Debates of Feb. 25th, 2016

Physician-Assisted Dying

[Kamal Khera, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank members of the committee for their dedication in consulting with Canadians and key stakeholders on this complex issue. This is an extremely important and deeply personal issue to every Canadian.

We will be examining this report closely as the government crafts an appropriate legislative response to the Supreme Court of Canada's ruling and the Carter v. Canada case.

Justice

[Gérard Deltell, Conservative, Louis-Saint-Laurent, QC]

Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister has always praised Quebec's experience and legislation on the sensitive issue of physician-assisted dying. Members know that I personally voted in favour of this law.

In Quebec, one of the fundamental requirements is that the person must be at least 18 years old. Physician-assisted suicide is not available to minors. This morning, the parliamentary committee opened the door to end-of-life care for minors.

Will the government open the door to end-of-life care for Canadian minors?

[Sean Casey, Liberal, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada]

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for his question and his work on the committee.

The committee's work will be vital as we strive to balance personal dignity with the rights of doctors and nurses.

There are still many steps to take, including the debates in this place, in committee and in the Senate. There will be several other opportunities to participate—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

Order. The member for Regina—Lewvan.

National Defence

[Erin Weir, NDP, Regina—Lewvan, SK]

Mr. Speaker, during the election the Prime Minister accused the Conservatives of being “...unreasonably or unhealthily, attached to the F-35...”. However, now it seems it is the Liberals who are unreasonably and unhealthily attached to the F-35.

Why is the government spending 45 million taxpayer dollars to remain in the joint strike fighter program if it is not going to buy the aircraft, or are the Liberals about to break another promise?

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

Mr. Speaker, part of the program, as the member knows from the previous government, is the industrial benefits that it also brings.

However, while our government remains in the partnership with this program, that does not commit Canada to buy the F-35.

[Hélène Laverdière, NDP, Laurier—Sainte-Marie, QC]

Mr. Speaker, during the election campaign, the leader of the Liberal Party was unequivocal: if he was elected, Canada would not buy F-35 stealth fighter jets. Now we have learned that the government is going to spend more than $45 million to remain in the F-35 joint strike fighter program.

I would like to know why. Why is the minister spending our money on F-35s that he does not want to buy?

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

Mr. Speaker, I think I answered that question just earlier. Being part of this program brings industrial benefits for Canadian companies, and being part of the program does not commit Canada to buy the F-35.

Pensions

[Randeep Sarai, Liberal, Surrey Centre, BC]

Mr. Speaker, seniors in my riding of Surrey Centre who rely wholly on old age security and are struggling to make ends meet have not received an increase in their old age security in years. They are wondering if the Government of Canada plans to provide any relief.

Would the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development update the House on the government's efforts in helping to provide seniors with much-needed assistance?

[Jean-Yves Duclos, Liberal, Minister of Families]

Mr. Speaker, I sincerely thank the member for his very important question. I am delighted to remind the House that our government is committed to providing seniors with a very secure retirement. We will restore to 65 the age of eligibility for old age security, well before the planned increase by the previous government. This will put an average of $13,000 back into the pockets of our most vulnerable seniors and will ensure that our seniors stay out of poverty.

Ethics

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

Mr. Speaker, every day that goes by makes us realize how hard it is to get answers from this government on ethics. Again on Tuesday, the government dodged the questions about the justice minister and her husband, a lobbyist for the First Nations Finance Authority.

Let us try again. Can the Minister of Justice confirm to the House whether she will recuse herself during discussions on aboriginal programs?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, I can confirm, on behalf of my colleague, that the Minister of Justice will meticulously follow all of the advice she is given by the Ethics Commissioner.

I am pleased to inform my colleagues that these measures are now in place and that she will follow them carefully, as she has always done.

[Mark Strahl, Conservative, Chilliwack—Hope, BC]

Mr. Speaker, before her election, the Minister of Justice was the chair of the First Nations Finance Authority. It has just hired her husband to lobby the federal government. The FNFA receives monies from the federal government, approved by the federal cabinet, and is governed by federal statutes that she oversees. Her husband's lobbying on this file clearly puts her in a conflict.

This is not a matter for the Ethics Commissioner. It is a matter of common sense. When will the justice minister do the right thing, stop the excuses, and put an end to this obvious conflict of interest?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, what would be helpful would be if the members opposite put an end to the drive-by smears.

What we have said from the beginning is that the Minister of Justice proactively raised this issue with the Ethics Commissioner, as someone of her high integrity should do. The Ethics Commissioner has now provided a structure and advice to avoid not only a conflict of interest but the appearance of a conflict of interest, and that is the advice she is always going to follow.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Mr. Speaker, it is actually deeper than that. In fact, the Minister of Justice was the chairman of the First Nations Finance Authority until she was elected and ascended into cabinet. As she stepped out, her husband stepped in as a lobbyist. How can the Liberals continue to defend the minister?

[Dominic LeBlanc, Liberal, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons]

Mr. Speaker, we are going to proudly continue to defend the minister, who is of such outstanding integrity. The member is clearly struggling with a very basic concept. When an issue like this arises, the appropriate thing to do is to ask the Ethics Commissioner, an independent officer of this Parliament, for her advice and to follow that advice. It is something that the member opposite is struggling with and I would advise him, as I did earlier this week, to meet with her and she could explain to him how it actually works.

[Blaine Calkins, Conservative, Red Deer—Lacombe, AB]

Mr. Speaker, the cozy ties between the government House leader and the Irving family run very deep. We now know that the government House leader appointed his good friend, Kevin Fram, as senior adviser in his office. Conveniently, just a few short days after, Mr. Fram was lobbied by Irving. When it comes to dealing with the Irving family, it is clear to everyone that the government House leader's so-called ethical screen is full of holes. How is this not clear to the House leader?

[Hunter Tootoo, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, the member opposite seems to be a fan of Phoebe Gilman's book, Something from Nothing.

In the first 100 days of my mandate, I was very busy. I travelled from coast to coast to coast and had meetings with many key stakeholders. These individuals included provincial and territorial ministers, indigenous leaders, conservation and fisheries stakeholders, as well as industry. At the time of the these meetings, this fine individual was a public servant from my department and was attending these meetings as my acting chief of—

[The Speaker, Liberal, Geoff Regan]

The hon. member for Windsor West.

Gasoline Prices

[Brian Masse, NDP, Windsor West, ON]

Mr. Speaker, Canada's inflation rate rose to 2% in January, the highest rate increase in more than two years. Gas prices were the biggest contributor to this raise. Even the Bank of Canada has noted that falling oil prices have not been matched by lower prices at the pump.

The government has a role in preventing price fixing and collusion, so will the Liberals agree with our proposal for an oil and gas price ombudsman and a petroleum monitoring agency like they had before, so we can finally end this gouging at the pumps?

[Navdeep Bains, Liberal, Minister of Innovation]

Mr. Speaker, this is a concern that, during the campaign when we were knocking on doors, we heard from different constituents. I look forward to working with the member opposite in finding a solution to make sure consumers are not being gouged, make sure we have a fair process, a competitive process, and make sure consumers have good choices to make, and I look forward to finding a solution with the member opposite.

Marine Transportation

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

Mr. Speaker, just last week the Standing Committee on Fisheries and Oceans approved a study on the imminent closure of the Comox MCTS, yet the minister seems to have already made up his mind. By implementing the Conservatives' reckless policy on closing MCTS centres, the Liberal government is putting the safety of boaters, shipping, and the environment at risk.

Will the minister do the responsible thing and wait for the findings of the committee before deciding on the future of this vital centre?

[Hunter Tootoo, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, as I have said many times, the Canadian Coast Guard has modernized its Marine Communications and Traffic Services centre with 21st century technology. We are moving forward with that plan, the equipment is working, and the committee members will do their work, and I am sure they will come to the same conclusions that we have, that the system is working and the coverage is exactly the same as it was before.

Ethics

[Karen Vecchio, Conservative, Elgin—Middlesex—London, ON]

Mr. Speaker, it is worse than just one meeting. The government House leader's new adviser is not really new at all, especially when it comes to dealing with the Irving family. Kevin Fram has already been in hot water for trips he accepted to the Irving fish camp. Now he is working for the senior New Brunswick minister, who is supposed to have no dealings with the Irvings at all.

How can the minister have an ethical screen to the Irvings when both he and his senior staff are so closely tied to them?

[Hunter Tootoo, Liberal, Minister of Fisheries]

Mr. Speaker, there is another fan of Phoebe Gilman's book, Something from Nothing.

Regarding the two meetings. I attended one of the meetings on January 17 with Mr. Fram, and it involved a not-for-profit organization called CAST, or Collaboration for Atlantic Salmon Tomorrow. The other meeting involving my acting chief of staff, Mr. Fram, was on January 20. It was a high level meeting on shipbuilding. I asked him to attend on my behalf because I was in meetings in Quebec City.