things that make Canada a better partner in combatting this terrorist group.

Foreign Affairs

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on another subject, there are more than 300 supporters of Canadian Reverend Hyeon Soo Lim on Parliament Hill today, praying and advocating for his release from a North Korean prison camp.

We stand with his congregation and supporters in the hope that Reverend Lim will soon be free.

Can the hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs please update this House as to the measures being taken to secure the release of this beloved pastor and human rights advocate?

[Omar Alghabra, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs (Consular Affairs)]

Mr. Speaker, like the family and friends of Pastor Lim, we are very concerned about his well-being and his rights.

We continue to be engaged in this case, providing consular service to him and his family.

I have met with advocates for Pastor Lim and members of the Canadian-Korean community, including today. I will be meeting with them after question period.

I can assure the House that we will continue to be engaged in this file until we resolve this case.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada has contributed billions of dollars to the Palestinian Authority over the years: humanitarian aid, justice building, policing, and education. This week, the Palestinian education ministry held a memorial ceremony for an 18-year-old terrorist who was killed after an attack on an Israeli border guard. Palestinian official media gave the event wide coverage.

Will the minister publicly condemn the Palestinian Authority for its continuing incitement of deadly attacks on Israelis?

[Stéphane Dion, Liberal, Minister of Foreign Affairs]

Mr. Speaker, the government has very stringent criteria for determining whom it will provide humanitarian aid to and with which groups it will work.

We control every aspect from A to Z. We ensure that the help is clearly provided. We will do so in every case, including the one our colleague just mentioned. The government will never provide aid without assurances that it will be properly delivered.

[Peter Kent, Conservative, Thornhill, ON]

Mr. Speaker, on another topic, as the government rushes to normalize relations with Iran and the Iranian regime, the government should consider the forthright declaration of the German Chancellor. Angela Merkel says normal relations with Iran will not be restored as long as Iran refuses to recognize Israel's right to exist.

Chancellor Merkel says she and all of her ministers make that point directly in every contact with Iranian counterparts. Could the minister assure all Canadians that all government ministers will do the same?